Chapter 360: Who Can Outscheme a Scheming Man?

"It doesn't matter whether it's real or fake." Ke Zhongyu, who had been silently accompanying them, suddenly spoke, glancing at his sister.

Ke Zhongying realized: "Me too."

That day, when her brother called their mother to say he wanted to marry Jiang Lai, she overheard it.

The person her brother wants to marry is Jiang Lai; it doesn't matter what surname she has, nor whether she's real or fake.

The old lady glanced at the brother and sister and smiled: "You two, you have a secret."

"Of course, it's normal for siblings to have a few little secrets." Ke Zhongying, clever and playful, sweetly said a couple of words and brushed aside the matter her brother hadn't planned to reveal.

The old lady had pretty much figured out her children's attitude toward Dr. Jiang, and seeing no need to press further, she let it be so they wouldn't think she was nagging.

After their walk to aid digestion, the siblings escorted the old lady back to her room.

Elderly people go to bed early; Ke Zhongying said goodnight to her grandmother, and after thinking it over, Ke Zhongyu decided to solemnly inform his grandmother:

"When I was young I liked astronomy, but I was too young; aside from learning how to be a qualified heir, I had no energy to pursue my own interests. But now I'm twenty-eight, and in a month I'll be twenty-nine—I am already a qualified heir, and I have the time, energy, and ability to choose to be with and marry the person I like."

The old lady looked seriously at her grandson; his words were modest—if he were merely a qualified heir, who knows how many people in their circle would have fallen into negative standing.

"Go on, I'm listening."

Ke Zhongying also listened silently.

Ke Zhongyu continued speaking.

"In this position, no one can control me; if I weren't in this position, even less could anyone control me."

"If Jiang Lai marries me, she will belong only to me—not to the Ke family, not to the Nian family, but to me."

Ke Zhongying was inwardly shocked.

How could her brother say something so bold?

When her brother isn't saying things to provoke people, he's all sugar-coated bombs—no wonder he can make Jiang Lai's heart flutter.

Not bad!

"Let's go." Only when she heard her older brother's call did Ke Zhongying snap back to reality, glance at her grandmother, turn, and follow her brother away.

Ke Zhongyu gave her a light, indifferent glance: "What are you spacing out about?"

Ke Zhongying exclaimed: "Done for, brother—you've raised the bar for finding a boyfriend; how am I supposed to find a partner now?"

Ke Zhongyu replied satisfied: "Hmm."

Ke Zhongying wondered: "I have a question—why didn't you let me tell Grandma that Jiang Lai is probably related to the Gu family?"

"You're not the best at being cheeky." Ke Zhongyu continued under his sister's resentful gaze: "Last summer, when your stomach was upset and you craved chilled watermelon, Ms. Nian also craved it; Father secretly bought some for Ms. Nian and put it in the fridge. You clearly saw it but pretended not to, and in the end you managed to eat it."

"If they found out you saw the watermelon, they'd outright forbid you from eating it; yet you still went and stole a bite, which is openly challenging the elders' authority. But since they didn't know you knew, you stole it, and though they were angry, they could only scold you for being immature and not taking care of your body."

"Understand?"

Ke Zhongying's mind worked quickly; she suddenly understood, nodding repeatedly: "Exactly, Grandpa and Grandma would surely forbid us from meddling in the Gu family's affairs, after all we can't let relations sour—we can only be bystanders. But that's Jiang Lai—how can we just stand by?"

Ke Zhongyu looked satisfied at his sister: "She didn't dote on you for nothing."

Ke Zhongying puffed up with pride: "That's right, the eldest daughter of the main line! So as long as we don't speak of it and just do it secretly, at most we'll get scolded a couple of times, right?"

"Wow!" she scolded, "Scheming—who could outplot you? No wonder they can't do anything to you."

Bringing this up, Ke Zhongying thought again: "They can't do anything about your big marriage matter—what about me?"

She probably won't also be forced into a political marriage, will she?

Ke Zhongyu: "Why can't they do anything to me?"

Ke Zhongying: "Because you have a bad temper, a sharp tongue, we can't outscold you, we can't outscheme you."

Ke Zhongyu: "……"

Ke Zhongying chuckled, then turned serious: "Because you hold power, you stand high."

Ke Zhongyu nodded: "Worldly success really does grant most of one's freedom."

Ke Zhongying certainly knows this principle: "But, brother, hardly anyone can reach that height, and besides, I'm a girl."

As soon as she finished speaking, her older brother slapped her, the blow landing on the back of her head.

Ke Zhongying gazed at him resentfully: "Instead of treating me as a sister, you act more like I'm a brother—you favor males over females."

Ke Zhongyu gave her a withering look; Ke Zhongying immediately apologized, raising her hand: "I was just joking."

"Not that." Ke Zhongyu, feeling magnanimous, explained to his sister: "The idea that women should be given preferential treatment is deliberately instilled; its purpose is to disempower women, and disempowerment is the greatest encirclement against women."

Ke Zhongying had an epiphany.

Ke Zhongyu: "But it's fine—you have the freedom to choose, whether to strive upward or to live this way; no one has the right to criticize."

Ke Zhongying: "Brother, your talk tonight is too philosophical; I'm not used to it."

Ke Zhongyu let out a cold laugh.

Although that condescending tone is familiar, Ke Zhongying's fists clenched again, and she shouted angrily: "I'm going to tattle on you to Sister Jiang Lai! You're mocking me again!"

Ke Zhongyu lifted his chin slightly: "Go now."

Ke Zhongying clenched her fists and waved them in front of him, snorting: "Forget it—you're just using me to let Jiang Lai hear news about you, you scheming man."

Ke Zhongying ran back to her room.

Ke Zhongyu thought his sister wasn't stupid either; he took out his phone and messaged Jiang Lai: 【What did A Lai do today?】

Jiang Lai: 【I met with the officials from the Civil Affairs Bureau today】

Ke Zhongyu: 【That donation?】

Jiang Lai:

【About the same】

【Ke Zhongyu, I'm going to sleep early today】

【You've been sitting in the car all day, you should also sleep early】

Ke Zhongyu:

Mm

Together

Jiang Lai looked at the last two characters, feeling Ke Zhongyu had done it on purpose; she sat on the bed's edge, replied good night, glanced at the suitcase in the corner, and knew she had to go to B City tomorrow.

Ke Zhongyu still didn't know.

Jiang Lai fell asleep again while holding the key pendant on her chest; the next morning, after waking up, she reminded Ping'an once more while having breakfast that she had to go on a business trip to B City, and after finishing the trip she would return to pick him up and go back to A City.

Ping'an nodded obediently, even saying he could also take the plane.

Jiang Lai patted the back of his head, gave Dean Mom a quick hug, boarded the flight to B City; after landing she met up with Xiao Qian, then went to the hotel arranged by the seminar organizers, which was less than a hundred meters from the venue.

It was a standard twin-bed room.

Xiao Qian flopped onto the white bed and let out a comfortable sigh: "I don't even want to go out for dinner anymore; I just want to sleep well. The seminar starts at 7:30 tomorrow."

Jiang Lai first sat on the sofa, pulled out her phone and saw several unanswered messages from Ke Zhongyu; she replied to them one by one and asked what he was doing.

Ke Zhongyu raised his hand and took a panoramic photo; he was eating, leaning toward the banquet.

Everyone in the circle knows that the Ke family comes to B City every year at the start of the lunar new year, and someone always pulls strings to invite him to a banquet.

Since he's a businessman, closing off the country isn't an option; he has to attend the social engagements he's supposed to.

Jiang Lai had worked as Ke Zhongyu's secretary for a month, not doing any complex work—mainly handling his schedule—and she was aware that different banquets had different set meal standards.

She examined the photo carefully; no faces were shown, it was just a standard catering setup. guessing the attendees' identities were sensitive, she only replied, "Have a good meal," without asking where it was.

But some people can't help sharing; after all, he'd been single for twenty‑eight years before getting a girlfriend, so he sent his location straight away.

Here

Jiang Lai checked and found it was indeed an ordinary hotel, the key point being that it was only five kilometers away from her.

Five kilometers—that's way too close.

Jiang Lai: "What's good to eat at this place?"

Ke Zhongyu: "Average."

Jiang Lai: "…"

Ke Zhongyu: "Just meets the banquet standard."

Jiang Lai had guessed as well; she put her phone away and asked Xiao Qian, "Want to go out for dinner? I've picked a place, but the food is just average."

Xiao Qian: "Why go if the food is just average?"

Jiang Lai pressed her lips: "To see someone."

Xiao Qian's eyes darted, she sprang off the bed at once: "Let's go! We have to go!"