Chapter 126: Want to Eat Seafood? |
The dance segment probably had about half an hour left.
Jiang Linyuan and Shen Guoguo just wanted to be two freeloaders, sneaking bites to eat.
But unfortunately, as the Vice Principal had said, the star of this gathering was Jiang Linyuan.
The moment he stepped away from Su Muzhi's side, people came over one after another to greet him.
Some of them might have taken a dislike to Jiang Linyuan, but they wouldn't show it at the banquet; they still had to put up a front.
Qian Yan's issue was purely that she was an outsider—she didn't understand the weight of the Su Family, and with the Devil's Eye below working its magic, she ended up running her mouth without restraint.
"Jiang Linyuan, it's a pleasure to meet you…"
A handsome guy with a wine glass raised it politely toward him, flashing a very approachable smile.
What the hell kind of "approachable" smile was that?! Were you some kind of prince or what?
A lively, bold girl eagerly extended an invitation to him, absentmindedly licking her lips.
Where exactly were you reaching with that hand?! Was that "sea party" of yours going to be full of seafood? A whole bunch of silver whales bobbing up and down in the blue water, right?!
"You look like you work out often. Want to—"
Gay. Skip.
Who the hell were all these people at this banquet?
Jiang Linyuan thought to himself, but he kept a smile on his face, shaking hands and responding to the endless stream of greetings with ease and composure.
This left Shen Guoguo on the sidelines utterly baffled.
Everyone was busy talking to Jiang Linyuan—who was going to keep her company?
She gently tugged at the hem of his pants, trying to get him to wrap up this boring nonsense quickly.
Jiang Linyuan sent off another young woman who'd tried to clink glasses with him, and gradually let his smile fade.
I just want to eat!! Could you all stop bothering me?!
"What's the point of this?! It's so boring! Hurry up and come grab food with me!"
Shen Guoguo grabbed Jiang Linyuan's pants, yanking them back and forth, her voice a constant nag.
"They're like flies, aren't they? Really annoying?"
Su Muzhi sauntered over to Jiang Linyuan in her high heels, tilting her head to ask.
"Xiao Su, are you insulting me too? If they're flies, then I'm—"
Before Jiang Linyuan could finish his sentence, a foot stomped down on his.
He didn't hold back—he reached out and pinched Xiao Su's hand in retaliation.
Shen Guoguo was dumbfounded. Wasn't Jiang the Lick Dog supposed to belong to her sister?
Why was he flirting with this bad woman?
"You don't have to pay any attention to those people at all."
Su Muzhi pulled her foot back, linked her arm through Jiang Linyuan's, and smiled.
"That might not be such a good idea."
Jiang Linyuan said.
He still had to keep up appearances.
"What's bad about it?"
Su Muzhi turned her head to look at him:
"To these people, a place like this is for networking, socializing, and showing off—not a place to relax and have fun. So they're exhausted."
"But—"
She tightened her grip on his arm a little, the luxurious decor of the venue casting a vibrant pink-gold glow across her face.
It was as if the entire grand banquet was merely a backdrop for her.
"For you and me, this is just a place to have fun."
"Xiao Su, I don't have the kind of confidence you do."
Jiang Linyuan said.
"True. A country boy like you—no prominent family background, no generations of inherited wealth. Apart from a decent face, you're pretty much worthless."
After she finished, Su Muzhi lifted her chin, wrapped her arms around Jiang Linyuan's waist, her face full of smiles, and pressed her forehead against his:
"But you have me. And that's enough."
They stood close, close enough to feel each other's breath.
"Xiao Su, your face is really red."
Jiang Linyuan said.
Su Muzhi let go, stepped back, and turned her face away:
"The air conditioning in this place is too hot."
"You're the one who started flirting with me, and now you're the one getting shy?"
"I'm not shy! That's just a normal reaction!"
Jiang Linyuan didn't push it further. Instead, he started wondering just how high Xiao Su's high heels actually were.
She was almost the same height as him now?
"Sister Wanyu!"
Just as he was lost in thought, Shen Guoguo suddenly dashed off in one direction and threw herself into someone's arms.
Jiang Linyuan looked over. Whoa, what a cool Department Head.
She wore a sharp, clean-cut ladies' suit, paired with a cascade of smooth black hair—radiant and spirited.
"Does she look good?"
Su Muzhi asked.
"A red rose has its beauty, and a white rose has its cool elegance. I like them both."
Jiang Linyuan said.
He was an honest country boy who only told the truth.
"If you think she looks good, then hurry up and make Shen Wanyu fall for you, and then dump her hard."
Su Muzhi didn't care. If Shen Wanyu had zero appeal in Jiang Linyuan's eyes, she'd find it boring.
The fun was completely different when you forced him to do something versus when he took the initiative.
"Sister Wanyu, who's that bad woman? Brother Jiang the Lick... he seems really close to her."
Shen Guoguo hugged Shen Wanyu and whispered.
Shen Wanyu glanced at the two of them:
"Just a couple of mischievous kids who like playing pranks."
"Department Head, I'm a neglected kid. Can I get a hug?"
Jiang Linyuan walked over, smiling as he greeted her.
"Do you dare to?"
Shen Wanyu shot him a challenging look, then glanced over at Su Muzhi.
The Department Head was acting cute, asking for a hug. Ah well, might as well indulge her.
Jiang Linyuan sighed and started walking over, but Su Muzhi grabbed him.
"What are you going to do?"
She asked with a smile.
"Hug the Department Head."
Jiang Linyuan said.
"You're not allowed."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want to see a certain woman's smug face."
Su Muzhi didn't explain further. She grabbed Jiang Linyuan's hand and dragged him away, heading toward the center of the dance floor.
"Come on, let's go dance. Don't talk to some pitiful loner who can only crouch by the dining table watching other people dance."
"But what if I still want to hug the Department Head?"
"Heh. When you drown in the river, you can hug her tight then."
Xiao Su was jealous. She wanted a hug too. No problem—my shoulders are broad enough for two!
As they walked toward the center of the dance floor, Jiang Linyuan looked back at Shen Wanyu.
She looked calm and utterly unfazed. Meanwhile, Shen Guoguo on the side was practically clawing the air in fury:
"I'm never talking to you again! And here I thought I'd come play with you the moment I walked in!"
Shen Wanyu just patted her head to calm her down.
...
Second Floor of the Venue.
"Your kid has good taste."
A calm-faced man looked down as Su Muzhi led Jiang Linyuan into the center of the dance floor, offering a comment.
"Of course."
The Vice Principal stood beside him, brimming with smugness.
The man glanced at him and said:
"Too bad your kid's personality is too twisted."
The Vice Principal got annoyed. Could this deadpan Shen Pingyan learn to talk properly?!
"Though Wanyu isn't much better."
The man then looked at Shen Wanyu, who was holding Shen Guoguo's hand, his tone flat:
"In fact, I'd say she's even more twisted than your kid."
Hearing this, the Vice Principal remembered the purpose of this trip:
"Ahem, I heard your daughter is still single? Any suitors?"
Shen Pingyan shot him a glance:
"Jiang Linyuan doesn't quite count as a suitor, but... I'm pretty satisfied with him."
Who asked about him?! And when had you even met him?! 'Satisfied,' my ass!
The Vice Principal hated Shen Pingyan's attitude, so he said with sarcasm:
"What use is it that you're satisfied? Shouldn't this kind of thing depend on what the kid thinks?"
Shen Pingyan stared at Shen Wanyu down below, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth:
"You're right. It depends on what the kid thinks. So, I won't interfere, and you shouldn't either."