It seems we were never meant to be mother and daughter.
When burning paper money for her husband, she clasped her hands together and prayed for his protection and peace.
Behind them, the young couple held hands, a perfect match made in heaven.
Chapter 85
Chapter 85
For the second time in her life, Ah Heng encountered that formidable rival in the sunlight, and her heart trembled slightly.
Looking at her flawless, jade-like beauty, her noble and composed demeanor, and her golden exterior, two words come to mind.
envious.
She tugged at Yan hope and said blankly, "Why don't you become a crow with me?"
Gently plead with him, "Can you stop being a phoenix?"
If you were still a phoenix, you and Lu Liu would truly be a perfect match...
Yan hope munched on the apple in his hand, and wow, took a big bite—"Then I'll be a peacock!" ^_^
Lu Liu was jogging when he saw Yan hope, who was still sleepy and walking unsteadily, and a girl who looked like Wen Siwan.
It's funny. I stopped and wiped the sweat from my neck with the towel. "Yan hope, why are you up so early?"
Yan hope spat out the apple peel, ignoring him.
Ah Heng was polite and said we went to the supermarket because we were out of toothpaste.
Yan hope nodded and continued eating her apple, her big eyes looking dazed.
Lu Liu, dressed in a blue and white tracksuit, approached, took out a spray bottle from his pocket, tossed it to Yan hope, and smiled slightly—"Rinse your mouth first. You dare to eat an apple without brushing your teeth."
Yan hope said, "Okay, we've been eating for so long, by the time we've eaten, any bacteria would be in our stomachs by now."
Ah Heng blushed slightly. She only realized in the early morning that she had forgotten to buy toothpaste. Yan hope insisted on going to the supermarket with her. She felt that she hadn't taken good care of Yan Xi, and it seemed that she had lost face in front of Lu Liu.
Lu Liu smiled knowingly—"Yan hope, thanks to you this time, we've successfully negotiated the case with S City."
Yan hope yawned and replied casually, "It's no problem. It's rare that President Li is an old acquaintance of my grandfather. We're like brothers, so I'll help if I can."
Lu Liu glanced at Aheng, a boy with delicate and refined features. Recalling Xiao Chen's report, he smiled faintly. "A face like jade carving—Miss Wen and I are old friends. Your brother works at Lu's and is often praised by the elders in your family. We grew up together, so we should be closer. Sometime when you have time, how about we have a casual meal together?"
Ah Heng, sure, how about you come to the Yan family another day, Mr. Lu, and I'll cook you a simple meal.
She smiled gently and kindly. Lu Liu had no expression, but the smile on his lips disappeared. He looked at the sky; the sun was already high in the sky. He patted Yan Xi on the shoulder and said, "Okay, let's go when you have time. We'll have a drink. But you have to prepare a guest room for me. You kick people when you sleep, so I won't share a room with you."
Ah Heng felt the veins on her forehead throbbing. Watching Lu Liu walk away, she said softly, "Young Master Yan, you kick people in your sleep? I didn't even know."
Yan hope wiped away his tears, thinking to himself, "What does your bickering have to do with me?" But he didn't dare say it out loud, and just laughed it off—"It was when I was a kid, it was when I was a kid."
The two went to the supermarket to buy toothpaste. Passing by the snack section, they noticed that Guai Guai puffed snacks had new packaging and were on sale. Aheng picked up a bag, and the packaging featured the face of Cao Cao from Peking Opera. Remembering the white jade carving of the man who seemed to ascend to immortality with a single breath, she pointed at the bag and softly sang in a high-pitched voice, "White-faced ones are all treacherous officials!"
Yan hope was speechless and choked with emotion. The spray that Yu Renlu had given him instantly turned into an insecticide. He grabbed the trash can as if it were a spare rib.
Upon returning home, he immediately launched into a barrage of calls—"Young Master Lu, you'd better not come to my house anytime soon. There's a fire in my backyard, and I'm not capable enough to handle it."
Lu Liu was signing his name with his diamond pen when he paused, coldly saying, "The Wen family's daughter is too important; not just anyone can afford to marry her. Of course, if I want to marry her, fine; but if you want to marry her, Young Master Yan, it'll be a bit difficult."
Yan hope smiled enigmatically – Young Master Lu, if you want to marry him, fine. But don't let his honest appearance fool you, my son is incredibly jealous. When he gets angry, he can't control himself and loves to put condiments in his food. One day, when you're poisoned to death, I'll definitely send you a wreath as a gesture of goodwill.
The two exchanged barbs, with Lu Shaoyan subtly mocking each other, yet their interactions were also intertwined with a deep-seated childhood bond, making the exchange both amusing and poignant.
Lu Liu put down his pen, his long, slender hand showing no signs of fatigue. He rubbed his brow, looking somewhat tired. "Alright, Yan hope, stop joking with me. I'm not interested in Wen Heng. You've taken care of what you need to do. Come back soon."
Finally, he added, "I need you."
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Ah Heng returned to the Wen family at the age of fifteen and later spent many years in the Yan family. She had attended many banquets and met many so-called dignitaries. At least she had seen the real people who had appeared on television and in newspapers. At first, she might have been surprised and intimidated, but later, she became numb to it and realized just how wealthy and powerful the Yan and Wen families were. Fortunately, her peers, despite their illustrious family backgrounds, were surprisingly honest and well-mannered. She gradually got used to the somewhat mysterious life in the garden in the eyes of outsiders.
At least, Yan hope, who was with him day and night, never put on airs in front of others.
It's said, according to Da Yi, that the most expensive gift Yan hope ever received for his birthday was a watch worth over a million. However, A Heng had never seen that watch, so she naturally took it as a joke.
Mary laughed at her naivety, saying that the beautiful Yan was very approachable, and that all the people who were close to him were people of high status who would dare to approach him.
Ah Heng is serious. Our Yan hope has always been a good kid with impeccable character and has never been corrupted. You are talking nonsense.
Chen Juan shook his head. "You are in the midst of the mountain, unaware of the depths of the clouds."
Helpless, Ah Heng put down the Chinese knot in her hand. These days, with nothing to do at home, she found a tutorial to learn how to make Chinese knots to pass the time.
She said, "Even if it's true, what's the point of discussing this with me? Are we unworthy to prove it?"
Da Yi Chen Juan choked on his saliva and awkwardly said, "No, that's not true. I'm just afraid that the bigger the occasion you attend with Yan hope in the future, the greater the sense of loss you'll feel. You should be mentally prepared, shouldn't you?"
Ah Heng looked at the template for the Chinese knot and chuckled in response, "Thank you."
He added, "Dayi, you should take some time to go back and visit Grandpa Xin. Last night, he dragged my grandpa into drinking some wine and was cursing in the middle of the night."
Old Master Xin had always disagreed with his grandson going into business, saying that he could join the government or the army as he pleased, but there was no way he could take shortcuts or engage in crooked practices. He said that being greedy for a little money showed a very narrow mind.
It was impossible for Da Yi to get start-up capital. But he had been spoiled since childhood, and when he got angry, he would pack a few clothes and run away from home, staying at Chen Juan's house ever since.
At first, Da Yi wanted to steal a few things from the family to cash out, but he was afraid of losing face for the Xin family, so he asked Yan Xi for money. Although Yan Xi made things difficult for him, he gave him the money readily, which made Da Yi feel even worse. Although they were brothers, he didn't have the Xin family name after all, yet he gave him the money so readily. Why didn't Yan Xi support me? You are my own grandfather.
So, after arguing with Old Xin, he refused to go back.
Ah Heng's description of Old Xin cursing was still subtle. His exact words were, "Damn it, I'm a hero all my life, how could I have given birth to such an unfilial son?"
Although Da Yi was afraid of his grandfather, he was stubborn and kept his head down—"I'm such a brat, I'm only going back to get scolded!"
Chen Juan remained silent, gazing thoughtfully at the teacup in his hand.
Ah Heng said calmly, "Grandpa Xin's 70th birthday is next week. I've delivered the message. You can decide what to do."
Originally, according to the course of events, it was just a grandfather taking out his anger on his grandson during Xin Lao's 70th birthday celebration. However, to Aheng's surprise, the one who started the trouble was not the host family, but an outsider, and an outsider related to the Yan family at that.
That day, Yan hope prepared generous gifts and brought invitations. He took Aheng to the banquet. The two children came up with many ideas on how to reconcile the grandfather and grandson. Yan Xi even called Da Yi and gave him a death order: if he dared not come, he would be a son of a bitch and be beaten into a bear cub.
Xin Dayi was already feeling guilty because Yan hope held his life in her hands, so she had no choice but to be humble and act like a dutiful son and grandson, and she came dressed in a respectable manner. She stood outside the hall and obediently acted as a dutiful son and grandson, entertaining the guests.
Old Master Xin glanced at his grandson, snorted coldly, and ignored him out of politeness, but did not lose his temper.
Ah Heng and Yan hope breathed a sigh of relief, and said some auspicious words to the old man with a smile. Yan Xi sat with a few familiar friends on the male guests' side, while Ah Heng sat in the female guest seat next to her mother.
When Lu Liu arrived, he made a grand gesture, commissioning a two-meter-tall gold-inlaid jade "longevity" character. He respectfully offered his birthday greetings to Elder Xin, who showed little expression, but others watched with envy.
Ten minutes before the banquet began, Madam Wen was chatting with a group of ladies at the table. One of them kept praising Aheng, saying she was the most beautiful woman in the world. However, Si'er, who was as beautiful as a flower, seemed not to notice and was very quick-witted. Aheng blushed, chuckled and whispered, "I really am that good."
The other women at the table laughed—"Mengyun, Aheng is so wonderful, why don't you let her be your wife?"
The lady called Mengyun changed her expression and said with a dark face, "I would like to, but Zhang Ruo doesn't have Xiao hope's good fortune!"
Ah Heng didn't understand where her mother's anger came from, so she asked her mother in a low voice what was wrong. Her mother smiled faintly and didn't say anything.
This lady is the wife of Staff Officer Zhang, whom I mentioned before. She was a singer when she was young. She was beautiful and her songs were very popular. However, after marrying Staff Officer Zhang, who was then a division commander, she retired from the music scene and did not like others to mention this past event. Now, she has an even more impressive demeanor as a lady.
As for Staff Officer Zhang, he was promoted by Yan hope's grandfather and is considered a staunch member of Yan's faction. In the past two years, he has bribed the media quite a bit when Yan hope was on the radio.
Staff Officer Zhang and his wife had only one son, Zhang Ruo, whom his wife referred to as Zhang Ruo. This boy was intelligent from a young age. He disliked Yan Xi's dissolute lifestyle and looked down on him, while becoming close to Lu Liu. Staff Officer Zhang had other intentions, so he turned a blind eye to it.
Zhang Ruo, a few days ago, became obsessed with a minor pop star surnamed Yan, spending lavishly on her. Everyone laughed at his filial piety, and his mother tried to dissuade him several times without success. Finally, Zhang Ruo got angry and said, "This is a hereditary condition!" This made his mother so angry that she almost fainted. She gritted her teeth and said, "Don't let me see that little vixen, or I'll skin her alive!"
But fate is unpredictable. Before Zhang Ruo attended the banquet, Lu Liu hinted that he wanted to see his future sister-in-law. Zhang Ruo thought that with such a big face as Old Master Xin, his mother wouldn't make a scene on the spot, so he brought the little singer with him before the banquet started.
When Mrs. Zhang saw her son walk in and a young pop star in a pearl-embroidered dress, her blood pressure soared to 200.
Actually, if this little singer were a good person, it wouldn't be a problem. But when she asked around, most people said she was a slut with a bad reputation in the entertainment industry.
Zhang Ruo took the congratulatory gift and handed it to Da Yi. She originally wanted to take the little singer directly to Lu Liu, but everyone present was male, and there was no room for her girlfriend. So, she took the little singer and awkwardly walked up to his mother—"Mom, look..."
Mrs. Zhang was about to say no, and for her son's sake, she would help him this once, but she didn't expect the little singer to speak up in a sweet voice—"If I want to sit with you, this table is full of elderly people, and I have nothing to talk to them about."
The ladies at the table also experienced a rise in blood pressure.
Ah Heng recognized Zhang Ruo; they were high school classmates. He smiled gently and said, "Miss, would you like to sit next to me?"
The young singer pouted, "You're my fan, right? Let me make this clear: I'm not signing autographs today, and I'm not taking photos with you either."
Ah Heng smiled, gently said okay, and took her hand to sit down.
Madam Zhang thought of the Yan family, then of her own, and felt even more ashamed. Indeed, a well-bred young lady was far better than these lowly actors, yet she automatically ignored the fact that she herself had once been one of those lowly people.
Zhang Ruo knew that Wen Heng was Yan hope's future wife, and she had some reservations. She only gave Wen Heng a deep look, said thank you in a light tone, whispered something in the little singer's ear, and then went to Lu Liuyan and Yan Xi's table.
Zhang Ruo is different from Sun Peng. Although Sun Peng and Yan hope always argue when they meet, their relationship is still quite good. But Zhang Ruo is much simpler. She is too lazy to even talk to Yan hope, and she can't stand up for herself or others.
Yan hope is more naive; since we're not on the same path, who cares about you?
Zhang Ruo and Lu Liu chatted and laughed. Zhang Ruo pointed to her girlfriend sitting at a table not far away. Lu Liu smiled faintly and said, "Very good."
Yan Xi was chatting and joking with Si Wan and Sun Peng. Everyone at the table was talking about their own things, except for Lu Liu who would occasionally put some food on Yan Xi's plate. The atmosphere was quite lively with everyone on their own.
The men's side was fine, but the women's side was much worse. Ever since the little singer arrived, the ladies were too lazy to talk. Apart from whispering, the only sounds were the clinking of chopsticks and wine glasses.
Aheng didn't think anything of it. She had never been involved in the entertainment industry, but Yan hope had spent some time in it, so she was a little curious and asked Miss Yan next to her some questions. However, Miss Yan felt that she was a big star, and Zhang Ruo had previously told her not to get close to anyone, so she naturally ignored Aheng.
Ah Heng touched his nose, smiled, gave up, and focused on serving his mother food.
"Mom, try this, shrimp and egg custard. It's different from what we make at home, and it's delicious." Ah Heng smiled and coaxed Wen's mother to eat, seeing that she didn't have a good appetite.
Si'er knew what her mother was worried about, and thought to herself, "Girl, let's be generous today." She agreed, "Aheng is right, it's really delicious, please eat more."
With a smile, Madam Wen agreed and patted her two daughters' hands. Madam Zhang was filled with envy—Yunyi was truly blessed to have both a son and a daughter.
The other wives, who were holding back their words, quickly chimed in, starting with their children, then moving on to clothing, food, and health, finally easing the awkward atmosphere and getting them talking.
The young singer was also a talkative person. She interrupted everything others said, eager to spill all her knowledge and not allow anyone to speak. Even when others were willing to offer their opinions, eight out of ten of their statements were lies, and the remaining two were completely nonsensical. In the end, all the women at the table sneered, and only she spoke, concluding with a comment to Madam Zhang: "Mengyun, you're in luck now. Your daughter-in-law not only sings well, but she's also a know-it-all!"
Madam Zhang was so angry that she trembled all over.
Yan Dawan seemed to be deliberately looking for trouble. She knew that the biggest obstacle to her marriage was Zhang Ruo's mother. But they all came from the same background, so who would laugh at whom? She raised her eyebrows and said, "Mom, after Ruo and I get married, you can leave the household management to me. You don't need to worry about anything at home, big or small!"
Mrs. Zhang was furious and shouted, "You vixen, who's your mother! You have such a foul mouth!"
The entire banquet was completely silent.
Zhang Ruoli heard it from afar and saw his mother and girlfriend arguing, their faces turning pale and then red.
The little singer grinned, her large, alluring eyes glaring back defiantly—Mom, that's not how you talk. I call you Mom out of respect. It would be embarrassing if my grandson didn't call you Grandma after Ruo and I got married!