Chapter 85: Jealousy

“Jiang Xincheng, I was wrong about what happened last time. I misunderstood you. I sincerely apologize here and hope you won’t mind.”

Zhang Feng poured a glass of wine for Jiang Xincheng, then poured one for herself. She raised her glass and apologized to Jiang Xincheng very seriously. Her expression was quite stern, which made the whole private room quiet down.

Seeing that Zhang Feng seemed very earnest, a trace of mockery appeared at the corner of Jiang Xincheng’s mouth. He picked up his glass and casually clinked it with Zhang Feng’s. “It was just a small matter. Don’t worry about it.”

Although he seemed not to care about the previous incident, everyone could see Jiang Xincheng’s indifference. Clearly, he was quite dismissive of Zhang Feng’s solemn apology.

Zhang Feng naturally noticed it too. She gave an awkward smile, finished the wine in her glass, and returned to her seat.

Ever since the fight between Jiang Xincheng and Liu Yifeng, Zhang Feng had felt deep regret. She wondered why she had been so foolish that night, why she had to pick a fight with Jiang Xincheng for no reason. She was somewhat jealous of Lin Anan at the time, so she had ulterior motives and used Jiang Xincheng as an excuse.

As a result, not only did she fail to frame Lin Anan, but she also offended Jiang Xincheng, a big shot—the top freshman student, a super genius who could contend with a Primordial Warrior in the Bone Training Realm while still in the Tendon Training Realm.

How she regretted it!

If she had known earlier that Jiang Xincheng had such a promising future, Zhang Feng would never have offended him. She would have tried to win his favor instead. How could she dare to provoke him? That would truly be seeking her own downfall.

So, seizing this opportunity, Zhang Feng eagerly apologized to Jiang Xincheng, hoping to gain his forgiveness. She wanted to get closer to him in the future, maybe even get some benefits.

Unfortunately, Jiang Xincheng, who had dealt with Zhang Feng many times in his previous life, clearly knew what kind of woman she was and what her purpose was in apologizing now. How could he really take it to heart? The only reason he hadn’t taught her a lesson was because she was Lin Anan’s roommate. Otherwise, Jiang Xincheng had hundreds of ways to take revenge on Zhang Feng, who had caused him so much suffering in his past life.

After all, Zhang Feng was a woman. Although she had given him a hard time in his previous life, she had also, in a different way, pushed Jiang Xincheng to train hard and diligently. Moreover, she hadn’t caused him any substantial harm in his past life, so Jiang Xincheng could tolerate her and refrained from teaching her a lesson.

As for reconciling with Zhang Feng, sorry, Jiang Xincheng wasn’t that generous, nor did he have any intention to do so.

Ignoring Zhang Feng’s disappointed gaze, Jiang Xincheng turned and chatted animatedly with Lin Anan, making the young beauty laugh heartily. As for the slightly dejected look in Xuanyuan Ningshuang’s eyes nearby, Jiang Xincheng simply paid no attention.

For Xuanyuan Ningshuang, this was the first time she had encountered such a man. In the past, at dinner tables, she was always the center of attention for all the men. If she initiated a conversation with any man, they would always respond with utmost seriousness, taking care of her in every possible way.

But Jiang Xincheng was different. He seemed completely uninterested in her, chatting with other girls on his own. This was the first time Xuanyuan Ningshuang had experienced such a situation, and she couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. Yet, despite her disappointment, she became increasingly interested in Jiang Xincheng.

As they talked, time passed quickly. Seeing that the gathering was about to end, Xuanyuan Ningshuang took advantage of the moment when Lin Anan stepped out and suddenly moved closer to Jiang Xincheng. She whispered softly, “Xincheng, may I ask you something?”

“Go ahead,” Jiang Xincheng said with a smile.

Xuanyuan Ningshuang’s exquisitely beautiful face was very close to Jiang Xincheng’s. Looking at her flawless skin right before his eyes, Jiang Xincheng felt a slight stir in his heart. As her cherry lips parted, she actually wanted to recruit him: “My family wishes to recruit you. The terms won’t be worse than any other faction. I wonder if you would agree?”

“I already have a faction I’m interested in, so I’m afraid I can’t agree,” Jiang Xincheng shook his head, thoughts about the Xuanyuan Family flashing through his mind.

The Xuanyuan Family was currently one of the top ten great families in the Shenxia Alliance. Xuanyuan Ningshuang was the direct heir of a branch of the Xuanyuan Family. In the future, she would become a Pride of Heaven, even gaining considerable attention from the main family. Moreover, the Xuanyuan Family would, decades later, become the number one family in the Shenxia Alliance, and even globally, it would be one of the top super families.

And his own sister, after going through many hardships in the future, would return to the Xuanyuan Family and become its most dazzling Peerless Genius, leading the Xuanyuan Family to unprecedented glory. In her sixties or seventies, she would become the Clan Leader of the Xuanyuan Family, wielding immense power.

In his previous life, the reason Jiang Xincheng later lived so comfortably was entirely because he benefited from this sister’s influence. And Xuanyuan Ningshuang, it turned out, was his sister’s cousin.

He never expected that in his previous life, he had to rely on his sister’s help to join the Xuanyuan Family, while in this life, just a few months after his rebirth, the Xuanyuan Family had already taken notice of him. Truly, fate played tricks on people.

A look of disappointment flickered across Xuanyuan Ningshuang’s exquisite little face. “So that’s how it is. Then, could you tell me which faction it is?”

“Well…” Jiang Xincheng hesitated for a moment, then still smiled and said, “Sheng Tang!”

“Ah…” Xuanyuan Ningshuang couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, causing everyone to look over. Her pretty face flushed slightly. With a dry laugh, Xuanyuan Ningshuang leaned closer to Jiang Xincheng and whispered, “So it’s the Flourishing Tang Empire. No wonder Xincheng looks down on ordinary families. But I’ve heard the Flourishing Tang Empire’s assessments are extremely strict. How confident are you about joining the Flourishing Tang Empire?”

“More than fifty percent. If I perform well in the upcoming Challenge Tournament, maybe the chances will be even greater,” Jiang Xincheng said with a smile. Xuanyuan Ningshuang nodded, her face full of disappointment. “That’s such a pity.”

Xuanyuan Ningshuang was clearly quite regretful that Jiang Xincheng couldn’t join the Xuanyuan Family. Seeing the disappointed expression on her exquisitely beautiful face, Jiang Xincheng smiled slightly and leaned close to her picturesque little face. “Even though I can’t join the Xuanyuan Family now, it doesn’t mean there won’t be opportunities in the future. Perhaps we’ll meet again in the Flourishing Tang Empire soon.”

“Ah…” Xuanyuan Ningshuang was stunned, not quite understanding Jiang Xincheng’s meaning. “Xincheng, are you saying you’ll join the Xuanyuan Family in the future? Oh, and do you know about the Xuanyuan Family?”

Jiang Xincheng smiled mysteriously. “Hard to say. Who can predict what will happen in the future? As for the Xuanyuan Family, well, Ningshuang, your surname is Xuanyuan, right? And it just so happens that there’s a very famous Xuanyuan Family in our Shenxia Alliance, so I guessed you’re from that Xuanyuan Family.”

Seeing Jiang Xincheng’s mysterious demeanor, Xuanyuan Ningshuang pursed her lips slightly and didn’t press further. Just then, Lin Anan returned and sat down beside Jiang Xincheng. There was a faint hint of caution in her bright eyes; she had apparently seen something earlier.

Indeed, Jiang Xincheng and Xuanyuan Ningshuang had been somewhat too intimate just now. The two had leaned close together, whispering with their heads down. Everyone around had noticed, and they obviously started having other thoughts. Even Lin Anan felt a bit jealous after seeing it.