Volume 1, Chapter 6: I Do Not Know Them

Not to mention that the Jiang family was currently begging for favors from the Qin family, even for a casual social gathering, causing a scene at the Qin residence was shameful enough to be the laughingstock of the city.

If word got out, the rest of the Jiang family would be dragged down and ridiculed as well.

Seeing Jiang Chenyu looking so pathetic and beneath the occasion, Jiang Daming rushed forward in a single stride. He grabbed her by the shoulders from behind and yanked her back, his face twisted with fury. "What do you think you’re doing here?"

Caught off guard, Jiang Chenyu stumbled back. When she realized who it was, her brows furrowed.

The rest of the Jiang family jogged over. Jiang Xue’er immediately began to smooth things over with Jiang Daming. "Father, please don’t be angry. Chenyu probably heard us talking about coming here yesterday and snuck over, hoping to use our name to get in. She must have been stopped by the security guards because she didn't have an invitation."

"But Chenyu, making a scene at someone’s doorstep like this—what does it look like? Everyone inside is a person of status. If you offend someone, you’ll only ruin the Jiang family’s reputation," Jiang Xue’er added, her tone shifting as she looked at Jiang Chenyu as if she were a disobedient child.

Prompted by Jiang Xue’er, Jiang Chao, who had initially intended to speak up for her, also flared up.

"Chenyu, act out at home all you want, but get out of here now! Don’t embarrass us!" He suspected that it was precisely because of her disgraceful behavior outside that their business partners had suddenly terminated their contracts.

Jiang Chenyu pursed her lips, unable to hold back a cold laugh. "So, I’m the one making a scene? And who exactly is the one embarrassing themselves?"

"Shut up! Don't think that just because you showed up uninvited at the Qin residence, the rest of us will let you manipulate us for the sake of appearances," Chen Ping added, looking at her with utter disgust.

She gritted her teeth, hating that her own daughter was so shameful, feeling that her own reputation had been tainted by association.

Jiang Chenyu tilted her head to look at her mother, especially at the way her mother’s hand was tightly clasped with Jiang Xue’er’s. A sharp pain pierced her heart.

"Mother..." she called out, looking into Chen Ping’s eyes.

Her voice was filled with utter helplessness, reminiscent of the panic she felt as a young child waking from a nap to find her mother gone.

Chen Ping’s breath hitched. She couldn't help but wonder if she had been too harsh on her own daughter.

"Mother, why don't we just take Chenyu inside? It doesn’t matter if she offends someone; we can just cut ties with those people later," Jiang Xue’er said, successfully distracting Chen Ping.

Chen Ping’s face darkened instantly. "That’s out of the question! It’s one thing for her to rot in the mud, but why should she ruin your reputation?"

"Mr. Jiang, Mrs. Jiang, why are you still standing out here instead of going in?" A voice from afar interrupted them.

They looked up to see a middle-aged couple approaching. The woman was the wife of the President of the Guan Corporation. While there were no direct business dealings between the two families, Chen Ping had always been trying to curry favor with Mrs. Guan, hoping to be invited to more high-society events.

"We just arrived; we were just about to head in," Jiang Daming said, tilting his head with a polite smile to acknowledge Mr. Guan.

Mrs. Guan glanced at Jiang Chenyu, who was standing across from the Jiang family, and paused slightly. "And this is...?"

"I don't know. We just happened to see her making a scene at the Qin family’s gate. She’s probably just here to beg," Chen Ping said quickly, fearing any further complications.

A look of realization flashed across Mrs. Guan's face as she scoffed, "I thought so. Mr. Jiang is a man of great wealth and dotes on his daughter; how could he possibly have such a lowly daughter dressed in rags from a street stall!"

Chen Ping felt even more hatred toward Jiang Chenyu for causing her such humiliation, but she could only offer a forced smile. "Who would think otherwise? How could someone like that be worthy of appearing here!"

Thinking for a moment, she took a hundred-yuan note from her purse and threw it at Jiang Chenyu’s face, coldly saying, "Take the money and get lost!"

Jiang Chenyu turned her head, but the sharp corner of the banknote still left a bleeding scratch on her cheek.

When she looked up, her eyes were clear and cold. "I came here by invitation. By what right do you have to point fingers at me?"

"Why would the Qin family invite a beggar? To lick the plates and clean up the leftovers?" Mrs. Guan remarked cruelly, glancing significantly at Chen Ping as she spoke.

Chen Ping’s face flushed red, but she forced a laugh, acting as if she were watching someone else’s misfortune.

"Get out of here before they throw you out!" Jiang Chao said, his face darkening with annoyance as he felt his reputation slipping away.

However, before he could finish, a frantic voice called out from behind them, "Shanren! Where is Shanren?"

Everyone was startled and turned around to see an elderly woman with white hair, walking out while leaning heavily on someone for support.

Jiang Chenyu raised her hand in greeting. "Are you Mrs. Wang?"

"What Mrs. Wang? That’s Old Madam Qin!" Jiang Daming hissed, gesturing for her to stop talking nonsense.

Old Madam Qin was effectively the head of the Qin family. Offending her was not something one could simply brush off by claiming, "I don't know her."

Before he could finish, Old Madam Qin hurried over, grabbed Jiang Chenyu’s hand, and said excitedly, "Shanren, it’s me. I am Wang Juan."

Everyone froze. At her age and status, how could she possibly reveal her given name so easily?

What shocked them even more was the way Old Madam Qin treated Jiang Chenyu, her tone almost bordering on obsequious. "I told the guards to keep you here so I could come get you myself. Why did they leave you at the gate?"

"I was just asking this young lady to go inside and wait, but these people suddenly came up and started harassing her..." the guard said, feeling completely helpless. He had been terrified of offending an honored guest, but also feared getting involved.

Only then did Old Madam Qin seem to notice the others. Her expression cooled slightly, but she still respectfully asked for Jiang Chenyu’s opinion: "Are these people with you, Shanren?"

Jiang Daming and Jiang Chao exchanged a look. Though they didn't know how Jiang Chenyu knew Old Madam Qin, they were currently desperate for the Qin family’s favor. If they could leverage this connection, surely the partnership would be saved?

Thinking this, they quickly put on ingratiating smiles.

Just as they were about to explain their relationship with Jiang Chenyu, they heard her icy, resolute voice: "I don’t know them."

"I thought as much. Making a scene at someone’s doorstep—what kind of behavior is that!" Old Madam Qin huffed.

Unlike Mrs. Guan’s snide remarks, Old Madam Qin’s disgust was genuine.

She didn't even spare the group another glance, turning only to Jiang Chenyu. "Shanren, let me take you inside."

"After you," Jiang Chenyu said with a smile, gesturing for her to lead.

She then walked off, keeping pace with Old Madam Qin.

Only when they disappeared from view did Mrs. Guan, her face burning with embarrassment, look up and say impatiently, "What was wrong with you people? Look at yourselves—how dare you call someone else a beggar!"

"But didn't you—" Chen Ping tried to defend herself.

"Shut up!" Mr. Guan, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "Stop making trouble. If that young lady is truly offended, none of us will be able to face the consequences."

He glared at Jiang Daming. "Mr. Jiang, stop thinking only about money and pay more attention to your own family affairs!"

With that, he walked away with Mrs. Guan, clearly wanting nothing more to do with them.

The group left behind stared at one another in silence.

"Chenyu must have heard me say yesterday that the Qin family cut off our partnership, and she went through the trouble of finding a connection to help us," Jiang Chao said.

He looked at Chen Ping and added, "And we went too far just now. What if we’ve truly broken Chenyu's heart?"

Though he used the word "we," his tone clearly placed the blame on Chen Ping.