Chapter 130: You Sure Know How to Have Fun

Qiao Jiu turned back. "What is it?"

Liang Xiucheng looked at her for a moment. "You and Lu Fengzhou..." He paused, perhaps lost in thought, then changed his tone. "Never mind, it’s nothing."

Qiao Jiu smiled. "Are you trying to say I was being sarcastic toward Lu Fengzhou earlier? It’s fine; he shouldn’t be that petty. He won’t sabotage our work."

That wasn't actually what Liang Xiucheng had intended to say, but he simply replied with an "um" and added, "That’s good." He nodded to her and drove off.

The roads were quiet, and they reached home shortly after. Only Madam Liang was home, sitting on the sofa, painting her nails while watching television. Despite her age, she was well-preserved and looked much younger than her peers.

Liang Xiucheng scanned the room. "Has my brother not returned yet?"

Madam Liang blew on her nails. "I don’t know where he went."

Liang Xiucheng walked over and slumped onto the sofa beside her. "I heard Xu Yi got into a car accident last night."

Madam Liang responded flatly, "Hmph. She brought it on herself, driving right into a utility pole. Serves her right."

Liang Xiucheng leaned back. "She must have been truly infatuated with my brother to go to such lengths."

"When she first threw herself at that man," Madam Liang remarked, "she knew full well it would shame the entire Xu family. Tell me, how much must she have liked him then?"

Liang Xiucheng chuckled. "My brother isn't even angry anymore. Why do you keep bringing it up?"

"He’s not angry because he lacks intuition," Madam Liang said, waving her hands gently. "My heart is narrow. I can’t just let this go."

Liang Xiucheng pondered for a moment. "Between Xu Yi and Guan Wei, whom do you actually like more?"

Madam Liang paused. "I dislike Xu Yi because she did something wrong. As for Guan Wei, I simply don’t think she’s a good match for your brother. She’s not a bad person, I know that much."

Seeming impatient, she abruptly changed the subject. "I heard you had dinner with Yu Yu today. How was it? Did you find her agreeable after getting to know her?"

"No," Liang Xiucheng’s expression hardened instantly. "I went there to make things clear. I don’t like her, and I told her not to waste her time on me."

Upon hearing this, Madam Liang straightened her posture. "You brat! If you don’t like someone like her, what kind of person are you even looking for?"

Liang Xiucheng didn't want to discuss it further and stood up. "I’ll say this upfront: I told you from the start I didn't want to go on blind dates. You were the ones who invited her whole family over without asking me. If it doesn't work out and you lose face, that’s your own problem. Don’t try to push the responsibility onto me."

He hurried upstairs. Halfway up, Madam Liang’s exasperated voice rang out from behind, "Tell me the truth—you don't like this one, you don't like that one; is it that you don't even like women at all?"

***

Guan Wei bought a bouquet of flowers to visit Jiang Qingchen’s mother.

Reaching the door, she peeked through the glass. The mother seemed unable to move much and was lying in bed. Jiang Qingchen was cleaning a towel to wipe her hands and feet.

Guan Wei knocked and pushed the door open. "Handsome Jiang, I heard from Qiao Jiu that your mother was hospitalized, so I came to visit."

Jiang Qingchen was stunned to see her. "Boss Guan."

The woman in the bed turned her head. Guan Wei had seen the news about the Jiang family years ago. Even though much time had passed, she recognized her at a glance: this was the mistress who had once shown up at the old Jiang residence and pushed the eldest Mr. Jiang into the center of a scandal. Time had been cruel; the woman looked much older now.

Guan Wei placed the flowers on the nearby cabinet and greeted her. "Auntie."

The woman smiled. "Are you Qingchen’s boss? I’m so sorry to trouble you to come all this way."

"It’s no trouble at all," Guan Wei said. "I was passing by anyway; an acquaintance of mine is also hospitalized here."

Covered by a quilt, it was hard to tell how serious the woman's injuries were, but her complexion was indeed poor. Guan Wei sat down. "What did the doctor say? Is it serious?"

The woman waved a hand. "Not serious, not serious. I’ll be fine after some rest."

Guan Wei turned to look at Jiang Qingchen. He had finished cleaning his mother's feet and was holding the towel. "I’ll need to take some leave for a while. My mother lost quite a bit of blood during surgery, so she needs a longer recovery period."

"That’s fine," Guan Wei said. "Didn't Little Liu always complain that all the women were chasing after you? Now I’ll just let him tend the bar alone; all those women can belong to him."

Jiang Qingchen offered a faint smile and turned to take the towel into the bathroom.

Guan Wei turned her attention back to the mother. "Auntie, I have connections with some doctors here. If you need anything, let me know, and I can pull some strings for you."

"No need, really," the woman said. "The surgery is done, there’s nothing else urgent."

Guan Wei nodded and said no more. When Jiang Qingchen came out, Guan Wei stood up. No words were needed; a single look was enough for him to understand. He tucked the quilt around his mother and followed Guan Wei outside.

"Did you want to see me about something, Boss Guan?" Jiang Qingchen asked.

Guan Wei replied, "I’ve heard some things regarding you."

They were both intelligent people; that single sentence was enough for Jiang Qingchen to grasp her meaning. Seeing this, Guan Wei added, "I have no other intentions. I just wanted to tell you that if you need any help, you can come to me."

Jiang Qingchen was taken aback, clearly not expecting her to say this. After a few seconds, he asked, "Did Qiao Jiu ask you to do this?"

That was... both yes and no. Guan Wei answered vaguely, "She considers you a friend."

***

After showering, Qiao Jiu didn't rush to bed but leaned on the sofa with the TV on.

By the time it was nearly midnight, there was still no movement. She picked up her phone to check; it seemed he was determined to play a game of endurance with her. She didn't care, turned off the TV, and got up to head to her room.

Just as she took two steps, the door at the entryway was suddenly knocked upon—*thud, thud, thud*.

Qiao Jiu stopped in her tracks, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She waited a moment before walking to the entrance, asking deliberately, "Who is it?"

The person outside didn't speak, instead knocking a few more times. Qiao Jiu didn't bother with the peephole; she simply crossed her arms, leaned against the shoe cabinet, and remained silent.

The person outside seemed to sense her reaction. A few seconds later, he spoke: "Qiao Jiu, open the door."

It was Lu Fengzhou. She had expected it; she knew he would come.

Qiao Jiu slowly unlocked the door. The moment it cracked open, the person outside pulled it open with force. Before Qiao Jiu could react, Lu Fengzhou stepped in, grabbed her shoulders, pushed her into the room, and slammed the door shut behind him.

He reeked of alcohol. Qiao Jiu paused. As he pushed her toward the sofa, she said, "Who drove you here? You’ve been drinking—you didn't drive yourself, did you?"

Lu Fengzhou didn't answer. He pushed her down onto the sofa. His hands, which had been gripping her shoulders, moved to pinch her chin, forcing her to look up. "You really know how to play games."