Shen Yaochen met Cheng Jili’s gaze, his pupils contracting sharply as his earlier arrogance extinguished completely.
“Brother Jili, I was just catching up with sister-in-law here. Don’t misunderstand.”
“Catching up?” Cheng Jili curled one corner of his mouth and suddenly snatched the plate from Jiang Shi’s hands, raising his arm.
Jiang Shi’s heart jolted. “Cheng Jili, don’t!”
Before the words even faded, the plate was already slammed down onto Shen Yaochen’s head.
Cream and cake crumbs splattered all over Shen Yaochen’s face and hair.
Jiang Shi pressed a hand to her forehead. “…”
The guests scattered around turned at the commotion, and the scene erupted in murmurs.
Shen Yaochen was completely stunned. It took him two full seconds to snap back to his senses. He wiped his face haphazardly and roared, “Cheng Jili! Have you lost your mind? Today is my grandmother’s eightieth birthday, and you dare treat me like this?!”
Cheng Jili let out a cold snort. “Your grandmother’s eightieth birthday, and that gives you the right to bully my wife? What kind of logic is that?”
A waiter rushed over with napkins, trying to help Shen Yaochen wipe himself clean, but was shoved away roughly.
“Who bullied her? I was just being nice and squeezing some chili sauce for her. What’s the problem? Is there an issue? Do you have to make such a big deal out of this?”
“Being nice?” Cheng Jili laughed out loud, the sound carrying a bone-chilling edge.
He stepped forward slowly and snatched the chili bottle from Shen Yaochen’s hand. “Fine, I’ll be nice too.”
“What are you trying to do?” Shen Yaochen shouted as he backed away. “Cheng! I’m warning you, don’t push it!”
But Cheng Jili stood a head taller than him, and his strength was on a completely overwhelming level.
With one hand he easily clamped down on Shen Yaochen’s shoulder, while the other squeezed the chili sauce bottle directly over the top of his head.
Chili sauce mixed with cream dripped down, streaming all over his neck.
Shen Yaochen choked violently on the fumes. “Holy shit—cough cough—Cheng Jili! I’ll fucking—cough—kill you!”
“You want to commit murder at your grandmother’s eightieth birthday? Unfilial brat. I’ll just teach you a proper lesson on behalf of the entire Shen family.”
With that, Cheng Jili grabbed Shen Yaochen’s collar and yanked him forward hard. As Shen Yaochen stumbled, Cheng Jili seized the back of his neck.
He slammed Shen Yaochen’s head down onto the table, pressing it into a plate of fruit salad.
The scene descended into complete chaos.
Shen Yaochen flailed like a struggling goose, his arms thrashing wildly and knocking over the dishes around him.
More and more guests gathered, staring in utter shock.
Old Mrs. Shen hurried over with the help of others. Taking in the scene before her, her face darkened. “Jili! What are you doing? Let go of him this instant! Do it for this old woman’s sake!”
Cheng Jili looked up with a roguish expression. “Grandma Shen, I’m sorry, but he bullied my wife. No one’s sake is going to change that.”
Shen Yaochen struggled to lift his face and spat out a cherry tomato. “Cheng Jili, if you’ve got the guts, just kill me! Otherwise, I’m not done with you! The Shen family won’t let this go either! My brother will definitely destroy your project!”
As if he’d heard some taboo word, Cheng Jili’s eyes turned fierce. He yanked Shen Yaochen up and moved to press him into a nearby plate of hot dishes.
The rising steam scalded his face, scaring Shen Yaochen into stammering, “B-b-brother! I was w-wrong! I won’t dare do it again!”
Seeing this, the people around began to plead.
“Jili, calm down. Don’t actually cause a real incident.”
“Yeah, let’s talk things out properly. Let him go now.”
But Cheng Jili’s manner was notorious throughout all of Jingbei, and coupled with his family background and status in the business world, no one dared to actually step forward and stop him.
Nor would he take anyone’s words to heart.
In the midst of the chaos, Yu Xianzhi squeezed through the crowd and approached. When she saw the scene before her, her expression turned extremely ugly.
“Cheng Jili, are you out of your mind? Do you know what occasion this is? What kind of behavior is this!”
If she hadn’t said anything, it might have been fine—but after she spoke, Cheng Jili pressed Shen Yaochen down even harder.
Yu Xianzhi was so furious her face turned ashen.
Her gaze swept over Jiang Shi, who stood to the side, her eyes brimming with resentment.
She clearly blamed Jiang Shi for the entire farce.
It was all because she stirred up trouble that Jili lost all propriety and the Cheng family was utterly humiliated!
Yu Xianzhi leaned in close and lowered her voice. “Leave now! Don’t make a spectacle of yourself here!”
Jiang Shi looked at the chaotic scene before her, anxiety rising in her heart as well.
She custom-made qipaos for the ladies of high society, relying entirely on her own gentle and considerate nature to maintain her clientele. If Cheng Jili kept causing a scene, these ladies would surely become wary of her in the future, avoiding any association, and would never dare to have her make clothes for them again.
Jiang Shi steeled herself and stepped forward, gently tugging at Cheng Jili’s sleeve. “Enough. Let’s go.”
Cheng Jili looked down at her hand. When he saw that incomplete little finger, the anger in his eyes dissipated somewhat.
He pulled Shen Yaochen to his feet and pushed him in front of Jiang Shi.
“Apologize to Jiang Shi, and I’ll let you go.”
“Yes yes yes! I’ll apologize!” Shen Yaochen nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. “Sister-in-law! I was wrong! From now on, you’re my—my own sister-in-law!”
“What nonsense are you shouting?” Cheng Jili’s brow furrowed. “Who’s your sister-in-law?”
Shen Yaochen immediately corrected himself. “No no no! You’re not! You’re my own mother! Okay? My own mother! I’m sorry, please forgive me, I’ll never dare again!”
Jiang Shi looked at Shen Yaochen’s disheveled head and felt grateful that the Shen parents were abroad—otherwise, there was no telling how this would end.
“That’s enough. I forgive him.”
Cheng Jili coldly spat out a single word. “Scram.”
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Shen Yaochen clenched his fists and left with his head down.
The guests were all people accustomed to such scenes. Even though they had just been quite frightened, their faces still wore calm and composed expressions.
The pleasantries that had been interrupted naturally resumed, their brows and eyes indifferent, exuding the decorum of this social stratum—and the aloofness carved into their very bones.
Yu Xianzhi apologized repeatedly to Old Mrs. Shen. “I’m truly sorry. This one in our family is just a wild beast. Please don’t take it to heart.”
The Shen and Cheng families were old family friends. How could Old Mrs. Shen not know Cheng Jili’s character? “Xianzhi, your son is so unruly—as his mother, you bear responsibility.”
“Yes, yes!” Yu Xianzhi nodded repeatedly. “It’s my fault for not teaching him properly! I’ll punish him when we get home!”
“Jili is twenty-six now, isn’t he? Isn’t it a bit late to punish him now?” Old Mrs. Shen shook her head. “In the future, when that girl Jiang has children, don’t you dare help raise them—otherwise you’ll surely raise a second little rascal.”
Yu Xianzhi: “…”
The commotion finally subsided, but the gazes falling on Jiang Shi grew all the more complicated.
She didn’t want to linger. After apologizing to Old Mrs. Shen, she took her leave with impeccable courtesy.
Cheng Jili followed behind her with an air of indifference.
The two walked out the main entrance, one after the other.
Under the moonlight, the man’s voice seemed even more cold and languid. “You like being bullied that much?”
Jiang Shi stopped and turned around. “What?”
“That coward has bullied you since you were kids, and I’ve never once seen you fight back.” Cheng Jili kept his hands in his pockets. “Judging by how you were snapping at people the other day, I thought you’d toughened up a bit. Turns out you haven’t changed at all.”
He had never gotten along with Shen Yaochen. Back in their youth, he’d beaten him up countless times, and every time it ended with Shen Yaochen running home in tears.
Jiang Shi figured that was just bias.
Cheng Jili hated that man too much—otherwise, he wouldn’t be this furious.
She turned back around and kept walking, her voice featherlight. “If you hadn’t shown up, I would’ve thrown the plate in my hand right at his face.”
The man let out a long, drawn-out “Oh.” “So I’m the one holding you back, Mrs. Cheng?”
Jiang Shi was about to fire back when her vision suddenly went black.
Her eyesight was deteriorating rapidly, sending a violent wave of dizziness through her. She stumbled, nearly falling.
Cheng Jili stepped forward and caught her.
“Jiang Shi, what’s wrong?”
Her eyes squeezed shut. “I feel really dizzy…”
Suddenly, she felt weightless as Cheng Jili swept her up into his arms.
“I’m taking you to the hospital.”