Chapter 1006: Jiang Xun (2)

"Jiaojiao, you’ve come down. Look, this is Xiaoxun. Do you remember him?" Jiang Bin, knowing his nephew probably quite likes this young girl, immediately asked with a smile.

Ruan Jiaojiao seized on this opening naturally and replied smoothly, "Of course I remember." She nodded at Xiu Xun—she recalled he had changed his surname back to Jiang, but calling him by name felt awkward for a moment. She simply ignored the name issue, smiled, and nodded directly at Jiang Xun instead.

Jiang Xun glanced at her, then swept his gaze over Xiu Xi beside her, nodded as well, and retracted his gaze.

"Haha, it’s been too long since you’ve seen each other, you’ve grown distant," Jiang Bin said, laughing.

Just as he spoke, someone else came down the stairs—it was the person he’d been longing to see. His eyes instantly lit up as he subconsciously stepped forward two paces, but the other person only gave him a cold glance. Turning to Shu Jiao and Shu Lang, who were seated in the center of the living room, they said, "Let’s go."

Ruanlin Family also didn’t want to attend such banquets. Jiang Bin’s repeated invitations couldn’t sway her, and in the end, he had to give up.

In the end, apart from Old Master Shu and the Ruanlin Family, everyone else went.

Ruan Jiaojiao, Xiu Xi, Shu Jiao, and Shu Wen all shared one car.

Ruan Jiaojiao, recalling her earlier encounter with Jiang Xun, said to Shu Jiao, "Mom, it feels like Xiu... Jiang Xun has changed a lot." Not just his appearance, but even the air around him seemed different.

When she was coming down the stairs earlier, for a moment she genuinely felt uncomfortable under the gaze he gave her.

Shu Jiao, however, wasn’t all that surprised. Jiang Xun had always been calculating—it wasn’t something new. The only difference now might be that he wasn’t bothering to conceal it anymore. After all, with the backing of the Jiang Family, he was no longer the cautious Xiu Xun he had been in the past.

She repeated what she’d said before: "Jiaojiao, we had to oblige this time out of courtesy. But going forward, our paths won’t intersect with the Jiang Family, and Jiang Xun—you should keep your distance from him."

Shu Jiao had never hidden her dislike for Jiang Xun. She really didn’t like him. And she certainly didn’t want someone so scheming to be anywhere near her daughter.

"Isn’t that the boy from earlier?" Shu Wen chimed in. She still had some memory of Jiang Xun and remarked wistfully, "Life really plays tricks on people."

Shu Wen had heard quite a bit about Jiang Xun from Jiang Bin. Jiang Bin was very fond of this nephew—in his words, Jiang Xun was diligent and ambitious, a good kid. But Shu Wen tended to trust Shu Jiao’s judgment more, which rarely proved wrong.

The group in the car continued reminiscing about the old days until they arrived at the Jiang Family an hour later.

The Jiang Family was different from the Shu Family. The Shu Family lived in a garden-style residence, while the Jiang Family resided in an old courtyard compound. It was Ruan Jiaojiao’s first time entering the compound, and she curiously leaned against the window to look outside.

It wasn’t until they arrived at the gates of the Jiang Family residence that she finally pulled back and sat properly.

The Jiang Family had truly gone above and beyond for this banquet. Jiang Yuanlong and his wife Ma Yinyin had been waiting outside well in advance.

Before Jiang Xun had returned, Jiang Yuanlong’s wife Ma Yinyin had been bedridden with illness. But after Jiang Xun’s return, perhaps her inner worries had been resolved; she recovered within two months. Now, though her complexion was still a bit pale, she appeared to be in good health overall.

She was the kind of woman who exuded classical elegance. Dressed in a winter qipao, standing in the cold wind as she waited for the members of the Ruan Family, one couldn’t help but feel a natural affection toward her.

As soon as Jiang Bin got out of the car, he quickly ran over to open the car door for Ruan Jiaojiao and the others. Shu Wen sat closest to the door, so when he opened it, he grinned ingratiatingly. "Xiaowen, you’re here. Come on down!"