Chapter 699 - 242: I Don’t Have a Boyfriend, I Have a Husband (Part 2)

’She’s a granddaughter of the Qiao Family. So what does that make him? The Qiao Family’s future grandson-in-law?’

Xu Jiali hadn’t made an introduction, and while they were curious, they didn’t dare to ask.

Mr. Gao and Mrs. Gao looked toward their old madam. ’She’s still sitting there chanting sutras,’ they thought irritably, ’still greedily scheming for Gao Qiang to marry a Qiao Family granddaughter, when that girl is clearly already spoken for.’

No one spoke. The atmosphere was awkward and oppressive.

"Auntie," Xu Jiali prompted.

Madam Qiao shot Xu Jiali a sharp look. ’A daughter can’t be kept at home for long,’ she thought. ’So impatient already.’

Madam Qiao said nothing, but her stance was clear: she did not approve of this marriage. Learning from a past mistake, she knew she couldn’t be blunt. Her husband had avoided the issue entirely, leaving her to deal with it. The solution she’d devised was to make the Gao Family recognize the difficulty of the situation and back down on their own accord.

Having Gao Qiang withdraw on his own would be much more effective than her breaking them up. If she forced them apart, she feared that with a personality like Jiali’s, she would just follow Yan Qiu’s example and go register her marriage to Gao Qiang. If she couldn’t get a marriage certificate, she’d simply do what couldn’t be undone—get pregnant with Gao Qiang’s child. At that point, Madam Qiao would have no choice but to accept it.

"You must be hungry. Let’s eat first. We can discuss the marriage after dinner," Madam Qiao said.

The Gao Family’s expressions turned sour. Eating first and discussing the marriage later was, without a doubt, a veiled rejection.

’If she doesn’t approve of the marriage, why did she call us over to discuss it? Does she just want to humiliate the Gao family for overreaching and trying to marry into the Qiao Family?’

"Madam Qiao." Grandma Gao slowly opened her eyes, forcing herself to look calmly at the other matriarch.

"Old Madam Gao, are you awake now?" A flicker of sarcasm crossed Madam Qiao’s eyes. ’So the old woman is done pretending,’ she thought.

Grandma Gao’s face twitched. Suppressing her rage, she put on the most sincere smile she could muster. "Madam Qiao, you jest. I saw that you were taking a while to come down, so I simply chanted a few sutras."

"Oh." Madam Qiao feigned a look of sudden understanding. "So you were chanting sutras. I thought you had fallen asleep."

"We came here to discuss the marriage between my grandson and your niece. How could I possibly fall asleep when the matter is still unsettled? I’m worried sick. I was chanting to calm my mind. Do you chant sutras, Madam Qiao?" Grandma Gao asked.

"I don’t. I don’t believe in that stuff," Madam Qiao said domineeringly.

Qin Mei watched the two old matriarchs battle it out. ’It’s a good thing this is Xiangjiang,’ she mused. ’If this were in Huaxia, Old Madam Gao would have been arrested as a ’feudal remnant’ and given a thorough ideological re-education.’

"Then what do you believe in?" Grandma Gao asked.

"I believe in myself," Madam Qiao answered.

Grandma Gao was rendered speechless. This Madam Qiao was just as arrogant and haughty as the rumors said. She was impossible to flatter, with an unyielding attitude that left Grandma Gao unable to find any opening.

’If she also enjoyed chanting sutras and worshipping Buddha, they might have had some common ground,’ she thought. ’They could have chatted and eventually become as close as sisters. But with an attitude like this, Madam Qiao clearly disdained the idea of getting to know her any better.’

"Madam Qiao, and this is...?" Grandma Gao’s gaze locked onto Jie Jingchen, specifically on his and Qin Mei’s intertwined hands. ’Didn’t she say she didn’t have a boyfriend?’

Madam Qiao glanced at her eldest grandson, her voice swelling with pride. "My eldest grandson."

Shock filled the eyes of the Gao Family. They boldly took a few more looks at Jie Jingchen and noticed his brow and eyes bore a slight resemblance to Madam Qiao. Yet, they couldn’t find a single trace of resemblance between Madam Qiao and the granddaughter sitting beside her.

"Madam Qiao, you are truly blessed. Your eldest grandson is so handsome and distinguished. He’s so reserved and composed. He will definitely become a rare talent in the business world," Grandma Gao said, the praise sounding forced.

Madam Qiao didn’t respond. She knew perfectly well how outstanding her grandson was; she didn’t need such fawning compliments.

"Your eldest grandson and granddaughter are certainly close," Grandma Gao said, her words laden with implication.

Madam Qiao followed Grandma Gao’s gaze to Qin Mei. She gave a benevolent smile, took Qin Mei’s other hand, and patted the back of it affectionately. "She is not my granddaughter. She is my eldest grandson’s wife."

The Gao Family fell silent. They all turned to look at Grandma Gao, their eyes filled with resentment. She had almost ruined the marriage prospects for Gao Qiang and Jiali.

Grandma Gao was stunned for a moment. Ignoring the resentful glares from her son and daughter-in-law, she narrowed her eyes in displeasure. "Young lady, that’s not very decent of you, lying to an old woman like me."

Jie Jingchen gazed at Qin Mei. "What did you lie to her about?"

Qin Mei glanced at Jie Jingchen but didn’t answer him. Instead, she looked innocently at Grandma Gao and asked in return, "What did I lie to you about?"

"I asked if you had a boyfriend, and you said no," Grandma Gao accused.

"I don’t have a boyfriend," Qin Mei said, tilting her head to rest on Jie Jingchen’s shoulder. "I have a husband."