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Chapter 38: Suitability

Song Xian slept deeply. When she was drunk, she didn’t cause a scene or ramble, but she could sleep for hours. The next day, Jiang Liuyi finished practicing in the music room and found that Song Xian was still asleep. They were supposed to have lunch with Song Xian’s parents and couldn’t afford to be too late, so Jiang Liuyi decided to go wake her. 

She opened the bedroom door, and her heart softened instantly. Under the covers, Song Xian had curled into a small ball. Even though Jiang Liuyi had turned on the heater the night before, Song Xian had still felt cold and kept burrowing into her arms.

What will we do when I’m away performing?

The sudden thought made Jiang Liuyi worry. She walked to the bedside and called out, “Song Xian?”

Song Xian poked her head out from under the quilt. Her hair, neatly brushed the night before, was now slightly tousled, wisps clinging to her temples, making her fair skin appear even more luminous, like white jade. She tucked a lock behind her ear and looked at Jiang Liuyi, frowning slightly as she asked, “What time is it?”

Jiang Liuyi said, “Nine-thirty. Get up and I’ll make you breakfast.”

As soon as Song Xian moved, a sharp ache coursed through her body, especially across her chest. She sat up against the headboard, lowered her head, and lifted the quilt. The bite marks on her chest were faint, but because her skin was so fair, they stood out starkly.

Jiang Liuyi turned her head without thinking and froze for a moment. Song Xian, unabashed, had pulled the covers aside, leaving nothing to shield her. Flustered, Jiang Liuyi hurried to the wardrobe, grabbed a nightgown, and handed it to her. Even though they had touched and explored every inch of each other countless times, her cheeks still burned, her breath falling into disarray.

“Put it on. I’ll step out for a moment.”

Song Xian took the clothes from her, frowning slightly as she watched Jiang Liuyi’s retreating figure. Her memories of last night’s drunkenness were spotty again, but she wasn’t worried. She was sure they would return, just like last time.

She had never truly been drunk before, so she hadn’t known her limit—clearly, it wasn’t very high. Still, she didn’t mind it. She wasn’t uncomfortable, didn’t have a headache, and certainly hadn’t done anything outrageous. Song Xian didn’t give it another thought. She threw off the quilt and got out of bed.

Jiang Liuyi, pouring warm water in the kitchen, caught sight of Song Xian walking out barefoot. She called, “Song Xian.”

Song Xian stopped and looked up at her. Jiang Liuyi entered the room, grabbed a pair of slippers, and crouched at her side, tilting her head up to say, “Put these on.”

It felt like something similar had happened last night, too.

A bit of Song Xian’s memory returned. She nodded, slipped on the slippers, and went into the bathroom to wash up. When she came out, Jiang Liuyi was busy in the kitchen. Song Xian walked over and asked, “What are you doing?”

Jiang Liuyi shifted to the side, and Song Xian noticed something new in the kitchen.

She frowned. “A rice cooker?”

Jiang Liuyi nodded. Not just a rice cooker—she had bought several new kitchen appliances, though she wasn’t very familiar with how to use them yet. She had just been reading the instruction manual. Looking at Song Xian, she asked, “Do you know how to use it?”

Song Xian, who usually seemed to know how to do everything, shook her head. “No.”

Back in school, Gu Yuanyuan had loved cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, but Song Xian had never gotten involved. Later on, she had even less need to cook for herself. Jiang Liuyi had always known that Song Xian didn’t cook, but hearing her admit it so candidly was still a little amusing. She couldn’t help stealing another glance at her.

Song Xian was bowing her head, staring at the blinking red numbers on the rice cooker. Jiang Liuyi said, “It’s the warming time.”

She opened the rice cooker. Inside was plain porridge, along with some steamed soup dumplings and two boiled eggs. Jiang Liuyi plated the dumplings, peeled the eggs, and placed them beside the dumplings. Finally, she ladled out two bowls of porridge and pulled some pickled vegetables from the fridge—Song Xian had no idea when they had been bought.

Once everything was ready, Jiang Liuyi stood by the dining table and said, “Come eat.”

Watching her finish all this felt strangely novel to Song Xian. She walked over and sat down across from Jiang Liuyi. Jiang Liuyi handed her a pair of chopsticks. Song Xian asked, “Why did you make breakfast?”

Caught off guard by the question, Jiang Liuyi choked a little, coughed twice, and looked up at Song Xian. “Don’t you like eating breakfast at home?”

Song Xian thought for a moment. “It’s not that. I don’t know how to cook.”

Jiang Liuyi frowned slightly. “It doesn’t matter. If you can’t, you don’t have to.”

Song Xian asked, “I really don’t have to?”

Wasn’t it supposed to be that Jiang Liuyi cooked one day, and she cooked the next?

Jiang Liuyi smiled. “Of course. If you don’t know how, you don’t have to. I’m not great at it either. I was thinking of learning a little while things are slower. As long as we agree on it, it’s fine—as long as you don’t mind my cooking being a little rough.”

At this stage, anything she made was bound to be far from perfect.

Song Xian made a small sound of acknowledgment and lowered her head to drink the rice porridge. It was the first time she’d had porridge at home that wasn’t delivered, the first time she’d eaten soup dumplings fresh from their own kitchen. Somehow, it felt a little different.

She lifted her eyes to glance at Jiang Liuyi, then frowned slightly and continued eating her breakfast.

After they finished, Jiang Liuyi cleaned up the dishes. They both changed clothes, getting ready to visit Jiang Liuyi’s parents. On the way, they bought some fruit. Jiang Liuyi guessed that, now that her parents had come to terms with her marriage to Song Xian—having once disapproved because of social status concerns—there shouldn’t be any more interference in their relationship.

It was a nice thought.

However, when they arrived, Jiang Shan still wore the same disapproving expression, even looking more displeased than last time. After opening the door, he kept staring at Song Xian, his gaze complicated and heavy. Jiang Liuyi frowned, pulled Song Xian behind her, and called out, “Dad.”

Song Xian echoed politely, “Dad.”

Jiang Shan’s attitude was cool. “Come in.”

Jiang Liuyi led Song Xian inside, carrying the fruit. Jiang Liubing, hearing the noise, came out and, seeing them, called out, “Sis!”

Her eyes quickly shifted to Song Xian. Jiang Liuyi said, “Greet her properly.”

Jiang Liubing hesitated, then muttered, “Sister-in-law.”

Song Xian gave a small nod, her expression calm. Jiang Liuyi asked, “Where’s Mom?”

“She went to pick up a few more groceries,” Jiang Liubing said. “She’ll be back soon.”

Jiang Liuyi set the fruit down on the coffee table and pulled Song Xian over to the sofa to sit. The last time they had come back together, it was to announce their marriage—and unsurprisingly, it had ended in a scene before they even got to eat. Today, though, they should finally be able to sit down and have a proper conversation.

Jiang Shan sat across from them and said to Jiang Liubing, “Go pour some tea.”

Jiang Liubing replied reluctantly and went to the kitchen to prepare tea for the two of them. She already knew about what had happened at the Zhao family gathering yesterday. She could have attended too, but a friend had gotten engaged, so she skipped it. When she got home and heard the news, she was completely stunned.

Song Xian was actually Allen’s niece?

How was that possible? She had looked up Song Xian’s name before but found nothing!

Still, she knew—with so many witnesses there, and with Qian Shen and Lin Qiushui present—if there had been even a shred of dishonesty, it would have been exposed immediately. Not to mention Zhao Yueming—Zhao Yueming was one of Professor Allen’s direct disciples. With her confirmation, the matter had to be true.

She still couldn’t make sense of it. If Song Xian really was Allen’s niece, why had she stayed so low-key?

Now, she just felt awkward.

Of course, she had always supported Yu Bai and her sister. In her eyes, no one was a better match than the two of them. Originally, she hadn’t thought much of Song Xian. But now—

Jiang Liubing’s emotions were a tangled mess. She carried out two cups of tea and placed them on the coffee table in front of Song Xian and Jiang Liuyi.

There was a sound at the door. Jiang Liuyi turned and saw her mother walk in, carrying several takeout containers. Her parents usually cooked at home and rarely ordered out. She still remembered how, whenever Jiang Liubing used to order takeout, their mother would scold them, saying it wasn’t healthy and forbidding it.

But now, when Song Xian had come home for a meal, she had gone out to buy takeout instead?

A heavy feeling pressed down on Jiang Liuyi’s heart. Her face darkened; the sharp angles of her features grew more pronounced, her deep eyes instantly clouded with displeasure. Huang Shuiqin paused when she saw the two of them sitting there and said, “You’re here.”

Both Jiang Liuyi and Song Xian greeted her politely. Huang Shuiqin said, “I’ll heat up the dishes. We’ll eat soon.”

With that, she headed into the kitchen. Jiang Liubing followed. She watched as her mother poured the food out of the containers and asked, puzzled, “Mom, why did you go out to buy food? Don’t we still have groceries at home?”

“Your father wouldn’t let me cook,” Huang Shuiqin said. “Now go, go, get out.”

Jiang Liubing chuckled. “I’m helping you serve the dishes, Mom. Say, now that you know Song Xian is Allen’s niece, are you and Dad finally okay with Sis marrying her?”

Huang Shuiqin turned her head to look at her. Her glare was even fiercer than usual. Jiang Liubing immediately covered her mouth, unsure what she had said wrong. She wanted to ask more, but her mother shoved her toward the door. “Out. Always hanging around at home, can’t do a thing, just getting in the way.”

Jiang Liubing: …

She had no idea how she had managed to get herself disliked.

It was baffling.

Frowning, she walked back out. Her sister and Song Xian were sitting there, drinking tea, while her father sat opposite them with a frosty expression. Back when her sister had announced her marriage to a magazine editor, it made sense that her parents weren’t thrilled. But now, even after learning about Song Xian’s impressive family background as Allen’s niece, they still didn’t look happy.

Could it be that, just like me, they had hoped Sis would end up with Yu Bai?

But thinking back, she didn’t recall them ever being particularly eager to match her sister with Yu Bai.

Jiang Liubing shook her head and walked over just as Jiang Shan stood up. He said to Jiang Liuyi, “Come here for a moment.”

Jiang Liuyi set down her cup, turned to Song Xian, and said softly, “Sit here for a while.”

Song Xian’s gaze remained calm as she nodded.

Jiang Liuyi followed Jiang Shan into the study.

The study was on the first floor. After entering, Jiang Liuyi closed the door behind her. The room looked exactly the same as before—mahogany desk, mahogany chairs, a wall lined with bookshelves. It all mirrored Jiang Shan’s character: rigid, old-fashioned. Once she stepped inside, Jiang Shan said, “Sit.”

Jiang Liuyi sat down on one of the mahogany chairs in front of the desk. She looked at Jiang Shan and asked, “Dad, what did you want to talk about?”

Jiang Shan was silent for a moment before he asked, “Yesterday you said you only just found out that Song Xian is Allen’s niece. Is that true?”

Jiang Liuyi nodded. “I only found out yesterday.”

Jiang Shan’s expression softened slightly, and he nodded as well. When Jiang Liuyi had first brought Song Xian home for dinner, she hadn’t mentioned anything about her family background. At the time, they had assumed she was acting out of spite, not genuinely intending to marry. They hadn’t bothered to ask more, thinking it unnecessary.

Now that they knew the truth, it wasn’t something they could ignore.

Seeing that Jiang Shan hadn’t spoken yet, Jiang Liuyi said, “Regardless of what kind of family Song Xian comes from, she’s already married to me. We’re a family now. I’m planning to hold a wedding ceremony with her in a little while.”

Jiang Shan didn’t even hesitate. “No,” he said immediately.

His gaze was sharp as a blade, his attitude brooking no argument. “Since the wedding hasn’t been held yet, don’t hold one at all.”

Jiang Liuyi frowned. “Why?”

Jiang Shan said, “You’re not suitable for each other! Do you think you’re worthy of her?”

Jiang Liuyi felt her breath catch painfully in her chest. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Jiang Shan cut her off, his tone fierce and final. “A marriage that isn’t right will eventually fall apart! Since you haven’t had the ceremony yet, you’re going to file for divorce first thing tomorrow!”