Jiang Yuning froze for a moment.

Wasn’t he the one who disappeared all night and came back only to spring this on her?

So why was he acting like it was somehow her fault?

Xiao Liye’s gaze drifted downward, landing on her figure. Instantly, he wanted to tell her to change into something more conservative.

But after thinking it over, wouldn’t it actually be better if things worked out?

Suppressing the strange discomfort in his chest, he turned and walked off directly.

Though Jiang Yuning couldn’t understand where his sudden anger was coming from, she still followed after him.

It was noon, and there weren’t many people on the road.

But before long, as they neared the county town, noisy chatter drifted over from beyond the next corner.

The state-owned restaurant was nearby, so crowds there weren’t unusual.

Jiang Yuning didn’t think much of it.

She carried herself openly and confidently anyway. Even when she wasn’t dressed up, people often stared at her.

Just as she was about to round the corner—

A black suit jacket suddenly dropped over her head.

She stopped and turned around slowly, pulling the jacket down a little. Her hair had been mussed up and now hung loosely over her eyes.

Yet somehow, instead of ruining her beauty, it only made her look more innocent.

“What’s wrong?”

Unable to hold back the words he’d been bottling up the entire trip, Xiao Liye finally blurted out,

“I brought you here for a blind date, not to seduce the guy. At least pay some attention to how you present yourself when you go out.”

As he spoke, he strode over and forcefully slipped the suit jacket onto her shoulders.

Jiang Yuning looked startled.

The oversized jacket made her look like a child sneaking around in an adult’s clothes. Not only was her figure completely hidden, people probably couldn’t even tell what color sweater she was wearing underneath anymore.

Afraid the matchmaking would fail and he’d blame her for it, she didn’t dare throw the jacket aside.

So she simply slid her arms out of the sleeves and draped it over her shoulders instead.

Xiao Liye opened his mouth as if wanting to say something more, but ultimately stayed silent.

Together, they entered the restaurant.

He led her upstairs to a private room on the second floor and pushed the door open first.

The moment Su Ni saw him, he stood up immediately.

“Boss Xiao sure moves fast. I only just arrived, and you’re already here.”

Without even thinking deeply, Xiao Liye knew Su Ni must’ve been waiting quite a while.

After all, just the round trip back to the village had taken him over an hour, not to mention Jiang Yuning taking time to do her makeup and change clothes.

But with his current status, people naturally went out of their way to flatter him with polite words.

Curling his lips into a faint smile, he stepped inside and got straight to the point.

“You probably haven’t met my cousin before. She’s right behind me. Let me introduce—”

Before he could finish, Su Ni turned his head with a light laugh toward the doorway.

The instant he saw Jiang Yuning, he froze.

His eyes fixed directly on her.

Then he smiled.

“So it’s you. Looks like today really is full of coincidences.”

Xiao Liye’s expression darkened instantly.

The discomfort he’d already been feeling over Jiang Yuning dressing up so beautifully for another man suddenly exploded into overwhelming waves.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yuning smiled softly.

“It really is quite a coincidence. The county’s so big, yet we run into each other twice in one day.”

“Exactly. I thought I’d probably never see you again,” Su Ni replied warmly.

“And who would’ve thought you were actually Boss Xiao’s cousin?”

At the word “cousin,” Jiang Yuning didn’t think much of it.

“That’s right.”

Watching the two chatting so naturally, Xiao Liye suddenly felt as though he’d been cuckolded.

His expression shifted.

Pressing his tongue against his back teeth, he deliberately stepped sideways and planted himself firmly between them, completely blocking their line of sight.

Su Ni paused mid-motion, then seemed to realize something.

“Look at me, I got so happy talking that I forgot to ask you both to sit down. Please, sit. If Boss Xiao isn’t too busy today, we can chat a little longer.”

Xiao Liye replied stiffly,

“My factory keeps me very busy. I’m not as free as Boss Su.”

The smile on Su Ni’s face faded slightly. He couldn’t quite understand where this sudden hostility was coming from.

Now that Jiang Yuning understood just how eager Xiao Liye was to get rid of her, she didn’t want to trouble him further.

So she said directly,

“Then Xiao Liye, why don’t you go ahead and get back to work? I can stay here and chat with him myself.”

The instant the words left her mouth, Xiao Liye shot her a razor-sharp glare.

The stormy darkness on his handsome face carried such oppressive fury that it almost looked destructive—as though the words Try saying that again were practically written across his forehead.

Jiang Yuning’s lashes trembled lightly.

She didn’t dare say another word.

Though she had no idea what she’d done wrong, she simply prepared to sit down instead.

Not daring to sit beside him, she hesitated briefly before choosing a seat farther away.

But from Xiao Liye’s perspective, the distance only made it seem like she was sitting unusually close to Su Ni.

Grinding his molars, he grabbed his cup and hid his irritation behind several gulps of water.

Su Ni handed the menu to Jiang Yuning.

“Take a look and order whatever you like.”

“Anything’s fine,” she replied politely.

“You should decide. I’ll follow the host’s arrangements.”

Su Ni was generous.

He immediately ordered five meat dishes, five vegetable dishes, and two soups.

Hearing that he still didn’t seem finished, Jiang Yuning quickly said,

“There’s no way we can finish all that. There’s no need to waste so much.”

Closing the menu, Su Ni handed it directly to the waiter.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so we might as well order the rest too.”

Then, turning toward her with a soft smile, he added,

“If we order enough, there’s bound to be something you enjoy.”

Jiang Yuning’s cheeks warmed slightly.

This man really was generous.

Who could dislike a man so willing to spend?

Xiao Liye became so irritated he nearly kicked the leg of her chair under the table to wipe that dazzled expression off her face.

But after stretching his legs several times, he realized she was sitting too far away for him to even reach her chair.

The realization made him even angrier.

No matter how much water he drank, the fire in his chest refused to die down.

I must be insane.

Who the hell brings his own wife to a blind date?

Meanwhile, Su Ni paid no attention to Xiao Liye’s mood at all.

His gaze remained fixed on Jiang Yuning as he smiled gently.

“How old are you this year? You look quite young. How did you already end up going through a marriage? And he…”

Jiang Yuning hurriedly interrupted,

“He passed away a long time ago.”

Truthfully, Su Ni had always been afraid of marrying a woman who still had lingering feelings with a former husband.

So hearing this actually relieved him.

But before he could fully relax, Xiao Liye suddenly cut in with a sarcastic tone.

“What about your second husband? You killed him too? Why leave that part out?”

Su Ni froze.

There was a second husband too?

Even Jiang Yuning looked uncomfortable.

This so-called “second husband” was literally sitting across from her while arranging her blind date. She didn’t think that relationship even counted as a real marriage, so why bring it up?

Though inwardly speechless, she figured Xiao Liye was probably worried Su Ni might later feel deceived and damage their relationship.

So she answered tactfully,

“He and I weren’t suitable for each other. That relationship probably doesn’t really count.”

Xiao Liye figured this should ruin things now.

After all, if a first marriage failed, maybe the fault lay with the other side.

But if even a second marriage didn’t work out, any normal person would assume the woman herself had serious problems too.

Yet unexpectedly, Su Ni simply laughed in understanding.

“It’s alright. Who hasn’t gone through a few awful relationships while young?

A woman as beautiful as you probably attracts plenty of emotional troubles too.”

Xiao Liye nearly choked on his frustration.

For a split second, he even thought the two of them actually suited each other perfectly.

One handsome, one beautiful.

One unable to have children, the other already had a son.

One after money, the other rich.

Weren’t they practically heaven-made for each other?

No wonder he’d picked Su Ni at first glance in the supply cooperative earlier.

If only he used this kind of sharp eye for business partners instead of helping his own wife find another man, who knew how much more successful he’d become?

Feeling increasingly depressed, he buried himself in eating dish after dish.

Seeing the conversation had reached this point, Jiang Yuning no longer knew what else to say.

Surely she couldn’t directly ask to settle the marriage on the spot.

So she simply fell silent.

After several failed attempts at casual conversation, Su Ni paused briefly before speaking frankly.

“Miss Jiang, I’m interested in you, and I do intend to marry.

So let me explain my situation clearly.

I have a son. He’s still very young and doesn’t recognize people well yet.

If you’re willing to raise him, he’ll absolutely treat you as his real mother.

If you don’t want to care for him personally, there’s also a nanny at home.

And if you’re worried he won’t be dependable in the future, we could even adopt another child together.

It could even be one from your own relatives’ family.”

Xiao Liye suddenly froze mid-motion.

The peanut he’d been holding slipped from his chopsticks and clattered sharply onto the plate.

His expression shifted between pale and flushed repeatedly.

Just as Jiang Yuning seemed to ponder for several seconds and prepared to respond—

He abruptly interrupted.

“Go use the restroom.”

Jiang Yuning blinked slowly and nodded.

She waited for him to stand up first—

But then Xiao Liye deliberately emphasized,

“I meant you should go use the restroom.”