Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Cai Wenqing had invited Xu Yan out for a meal alone, but Xu Yan was unaware and thought Shu Yao would also be there. Upon arrival and seeing only Cai Wenqing, Xu Yan curiously asked, "Auntie, why isn't Yaoyao here?"

Cai Wenqing had already ordered two of the restaurant's signature dishes and then handed the menu to Xu Yan. "This place is great; I come here often. Jiang-Zhe cuisine is quite famous here. I've just ordered two dishes, see what else you'd like."

"Thank you, Auntie. Your choices are fine," Xu Yan politely declined.

Without further ado, Cai Wenqing ordered three more dishes and a soup, then called over a server. "That will do for now; we can order more if needed." She then asked Xu Yan, "What would you like to drink?"

"Lemon water will be fine," Xu Yan said.

"Two lemon waters then," Cai Wenqing instructed the server before they confirmed the order and left. Only then did she answer Xu Yan's earlier question. "Today it's just the two of us."

Hearing this, Xu Yan had an inkling of what was to come.

"What is it you want to ask me, Auntie?" Xu Yan smiled, though she could already guess the reason for the meeting, likely related to the recent class reunion.

Cai Wenqing got straight to the point. "Yanyan, what exactly happened at your class reunion? I noticed Yaoyao has been in low spirits since she returned, and when I asked her about it, she wouldn’t say anything. I didn’t dare to press her for details."

Shu Yao had chosen to keep quiet, and Xu Yan wasn’t particularly keen on divulging the details either. However, the reunion had indeed been a significant blow to Shu Yao, and Xu Yan felt deeply responsible.

The reunion was her idea, intended to help Shu Yao reconnect with old classmates and expand her social circle in Shenzhen. Having just returned from abroad, Shu Yao didn’t have many friends domestically.

But who could have predicted that her well-intentioned plans would end up benefiting someone else?

The reunion didn’t help Shu Yao broaden her social network, but it did transform Jiang Yiyan’s image among their classmates, making her the center of attention.

Xu Yan felt guilty about this.

She wanted Shu Yao to bounce back as soon as possible, so she recounted the events of that day to Cai Wenqing.

Upon hearing the story, Cai Wenqing was even more anxious and angry than her own daughter.

She had been wary of Jiang Yiyan lately, suspecting that her sudden change in demeanor concealed some grand scheme. Indeed, changing her attitude towards Jiang Cheng and trying to please him was just the beginning.

Jiang Yiyan was deliberately manipulating the situation, aiming to take everything away from Yaoyao.

Despite her inner turmoil, Cai Wenqing didn’t show it on her face. Instead, she furrowed her brow and expressed concern. "No wonder Yaoyao has been so down since she came back. It all makes sense now." Even though she cursed Jiang Yiyan countless times in her mind, using every foul word imaginable, she didn’t utter a single negative word about her in front of Xu Yan.

Instead of directly criticizing Jiang Yiyan, Cai Wenqing lamented the hardships Shu Yao had endured over the years. Her words moved Xu Yan, nearly bringing her to tears.

Xu Yan had witnessed Shu Yao’s struggles firsthand. However, she believed that since Shu Yao had made her choice and the situation was now settled, there was no point dwelling on the past.

In front of Cai Wenqing, Xu Yan repeated the advice she had given to Shu Yao. "Yaoyao has indeed had a tough time, spending five years abroad. Not many people could handle that. But Auntie, we should look forward and think positively. No matter what, Yaoyao’s efforts have paid off, haven’t they? She’s a returnee, and unlike others who went abroad just to add a prestigious degree to their resume, she has genuine talent and expertise. With her background, finding a good job shouldn’t be a problem."

"Yaoyao is beautiful and highly educated. If she finds a decent job… why worry about not finding an excellent partner in the future? I believe that if she can truly let go of the past, her life will be full of opportunities."

While Xu Yan spoke earnestly, Cai Wenqing’s ambitions were far greater, and she couldn’t fully accept Xu Yan’s advice.

She might even think that Xu Yan, who hadn’t experienced the same challenges, was speaking out of turn.

Cai Wenqing had high hopes for her daughter. She aspired for more than just a decent job and an ordinary marriage for her. After enduring years of委屈 in the Jiang family, wasn't it only reasonable to seek a share of the family’s wealth and assets?

However, she wouldn’t reveal these ambitions to Xu Yan.

Regardless of what Xu Yan said, Cai Wenqing simply smiled and agreed without expressing any disagreement or endorsement.

Xu Yan, being perceptive, noticed that Cai Wenqing didn’t seem too interested in her advice and decided not to elaborate further.

Just then, the server began serving the dishes, and Cai Wenqing enthusiastically invited Xu Yan to try them. "Taste and see if you like them."

Xu Yan smiled. "Sure, Auntie."

That afternoon, Jiang Yiyan received a call from an unknown number. The caller ID showed a local Shenzhen number, but there was no name associated with it, indicating that the number wasn’t saved in her contacts. This meant it must be unrelated to her or her original identity.

Due to her previous hectic work schedule, Jiang Yiyan usually avoided taking calls during her downtime, especially from unknown numbers, which she would typically ignore.

.

Initially, she didn’t intend to answer, but for some inexplicable reason, she pressed the answer button.

Perhaps her current, less stressful lifestyle had gradually changed some of her habits.

As soon as she answered, Jiang Yiyan almost regretted it. However, when the caller introduced themselves, she was glad she hadn’t ignored the call.

The caller explained, "Hello, Miss Jiang. This is A Dong. The qipaos you ordered a few days ago are ready. If you have time, you can come by and take a look."

"A Dong" was the name of the qipao shop, and Jiang Yiyan remembered that the owner’s surname was Yu, and his name was Yu Wenlai.

So she promptly responded, "Hello, Mr. Yu. Understood. When is a good time to visit?"

"Anytime is fine. I’ll generally be around these days, so feel free to drop by whenever you’re available."

Jiang Yiyan: "Alright, I’ll stop by when I can. I have your WeChat, so I’ll let you know before I come."

As soon as she hung up, Fang Fang ran over, holding her phone excitedly.

"Sis, in just one day, you gained almost a thousand followers!" Fang Fang exclaimed, handing her phone to Jiang Yiyan.

"What?" Jiang Yiyan was momentarily confused.

But when she saw the screen of the phone, she understood what Fang Fang meant. A few days ago, on a whim, she had registered an account on a certain platform and posted several carefully edited pictures. She had done it mostly out of boredom, hoping to share snippets of her daily life and interact with others through another social media platform.

To her surprise, despite not actively managing the account, she had managed to gain a decent number of followers.

After creating the account, Jiang Yiyan had insisted that Fang Fang and Feng Ma follow her. Poor Feng Ma didn’t even have an account on the platform but registered one just to support Jiang Yiyan.

Feng Ma registered and followed but didn't interfere further; she didn't understand the world of the young. However, Fang Fang, an adept online surfer, kept a close eye on every move Jiang Yiyan made on her account on that platform.

Whenever Jiang Yiyan posted something, Fang Fang would immediately give it a like and leave thoughtful comments, making her Jiang Yiyan's first dedicated fan.

Fang Fang was quite skilled at photography. Though not professional, she clearly had a knack and a touch of flair for capturing moments. Most of the photos Jiang Yiyan shared on her social media or other platforms were taken by Fang Fang.

Perhaps because she felt a sense of contribution, Fang Fang appeared particularly delighted and proud.

Jiang Yiyan was also surprised by the increase in followers, but she didn't dwell on it. She told Fang Fang, "I might go out for a bit later, so please take good care of Meimei while I'm gone."

"Where is sis going?" Having spent more time together recently, Fang Fang had grown closer to Jiang Yiyan, "It's so hot outside, do you really have to go out? If there's something you need done, let me handle it."

"This is something you can't help me with," Jiang Yiyan didn't hide the details, "Remember how I ordered a few qipaos from that shop not long ago? They just called to say they're ready and want me to see if I like them."

"In that case, I really can't help you," Fang Fang chuckled, "Don't worry about Meimei, I'll keep her company today." Still concerned for Jiang Yiyan, "But the sun is so intense outside..."

Due to her transmigration and the heat of the dog days, Jiang Yiyan had hardly left the house these past few days. Apart from the times she went out with Wen Mochuan, her only outing since arriving here was to buy some clothes at the mall.

Back then, she wasn't familiar with Wen Mochuan, and they weren't even acquainted, so she certainly wouldn't have called him to send a driver.

But now things were different...

Jiang Yiyan picked up her phone and immediately dialed Wen Mochuan.