Chapter 70 At the very least, an engagement should precede a birthday banquet.
After being provoked by this, Lan Jia slowly came to understand why Meng Cenjun had insisted on making her a clueless fool in the past.
Sometimes, not knowing is better than knowing too much, because that's too painful. But she didn't regret it, nor was she the kind of person who would fall into despair and depression when things went wrong. When the truth became clear, she was instead filled with indignation and courage, and she was eager to eradicate that scourge from its roots.
During their conversation last night, Song Qingqu recounted many past events to her, mentioning his adoptive father, Song Qishan, who had been crippled in both legs for many years, subtly implying Meng Shiyuan's involvement. Although Lan Jia remained silent with a cold expression, she secretly wondered: Is Meng Shiyuan really so lawless? Everyone suffers because of him, yet he lives a carefree life? Is there truly no one who can control him?
While she was filled with resentment, Song Qingqu thoughtfully told her that he and Song Qishan had been keeping a close eye on things for years and had actually gathered some evidence of Meng Shiyuan's crimes, but they had never had the opportunity to disclose it. A man as cunning as him, with multiple escape routes, might be allowed to flee abroad again if they were to act rashly, making it as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
Now that things had come to this point, even if Lan Jia were naive, she would understand that she was in an ideal position in their plan. Meng Shiyuan had approached her several times, so she must have something he wanted from her; Lan Jia was the perfect bait to capture him.
At first, she was devastated by the news and suddenly developed a deep hatred for Meng Shiyuan. Even seeing him made her feel disgusted, let alone pretending to be friendly with him. But now that she has calmed down, the pain is still lingering. If the root cause is not addressed, this thorn will only grow deeper and deeper.
Once Lan Jia made up her mind, no one could dissuade her. The next morning, she went to work as if nothing had happened, and after working until evening, she rushed back to get her hair and makeup done.
All the makeup artists and stylists were already on standby at home. Lan Jia closed her eyes and let them do as they pleased. Thinking about what was going to happen later, she was secretly uneasy, just like an actor making his first appearance on stage, feeling inexplicably flustered.
She chose a satin gown for the dinner party, with a backless design and a blue gradient from top to bottom, gradually deepening from light blue to deep sea blue. It was a very calm and dignified color, quite unlike her usual style, but it also suited her current mood.
As usual, there was a row of intricate beaded buttons on the lower back. Lan Jia stood on the round platform with her eyes lowered, patiently waiting for someone to finish. When she looked up again, she found that someone else had quietly replaced her behind her.
Meng Cenjun and she exchanged a glance in the mirror, then Meng lowered his head to button her clothes. His hands were large, and the beads seemed even smaller in his hands. He was afraid of breaking them by using too much force, so he handled each bead with the care of a jeweler.
Lan Jia and he remained silent for a while. After the dress was fixed, Meng Cenjun slowly stroked her waist. Seeing that she did not resist, he leaned over and hugged her from behind.
It's unclear when exactly, but the two have become accustomed to such intimate and natural actions, much like lovers. Perhaps it's because they've lived together for so many years that their relationship transitions more smoothly and quickly than that of ordinary people.
He nestled close to her, gazing at her melancholy face in the mirror, and advised, "You've never liked banquets, so you don't have to force yourself today."
Lan Jia smiled and said, "Even if it's not for any other reason, I should still go to Xiao Qiao's birthday party."
Meng Cenjun stopped trying to stop her, and only said, "Then don't run around, and don't let me lose you. We'll go home right away after this is over."
"I also have some things I'd like to discuss with you."
He had seriously considered the angry words Lan Jia said during their argument that day. Given the current situation, letting her stay abroad to clear her head might not be a bad thing.
The matter concerning Meng Shiyuan is quite tricky to handle. To ensure everything goes smoothly, we must proceed cautiously. Although there are rumors that the old man has been seriously ill for some time, it will still be some time before he is truly on his deathbed. He is certain that Meng Shiyuan will not leave Lijiang before the funeral is over. It would be better to take this opportunity to send Lan Jia out so that he can focus on his operations in China.
Meng Cenjun also learned to discuss things with her.
In the past, Lan Jia would have been overjoyed, but now, upon hearing this, she showed little expression. She was already in a state of turmoil, hiding something from him, and simply didn't have the energy to express anything. Helpless, she could only smile faintly and say, "Alright, let's talk about it when we get back."
He paid close attention to her expression, assuming she was still upset about Song Qingqu's affair, and secretly regretted letting her know the truth. Having learned from this experience, he was even more convinced that his previous policies were correct, and he resolved never to let Lan Jia know about Meng Shiyuan's deeds. She couldn't bear it, and he couldn't add to her burden.
From the first moment she saw him, she felt that Meng Cenyun resembled him. Now she regarded him as an enemy, and his face would appear in front of her from time to time through Meng Cenyun, like some kind of curse.
Although Lan Jia wouldn't hold a grudge against Meng Cenyun for this, she felt somewhat uncomfortable. As long as Meng Shiyuan wasn't punished, she couldn't think about her future with Meng Cenyun anymore.
She made this decision partly out of a desire for revenge, and partly for her and Meng Cenjun's sake.
With their own thoughts on their minds, the two set off for the Qiao family's old residence.
The Qiao residence is built halfway up a mountain in a secluded location; its exact address won't appear on any public map. Driving along the mountain road, through dense forests, bright yellow lanterns were already hung along the sides as guides for guests. The Qiao family's ancestors started in the medicinal herb business, and after generations of wealth accumulation, they ventured into foreign trade. By the time of Qiao Zimu's great-grandfather, they began investing heavily in real estate, consistently capitalizing on market trends, resulting in exponential growth of the family's wealth.
This plot of land was originally built as a garden residence. Later generations returned from studying abroad and embraced Western style, building a Western-style building in the style of the Tudor era next to the original buildings. It was a combination of Chinese and Western styles, and was also known as the East Building and West Building in the Qiao family.
The old man's birthday banquet was held in the east building. Qiao Zimu was young and loved to have fun. He hated their rigid rules and regulations. The old man doted on him the most, so he specially approved his birthday celebration in the west building, inviting a group of friends to celebrate and having a party he liked.
The banquet hadn't started yet. Qiao Zimu was leaning on the balcony railing of the west wing, watching the guests' cars drive in one by one. The door behind him opened, and Qiao Qinghuai, wearing a lake-green dress, approached, smiling, "Still waiting for your sweetheart?"
This was no secret in the Qiao family, but Qiao Zimu still blushed slightly when teased by his older sister. He then pretended to be calm and said, "Lan Jia gets off work late and needs time to do her hair and makeup. It's okay if it's a little late."
Qiao Qinghuai leaned against the railing with him and asked again, "So much time has passed, how come there's been no progress at all?"
"Grandpa is very concerned about your marriage. He asked me about it several times, but I always brushed him off by saying that you had your own ideas. Otherwise, he would have taken matters into his own hands."
Qiao Zimu didn't want to admit that Lan Jia had no feelings for him at all, as that would make him seem useless, so he dodged the question by saying, "I'm only twenty, why are you in such a hurry? I'm not even old enough to get married yet, let's wait a bit longer."
“No matter how long you wait, you should at least get engaged before you can feel at ease. If things keep dragging on and something changes on her end, it will be too late to regret it…” She thought for a moment and asked, “Lan Jia isn’t dating right now, is she?”
Qiao Zimu became impatient after being urged by his family: "She's so busy every day, how could she have time to date?" Actually, even though he said that, he immediately thought of Song Qingqu and the others around her, and couldn't help but feel jealous.
“In that case, we should seize the opportunity even more, shouldn’t we?” Qiao Qinghuai knew that he was always mild-mannered in front of Lan Jia, and if there was no external force to drive him, he didn’t know how long he would have to delay.
Although he had the same idea, he also had many concerns. He said with distress, "That's true, but it's also difficult to get past her family. They think Lan Jia is still young and keep a close eye on her."
Speaking of her family, the old lady's side was alright, but the first one to disagree was Meng Cenjun. Although Qiao Qinghuai couldn't do anything about it, the elders were all present tonight, so she expected him not to refuse.
Thinking it was about time, she subconsciously checked her watch, only to find no one there. She smiled and asked him, "What time is it now?"
Qiao Zimu took out his phone to check the time, but she immediately noticed his phone case. She took it with interest and teased, "Oh, when did you guys start using these mirrored patterns?"
He had bought this with Lan Jia last time, and when she pointed it out, he blushed again and said somewhat awkwardly, "I just thought it would be convenient for you to touch up your makeup."
Qiao Qinghuai smiled knowingly. She had always been very concerned about her younger brother's affairs, and immediately decided to take the opportunity to play matchmaker for Qiao Zimu.
The banquet was about to begin, and the two chatted and laughed as they headed to the east building, where Lan Jia and the others arrived at the same time.
Meng Cenjun offered her his hand, leading her out of the car. Once he held her hand, he didn't want to let go. With guests coming and going around them, Lan Jia, fearing that someone with ulterior motives would see them, frowned and glared at him, reminding him. Only then did he reluctantly let go of her hand, allowing her to link arms with his.
When she turned around, she saw Qiao Zimu and her brother standing at the door, smiling at her.
"Lan Jia, it's been a long time." Qiao Qinghuai gave her a big hug as soon as he arrived.
Seeing the two exchanging pleasantries, Meng Cenjun instructed the driver beside her to hand the birthday gift to the receptionist.
Although Qiao Zimu was intimidated by him, he did not lose his manners and nodded to him, calling him "Brother Cen Yun".
While the two on one side were feeling awkward, Lan Jia had already been warmly led inside by Qiao Qinghuai.
Meng Cenjun didn't show much expression and followed them inside.
In such situations, his appearance is bound to attract attention, and many business people will immediately come over to make friends and chat.
Seeing that Lan Jia was getting further and further away from him, Meng Cenjun was too busy to do anything else, so he gave Zuo Tai a look in the corner, signaling him to go and take care of her.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qiao Qinghuai and his siblings surrounded Lan Jia and led her to the old man.
"Grandpa, look who this is?" Qiao Zimu asked with a smile.
Although old Mr. Qiao was quite aged, he was full of energy and, after being flattered all night, was beaming. Upon seeing Lan Jia, he took out a pair of reading glasses, put them on, and looked her up and down with a smile, saying, "Oh, it's little Lan Jia! It's been so many years! You've grown so much! How's your grandmother's health lately? I've tried to see her many times, but haven't been able to, and I haven't had a chance to visit her. I wonder if she's gotten too old to walk?"
Knowing that the two were old friends, they naturally joked around a bit. Lan Jia responded generously, her sweet words making the old man very happy.
Grandpa Qiao looked at Lan Jia with increasing satisfaction, clearly treating her as his future granddaughter-in-law. He smiled and met Qiao Qinghuai's gaze. After exchanging a few words, he took the opportunity to say, "Alright, you young people are getting bored staying with me. Little Lan Jia, you and Zimu go have some fun over at the West Building."
Lan Jia glanced at Qiao Zimu, who was looking expectant, and was about to agree when a large hand landed on her shoulder, seemingly to stop her.
Meng Cenjun had just finished socializing and came over. After exchanging a few pleasantries with the old man, she whispered to Lan Jia in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "Didn't you say you weren't feeling well? You shouldn't go out and have fun like that."
The old man knew immediately that it was an excuse, and then said with a smile, "Xiao Cen, even though you only have one sister, you don't have to watch over her so closely, do you? If Xiao Lanjia gets married in the future, will you still stay by her side like this every step of the way?"
Meng Cenjun listened expressionlessly, not daring to say anything more in front of her elders.
Lan Jia was preoccupied with that matter and was worried about how to avoid him, so she seized the opportunity and said, "Brother, shall I go play for a while?"
He looked at her intently for a while, and finally let go.
"Okay, don't stay out too late."
Author's Note: It seems like the brother and sister have never really helped each other out; they've always been the ones breaking up couples. [Chin resting on hand]
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