??Chapter 88: Encounter at the Banquet
Chapter 88: Encounter at the Banquet
Rong Huaishen: “Making trouble out of nothing.”
ng Fan raised her voice: “What did you say?”
Rong Huaishen couldn’t be bothered to pay her any attention.
ng Fan took the opportunity to change the subject, deliberately picking a fight with Rong Huaishen: “Give you another chance to speak up, do I really make trouble out of nothing?”
Rong Huaishen easily saw through ng Fan’s little tricks and played along: “Obviously.”
ng Fan choked on her own words: “Rong Huaishen!”
Rong Huaishen: “Your hearing is fine; no need to yell that loudly.”
Wen Zhi watched in bewildernt from across the table, knowing that ng Fan and Rong Huaishen didn’t get along well, but she didn’t expect they could start arguing anywhere, anyti.
She picked up the cup of warm water, took a silent sip, trying to minimize her presence as much as possible.
And at that mont, the chair beside her was pulled out, and soone sat down.
Wen Zhi was about to see who this friend of ng Fan’s who was late might be, and if she knew him.
Turning her head, she saw Liang Yin.
Wen Zhi surprised: “How co it’s you?”
Liang Yin smiled slightly: “What a coincidence.”
Wen Zhi wasn’t stupid and quickly figured out the reason, looking towards ng Fan across the table.
ng Fan laughed awkwardly, then waving her hand towards Liang Yin said: “It was him who forced
to do this; I didn’t want to, honestly.”
Rong Huaishen, sitting beside her, just quietly watched ng Fan’s performance.
Wen Zhi calmly asked: “How did he force you?”
ng Fan: “Uh…”
Such a nonsensical lie might pass muster if ng Fan and Wen Zhi weren’t familiar, but unfortunately for her, they knew each other very well.
Wen Zhi knew ng Fan too well: “You never submit to threats.”
ng Fan giggled: “You know
best.”
Liang Yin continued: “Actually, it’s more like asking ng Fan for a favor.”
ng Fan imdiately went with Liang Yin’s narrative: “That’s right, that’s right! He begged ! I’m too soft-hearted, so I agreed.”
Wen Zhi sighed and looked at Liang Yin: “So, you asked ng Fan to bring
out just to treat
to a al?”
Liang Yin asked her: “Would you do
the honor?”
Wen Zhi laughed helplessly: “Even if I wanted to firmly get up and leave, I can’t bring myself to do that; food is paramount, let’s eat.”
Liang Yin’s face was undisguisedly happy.
The dinner was quite enjoyable, featuring local specialties, and they even ordered extra dishes. There was a dish of fragrant wine-soaked shrimp that ng Fan particularly liked, but peeling the shrimp was troubleso, so she had Rong Huaishen peel them for her.
Rong Huaishen glanced at her sideways and asked: “What do you take
for?”
ng Fan assertively retorted: “I’m your wife; isn’t it only right for a husband to peel shrimp for his wife?”
“That’s not what ‘right and proper’ ans.” After that, Rong Huaishen got up and went to the smoking area.
ng Fan pouted, suddenly losing her appetite.
Wen Zhi noticed and peeled three shrimp for ng Fan in one go.
ng Fan picked up the shrimp, eyes drifting towards Liang Yin sitting diagonally across: “Don’t learn from my husband’s attitude, you got that?”
Liang Yin placed peeled shrimp in front of Wen Zhi’s small plate, casually saying: “He doesn’t love you, that’s obvious.”
“Oh, so are you saying you love our Zhizhi?” ng Fan teased with a smile.
Wen Zhi coughed lightly, reminding ng Fan: “Don’t joke around.”
Liang Yin replied: “It’s fine.”
Wen Zhi gave Liang Yin a look, her expression turning weird: “What do you an by that?”
Liang Yin hesitated: “…”
Truthfully, Liang Yin wanted to be straightforward, but he dared not be too direct for fear of making Wen Zhi resent him. Moreover, ng Fan had warned him that being overeager could backfire.
He picked up another shrimp, peeling it as he spoke: “What I an is, the dispassionate facade between ng Fan and her husband is quite aningless.”
ng Fan put down her chopsticks, crossing her arms with utter disdain: “I’m in an arranged marriage with Rong Huaishen; there were never any feelings to begin with. What you call a dispassionate facade started from the day we registered our marriage.”
Liang Yin asked her, “Do you plan to live like this for the rest of your life?”
“Impossible!” ng Fan declared, her chin held high, “My exciting life is just beginning. Just you watch, I’ll be divorced before you know it.”
“Divorced?”
The voice of Rong Huaishen ca from the side.
Liang Yin caught a faint whiff of smoke and felt a craving. He borrowed a cigarette from Rong Huaishen and headed to the smoking area.
Wen Zhi called out to him, “Wait, I’m going to get so fresh air.”
Liang Yin raised an eyebrow, snapped the cigarette in his hand, and said, “I’ll accompany you.”
Wen Zhi nodded, and they went out first together.
Once the two of them left, only ng Fan and the just-returned Rong Huaishen were left.
Seeing Rong Huaishen return after finishing his cigarette, ng Fan stiffened but quickly relaxed, not pleased, “Yes, we’re bound to divorce sooner or later.”
Rong Huaishen didn’t care about her deanor, so his mood was unaffected, and he asked indifferently, “There’s a dog outside?”
ng Fan: “Yes, a little puppy.”
Rong Huaishen: “You like puppies?”
ng Fan lifted her chin even higher: “Puppies are sweet, and they listen, they’ll go east when told not to go west, who wouldn’t like such obedient creatures!”
Rong Huaishen said, “Bring it ho.”
ng Fan turned to look at him, excitent on her face: “The one I liked outside, can I really bring it ho?”
Rong Huaishen took a sip from a drink on the table, nodded, his tone still casual, “Bring it ho, I’ll do it myself, break its legs.”
ng Fan: “You wouldn’t dare!”
Rong Huaishen glanced at her, his eyes as deep as a cold pool: “Want to try?”
ng Fan shivered.
His words seed to say—try and you die.
–
After lunch, the four of them toured West Lake together.
Liang Yin rented a boat to create a private world for himself and Wen Zhi. ng Fan, not reassured, insisted on following.
Rong Huaishen stopped ng Fan, “There’s no need for you to join the crowd.”
ng Fan: “I’m going.”
Rong Huaishen asked, “Aren’t you trying to set them up?”
ng Fan was surprised, “How did you know?”
Rong Huaishen: “I could see it.”
ng Fan pouted, “Oh, you’re quite the observer, huh?”
Rong Huaishen ignored her, but in the blink of an eye, ng Fan slipped onto the boat, so Rong Huaishen had no choice but to follow.
The most speechless one was Liang Yin.
He glanced at the chattering ng Fan and then at Rong Huaishen standing by, annoyed.
“You said, you’re going to Tan Zhongyao’s birthday celebration tonight?” Wen Zhi asked ng Fan.
ng Fan had just been complaining to her about having to accompany Rong Huaishen to Tan Zhongyao’s birthday party that evening. She didn’t want to go at all, but Rong Huaishen wouldn’t allow it.
“Yeah, that Mr. Tan, the one who retired from the foreign service,” whispered ng Fan to Wen Zhi, “Mr. Tan is Rong Huaishen’s uncle.”
Wen Zhi was only now discovering this connection.
Liang Yin, who had overheard, chid in, “You’re going to Tan Zhongyao’s tonight?”
ng Fan asked, “You’re not going too, are you?”
Liang Yin: “Obviously.”
ng Fan suddenly rembered, “Your dad and Mr. Tan are old friends.”
Liang Yin nodded, “That’s right, and since my dad knew I was in Lin City, he specifically called to make sure I’d go to Mr. Tan’s birthday party to deliver the gift.”
The conversation reached that point.
Suddenly, Liang Yin asked Wen Zhi, “How about you co with
tonight?”
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