You're dumping me, huh? Fine, then I'll just pick up the school beauty and make her my wif

Jiang Che knew about this bracelet. His mother had told him when he was a child that it was passed down from his grandmother to his mother when she married his father. It was a symbol of the matriarch of the Jiang family for each generation.

Over the years, Jiang Che has almost never seen his mother take off the bracelet; she even wears it while taking a bath or sleeping.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Bai Qing gently placed the bracelet on the mahogany turntable in front of her.

The turntable slowly rotated, carrying the warm, white jade bracelet, and finally stopped in front of Su Qinghe.

Jiang Dahai was shocked by what he saw, as were Bai Zhenping and Zhang Hui. They looked at each other and saw undisguised surprise in each other's eyes.

The meaning behind Bai Qing's act of taking off the bracelet and giving it to Su Qinghe was crystal clear to the seasoned veterans present.

If it were just an ordinary bracelet, it would simply be a gift from an elder to a younger person.

However, Bai Qing deliberately gave Su Qinghe the symbol of the Jiang family's daughters-in-law throughout the generations, which was tantamount to recording Su Qinghe's name on the draft of the Jiang family's genealogy in front of the Jiang family's ancestors.

"Take it." Bai Qing's calm voice rang in Su Qinghe's ear.

Su Qinghe was stunned for a moment, staring intently at the bracelet so close to her, her mind blank.

Although she didn't know the specific origin of the bracelet, judging from the reactions of the elders around her and the top-quality texture of the bracelet, even a fool would know how heavy it was.

The little girl's hands, which were resting on her knees, began to tremble. She was eager to take the thing and put it on her wrist, but she didn't dare to reach out.

She subconsciously turned to look at Jiang Che, her eyes filled with pleading and fear.

This happiness came so suddenly, like a huge wave that suddenly swept over her, leaving her completely stunned.

Su Qinghe was dumbfounded, and Jiang Che was even more dumbfounded. He hadn't expected his mother to go this far.

He originally thought that he could pass the test by getting a "no objection" rating, but his mother went all out and stamped the "future daughter-in-law" certification on him.

Jiang Che was the first to come to his senses after Jiang Dahai reminded him. He secretly pinched Su Qinghe's finger under the table, signaling her to put the bracelet away.

With Jiang Che's hint, Su Qinghe seemed to have found her backbone. She took a deep breath, tremblingly reached out her hands, and picked up the bracelet.

The surface still retained the warmth of Bai Qing's wrist; it felt very warm and comfortable to the touch.

Watching Su Qinghe carefully hold the bracelet, for some reason, eight words suddenly popped into Jiang Che's mind—

By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous.

Uh... how can it not be the same? After all, both involve accepting a new identity.

"Don't be too happy yet."

Seeing the girl examining the bracelet in her hand from all angles, looking as if she couldn't put it down, Bai Qing put down her teacup and reminded her, "I'm giving you the bracelet, which means I approve of your attitude today, but it doesn't mean you can wear it forever."

Upon hearing this, Su Qinghe's hand holding the bracelet froze in mid-air.

"The Jiang family has high standards. Even if you are capable, your path after marrying into the family will not be easy."

"While your words today were harsh, whether you can deliver on them remains to be seen, depending on your future performance."

Bai Qing's gaze was sharp, piercing straight into Su Qinghe's eyes, "From today onwards, your every move will be under my watchful eye."

"If you become a burden to Jiang Che..."

"I will personally take this bracelet back when the time comes."

These words instantly destroyed the slight warm atmosphere that had just been there.

That's Bai Qing for you; if you give her a sweet treat, you'll definitely have to follow it up with a stick.

But Su Qinghe was not intimidated by Bai Qing's words. On the contrary, after hearing them, she gripped the bracelet in her hand even tighter.

It was as if she was holding Jiang Che's hand tightly; she would never let go no matter what.

I won't give you a chance to take it back.

The little girl looked up and met Bai Qing's gaze. In her clear, watery eyes, it seemed as if a raging fire was burning.

"Unless I die, no one can take this bracelet away."

Bai Qing stared at her for two seconds without saying anything, and simply picked up her chopsticks again.

"Alright, put it away and let's eat."

……

Jiang Che was drenched in sweat after eating the meal.

There were so many surprises and shocks. He usually thought he had a pretty good mental capacity, but today he really couldn't handle it.

After finally getting through the ordeal, Jiang Che immediately slipped out to pay the bill, and then led the group out of Yunqi Pavilion.

Bai Zhenping and his wife had always lived in Lincheng, so they were preparing to head back home.

Jiang Dahai and Bai Qing also planned to return to their old house in Lincheng to rest, while Bai Yuning prepared to send Jiang Che and Su Qinghe back.

The group parted ways at the door.

Just before getting into the car, Bai Qing suddenly called out to Jiang Che, "Come here, I have something to tell you."

Jiang Che had long anticipated that there would be a heart-to-heart talk between mother and son today, so he didn't show any surprise on his face.

He patted Su Qinghe's hand, gesturing for her to get into Bai Yuning's car first, while he followed Bai Qing to a nearby ornamental tree.

"Mom, you said you were coming, why did you have to do this surprise? You could have called me beforehand so I could have prepared, right?" Jiang Che said with a grin, trying to ease the tension.

"Don't give me that crap. If I had told you beforehand, would you have obediently come to see me?"

Bai Qing knew her son very well. She raised her hand and pinched Jiang Che's ear hard, making him howl in pain.

"I gave Qinghe the bracelet today because she is truly devoted to you."

"But Jiang Che, listen to me carefully."

Seeing his mother's serious tone, Jiang Che didn't dare to play around for even half a day anymore. He immediately covered his ears, which had been pinched red, and stood at attention.

"I know you're doing that marathon training program, and I know you're trying to get a special admission spot at Peking University through it."

"Given your carefree attitude, your dad and I were planning to send you abroad after you finished your college entrance exam."

"Now that you have your own goal and have chosen this path, I will not interfere."

"But now that you've set a goal, you need to work hard to achieve it. If dating affects your training and grades, and ultimately prevents you from getting into Peking University..."

Bai Qing snorted coldly, "Don't blame me for being ruthless and forcibly separating you and Su Qinghe back then."