Chapter 53 Do you want to come with me?
The car came to a steady stop in front of the hotel.
The afterglow has faded, replaced by dazzling neon lights.
Lin Zaoyi put her phone into her handbag, opened the car door and got out. A gust of wind blew, scattering her long hair and exposing her back to the public eye.
She didn't know.
But Tan Zhaojing's eyes burned with desire, and his mind wavered. He took a few steps closer, took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders, covering her completely. "Hold my clothes safe."
The coat falling from the sky made Lin Zaoyi stop in her tracks. "Don't you have an assistant?"
The person then said, "You're more useful than my assistant."
"..."
Ignoring the puffed-up little face, Tan Zhaojing reached out his hand to her, "Want to come with me?"
Lin Zaoyi instinctively hid her hands behind her back, saying, "NO."
He shook off the man and went inside alone.
The hall is luxurious, and everyone who comes here is dressed in haute couture.
"Zaoyi," came her mother's voice.
Lin Zaoyi turned her head at the sound and saw not only her mother, but also Uncle Tan, Uncle Tan's second uncle and aunt, and Uncle Tan's younger brother, whom she had only met once at her mother's wedding. Perhaps because of his political career, Uncle Tan's younger brother looked old-fashioned and serious.
Tan's younger brother had a marriage, but his wife left him and died in a plane crash seven years ago. He remains single to this day.
She walked over with small, quick steps, calling out to each person.
Tan's uncle's gaze lingered on her for a moment, or more precisely, on the coat she was wearing.
I wanted to explain, but I felt that trying to cover it up would only make things worse, so I decided to just keep quiet.
Mom finally asked, "Whose clothes are these?"
She tried to appear natural, saying, "It's from Brother Zhaojing. He asked me to hold it for him. I'm a little cold, so I'm wearing it."
After explaining, she seamlessly changed the subject, looking at Aunt Tan's second wife, "Isn't Tan You coming?"
My second aunt said she was on her way.
He winked at her, "Are you together?"
Lin Zaoyi: "..."
That's outrageous.
My own mother is one thing, but why is my second aunt like this too?
Just as he was about to deny it, a clear, crisp voice interrupted, "What do you mean, 'together'?"
Auntie laughed and chimed in, "As for Zaoyi and Tanyou, I wonder if they're secretly dating behind our backs."
"...How could that be?"
After answering her questions, Tan Zhaojing turned his gaze back to her. Under the dazzling lights, his face remained expressionless, but his eyes, fixed on her, held a deep intensity.
Lin Zaoyi avoided eye contact, giving the elders polite smiles, and said, "You all go about your business, I'll go for a walk."
Two people walked towards us. One was Yuan Lai, who was wearing a red dress and looked alluring and sexy. The other was someone I didn't recognize; she had a more heroic appearance and gave off a cool and glamorous vibe.
Yuan Lai smiled broadly, "Zao Yi."
Without deliberately stopping, she nodded, "Sister Yuan Lai."
After exchanging greetings, people kept a distance of about half a meter from each other.
The banquet hall was noisy, and amidst all the noise, Lin Zaoyi overheard discussions about herself.
Has Lin Zaoyi been causing trouble lately?
She looked over and saw three young ladies from prominent families surrounding Tan Jiani in a circle, discreetly hiding behind a Roman column. Eavesdropping was shameless, but since it concerned her, it was a different story.
Tan Jiani's voice came through, "No."
"Is it that you don't have it or that you're too scared?" A woman sneered. "What about her mother? Nini, you need to pay attention."
He added angrily, "If it weren't for that woman, your parents wouldn't have gotten a divorce!"
In the past, Tan Jiani might have listened and said, "Alright, let's talk about something else."
Her friends misunderstood, thinking she was upset about this, and fanned the flames, "Nini, you're just too soft-hearted. There's no need to give a nice face to women who are only after money and power. You should get rid of them, especially that Lin Zaoyi. Be careful she doesn't steal your brother away!"
Tan Jiani glanced at her and said, "Who do you take my brother for?"
I was so annoyed by what I heard that I left immediately.
Lin Zaoyi avoided a direct confrontation and continued to hide.
But these gossipy women didn't stop there; they continued, saying things like, "With Tan Jiani's IQ, she'll probably be completely manipulated by that mother and daughter in the future."
"Absolutely, incredibly stupid."
With gossip constantly creeping into her ears, Lin Zaoyi changed her mind. She swayed and grabbed Tan Jiani, who hadn't gone far. Tan Jiani asked, puzzled, "What are you doing?"
Lin Zaoyi made a shushing gesture and led her behind a stone pillar. "Don't speak, just listen."
Tan Jiani's doubts were quickly resolved, followed by mocking remarks: "I'm actually looking forward to Tan Jiani coming to us to cry and complain."
"Just crying? I'm waiting for you to beg us, haha."
"Don't worry, that day will come. With her pig-headed brain, she'll definitely be fooled by that mother and daughter!"
"Speaking of which, I really admire that woman. After all these years, Tan Jiani's father still can't forget her?"
"Are you sure they weren't working together before? And he's the editor-in-chief? What's the difference between him and a mistress?"
The more they talked, the more outrageous they became. Not only Tan Jiani, but Lin Zaoyi also narrowed her eyes in anger, glanced around, and decided it wasn't appropriate to fight here. "Help me get these people to the backyard."
Tan Jiani immediately understood, "You can't beat him by yourself."
Lin Zaoyi: "It's not because of you."
Tan Jiani: "...Okay."
She took a deep breath, deliberately circled around halfway before heading back towards the three people. They usually called her Nini so affectionately, but they were talking about her like this in private!
With a calm expression, he said, "Come with me, I'll show you something fun."
The third girl, without suspecting anything, followed him.
The backyard was quiet, except for the sound of the fountain.
"Nini," a girl said affectionately, linking arms with her, "what's that fun thing?"
Tan Jiani deftly pulled her arm away. Not seeing Lin Zaoyi nearby, she gestured for them to wait a moment.
About two minutes later, Lin Zaoyi appeared. Her hair, which had been loose, was now tied up in a bun. She handed her a hair tie and said, "Tie it tight."
As she spoke, she took off her shoes and stepped barefoot on the ground, saying, "Take off your shoes too, high heels can easily cause you to twist your ankle."
The three women opposite were quite confused and a little flustered. Didn't they say the two didn't get along?
Also, what does this mean?
"Nini, what's wrong?"
Lin Zaoyi answered the question readily, taking off Tan Zhaojing's coat as she approached the girl who had been cursing her mother barefoot, "Do you know what happens when you're gossipy?"
After saying that, without giving any reaction, he raised his hand and slapped it hard against the mouth.
Snap—
The girl's head was knocked to the side, and she covered her face in disbelief. The two people next to her were also stunned, and there was no sound or image for a couple of seconds.
Coming to his senses, he burst into a tirade, "How dare you—ah—"
Tan Jiani stepped in, and she was fair, slapping each of them across the face, saying, "That'll teach you to be so foul-mouthed!"
A chaotic battle is about to break out.
Because the two had prepared in advance, they didn't put themselves at a disadvantage even though there were fewer people around. Lin Zaoyi simply grabbed one and threw him into the fountain, saying, "Wash your mouth properly!"
The remaining two are easier.
The two women were beaten and howled, and it was this pitiful sound that attracted the attention of the people in the hall, including their family members, and of course, the Tan family as well.
The group that arrived were Tan Zhaojing and his uncle, followed by Yuan Lai and a few onlookers.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
