Chapter 140: Encourage Separation, Not Reconciliation

"Eat slowly, don't rush. No one is going to take it from you," Su Qingli said with a gentle smile.

Hearing this, Jiang Jingru felt instantly embarrassed. She looked up with a faint blush, wiped her mouth with a tissue, and then asked Jiang Hao with curiosity, "Are you two already married?"

"Yes, we are," Su Qingli nodded.

Jiang Jingru asked again, "When did that happen?"

"Four years ago," Su Qingli replied without hesitation.

Jiang Jingru did some quick mental math and said in surprise, "Doesn't that mean you got married right after we graduated from college? That's way too fast!"

Su Qingli and Jiang Hao exchanged a knowing smile. Back when they graduated, they hadn't actually intended to marry so soon. However, due to certain circumstances, Jiang Hao was forced to marry into the Su family as a live-in son-in-law. Those "certain circumstances" were the passing of Jiang Hao's parents. This remained an eternal pain in Jiang Hao's heart, and because Su Qingli knew this, she didn't want to dwell on the subject.

Seeking to change the topic, Su Qingli asked, "Jingru, weren't you in Donglin City? Why did you come to Maple Leaf City? And you... you look..."

Jiang Jingru felt extremely awkward. She sighed helplessly and said gloomily, "After graduation, I was working at a private company in Donglin City. Everything was fine until I accidentally messed up a project, and the company fired me. Not only was I fired, but I also had to pay them over a hundred thousand, so now I have no savings left at all."

As she spoke, her expression turned incredibly dejected. She continued, "Our class monitor, Li Dong, said he was organizing a reunion in Maple Leaf City in a few days, and everyone from our class would be there, so I came. I thought I might be able to ask some classmates for help or maybe find a job. I never expected that while I was wandering the streets tonight looking for a cheap hotel, I'd get surrounded by that group of young thugs. They thought I was a prostitute! Do I look like a prostitute?"

Jiang Jingru grew angrier as she spoke, her face flushed with indignation. Jiang Hao and Su Qingli, however, found the situation quite amusing.

Back in college, Jiang Jingru had been obsessed with dressing up and always wore heavy makeup. After graduation, she never kicked the habit. That was precisely why those young men had mistaken her for someone soliciting on the street, leading to the misunderstanding.

Looking at Jiang Hao, Jiang Jingru asked, "Jiang Hao, what do you do for a living now?"

"I don't have a job," Jiang Hao answered calmly.

It was the truth, and he didn't feel any shame in it, so he answered without the slightest hesitation. Jiang Jingru, however, did not share his sentiment. Upon hearing that he was unemployed, she immediately frowned. "Jiang Hao, how can a grown man be without a job? If you don't work, are you relying on Qingli to support you? That won't do!"

"What's wrong with that? Men and women are equal now. Qingli works, and I manage the household. Is there a problem with that?" Jiang Hao countered with a smile.

"You have no ambition!" Jiang Jingru snorted.

Jiang Hao replied unpleasantly, "You seem to have forgotten who just saved you."

Jiang Jingru turned her head away and said, "One thing has nothing to do with the other. You saved me, and I should thank you, that's true. But I still look down on a man who doesn't go out to work and instead relies on his wife to feed him!"

Seeing that they were on the verge of an argument, Su Qingli quickly intervened. "Jiang Hao has his reasons for not working, and in fact, my business relies on his help."

If not for Jiang Hao, her restaurant would have folded long ago, let alone the prospect of registering the Qingli Health and Diet Therapy Company, expanding the business, and opening branches. Jiang Jingru, however, knew nothing of this. Hearing Su Qingli's words, she naturally assumed that Su Qingli was merely making excuses to protect Jiang Hao.

"They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that's certainly true. Qingli, you are the eldest daughter of the Su family; why did you choose Jiang Hao? Given your background, you could definitely find a much better and more successful man," Jiang Jingru said with a look of earnest sincerity.

Su Qingli wore an awkward smile, while Jiang Hao shot Jiang Jingru a cold glare.

Su Qingli then said seriously, "Jingru, to be honest, I have already severed ties with the Su family. Although I still carry the name, I will have no further dealings with them. The restaurant I run now is thriving only because of Jiang Hao's help. It’s precisely because of him that I was able to register as a company and open branches to expand."

Hearing this, an look of disbelief washed over Jiang Jingru's face. Su Qingli had actually cut ties with the Su family? And her business success depended entirely on Jiang Hao? How could that be possible!

Jiang Jingru stared blankly at Su Qingli, unable to process or believe what she had just heard.

Su Qingli continued, "I have registered a company called the Qingli Health and Diet Therapy Company. I intend to open two more restaurants in Maple Leaf City, and perhaps expand to other cities as well. All of this is thanks to Jiang Hao. It was he who provided the twenty million in startup capital to register the company; otherwise, I could never have accomplished any of this."

Twenty million!

Jiang Jingru was even more stunned. She turned to look at Jiang Hao in shock, and after a long silence, she asked, "Are... are you joking?"

"Who's joking with you?" Jiang Hao retorted curtly.

Jiang Jingru's expression shifted, and she squeezed out a flattering smile. "Jiang Hao, I had no idea you were so successful now. You were so ordinary back in college... listen, I was drunk earlier, just treat it as if I was talking nonsense."

"You weren't even drinking, drunk my foot," Jiang Hao frowned.

He had never liked Jiang Jingru much, and now he found her even more repulsive. Back in college, Jiang Hao had been incredibly average, almost to the point of being mediocre. Su Qingli, on the other hand, was beautiful, fit, and the heiress of the Su family, which meant she had many suitors. Because of this, their classmates were shocked when they started dating. Many had even spoken up for Su Qingli, claiming Jiang Hao wasn't good enough for her and urging her to break up with him for someone better.

Jiang Jingru had been one of those very people! Since she had done such things, there was no chance in hell Jiang Hao would ever have a good impression of her.