Chapter 25 Suitable Marriage Candidate

Chapter 25: A Suitable Marriage Partner

"She's a good choice for marriage," Guan Junshan honestly told her. "And she fits the role of Mrs. Guan."

"Do you know what an online blogger is?" Wu Manzhen asked abruptly. "I saw her introduction on TV. She doesn't have a steady job—she just travels the world and posts videos."

"Being an online blogger is also a legitimate job," Guan Junshan tried to correct her view. "Society is changing rapidly these days. There are many young people like Miss Jiang engaging in emerging internet-related jobs."

"Besides, sharing itself is valuable."

Wu Manzhen looked away, looked up at him, and said, "I don't have any prejudice or malice toward her, but—"

She was quiet for a while, hesitant to speak, frowning slightly. "I feel that a girl like her isn't very suitable for you."

Guan Junshan was silent.

He had met Miss Jiang twice. He didn't know her well, and the only interaction they'd had was a simple greeting after exchanging contact details, so it was hard to argue with Wu Manzhen at the moment.

Seeing his silence, Wu Manzhen continued warning him, "You have a calm, cold personality, completely focused on work. Someone at her age, who loves to have fun and be active—what common topics would you have once you're married?"

"Then it's fine if we don't have any," Guan Junshan said, as if worn down by her objections, revealing a bit of his true thoughts. "As long as she doesn't cause me trouble, she can do whatever she wants, go wherever she likes."

"What do you think marriage is?" Wu Manzhen seemed startled by his words, her voice turning completely cold. "Playing video games? Playing house?"

Guan Junshan was stunned. They had never discussed such things before. Perhaps it was because she had just gone through a serious illness that Wu Manzhen became urgently concerned with his marriage plans.

"Xiao Jun," after a long pause, Wu Manzhen called him by his childhood nickname. "You are not a commodity, and your marriage shouldn't be placed on the scales as a bargaining chip."

The room was very quiet. Guan Junshan's gaze wandered for a while, unable to find a focal point, but he had to give a faint "Mm" in response.

After finishing work and washing up late that night, Guan Junshan lay in bed, thinking about Wu Manzhen's words.

Since Miss Jiang isn't suitable, then what kind of person would be right for him?

He had never thought about this question, and he didn't know where to start, so he simply ran through everyone he knew for comparison.

After comparing them all, he likely went in chronological order, down to the most recent names on his list. Guan Junshan's dilemma finally started to take shape.

Since Wu Manzhen thought he was too career-driven and always put on a cold face to scare people off, what if he found someone equally boring, with no personal life, but not as cold as him? That might be a perfect complement.

Almost effortlessly, the next second, Lin Haoda's face came to Guan Junshan's mind.

Though it was somewhat absurd and impulsive, Guan Junshan turned over and quickly found a reason to convince himself.

He was a businessman, and businessmen value cost-effectiveness the most.

So for that reason alone, he should find someone as innocent and gullible as Lin Haoda, willing to follow rules in everything, to make things easy for himself and satisfy Wu Manzhen.

Even though he had gone to bed very late the night before, when he woke up the next day, Guan Junshan had turned back into the flawless President Guan.

He took half a day off in the morning, accompanied Wu Manzhen through lunch before heading to the company. The weather was fine. As the car drove into Central, the glass curtain wall of the corporate tower sparkled under the scorching sun.

On the way to the office, Yang Yue, who had left early for the airport, called him to ask how to arrange the flowers to be sent to Miss Jiang. Guan Junshan, wearing Bluetooth earphones, scrolled through her Instagram for a while but found no useful reference. Finally, he chose multi-headed roses and pink irises, which girls would probably like.

The afternoon's workload was light. Guan Junshan made an appearance at the company, listened to one briefing report, and then returned to Wu Manzhen's hillside villa.

It was not yet four o'clock. Usually in summer at this time, he wouldn't force the servants to work under the scorching sun. But as soon as Guan Junshan got out of the car, he found that almost all the servants at home were busy. Wu Manzhen hadn't stayed in her room to rest either. She was wearing a sunhat, directing people to take down the parasols on the lawn.

"Mom," Guan Junshan walked over, touching her shoulder, which was hot from the sun. "What are you doing?"

"Yang Yue said Miss Jiang is coming over tonight," Wu Manzhen told him, sounding very displeased. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? The house hasn't been properly tidied in a long time."

Guan Junshan reassured her that it was fine, explaining that it was just a dinner, and there was no need for such a big fuss.

"Don't always make excuses," Wu Manzhen scolded in a low voice. She seemed like a completely different person from the one who had tried to persuade him to give up the marriage alliance with the Jiang family last night.

Guan Junshan smiled, took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and walked over to take down the parasols himself. Wu Manzhen quickly called after him from behind, exasperated by his actions.

Miss Jiang's car arrived at the villa in the evening.

Unlike what he had imagined, she was dressed very gracefully and appropriately. She wore a light pink dress paired with a little Chanel-style jacket, carried an entry-level luxury brand handbag, and had dyed her hair back to black, styling it in a very conservative curly look.

Compared to the photos and videos he had seen before, she looked almost like a different person.

Guan Junshan walked over to help her out of the car and gallantly took the flowers from her hand. "Thank you," Jiang Tianyi said, seeming quite pleased with his attentiveness. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and joked, "We finally made it. How is Hong Kong hotter than the equator?"

"It's very humid here," Guan Junshan smiled at her and asked, "Was the trip smooth?"

"Not bad," Jiang Tianyi took off her jacket, tidying her hair as she spoke. "Just the plane food wasn't very good."

The scent of her perfume wafted over with her movements, a complex fragrance of flowers and fruits. Guan Junshan didn't particularly like it, but he didn't dislike it either.

The two stood outside the villa's wrought-iron gate, chatting about trivial matters like the weather and travel experiences.

Jiang Tianyi probably hadn't carefully read the list of Guan Junshan's preferences sent by his assistant earlier. Or perhaps Guan Junshan's attentive listening gave her the wrong impression. She kept sharing anecdotes from her around-the-world trip.

Fortunately, the driver soon finished moving the luggage. Guan Junshan tactfully interrupted her, led her through the garden, and continued walking into the villa.

Jiang Tianyi's maternal grandparents were Hong Kong business tycoons. She was born in Hong Kong but moved to Los Angeles with her father when she was six years old. Over the years, she occasionally came back to visit relatives but rarely stayed long, so even her Cantonese had become less fluent.

The two had met at a banquet, where they had simply danced a single dance. The Jiang family was prominent and wealthy, with few close branches of relatives, so Jiang Tianyi had a wide range of suitors. This good match wouldn't necessarily have fallen to Guan Junshan, but Guan Yongyue was a skilled negotiator. Somehow, he managed to bring about the union between the two families.

Guan Junshan had a half-brother. When it came to choosing the candidate, Guan Yongyue was initially torn between the two. But Jiang Tianyi had been spoiled since childhood—how could she marry a good-for-nothing playboy? From start to finish, Guan Junshan was the only candidate for this marriage.

Guan Junshan was not surprised, nor was he disappointed or resigned. Even if there were no Miss Jiang today, there would be Miss Wang tomorrow, or Miss Li. Guan Yongyue was keen on arranging various marriage banquets for him, probably because he saw that Guan Junshan was indifferent to them and had no intention of falling in love with anyone.

Jiang Tianyi was in the same situation as him, knew her limits, and had a decent family background. To be mercenary, missing out on the Jiang family would mean there wouldn't be a better candidate for "Mrs. Guan" anytime soon.

Having witnessed his parents' failed marriage since childhood, Guan Junshan believed that free love didn't necessarily lead to a better outcome. Since that was the case, wouldn't it be easier to accept an arranged match with a suitable partner, putting resource exchange and mutual benefits before personal feelings?

Thinking this, he began to waver. The irresponsible idea from last night about trying a cost-effective approach gradually faded.

All the way, Jiang Tianyi talked about herself. Guan Junshan walked beside her, neither interrupting nor really listening. Not until they reached the front hall did Jiang Tianyi finally stop, called for her assistant, and spent two minutes refreshing her makeup and hairstyle.

Guan Junshan waited patiently beside her, never appearing so gentle and considerate.

When Jiang Tianyi finished, she looked up at him with a smile and asked, "How do I look?" Guan Junshan nodded and told her, "Very suitable."

"Suitable" was a word without much emotional bias.

It could mean that Jiang Tianyi's meticulous preparation had paid off and earned Guan Junshan's approval. Or it could mean that Guan Junshan had never truly focused on her from the start—so he couldn't perceive any details, and thus had no further comments to make.

Fortunately, Jiang Tianyi was more naive and easier to please than Guan Junshan had expected. After hearing his response, she stepped out from the shadow of the corridor without any doubt, greeted Wu Manzhen gracefully in the living room, and even gave her a warm hug.

Wu Manzhen, sitting in her wheelchair, listened with a smiling face, appearing very satisfied and pleased. While the servants were preparing dinner in the kitchen, she asked Guan Junshan to go to the safe on the second floor and bring down the gift she had prepared for Miss Jiang.

Opening the black velvet box revealed a diamond necklace set with a sapphire, sparkling brilliantly under the living room's crystal chandelier.

Wu Manzhen personally put it on her, looking pleased, patted Jiang Tianyi's hand, and told her to go sit next to Guan Junshan.

Jiang Tianyi lowered her head slightly, her made-up face looking charming and captivating in the sunset light. Guan Junshan rose at the right moment, walked to the dining room to get her a glass of juice, then sat down beside her upon returning, making a measured compliment that the necklace matched her outfit perfectly.

After dinner, at Wu Manzhen's request, Guan Junshan accompanied Jiang Tianyi for a stroll in the garden.

The sky darkened a few shades, a gust of wind brought the earthy smell of rain about to fall, and the setting sun sank into the distant lake.

The two walked slowly along the garden path. Jiang Tianyi was wearing high heels, and Guan Junshan looked out for her, pausing every so often to introduce the various plants along the way.

Jiang Tianyi listened attentively, often bending down to observe the flowers and plants closely. Guan Junshan was about to ask what flowers she liked so he could bring some next time when Jiang Tianyi suddenly turned her face and asked out of the blue: "After we get married, can we keep a cat at home?"

Guan Junshan didn’t like cats; he thought they shed and were clingy—a real hassle.

He paused a moment and said, diplomatically: "If you're not home much, it's better not to get one. Cats can get lonely."

"I see." Jiang Tianyi shifted her gaze slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "That's true."

She continued walking and then asked Guan Junshan if he'd ever had a pet. He told her "No," and Jiang Tianyi looked surprised, asking, "Don't you like small animals?"

Guan Junshan indeed didn't really need a pet to keep him company, but considering that Jiang Tianyi might like them and might take offense, making the arranged marriage harder to move forward, he made up a very common excuse: "When I was little, a relative had one. Once I went to pet it and got accidentally scratched. After that, my family wouldn't let me have pets."

Jiang Tianyi nodded after hearing that, looking sympathetic. She said, "Your mother doesn't seem that strict."

Guan Junshan smiled at her. "She's really happy with you."

"That's great." Jiang Tianyi stopped and turned to look at him, her expression unclear in the fading light. "Looks like things are going smoothly for us."

Dark clouds quickly gathered in the distant sky. The lake surface became very dark with waves surging. The garden lights along the path came on one by one, and the servants on the roof were taking down the umbrellas.

Within five minutes, rain began to fall, pattering against the eaves and forming countless little streams. The sky became completely dark.

Guan Junshan had brought an umbrella when he went out. Since they were still some distance from the villa, he shook open the umbrella and gallantly gave her most of the cover.

Under the umbrella it was tight, and they moved slowly. Even so, Guan Junshan's left shoulder was soaked, so they had to stop under a locust tree to take shelter.

Jiang Tianyi's high heels sank into the soft, wet mud. As she pulled them out, muddy water got in. Guan Junshan was about to look down when Jiang Tianyi suddenly leaned over. She had one foot bare, her body carrying a slight dampness and the scent of perfume. Her cold, moist hand grasped Guan Junshan's forearm, and her wet shoulder pressed against his chest.

"Can you hold my high heels?" she asked softly, pleading.

Guan Junshan had intended to do that anyway, but seeing her so actively throwing herself into his arms, almost completely leaning on him, he instinctively frowned, repulsed.

"Okay." He still held the umbrella, but he moved his body slightly away from her, his voice especially low in the pouring rain. "Please stand steady first."

Sensing that he was about to move away, the next second Jiang Tianyi pulled him with almost all her strength. "Don't move."

She lowered her voice and said, leaning against Guan Junshan's chest: "Your mother is watching us."

Guan Junshan heard clearly and was about to push her away, but then Jiang Tianyi continued: "My assistant is watching too."