Zhu Qianying was still hesitating whether to tell Ji Huan about her father's intention to "put Xiaoyu up for sale," but a few days later at noon, she received another call from Ji Huan.
"Shadow, would it be convenient for us to meet?"
Zhu Qianying readily gave the address of the coffee shop, and the two agreed to meet there in half an hour.
Zhu Qianying didn't know why Ji Huan had invited her. She had just figured things out and decided to tell Ji Huan about her father's secret plot so that he could be mentally prepared and take precautions.
The agreed-upon coffee shop was not far from the Zhu family's house. When Zhu Qianying arrived at the coffee shop, there were still ten minutes left before the agreed time.
Just as she sat down, Zhu Qianying's phone rang.
They thought it was Ji Huan, but it was actually Zhu Junzhao.
"Damn it, Zhu Qianying, you two sisters think you're so great? Just because you found a good family, you think you're no longer part of the Zhu family? You two don't even have the surname Zhu? As an elder, I went to check on them, and he dared to break my hand! You two are truly lawless! Just you wait, you'll have a hard time!"
After Zhu Junzhao finished his angry rant, he hung up the phone without waiting for Zhu Qianying to ask any further questions.
Zhu Qianying was stunned for a moment, then she connected Ji Huan's invitation to meet with what Zhu Junzhao had just said and analyzed it, and roughly figured out the gist of it.
It seems that Dad somehow found out about Xiaoyu's relationship with Ji Huan, and then went to their door. I guess he said something nasty, and was promptly and politely reprimanded by the second young master of the Ji family.
Of course, Ji Huan needed to come and verify the specific situation, but for some reason, when she heard the news that her father's hand had been broken, she didn't feel sad at all. On the contrary, she felt very relieved and happy.
After feeling relieved, Zhu Qianying thought of her mother's reaction and immediately called Qi Xiao, "Qi Xiao, where are you now?"
The voice that came through was Xing Bolun's, "Qi Xiao just accompanied me back from the hospital for a follow-up appointment. We're on our way. What's wrong? Is something the matter?"
Zhu Qianying couldn't care less about anything else at this point. "Aaron, it seems my future brother-in-law injured my dad. Could you and Qi Xiao please go to my house to pick up my mom and settle her in? I'll treat you to dinner later!"
Xing Bailun didn't ask any further questions and readily agreed, "Okay, we'll go now."
After hanging up the phone, Zhu Qianying held the cup in both hands, secretly pleased with herself, when a familiar voice came through, "What are you doing here?"
A low-pressure atmosphere swept over her. Zhu Qianying looked up and saw that the person had already walked over and sat down in the seat opposite her in a very casual manner.
"Young Master Yan, what a coincidence, you and Mr. Qin are having lunch here?"
Zhu Qianying's gaze shifted from Yan Shao to Qin Xiu, who was standing behind him at the table.
Yan Shao didn't answer, but Qin Xiu smiled and nodded to Zhu Qianying, "Yes, Yan Shao and I just finished eating here. We won't disturb you any longer, so I'll be leaving now!"
Zhu Qianying said goodbye to him and watched him walk out of the coffee shop before turning her gaze back to meet Yan Shao's probing dark eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Young Master Yan asked again, sounding annoyed.
Zhu Qianying cursed inwardly, but still maintained a smile on her face. "I have an appointment with Xiaoyu's boyfriend to discuss some things. Would Young Master Yan like to come along?"
Yan Shao continued to stare at her intently; clearly, he did not believe Zhu Qianying's words.
Zhu Qianying didn't explain any further. Knowing Yan Shao as she did, she knew that even if she talked until she cried, he might not believe her.
She calmly sipped her tea, waiting for Ji Huan to arrive so the truth would come out.
Not long after Yan Shao sat down, Ji Huan arrived.
Zhu Qianying waved to him, and Ji Huan strode over. Yan Shao's sharp gaze shifted from Zhu Qianying to Ji Huan.
Ji Huan seemed oblivious to Yan Shao's hostility, extending his hand and greeting him with a smile. "Hello! I'm Ji Huan. If I'm not mistaken, you must be Yan Shao?"
Yan Shao sat in his seat, staring at him sideways without moving, completely ignoring his hand.
Feeling slighted, Ji Huan paused for a moment, then extended his hand further forward, adding, "I'm Zhu Qianyu's boyfriend!"
Yan Shao raised an eyebrow, slowly extended his hand, and shook hands with him. "Yan Han, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
Ji Huan secretly worried for Zhu Qianying. Could she really stand a man with such a strong possessive desire who made no attempt to hide it?
Zhu Qianying met Ji Huan's concerned eyes and could vaguely read his worry. She winked at him and smiled, "Ji Huan, sit down! I think you probably want to talk to me about family matters. Young Master Yan just passed by, you don't mind if we go together, do you?"
Ji Huan shook his head. "I don't mind. From a certain standpoint, Young Master Yan and I should have the same stance."
Zhu Qianying smiled noncommittally, beckoned the waiter, and the three of them ordered drinks and a few snacks.
Ji Huan briefly recounted how Zhu Zhizhou came to the base to find him. "He was extremely arrogant at the time. In order to punish him, I pushed him hard when he lunged at me to hit me. I reckon his hand must have been broken."
Zhu Qianying nodded to indicate that she already knew about this, and Ji Huan continued.
"Shadow, I might have been a bit hasty at the time and didn't consider your and your mother's perspectives. Is your mother alright?"
Ji Huan only now realized that Chen Jing was probably the target of everyone's criticism at the Zhu family's place.
“It’s okay. After you called me, I had a friend pick up my mom and settle her out. She doesn’t know about this yet, and I don’t plan to let her know.”
Originally, she was saying this to Ji Huan, but Yan Shao, who was drinking water, frowned slightly. "Who are you sending to pick up your mother? Xing Bailun?"
A faint smell of gunpowder sizzled in the air.
"Yes, my mom is familiar with him. He has to pick her up before she'll leave. Others won't do it." Zhu Qianying was telling the truth.
"Yeah, who doesn't know that Xing Bolun is your good buddy?"
Yan Shao's words filled the entire space with a sour smell.
Zhu Qianying ignored him and instead spoke to Ji Huan.
"Did you know about the announcement of my marriage to Young Master Yan a few days ago?"
Ji Huan nodded, "I know!"
Because it involved Zhu Qianyu, he had been paying close attention to the matter between Zhu Qianying and Yan Shao.
"The initial wedding announcement was posted by my older brother, Zhu Junzhao."
"It's clear that from Young Master Yan's perspective, he would never use such wording to announce the marriage."
When Ji Huan saw the marriage announcement, he felt something was amiss. However, at that time, he and Zhu Qianyu were still in the stage of unresolved misunderstandings, and the two could only be considered friends. Even if he cared about Zhu Qianyu, he could only care and pay attention silently, and would never openly seek confirmation.
[My previous novel, "Adorable Baby Wanted: The Priceless Runaway Wife," is now complete. Those who haven't read it can check it out.]
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