He wants to adopt a younger sister, but his aloof wife disagrees.

Jiang Che.

He wasn't dressed formally today, nor was he making any effort to look his best. His linen shirt was loosely cut, exuding a casual and relaxed vibe. The cuffs were casually rolled up, revealing a section of his smoothly sculpted forearm, and the understated Patek Philippe on his wrist reflected a cool gleam in the sunlight. He wore off-white casual trousers and handcrafted leather sandals.

He wore frameless brown sunglasses that obscured his deep-set eyes, revealing only his high nose bridge and perfectly sculpted jawline. He stood there in the sunlight, exuding an aura of coolness—composed, reserved, yet impossible to ignore.

Immediately afterwards, a slender, fair hand rested on his arm.

Shen Qingge came down.

If Jiang Che is a steadfast mountain, then Shen Qingge is flowing ice.

Today she wore an ice-blue silk slip dress with a matching semi-transparent sun-protective shirt over it. The fabric was as light as a cicada's wing, fluttering gently in the breeze, as if she were wearing the coolness of summer all over her body.

Her long hair was loosely tied up with a white jade hairpin, with a few strands falling beside her ears. She wore large sunglasses, revealing a face that was so fair it was almost transparent. Her lips were painted with a light mauve lipstick, making her look gentle and noble.

She held an exquisite folding fan in her hand, gently waving it, her every gesture exuding the elegance and composure of a wealthy matriarch.

The arrival of the two instantly silenced the previously noisy playground.

The intense visual impact and the aura of the elite that emanated from their very being left all the college students present speechless.

"Who is that? They have such an elegant air about them!"

"This car... MAN? This one must cost over ten million, right?"

"That woman is so beautiful! Her skin is so white it's practically glowing!"

"That guy... he looks familiar... Holy crap! That's Su Xiaoruan's brother!"

Jiang Che ignored the stares of those around him.

He took off his sunglasses, and his clear, cold eyes scanned the crowd precisely before finally settling on the boy who was holding Su Xiaoruan's wrist.

His gaze sharpened slightly.

His originally gentle temperament instantly turned sharp, like a sword drawn from its sheath.

He strode towards Su Xiaoruan. Shen Qingge closed her folding fan, took his arm, and followed gracefully beside him.

When Chen Kai saw the two people walking over, his arrogant attitude instantly diminished.

Although he was a rich kid, he only put on an act in front of ordinary students. Faced with the aura of a truly top-tier wealthy family, his instincts told him—he couldn't afford to offend them.

"Um...that..."

Chen Kai subconsciously released his grip on Su Xiaoruan's hand and took a step back.

"Brother! Sister!"

Su Xiaoruan's eyes instantly welled up with tears when she saw her savior. She rubbed her wrist, which had been scratched red, and ran over like a wronged little rabbit, throwing herself directly into Shen Qingge's arms.

"Waaaaah... Sis, someone's bullying me... He's forcing me to drink that awful sweet water..."

Shen Qingge hugged her tenderly, gently stroking her back, but her gaze was cold as she looked at Chen Kai.

At this moment, Shen Qingge is no longer the gentle older sister, but the female president in charge of a multi-billion dollar conglomerate.

She took off her sunglasses, her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

"This student."

Shen Qingge's voice was clear and cool, not loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire venue:

"This tactic of forcing people to buy or sell might work in a farmers' market."

"But it didn't work with my sister."

Jiang Che stepped forward, not looking at Chen Kai, but first looking down to examine Su Xiaoruan's wrist.

Seeing the red mark, a flash of malice crossed his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. This was a school; he didn't want to cause Xiao Ruan too much trouble.

He looked up at Chen Kai, a faint smile even on his face.

But the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Thank you for your kindness, student."

Jiang Che pointed to the Frappuccino in Chen Kai's hand, which was already melting, and spoke in a calm tone as if he were discussing the weather:

"However, Xiao Ruan has always had a sensitive stomach."

"She's allergic to this stuff made with industrial saccharin, trans fats, and instant coffee powder."

"Next time you're planning to treat someone, I suggest you find out about their eating habits first. Or..."

Jiang Che paused, a hint of mockery in his eyes:

"Or, please order something slightly more upscale. Don't show off something you just bought casually on the street."

Chen Kai's face instantly turned a deep liver color.

Starbucks? Bought off the street? Industrial saccharin?

His proud and extravagant hospitality, in this man's words, became so cheap and despicable.

"Who...who are you? What gives you the right to say that?" Chen Kai retorted, forcing a smile. "This is Starbucks! It costs tens of dollars a cup!"

"A few tens of dollars?"

Jiang Che chuckled and ignored him.

He turned around and waved to the RV not far away.

Han Xiao immediately came over with two assistants in uniform. They were carrying several exquisite food containers and a huge car refrigerator.

"Dear students, I apologize for disturbing your rest."

Jiang Che nodded slightly to the surrounding freshmen, his voice gentle:

"It's hot, so I made some mung bean soup to cool you down, and I also have some cut fruit. If you don't mind, please come and have a taste."

Han Xiao opened the food box.

A refreshing aroma of mung beans, with a hint of lotus leaf fragrance, instantly filled the air.

That's not your average mung bean soup.

It is made with the finest mung beans, soaked overnight in spring water, then combined with lily bulbs and lotus seeds, and simmered over low heat for six hours before being chilled to exactly 4 degrees Celsius to make **"Lily Bulb, Lotus Seed, and Mung Bean Soup"**.

Each bowl is served in an exquisite crystal bowl and garnished with a fresh mint leaf.

In addition, there were sliced ​​honeydew melons, Shine Muscat grapes, and Thai coconuts air-freighted in.

"Wow!! This mung bean soup looks so delicious!"

"This bowl... is it made of crystal? Why use such a nice bowl just to drink mung bean soup?"

"Those grapes! I know them! That variety costs several hundred yuan per kilogram!"

"Is this what it's like to live a life of luxury? I'm so envious!"

The students instantly erupted in excitement and swarmed around it.

In contrast, Chen Kai's Frappuccinos, which had already melted into water, lay forlornly on the ground, like a pile of unclaimed trash.

This is a case of dimensional reduction attack.

No need to fight, no need to swear.

With absolute strength and taste, you can slap the other person in the face repeatedly.

Chen Kai stood there, unsure whether to leave or stay, and finally could only slink out of the crowd, not even daring to take the Starbucks bag.

Having resolved the "bad romantic entanglements," Jiang Che led Su Xiaoruan and Shen Qingge into the RV.

The car door closed, shutting out the scorching heat and noise from outside.

The car was well-cooled, maintaining a comfortable temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. A faint scent of sandalwood filled the air.

As soon as Su Xiaoruan got into the car, she sprawled out on the leather sofa without any regard for her image, throwing off her hat and kicking off her shoes.

"Ah—I'm alive! Is this heaven?"

Shen Qingge looked at her with amusement, walked over, picked up a damp towel, and carefully wiped the sweat and dust off her face.

"Look at you, all dirty, like a little kitten." Although Shen Qingge said it with disdain, her actions were extremely gentle.

Jiang Che took a bottle of specially made electrolyte water from the car refrigerator and handed it to Su Xiaoruan:

"Drink some of this first to rehydrate. The mung bean soup you just drank was too cold; you can't drink it right after being in the sun."

"Thank you, brother!" Su Xiaoruan took the water and gulped down more than half of the bottle.

Are you hungry?

Jiang Che opened the food box on the dining table.

That was a loving lunch he made at five in the morning.

Steamed grouper (boneless), boiled prawns (peeled), baby bok choy in broth, and a bowl of soft and sticky abalone and chicken congee.

All the dishes are light, nutritious, and easy to digest.

"Wow! These are all hearty dishes!" Su Xiaoruan's eyes lit up, and she picked up her chopsticks to eat.

"Wash your hands." Jiang Che patted the back of her hand.

"Oh..." Su Xiaoruan obediently went to the bathroom to wash her hands.

At the dining table.

Jiang Che and Shen Qingge sat side by side.

Shen Qingge looked beautiful today; the ice-blue dress made her appear even more elegant and refined.

"You should eat something too." Jiang Che picked up a piece of fish and fed it to Shen Qingge. "I noticed you didn't eat much this morning."

Shen Qingge opened her mouth and ate, her eyes sparkling: "I'm so angry I'm full. That boy was just awful. If we weren't at school, I would have had his Ferrari smashed."

"If you smash it, you'll have to pay for it, it's not worth it." Jiang Che smiled and wiped her mouth. "Just ignore this kind of small fry. The more you pay attention to him, the more energetic he becomes."

Su Xiaoruan came out after washing her hands and saw this scene.

The older brother was looking tenderly at his sister-in-law, holding a tissue in his hand and gently wiping the corner of her mouth. The sister-in-law tilted her head slightly, her eyes full of dependence.

Sunlight streamed through the car window curtains, casting a golden glow on the two of them.

At that moment, all was peaceful and serene.

Su Xiaoruan stopped in her tracks at the bathroom door.

As she looked at the painting, that familiar bittersweet feeling welled up inside her again.

"That's great."

"If only I were the one sitting there."

But she quickly adjusted her expression, putting on that carefree smile, and strode over:

"I want to eat too! I want my brother to feed me! I'm injured! My wrist is hurt!"

She stretched out her still slightly red and swollen wrist and presented it to Jiang Che in a coquettish manner.

Jiang Che looked at the red mark, his eyes darkened, and he held her hand with a touch of heartache, gently blowing on it.

"Does it still hurt?"

"It hurts! It hurts so much! I need to eat shrimp to feel better!" Su Xiaoruan said matter-of-factly.

"Okay, let's eat shrimp."

Jiang Che picked up a shrimp and fed it to her.

Su Xiaoruan chewed on the shrimp meat, looking at Jiang Che who was so close to her.

He has long eyelashes, great skin, and a pleasant body smell.

She suddenly felt that even if she was just a younger sister, even if she could only get a little affection by acting cute and spoiled, it would be worth it.

"elder brother."

Su Xiaoruan swallowed the shrimp meat, then suddenly said seriously:

"Although Chen Kai is annoying, he said one thing correctly."

"What?"

He said having more friends means having more options.

Su Xiaoruan looked at Jiang Che, her eyes flashing with a light that seemed to say "ambition":

"I don't want to just be a little princess who is protected by you all. I also want to become stronger, and I also want to build my own network of connections."

"This military training will be tough, but I will persevere."

"I want to win the 'Outstanding Student' award! I want the whole school to know that Su Xiaoruan is not just a celebrity, not just a rich heiress, but also a hardworking and capable student!"

Jiang Che was stunned for a moment.

Looking at the determined girl in front of him, he suddenly realized that she had really grown up.

She's no longer the little girl who would just hide behind him and cry.

"it is good."

Jiang Che put down his chopsticks, reached out and ruffled her hair, his eyes full of admiration:

"I believe in you."

"Do whatever you want to do. Your brother and sister-in-law will always be your strongest support."

Military training continued at 2 PM.

Jiang Che and Shen Qingge should leave now.

Before leaving, Jiang Che left the trunk full of mung bean soup and fruit to the instructors so they could distribute it to the students.

"Instructor, please take good care of her. This child is mischievous, but she's also hardworking. Let her train as she needs to; she doesn't need any special treatment. Just... make sure no one bullies her."

Jiang Che offered a cigarette to the stern-faced instructor (although the instructor didn't take it, his attitude was much better).

"Don't worry, parents. In my team, there are only comrades, no bullying." The instructor saluted.

Su Xiaoruan stood in the line, watching the black SUV slowly drive away.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the playground, casting a long shadow of her.

After this "food delivery incident," the whole of Jiangnan University knew about it.

Su Xiaoruan, a student in the performing arts department, is not only the (rumored) heiress of the Rothschild family, but also has a pair of stunningly beautiful and incredibly wealthy "fairy brother and sister-in-law".

Chen Kai took sick leave that afternoon, and it's said he didn't dare come to school for a week.

Su Xiaoruan stood in the sunset, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and a confident smile appeared on her lips.

She knew that from this day forward, no one would dare to look down on her anymore.

And she, too, is about to begin her real run towards that dream of "standing side by side".

"Attention, everyone! Stand at attention!"

"Right faces—all aligned!"

Su Xiaoruan stomped her feet hard and straightened her back.

Although the camouflage uniform was rough, it looked like the most magnificent battle robe on her at that moment.

At this moment, the youth of eighteen years old burns brightly.

...

...

At the end of September, the osmanthus flowers in Jianghai City were just beginning to bloom, and the air was filled with the coolness of autumn.

Two o'clock in the morning, the main building of Qingche Manor.

The master bedroom was dimly lit and ambiguous, but the atmosphere was not relaxed.

On the large double bed, Jiang Che lay on his side, but the space in his arms was empty. He reached out and touched the sheets beside him; they were already cold. He frowned slightly, opened his eyes, and looked at the floor-to-ceiling windows leading to the terrace.

There stood a figure.

Shen Qingge stood barefoot on the cold marble floor, wearing a dark blue silk slip robe. The robe was of excellent quality, flowing smoothly like water and conforming to the graceful curves of her back. The extremely thin straps were tied around her rounded, fair shoulders, revealing large expanses of skin as delicate as mutton fat jade.

The night wind ruffled her long hair, a few strands clinging messily to her cheeks. She held her phone, on the phone, her voice low, yet revealing an undisguised anxiety and coldness.

"What does the person in charge at LVMH mean? Wasn't an agreement reached last week?"

"A last-minute change of heart? Because of the price? Or because someone else snatched it up?"

"Let them wait. Tell them that if this is their attitude, the Shen Group will reassess the acquisition. I, Shen Qingge, am not a sucker to be slaughtered."

She hung up the phone, her fingers gripping it so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She took a deep breath, raised her hand to rub her temples, and her usually refined and aloof face was now filled with exhaustion and gloom.

The deep lines between her brows were particularly clear in the moonlight, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes. She had been working through several sleepless nights in a row recently, working on acquiring the century-old French perfume brand "Scent".

Just as she was about to turn around and go back into the house, a warm cashmere blanket was gently draped over her shoulders.

Immediately afterwards, a warm and generous embrace wrapped around her from behind.

"Why are you awake?"

Shen Qingge's body stiffened for a moment, then went limp, leaning back into Jiang Che's arms. She didn't turn around, but simply raised her hand to cover Jiang Che's large hand encircling her waist. The coldness in her voice instantly faded, leaving only a soft, weary tone:

Did I wake you up?

"no."

Jiang Che tightened his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head, inhaling the faint scent of shampoo in her hair, his voice deep and warm:

"I was woken up by someone's resentment."

"What happened? In France?"

Shen Qingge sighed, turned around, and faced Jiang Che.

By the moonlight, Jiang Che could see her face clearly.

She wasn't wearing makeup, and in her bare-faced state, her phoenix eyes didn't appear as sharp; instead, they were bloodshot from lack of sleep, with a pitiful redness. Her lips were a little dry, and the corners of her mouth were slightly downturned—a subconscious gesture when she felt wronged.

"That established family is too arrogant," Shen Qingge said indignantly. "The contract was already drafted, but the CEO suddenly said he wanted to reconsider and even hinted that there were other bidders. I think this is just blatant price gouging."

"I have to go to Paris."

Shen Qingge raised her head, her eyes regaining their resolve: "If we don't get this done this week, all our hard work over the past six months will be wasted."

Jiang Che looked at her.

Seeing her so exhausted she could barely stand, yet still forcing herself to go into battle, I saw the light in her eyes—ambition, and responsibility.

He reached out and gently smoothed her furrowed brow with his fingertips, his movements as tender as if he were polishing a precious piece of porcelain.

"Okay, let's go to Paris."

Jiang Che's voice was steady and powerful, like a pillar of strength stabilizing the sea:

"However, you won't be going alone."

"I'll go with you."

"You?" Shen Qingge was taken aback. "But what about the company..."

"With Han Xiao in the company, it won't collapse."

Jiang Che bent down, slipped one hand under her legs and the other around her back, lifted her up horizontally, and carried her to the bed:

"But if you collapse, my world collapses."

"Go to sleep. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Shen Qingge nestled in his arms, listening to his steady, strong heartbeat, her nerves, which had been tense all night, finally relaxed. She buried her face in his chest and responded softly:

"Um."

At 10:00 AM, the Gulfstream G650ER private jet took off from Jianghai International Airport, heading directly to Paris.

Inside the cabin, it was luxurious and tranquil.

Shen Qingge sat in a beige leather airline seat, with a small table in front of her piled with documents and a laptop.

She has already started working.

Today she wore a perfectly tailored camel-colored cashmere suit, layered over a black turtleneck. The trousers were sleek and sharp, highlighting her long, straight legs. Her hair was pulled back loosely, and she wore sophisticated work makeup, with bright red lipstick giving her a powerful aura, like a queen about to go into battle.

However, the occasional pause in her typing to rub her temples betrayed her fatigue.

Jiang Che sat opposite her without disturbing her.

He was wearing a simple white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and he was peeling a pomegranate.

That was Shen Qingge's favorite fruit, but because it was troublesome to peel, she rarely ate it.

Jiang Che peeled the fruit very carefully, his slender fingers deftly removing each ruby-like seed, peeling off all the white membranes, and placing them in a crystal bowl.

"Take a break."

Jiang Che pushed the crystal bowl to her side and closed her laptop.

"Hey! I haven't finished watching yet..." Shen Qingge protested.

"Eat first, then we'll see." Jiang Che handed her a small spoon. "Get some Vitamin C. Look at your complexion, your foundation can't even cover it up."

Helpless, Shen Qingge could only pick up a spoon, scoop a spoonful of pomegranate, and put it in her mouth.

The sweet juice burst in my mouth, taking away a trace of bitter anxiety.

Jiang Che.

Shen Qingge stared blankly at the clouds outside the window, her eyes somewhat unfocused. "Tell me," she said, "am I being too greedy? The company is already doing so well, why am I still trying to tackle this tough challenge?"

"Because you are Shen Qingge."

Jiang Che took out a wet wipe and slowly wiped his fingers, his tone calm yet firm:

"You don't like standing still. The Scent brand is crucial for the Shen Group to open up the high-end European market. You're not greedy, you're just doing the right thing."

"But... this opponent is very difficult to deal with." A trace of worry flashed in Shen Qingge's eyes. "The head of that family is an old stubborn man, and it is said that he is very xenophobic."

"An old fogey?"

Jiang Che chuckled softly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes:

"There is no fortress that cannot be breached, nor is there anyone that cannot be dealt with in this world."

"You're the queen of business negotiations, and I..."

Jiang Che leaned closer to her and straightened the necklace at her collar:

"I'm the knight who's responsible for handing you the knife and taking care of your worries."

"Just keep charging forward. Leave the rest to me."

Shen Qingge looked at the man so close to her. His eyes were so clear and so firm, as if nothing could happen as long as he was there.

A warmth filled her heart, and she leaned in to kiss him on the corner of his lips.

"Thank you, Mr. Knight."

After a flight of more than ten hours, the plane landed at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

It's raining in Paris.

The cold autumn rain drizzled down, casting a gray-blue filter over this romantic city.

A convoy of black Mercedes-Benz cars was already waiting on the tarmac, taking the two of them straight to the Ritz Paris hotel in Place Vendôme.

Outside the car window, ancient European-style buildings rushed past in the rain.

Shen Qingge looked out the window with a solemn expression.