"How about it? Your father has already said it... I am the long-lost, virtuous son-in-law of your Chen family!"
"Shuang'er, it's clear... I'm quite loved by your parents and relatives, aren't I?"
Jiang Che laughed heartily.
Meanwhile, Chen Ningshuang was completely stunned, her mind replaying the scene from earlier, feeling a sharp pang in her heart.
Yet, she didn't harbor any resentment toward them, for she felt she didn't deserve to.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Shuang'er, have you thought it over?"
"Thought what over?" Chen Ningshuang still couldn't get used to Jiang Che's touch; the unfamiliar contact from a man filled her with fear and disgust.
"Having a child! Your father wants you to give me a son, but personally, I don't much care for sons. I prefer daughters... Of course, if you could give me twins—a boy and a girl—that'd be even better."
Jiang Che's words filled Chen Ningshuang with utter terror!
So much so that her breath hitched, and she stared at the young man before her in disbelief.
[No... impossible! I'd rather die than bear your child.]
She was terrified. Before this, she had stayed by Jiang Che's side with a sense of fearless sacrifice, fully aware that he would eventually take her innocence.
But she wasn't afraid then; she thought of it as nothing more than being bitten by a dog.
Yet now, Jiang Che wanted her to get pregnant and have his child?
That was entirely different. If she bore Jiang Che's child, her entire life would be irrevocably tied to this scoundrel.
The mere thought of herself with a swollen belly made her tremble with fear.
No!
"You... don't you dare!"
Chen Ningshuang fled in a panic, even losing one of her shoes in the process.
"Hmph—such a coward."
Jiang Che wasn't in a hurry. Chen Ningshuang had no way to escape now. A cat toys with its prey before devouring it, after all.
...
Bai Jie, who had infiltrated the maid team, was growing restless.
She had heard it all too clearly—Jiang Che wanted Chen Ningshuang to get pregnant?
The mere thought of pregnancy made her heart race with excitement.
If she were to carry Jiang Che's child, it would create an unbreakable bond between them. Perhaps she could even win his love through the child!
To be honest, Bai Jie had always felt inferior since entering the Jiang household.
Every girl here held a higher status than her. Yu Wan'er, for instance, was doted on by Jiang Che to the point of madness, leaving Bai Jie seething with jealousy but powerless to change it.
Ye Mengyao, Bai Qiangwei, Qin Qiaoqiao, Dong'er... all of them likely held a higher place in Jiang Che's heart than she, a mere maid, ever could.
Once, she had been infatuated with Jiang Che, but after finally winning his affection, she grew greedy.
She wanted Jiang Che's love!
Jiang Che glanced at Bai Jie, seeing right through her thoughts.
It was a bit unsettling; Bai Jie was no ordinary obsessive fan.
...
After leaving the Jiang residence, Jiang Che went to find his two lackeys, Liu Tie and Wang Zheng.
"Master Jiang! What are your orders?"
"We'll go through fire and water for you!"
As Jiang Che's first batch of followers, their loyalty was unquestionable.
"Oh? And who's this?" Jiang Che pointed to a burly man standing behind them, who looked quite imposing.
Wang Zheng quickly explained with a smile, "Master Jiang, this is Xu Pojun, the former boxing champion from our family's arena. He's currently at the half-step to the peak of martial arts, making him a formidable expert."
The two of them only knew Jiang Che as the son of the wealthiest man in the city, unaware of his other identity.
"Master Jiang, greetings!" Xu Pojun stood with his hands behind his back, not bowing or scraping simply because Jiang Che was the heir to a fortune.
A master of martial arts should not be disrespected, and a half-step to the peak was still a master!
Jiang Che merely glanced at the burly man, thinking to himself that this guy must be a beast when it comes to drinking and fighting.
Casually, he released a fraction of his own power, which was at the peak level of martial arts.
"Thud!"
A crisp sound rang out. Less than a second after Jiang Che revealed his true strength, Xu Pojun dropped to his knees.
"Master Jiang, whatever you need, just say the word. I, Xu, will lay down my life for you."
Jiang Che: "..."
What a spineless guy. But then again, there's nothing wrong with that—it's how you stay alive.
"Listen up, all three of you. Our target has shifted... There's a guy named Ye Liangchen from the Ancient Martial Arts Ye Family. Once you find him, start messing with him."
"This guy loves to show off, and I won't allow anyone in Hangcheng to be that full of themselves!"
Liu Tie and Wang Zheng both understood perfectly. Whether it was Lin Yu and Su Han before or Ye Liangchen now, anyone Jiang Che singled out was in for a world of trouble.
"Master Jiang, don't worry. With us around, this Ye Liangchen won't get a chance to show off!"
Wang Zheng thumped his chest confidently.
Their little trio was already taking shape. Liu Tie and Wang Zheng were in charge of stirring up trouble, while Xu Pojun served as the muscle, ready to handle any fallout.
"Good. Do well, and you'll be handsomely rewarded."
Jiang Che nodded slightly. Liu Tie and Wang Zheng were different from Houzi, who loved dolls. These two came from wealthy, influential families, so dolls wouldn't interest them.
But for them, a verbal promise from Jiang Che was worth more than any amount of money.
After Jiang Che left, Liu Tie and Wang Zheng glanced down at Xu Pojun, who was still kneeling on the ground.
"Brother Xu, why are you still kneeling? Didn't you say a master of martial arts shouldn't be disrespected?"
Xu Pojun remained silent, his mind reeling from the shock. He never expected that this young Master Jiang would be a martial arts master at the peak level!
"Master Wang, how old is Master Jiang this year?"
Wang Zheng scratched his head. "Master Jiang just turned 18 last year, so he's 19 now."
Xu Pojun's lips twitched. A 19-year-old at the peak level of martial arts? What kind of monster was he?
He was absolutely certain that Jiang Che had the backing of a powerful ancient martial arts family, far beyond what a mere wandering martial artist like himself could ever hope to achieve.
From that moment on, his attitude toward Jiang Che became even more humble.
If he had once been a proud martial arts master, now... just call him Little Xu.
"Alright, we've got a new mission. Let's give this Ye Liangchen a hard time."
Xu Pojun stood up, picked up a pebble from the roadside, and crushed it effortlessly into powder.
"Master Wang, leave it to me... Even if it's a pair of iron balls, I can crush them to dust."
Wang Zheng grinned mischievously. "Perfect. My family's training room is short on sparring partners lately."
Meanwhile, as Ye Liangchen stepped into Hangcheng, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.