Chapter 33: His Fiancée

But nearly everyone’s jaws dropped in astonishment. Everyone knew that Jin Xiu Bo had no interest in any of the socialites in the capital’s elite circles, and the reason was that he had a woman hidden in his heart. For her, he had kept himself pure, living more like a monk than a young master. To avoid the patriarch’s family-arranged marriage, he had even moved to Rong City, a small city a thousand miles from the capital.

Yes, Jin Xiu Bo had lived in Rong City for three years, partly because of the Paradise Resort project, and partly because the patriarch had arranged a marriage for him—with the only daughter of the Xue family, one of the capital’s four great clans, Xue Qin.

“Girlfriend? How could you have a girlfriend? How could you do this to me?” Xue Qin demanded.

Jin Xiu Bo’s lips curled faintly, his eyes cold and clear. “Who I date is none of your business.”

“Jin Xiu Bo, I’m your fiancée.”

“I’ve never acknowledged that.”

“You know very well the patriarch favors me. He’s already proposed to my family in private; it just hasn’t been announced yet.”

Jin Xiu Bo’s smile was icy. “If it’s the patriarch’s decision, then you should marry whoever he chooses.”

The girl stared at him in disbelief. “Jin Xiu Bo, you have no heart.”

A quarrel was imminent.

Xue Tao hurried over to mediate. “Qin Qin, your engagement isn’t settled yet, don’t make a scene.”

Xue Qin was furious. “Brother, whose side are you on? Are you really going to let your brother-in-law keep mistresses outside?”

Brother-in-law? He wouldn’t dare to imagine Jin Xiu Bo as his brother-in-law.

Xue Tao stepped up to Jin Xiu Bo. “Ah Xiu, she’s my sister after all. Give me some face and don’t take it too seriously.”

Then Xue Tao turned to Jiang Ci You, his eyes flashing with surprise. “So it’s Reporter Jiang. We met at the Royal Golf Club last time.”

Jiang Ci You responded gracefully, “I happened to be here for dinner tonight. When Ah Xiu told me it was your birthday, I thought I’d come by for a slice of cake and share in the celebration.”

Xue Tao was clearly pleased. “It’s my honor that Reporter Jiang would grace us with her presence.”

The room was filled with Jin Xiu Bo’s childhood friends, and their gazes toward Jiang Ci You were laced with intrigue. They wondered what the prince’s intentions were in bringing her here tonight—was it to escape the harassment of Miss Xue, or had he finally moved on, no longer playing the ascetic for Miss Shen?

But regardless, the woman before them was, by the prince’s own admission, his girlfriend. Those three words alone were enough to guarantee her a life of wealth and honor.

Xue Qin, however, was beside herself with rage. At the matriarch’s birthday banquet, Jin Xiu Bo hadn’t even acknowledged her existence.

She’d given up the opportunity to study abroad for him, traveling all the way to this small city just to catch a glimpse of him. She never expected he would bring a woman here and publicly call her his girlfriend. It was a slap in the face; if the capital’s socialites found out, she’d become a laughingstock.

Xue Qin sat on the sofa, staring daggers at Jiang Ci You, who was playing mahjong with a group of men at the table. She was all smiles, charming and poised, winning favor from every side. Jin Xiu Bo sat beside her, his eyes full of affection, even peeling fruit for her himself.

The prince himself—when had he ever treated a woman like this?

Jealousy and fury burned within Xue Qin like wildfire. Finally, unable to restrain herself, she seized a piece of cake while Jin Xiu Bo stepped out to take a phone call, and walked toward Jiang Ci You.

Everyone in the private room was preoccupied, paying her no mind. Step by step, she approached Jiang Ci You from behind, raising her hand, intending to smash the cake onto Jiang Ci You’s head.

But the woman at the mahjong table seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. As the cake descended, she suddenly rose, her shoulder bumping Xue Qin’s elbow. The collision sent Xue Qin’s arm upward, and the large slice of cake landed squarely on her own face.

Cake smeared Xue Qin’s face and hair, rendering her unrecognizable. She was livid. “Vixen, you did that on purpose!”

She lunged for Jiang Ci You’s hair. But Jiang Ci You had studied combat sports; it was not so easy to catch her. She dodged left and right, intentionally evading, making Xue Qin stumble against the table and trip over bottles on the floor, ending up in a sorry state.

The men at the mahjong table exchanged glances but did not intervene. One was the birthday boy’s sister, the other the prince’s girlfriend. To help either would offend the other. Besides, Xue Qin was infamous in the capital for her arrogance. So they simply watched the drama unfold.

It was clear Xue Qin was no match for Miss Jiang; Jiang Ci You appeared only to dodge, but there was a hint of skill to her movements, even a touch of elegance. In contrast, Xue Qin’s attacks grew increasingly wild, her forehead swelling with a sizable bump.

At that moment, Jin Xiu Bo returned. Jiang Ci You quickly hid behind him, looking aggrieved. “Brother Jin Xiu, it seems Miss Xue has had too much to drink.”

Her voice was like a lark, plaintive yet sweet, almost coquettish. The men nearby felt their hearts melt.

But it completely enraged Xue Qin. “Vixen! How dare you call him ‘Brother Jin Xiu’? I’ll tear your mouth apart!”

Xue Qin charged forward, aiming to slap Jiang Ci You, but Jin Xiu Bo intercepted her arm. “Xue Qin, don’t go too far. Or don’t blame me for disregarding your brother’s feelings.”

The atmosphere turned icy.

Xue Qin shook with anger. “Brother Jin Xiu, didn’t you see her bullying me? Look at my face, and here, and here.”

She pointed to the bump on her forehead and the cut on her knee from the bottle, tears streaming down her face.

Jin Xiu Bo merely turned to Jiang Ci You. “Are you hurt?”

Jiang Ci You shook her head, docile as a kitten. “I’m scared. I want to go home.”

Jin Xiu Bo took her hand. “Alright, let’s leave now.”

With that, Jin Xiu Bo led Jiang Ci You away. Xue Qin sat on the floor, wailing in frustration.

Xue Tao shook his head from the sofa. When Xue Qin approached earlier, he deliberately refrained from intervening. But she was no match for Miss Jiang—neither in wit nor skill; it was a total rout. Everyone could see Jiang Ci You was toying with Xue Qin like walking a dog.

That woman was not simple.

Outside the private room, Jiang Ci You flicked her voluminous curls, her naturally arched brows glancing sidelong at the man.

“Satisfied with my performance?”

Jin Xiu Bo couldn’t help but laugh. “A birthday party, and you turned the birthday boy’s sister into that sorry state. You ask if I’m satisfied?”

Jiang Ci You shook her head, clicking her tongue. “So cunning. A wealthy heiress, a friend’s sister—you can’t afford to fall out with her, so you need a vixen to shift the blame of breaking off the engagement, and while you’re at it, thoroughly crush Miss Xue’s hopes, so she’ll stop pestering you.”

The threads of interest among great families are intricate; appearances must be maintained. Since the engagement was settled, if Jin Xiu Bo wanted to break it, someone had to take the fall. She was the perfect scapegoat. That way, even if the Xue family complained, their ire would be directed at her, the ‘vixen’, not Jin Xiu Bo himself.

Jin Xiu Bo chuckled softly, saying nothing. She was overthinking it.