8 – The Banquet at Hongmen
The next morning when Tang Qianluo woke up, she felt as if she had aged at least ten years. The night before last, she dreamed of being chased by a leopard, and last night she dreamed of being a spy subjected to brutal interrogation. She felt completely drained!
Zuo Ye came for his routine check-up on Ning Dai and, noticing Tang Qianluo’s exhausted appearance, remarked,
“Even though you’re newlyweds, you still need to take care of your health. Ning Dai, you should be more considerate—don’t be so rough on her.”
Tang Qianluo: …
Starting off the morning with such innuendos?
“Don’t you have anything better to do? Leave,” Ning Dai coldly ordered.
Zuo Ye shrugged, took a folder from his assistant, and handed it to Ning Dai.
“Si Ang is busy today and couldn’t make it. This is the transfer agreement. Take a look and sign if there are no issues.”
Though he spoke vaguely, Tang Qianluo instantly guessed it was the agreement for the restaurant transfer.
Ning Dai skimmed through the contract, took a pen from his assistant, and handed both to Tang Qianluo, saying, “Sign it.”
Tang Qianluo shook her head vigorously, pushing it away. “I already said I don’t want it!”
Zuo Ye smiled faintly, recalling the results of his recent investigation, and said softly,
“That restaurant may be small, but it easily earns tens of millions in profit each year.”
Tang Qianluo’s pushing hand froze mid-air, then slowly dropped to her side a few seconds later.
The room fell into an eerie silence, so much so that even the passing servants unconsciously softened their footsteps.
“You investigated me?” Tang Qianluo’s smile remained, but her tone was icy.
Zuo Ye shrugged, tacitly admitting it. Just because Ning Dai refused to investigate didn’t mean he wouldn’t.
“What did you find out? Let me guess—the second daughter of the Tang Family is known for being spoiled and greedy. Not only did she defy her elders and run away from home two years ago for lacking respect, but she also forced her way into a marriage with the Ning Family out of jealousy on her sister’s engagement day. Did I guess correctly?”
Tang Qianluo spoke with such frankness that Zuo Ye was left speechless.
He awkwardly rubbed the tip of his nose, again admitting it silently.
Tang Qianluo leisurely smoothed her long hair, her eyes fixed on Zuo Ye as she said calmly,
“Young Master Zuo, no one dislikes money, and I’m no exception. But I don’t like windfalls. Rest assured, when Ning Dai and I divorce, I won’t take a single cent from the Ning Family.”
Zuo Ye hadn’t expected Tang Qianluo to bring up divorce so openly, and the atmosphere at the table grew intensely awkward.
Thud—
The dull sound of a coffee cup hitting the table made Tang Qianluo jump. She shuddered and stared fearfully at Ning Dai, the instigator.
His eyes were icy, a terrifying smile curling at the corners of his lips. “You want to divorce me?”
His tone seemed to say, If you dare say yes, I’ll wipe out your entire family in an instant!
Timid Tang instantly backed down. She waved her hands frantically and said, “No, no! I was just speaking offhand! Why bring up divorce during our newlywed days? It’s too unlucky!”
The coldness in Ning Dai’s expression didn’t fade in the slightest. He stood up, glanced at Zuo Ye, and said sternly,
“Zuo Ye, you overstepped today. Let this be the only time.”
Knowing he was in the wrong, Zuo Ye merely pursed his lips as Ning Dai spoke. Once finished, Zuo Ye turned to Tang Qianluo and apologized,
“Sister-in-law, don’t overthink it. I have nothing against you—it’s just my usual way of handling things.”Such matters were all too common in wealthy families. Zuo Ye’s inquiries were merely routine—if he truly wanted to investigate, he could trace someone’s lineage back eighteen generations. Tang Qianluo waved her hand dismissively, indicating it didn’t matter.
Ning Dai tapped his well-defined knuckles twice on the contract and said to Zuo Ye, “Issue the transfer announcement directly. Let the Tang family know.”
It was a case of adding insult to injury. Just yesterday, Tang Wanning had been flaunting her superiority in front of Tang Qianluo, and today that very store belonged to Tang Qianluo.
Tang Qianluo stood frozen in place, watching Ning Dai’s retreating figure, inwardly fuming: Did no one think to ask for my opinion?
She sighed, picked up the contract, and skimmed through it casually. But when her eyes landed on the transfer fee, she gasped in shock.
The transfer fee: one billion!
Zuo Ye noticed Tang Qianluo’s astonishment and patted her shoulder, saying,
“Shocking how cheap it is, right? That store is worth over two billion. Si Ang really took a huge loss this time.”
Cheap, my foot! Do rich people start their shopping at billions?
Though born into a prestigious family, Tang Qianluo had never had much opportunity to splurge due to her disfavored status. After leaving the Tang family two years ago, her life had become even more frugal.
Remembering the days she survived on spicy hot pot, Tang Qianluo felt a wave of bitterness.
Fortunately, Ning Dai didn’t make her accompany him to the company today. Recalling her neglected career, Tang Qianluo asked a servant for a set of cosmetics, retreated to her room, found a suitable spot, and started her livestream.
Tang Qianluo wasn’t an entertainment streamer but a beauty influencer, with millions of followers on the platform. She earned her living by teaching makeup through livestreams.
“Hello, my darlings! Long time no see. I’m short on time today, so I’ll teach you how to do a date makeup.”
Tang Qianluo had built a modest online reputation—her viewer count surpassed ten thousand shortly after she went live.
[Ah, the missing person is back! What have you been up to lately, streamer? You’ve been so lazy!] —Comment
“Lately? Well, I secretly got married recently. Believe it or not?” Tang Qianluo joked in reply.
[What the heck? Did I just get heartbroken? My wife got married?] —Comment
The screen flooded with question marks.
Tang Qianluo couldn’t help but chuckle and waved her hand, saying, “Alright, alright, I’m really pressed for time today. I’ll try to be as detailed as possible with the tutorial, so take good notes.”
The cosmetics she used today weren’t her own, making the process slightly awkward, but her skills carried the stream, and it went relatively smoothly.
“Thank you to all the darlings who sent gifts today! Let’s catch up next time!”
With that, Tang Qianluo ended the livestream and checked her earnings for the day—less than five hundred yuan. Comparing that to Ning Dai spending a billion on a store today, she felt utterly defeated!
She picked up her phone and transferred the day’s entire earnings to a WeChat account named “Fallen.” This was an animal hospital she’d connected with during her volunteer work.
“Please accept 499 yuan. Treat the dogs to something nice—you all work hard!”
This was one of Tang Qianluo’s little-known habits: rescuing stray animals. She had kept it up for five full years, never missing a donation even when she left the Tang family with nothing.
Life might be tough, but she always carried a resilient, upward-striving spirit.The other party quickly replied on WeChat with a simple “thank you” followed by several photos of a Golden Retriever. This Golden Retriever was Tang Qianluo’s recent rescue case—already under care for a month, yet its condition remained far from optimistic.
She sighed inwardly, feeling nothing but helplessness and heartache beyond the disappointment.
Suddenly, a soft knock interrupted Tang Qianluo’s thoughts. Collecting herself, she walked to the door and opened it to find a servant slightly bowing their head, whispering:
“Young Madam, someone from the Tang family has come to pick you up. They request your presence for a small family gathering.”