You Look Like You’re Made of Money

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That afternoon, after taking a nap and just as Su Yan was about to watch a drama series, who would have thought someone would suddenly come over. It appeared to be the original body’s friend. Su Yan didn’t dare to speak too much and had Auntie Wang prepare scented tea along with small cakes. While sitting on the sofa, Wan Yi carefully examined Su Yan before saying: “You have changed.”

Su Yan was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat.

Wan Yi pushed up her glasses and finally smiled: “ Xiao Yan, this is the first time I have enjoyed this kind of treatment.”

Su Yan used to be very good to her; each time she went out for fun she always brought back a gift. Su Yan was very generous to her friends, but she wasn’t very considerate of the small details. This was the first time she told the Auntie in Jiang house to prepare for afternoon tea.

Su Yan just smiled and didn’t speak.

After Auntie Wang brought the afternoon tea and left, Wan Yi lowered her voice and said: “Xiao Yan, did you fight with Shen Peiran? I was working overtime like everyday so didn’t have time to call you. I am sorry.”

“It is okay.” Su Yan brought the cup of rose scented tea towards her mouth and sipped, smiling thinly.

Looking at the appearance of her bestie, Wan Yi was able to understand how a prideful person like Shen Peiran would willingly be a third party in her marriage. If she was a man, she would also have fallen for Su Yan. Remembering the main reason she came today, Wan Yi again seriously said: “Xiao Yan, I’m not here to sow discord; but I told you at the beginning that as long as you are single, I will support your relationship with Shen Peiran. Now that you are married, you don’t have to deal with each other. It’s not good to string Mr. Jiang along with Shen Peiran.”

Su Yan didn’t follow up. After seeing that she wasn’t angry, Wan Yi continued: “I know you don’t love to hear this but it is for your own good. If you don’t have anything to say then let me ask you, when your family forced you to marry Mr. Jiang, did Shen Peiran ask you to marry him?”

…uh, don’t know, thought Su Yan.

“He didn’t ask you because he didn’t want to get married. Of course it’s understandable. After all, he’s not that old. Strictly speaking, he didn’t make any efforts for your feelings. Now that you are married, no one is asking you to remain faithful to Mr. Jiang till death; no one is forcing you to fall in love with him– it’s just that you are now Mrs. Jiang. At the very least, you must give Mr. Jiang some face. If you are truly unable to live like this then you may discuss divorce with him. When you are divorced, you can stay with whomever you want. As long as you are Mrs. Jiang you must never do any wrong acts.”

Wan Yi had said this many times, but each time Su Yan heard this painful truth she got very angry.  Now that the two people weren’t that close with each other, Wan Yi felt that even if these words were offensive to hear, even if these words hurt her feelings, she would say them.

Because she was Su Yan’s friend.

She hoped that Su Yan would listen to these words.

Su Yan was certainly listening. She sized up Wan Yi again and couldn’t help but envy the original body. Previously while in the Imperial Harem, she didn’t lack friends. Most people wanted to curry favor with her; but who would know better than her that these people were just putting on a false display of affection. The original body had such friends who though spoke directly, were sincerely thinking for the good of the original body. Sincere, though grating on the ears but still very beneficial from a bystander’s point of view. What this Wan Yi said was correct. Indeed, if Su Yan divorced, she could be together with whomever she loved; no one would have any right to interfere. From the day she became Mrs. Jiang, she had to abide by the code of marriage.

“In fact, I have reconciled with Jiang Jingchuan and have gotten together with him.” Su Yan knew that this matter can’t be concealed. Making up her mind, Su Yan decided to ask Wan Yi about several things and then think about how to deal with her relationship with Shen Peiran.

Shen Peiran wouldn’t disappear if she didn’t pay attention to him. This relationship needs to be dealt with properly. She knew that Shen Peiran wouldn’t let go that easily therefore she needed to give the matter further thought before drawing a conclusion. She wanted to think of a better way, which at the least would satisfy both sides.

When Wan Yi heard that, she was stupefied. She had prepared a long explanation but she was rendered speechless, unable to say a single word. She looked at Su Yan incredulously: “What did you say?”

Su Yan nodded calmly: “Well, a few days ago he was drunk, and then……”

She didn’t continue but Wan Yi understood.

Su Yan thought that if she suddenly changed her heart from Shen Peiran to being a sweet and proper couple with Jiang Jingchuan, it would be too quick of a transformation. Therefore this reason would be more likely to be accepted by others.

Wan Yi immediately understood, after all, Su Yan was her best friend. Naturally Su Yan being lovey dovey with Jiang Jingchuan was more of an excellent theory but not possible in reality, neither was it possible with Shen Peiran. Now Su Yan with Jiang Jingchuan had already cooked the coarse rise to mature rice[1], therefore it wasn’t hard to figure things out.

1. (Coarse) Rice is already cooked: It is an idiom which means a situation where it is too late to do anything. It is mostly seen to describe sexual situations.

As a best friend, Wan Yi was very happy. She never said that she didn’t like Shen Peiran but that didn’t mean that she would let her friend play with fire. Now that Su Yan had straightened things out, Wan Yi spoke in a relaxed manner: “Actually, Mr. Jiang is very good. When I attended the wedding ceremony, I found out that he didn’t put on any airs in front of your family members and us friends, which is very rare to find. Xiao Yan, I know your family made you very sad, but I don’t think that Uncle and Aunt are the kind of people who don’t care for their daughter’s happiness. They surely trusted the moral standing of Mr. Jiang to make such a decision.”

Su Yan didn’t know how to reply to that. She never met with the original body’s family members, so she couldn’t comment on who was right and who was wrong in this marriage.

Wan Yi’s words had some truth in them. She trusted the moral bearing of Jiang Jingchuan. Su Yan had crossed paths with many people who harboured evil intentions in the Imperial Palace. She trusted her intuition.

“Shen Peiran called me today. He said that he had quarreled with you and requested me to pass a message to you. I immediately disagreed to that. As a matter of fact, I had asked for leave this afternoon to come over. I will return to the company to work overtime later.” Even when Wan Yi was busy as hell if she wasn’t concerned about Su Yan she wouldn’t have asked for a leave.

Su Yan felt worried after hearing this topic of discussion. She felt extraordinarily troubled, she didn’t conceal it in front of Wan Yi this time. She put on the appearance of being vexed and downcast and said: “It is impossible for me and him; but, since we have been acquainted for such a long time, I did not want to go to extreme lengths to make him let me go.”

After hearing that Wan Yi assumed that Su Yan was still in love with Shen Peiran. It was understandable, after all they once had a good relationship. She pondered deeply before speaking up: “What will you do?”

Su Yan shook her head, her expression turning even more perplexed, “I do not know. Jiang Jingchuan knew the connection between he and I and said that it does not matter but in the future I cannot meet with Shen Peiran. I have already promised him.”

“Certainly, you shouldn’t meet with each other.  Xiao Yan, I’m afraid that you don’t know how powerful the Jiang Family is. If you provoked Jiang Jingchuan, Shen Peiran would suffer. Well, I will look for Shen Peiran to have a meal with him one of these days when I am free. I will carefully explain to him.” Wan Yi remembered that her department’s project should be winding down soon. When the time came, she would take time out to chat with Shen Peiran. Whether it would be useful or useless, she had to try it.

Su Yan knew that what she just said, Wan Yi would let Shen Peiran know but it was worth considering would Shen Peiran would accept it? Probably not.

Asking Shen Peiran to let go would inevitable hurt him but she will not get together with Shen Peiran. In this case, it is better to bear a quick sharp pain rather than lasting dull ones. Shen Peiran was a man of striking appearance, his social standing was equally good. He would meet someone who would truly suit him in the future. Let alone others, if he truly provoked Jiang Jingchuan, would Shen Peiran be able to bear it?

If you can’t be together, then it was better to not give people unreasonable hope.

Su Yan was worried that Wan Yi would feel that the reason why she came to that conclusion was purely because she had had a connection with Jiang Jingchuan, which she didn’t want. If Shen Peiran felt that she was forced, what would she do if he got angry enough to come and settle accounts with Jiang Jingchuan? If this matter reached Jiang Jingchuan’s ear then what if he thought that the reason she wished to reconcile with him was solely because of them passing the barrier? What should be done then?

Thinking of that, Su Yan’s face became full of extremely happy smiles, “Actually, it is not solely because of that reason that I got together with Jiang Jingchuan. I discovered later that he was very lovely and I wanted to continue being Mrs. Jiang.”

Su Yan didn’t know what kind of person Shen Peiran was therefore she couldn’t make a comparison; but, as far as she was concerned, Jiang Jingchuan was a very charismatic person. Even though most of his charm came from his wealth and influence, one couldn’t deny that he was a very accomplished person, in and of itself and could cause anyone to easily have a good impression in their heart.

Wan Yi, a fresh company employee, worshipped people like Jiang Jingchuan a lot. She nodded solemnly, “Exactly, Mr. Jiang is an extraordinarily successful businessman.”

“……” Su Yan didn’t know how to answer that.

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