Chapter 539
Chapter 539
For some reason, Jiang Siyue looked at the two people by the door and found them oddly irritating.
Jiang Yuanrang heard the voice and turned to look at the young woman.
Then he frowned. Who was this?
He didn't recognize her. Could she be some relative from the second branch of the family?
Jiang Yuanrang ignored Jiang Siyue and instead took Wen Xiu's hand, heading toward the Jiang residence.
"Stop!" Jiang Siyue grew even more anxious at the sight.
For some reason, the moment she laid eyes on Wen Xiu, she felt a sense of crisis.
Wen Xiu was too beautiful, and she carried herself like a proper noble lady—someone Jiang Siyue could never compare to.
She dared not imagine what would happen if her cousin saw Wen Xiu. Would he still be willing to marry her?
At that thought, Jiang Siyue didn't hesitate to block their path.
"This is the Jiang residence. You can't go in here."
Jiang Siyue glared at them viciously and said in anger.
"This is the Jiang residence, and who are you? What right do you have to stop us from entering?" Jiang Yuanrang looked at Jiang Siyue with displeasure, thinking to himself that the second branch's people were shameless—and now even their relatives were just as shameless?
Did they really think the Jiang residence belonged to the second branch?
"And who am I? I'm the future mistress of this household." Jiang Siyue said proudly.
"Mistress?" Jiang Yuanrang looked at her with a sneer, thinking that among the second branch's surviving members, there was only that useless Jiang Yuanjie left.
But Jiang Yuanjie was merely a concubine's son.
He had never been involved in the family business, so how could he possibly hold the Jiang family together?
"What's going on?" Wen Xiu frowned and looked at Jiang Yuanrang, wondering if he already had a wife here.
"It's nothing. I don't know this person." Jiang Yuanrang quickly reassured Wen Xiu.
"She's not your wife?" Wen Xiu looked at Jiang Yuanrang with suspicion.
Although she had agreed to marry Jiang Yuanrang, she had not agreed to be a concubine.
If Jiang Yuanrang already had a wife, she would certainly not continue with this engagement.
"Don't worry, she's definitely not." Jiang Yuanrang quickly promised. Otherwise, if his sister found out there was already a fiancée waiting here, she'd skin him alive.
"Where did this beggar come from, trying to be my husband?" Seeing the two talking as if no one else was around, Jiang Siyue immediately lashed out in anger.
She thought to herself that she needed to hurry them along and send them off.
"Young Master, you're back!"
Before Jiang Yuanrang could even respond to Jiang Siyue, a delighted voice rang out from inside the Jiang residence.
The servant spotted Jiang Yuanrang standing safe and sound at the door, his face full of joy.
These past days, the old master of the second branch and the two young masters had all fallen seriously ill. The household was in chaos, and the madam had nearly worried herself sick.
Unexpectedly, at this very moment, their young master had returned.
"Young Master?" Jiang Siyue looked at Jiang Yuanrang in disbelief.
This man... was her cousin?
The one her parents wanted her to marry?
Looking at Jiang Yuanrang's handsome face, Jiang Siyue blushed deeply.
"Hmm." Jiang Yuanrang nodded, gently supporting Wen Xiu as he began heading into the residence.
"Cousin, I'm Yue'er." Seeing that Jiang Yuanrang hadn't spared her so much as a glance, Jiang Siyue called out anxiously.
Jiang Yuanrang finally turned to look at Jiang Siyue.
"Since when does the Jiang family have someone like you?" The look Jiang Yuanrang gave Jiang Siyue was far from kind.
In the capital, he was unfamiliar with the place.
But in the Jiang residence, he was the one in charge.
And yet someone wanted to lord over him—had they asked for his permission?
"Young Master, she's the niece of the madam's maiden family." A servant quickly explained.
"Young Master, you've finally returned." Feng received the news and rushed out in a hurry, only to see Jiang Yuanrang supporting a young woman at the main gate.
"Hmm, let's head inside first." Jiang Yuanrang hadn't expected the woman to be Madame Jiang's niece, so he didn't say much more.
"Is she your fiancée?" Wen Xiu asked with slight displeasure as they walked.
"Not at all. When I left the Jiang residence, I had no engagement settled." Jiang Yuanrang hurriedly explained without hesitation.
Though whether Madame Jiang had privately arranged something after he left was still uncertain.
"Li Tingzhou, don't you forget that we have an imperial decree from the Empress Dowager." Wen Xiu looked at Jiang Yuanrang.
"I know. Whether she is or isn't, she won't be in the future." Jiang Yuanrang quickly promised. Otherwise, if his sister found out about a fiancée waiting here, she'd flay him alive.
Changfeng silently followed behind Jiang Yuanrang, somewhat confused. Where had his master been all these days? And why had he brought back a young woman? What was her identity?
Seeing how carefully his master attended to her, Changfeng had a feeling—this woman might very well be his future mistress.
Thinking of the young miss staying at the residence, Changfeng sighed inwardly.
If his master already had someone he loved, what would happen to the young miss?
Would the madam agree to let him marry this woman?
And also...
Changfeng glanced at the servants and attendants accompanying the young woman, and for some reason, he had a strange feeling.
Those people were not to be trifled with.
Madame Jiang had also received the news and was waiting eagerly in her courtyard for Jiang Yuanrang's return.
"Nanny Tang, do you think Rang'er really has come back?" Madame Jiang asked, finding it hard to believe, since Jiang Yuanrang had been missing for so long.
"He's back! He's back! The young master will be here any moment." Nanny Tang quickly smiled.
"He's back, that's good. That's good." Madame Jiang nodded repeatedly.
But in her heart, she was already thinking that since Jiang Yuanrang was back, his marriage to Yue'er could finally be set in motion.
"I wonder where Rang'er has been all this time? Did he suffer much?"
She assumed that the second branch's family had been injured one after another, and her son had gone missing—perhaps he had been kidnapped by those villains.
Maybe it was the work of an enemy.
"Madam, rest assured, the young master is doing well." Nanny Tang hesitated for a moment, remembering that the servant had said the young master brought back a young woman as well.
She wondered how the madam would take that news.
After all, the young miss had come to the Jiang residence specifically to marry the young master.
But now it seemed the young master likely had no intention of marrying her.
"Nanny, what month do you think Rang'er and Yue'er's wedding should be held?" Madame Jiang clearly hadn't noticed the hesitation in Nanny Tang's eyes and continued on her own.
"Madam, that will depend on the young master's wishes." Nanny Tang said after a moment's thought. After all, whether the young master was willing to marry the young miss was still uncertain.
And since Madame Jiang was in high spirits at the moment, Nanny Tang didn't dare dampen her enthusiasm.
Besides, even if she didn't say anything, the madam would soon see the young woman for herself.
"Aunt!"
Before Madame Jiang could say anything more, Jiang Siyue rushed in crying.
"What's the matter? Why are you crying out of nowhere?" Madame Jiang frowned.
She was quite displeased. Wasn't this niece being a little too immature?
Today was the happy occasion of her son's return, and here she was, weeping and wailing—what was that about?