TNSFC – Chapter 91

The result of the public opinion battle victory was that under the official Weibo of Galaxy Watch, besides players urging for skins, optimization, and new heroes, a group of people also appeared, urging the official Weibo to post photos of the boss.

【iswear】: Pretty Jiejie, are you open for business today! I want to see my wife’s beautiful photos, boohoo, I’ve already drooled over all the magazine and news photos! PS: Also, I’m concerned about how my wife’s legs are doing!

【Don’t Speak】: The person above is trying to steal my wife???

【Superman Writer】: I’m different. Pretty Jiejie deserves to have many wives, and I’ll invite myself to be one of them!

【Zhang Zhang】: I also want to see Jiejie’s stunning beauty! Afra is my favorite, but I love Jiejie even more!

【Faintly Strong】: Official account, just be direct. Create an official account for the boss, and I’ll go follow it, okay!

Gu Shanxue looked at the screen with a cold face, studied it for a moment, then created a new Weibo account and joined the comments.

【Pampering Little Rose】: Ningning already has someone she likes. She has a wife!

【Pikachu】: Hahahaha, sister, we know. Her wife is us!

Gu Shanxue almost couldn’t hold her mouse. She took a deep breath, telling herself these people were just joking. Before she was about to exit the social media app, she saw a new post from the official account.

Because too many people were asking for photos, the official account was forced to post on Weibo stating that the boss didn’t have a private Weibo. They also hoped everyone could enjoy playing the game happily and then announced a teaser for the latest skins.

It was just two silhouettes, making it hard to tell who they belonged to, but they were undoubtedly two females.

Gu Shanxue couldn’t tell either. She opened the comments; there were guesses for everyone, but the most popular ones were Afra and Hillary.

【TENSOO of Kim Jisoo】: Wild guess, it’s the favored daughter Afra. No, wait, she’s not the favored daughter anymore. Ever since it was discovered that Afra’s prototype is the stunningly beautiful boss, Afra has become a mascot! No wonder she’s the official logo!

【Can’t Pull Cards】: If it’s two girls, wild guess, it’s the Yue Gui CP! But I’m curious, Afra’s prototype is the boss, so the boss couldn’t possibly not know. And the boss follows the game’s progress; as the game’s founder, she tacitly approved this CP (you can tell from the Easter eggs). So, let’s make a bold guess: Hillary, who has great CP chemistry with Afra, does she also have a prototype?

【Gu Shouyi】: Sister above, brilliant deduction! You’ve found the crucial point! Right, does Miss Moon have a prototype? If she does… Wow!

Gu Shanxue saw these outstanding commentators, and her mood instantly lightened.

No matter how much these people shouted that Ningning was their wife, the official account had also confirmed it wasn’t them.

Gu Shanxue exited the software and started working in a rather good mood.

Que Yining didn’t know about Gu Shanxue’s mood swings. The confrontations of the past few days had kept her in a high-intensity work state. After getting enough sleep, she continued her rehabilitation exercises.

She could now walk a short distance without holding onto the railing. Unfortunately, she couldn’t sustain it for too long, but it was enough.

She took a photo of herself, sweaty, and sent it to Gu Shanxue, went to the bathroom to take a shower, and then went out to work at Que Corporation.

She hadn’t forgotten to keep a close eye on the project. During her busy days, the master chef, hired at great expense, had also improved the dishes several times. Que Yining tasted them and nodded, selected one of the dishes for the research department, asking them to research and improve it first.

When she returned to her office from the research department, she found Que Linyang sitting in the lounge area.

“Big Brother, what are you doing here?”

Que Yining’s expression showed some surprise. This wasn’t feigned. Que Linyang had just been humiliated by her; how could he show up so quickly?

“Manager, you just arrived. I was about to call you.”

The young assistant said, walking over with coffee. Que Yining nodded and gestured for Que Linyang to come in.

“Big Brother, you don’t look too well. Didn’t you sleep well yesterday?”

Que Yining looked at Que Linyang sitting in her office and asked with a smile.

Que Linyang still had that refined appearance, but the shadows under his eyes made him look somewhat more haggard and older than his usual spirited self.

“I’m fine, just put in a bit more effort to coordinate the promotion of this project. But it’s all for our own family, so this hardship is nothing.”

Que Linyang smiled, showing no outward signs of anything unusual.

“Big Brother, you’re not young anymore. It’s better for you to work less and not tire yourself out, lest your body can’t take it. Just leave these hard tasks to us young people.”

Que Yining still smiled caringly, but the underlying implications were not subtle at all.

Que Linyang wasn’t exactly old; he was middle-aged. But compared to Que Yining’s twenty-something body, he indeed wasn’t young anymore.

No one likes to be told ‘you’re old,’ especially someone as ambitious as Que Linyang.

The insincere smile on his face faded a little, and he gave Que Yining a forced twitch of his lips.

“Young people, most of them are unreliable. They can’t keep their composure. They get carried away after just a few tumbles in this circle, not yet knowing how deep the waters are, thinking they’re dragons,” Que Linyang chuckled, paused for a moment, and continued in a joking tone, “Actually, they’re just snapping turtles.”

“Then, Big Brother, you’ve struggled in this circle for over twenty years. Do you think you’re a dragon or a snapping turtle?”

Que Yining took the folder from his hand and asked him with a raised eyebrow.

But before Que Linyang could speak, she continued as if talking to herself, saying, “I think you’re neither a snapping turtle nor a dragon. You’re a fish trying to leap over the Dragon Gate. But unfortunately, your cultivation isn’t enough. At best, you’ve become a water snake with only the form, unable to grow horns.”

Her eyes stared directly at Que Linyang, as if she could see through his exterior to his inner self.

The air froze for a moment, filled with a confrontational atmosphere.

“Little Sister, your assertion is a bit premature.”

Que Linyang spoke, regaining his composure.

“Not necessarily. When I say something, it’s usually very accurate.”

Que Yining opened the folder and quickly flipped through a few pages.

These were all cooperation plans. The matter she had mentioned at the shareholders’ meeting about having Que Linyang cooperate with promotions—Que Linyang had actually come up with something. But this wasn’t what Que Yining wanted.

“Is there anything you’re not satisfied with? I sent this document to several uncles for review first, and they all thought it was quite good. To cooperate with the promotion of this new project, I certainly haven’t held anything back.”

Que Linyang indeed hadn’t hidden anything, appearing to cooperate willingly without seeking personal gain. Those who didn’t know better might genuinely say he had worked hard. But to Que Yining, it was all just ridiculously absurd.

Que Linyang had always been dedicated to tying himself to Que Corporation. Cooperating with promotions wasn’t about seeking benefits for himself here; on the contrary, it deepened the tie. Que Yining never intended this from the start. Saying so at the shareholders’ meeting was merely for other purposes.

She would definitely get rid of what Que Linyang held. How could she possibly let her own things become nominally associated with his? What she wanted was tangible.

“I don’t think these will do. Since Big Brother said not to hold anything back, you know that starting a new project now requires factories for production, right? I heard you’ve recently taken a liking to a few factories to increase production lines for your company. How about you give them to me?”

Que Yining said with a smile, but she was sneering inwardly.

Still thinking of expanding production lines? You’ll go bankrupt sooner or later.

“You must be joking. In business, there’s no such thing as ‘giving’ or ‘not giving.’ Little Sister, you shouldn’t be like this.”

The fake smile on Que Linyang’s face vanished. He looked at Que Yining with a blank expression.

“In business, there’s no such thing as ‘giving’ or ‘not giving’? Big Brother, don’t you feel guilty saying that? Haven’t you used the company to bid and then awarded it to your own company? Our company has acted as a shill quite a few times, hasn’t it? And it’s not just about land, is it? If you want me to list them one by one, it will get ugly. I don’t mind listing them for the uncles to see. Let’s see if they want your promotions more, or the factories I mentioned.”

Que Linyang was truly shameless. But if he weren’t so shameless, he wouldn’t have gotten to where he was today.

Que Linyang even wanted to use the plan he had shown the shareholders to threaten her. Simply laughable.

Que Linyang’s face truly turned ugly. He hadn’t expected Que Yining to know so much, even digging up old scores from the past.

He was unwilling to accept it. Everything before him was something he had painstakingly managed for years and was about to obtain. But somehow, in the blink of an eye, the situation had become very unfavorable for him.

Actually, he wasn’t unaware. The shares he hadn’t yet obtained, his adoptive father now supporting his own biological daughter, the reduction in his actual power, and the fact that Que Yining wasn’t relying on the Que family’s vast power. Most importantly, Que Yining had become smarter.

Que Linyang couldn’t figure out why this useless sister of his would suddenly become so aggressive and relentless.

If she were still as simple-minded as before, even if she were supported by Que Hanyi, she would still be an Adou who couldn’t be helped up. But now, she had been helped up.

The enemy had suddenly become strong. Looking at the implicitly threatening Que Yining, Que Linyang made up his mind in an instant.

“Ningning, let me give you a piece of advice as your brother. To survive, you need to learn to turn a blind eye. In a place like this, where people devour others without spitting out the bones, if you want to snatch something from someone else’s hands, you need to have some real skill.”

Que Linyang expressed his refusal and walked out of the office without hesitation.

The moment the door closed, Que Yining looked at his expression and suddenly sensed something.

She immediately picked up the phone and called Gu Shanxue.

“Shanxue, help me keep an eye on something recently. See if Que Linyang is planning to trade Que Corporation shares.”

“Yes, he’s more difficult to deal with than I thought.”

Que Yining hung up the phone and then called Que Hanyi, telling him to be prepared and on alert.

In Que Yining’s mind, Que Linyang had coveted the Que Corporation “cake” for so many years; he wouldn’t give it up easily no matter what. At the very least, he would try to bring her down to get Que Corporation. During this period of maneuvering with him, she could still gain as many benefits as possible. But she hadn’t expected Que Linyang to be unwilling to give up even a tiny bit of benefit, and to plan to leave directly so soon.

This man was too ruthless, and his decisions were very decisive. Ordinary people, blinded by years of scheming, would find it very difficult to extricate themselves. But Que Linyang had actually analyzed the situation clearly so quickly.

If Que Linyang really did sell off his Que Corporation shares, it would mean he was going to try to obtain Que Corporation in a different way.

After all, given his personality, Que Yining didn’t believe he would just leave like that and then think of coexisting peacefully with Que Corporation. Even if Que Linyang really had this idea, she wouldn’t let Que Linyang have an easy time.

Que Yining’s estimation was correct. Que Linyang was indeed planning to leave Que Corporation.

He had been with Que Corporation for over a decade and had gradually gained many benefits. It was true that he wanted to obtain Que Corporation, but he didn’t want to pay too high a price. The shares he held were limited, and the shareholders he could win over wouldn’t give him an advantage at the shareholders’ meeting.

Most of the people holding shares were surnamed Que. Que Linyang couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t turn against him at the last minute.

He was now certain that Que Yining was a capable person, whether in her style of doing things or in her own career. This forced Que Linyang to re-evaluate her. And for matters where he didn’t have a complete chance of winning, he didn’t plan to drag it out any longer. It was better to make a clean break when necessary.

Before this break, he still had many preparations to make.

In the office, Que Hanyi found it somewhat hard to believe.

“You’re saying he’s very likely to just give up like this? How is that possible? Since he could pretend for so many years, how could he just tuck his tail between his legs and settle down like this? We haven’t even cut off his tail yet!”

Que Hanyi didn’t believe it one bit. Since Linyang could do such harmful things, how could he possibly stop before completely devouring their family?

Que Yining shook her head and said, “Dad, you misunderstood. I’m not saying he’s going to give up. He might be about to tear off all pretenses.”

In the original world’s trajectory, the original owner didn’t have her ability to fight against Que Linyang. So Que Linyang could quietly take everything for himself. But now his plans had been disrupted by her. It wouldn’t be surprising if he did anything rash.

“He’s going to have an open fallout with us? On what grounds? Where does he get the nerve? He ate our food, drank our water, was raised by us, and he dares to be the first to break ties? Everyone’s spit would drown him.”

Que Hanyi felt that if Linyang were the first to break ties with them, it would be an untenable position for him. After all, no matter how you looked at it, their family had shown kindness to Linyang, giving him everything.

“If he can tear off all pretenses and get out of our house, that would actually be a good thing. It would be more convenient to deal with him then.”

Que Hanyi thought about it again and found it feasible. If that beast Linyang really wanted to do this, he would sever ties with him, remove him from the family register, and cut off all business dealings with him. That would bring peace. And then they could be enemies.

“According to his personality, if he decides to leave, he’ll strike first to gain the upper hand. He’ll throw dirty water on us first, and then make sure we don’t get any advantage. He’s been in the company for too long. I don’t know who else are his people.”

The Que family’s main business is the catering industry. The managers and key personnel of those chain stores, etc., not just in Lu Su City, not just in this province, but across all brands under Que Corporation. Que Yining didn’t know how many people Que Linyang had placed within. There were also brand partners and so on. If Que Linyang really became ruthless and tried to bring down Que Corporation, those people could resign en masse, partners could collectively refuse to supply goods, and Que Corporation’s losses would be unimaginable.

“How dare he… How dare he!”

Que Hanyi also thought of this, and his expression changed drastically.

“We treated him very well. He shouldn’t be able to… No, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have let him in in the first place!”

Que Hanyi slumped into his chair, breathing rapidly, somewhat out of breath. Que Yining quickly patted his back to help him catch his breath, asking him to calm down first.

Que Hanyi’s face was ashen. It seemed he could already see that day. Linyang could even harm his daughter and his whole family. How could he not be capable of bringing down Que Corporation?

He didn’t know how such a malicious person could exist in the world. They had clearly shown him kindness, yet it was as if they owed him something, as if they had a blood feud with him.

“I truly suspect I didn’t save him, but instead brought harm upon my entire family.”

Que Hanyi said after coughing violently a few times, and angrily pounded the armrest several times.

He couldn’t understand it at all, how there could be such a venomous snake.

He wished Linyang would get hit by a car and die on the street, so that this blood debt could be paid in blood.

“Dad, it’s okay, I’m here. Don’t ruin your health by getting angry first. You need to be well and healthy, live to show him, and watch how miserably he dies in the end.”

Que Yining poured Que Hanyi a glass of water, telling him to calm down.

If suffering a major setback was the inevitable end for Que Corporation, Que Yining would find ways to make it strong again afterwards. Regardless, Que Linyang would definitely pay the price he deserved.

She would make sure he lost everything and died a miserable death!

What Que Linyang carried was not just the simple crime of murder for wealth. Ingratitude, repaying kindness with enmity—for such a person, dying many times over wouldn’t be enough.

Que Hanyi looked at Que Yining, feeling comforted for a moment, but then he felt even sadder.

When he thought about how all this had come to be, hatred filled his heart.

He hated Que Linyang, and he also hated himself.

If he hadn’t misjudged people back then, things wouldn’t have reached this point.

“Xiao Ning, tell me, did Ningning ever blame me? Blame me for never taking care of her? I can’t sleep day or night. Whenever I think about what really happened, my heart aches. If only we hadn’t adopted this child in the beginning, none of this would have happened! It wouldn’t have become like this!”

Que Hanyi, over seventy years old, shed tears in front of Que Yining, his face filled with endless regret.

It wasn’t just his family, but also his life’s work. If Que Corporation really fell into trouble, there would be many people he had let down.

“She doesn’t blame you. She never blamed you. It’s okay, Dad, I’m here. I will resolve it.”

Seeing him like this, Que Yining also felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. She gently patted his back, repeating her promise.

Is kindness really wrong? Que Yining didn’t think so.

What’s wrong is only evil human nature. Some bad social trends have cultivated distorted values, and the people immersed in them don’t even feel anything is wrong.

People scorn the farmer in “The Farmer and the Snake,” and Mr. Dongguo in “Mr. Dongguo and the Wolf.” But when those snakes and wolves put on human skin, who knows if they themselves are the farmer or Mr. Dongguo?

Isn’t the beauty of this world found in having witnessed the worst of humanity, yet still maintaining kindness, and holding onto love for this world?

It was precisely because of this bit of love that the original Que Yining didn’t fall into endless pain and madness.

Que Yining wasn’t very good at comforting people, and at this moment, she couldn’t say anything particularly soothing. She just told them what she was certain she could do.

She wasn’t actually shocked by Que Linyang’s evil. There were countless great villains in the world. Just as she had never imagined that group of people, related to her father by blood, could actually conspire to commit arson and plot against them, carving up her family’s assets, while pretending to be kind in front of her.

During the time she learned the truth, she had nightmares almost every night and couldn’t sleep well. It turned out that people really could devour others.

But fortunately, she had also met good people. So she especially cherished such good people. Papa Que and Mama Que were rare, kind-hearted individuals. They treated others with generosity, integrity, and friendliness. That’s why they had been relatively successful and enduring in business. It was just unfortunate that they encountered Que Linyang.

Que Hanyi calmed down after a while and smiled gratefully at Que Yining.

He rarely talked about her original self with this unfamiliar soul in his daughter’s body, but at this moment, he couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

“Your parents must be very fortunate to have a daughter like you.”

His smile still contained some bitterness, yet there was also an inexplicable, empathetic pride.

“Mm,” Que Yining smiled. “I know they would definitely be proud of me.”

Que Yining couldn’t handle everything alone. Que Hanyi wouldn’t let her manage the overall situation by herself either. His understanding of Que Corporation was deeper than Que Yining’s. After Que Yining finished talking with him, Que Hanyi began to clean up things internally, starting by investigating a group of people, then documenting all partners, and looking for alternative partners who could step in immediately if something went wrong.

On the surface, things were calm for over half a month. In the height of summer, a restaurant located on a bustling street opened for business.

The restaurant was named ‘Min Zhi’. It sounded quite elegant. It was a restaurant serving authentic Lu Su cuisine.

Actually, when the restaurant was initially planned, it wasn’t called this name. Papa Que and Mama Que hoped it could be called this. Mama Que came from a scholarly family and had given her young daughter a courtesy name in her childhood, which were these two characters. Although their original daughter was no longer around, Papa Que and Mama Que, out of personal sentiment, still hoped someone could remember this name, even if those who remembered it didn’t know its meaning.

Que Yining put a lot of effort into early promotions. She was an old hand at marketing. The taste was good enough to retain customers; the rest was about attracting them.

When the restaurant opened, they first offered samples of the signature dish, right on the busy street with high foot traffic. No one was given much, just a small bowl, kept warm in a pot. And for the first three days, customers enjoyed a 50% discount.

All chain restaurants under Que Corporation advertised it. Vouchers could be used for a partial discount. The high-end flagship restaurants offered the signature dish, Yunjin Sun, as a limited item.

Yunjin Sun sounded like a vegetarian dish, but it was actually a meat dish. The main ingredient was the most tender small bamboo shoots locally produced in Lu Su, paired with Jincai, a unique vegetable from a neighboring city. The pork used was the most tender front leg meat, cut into thin strips, served with the chef’s homemade sauce. It was perfectly savory, with a lingering sweet aftertaste that lingered on the taste buds, making people crave it and unable to forget.

To promote this, Que Yining didn’t hesitate to have Qingyun Studio run an event. Anyone who dined at Min Zhi Restaurant could get Galaxy Watch cards, have a chance to get limited edition Galaxy Watch beta test skins, and even have a chance to win other prizes.

Gu Shanxue, who was busy in her office, saw a notification pop up on her social media app and clicked on the Weibo post.

@Galaxy Watch: Afra is calling you home for dinner!

It was accompanied by a picture of Que Yining ordering food, resting her chin on her hand, and looking at the camera.

【Citrus Egg Roll】: I sat bolt upright from my deathbed, pretty wife is open for business!

【Sour Yogurt】: What’s going on? Why is my game suddenly advertising a restaurant! I want the beta skin, but when I saw the location, I wilted!

【Front Back Left Right】: I burst into tears, wuwuwu! Is this a Lu Su player exclusive benefit, wuwuwu! Oh my god, the dish in my wife’s hand looks so delicious, wuwuwu!

【Loves Milk】: They’re advertising because the restaurant is owned by the boss. It’s not newly opened by her; the boss is a rich second generation, you know. This is a family business! The taste is amazing, everyone go try it!

【Qing Qi】: It’s really delicious! This Lu Su player reporting in! It’s over on Mingyang Road. The new store opened today, and the aroma lured me in! After trying the sample, I immediately rushed in. It was packed, you know! For that one beta skin and the delicious food, I waited painstakingly for so long. I even got tired from shopping. When I finally ate it, I was moved to tears! I’ve never had such delicious bamboo shoots. I hadn’t eaten the other ingredient before, but it was so tender I almost swallowed myself. I almost didn’t recognize the pork inside as pork! It transformed! Although I didn’t win the beta skin, having a happy meal was super joyful. And the cost isn’t particularly expensive; it’s very reasonably priced, not to mention it was half price today!

【Ge You-Lying Little Star】: Genuinely envious of the sister above. I was originally envious of the skin, now I’m starting to crave the food qwq.

Gu Shanxue thought for a moment, and still couldn’t resist replying to the first person with her alternate account.

Let me emphasize, she’s not your wife, she’s my wife, understand?

【Citrus Egg Roll】: Understood, sis. We’re all Jiejie’s wives.

Gu Shanxue’s hand twitched on the keyboard. She took a deep breath, picked up her phone, and sent Que Yining a message.

【Gu Shanxue】: New store opening?

【Ningning】: Yes, business is quite good. The food is really great. I know you don’t have any social engagements tonight, so I’ve already arranged for someone to send you some food.

Gu Shanxue replied to the message. When she looked up at the screen, she saw the slight upturn of her own lips.

She stared at the screen blankly for a while, browsed the page a bit more, and then returned to her work.

The food Que Yining had someone send her arrived quickly. Inside, there was even a fried egg, in the shape of a heart.

Gu Shanxue rested her chin on her hand, looking at the heart, and spaced out again for a while.

The restaurant had a successful opening, which was within Que Yining’s expectations.

Que Yining personally ensured the quality of every dish. The irresistible taste and effective marketing ensured that even after the first three days of half-price promotions, the customer traffic continued to increase.

She was focused on establishing the brand’s reputation, not in a hurry to open chain stores. She created a dedicated Weibo account for Min Zhi and was diligent in posting updates on it.

At first, it was just the appearance fans and game fans clamoring. Later, more and more foodies gathered, and the brand became increasingly famous. Eventually, it became an essential check-in restaurant in Lu Su. Of course, that’s a story for later.

Besides keeping an eye on the restaurant and online matters, Que Yining also had to divide her attention to watch Que Linyang’s movements. Que Linyang was usually very composed. It had been over half a month, and she could only find out that he intended to sell off shares, but there had been no major moves yet.

Dogs that bite don’t bark. This was especially true for this “dog,” Que Linyang. Que Yining didn’t let her guard down too much.

On the game side, after Min Jiazhi’s major move ended in a disastrous failure, he hadn’t made any small moves, and things were steadily improving. But even so, Que Yining was too busy to get away. She could only carve out some pitiful amount of time to flirt with Miss Gu.

Although Gu Shanxue was shy and planned to wait, she was also stirred up by the flirting. She never failed to remind Que Yining to sleep early every day. Although the two were too busy to meet, the distance between their hearts had not grown.

In early July, Que Yining’s packed schedule finally eased up a bit.

During the day, she managed to get Gu Shanxue’s evening plans out of her. She knew Gu Shanxue was going to attend a banquet in the evening. And she happened to have received an invitation to that same banquet. Originally, she didn’t plan to attend, but since Gu Shanxue was going, she definitely had to go too.

Not only would she go, she would also dress up beautifully to give Gu Shanxue a surprise.

She stood with both feet on the ground, took a few steady steps, and looked at herself satisfactorily in the full-length mirror.

The makeup she planned to wear today wasn’t heavy, with a light peach tone. Her purpose for going this time wasn’t to stun everyone and discuss collaborations. She just wanted to be with Gu Shanxue, and go home together in the evening. If things went smoothly, and she could finish what they hadn’t finished before, that would be simply the best.

Que Yining took out the gift Gu Shanxue had given her for the first time more than half a year ago, and sprayed the perfume on her wrist.

She actually didn’t use this perfume much. Only when she went to see Gu Shanxue would she use it. She actually didn’t know if Gu Shanxue still remembered this, but she remembered.

The summer air was becoming increasingly hot and stuffy. Que Yining wore a black knee-length skirt. Her long hair, long since dyed back to full black, was tied up at the back of her head. She looked a bit more quietly charming and a little less domineering.

Que Yining looked at herself in the mirror with satisfaction, grabbed her bag, put on her shoes, and went out.

Before she reached her destination, while she was on the way, Jiang Xiaowan sent her a message.

【Lao Jiang】: Little sister, I saw the person you like. Come quickly if you’re free.

Jiang Xiaowan also sent the location, which could be said to be very loyal. Que Yining was smiling and about to say she was on her way, when another message from Jiang Xiaowan arrived.

【Lao Jiang】: There’s a handsome guy hovering around her. He seems quite interested in her, his expression is very obvious.

The corners of Que Yining’s mouth immediately turned down. She typed a few words with a murderous aura.

【Que Mei】: Already on my way, arriving immediately!

Jiang Xiaowan didn’t put her phone away. She leaned against the railing, watching the situation below, acting as her friend’s camera probe. She clinked glasses with the person next to her and inquired about the man below.

“The eldest young master from Lin City who came here to develop his career. His family is quite influential in Lin City. What, are you interested in the woman he’s interested in?” Jiang Xiaowan had been out for many years, and everyone knew her sexual orientation. So the person just smiled and teased, then added, “I’d advise you to pick a different target. That one is the new head of the Gu family. Although she hasn’t officially taken her father’s position yet, it’s clear she’s not far from kicking him out. You probably know about the Gu family’s affairs if you ask around. This lady has always been an unattainable ice queen. Anyone who tried to pick her has been frozen to death by her.”

“That’s not necessarily true; there are exceptions,” Jiang Xiaowan swirled her wine glass, a faint smile on her lips. “But don’t talk nonsense. The exception isn’t me. I’m not interested in her either. I’m a taken woman now, so don’t spread rumors.”

“Really fallen for a young girl’s cuteness and innocence and can’t get out?”

“You’ll know if you try.”

Jiang Xiaowan drained the wine in her glass, placed the glass on a passing waiter’s tray, sent the message to Que Yining, and her gaze returned to the woman below, who was surrounded by people.

Gu Shanxue dealt with the people around her one by one. She felt a little helpless about Fang Sushen standing beside her.

This was someone she had recently collaborated with. Some things the other party hadn’t said too directly, and Gu Shanxue couldn’t be too blunt either. Her intention to decline his invitations was very clear, but Fang Sushen said he was new here, and Gu Shanxue, as the host, should show him around. But his constantly staying by her side had a very clear meaning.

“It seems someone has been watching you.”

Fang Sushen looked up in Jiang Xiaowan’s direction and reminded Gu Shanxue.

Gu Shanxue followed his gaze and saw Jiang Xiaowan raising a glass to her. She politely raised her glass in return.

Jiang Xiaowan had liked Que Yining before. Although Gu Shanxue knew Jiang Xiaowan already had a partner and wasn’t as guarded, her attitude was still not very warm.

The moment she lowered her head, Gu Shanxue suddenly thought of something, her heart skipped a beat, wondering if Jiang Xiaowan would say something to Que Yining.

She immediately took two steps away, distancing herself from Fang Sushen.

Fang Sushen: ?

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