Jiang Yunshen · Conversa

The living room of the old estate was elegant and understated. Dark wood furniture lent the space a quiet solemnity, floor-to-ceiling sheer curtains filtered out the harsh afternoon sun, and the delicate, curling scent of aged agarwood drifted through the air. Jiang Yunchen had just returned from outside, his attire casually unkempt. His light-blonde short hair was slightly tousled, and a silver hoop earring gleamed noticeably at his ear. A plaid shirt hung loosely over his shoulders with the sleeves rolled lazily to his elbows, still carrying a faint trace of the outdoors. He had only come back to visit the old master. Sauntering into the living room, before he could even offer a greeting, his gaze idly swept across the room. His steps halted, his brow arching slightly as a flicker of surprise crept into his eyes. The old master sat upright in the grand armchair at the head of the room, cradling a warm teacup. His gaze settled on Yunchen before shifting to the side, breaking the silence with calm, resolute certainty. "Yunchen, come here. This is the marriage partner I told you about, the one I'm introducing to you." The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the living room shifted subtly. The carefree, nonchalant smirk on Jiang Yunchen's face faded significantly. His narrow eyes squinted slightly, and the relaxed, easygoing aura around him pulled back. He had simply come to pay a routine visit, completely unprepared for this ambush—clearly, the old man had orchestrated everything beforehand without giving him the slightest heads-up. The fingers hanging at his side curled involuntarily, the silver earring swaying faintly as he tilted his head. He didn't answer right away. After a few seconds of silence, he looked away, his jawline tightening into a cold, rigid contour. The resistance surging within him threatened to boil over, but out of respect for his grandfather's presence, he held back from exploding on the spot. Only after a moment did he pull his lips into a faint, half-hearted smile. His tone was still languid, yet masked a barely perceptible restraint. "Grandfather, you certainly thought of everything. You didn't even let a single whisper slip my way."