Jin Mingzhu gave in with a smile, “I just suddenly thought of it. Can’t I just stop talking about it?”
“But they have no tact at all. Shixu must have fired them long ago, right?” Li Chengshuo asked with a grin as he looked at the person across from him.
Han Shixu didn’t say anything.
For some unknown reason, he didn’t offer any specific explanation.
Jin Mingzhu, however, took his silence as agreement. Just as others came over to greet them, she simply complained a bit before smoothly changing the subject.
They chatted happily, occasionally bursting into particularly lively laughter.
Han Shixu’s gaze, however, wandered across various corners of the room. As soon as he spotted Song Zhenxian, he discreetly signaled for her to leave.
Song Zhenxian hesitated a little, as Mrs. Han had asked her to help serve drinks here.
But Han Shixu urged her urgently, and she herself didn’t dare show her face here too much either. So she put down her tray and hurriedly slipped away.
Only after she left did Han Shixu fully relax.
If Li Chengshuo and the others had seen her, who knows what kind of trouble it would have caused.
Neither Han Shixu nor Song Zhenxian knew that their actions had been observed entirely by Mrs. Han, who was not far away.
Ji Hua smiled politely in response to the guests while secretly pondering.
When did her son start having secrets with a maid?
…
Jing Yuanxi wandered around the villa, holding up her dress.
She saw quite a few maids and servants, but none were the target.
“Hiding so tightly, are they afraid we’ll eat her up?”
Just as Jing Yuanxi finished speaking, she heard some commotion coming from the main hall.
Through the sparse crowd, she saw another luxury car stop at the entrance of the villa.
In the garden, Han Shixu and the others also stopped their laughter and looked up.
First, a young man in a suit stepped out of the car, followed by an elderly man with meticulously combed white hair.
Only when they turned around did everyone see their faces clearly.
“Isn’t that… Pei Jize?” Jin Mingzhu said with some surprise and doubt.
“I knew he wouldn’t dare provoke Zhao Yupeng so casually.”
“But everyone attending the Han family’s banquet is a business partner. The Pei Family… I don’t recall them. He’s not from Zhongdu, is he?”
Han Shixu calmly looked ahead, watching as Pei Jize supported Pei Xiuyuan all the way from the main entrance into the hall. Ignoring the gazes of others, they headed straight for Jing Yuan inside.
Seeing the hand extended by the elderly Mr. Pei, Jing Yuan felt somewhat surprised inwardly, but he showed no sign of it on his face. Instead, he extended his hand with equal solemnity.
He recognized the person before him.
Being in business, even if not in the same field, he had heard of them.
The Pei Family of Atlan, a family enterprise that monopolized the entire trade bay in its early years.
He just didn’t know when the Pei Family had returned to the Empire or why they had specifically come to greet him.
The Jing Family’s trade was temporarily limited to within the Empire and had no dealings with the Pei Family.
“I came specifically to express my gratitude,” Pei Xiuyuan said with a smile as he briefly shook hands with the man across from him. “Yuanxi is a brave child. I should have visited earlier to thank you, but with many matters to attend to upon returning to the Empire, I was delayed for some time.”
Taking advantage of the gap while the elders conversed, Pei Jize scanned the hall. Within seconds, he found the person he was looking for.
Jing Yuanxi was leaning against a pillar. Pei Jize, like a peacock, proudly strutted over to her.
He might as well have written “Surprise!” all over his face.
Jing Yuanxi calmly swirled the wine glass in her hand, taking a small sip.
Pei Jize maintained a forced grin, his lips stretched wide. “Aren’t you surprised at all?”
After waiting for what felt like an eternity without seeing any change in her expression, he finally couldn’t hold back.
“Hey, Jing Yuanxi, you’re no fun. With someone like me protecting you, you must be thrilled deep down, right?”
Jing Yuanxi looked at him with amusement. “If your intelligence matched your ability to boast, you wouldn’t have been so easily kidnapped.”
“?”
The smile on Pei Jize’s face vanished instantly. He gritted his teeth and retorted, “Is saving me once such a big deal? Have you never been kidnapped since childhood? Never needed anyone to rescue you?”
“Where are you going? Stop right there!”
Jing Yuanxi downed the wine in her glass in one gulp, turned around, and shoved the empty glass into his hand. With a slight curl of her lips, she said, “I’m going to find my fiancé now. Want to come along?”
Pei Jize: “…”
He lowered his gaze to the lipstick stain on the rim of the glass.
After a long pause, he raised his lips in a mocking laugh. “What a coincidence. I happen to be someone who loves helping others. More people, more strength. It’s just a fiancé—I’ll help you find him.”
He wiped the lipstick off the rim of the glass with his thumb, then placed the empty glass on the table and hurried after her.
…
It wasn’t until she had pushed the wine cart all the way out the back door of the villa that Song Zhenxian finally stopped.
If she returned to the small storage room, she would likely be called to help again, so it was better to hide outside for a while.
Before Song Zhenxian could fully relax, she heard footsteps approaching from the direction of the villa. She immediately turned to push the cart away.
“Wait.”
Song Zhenxian’s breathing grew rapid, but she didn’t slow her pace.
“What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you hear Sister Huila calling you?” One of the ladies accompanying her strode forward and grabbed her arm.
Song Zhenxian hurriedly lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”
“Are you here to deliver wine? The villa is over there. Why are you wandering around?”
“Madam, I’ve already finished delivering. I was just about to head back,” Song Zhenxian whispered.
“Finished?”
The woman glanced into the cart and casually picked up a bottle of wine. “But there are still so many fine wines here. These must have been quite an effort for Madam Han to secure.”
Several ladies happily rummaged through the cart, their faces visibly delighted.
Song Zhenxian hunched over, almost pressing her face to the ground. From the corner of her eye, she could only catch glimpses of elegant hems.
Li Huila, who had been watching her intently, suddenly laughed and said, “You all go ahead. I just remembered there’s something I need to take care of.”
“Huh? Alright, then. We’ll wait for you inside.”
Though puzzled, the ladies holding the wine bottles smiled faintly and walked away. Even from a distance, their excited discussions about the fine wines could still be heard.
“Song Zhenxian?”
The moment the name was called out from across the way, Song Zhenxian trembled all over, her hands gripping the cart tightly.
She could hear her own heavy, rapid heartbeat, as if suppressing something.
Li Huila looked her up and down, taking in her attire and the cart before her. The mockery and scorn in her eyes were almost palpable.
“The former Miss Song of the Song family has now become a delivery girl. Is this big news?”
Song Zhenxian closed her eyes, slowly loosening her grip, only to have her wrist suddenly seized, revealing her scarred fingers.
“Even now, I can recognize you at a glance. After all, isn’t your current state entirely thanks to me? Have you been enjoying the gift I gave you?”
A sudden wash of crimson flooded Song Zhenxian’s vision, thick and piercing.
The dim alleyway, severed fingers, steel rebar… the long-forgotten nightmare finally resurfaced in his memory.