Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Cai Wenqing knew that asking Jiang Cheng about this matter wouldn't work; she needed to talk to Jiang Xu.

So, she proactively called Jiang Xu and told him that she would cook a few dishes he loved and invited him to come home for dinner that evening.

Jiang Xu lived alone in a large apartment in the city center. He was usually very busy, but living close to his company made commuting convenient.

Previously, he would visit the old house once a week, but since Shu Yao returned from abroad, he had been coming back more frequently.

This week, he had already visited twice, yet despite his busy schedule, Jiang Xu gladly accepted Cai Wenqing's invitation.

"Alright, Aunt Cai, I understand." As he responded, he glanced at his watch. "I have a meeting at four-thirty, but after the meeting, I'll pick up Yao Yao and come straight home."

"Go ahead with your work then; I won't disturb you further," Cai Wenqing said tactfully, immediately hanging up upon realizing he was busy.

After calling Jiang Xu and finishing her tasks, she suddenly remembered that she should also call Jiang Yiyan. Whether she came or not wasn't important; what mattered was inviting her for dinner.

In the past, Cai Wenqing would never forget Jiang Yiyan. Perhaps lately, she had been preoccupied with too many worries and had grown somewhat lazy in handling such matters, leading to this oversight.

But once she realized it, Cai Wenqing quickly left the kitchen. Seeing that it was still before five o'clock, she promptly dialed Jiang Yiyan's number.

Jiang Yiyan was busy when the phone rang, but she quickly recognized the caller and smiled instinctively.

From an omniscient perspective, she understood Cai Wenqing's thoughts and motives.

It wasn't a matter of right or wrong; from Cai Wenqing's standpoint, striving for benefits for her daughter was understandable. However, as the stepdaughter in the story, there was a conflict of interests, leading to tension.

There was no need for pleasantries between stepmother and stepdaughter. Cai Wenqing must have something specific in mind, so Jiang Yiyan answered promptly.

"Aunt Cai," she greeted warmly.

On the other end, Cai Wenqing's face was cold, but her tone was warm: "Yiyan, come home for dinner tonight. Your brother is coming too, and you and Mochuan should bring Meimei along."

Whether Jiang Yiyan's family came or not didn't matter much to Cai Wenqing. She merely wanted to avoid any potential blame later for not informing her precious daughter.

Jiang Yiyan hesitated for only three seconds before responding, "Sure, it's been a while since I've seen Dad."

Cai Wenqing replied with a forced smile, "Great, come early."

Jiang Yiyan: "Sure, Aunt Cai, I understand."

Almost simultaneously, both hung up their phones.

Jiang Yiyan knew Cai Wenqing had called her last minute, likely because it was almost five o'clock. The primary purpose was to invite Jiang Xu, but she didn't want to be criticized for not notifying her stepdaughter, hence the perfunctory call.

Jiang Yiyan didn't particularly care about going for dinner, but since Cai Wenqing had called and she hadn't visited in a while, and with no maids around... if she didn't go now, Cai Wenqing might whisper into her father's ear, potentially damaging their recently improved relationship.

Without further thought, Jiang Yiyan went downstairs.

Downstairs, Wen Mochuan had just entered the kitchen to prepare dinner. Jiang Yiyan hurried over and said, "We're not eating at home tonight; we're going to the Jiang residence."

Wen Mochuan asked, "Why the sudden decision?"

Jiang Yiyan replied, "Aunt Cai called."

Wen Mochuan nodded without further questions and started to untie his apron.

Jiang Yiyan turned and clapped her hands at Meimei, "Come on, let's go see Grandpa."

Meimei immediately dropped her toy and ran to her mother, "Going to see Grandpa!"

.

Initially, Cai Wenqing had only prepared dishes Jiang Xu liked. But now that she had invited Jiang Yiyan's family and they had agreed to come, she had to prepare at least three additional dishes.

One favorite dish for each member of their family.

And these three dishes couldn't be delegated; she had to make them herself. This made Cai Wenqing quite exhausted.

She finally finished preparing everything by six o'clock. Just as she sat down, she heard the sound of car horns outside.

Jiang Yiyan's family and Jiang Xu and Shu Yao arrived almost simultaneously, parking their cars at the villa entrance.

Jiang Xu kept a cold face, while Jiang Yiyan greeted everyone warmly as usual.

Given that they were at the old house, Jiang Xu had to maintain a semblance of peace and nodded faintly.

Meimei looked at him curiously, "Uncle, are you my mom's real brother?"

Asked in front of everyone, Jiang Xu felt a bit awkward but had to answer.

He reluctantly nodded, "Of course."

Meimei: "But why aren't you nice to my mom? In my class, Duo Duo has a brother who is super nice to her." Suddenly, she looked up at her mother, "Mom, I want a brother like Duo Duo's brother."

Jiang Yiyan laughed awkwardly, "Forget about having a brother; maybe a younger sister or brother is possible." Though true, her words left her feeling slightly embarrassed.

Cai Wenqing seized the opportunity to ask, "Are you planning to have a second child?"

"No," Jiang Yiyan quickly denied, then redirected the conversation to Jiang Xu, "Duo Duo is still young, so her brother protects her. Mom is grown up now and can handle things on her own, so it doesn't matter if Uncle doesn't protect her."

But Meimei insisted that brothers should protect sisters, "No matter how old Mom gets, she's still Uncle's little sister. Sisters should always be protected and cherished by their brothers."

Jiang Yiyan inwardly praised her daughter, feeling elated, but maintained composure. Looking at Jiang Xu's face... it was unbearable.

People like Jiang Xu deserved to be treated with innocent remarks from children.

He couldn't take it seriously, nor could he respond.

Jiang Cheng gave him a cold glance, looking quite displeased.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Seeing the situation was not right, Cai Wenqing immediately tried to break the silence: "It's almost time for dinner. I've made all your favorite dishes, so make sure to eat plenty." She tried her best to smile and ease the tension.

Jiang Cheng also didn't want this rare family gathering to end on a sour note, so he helped Cai Wenqing by saying, "Your Aunt Cai has really gone out of her way for you."

But after dinner, Jiang Cheng called Jiang Xu aside to talk.

"Your sister used to be quite immature, often causing trouble and making a mess at home. But you've seen how she's changed these days. Why do you still treat her with such disdain?"

Jiang Xu had no real affection for his younger sister Jiang Yiyan, regardless of whether she was good or bad; he simply couldn't get close to her.

But he knew that his father favored this daughter.

Even when she was doing terrible things, his father would side with her, let alone now that she had learned to act sweetly.

On this matter, Jiang Xu had no valid argument against his father, so he just replied half-heartedly, "I understand."

Jiang Cheng disliked his son's dismissive attitude and frowned. "Every time I talk to you, you say you understand, but you never listen to me!" Jiang Cheng was frustrated. "She is your own sister, and she hasn't done anything to wrong you. Why can't you just get along with her?"

"But she did something to hurt Yao Yao!" Jiang Xu's temper flared, and he blurted it out.

After venting, he felt it wasn't necessary, so he calmed down and continued, "A leopard can't change its spots, Father. Don't be fooled by her facade."

Jiang Cheng was even more annoyed. "How can you speak about your own sister like that? When she was bad, you criticized her, and now that she's improved, you're still dissatisfied, suspecting her motives. What do you want from her?"

Jiang Xu didn't want anything from her; he just wanted her to stop bullying Yao Yao in the future.

There were some things he didn't want to mention, as it would make him look like an incompetent older brother, tattling on his sister behind her back. But since his father was so biased and insisted that Jiang Yiyan had truly reformed, he decided to tell the truth.

So, Jiang Xu recounted what happened at the qipao shop that day.

Jiang Cheng fell silent for a moment after hearing this, but then asked curiously which qipao shop it was.

Jiang Xu had no interest in qipaos or qipao shops. He only took Shu Yao there because of a photo from her old classmates' reunion. In the photo, Jiang Yiyan stood out, making the plain Shu Yao seem dull in comparison.

Jiang Xu attributed this to the qipao Jiang Yiyan was wearing.

He later found out about the qipao shop from a female subordinate who also liked qipaos and took Shu Yao there.

He trusted his subordinate's taste, so he didn't bother to investigate the shop's background.

In fact, he regretted going there afterward. Firstly, because he ran into Jiang Yiyan and they had an unpleasant encounter, which he found unlucky. Secondly, the shop was small and the environment looked shabby, not fitting for Shu Yao.

Because he didn't think much of it, he didn't remember much about the shop.

So when Jiang Cheng asked, he couldn't answer immediately.

But he did remember roughly where the shop was located and described it based on his memory.

Jiang Cheng, however, burst out laughing after hearing this.

Jiang Xu was taken aback. "What's so funny?"

Jiang Cheng explained, "Your sister works at that shop now. I heard... she's doing design work." His tone was filled with pride.

Jiang Xu was speechless.

"Are you sure you're not joking?" He found it hard to believe. She was uneducated; how could she be doing design work?

Jiang Cheng became serious. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Jiang Xu fell silent for a few seconds, and then suddenly felt even angrier when he realized what was happening.

"She's been playing me for a fool!"

But Jiang Cheng shook his head. "That's not entirely true. Your sister rarely wants to do anything, and she didn't tell you because she was afraid you'd laugh at her and hurt her confidence. She probably wanted to... achieve something quietly before telling you."

Jiang Xu was speechless again. Was this somehow his fault?

He had nothing else to say and could only reply half-heartedly, "I hope so."

Jiang Cheng undoubtedly favored Jiang Yiyan, while Jiang Xu had never been close to his younger sister. The father and son each held their ground, neither able to persuade the other.

The room suddenly fell silent. Cai Wenqing, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, quickly left upon seeing this. After a brief discussion about work, Jiang Xu left his father's study.

Cai Wenqing had been waiting for Jiang Xu. Seeing him come out, she approached him from around the corner, pretending it was a coincidence.

"Aunt Cai," Jiang Xu greeted politely and respectfully.

Cai Wenqing smiled warmly as usual. "Did your father talk to you about work?" Without waiting for his response, she added, "Yao Yao's job is thanks to you."