I Am Already A Queen

Jiang Suhan was momentarily caught off guard by the sharp observation. His grandfather had actually perceived the deep, internal shift within him.

However, explaining the bizarre, unbelievable truth of a second chance at life and a second timeline was completely impossible. In the end, he simply gave a faint, weary smile and shook his head lightly.

"It’s nothing major, Grandpa. I am probably just a bit worn out from work." Jiang Suhan offered as a soft, plausible excuse.

Old Master Jiang knew his grandson well enough to realise he was politely deflecting, but being a wise elder, he chose not to press or force the young man into uncomfortable confessions.

"Well, if you are feeling drained, make sure to get plenty of proper rest. You are more than welcome to stay here for a few days to unwind." Old Master Jiang said kindly.

"Hmm... I am actually planning to do just that." Jiang Suhan nodded in agreement.

"Good. Meixia is also staying over with us tonight." Old Master Jiang added casually.

"I know." Jiang Suhan nodded with a gentle warmth lingering in his eyes.

Jiang Suhan remained inside the quiet tea room for quite some time, enjoying a rare, peaceful conversation with his grandfather while the old master skillfully brewed and poured fresh, aromatic tea for his beloved grandson.

....

Outside in the spacious courtyard, the estate’s domestic staff were busily bustling about, preparing all the necessary grills, charcoal, and culinary equipment for tonight’s grand outdoor feast. They were setting up a massive BBQ party, an energetic idea that had been enthusiastically pitched by Jiang Fenfang earlier in the afternoon. Old Madam Jiang had agreed to the fun idea without a moment’s hesitation, immediately instructing the kitchen staff to arrange a lavish spread of ingredients.

Jiang Fenfang had personally submitted a long, passionate wishlist of all the specific delicacies she was craving, with the vast majority of her requested items being high-grade, fresh seafood.

Before finalising the menu, Old Master Jiang had thoughtfully pulled Qiao Meixia aside to ask if she had any severe food allergies. Qiao Meixia had simply given a calm shake of her head.

Hearing that, the elders had breathed a collective sigh of sweet relief. They would have felt terribly guilty and heartbroken if Qiao Meixia had been forced to sit out due to allergies while everyone else indulged in a feast.

To balance out the heavy seafood selection, Old Madam Jiang had also personally instructed the master chefs to prepare generous platters of premium marinated chicken, prime cut beef, and savoury skewers to be freshly grilled. The whole family was set to gather in the lush, beautifully lit back garden for the evening festivities.

Once the coals were glowing red and everything was set up, Old Master Jiang signalled the servants to commence grilling the food. Eager to join in on the fun, Jiang Fenfang and Jiang Boqin immediately grabbed tongs to grill their own skewers over the open flame.

However, Jiang Boqin recklessly and heavily coated his slab of meat with an absurd amount of extra chilli spices. The very instant he took a brave, massive bite of his freshly cooked masterpiece, the overwhelming heat hit his palate like a truck. He choked, gasping for air as his tongue burned, and spun around frantically to hunt for a pitcher of ice water to douse the fire.

However, before he could even take a single step toward the drink station, a sweet little hard candy was unexpectedly tossed through the air, landing with pinpoint accuracy right into his gaping, burning mouth. The rich, soothing sweetness of the hard candy instantly washed over his tongue, perfectly neutralising and taming the agonising spice inside his mouth.

"Cousin Meixia, oh man, thank you so much! You literally saved my life!" Jiang Boqin wheezed out in immense relief, his eyes shining with gratitude.

"Cousin Meixia, do you seriously carry random hard candies around in your pockets all the time?" Jiang Fenfang asked between happy chews of a freshly grilled, buttered oyster.

"Hmm..." Qiao Meixia murmured, her small hand reaching deep into her coat pocket and pulling out a surprisingly large handful of brightly wrapped colourful candies to prove her point.

"Whoa, you actually carry a whole secret stash with you!" Jiang Fenfang gasped in sheer shock, her jaw dropping slightly. "But why on earth do you hoard so many candies on you?"

Qiao Meixia went completely still for a brief, quiet heartbeat, her dark eyes staring at the colourful wrappers resting in her palm before she answered in a soft, flat voice. "Just out of habit."

It was, in all truth, an ingrained habit forged through years of harsh survival. When she was much younger and living in utter poverty, she had frequently endured agonising, hollow hunger pangs.

Whenever she managed to scrape together a few copper coins from collecting and selling scrap metal, actual staples like grain, flour, or fresh bread were far too expensive for her meagre pocket money. The only food item that remained dirt cheap and accessible was bulk hard candy. Thus, she would buy a tiny bag of cheap sweets, strictly rationing herself to eating just one single piece of candy a day to keep her blood sugar up and trick her stomach into surviving the hunger.

Even after her circumstances drastically improved and she amassed wealth beyond imagination, the deeply rooted instinct never truly left her. She continued doing the exact same thing in this second life as well.

Standing nearby, Jiang Suhan silently observed his younger sister’s calm demeanour, a sudden, agonising pang of deep heartache piercing his chest. Having learned of her dark past, he understood the heartbreaking context behind those four simple words far better than anyone else present. A wave of profound regret washed over him once more, wishing with all his heart that he had managed to track down and rescue his precious sister much earlier in life.

Trying to suppress the lump forming in his throat, he picked up a pair of clean wooden chopsticks, picked out a tender, perfectly grilled slice of prime beef, and gently placed it into Qiao Meixia’s bowl.

"Eat more of the meat, Qiaoqiao." Jiang Suhan said, his voice laced with immeasurable tenderness.

"Yes! Your eldest brother is entirely right! Meixia, you really ought to eat much more." Old Madam Jiang chimed in heartily from the head of the table, placing another juicy skewer into her granddaughter’s dish.

"Exactly! Our main mission for the weekend is to successfully fatten Cousin Meixia up." Jiang Fenfang declared boisterously, raising her drink in a triumphant toast.

At her lively proclamation, warm, ringing laughter instantly burst out from everyone around the table, filling the night garden with pure happiness. Their laughter echoed throughout the grand ancestral estate, making the cool, quiet night feel exceptionally warm, lively, and full of genuine affection.

Meanwhile, back at the Jiang Family Residence....

Feng Lan let out a long, heavy sigh as she sat at the dining table. She was truly at her wit’s end when it came to her eldest son. Jiang Suhan was already at an age where he should have settled down, gotten married, and started raising a family of his own. Yet, he did not even have a steady girlfriend to speak of. That was precisely why she had taken it upon herself to help him find a suitable woman to marry, only for her son to show zero gratitude for her motherly efforts.

He had even fled the house entirely just to escape the prospective blind date she had so meticulously arranged. After such a mortifying incident, she felt thoroughly embarrassed to even face her close friend again.

"Where is Suhan?" Jiang Lukang asked, taking his seat as dinner was being served by the staff.

"Humph! Your foolish son ran off to your parents’ estate just to dodge the blind date I set up for him today." Feng Lan complained, her voice dripping with irritation.

"You arranged a blind date for him? With whom?" Jiang Lukang frowned slightly, looking over at his wife.

He had not been informed of any such plans beforehand. While he did not overly obsess about the romantic details of Jiang Suhan’s personal life, the woman who eventually became his eldest son’s wife absolutely had to hail from a prestigious family line, one that could comfortably match their elite social standing and powerful business background.

"She is the young miss from the Lin family, the ones who own the Lin Group. You can rest easy. I am certainly not foolish enough to introduce an unsuitable girl to our eldest son. I took every single strategic factor into careful consideration before making the arrangements." Feng Lan stated defensively.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***