Chapter 118: Could It Be That I'm No Longer Useful?

Watching Xu An’an’s sly little expression, Jiang Lie immediately knew she was up to something, but he didn’t call her out and simply handed over his phone.

Taking the phone, Xu An’an stepped aside and called her father.

The call was answered almost instantly.

Suddenly receiving a call from Jiang Lie, Xu’s father was overwhelmed with excitement, as if he wanted to announce it to the world. He assumed Jiang Lie must be calling about the marriage between Xu An’an and Jiang Yu.

He spoke cautiously and flatteringly, “Second Master, is there any instruction you wish to give?”

“It’s me,” came the voice.

Xu An’an nearly burst out laughing; she thought of ancient eunuchs, which perfectly matched her father’s demeanor at that moment.

Recognizing Xu An’an’s voice, Xu’s father fell silent for a few seconds, then double-checked that the number was indeed Jiang Lie’s.

“Did you just pick up the Second Master’s phone?”

“No, I asked the Second Master for his phone to call you.”

“……”

Xu’s father was silent again, clearly confused about the situation. He asked, “So the Second Master is with you right now?”

Xu An’an glanced back and saw Jiang Lie leaning casually nearby.

A sparkling tapestry of stars spread out behind him, a gentle night breeze tousled his hair, with a few strands brushing his handsome cheek, outlining an indescribable beauty.

She truly wished she could capture this moment on her phone.

But alas, she could only watch carefully and imprint it in her mind.

“That’s right, the Second Master is right here with me.”

“But the reason I’m calling you is to ask when you agreed to marry Jiang Yu? You’re acting without permission—what exactly are you trying to do?”

She wasn’t sure if her household registration was still with the Xu family. When Shen Ying came to take her and her mother away, she had taken the household register.

If her registration was still under the Xu family, things would be serious.

So she had to use Jiang Lie to pressure both Xu’s father and Shen Ying.

Xu’s father was displeased. “You already have a betrothal with Young Master Jiang. Wouldn’t it be better to marry sooner? In the past, at your age, you’d have been mother to several children.”

“In any case, I won’t marry. Don’t try to force this, or the Second Master will be very angry.”

“……”

“If you don’t believe me, just try it. If Xu Corporation goes bankrupt, it’ll be your fault,” Xu An’an said harshly and hung up.

Xu’s father wanted to call back but dared not, fearing Jiang Lie might answer.

---

All matters were now pressing, but it wasn’t his place to speak. He summoned Shen Ying, hoping the two of them could devise a plan together.

Learning that Xu An’an was now with Jiang Lie struck Shen Ying like a thunderbolt.

Her suspicions were true!

She was terrified.

“That’s impossible. If the Second Master really had anything with Xu An’an, how could he just watch her get betrothed to Young Master Jiang? Don’t be fooled by that shameless girl—who knows where she got the Second Master’s phone to scare us!”

“Besides, we have no choice but to proceed now!”

“If we offend the matriarch, we’ll all share the same fate. It’s better to marry Xu An’an off and let the uncle and nephew fight it out.”

Meanwhile, Xu An’an returned the phone to Jiang Lie but remained worried.

Jiang Lie raised an eyebrow. “What, am I no longer useful?”

Xu An’an was momentarily taken aback and blushed. “What? So you knew all along? Then why lend me your phone?”

If matters were truly resolved, Jiang Lie wouldn’t have asked that.

He tapped his chin lightly. “As long as you don’t want to marry, no one can force you.”

Those words were genuinely reassuring.

Xu An’an thought for a moment but decided not to trouble Jiang Lie. “I need to go back to the Xu family now. There are some things to take care of.”

“Don’t carry so much by yourself; it’s quite heavy. Let Assistant Wang help you.”

With that, she rose, hailed a taxi, and left.

Jiang Lie remained seated, watching the red tail lights of the taxi fade into the sea of cars, his eyes dark and unreadable. No one knew what he was thinking.

---

Seeing Xu An’an appear, the three family members were all surprised.

Especially Xu’s father, who told her, “Where is the Second Master? Weren’t you with him? Why didn’t he see you off?”

His words were a test, trying to gauge Jiang Lie’s attitude toward Xu An’an.

Xu An’an sneered, clearly not fooled. “If you doubt me, I can call the Second Master now. But please think carefully about what you want to say to him—if you anger him, I won’t be responsible.”

Xu’s father dared not risk it and gave up. He exchanged a glance with Shen Ying.

Unexpectedly, Xu Wanwan suddenly stood up sharply, her tone commanding, “Xu An’an, you don’t have the right to refuse. If we say you marry, then you marry!”

“Marry into the family and enjoy the life of a young madam. What’s there to be unhappy about?”

Xu An’an stared at Xu Wanwan as if she were mentally challenged. “If it were really so wonderful, would you have given it to me in the first place? Don’t sugarcoat things.”

“I came back on purpose to make it clear—I will never marry Jiang Yu.”

“If this is going to cause trouble, then let it. Let’s see who suffers in the end.”

Xu An’an went straight upstairs. The three quietly watched as she disappeared around the stairwell corner.

Once she was out of sight, Shen Ying’s mind hatched a ruthless thought, and she lowered her voice. “Since she came back herself, don’t let her leave this door easily.”

“We’ll keep her locked in until the wedding day.”

Xu’s father hesitated. If Jiang Lie couldn’t find Xu An’an, wouldn’t the blame fall on him? He found an excuse and went to his study.

Xu Wanwan was puzzled. “Why did Dad leave all of a sudden? We haven’t even settled this yet.”

Having been married to Xu’s father for so many years, Shen Ying knew his meaning well—it was fear of trouble and leaving the two of them to bear the burden.

Though angry, she was helpless.

If Xu An’an wasn’t married into the Jiang family, and the Jiang family’s key figure blamed them, she and her daughter would surely suffer.

“Li Ma, bring the young lady a cup of milk to calm her and help her sleep.”

Li Ma responded quickly and hurried to prepare it.

But when it was brought to Xu An’an, she was unsurprised and smiled, “Now that you mention it, I’m a bit hungry. I wonder if the delivery I ordered has arrived yet?”

Just then, voices came from downstairs, so Xu An’an went down to sign for the delivery.

Xu Wanwan curiously followed, and when she saw the fresh lobsters, palm-sized abalones, and premium bird’s nest in the refrigerator, her eyes lit up.

“Oh my, I want to eat these!”

“Mom, did you arrange for this delivery?”

Shen Ying also came over, staring at Xu An’an. “You didn’t buy all these yourself, did you? That’s not a small expense.”

Xu An’an had felt the pain of spending but was unwilling to lose the chance.

She only had one shot tonight.

“They are indeed expensive, but I happen to have some cash on hand now. I just bought some to eat. Haven’t you all ever tasted these before?”