Not only Jing Yuhan, but a few, mostly those from the business world, were a bit taken aback the moment they heard the name Jiang Liuxian. For a moment they doubted if they heard correctly. Did the boy who accompanied the Ye"s daughter say he was that person"s son?"The tyc.o.o.ns" reaction is a bit weird. All of them looked shocked. However, I haven"t heard of the name Jiang Liuxian until now. Who is he?" discreetly asked one of the madams to her husband.
"The name Jiang Liuxian is not popular." The husband, a CEO of famous chains of hotels in the capital, started to explain. "Actually, that person who a.s.sumed that name is a big shot foreigner who plans to establish a new cellular network in our country and just recently began to call himself that."
Despite the man not directly mentioning the name, those around him who heard what he said all gasped in surprise. The madam was as shocked so she exclaimed with eyes as wide as a pair of saucers, "You mean, it"s James Zuckerberg, the tenth richest man in the world?"
The silence she got was her spouse"s silent affirmation. The middle-aged CEO was not the only one aware of the name so in just a minute everyone was once again looking at Jiang Li"s direction. This time, the gazes were 180 degrees opposite what they initially gave him. Ye Xinya even saw a few rich madams looking at him meaningfully prey as they pa.s.sed a few words to the ears of their daughters and sons.
One such mother-daughter pairs was just two meters away from her so she heard some of their conversations.
"I didn"t know Mr. Zuckerberg already has a son. Fei-er, once you see an opportunity later, make sure to leave a lasting impression to him. If you can be his fiancee, then spouse, you will surely have a future greater than any other girls here. Don"t fail!"
Determination crossed that pretty girl"s face and when she looked at the subject of their discussion who was standing with a slight smile in front of Jing Yuhan, there was fascination in her eyes.
In reality, there were many excellent young men in the place, Han Su the male lead included. However, at this moment, the son of the famous billionaire became the center of attention. When Ye Xinya looked around, she found that many girls were already giving Jing Mo a sticky glance. As she returned her gaze to her incompetent tutor, a weird feeling arose in her heart. Jealousy? Annoyance? Possessiveness?
To distract herself from the discomfort she was having within, she asked herself, "Why is n.o.body first asking or confirming if he"s really that person"s son? Is Jing Mo that good of a liar? Or is it that these people think n.o.body would dare use that person"s name if it"s for posing?"
A full ten seconds pa.s.sed before somebody raised the first question Ye Xinya had in mind. Jing Yuhan who was finally done confronting his doubts threw an accusing glare at Jiang Li. "Jing Mo, do you know what you are doing? Even if you have misgivings with the family, you should not drag somebody else"s name into this."
"If you truly care for someone or for your family, you wouldn"t air his dirty to the world. Stupid."
Erasing the trace of a smile in his face, Jiang Li glanced at the taller man indifferently. "Sir. I don"t know you and can"t understand what you"re talking about. And what of it if I dragged my own father"s name in this?"
Ye Xinya looked down at the arm circling her waist. "He tightened his hold of me a little bit. Is he feeling pressured? Or angry?"
She couldn"t help the anxiousness and worry, hence, she spoke up after bowing a bit, "Good evening, Mr. Jing. It"s our pleasure to meet you. However, I think you have truly mistaken him for someone else. His name is indeed Jiang Li and I"ve been fortunate to be his tutee for some time now."
"Brother, what"s happening? I heard cousin"s name."
A beautiful girl in the violet knee-length dress came forward and raised her head to Jing Yuhan. A second later, she glanced to her right side and finally noticed Jiang Li there.
"Jing Mo. It"s really you! I have heard you have escaped from the detention place. We didn"t have any news from you for some time. How did you get in by the way? And does uncle know?"
The glamorous girl batted her long lashes that were framing her big brown eyes. She looked like a model out for a commercial shooting as she elegantly twirled her champagne gla.s.s. However, the words she spoke were nothing but glamorous and elegant.
She not only purposely misled the ma.s.ses when she said detention place instead of that infamous disciplinary school, but insinuated he was a gatecrasher and an ingrate because despite being back to the city, he never visited his father once.
As a result, those listening not only became apprehensive again about Jiang Li"s ident.i.ty due to a second person from the same family claiming he was really Jing Mo. The thoughts that ran in their heads were mostly not pleasant.
"Are you saying, all this time, the one tutoring my daughter is your cousin?" In a doubtful voice, Ye Xinya"s mother questioned.
"Miss Ye," Jing Yuhan smiled apologetically and replied. "About this, I think I have to ask for your forgiveness. Your daughter has only returned from abroad but this is what happened. But I believe my cousin has a good reason for deceiving you and posing as another person to be her tutor."
"Hey," While those two were exchanging words, the villainess nervously elbowed Jiang Li who was busy glancing down his dress watch and dialing something on his phone.
Seeing he was not going to say anything, Ye Xinya puckered her lips in irritation then fiercely glared at Jing Yuhan. She said to Madam Ye, "Mom, I don"t believe that Tutor Jiang lied."
"Alright, sorry for lying that I don"t believe it."
She secretly thought after voicing that out, then continued, "I"ve been meaning to ask this, but what proof do you have to accuse him? Just the face alone? But, in the whole world, every person could possibly have seven other look-alikes. In my knowledge too, your cousin is at the same age as me, yet Tutor Jiang is two years older."
The man originally messaging someone through his phone with a placid expression donned finally looked up to give Ye Xinya a good look. Approval and amus.e.m.e.nt could also be seen from his eyes. "She knows I"m really Jing Mo, but she insisted on defending me. Hmm. I"ll reward her later."
When the villainess finally got into a full-blown argument with his two annoying cousins, he was in the middle of wondering if the reward should be a pa.s.s from his brain-twisting homework or something more practical.
From beginning to the end, he pretended to not know the Jing siblings, maintaining an unperturbed expression even as he listened to their sickening fake words of concern. When he got bored a bit, he noted the girl"s adamant att.i.tude on taking his side. He wondered if she realized what she was doing for somebody she had hated for a year.
"I can prove that he is indeed my cousin. If he lifted the back part of his tuxedo, there should be a small red birthmark there!"
Jiang Li saw Ye Xinya sported a disbelieving face at Jing Yuhan. He didn"t know that it was because the girl remembered seeing something like that near the bottom of his spine. She accidentally chanced upon it at the forest when Han Su haphazardly brought down the unconscious Jing Mo on the ground which caused the hem of his upper uniform to lift up a bit.
A couple of moments later, her eyes regained clarity. She then shook her head in disapproval, "Did you really suggest for someone to take off his s.h.i.+rt in the middle of this gathering?"
To be honest, this was also the first time the guests around encountered something like this. However, while they felt that Jing Yuuhan going this far was wrong, the spectacle was just too funny to watch so n.o.body interfered. Meanwhile, Jing Yuhan realized his own blunder. However, he was already at the point where he could only bite the bullet.
He could only glower at the cause of his plight and make his answer sound as righteous and convincing as possible. "I don"t see anything wrong with that if it is the only way to prove it, especially if someone is not taking his silence as an affirmation?"
Ye Xinya continued to shake her head while occasionally letting out a burst of laughter from time to time. The spotlight seemed to have focused on her. The world must be wanting to emphasize her crazy and fierce appearance to give a less favorable impression on the onlookers. However, she was too beautiful that not even the male lead, much less Jiang Li, could move their eyes away from her.
"I know that she"s pretty when angry at me. But she"s prettier when angry for my sake."
A corner of Jiang Li"s lips lifted up. He watched as she gestured her hands and laughed at the Jing"s executive. Her beauty did not diminish even as she spat out with clear sarcasm.
"I might have been abroad only for a few years but I never expected that when I come back, I will encounter someone who can say with a straight face that it"s okay for others to be shamed as long as his honor could be retained. Such sophistry, is not something I would ever understand. I keep trying to make some sense out of it, but it"s really just nonsensical and not gentleman-like!"
Face burning in both anger and shame, the cousin barked at Jiang Li, "Jing Mo, stop being silent! Do you dare to show your back to prove that I am wrong!?"
Jiang Li looked at him the way he would at a r.e.t.a.r.ded person. He laughed. "No gentleman will strip just because a random person asked."
"You just don"t dare." The female cousin coldly said.
He swept his eyes around and noticed a few more familiar figures from the Jings in the crowd. They were older and had some brains inside their skulls so they did not join Jing Na and Jing Yuhan in hara.s.sing him. But of course, they also wouldn"t stop those two since they too were enjoying the show.
"Such heartlessness."
"Tutor Jiang. Aren"t you going to explain to clear the misunderstanding?" The look on the villainess" mother"s face was not really as bad as one would expect, but there was also no trace of warmth in it. Ye Xinya alternately glanced at her mother and Jing Mo.
The latter turned his head to meet the chilling gaze of the Ye"s first madam and then smiled. "I don"t understand." He started.
""What is there to explain?"" That single question was asked simultaneously by two people, one old and one young. Jiang Li being the latter again.
His eyes automatically went to locate the source of that booming voice that overlapped with his, eventually stopping at a fifty-something years old man dressed in a black suit and red ties walking down the gigantic staircase.
"Greetings and happy birthday, Senator Fang!"
"We wish you great health, Senator!"
""Happy Birthday!""
This person"s air had something in it which could immediately inspire awe and respect. But such a man had a very gratifying smile put on, his eyes not caring about the people bowing and greeting him reverently. With that wide smile, he was actually only looking at the young man standing next to the lovely princess of the Yes.
"Please to meet you, young man. I"ve been informed that you have come on behalf of your father, James. As I can see today, the famous founder and CEO of the world"s largest social media and networking service company has raised a fine son. Not many can maintain calmness in such a confusing situation."
As these words echoed in the grand hall that suddenly descended into silence upon the senator"s entrance, not few gasps and held their breaths. There were also others whose face grew ashen. Jing Na stared blankly at the birthday celebrant. Jing Yuhan was as dumbfounded.
"This person is truly not Jing Mo?" The man"s face was losing blood every pa.s.sing second.
"No, that can"t be. The last time I saw him is two months ago, how can"t I not recognize him?"
While his cousin was in denial, Jiang Li turned to the man"s direction. Like a real western aristocrat, he lightly bowed. "Good evening, Senator Fang. Please accept my greetings and thanks for your kind praises earlier. My name is Nathan Zuckerberg, Jiang Li in Huaxia"s records. In my and my father"s behalf, allow me to wish you a happy fiftieth birthday. We hope for more birthdays for you to celebrate and look forward to in the many decades to come."