At last, Father Jiang chose the restaurant. For them, to avoid being exposed to the public, it must be a restaurant with great privacy.
As for Ming Shu, she was open to anywhere as long as it offered food.
"Niannian, how's the company going recently?" Father Jiang asked, just to check whether the entertainment company had gone bankrupt under his daughter's control.
"Just as usual," Ming Shu said casually, her greedy eyes staring at the steaming pig's feet.
The dish serving is so slow! I'm going to die of starvation.
Father Jiang was clearly dissatisfied with Ming Shu's perfunctory attitude, so he turned to Jiang Xun, who had lowered his head toward the table. "Xun'er, tell me about it."
Hearing his name, Jiang Xun raised his head to reveal a poker face and answered, "Niannian is doing great with management."
"You don't have to cover for her. She isn't expected to do well with her loose personality. I heard that you were losing quite a lot of employees, right?" Father Jiang knew exactly everything about his own daughter.
"It's true, Niannian did run the company well. The empty positions have been occupied by new staff, and everything is operating normally now." Only, we're being choked by Jinyu.
Certainly, the last sentence was swallowed by Jiang Xun. But Father Jiang must have known this if he was at all interested.
Jiang Xun was reluctant to say it in front of Niannian for fear that she might be upset.
"Come on, you two. Can't we just enjoy this hard-won family time and have a meal leisurely? Don't talk about work anymore." Mother Jiang pinched Father Jiang, so Father Jiang had to shut up. "Xun'er, Mom has something to tell you. You see, you've grown up and you're at the perfect age for marriage. Maybe go find yourself a good wife?"
The topic changed to him so dramatically; Jiang Xun was still distracted, and he subconsciously looked to Ming Shu. Meanwhile, she was keeping a close watch on the pig's feet, not noticing his gaze at all.
In a dry voice, Jiang Xun said softly, "Mom… For the moment I don't want to talk about this."
"Stop saying that! You are not young anymore. If you really like someone, just bring her home. The Jiang family is not like other families. As long as the girl behaves herself, no matter what her family background is, you can stay with each other."
"As long as you like," Father Jiang also added.
"…" Jiang Xun wondered, Why is the birthday topic always the same? Can't they just change the channel?
Resting his eyes on Ming Shu, Jiang Xun asked tentatively, "Niannian, do you like someone?"
"The pig's feet!" Ming Shu blurted out.
"Pfft!"
Mother Jiang didn't refrain from laughing; even Father Jiang was shaking with laughter. Only Jiang Xun looked a little cloudy, but he hid it away as Mother Jiang looked over.
"If Niannian is hungry, just eat," Jiang Xun said considerately.
"Go ahead, go ahead." Father Jiang waved his hands, having no other choice. There were no guests today, so just forget table manners.
Hearing this, Ming Shu swiftly reached for the pig's feet, her eyes shining with joy. Yet the pig's feet were taken away by another hand immediately before her. Ming Shu's eyes opened wide at once.
My pig's feet were robbed!
Give them back!
"I'll help you." Putting on a disposable glove, Jiang Xun cut off all the meat from the pig's feet and put it onto a clean plate, then he delivered most of the meat to Ming Shu and the leftovers to Mother and Father Jiang.
"…" The pig's feet can be eaten in this way? Ming Shu thought.
The rich really do have a special way of eating.
I used to eat the whole thing!
Jiang Xun felt that he was being stared at by his own sister with some unidentified hostility again. Why? What else should he do? He was in total despair now.
"Xun'er, did you hear what I said?" Mother Jiang still kept the marriage topic in mind as she ate. She was so concerned about Jiang Xun as a mother.
"Mom, for the moment I don't…"
"You don't want to find a man for yourself like those people?" Father Jiang interrupted again. "What is that called? Out of what?"
"Out of the closet," Mother Jiang added.
"Right. That's out of the closet!"
"I've never seen any girls around Xun'er during the years. Xun'er, do you really like men?" Mother Jiang looked at Jiang Xun worriedly.
"…"
Can I just switch parents?
He rose. "I need to use the restroom."
Mother Jiang and her husband looked at each other and got the relieved answer from each other's eyes.
Jiang Xun had been absent for a long time, so Mother Jiang asked Ming Shu to check on him. But Ming Shu was entirely focused on her food, not knowing what they were talking about. And now all she knew was that Jiang Xun made her starve again.
She added it to her mental list of Jiang Xun's misdeeds, bitter.
Interrupting my meal can't be forgiven.
Outside the room, Ming Shu walked toward the restroom. Before going near, she saw a few people gathering around the restroom door.
A noisy argument was coming from inside. Ming Shu approached and saw two people clearly.
Ning Keqing and Li Shaonan's first love.
The latter was against the wall, looking uncomfortable. Ning Keqing, with her hair disheveled and a clear palm print on her face, was pointing at Li Shaonan's first love, saying something.
The first love was getting more and more uncomfortable. Her body was almost sliding down to the floor, and tiny, cold beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead.
"Stop acting! Weren't you strong enough to slap me on the face?" Ning Keqing screamed in a shrill voice. She looked a little hideous with that expression.
Usually in a story of this kind—where the first love and the substitute quarreled with each other—people would have more sympathy for the substitute. But in this case, it looked like the first love was more pitiful.
Li Shaonan showed up in time. When Ning Keqing was about to take further action, he came to protect his first love like a hero. After warning Ning Keqing, he took his first love in his arms and left in a hurry.
Ning Keqing went after him, yet was held up by his assistant ruthlessly.
"Li Shaonan!" Ning Keqing shouted, her eyes turning red.
The man didn't look back once. After his figure disappeared from sight, the assistant also left. The others hanging around, seeing the show coming to the end, discussed with each other in front of Ning Keqing and then trickled away. Finally Ning Keqing was left alone in the restroom.
She felt the familiar despair and helplessness of her previous existence.
How could…
How could he treat her like this!
He once promised…
Ning Keqing was stunned. Now she realized that Li Shaonan had never liked or been in love with her. All he had done for her was just what she asked of him.
"Ha ha ha…" How ridiculous of her, being so foolishly sentimental.
What was the meaning of being reborn and living life again?
Ning Keqing laughed loudly as tears streamed down her cheeks. With her blurred vision, she seemed to see a smiling face she would never forget.
"Jiang Nian!" Endless hatred was shooting out from Ning Keqing's eyes.
Kill her!
Kill her!
Driven by the voice inside, Ning Keqing rushed to Ming Shu fiercely.
Ming Shu didn't give her any chance to get near and kicked Ning Keqing in the belly. Ning Keqing had been in poor health recently because of unexpected changes. Suffering a heavy kick, she directly fell onto the floor.
"Whoops, I didn't use any strength." Ming Shu looked at Ning Keqing with a smile.
Coughing, Ning Keqing covered her aching belly, her pale face filled with hatred. "Jiang Nian… Jiang Nian… I'm going to kill you."
Ming Shu opened her arms and said happily, "Come on."
Ning Keqing crawled up from the floor, teeth biting into her lip, and staggered toward Ming Shu.
She was going to kill her.
All because of her! She'd lost everything!
Her career, her love, all gone.
It was all her fault!
Kill her, and she would be the superstar in the spotlight again, with millions of people chasing after her.
Kill her, and Li Shaonan would like—no, he would love her.
Kill her…
Then everything would return to normal.