Chapter 43: It Looks Like Everyone Wants to Kill Me

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: It Looks Like Everyone Wants to Kill Me

After dinner, classical music began to play in the living room.

This was a custom adopted from Western after-dinner parties—a bit of dancing for entertainment.

Chen Xuan took the initiative to extend his hand, inviting Yin Ruxue to dance like a perfect gentleman. "Xue, would you care for a dance?"

’Chen Xuan thought he and Yin Ruxue had gotten along quite well earlier.’

’Besides, they had just finished eating, and both Yin Mountain and Chen Feng were present. Yin Ruxue wouldn’t dare refuse me, would she?’

But who would have known that Yin Ruxue would reply so coldly, "Thank you for the invitation, but I have a boyfriend. I’ll dance with him."

With that, Yin Ruxue turned and walked toward Jiang Fan.

A muscle in Chen Xuan’s cheek twitched. He hadn’t expected Yin Ruxue to be so utterly disrespectful.

Chen Feng was also a bit displeased. He spoke to Yin Mountain in a grave tone, "Old Mountain..."

"It seems your granddaughter has already taken a liking to someone else."

Yin Mountain knew exactly what he meant. "That punk named Jiang Fan is probably just some nouveau riche."

"If he were truly the scion of some great family..."

"...he would have just said so directly."

"Why be so coy about it?"

"An upstart like that is unworthy of my granddaughter."

Yin Mountain was an old fox; he immediately grasped the key point.

Compared to the three-hundred-million-yuan Tiger Roar in the Forest Painting from Jiang Fan...

...an alliance with the Chen Family through marriage would bring the Yin Family profits approaching twenty billion yuan.

In the future, they even had a chance of joining the ranks of the Noble Families.

Things would be completely different then.

It would be tantamount to elevating the Yin Family to a whole new level.

The choice was clear to him.

Chen Feng let out a breath of relief, his gaze sharp. "Old Mountain, hearing you say that is enough."

Then he turned to Chen Xuan and said, "Young people are often hot-headed and make poor judgments."

"Xuan, do you remember what your grandfather told you?"

"When faced with a problem, remain calm and collected."

Chen Xuan nodded. "I understand, Grandfather."

「At Elder Lu’s table.」

"Jiang Fan, do you have a dance partner?"

"Want to go dance together?"

Lu Youyou asked.

Jiang Fan was just about to agree when he heard Yin Ruxue, who was approaching, say, "You’re my boyfriend, aren’t you?"

"If you’re going to dance with someone, it should be me."

Facing Yin Ruxue, Lu Youyou just clicked her tongue.

She had been chatting with Jiang Fan for so long that she had almost forgotten he was Yin Ruxue’s boyfriend.

"True. I was just sitting with your boyfriend at dinner, borrowing him for a bit. Miss Yin Ruxue, you don’t mind, do you?"

A single sentence, and the battle lines were drawn.

Lu Youyou was taking a jab at Yin Ruxue: If he’s really your boyfriend, why wasn’t he eating at your table? What’s there to be so smug about?

In terms of looks and aura, she was in no way inferior to Yin Ruxue. In fact, being slightly older gave her more of a sophisticated, mature charm.

It was only because she wanted to learn a few things from Jiang Fan that she had been speaking to him so softly and gently.

Normally, she wasn’t one to take any slight, no matter how small.

Yin Ruxue snorted coldly, grabbed Jiang Fan’s hand, and led him directly to the center of the dance floor.

"No way."

"The second young miss of the Yin Family and the eldest young miss of the Lu Family, bickering over a man who just appeared out of nowhere."

"Could this guy really be the scion of some great family?"

In truth, this group of people also believed Jiang Fan was just an upstart, much as Yin Mountain had guessed.

Otherwise, only a fool would give away a three-hundred-million-yuan painting right off the bat.

Everyone present had assets worth over a hundred million, but that wasn’t how you threw money around.

In the middle of the dance floor, classical music played.

The people there were all ballroom dancing.

They were all young people.

Jiang Fan had learned these social dances in college as part of etiquette training.

But that was a long time ago. In the years since graduation, he’d been so busy with work that he’d forgotten most of it.

"We’re not actually going to dance, are we? I don’t know how."

Using the music as cover, Yin Ruxue leaned close to Jiang Fan’s ear and whispered, "This is the perfect opportunity to make your role as my boyfriend official."

"This ’making it official’ of yours is giving me a headache."

"Bonus doubled. Two million. Still have a headache?"

"Didn’t you see the people around us? Especially those two. The way they’re looking at me, they want to kill me, okay?"

Yin Ruxue followed his gaze. "That man who looks a little pale is the son of the head of the Southwest Pharmaceutical Factory."

"I have intel that he’s also here to secure a marriage alliance."

"The other one is Chen Xuan of the Chen Family. They’re in the jade business, and his family and my grandfather are old partners."

"And that young man who looks a bit plump—his background isn’t simple either."

"He’s the son of the head of Western Airlines."

"He’s also here for a marriage alliance."

"I’m telling you, Xue’Er, these guys all have impressive family backgrounds. Why don’t you just pick one and marry him?"

"Otherwise, if any one of them comes looking for me after this, I’ll probably get myself killed."

"Don’t worry. We live in peaceful times. Worst case, I’ll have Qingci protect you."

"She’s an ace special forces soldier, retired from the military."

Jiang Fan was dumbfounded. ’That’s the little chick who went flying after just bumping into me?’

"What? You seem to have a problem with her?"

"No, how could I have a problem with Captain Su? I just hope she doesn’t have a problem with me." ’She tried to make things difficult for me on my first day, so my impression of her isn’t exactly stellar.’

"Still, it’s easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark."

"I’ve thought it over, and I think I’ll pass."

"I’ll go tell your grandfather right now that you hired me."

"I’ll confess myself. That way I can avoid getting beaten to a pulp when I get home."

Yin Ruxue became anxious. "You can’t do that."

"If you really do that..."

"...our contract will be void, and you can just wait to pay a massive breach of contract penalty!"

Jiang Fan said with a serious expression, "I’d rather pass."

"I’ve analyzed the situation carefully."

"Your contract means I’d have to pay a huge penalty, but at least I’d keep my life."

"But if you make me your shield, it’ll be really hard to keep my life. I’m willing to earn the money, but I won’t be alive to spend it."

Yin Ruxue gritted her teeth. ’If Jiang Fan really does that, everything I’ve done today will be for nothing.’ ’Given Grandfather’s attitude, he’ll definitely force me into a marriage alliance with another family.’

But when she saw a smile emerge on Jiang Fan’s face, Yin Ruxue suddenly understood. "You’re bluffing, aren’t you?"

"You just want more money."

Jiang Fan looked a little awkward. "You don’t have to be so blunt about it."

"I’m a simple man. I don’t love anything but money."

"Fine, I’ll give you three million."

"Are you kidding me? You give away a painting for three hundred million, and I’m taking this huge risk..."

"...and you only offer three million? Aren’t you being a little stingy?" ’He’d just given all his money to Li Qian’Er, and the orphanage construction would need a huge sum. This woman, Yin Ruxue, was loaded. Jiang Fan naturally wouldn’t go easy on her if he could fleece her for more.’

Yin Ruxue said coldly, "The company is undergoing a share restructuring, which requires a huge amount of liquid capital. Buying the painting cost three hundred million, so things will be tight for a while."

"This is all I can come up with right now."

"When we get back, I’ll transfer ownership of that Maybach to you. That should be enough, right?"

Jiang Fan nodded. "Alright, I guess I can take the loss."

Yin Ruxue rolled her eyes.

"But I have to ask, all these guys are high-quality catches. Why not just pick one?"