Chapter 23

Chapter 23

As the saying goes, you get what you pay for—and at over two hundred yuan per sheet mask, its effects far surpassed the ten-yuan ones she usually used.

Though Jiang Yiyan's original body already had great skin, the difference between using and not using the mask was still noticeable, demonstrating just how effective it was in providing immediate relief.

After splashing water on her face and washing it clean, her freshly hydrated skin resembled that of a newly peeled lychee—smooth, tender, and almost translucent.

Lifting her hand to caress her own face, Jiang Yiyan truly couldn't bear to part with it.

After admiring her reflection's beauty for a while, Jiang Yiyan went to the wardrobe room to pick out an outfit. She chose a simple blue dress—a waist-cinching, sleeveless design that was both elegant and casual.

This wasn't one of the original owner's dresses, but something she had bought herself the second day after transmigrating into this world. It wasn't expensive for someone of the original owner's social class, but for her, a dress costing a thousand yuan was somewhat pricey.

It was from a niche brand, and she had happened upon it during a sale at the mall, allowing her to snatch it up at a discount.

She had seen the dresses in the original owner's closet; some had slits reaching up to the thigh, extremely seductive, while others were glittery and bejeweled, suitable for formal events. For a family dinner like today, it was better to dress more casually and low-key.

After getting dressed, she applied a light makeup. A thin layer of foundation, a faintly outlined brow, and a touch of lip gloss completed her look.

With such a beautiful base, Jiang Yiyan didn't need to put much effort into her appearance. Still, when she descended the stairs, she left those below momentarily stunned.

Meimei was the most dramatic, standing at the foot of the stairs with her hands on her hips as she tried to widen her eyes to their maximum, making them round like black grapes.

"How beautiful, Mommy!"

Meimei almost screamed, "Why is my mommy so pretty? You're getting prettier every day! I'm so honored to have a mom like you. Ah, my lovely mommy." Suddenly, she stretched out her arms and threw herself forward, hugging Jiang Yiyan's leg.

Although Jiang Yiyan also thought the original owner's body was beautiful, being praised so enthusiastically by little Meimei made her feel somewhat embarrassed.

"Alright, alright, all children think their mothers are beautiful. Now let go of me, it's hot."

Feng Ma and Fang Fang were also in the living room, showering Jiang Yiyan with compliments. They said she looked good and that, although her current style wasn't as stunning as before, it was more approachable and comfortable.

Wen Mochuan had already returned and was sitting on the sofa waiting for his wife. Hearing the commotion, he naturally lifted his gaze.

There was no denying that when he glanced over hastily, he was somewhat taken aback.

Although he had always known his wife was attractive, it might have been due to her personality in the past that he had never truly appreciated her. Even if he occasionally found her beautiful, her antics would quickly irritate him, spoiling his impression of her.

For him, looks were secondary; what mattered most was compatibility and character.

Now that his wife's demeanor had changed, interacting with her was pleasant. After enjoying her company, Wen Mochuan could finally appreciate her remarkable appearance, developing a newfound admiration for her.

However, Wen Mochuan merely acknowledged her beauty. Even if he admired her, it was from an objective standpoint.

After appreciating her, he slowly withdrew his gaze.

Glancing at his watch, he felt it was about time and got up to approach his wife.

"It's half past five now, we'll arrive there around six. My suggestion is that we shouldn't be late," Wen Mochuan said objectively.

Jiang Yiyan had no objections. She didn't want to be the first to arrive, but neither did she want to be the last.

"Okay, let's go," she responded calmly.

The couple, no longer bickering, now had a somewhat respectful air about them.

After the family of three left, Fang Fang stared at their retreating figures for a moment before turning to Feng Ma and saying, "I feel like Mr. and Mrs. are different now."

Having spent more time with them, even Fang Fang noticed the change, so Feng Ma naturally picked up on it as well.

But Feng Ma wouldn't dare imagine that the current Mrs. was no longer the same as before. She would only think that Mrs. had changed.

Perhaps Mrs. realized that her previous temper and way of interacting with Mr. weren't ideal, so she smartly adjusted their relationship.

"Isn't this good? Since Mrs. has changed, Mr.'s attitude towards her has also shifted. It's hard to say who will hold the dominant position in this household moving forward."

As an outside observer, Feng Ma naturally picked up on the subtle changes in Mr.'s attitude towards Mrs. over the past few days.

Although their interactions seemed more distant than before, Mrs.'s sudden coldness had caught Mr.'s attention. Having lived through many years and experienced relationships, Feng Ma knew very well that love often begins with curiosity.

Fang Fang, being young and inexperienced in relationships, naturally didn't understand these dynamics.

.

Jiang Yiyan's family wasn't the last to arrive, nor were they the first. When they located their private room, several people were already inside.

Seeing Cai Wenqing and Shu Yao there was expected, but the presence of another family of three came as a genuine surprise.

However, upon further reflection, it made sense. Given Wu Jingmeng and Shu Yao's mother-daughter relationship, it wasn't surprising that Wu Jingmeng had been invited to this family dinner.

Upon seeing Jiang Yiyan arrive, Wu Jingmeng immediately shot her a challenging glance. Jiang Yiyan noticed it but simply ignored it.

Jiang Yiyan took the initiative to greet Cai Wenqing and Shu Yao, then casually greeted Wu Jingmeng as well.

Although Wu Jingmeng hated Jiang Yiyan, she still maintained appearances. Even in front of Shu Yao and her mother, she would ensure that everything seemed proper.

When Jiang Yiyan greeted her, Wu Jingmeng reciprocated, but both of them wore insincere smiles, making the situation somewhat awkward.

On the men's side, Wu Jingmeng's husband, Jiang Xudong, was much warmer towards Wen Mochuan. Upon seeing Wen Mochuan enter, he immediately stood up to welcome him.

"Mr. Wen, long time no see," Jiang Xudong said with a forced smile, his flattery evident.

Wen Mochuan was a gentle and humble person with his own way of interacting with others. Even though he knew Jiang Xudong wasn't his type and that they wouldn't have much interaction in the future, given that they were in the same circle, Wen Mochuan would naturally give him face.

Seeing the hand extended towards him, Wen Mochuan smiled warmly and reached out to lightly shake it.

"Mr. Jiang, please sit down," Wen Mochuan invited him to take a seat after shaking hands.

Jiang Xudong was well-known in their circle as a playboy, and everyone referred to him as "Mr. Jiang." Knowing that Jiang Xudong enjoyed being addressed this way, Wen Mochuan indulged him by using this title.

Jiang Xudong was a social expert. Even though he wasn't particularly close to Wen Mochuan, he didn't feel intimidated and kept talking animatedly in front of him, seemingly trying to engage Wen Mochuan in conversation. Wen Mochuan, on the other hand, listened attentively with his head tilted to one side, showing Jiang Xudong due respect but not engaging in the conversation.

It was clear that he had no interest in what Jiang Xudong was saying.

Jiang Xudong enjoyed eating, drinking, and having fun, and he talked about these things. Wen Mochuan, however, focused more on his newly established company, dealing with business elites every day and discussing stock markets and economies.

Their interests were different, making it hard for them to connect.

Thus, this brief ten-minute period was like torture for Wen Mochuan.

Fortunately, after the "long" ten minutes, the father-and-son duo from the Jiang family arrived.

Jiang Xudong seemed quite afraid of the Jiang father and son. Upon seeing them enter, he immediately stopped talking and joined everyone else in greeting Jiang Cheng, suddenly becoming as quiet as a quail.

Wen Mochuan noticed his unusual behavior at once and glanced at him indifferently before calmly withdrawing his gaze. He understood everything in his heart but showed no change in expression.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Jiang Cheng was quite happy and hurriedly greeted everyone, saying, "Today is a family dinner, to welcome Yao Yao's return after completing her studies. There are no outsiders here, only family. Don't be polite. Sit down, let's talk while seated."

After Jiang Cheng took his seat at the head of the table, everyone else sat down as well.

Apart from Jiang Cheng sitting at the head, everyone else sat wherever they liked without following too many rules. However, Wen Mochuan and Shu Yao ended up facing each other.

They could see each other whenever they looked up, their gazes unable to avoid each other.

Wen Mochuan felt somewhat uneasy, and Shu Yao was also awkward. The two seemed to have an unspoken agreement not to look at each other and instead deliberately engaged in conversation with those beside them. After five years apart, they had become strangers upon meeting again. Although they were in the same room, they didn't exchange a single word throughout.

At this family dinner, everyone had their own matters to attend to. Wu Jingmeng was busy flattering Shu Yao and her mother, while Jiang Xudong dared not speak much in front of Jiang Cheng, only listening to the father-and-son duo and the father-in-law trio discussing business.

Meimei and Jiang Yinghao were classmates, so naturally, the two children played together.

Only Jiang Yiyan had nothing to do and was simply watching the scene unfold.

She had been looking forward to this confrontation for a long time, but the actual effect wasn't as she had imagined. There was no passionate reunion between former lovers, nor any intense rivalry between love rivals.

There were only two annoying people chattering by her ears, which annoyed her.

Bored, Jiang Yiyan propped her chin up with both hands.

Wen Mochuan appeared to be talking to Jiang Cheng and Jiang Xu, but his peripheral vision was somewhat focused elsewhere. He had been curious about his wife's recent changes and wondered how she would behave in such a situation.

If everything over the past few days was just an act, then today, she would inevitably reveal some flaws. No matter how well she pretended, when truly facing Shu Yao, she would show some genuine emotions.

But from start to finish, she didn't seem to.

Not only that, but he even saw excitement on her face.

Excitement about what?

Wen Mochuan couldn't figure it out.

Distracted by other thoughts, Wen Mochuan became somewhat absent-minded. When distracted, he couldn't answer Jiang Cheng's question right away.

Caught off guard, Wen Mochuan felt somewhat awkward. When Jiang Cheng spoke, Jiang Xudong hadn't dared to interrupt, and now, he certainly didn't dare to remind Wen Mochuan.

As for Jiang Xu, with his smooth social skills, he could have easily reminded Wen Mochuan, but he didn't. Jiang Xu merely acted as if it had nothing to do with him, silently picking up a cup of tea to drink.

He lowered his head to blow away the floating tea leaves in the freshly brewed tea, and his cold half-face came into Jiang Yiyan's view.

Jiang Yiyan found him extremely annoying, so she rolled her eyes at him and openly reminded Wen Mochuan, "Father asked you about your company's business expansion. He knows you went to Jiang City on a business trip a few days ago and wants to know how the subsequent progress of the deal there is going."

Then, with a sudden thought, she narrowed her eyes and smiled mischievously, intentionally teasing, "Don't just stare at me, dear husband. When talking to Father, you should focus a bit more."