Ruan Yufei smiled gently. She could see that Xie Qinjia was very fond of Lin Mei, so she didn't say anything. Xie Qinjia brought Ruan Yufei and Yang Shuo back, and they happened to sit next to Lin Mei.
Lin Mei had a conflict with Ruan Yufei and her son not long ago. As the two sat down, her expression became unnatural. Xie Qinjia, oblivious, introduced Ruan Yufei to Lin Mei, "This is Ruan Yufei, Yang Shuo's mother, and also my niece-in-law."
Ruan Yufei greeted Lin Mei softly, "Miss Lin."
With others watching, Lin Mei couldn't refuse Ruan Yufei's courtesy and said, "Hello." However, her mind was preoccupied with Xie Qinjia's introduction of Ruan Yufei. How could she so openly call Ruan Yufei her niece-in-law? What did that make Jiang Chubbi?
Or perhaps Ruan Yufei had already gained recognition from Xing Zheng's entire family through her son, and Jiang Chubbi was merely a nominal fiancée, bound by interests. Such situations were common in wealthy families, and upon reflection, it wasn't surprising.
Lin Mei glanced at Yang Shuo. Yang Shuo was talking to Xie Qinjia. The child was exceptionally intelligent. He had seen her earlier but acted as if he didn't know her, showing no flaws. Such cunning was uncharacteristic of a seven-year-old, and Ruan Yufei must have played a significant role in this.
Lin Mei had never believed Ruan Yufei to be as innocent and harmless as she appeared, but she hadn't expected her to be so calculating. If she intended to deal with Jiang Chubbi, Jiang Chubbi would likely be in for a rough time.
Speak of the devil, Jiang Chubbi arrived with gifts. Jiang Chubbi seemed to be well-acquainted with Xie Qinjia as well. After setting down her gifts, she began to exchange pleasantries with Xie Qinjia. Seeing Jiang Chubbi, Lin Mei became restless, fearing she might say something inappropriate, yet she also wanted to see how Jiang Chubbi and Ruan Yufei interacted.
"Manager Lin is here too? Aunt Xie, how do you know Manager Lin?" Jiang Chubbi exclaimed with surprise.
Xie Qinjia: "You know each other?"
Jiang Chubbi's gaze became ambiguous. Lin Mei's intuition told her that she wouldn't say anything good next, so Lin Mei took the initiative, "Miss Jiang is a client of our bank. We've met a few times before."
"Yes, Manager Lin is very capable, everyone praises her," Jiang Chubbi complimented Lin Mei.
Lin Mei smiled without comment. Such insincere pleasantries were enough after one or two rounds. She really shouldn't have come tonight. To avoid trouble, she should find an excuse to leave soon, lest she be inadvertently drawn into a conflict that didn't concern her.
Jiang Chubbi then went to chat with Ruan Yufei, inquiring about Yang Shuo's situation. Their conversation was very harmonious. When Jiang Chubbi heard Ruan Yufei mention that Yang Shuo was looking for an Olympiad class, she even offered to introduce a tutor. Ruan Yufei agreed and thanked Jiang Chubbi. Jiang Chubbi took Ruan Yufei's arm, "We're family, why be so polite with me? It's not easy for you to raise Yang Shuo alone."
"How have you been feeling lately?" After discussing the children, Jiang Chubbi even inquired about Ruan Yufei's health.
Lin Mei watched from the side, dumbfounded. She had imagined countless scenarios, but never expected Jiang Chubbi and Ruan Yufei to be so "harmonious," as if they had reached some tacit understanding. Perhaps they had both spent enough time with Xing Zheng, so they had accepted each other's presence.
Lin Mei found it repulsive. If it were her, she wouldn't be able to accept such a situation. Just listening to them chat made her feel uncomfortable, wishing she could leave immediately.
Before long, Zhao Jianghe also arrived. Lin Mei had never seen Zhao Jianghe and felt so anxious. She said something to Xie Qinjia and then sat down with Zhao Jianghe. Zhao Jianghe noticed Lin Mei's unusual主动ness and abnormality today and asked her with a smile, "Are you nervous?"
"A little," Lin Mei fabricated an excuse, "Everyone here is a stranger, it's natural to feel reserved."
Zhao Jianghe: "You attend many social events. I thought you were very adaptable to such occasions."
Lin Mei: "That's different. Social events are usually for discussing work."
She rarely attended such socially charged banquets. She was usually lively and talkative when discussing work, and adept at handling clients, but deep down, she wasn't someone who enjoyed socializing. Outside of work, her only close friends were Lan Lan and Feng Feng.
Zhao Jianghe: "Don't be nervous. I'll look out for you tonight."
Lin Mei nodded and thanked him. Zhao Jianghe seemed to be looking towards Jiang Chubbi and Ruan Yufei's direction, it was unclear who he was looking at. Perhaps he also had reservations about their interaction. After a few minutes, Zhao Jianghe stopped looking and started chatting with Lin Mei. He was good at initiating conversations, so there was no fear of awkward silences when talking with him.
After they chatted casually for a while, Xing Sha returned. Xing Sha had a powerful aura. The moment he appeared, all attention in the living room shifted to him. Out of politeness, Lin Mei stood up with Zhao Jianghe.
Xing Sha stood at the door. For some reason, looking at him, Lin Mei's mind suddenly conjured the image of Xing Zheng. Upon closer inspection, she found Xing Sha and Xing Zheng to be strikingly similar. She realized that Xing Zheng must be Xing Sha's nephew, and not related to Xie Qinjia by blood. This explained it. The uncle and nephew looked more and more alike, even sharing the same imposing demeanor when not angry.
With Xing Sha's return, the banquet was about to begin. Three dining tables were prepared in the kitchen. Xing Sha instructed the butler to lead the guests to their seats, prioritizing Xie Qinjia's friends. As a younger relative, Lin Mei stood quietly in her spot. She didn't want to eat and was contemplating what excuse to use to leave.
Although she respected Xie Qinjia, she didn't wish to see either Ruan Yufei or Jiang Chubbi. She feared she would have indigestion if she had to sit and eat with them.
After some guests had left, Zhao Jianghe spoke to Xing Sha about business. "I met with people from the land bureau yesterday, but they haven't agreed yet. I might need to trouble you again, Uncle Xing."
Lin Mei didn't know what Zhao Jianghe and Xing Sha were discussing, but Jiang Chubbi was well aware. She glanced at Zhao Jianghe from the corner of her eye, a mocking smile playing on her lips. Before Xing Sha could reply to Zhao Jianghe, Xie Qinjia spoke to Zhao Jianghe, "Why be so formal? I told you, we're all family. Your Uncle Xing will definitely help you if he can."
After speaking, Xie Qinjia turned to Xing Sha and said, "Arrange something for Jianghe as soon as possible, okay?"
Xing Sha's gaze was complex and unreadable. He fell into silence. Lin Mei looked at him, vaguely sensing that he might not be very willing to help Zhao Jianghe, though she couldn't be sure if it was her imagination.
Just then, the villa's main door was pushed open again with a loud noise. Everyone looked over. The person who entered was Xing Zheng, dressed in a suit, his expressionless.
The butler seemed to try to stop him, but Shen Su and Gu Song blocked the way.
The smile vanished from Xie Qinjia's face, "Who told you to come back?!"