Chapter 165 Jiang Yingxu is indispensable to me.

Zhu Ting once scoffed at Yan Zhaozhou for being pretentious, and declared that the elite circles were full of pretentious people.

Mi nodded diligently, Mi studied hard, Mi kept it in mind.

I finally got to use it today.

The moment the words left his mouth, the tea room fell into a suffocating silence.

...Old cargo?

The power of this word was so great that even the well-informed butler couldn't maintain his composure. His eyelids twitched, and he almost hastily lowered his head to avoid showing any loss of composure.

For the first time, Yan Zongjing's usually calm and dignified face showed an almost blank expression.

His hawk-like sharp eyes had seen through the thoughts of countless people and the tricks of the business world. Now, he stared intently at the pure and innocent smiling face opposite him, his aged and wrinkled fingers clenching the deep green gemstone that served as decoration on the top of his cane.

Is this little girl simply ignorant and fearless, or does she have some powerful backing that allows her to act so recklessly?

Yan Zongjing narrowed his eyes, his face grim, and remained silent, only tapping his cane with his finger.

Upon receiving the signal, the butler immediately stepped forward, his seemingly gentle smile vanishing as he reprimanded in a stern voice, "Miss Shi, how could you speak to the master like that?"

Shi Miao blinked slowly, then turned her gaze to the butler.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and a deliberately obvious realization appeared on her face. She even let out a soft "ah."

Are you angry?

Shi Miao quickly spoke up, her tone exceptionally apologetic and considerate, saying, "Don't be angry, it's my fault, uncle, it really was my fault, I almost forgot about you."

“He’s an experienced loader, and you’re younger than him, so let’s count you as a medium-sized loader.”

As she spoke, she curled her rosy lips.

The gaze that came over was one of reproach, as if to say, "So that's what made you angry. Don't be angry anymore. Are you some kind of wealthy family butler? How could you be so petty?" mixed with a reassuring tone, "Look how nice I am. I'll take you with me now."

housekeeper:"……"

Yan Zongjing twitched his lips.

He had been the patriarch of the Yan family for far too long, and had been flattered in his high position for far too long. Now, those who could approach him were all shrewd and perceptive, good at reading people and speaking eloquently.

Even when he was young and struggling in the business world, his opponents were always outwardly friendly but inwardly sharp.

I've lost count of how many years it's been since I've been insulted like this.

But he looked over there with a heavy gaze.

The girl's face was full of openness and composure, with a touch of innocent confidence and sincerity, without a trace of sarcasm or mockery.

It seems she genuinely thought that way.

The repeated emphasis on the old cargo loading seemed to come out of nowhere.

Instead of being angry, Yan Zongjing laughed and said in a deep voice, "Miss Shi is very bold. Do you think that Xiao Xu is indispensable to you and will definitely be able to marry into the Yan family?"

His carefully constructed air of profound mystery finally crumbled, and his words carried a hint of disdain, as if he had seen through her ambition.

In Yan Zongjing's view, Shi Miao was just like Ji Cailing back then—no family background, no brains, only a pretty face.

But no one knows what kind of magic tricks Ji Cailing used to bewitch his good-for-nothing eldest son, making him kneel in the center of the study, willing to be beaten hard with a stick rather than give in, insisting on marrying her.

Faced with Yan Zongjing's condescending attitude.

Shi Miao only thought for a few seconds before solemnly raising her finger and shaking it.

You're only half right.

She said in a light tone, "Jiang Yingxu can't live without me—even though you're so old, your eyesight isn't failing you, you have excellent eyesight in this area."

"However, the second half of the sentence is incorrect."

"He begged me to marry him!"

There's no reason for the Cat King to marry his younger brother; of course, it's the younger brother who brings all his possessions to the Cat King's door, begging for a home.

"..."

After another moment of silence, a storm seemed to rage in Yan Zongjing's eyes. He didn't even touch his cane anymore. "You truly don't know your place—"

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and the next second, the door to the tea room was banged on.

Yan Xingrong shouted at the top of his lungs, "Dad! Dad! Are you in there? I... I caught a really big fish, let me show you."

He flung open the door and burst in.

Yan Xingrong had run all the way here, his breathing still ragged and beads of sweat on his forehead. Only when he saw the girl sitting upright after going around the screen did he suddenly breathe a sigh of relief.

I looked up and met the old man's cold gaze.

Yan Xingrong swallowed hard. Years of being scolded and suppressed had created a conditioned reflex, and seeing him like that made him want to kneel down and apologize to the old man.

But his lower back was nudged by Ji Cailing, who followed him in.

Yan Xingrong forced himself to calm down, pretended to be silly and happy, and walked to the tea table. "Dad... um, there's a big fish. Come with me to take a look."

Ji Cailing lowered her head and followed along, when Chao Jue inadvertently stopped beside Shi Miao.

He gave a dry laugh.

"You must be Xiaoxu's classmate. What a coincidence to run into you here."

"I happen to have something to ask someone about regarding a short preface."

Yan Xingrong was so nervous that his cheeks turned red and he almost stammered.

"Oh my, what a coincidence! Dad, since you're coming with me to see my fish anyway, let Cailing take her out. You can chat with Xiaoxu on the way."

The couple's excuse was so lame that even a ghost wouldn't believe it.

Shi Miao's patience had long since run out, so she simply went along with it, stood up abruptly, and her last act of politeness was to ask Yan Zongjing another question.

"Grandpa Yan, are you planning to give me a check?"

If you don't give it to them, the cat will leave.