They actually know each other?
Meng Yintong's smile immediately turned ugly. Nothing was more infuriating than someone who was always inferior to her actually hooking up with someone she couldn't reach behind her back.
Even with her back turned, Meng Jiuyi could feel everyone's eyes focused on her. He was always the center of attention, and this occasion was no exception.
Don't bring her along.
He didn't add any title, so who knows who he's calling?
She walked slowly, trying to slip away naturally, but her hopes were dashed.
Xu Yanzhi said slowly and deliberately, "Meng Jiuyi, the number nine, and the 'yi' which is similar to iron."
The self-introduction I used to confess my feelings over the phone was read aloud by him in a calm and measured tone, as if he were introducing a great figure in the Great Hall of the People.
Meng Jiuyi instantly wanted to disappear underground. He turned around immediately, his face beaming with a smile.
"Mr. Xu, it's been a long time."
"How long?"
Xu Yanzhi curved his lips into a meaningful smile, "We were just—"
“A week ago I sent a note to your housekeeper wanting to visit in person to express my gratitude, but they said your schedule was full.”
Meng Jiuyi naturally picked up the conversation, her bright eyes fixed intently on him, "I didn't expect to run into you here, what a coincidence! May I take up a little of your time?"
Xu Yanzhi's eyes remained expressionless as he watched her put on an act, even with a hint of helplessness.
They don't even act properly.
He didn't call her out on it, and apologized to Mr. He, saying, "Tonight isn't a good time to chat, we'll continue later."
The man's elegant demeanor made Mr. He feel increasingly flattered. Before Xu Yanzhi could leave with her, Mrs. He spoke up.
"This is Jiu Yi, right? What a coincidence, our family has all come together."
Hearing Xu Yanzhi address her as Meng, Madam He became even more certain that Meng Jiuyi was the illegitimate daughter. Her attitude was so warm that she completely changed her previous disdain. "Zhizhou will soon be your brother-in-law. I've been wanting to meet you for a while now. Why don't we invite the eldest young master of the Xu family over the weekend and have a good chat as a family?"
She just wanted to use Meng Jiuyi as a stepping stone to climb the social ladder, completely forgetting that she had been invited to the Meng residence to discuss marriage beforehand, and had even asked in a sarcastic tone whether there were any unclean things in the house.
Xu Yanzhi's silent face showed a fleeting moment of cold indifference.
"Where did this family come from? Didn't Madam He check their household registration before inviting them?"
ah?
No one understood why he seemed so listless; the atmosphere became so tense that Madam He immediately realized she had said the wrong thing.
"Madam He, my surname is Meng."
Meng Jiuyi looked at her and said, "However, I am not worthy to be associated with family. Ms. Feng Ran just introduced me as an insignificant person. Didn't she tell you that I have severed ties with the Meng family?"
Feng Ran's face was particularly grim. Meng Jiuyi gestured to Meng Xincheng, who was not far away, "If you want someone to call your son brother-in-law, you can have my cheap old man, who slept with me at will, have another one. Or there are quite a few families with multiple sisters in Kyushu, for example—"
She enunciated each word clearly, "The Zhou family."
Coming down from the second floor, Meng Jiuyi quickly confirmed that the woman who had just been hugging He Zhizhou was indeed the eldest daughter of the Zhou family.
It had nothing to do with her originally, but it was Madam He who made such a dramatic change of face in front of her.
Few people understood the second half of the sentence. He Zhizhou was already shrinking back and dared not look at her. What Meng Jiuyi found interesting was that Madam He's eyes flashed with a fierce light after she looked away.
It seems she was aware of and condoned her son's infidelity all along.
--
"You were pretending not to know me just now."
Xu Yanzhi lowered his gaze to look at her, his tone calm and unwavering, "Do I make you feel ashamed?"
"Of course not!"
Honestly, Meng Jiuyi almost denied it completely, so he hurriedly explained, "We're just acquaintances. The He family wants to squeeze every last drop of value out of me. If they knew more, they would probably be plotting how to use every piece of me before we even left this banquet hall."
Xu Yanzhi chuckled softly, but the smile slowly faded, and a sudden, dense, astringent feeling welled up in his chest.
Merchants are driven by profit and would indeed want to squeeze every last drop out of their customers. She must have gone through so much to learn how to protect herself.
He said cryptically, "I feel that Miss Meng's ability to debate with a group of scholars is becoming increasingly impressive."
Meng Jiuyi smiled and said, "It's all thanks to watching stand-up comedy these days."
"No wonder you haven't been paying much attention to me these past few days."
Xu Yanzhi paused for a moment, "Did they all go to watch stand-up comedy?"
His gaze was so meaningful, and the restrained sense of oppression and aggression suddenly emerged. Under that gaze, Meng Jiuyi's legs suddenly felt weak, and Zhou Bo's appearance saved her.
The bride had already been picked up by a large wedding procession in the evening, but the official ceremony time was set by a feng shui master at 9:09 pm. It was still early, so the group played a card game on the terrace.
The messengers spotted the two of them and immediately called for reinforcements. Meng Jiuyi had met most of the people on the terrace before at the golf estate, so they weren't as reserved this time.
After Xu Yanzhi gave them a heads-up, the others understood their relationship without saying a word, and they didn't make a fuss. The girl in the champagne-colored dress opposite them played the dice very skillfully, the mother-of-pearl sliding beautifully on her wrist as she tossed them up and down.
Zhou Bo said, "I forgot to introduce you, this is Ms. Zhao, Cen Dong's ex-girlfriend."
"Get lost! My sister has a name."
Zhao Youxi winked at Meng Jiuyi, "Don't believe me, his ex-girlfriend was an accident. My name is Zhao Youxi."
Meng Jiuyi smiled faintly, "Meng Jiuyi."
"Did Lao Xu bring you here?" She glanced at Xu Yanzhi beside her ambiguously. Most of the people in this circle went to the UK and the US when they were young, and even if they were thousands of miles apart, they would always get to know each other through friends of friends.
Meng Jiuyi said, "No, it was Boss Cen who sent me the invitation."
The cards had been dealt, and everyone had moved from dice games to the King's Game. Meng Jiuyi, sitting in the corner, casually put one hand on the back of the chair behind her.
"What should we play?"
The man's lazy voice landed on Meng Jiuyi's head, and as he passed by, his sleeve brushed against the tips of her hair, creating a slight arc. His gaze did not linger on her.
Tan Yuchen gestured with his chin towards Zhou Bo, "Go over there."
"Didn't you always say this game is stupid?" Despite saying that, Zhou Bo immediately stood up and gave up his seat.
"I'm in a good mood today."
Tan Yuchen sat down in a relaxed posture, using his hand as a cushion. Meng Jiuyi sat opposite him, but he didn't even glance at him, his face showing obvious carefree attitude.
It's like a big dog whose fur has been stroked.
What did you just do?
Tan Yuchen looked lazy and said, "He went to sneak a bite to eat."
? ? ?
Everyone turned to look at him. His words were like a thunderbolt, far more interesting than the cards in front of them.
To others, it was nothing more than a spark that would ignite a sensational scandal.
Those who can appear at this banquet are no longer celebrities or young models; they're not qualified. He actually went out of his way to get involved with people in the industry—could it be that he's truly reformed?
Tan Yuchen continued casually, "Being called here by Cen Dong to do hard labor, I haven't eaten all day. His chef's desserts are pretty good though."
"......"
"......"
Zhou Bo angrily cursed, "Tan San, next time you talk, can you stop taking such long breaths?"
If it used to be a drop tower, it has now been downgraded to a roller coaster.
They were all toughened up by this scoundrel. Does his family own an amusement park?
Meng Jiuyi's expression remained unchanged, but he silently remembered to add a clause when he went back: if he dared to act so startled again, he could get lost.
"I'm sorry, I didn't do well in Chinese."
Tan Yuchen chuckled softly, accepting all the complaints without question. He slowly raised his eyelids, and his gaze inadvertently met that of Xu Yanzhi, who was diagonally opposite him. One was as deep as mist, while the other was lazy and unrestrained.
The enthusiastic atmosphere did not breed hostility or violence, so the work continued in full swing.
Meng Jiuyi managed to dodge the next few games, but these people were playing very aggressively, using things like tissues, kisses, and biscuits, so much so that she held her cards tightly, afraid that she would be the one to embarrass herself.
Zhao Youxi, acting as the king, pondered for a moment and said, "In the last round, the Ace of Hearts kisses the Jack of Spades."
...It's over!
Meng Jiuyi, feeling utterly hopeless, lifted a corner of the card again, wishing she could use magic to change the Jack of Spades' position. What happened to the good luck that had always followed her?
Zhou Bo said, "Quickly confess, who are they?"
At this moment, Meng Jiuyi even wished she could have a lesbian relationship, rather than asking a man for a kiss in public.
A lifetime of dark history!
Her eyes glanced around discreetly, but Tan Yuchen across from her caught her gaze.
At the same time, Xu Yanzhi turned over the cards in his hand and placed them on the table.
Ace of Hearts.
--
good evening.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com