Chapter 394: If Feng Nanshu Hadn’t Met Jiang Qin

“Your aunt’s relative doesn’t look much, but he speaks quite authoritatively.”

“You should understand what they’re talking about, right?”

“Son, you’re good at studying, but when it comes to social interactions, you really fall short. At that moment earlier, you should have talked more with your Uncle Feng. See how eloquently he speaks?”

“Families like theirs do prefer kids who speak well.”

“That person might not be much older than you, might not be as learned, and doesn’t dress formally, but his eloquence really adds points.”

“You need to learn from that. Thicken your skin a bit. Your aunt’s connections are not something you can buy your way into. We are actual relatives. You need to make the most of it.”

Driving her BMW, Zhang Meilan paid attention to the road while incessantly chattering next to Su Huiqiang’s ear.

Their generation started with small trades, not highly educated but hoping their children would achieve high qualifications. Yet, they also fear their children can’t handle social situations.

This is probably a common issue among college students. They haven’t interacted much with society, are naïve, straightforward, and thin-skinned.

Though this usually improves with experience and age, being too naïve in youth might mean missed opportunities.

Who hasn’t suffered for being thin-skinned in their youth?

Zhang Meilan initially thought being thin-skinned was good, like an intellectual. But after today’s comparison, she realized without it, you can’t showcase your knowledge.

On the contrary, those good at schmoozing have a significant advantage.

Some are full of knowledge but hardly speak; others speak like they know everything.

Knowing is just the start; being able to show it is key. Both substance and appearance matter.

“Did you hear that?”

“Heard it…”

Sitting in the passenger seat, Su Huiqiang, holding his phone, simultaneously responded to his mother and typed a series of letters into his phone.

【PATEK PHILIPPE】

Earlier, that man named Jiang Qin brought over some braised pork ribs and also flashed his watch. Its gleaming gold made him a bit dizzy.

Su Huiqiang wasn’t familiar with watches but took that moment to quietly take note of the brand, casually checking it on Baidu using WAP.

“Mom.”

After Zhang Meilan shifted gears and passed an intersection, she spoke: “What’s up? You’re not about to say that gold shines everywhere, are you? But don’t forget, glass also shines. You need to make others see you’re gold.”

Su Huiqiang opened his mouth: “That man’s watch was Patek Philippe. The current market price is over nine hundred thousand.”

“?”

Zhang Meilan stopped at a red light, stunned for a while before pursing her lips and remaining silent.

She had only noticed the minivan Jiang Qin drove, not his watch. Hearing her son now, she felt at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, Feng Shihua and Jiang Qin continued to drink and chat at the dining table, their conversation growing livelier.

He isn’t very savvy about doing business. The Feng and Qin families’ investments in Shanghai are mostly managed by Qin Jingqiu, while he occasionally advises but mostly enjoys cultural pursuits.

Like practicing calligraphy or painting. He’s also the president of the Shanghai Drama Association and has written many interesting play scripts.

He’s never been keen on business but found talking with Jiang Qin extremely intriguing, especially his theories on corporate management and innovative business strategies, which were not only advanced but also humorous.

Feng Shihua thought if Jiang Qin weren’t his son-in-law but just a regular young man they met by chance, he’d like him a lot and might even invest in his ideas.

So, Jiang Qin does have a certain charismatic quality, besides his knack for making money.

You’d think his maturity is just right, emotionally intelligent without being too slick or worldly.

Most importantly, he wasn’t aggressively seeking investments and even declined Feng Shihua’s offer to mobilize resources for him. His visit was genuinely for the sake of Feng Nanshu.

Just like after dinner when Feng Shihua intended to help him capture the Shanghai market, his wife suggested they visit the garden Feng Nanshu frequented as a child and her favorite swing. Jiang Qin excitedly agreed.

Feng Shihua felt although Jiang Qin often talked about loving money, sometimes his actions contradicted his words.

Being a playwright who often contemplates the inner lives of his characters, he found his son-in-law’s inner world increasingly pure.

“Enough already, you two. Take a break. I’ll have Mrs. Wu change your drink. No more alcohol,” interrupted Qin Jingqiu.

Coming downstairs in her home clothes, she noticed both were quite drunk and couldn’t help speaking up.

Hearing his wife, Feng Shihua waved his hand: “I’ve been bored writing and practicing calligraphy at home all day. Now Jiang Qin’s here, and I can’t drink a bit more?”

Qin Jingqiu glanced at him: “You’re fine, but Jiang Qin has things to do tomorrow.”

“It’s okay, aunt. I don’t have much tomorrow, just need to check the project site at Wanzhong. A little drink won’t matter.”

“See?”

Qin Jingqiu replied somewhat helplessly: “Drinking too much will make you feel terrible tomorrow.”

Jiang Qin looked at Feng Shihua: “Uncle, how about we switch to tea? We can talk more that way.”

“Alright, let’s switch to tea then.”

As the evening deepened and their heads cleared, Jiang Qin and Feng Shihua wrapped up their conversation.

Jiang Qin slept in their guest room, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. The recent travel and a bit of alcohol made his sleep particularly deep.

Feng Shihua found it hard to fall asleep and lay in bed talking with his wife about his feelings.

“You know, when you first told me Nanshu had someone she liked, I didn’t believe it because I couldn’t imagine her being interested in romance.”

Feng Shihua propped a pillow under his back: “But Jiang Qin is great. If I were Nanshu, I’d like a guy like him too.”

Qin Jingqiu couldn’t help but laugh: “Where’s that ornate language you use in your plays? You compliment so plainly?”

“You don’t understand. The more sincere the words, the plainer and clumsier they are, just like how I confessed to you back in the day.”

“So, you really think Jiang Qin is good? Not just because I like him?”

Feng Shihua nodded: “He has a strong charisma, appealing to all ages. This comes from his complex personality.”

Qin Jingqiu’s smile faded: “Speaking of personality, there’s something I haven’t told you. After returning from Jizhou earlier this year, I went to see Chen Zexiu.”

“Nanshu’s former psychologist?”

“Yes. She mentioned that Nanshu already had significant issues when she was recuperating in Jizhou. If it continued, it could have severe consequences.”

“?”

“To put it simply, the doctor said Nanshu has no attachment to this world. She doesn’t find life interesting, as if living in a city with nothing fun, making her want to escape constantly. Plus, she has strong psychological defenses.”

Feng Shihua sat up slightly: “What do you mean?”

Qin Jingqiu pursed her lips: “She doesn’t trust others much. She feels she’ll eventually be left behind.”

“What about Jiang Qin…?”

“I don’t know how he does it. Maybe they are psychologically similar, or something he did made her feel she won’t be abandoned. It’s quite amazing.”

Removing his glasses, Feng Shihua rubbed his eyes: “If Jiang Qin wasn’t there, would Nanshu…?”

Shaking her head, Qin Jingqiu responded: “I don’t even want to think about it. Let’s sleep.”

The next morning was bright and filled with the sound of cicadas. Jiang Qin got out of bed feeling a bit hungover but felt better after washing his face.

Then, Qin Jingqiu handed him a photo album.

“These are some pictures of Nanshu from her childhood. I had a copy printed so you could show your mom.”

Jiang Qin opened the first page, his eyes widening: “This little rich girl was this cute?”

The photo showed the young rich girl, about seven or eight, missing a front tooth, chin propped on a windowsill, displaying an innocent smile. Her features were already strikingly beautiful, indicating a real beauty in the making.

Goodness, this will utterly charm my mom!

Got it!

When I get home, I’ll only let my mom see one picture a day, just like she used not to let me watch ‘Dragon Fighter’!

Jiang Qin was overjoyed, carefully storing the album away, then joined Qin Jingqiu and Feng Shihua for breakfast before waving goodbye and driving the small van to the Wanzhong Mall construction site.

He was there both to check the project’s progress and because He Manqi, who had just scored 631 on her exams, securing her spot at Linchuan University, was in Shanghai. Her father He Yijun had been urging Jiang Qin to celebrate, hardly giving him a moment’s rest.

Around ten in the morning, Jiang Qin arrived at the construction site, finding the structural framework of Wanzhong Mall towering impressively, covering a vast area.

Wearing a safety helmet, he walked around the site with a few engineering managers, nodding occasionally, prompting whispers among some of the workers.

“Who is this guy?”

“The second shareholder of Wanzhong Group.”

“So young and already a second shareholder? He looks just over twenty.”

“The group’s official website states he’s twenty-one, a sophomore at Linchuan University, first ‘Star of Learning’ from his batch, and a representative of Linchuan’s young entrepreneurs. Just checked it.”