In Jiang Shang's room.
Jiang Shang skimmed through the project plan carefully and picked out a few points for revision. At first, Jiang Jiaojiao listened patiently, but later she couldn't hide her true colors.
It was just a betrothal banquet. Was it really necessary to be so fussy?
Although Jiang Jiaojiao still looked like she was all ears, she was extremely impatient inside.
Seeing that Jiang Shang still wanted to go over the details, Jiang's mother quickly changed the subject to spare Jiang Jiaojiao some trouble.
"Shangshang, do you have any other people in mind for the invitation list?"
A batch of invitations had been sent out last week. The betrothal banquet of Gu Siheng and Jiang Shang was bound to be a social occasion for the upper class, so a second batch of invitations needed to be sent.
Jiang Shang thought for a moment. In the past five years, the original owner had cut off all her interpersonal relationships in order to date Pei Shangze. She had only a handful of close friends. Apart from Lin Jingru, whom she had just met recently, she couldn't think of anyone else.
Jiang Shang's lack of ideas was exactly what Jiang's mother wanted. Her eyes curved into a smile as she began to hatch a scheme.
"Your father wants to invite some business partners to witness your betrothal banquet. Also, he has a small request..."
Jiang's mother's voice trailed off as she keenly observed Jiang Shang's reaction.
Jiang Shang was looking through the invitation list in the folder. Hearing this, her finger unconsciously folded a corner of the paper, and her eyes turned sharp.
"What's the request?"
Jiang's mother put her arm around Jiang Jiaojiao's shoulder and said to Jiang Shang, "Your sister is old enough to get married. Since it's a done deal that you'll marry into the Gu family, why don't you put in a good word for Jiaojiao in front of the head of the Gu family and let her marry in too?"
Jiang Jiaojiao reached out and grabbed Jiang Shang's hand, squeezing it tightly. A harmless smile bloomed on her fair and delicate face.
"If the Jiang family and the Gu family become even closer through marriage, you'll have someone to look after you and a strong backer in the Gu family, right, sister?"
Hearing this, Gu Siheng raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at his fiancée with a playful glint in his eyes, curious to see how she would respond to this moral kidnapping.
Jiang Shang curled her lips slightly, sneering inwardly.
The mother and daughter really had the nerve to make such a big request.
For a small, wealthy family like the Jiang family in Yuncheng, to form a marriage alliance with the Gu family was already a stroke of great fortune. Jiang's mother clearly didn't trust her and still wanted Jiang Jiaojiao to marry into the Gu family.
Jiang Shang neither said no nor agreed. "Since it's Dad's request, why doesn't he come and tell me himself?"
Jiang's father had been okay with the original owner. Although he favored Jiang Jiaojiao because of Jiang's mother, at least he had fulfilled his basic responsibilities as a father.
She was quite curious to know if the only person in the Jiang family who had been kind to her was also plotting against her.
Jiang's mother's face stiffened. Remembering that they hadn't discussed this with Jiang's father, she forced a smile and tried to brush it off. "Your father has been busy dealing with company matters recently. He specifically asked us to pass the message on to you."
Jiang Shang put down the invitation list, ignoring the increasingly ugly looks on the faces of the Jiang mother and daughter. She then said smoothly, "In that case, I'll go to the company to see Dad tomorrow and talk about my betrothal banquet by the way."
After getting rid of the mother and daughter, Jiang Shang took a shower and went to bed. She found that her account's inbox was full.
Scrolling down, she found that Lin Jingru's phone call in the afternoon had had an explosive effect. Countless online celebrity companies and guilds wanted to recruit her as their anchor.
Jiang Shang thought for a moment and decided to test the waters by contacting a few companies. However, either the profit-sharing was too exploitative or the management was too strict. After screening, only a few companies were acceptable, so she had to put it on hold for the time being.
The next morning at nine o'clock, Jiang Shang and Gu Siheng went downstairs for breakfast together.
The Jiang mother and daughter were busy with the changes to the betrothal banquet and were temporarily called away by Gu Ningxi, so they couldn't stop Jiang Shang.
When the younger generation of the Gu family saw them coming in and out together, someone asked if they were going out together.
Jiang Shang glanced over and thought for a while before she remembered that the person who had spoken was Gu Huai, a collateral branch of the Gu family.
Gu Siheng sat down opposite Gu Huai. A servant came over and handed him a document, saying that someone had sent it.
Gu Huai's eyes widened when he saw the words "Guiyi Island Construction Plan" clearly written on the document.
"Gu Siheng, how did you get this project? Isn't Guiyi Island still in the bidding stage?"
Gu Huai's loud voice caught the attention of all the younger generation present. Countless pairs of eyes were filled with envy, hostility, and most of all, disbelief.
Gu Siheng pulled out a chair for Jiang Shang and deftly shifted the focus away from himself.
"The person in charge of the tourism industry in Yuncheng heard about my wife's remarkable achievements and invited her to join this project. That's why we're working together."
"?!"
Everyone turned to look at Jiang Shang in shock and awe, amazed by her influence and ability to monetize her popularity.
They had been eyeing this project for a long time and had tried everything to please the person in charge. Who would have thought that it would end up in the hands of a cast-off, and all because of his wife!
How could they accept this?
Jiang Shang and Gu Siheng finished their breakfast under everyone's different looks. Gu Huai watched Jiang Shang's back as she left the mansion. His black and white eyes rolled as he thought about how to deal with the situation.
As soon as Jiang Shang stepped out of the mansion's main gate, she saw a... gaudy figure in the distance.
Pei Shangze was leaning against the window of his Cayenne, a rose between his lips. He was also holding a bunch of bright red flowers in his arms.
Jiang Shang turned around and was about to get in the car and leave, but Pei Shangze spotted her and ran over with the flowers in his arms.
Gu Siheng instinctively reached out his arm to block Pei Shangze in front of Jiang Shang.
"What do you want?"
Coming to the Gu family mansion to do this was clearly an attempt to embarrass him, Gu Siheng.
Pei Shangze ignored Gu Siheng's hostility. "Get out of the way. I need to talk to Shangshang about something important."
Jiang Shang's mouth twitched in embarrassment. "I don't have time for you. I'm going to see my dad."
Instead of backing off, Pei Shangze took the initiative to sit in the front seat.
"It's okay, Shangshang. From now on, all my time is yours."
Gu Siheng's face darkened immediately. It was only because of his good upbringing that he didn't kick Pei Shangze out.
Jiang Shang pulled Gu Siheng to sit in the back seat. Pei Shangze turned around and realized that the driver hadn't gotten in the car.
So Jiang Shang was treating him like a driver?
Thinking of the woman's glorious deeds from yesterday, Pei Shangze swallowed his anger and started the car reluctantly.
As the navigation showed they were going further and further away, Jiang Shang finally realized they were taking a detour. She looked at Gu Siheng in confusion. "Don't you need to go to the company?"
Gu Siheng's deep gaze landed on Pei Shangze's back. "No."
He wanted to see what tricks Pei Shangze was up to.
Jiang Shang blinked and felt the strong smell of gunpowder in the car.
The car stopped in front of Jiang Real Estate. Jiang Shang led the two men out of the car and went upstairs. Hearing that Jiang Shang was coming, Jiang's father had been waiting at the office door.
Pei Shangze saw Jiang's father from afar and ran over to hug him. "Dad!"
Jiang's father looked at him in horror, his face clearly showing that Pei Shangze was not his son-in-law. He shook off Pei Shangze's hand in disgust and walked straight towards Gu Siheng.