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Qiao Chen pulled down her hat to cover her head, unable to meet her sister's gaze.
"Qiao Chen, what can I say to you? All you think about is fighting. Have you ever considered that we..."
Just then, a series of knocks echoed through the small apartment as Jono was about to deliver a serious lecture to Qiao Chen.
Jono paused her words and went to open the door. Standing outside was a man in his fifties, dressed in a suit, looking anything but ordinary.
"Is this Miss Qiao?" he asked.
Jono nodded, realizing she didn't know this man at all.
Inside, Qiao Chen heard the voice and immediately came out, eyeing the visitor with some suspicion.
"Hello, I am Yi He, the butler of the Jin Family. The master has asked me to invite you to the house; he has something to discuss with you."
Upon hearing the name Jin Family, Jono's alertness spiked. She had to ensure that Qiao Chen didn't catch on to anything!
"Please wait a moment; I'll be right there," Jono said with an apologetic expression before closing the door.
In her haste to speak with Yi He, she hadn't noticed Qiao Chen's sigh of relief.
"Qiao Chen, stay home and reflect on your behavior. I have something to attend to; when I return, you can explain why you've been fighting again!"
Qiao Chen watched as his sister seemed eager to leave and followed closely behind her. "Sis, which Jin Family are they? What do they want with you? Why do you look so pale?"
Jono initially didn't want Qiao Chen to get involved in this matter, but he insisted on knowing more.
In the end, she had no choice but to adopt her sister's authoritative tone. "You stay put! Wait for me to come back!" Once she said that, Qiao Chen really didn't dare to speak up and could only watch as her voice faded away.
Afterward, Qiao Chen looked out the window and saw his sister getting into a black Lincoln. He wondered which member of the Jin Family needed his sister's assistance.
However, he felt a sense of relief that the scoundrel hadn’t come knocking on their door!
*
"Mr. Yi, what does Mr. Jin want with me?" After their last meeting, Jono had changed her impression of Jin Zhongshu; he wasn't as cold as rumored. Still, she couldn't fathom what Jin Zhongshu wanted this time.
Yi He was driving when he pondered her question for a moment before replying, "Just call me Yi He, Miss Qiao."
Jono thought to herself, "This has nothing to do with what I asked!"
Realizing that she wouldn't get any information from Yi He, Jono settled quietly into the back seat, contemplating whether she should ask Jin Chengyan about it.
But just thinking about how he had treated her made her feel uneasy! She didn’t even want to inform him; it was better if he was kept under Jin Zhongshu’s control and couldn’t do whatever he wanted!
With these thoughts swirling in her mind, they arrived at the Jin Family Mansion.
The new Jin Family residence was quite different from the old Jin Mansion; it was more modern and located away from the hustle and bustle of the city center, nestled in a suburban area with a better environment and more spacious grounds.
However, Jono had not yet had the chance to appreciate the Jin Family Mansion before Yi He led him into the main villa. Before he even reached the living room, he felt the oppressive atmosphere that lingered there.
Suddenly, Jono thought that even though he and Jin Chengyan had nearly fallen out, he should at least inform him. After all, coming to the Jin Family Mansion was no small matter.
However, it was already too late.
Standing in the living room, Jono saw members of the Jin Family of all ages seated inside, and in the center of the living room knelt Jin Chengyan!
Jono was at a loss for what was happening!
Jin Chengyan, kneeling on the ground, seemed to sense someone had arrived. He turned around and saw Jono.
This was their first meeting since that morning, but he never expected it to be under such circumstances!
Jono's eyes questioned Jin Chengyan about what was going on, but there were no answers in Jin Chengyan's gaze.
He turned his head to look at Jin Zhongshu, who sat above him, straightened his back, and said to his father, "This matter has nothing to do with Jono; you don't need to summon her here."
Jin Zhongshu was already furious, his face flushed with anger. Little did he know that this rebellious son would dare to speak so boldly. Jin Zhongshu felt like taking the whip from the table and striking Jin Chengyan with it!
"It seems you've really grown wings and are doing things without informing the family. But Jin Chengyan, let me tell you this: as long as I'm alive, the Jin Family's assets will not belong to you; you still cannot call the shots!" Jin Zhongshu rarely lost his temper, but over the years, his two greatest outbursts were both because of Jin Chengyan.
The others were powerless to intervene; even the matriarch of the family, Melancholy, could only stand by and watch.
"I really haven't made any decisions on my own until now; it's all thanks to your good education!" Jin Chengyan replied stubbornly.
"Smack—" Jin Zhongshu threw the cup of hot tea from the table at Jin Chengyan, the liquid splashing onto his suit, steaming. Yet, he remained silent, stubbornly enduring it.
"Jin Chengyan—" Jono called out his name, only to realize that her concern was overwhelming.
But as the words left her mouth, she felt how inappropriate they were. The Jin family members sat in silence; even his relatives were not speaking, so what right did she, an outsider, have to speak up for Jin Chengyan?
Jono stepped back, standing quietly on the periphery. Everything here should have nothing to do with her.
She also didn't understand why Jin Zhongshu had called her over.
At that moment, Jin Zhongshu finally noticed Jono. To be honest, he didn't dislike this girl, but he certainly couldn't say he liked her either. She was far from being worthy of his son, Jin Chengyan.
However, compared to that actor, Jono was already much better.
"Jono, come here," Jin Zhongshu said to her in a much gentler tone.
The entire Jin family was puzzled about why Jin Zhongshu had summoned someone named Jono and what her relationship with Jin Chengyan was. They all quietly sat in their places, watching how the head of the family would reprimand this arrogant heir!
"Jono, you need to leave right now!" Jin Chengyan turned around. He didn't stand up, indicating some respect for his father, yet he was commanding Jono to leave immediately.
"Jin Chengyan, you have no authority to give orders here!" Jin Zhongshu scolded him again.
Jono stood in place, staring into Jin Chengyan's bloodshot eyes, then glancing at the kind yet unyielding Jin Zhongshu.
What should she do?
"Uncle Jin, I think this is a matter for your family. It might be better if I leave first," Jono said, avoiding Jin Chengyan's piercing gaze. This person really had an imposing presence, even when kneeling!
Where did he get such an aura?
Was it innate?
Everyone in the living room was taken aback by Jono's address of "Uncle Jin."
The head of the Jin Family certainly did not have such a reputation for acknowledging a niece outside the family. To call Jin Zhongshu "Uncle Jin" was no small matter.
This Jono seemed to have quite the background!
Jin Zhongshu rested his hand on the armrest of the mahogany chair, remaining silent for two seconds before leisurely saying, "Do you think it's appropriate to still call me 'Uncle Jin' now?"
Jono was startled. The last time they met, Jin Zhongshu had said she could call him "Uncle Jin," as calling him "Mr. Jin" would make him seem older.
So today, Jono had naturally addressed him that way, not expecting the old man to take offense.
Jono felt extremely awkward.
It seemed that no one realized the meaning behind Jin Zhongshu's words. However, kneeling on the ground, Jin Chengyan suddenly looked at his father.
It appeared that there were some things he could not hide from his father.
In fact, there were many things that Jin Chengyan did not want to keep from his father; this was something he would have to reveal sooner or later.
Yet, he never expected it to happen under such circumstances—after he had become involved with Jono, after he had intended to terminate their contract, and when he was planning to give up on Jono.
Jin Zhongshu had discovered it!
“Shouldn't you be calling me 'Dad' now?”
As soon as Jin Zhongshu's words were spoken, the entire living room fell silent. Jono was also stunned, unable to say a word, only able to glance at Jin Chengyan.
From a distance of three or four meters, Jin Chengyan looked at Jono but suddenly closed his eyes. Jono couldn't understand what Jin Chengyan was thinking in that moment of darkness.
“What? Ayan, you’ve actually married this girl? When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me and Dad?” The mistress of the house stood up from her chair in disbelief, staring at Jin Chengyan.
Jin Chengyan opened his eyes and gave Jono a quick glance before turning back. “Mom, marriage is my own business. She is the person I live with, so I didn’t tell you.”
Melancholy was left speechless by Jin Chengyan's words, her breath caught in her throat as she leaned against her forehead while sitting back down in her chair, disappointment and sadness flooding her heart.
Seeing his wife sitting down in distress, Jin Zhongshu became even more dissatisfied with Jin Chengyan's actions.
"You secretly got married outside and still have the nerve to argue? Have you considered how the girl feels? Without a wedding, what reason does she have to marry you? Do you think no one cares about your little affairs? You treat a girl so poorly, and you still dare to say you're a man from the Jin Family?"
As Jono listened to Jin Zhongshu's words, warmth spread through her heart.
He was scolding Jin Chengyan for not giving her a wedding, for not providing her with a legitimate identity.
But in reality, this couldn't be blamed on Jin Chengyan, because their marriage was merely a contract; he had no obligation to give her a grand wedding.
"This is my own business," Jin Chengyan replied softly.
Jono felt it was pointless for Jin Chengyan to bear such unjust blame. She said, "Uncle Jin, I don't mind any of this; it has nothing to do with Jin Chengyan. Marriage is fundamentally a matter between two people..."
"You... got married?" A faint voice echoed in the living room. Everyone fell silent at that moment, unaware that Jono's arrival was not the end of the matter. They hadn't expected Jin Zhongshu to invite the parties involved today!
Jin Chengyan and Jono turned simultaneously toward the sound and saw Ruan Shengyu in a flowing white dress.
- End of Chapter -
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