Chen Cheng saw Jiang Nansun at the school gate, carrying a bag under her arm, holding a cup of coffee, and standing by the roadside looking around.

He had said ten minutes, but this time he was actually the one who was late. The journey that usually took less than ten minutes took nearly twenty minutes to reach the school gate.

It was the evening rush hour, and traffic was terrible.

Chen Cheng parked the car in front of her. Jiang Nansun glanced at the license plate and the person in the driver's seat; only after confirming it was indeed Chen Cheng did she open the door and get in.

Chen Cheng looked her over with a warm smile.

Jiang Nansun felt a bit embarrassed under his gaze, and a blush crept onto her face. 'Drive, why do you keep staring at me?'

'Did you put on makeup?' Chen Cheng said with a hint of admiration, 'You look pretty good.'

Jiang Nansun was immediately displeased and lifted her chin with a haughty air. 'If you don't know how to talk, you don't have to.'

'What do you mean "pretty good" because of makeup? This young lady is naturally beautiful, okay?'

Chen Cheng's mouth twitched. Well, the haughty Princess Jiang had logged on.

Chen Cheng glanced at the coffee in her hand and frowned. 'Drinking coffee at this hour? Are you going to steal cows tonight?'

'Ah? Oh,' Jiang Nansun finally came to her senses and handed the paper cup she was holding to Chen Cheng. 'It's for you.'

Hm?

A smile appeared on Chen Cheng's lips as he reached out to take the cup from her.

'It's not coffee, it's milk.'

Before Chen Cheng could feel smug, Jiang Nansun added, 'I was standing at the school gate and felt cold from the wind, so I bought a hot drink to warm my hands.'

The smile on Chen Cheng's face vanished instantly. Damn it...

Seeing his sour expression, Jiang Nansun stifled a laugh and hurriedly changed the subject. 'Aren't you going to drive? I'm hungry!'

Chen Cheng wore an expression that said 'who are you?'. 'Did I ever say I was going to treat you to dinner?'

'I'll treat~'

'...'

Chen Cheng was instantly rendered speechless.

He placed the milk in the cup holder, started the car, and merged into the traffic.

Jiang Nansun skillfully entered the address into the car's navigation system.

After she finished setting the navigation, Chen Cheng asked, 'Suo Suo said you had a fight with your dad. Was it because of yesterday?'

'Yeah~' The face that had been shy and smiling just moments ago suddenly stiffened. She nodded. 'When I went downstairs this morning, he asked me what my relationship was with you.'

'I answered honestly. I just said we happened to meet, and I used you as a shield.'

'The answer didn't satisfy him, so he flew into a rage and started berating Zhang Anren.'

'He said "Zhang Anren is just using me as a stepping stone," and then I got into an argument with him.'

Chen Cheng blinked and began to manipulate the situation.

'Then have you never considered that your dad might be right?'

Hm~?

Jiang Nansun turned her head and looked at Chen Cheng, who was driving the maybach with one hand, in disbelief. 'How come even you are saying that?'

Chen Cheng shrugged. 'You can't expect me to say good things about a romantic rival, can you?'

'You!' Jiang Nansun's face turned red instantly.

What do you mean by romantic rival?

Chen Cheng didn't look at her, continuing to manipulate the situation. 'Whether there is love or not, it's very obvious.'

'You don't love him, and he doesn't love you.'

Jiang Nansun's pupils constricted, and she became anxious. These words were practically a rejection of her past few years.

'I just told Suo Suo a while ago, "I will never find anyone who loves me as much as Zhang Anren does." '

'He doesn't not love me like you say.'

After saying this, she lifted her chin haughtily.

Chen Cheng's lips curled slightly. 'You don't think that being compliant with your every wish is love, do you?'

'Whether there is love or not, it can't be hidden in the eyes.'

'The other day playing tennis, when he was teaching Lilian, when did you ever see his eyes fixed on you?'

'Didn't he only notice I had left after he finished playing with Lilian and went off the court to rest?'

'It might seem like he was playing with Lilian to help you get closer to Professor Dong.'

'But have you ever thought that he also wants to get closer to Professor Dong himself?'

'He's about to finish his doctorate; doesn't he want to stay at the school?'

'Do you think he might be using you as an excuse to secure his chances of staying?'

'Heh~' Chen Cheng sneered. 'It's just that Zhang Anren lacks social experience.'

'Otherwise, he would have turned around and chased after Lilian long ago.'

Jiang Nansun's eyes widened instantly. 'What do you mean?'

A scornful smile hung on Chen Cheng's lips. 'Your family of four, is there a single breadwinner among you?'

'Three generations living off past savings; how much wealth is enough to last?'

'Plus your dad playing the stock market and your mom playing mahjong.'

'And you, a pampered young lady.'

'Chen Cheng!' Jiang Nansun was pushed to the edge and shouted at him.

Chen Cheng's words were no less than tearing her whole family apart; how could the haughty Princess Jiang stand for that?

Chen Cheng wouldn't indulge her and continued:

'Zhang Anren just didn't study economics and doesn't know the correct positioning of real estate in economic activities, so he can't do the math.'

'That's why he thinks that since you have an Old Western-style house, your family must be very well-off.'

Chen Cheng turned his head to look at Jiang Nansun, who was like a fighting rooster right now, his tone indifferent.

'I'll put it this way.'

'If your family runs into any trouble, Zhang Anren will definitely instigate you to cut ties with them.'

'In other words, he only wants the beauty, not the burden.'

'If you can't bear to let go, he won't even want you.'

'That is what I meant when I said "he doesn't love you." '

Chen Cheng's lips curled into a scornful smile. 'Because he only loves himself.'

'Gulp~' Jiang Nansun swallowed nervously.

Constantly led by Chen Cheng's logic, her mind really began to play out this scenario.

Jiang Nansun's thoughts began to drift uncontrollably. 'If our family went bankrupt, would Zhang Anren really make me abandon my parents...'

'If I weren't willing, would he not even want me?'

She remembered the conversation she had with Zhu Suosuo about Zhang Anren being very calculating.

At that time, Suo Suo said, 'Wolves are fierce, foxes are cunning. But is that wrong? It's just for survival.'

Then Zhang Anren would also, for the sake of survival, not want her.

'Gulp~' Jiang Nansun swallowed again.

She was so choked up by Chen Cheng's words that she couldn't find a single word to refute him.

Lifting her chin, she said, 'He wouldn't!'

'Hmph~' Chen Cheng shook his head. 'You won't shed tears until you see the coffin.'

After a long while, Jiang Nansun came back to her senses and looked at Chen Cheng in horror. 'Wait~'

'Did you see something?'

'You also mentioned yesterday that I should pay attention to my family's situation.'

Chen Cheng turned his head to meet her bright eyes and smiled. 'You really are quick to react.'

Jiang Nansun's mouth twitched; that didn't sound like a compliment.

Feeling a bit awkward, she muttered, 'I was just tricked by him into going on a blind date, my head was a mess.'

'Aiya, tell me quickly, what exactly did you see?'

Chen Cheng thought for a moment and sighed, 'Your dad's stock trading definitely didn't just lose money.'

'He must have used leverage.'

'Otherwise, he wouldn't have resorted to "selling his daughter." '

Jiang Nansun glared at him immediately. 'What "selling his daughter," that sounds so ugly.'

I can say that at home, but how can you say it?