This was A Miaoâs second time seeing Shen Xinglan smile. No matter how mentally unstable he was or how wicked his tongue was, she couldnât deny his good looks.
She had never seen a man who was better looking than Shen Xinglan, at the very least.
âI hope youâll still be able to smile after hearing what I say next.â Shen Xinglan took off his suit and sat down on the sofa. A Miao, who had been planning to go upstairs, walked over to him.
âWhatâs wrong?â
âXia Yongqiang gave me a call, saying that we should get together for a meal after so long. Itâs also a celebration for your university admission.â
A Miao immediately asked, âDid you agree?â
âWhy wouldnât I?â Shen Xinglan raised an eyebrow. âYou accompanied me to the Ji family manor. Naturally, Iâll have to meet the Xia family as a thank-you.â
âHow courteous.â A Miao gave him a reminder. âDonât forget theyâve lost the fake pendant. They might be suspecting us.â
Shen Xinglan rose to his feet to walk up the stairs. âThatâs right. Itâs you that they suspect, not me.â He stopped for a moment when he walked past A Miao. âDonât try to slip away with some excuse. Iâll fetch you tomorrow noon.â
Over at the Xia family villa, Yao Lili threw a tantrum in the living room after hearing that they would be having dinner outside.
âWhy must we treat the illegitimate child to a meal? Iâm not going!â
Xia Wan was already dressed and looked as pleasant and elegant as usual. Her expression, however, was unsightly.
âMom, weâre not treating her but Shen Xinglan. Sheâs not A Miao; Sheâs Shen Xinglanâs fiancee.â
Yao Lili looked at her daughter with great dissatisfaction. âWanwan, what exactly are you planning? Your grandfather has already promised to the Bai family. Very soon, you two will be engaged.â
âItâs just an engagement, not the marriage itself.â Xia Wan wasnât at all worried. There were two more years to go before she would graduate. Who knows what would happen in such a long period of time?â
When Xia Haixin came downstairs and saw Yao Lili still in her pajamas, he couldnât stop himself from saying, âYou really donât want to go, do you? Stay home then.â
âIâm going! Iâm going!â Yao Lili immediately jumped to her feet. âSeriously! Canât you let me talk about it?â
Xia Haixin sighed as he watched his wife turn around and walk up the stairs. Back then, he had married this woman for her beauty and for the fact that the Yao family was a nouveau riche family from the north.
What he didnât expect was that the Yao family would collapse in just a few years and he would still have to endure this womanâs stupidity and vulgarity.
âDad!â Xia Wan stared at him. âNo matter what, sheâs still my momâŚâ
âYou can fool with women outside every now and then but you mustnât make a mistake. Grandpa wouldnât forgive you.â
âI know.â Xia Haixin understood his daughterâs thoughts. Yao Lili had the dirt on their family. She would be his only wife in his life for as long as she didnât cheat on him.
When Xia Yongqiang came out of his room, the entire family was already waiting in line. Xia Haixin personally took the wheel. In the car, he suddenly recalled something and said, âDad, Xia Fan is back overseas yesterday.â
âDidnât he previously say that he wasnât leaving?â Xia Yongqiang scowled. He was well aware that that grandson of his was most similar to him in terms of character. However, Xia Fan was too ambitious and his methods werenât clean enough.
âIâve asked Second Brother to give him a call. Since itâs his child, itâs best for him to watch over him.â
Xia Yongqiang nodded. âWeâll have your Second Brotherâs family take care of the overseas business for now. Iâll converge the companies in two years. When that happens, you two brothers must stand united.â
âI understand, Dad. Rest assured!â Xia Haixin turned his head around and concentrated on driving.
âRest assured? Donât you understand your own son? If Second Brother makes a fuss when the time comes, donât say I donât leave you any face, DadâŚâ
On the top floor of Binhai Restaurant, Shen Xinglan and A Miao stepped inside a private room.
âYouâre here, Xinglan. Hurry and take a seat.â Xia Yongqiangâs tone was rather courteous but he didnât rise to his feet.
To him, Shen Xinglan was still a part of the younger generation regardless of how impressive the Ji Clan was. Moreover, Shen Xinglan was also his nieceâs future husband.
âA Miao!â Xia Wan went up to A Miao and held her hand. âIâm really sorry for meeting you the last time without clarifying matters. Grandpa didnât lose his jade pendant. The necklace snapped and fell on the side of his bed.â
Shen Xinglanâs eyes dimmed. He said casually, âA Miao told me that Elder Xia lost something. But nowâŚâ
âMisunderstanding! Just a misunderstanding!â Xia Yongqiang put on an act of glaring at Xia Wan. âThis girl went looking for A Miao without even clarifying matters. Itâs all a misunderstanding.â
A Miao took a seat beside Shen Xinglan without responding. She pretended like she didnât see the look that Xia Wan was shooting her.
âWould you mind letting me take a look at it?â Shen Xinglan made a small âohâ sound. âIf you lose it a second time, at least I know what it is.â
His words were rather unpleasant, but Xia Yongqiang let it slide because he knew this was the way Shen Xinglan was. He took out the jade pendant embedded with a bronze mirror from his bosom and placed it on the table.
âItâs nothing valuable. I just gained some affection for it after wearing it for so long.â
Shen Xinglan stared at the pendant attentively for several seconds before putting on an uninterested expression. âThen you better put it away, Elder Xia. Be careful of knocking it into things.â
A Miao finally learned Xia Yongqiangâs goal when they were beginning to dine. He wanted Shen Xinglan to give up the right to auction for a certain piece of land to the Xia family.
âIâm going to the washroom.â She didnât have the mood to watch Xia Yongqiang continuously casting her meaningful looks and chose to leave instead. When she walked out of the washroom, she chanced upon Xia Mei looking around at the elevator. Xia Meiâs expression swiftly changed after seeing her.
âYou illegitimate child! Whereâs Grandpa and the rest?â
A Miao fixed her a cold stare. âWhat did you call me?â
âIlleâŚâ Xia Meiâs eyes widened. âWhich room is Grandpa and the rest are in? Tell me now.â
âI donât know.â
Xia Mei started yelling. âYou donât want to let me in, do you? Let me tell you this. Donât think you can be proud just because youâve become someoneâs fiancee or whatever. Youâre forever a child the Xia family doesnât want! Youâre just an illegitimate child. IâŚâ
âPa!â
A Miao kneaded her palm.
âHow dare you hit me!!â Holding her face in her hand, Xia Mei threw herself at A Miao like a madwoman. A Miao was about to dodge when she saw Shen Xinglan walking out of the private room. Xia Mei was kicked.
âAh!â Xia Mei caved in on her lower back and fell to the side. She didnât climb up from the floor for a long time.
Yao Lili, who walked out after Shen Xinglan, cried in alarm. She feigned concern as she helped Xia Mei up. âSheâs a girl. What a vicious kick! What will she do if you injure herâŚâ
âWhat happened?â Xia Yongqiang walked over with his crutch. His expression was ghastly.
He was so close to successfully persuading Shen Xinglan but Xia Meiâs voice had abruptly interrupted their conversation.
âSo this is the kind of treatment my fiancee receives at home, Elder Xia.â Shen Xinglanâs cold gaze swept Xia Mei. The latter climbed up from the floor, trembling.
âWahhhh! GrandpaâŚâ She wanted to act like she had been wronged but received Xia Yongqiangâs angry glare instead.
Xia Haixin immediately said, âWanwan, bring your cousin in right now.â
Yao Lili looked like she had more to say but Xia Wan tugged on her arm. âMom, letâs bring Xia Mei in first.â
âYour grandfatherâs too much! No matter what, Shen Xinglan shouldnât have hit her! Itâs much too easy for him if we let it slide like this.â Yao Lili began to prattle as soon as she returned to the private room.
Finding her mother to be annoying, Xia Wan sent her off to find a waiter to bring over some water.
âDidnât I tell you not to come?â Xia Wan said unhappily when they were the only ones left in the room.
Xia Mei ground her teeth. âHmph! On what basis? If that illegitimate child can come, why canât I?â
âHad I known this earlier, I wouldnât have told you about it.â
Xia Wanâs words were sincere. She was truly regretting it.
When she secretly informed Xia Mei about the dinner, she intended for the latter to make things difficult for A Miao. She didnât expect Shen Xinglan to protect that woman but there was something else that even more beyond her expectations.
She had assumed her grandfather was trying to meet A Miao to remind her that she was still a part of the Xia family. She didnât think Xia Yongqiang would truly have a favor to ask of Shen XinglanâŚ
âIf I were you, Iâd leave now.â
Xia Mei couldnât reconcile herself with this. She yelled, âNo! I want Grandpa to teach that illegitimate child and Shen Xinglan a lesson on my behalf.â
âDonât you think Grandpa will teach you a lesson instead?â Xia Wan truly didnât wish to waste her time speaking to this moronic cousin of hers.
In Xia Meiâs eyes, their family was one of the best families around. The only family that could match up to them in status was the Bai family. She was completely unaware that the Ji clan was like a tiger that was glaring at the two other families like its prey.
âI donât believe it!â Xia Mei was about to rush out of the room when she saw the door open.
Her eyes brightened. Just as she was about to cry for her grandfather, she saw Xia Yongqiang swinging his crutch at her.
âDad!â Xia Haixin immediately pushed Xia Mei aside. âTake care of your health! Donât be hasty!â
Xia Meiâs head plunged into Yao Lili, who had just entered the room. The two women nearly fell at the same time.
âTake her back to school. I donât want to see her.â Xia Yongqiang panted in anger. âGive your Second Brother a call. Tell him I wonât be caring for his good daughter anymore.â
Perhaps Xia Mei had truly suffered a shock. She stared at Xia Yongqiang in a daze and said nothing.
Xia Wan had to give her a push before Xia Mei started bawling.
âGrandpa, I donât dare to do that anymore! Sob, sob, sobâŚâ
Xia Haixin shot Xia Wan a look. The latter nodded and pulled Xia Mei out of the private room. Yao Lili followed suit, not daring to stay behind.
Compared to the mood inside the private room, the mood over on Shen Xinglan and A Miaoâs end was much better.
âDid you agree to the dinner so you can look at the jade pendant?â A Miao turned her head to look at the man who was driving.
Shen Xinglan cast her a glance. âDid you think I agreed so I can eat with them?â
âThat jade pendantâŚâ
âItâs the one you exchanged for.â
A Miao mulled over it. âThen did they lose the pendant or not?â
A Miao could tell he wasnât willing to tell her about this and didnât question him further. After returning to the Shen family villa and showering, she hesitated for a long time before knocking on Shen Xinglanâs door.
âCome in.â
A Miao pushed open the door and saw Shen I and Shen II inside.
âDid I disturb you all? Iâll come back later.â
âWeâre done. What business do you have?â Shen Xinglan replied.
âBoss, weâll take our leave then.â Shen II pulled Shen I with him as he left. A Miao saw Shen I gave her a secret wink as he closed the door.
Silence suddenly fell over the study. A Miao didnât know if she was seeing things but the mood felt like it had become a little flirtatious. The thought barely occurred to her before she instantly shook her head with all her strength to end it.
Had she gone mad? Why would she feel that way? She must be too nervous.
âDid you come here to show me how you shake your head?â The manâs cold voice reminded her of her business.
A Miao took in a deep breath and raised her head. âIâm here to thank you!â