Chapter 19
The Zuo family, being influential and wealthy, was naturally a distinguished guest at the Chang family banquet, personally welcomed by both Chang Wenyan and Chang Wensi.
This time, Chang Wenyan didn’t glare at Zuo Bian like before. He wore a polite and gentle smile, as if he was meeting her for the first time.
Zuo Bian, however, took a few more glances at Chang Wenyan, thinking to herself:
‘555, Chang Wenyan’s eyes seem to be healed. Before, he kept staring at me like his eyes were broken.’
【Maybe he found a good doctor. But the male lead is nothing to worry about, Host. You need to be careful of Hu Miaofu, who will be attending today.】
Zuo Bian followed Zuo Yuan into the Chang family’s grand hall. Bright lights shone down from the ceiling, illuminating the opulent space. Guests in elegant attire and gentlemen in suits mingled around long tables laden with delicacies and flowers. In the center of the hall, a champagne tower stood tall, with a man and a woman standing before it.
Zuo Bian focused her gaze and saw that the woman was Hu Miaofu, while the man was unfamiliar.
‘Why should I be careful of Hu Miaofu? Shouldn’t the male lead pose a greater threat?’
【Oh, Chang Wenyan’s threat level is only 5.】 In other words, he was a weakling, the weakest of the weak, posing no challenge at all.
555 now regretted its choice. Back then, when it was selecting a “male lead,” it specifically chose someone who was easy to deal with, a simpleton. Now it was looking down on him.
‘Then what’s Hu Miaofu’s threat level?’ Zuo Bian asked.
【She’s formidable, a 55!】
Zuo Bian furrowed her brows in confusion. “But 55 is a failing grade.”
【Well, it’s all relative. Think about it, the male lead who is your rival in love only has a threat level of 5, but Hu Miaofu, a supporting character, has a fighting power that’s 11 times that of the male lead. Isn’t that significant?】
Zuo Bian was successfully persuaded by 555 and felt that its words made perfect sense.
‘Mm, you’re right. I’ll be on high alert.’
【I believe in you! Host, you’re a woman who can now skillfully wield the Green Tea Handbook!】
‘Mm-hmm!’
Zuo Bian scanned the venue, but after looking around, she couldn’t find Qin Ai.
Could it be that Qin Ai didn’t come today? Zuo Bian pursed her lips and walked through the hall towards the garden behind it.
Instead of encountering Qin Ai, Zuo Bian ran into Chang Wensi and Hu Miaofu.
Chang Wensi was wearing a red dress today, her long, wavy hair cascading down her back. With her dark eyebrows and red lips, her appearance matched her fiery and impulsive personality.
Something must have happened, as Hu Miaofu had provoked Chang Wensi and was now cornered by her.
Hu Miaofu was wearing a pure white dress. She naturally had a delicate and innocent appearance, and her teary-eyed look evoked sympathy from those who saw her.
This was Hu Miaofu’s most effective tactic. No matter what happened, as long as she placed herself in the position of the victim, someone would always sympathize with her first.
Chang Wensi always had a bad temper, and with Hu Miaofu looking so pitiful, the people around them began to whisper, most of them siding with Hu Miaofu.
“Miss Hu, if you stepped on my dress and ruined it, you could have just apologized. Why are you putting on this act?” Chang Wensi said in a displeased tone, her face dark as thunder.
Zuo Bian took a look and saw that Chang Wensi’s fiery red dress indeed had a dirty stain and a torn corner.
Hu Miaofu lowered her head even further. “I’m sorry… I really didn’t do it on purpose. I’ll compensate you. Although I don’t have much money, I’ll work hard to earn it. I hope Miss Chang won’t be angry anymore.”
Hu Miaofu’s act only served to highlight Chang Wensi’s unreasonable behavior. Who among those present didn’t have money? It was just a dress, there was no need to make things so difficult for her.
However, the more Hu Miaofu acted like this, the angrier Chang Wensi became. She didn’t even know why she was so angry.
A socialite who usually disliked Chang Wensi spoke up sarcastically, “It’s just a dress, how could our Miss Chang possibly make things difficult for a little white flower over this?”
The words “little white flower” made Hu Miaofu’s face pale, but she still professionally maintained her pitiful act.
*White Lotus or Flower” (slang) – someone who appears innocent, kind, and harmless on the surface but actually causes trouble or stirs up drama, often under the guise of being clueless or unintentional.*
“Miss Chang probably doesn’t lack such a dress, but this lady is different.” A man spoke up for Hu Miaofu.
Chang Wensi snorted coldly, thinking to herself: You all think I’m being unreasonable, fine, I’ll show you unreasonable!
“But Miss Hu said she would compensate, right? It’s only right to compensate for damaging someone else’s property. I believe Miss Hu is definitely not the kind of person who would willingly owe someone else.” Zuo Bian’s clear voice rang out.
Hu Miaofu froze, her hand wiping away tears. She hadn’t actually planned to compensate.
Chang Wensi looked at Zuo Bian in surprise. Zuo Bian met her gaze calmly. Suddenly, 555 started yelling in her mind, and Zuo Bian turned to leave.
【Host, Host, I’ve detected the female lead. She’s in the hall now.】
‘Mm-hmm!’ Wanting to see Qin Ai as soon as possible, Zuo Bian held up her skirt and jogged out of the garden, leaving the drama behind.
Qin Ai stood tall and slender in a snow-white suit, her features sharp. She stood with Zuo Yuan, and although she was shorter than him, her aura was not in the least bit weaker, even seeming to overpower him.
“I heard that President Qin is young and promising, and recently secured another major project. I’d like to propose a toast to you.” Zuo Yuan raised his glass towards Qin Ai, his smile not reaching his eyes.
Qin Ai could also see that Zuo Yuan had a strong opinion about her, so she didn’t even bother with a perfunctory smile.
“President Zuo seems to have a lot of free time. I occasionally want to take a break, but I have too much work to do. I never get the chance to rest.” Qin Ai said as she took a small sip of wine, just a taste.
The corner of Zuo Yuan’s mouth twitched. “If President Qin wants to relax, I can help you.”
The major project Zuo Yuan mentioned was the one Qin Ai had snatched from him. This Qin Ai had stolen his sister’s heart and his project! If they really ended up together, he would definitely make things difficult for her!
“Qin Ai!”
A clear and delighted voice reached Qin Ai’s ears. She looked up, and a fairy-like girl entered her vision.
The girl was dressed in pure white, and perhaps because she was in a hurry, a faint blush had appeared on her beautiful face. Her eyes were like a lake reflecting a starry sky.
“I finally found you.” Zuo Bian stopped two meters away from Qin Ai.
Seeing that his sister only had eyes for Qin Ai, and he was completely ignored, Zuo Yuan wanted to scream in frustration.
“Mm, you’re a bit late.” Qin Ai said.
Zuo Bian finally spared a glance for her brother. “Brother, you’re here too.”
Facing Zuo Bian, Zuo Yuan’s smile became genuine. “Why are you in such a hurry, Xiao Bian? Are you eager to see your brother?”
He knew that she wasn’t there to see him, but to see the hateful Qin Ai beside him. Yet, Zuo Yuan still chose to deceive himself. He was going to pretend to be happy and then be slapped in the face.
However, to Zuo Yuan’s surprise, Zuo Bian actually said, “That’s right, I came to find you, Brother. Xiao Bian loves you very much, I miss you if I don’t see you for an hour. I feel like the luckiest sister in the world to have you as my brother.”
Zuo Yuan’s expression became smug as he listened, even glancing at Qin Ai provocatively.
Zuo Bian continued to praise him, feeling that she was doing a great job. Her brother was already completely smitten.
However, 555 felt a bit uneasy. It felt that Qin Ai’s expression was a bit off, but it didn’t dare to say anything. It seemed like the host had gone overboard with the praise.
Leave a Reply