Transmigrated As The Villainous Scumbag Wife Of A Disabled Tycoon - Chapter 80
80
The noisy banquet hall seemed to freeze as if someone had pressed a pause button, and even the sound of wind and rain abruptly stopped.
Gu Qingqiu wore a black turtleneck sweater, high-waisted gray-blue jeans, and a knee-length black wool coat, with a white fabric flower pinned to her chest. Her dark brown curls were casually tied up, exuding an air of effortless nonchalance.
But no one dared underestimate her.
Raindrops splattered on her leather boots, leaving watermarks that marred the elegance of the expensive footwear.
The next moment, an attendant knelt on one knee, wiping away the mud and water stains with a damp cloth.
Gu Qingqiu didn’t even glance down. Her gaze remained calm, restrained, and steady, casually settling on Cheng Zimo while subtly scanning everyone present.
Her eyes lingered on each person for no more than 0.01 seconds, except for a brief pause when they drifted to the left.
Her brows furrowed slightly but quickly relaxed, as if nothing had happened.
For a fleeting moment, Cheng Xing locked eyes with her and distinctly saw a flicker of astonishment in Gu Qingqiu’s gaze.
But it was so brief that Cheng Xing almost thought it was an illusion.
Cheng Xing struggled to articulate the impact of Gu Qingqiu’s arrival at the banquet. Though she said nothing, her presence carried an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Gu Qingqiu stepped forward, clasped her hands, and bowed to pay respects to the deceased before greeting Cheng Zimo. “Long time no see. My condolences.”
Her voice was cold and sharp, like the frost of an autumn morning.
Cheng Xing instinctively glanced at Jiang Ciyi.
They were too alike.
When Cheng Xing had met Gu Qingfeng before, she thought there was some resemblance to Jiang Ciyi, but an unaware observer might assume Jiang Ciyi simply had a celebrity-like face.
Or perhaps beautiful people all looked somewhat similar.
But Gu Qingqiu was different.
Her face was as if carved from the same mold as Gu Qingfeng’s. If she wore the same makeup and stood in front of a camera in Gu Qingfeng’s place, she could pass for her without question.
Most strikingly, her voice was remarkably similar to Jiang Ciyi’s.
When Cheng Xing glanced at Jiang Ciyi, she noticed Jiang Ciyi was discreetly sizing up Gu Qingqiu, her gaze casually sweeping from head to toe.
As the guest of honor, Gu Qingqiu was not someone Cheng Zimo would neglect. He offered a faint smile, extending his hand in greeting. “Long time no see.”
After a pause, he added, “Should I address you as Gu Qingqiu or… Jiang Yuxi?”
Gu Qingqiu’s tone was indifferent. “I’m here today as Jiang Yuxi at your invitation, Mr. Cheng. Some matters aren’t suitable for discussion in such a setting.”
Her words carried an underlying meaning, and her piercing eyes were like a sharp blade, commanding caution from everyone.
Cheng Zimo’s lips curved slightly. “Understood. Is Miss Shen here with you?”
Ever meticulous, Cheng Zimo wouldn’t overlook any important guest, even if Shen Qingxue had arrived with Gu Qingqiu.
Shen Qingxue smiled. “I happened to visit Aunt Gu today and heard about the Cheng family’s funeral, so I hitched a ride to pay my respects to Old Madam Ji.”
“Ji” was the surname of the deceased matriarch.
The Cheng family had sent an invitation to the Shen family, but Shen Qingxue’s words implied she hadn’t known about the funeral beforehand.
With so many people around, Cheng Zimo didn’t press further, only saying, “Thank you for remembering, Miss Shen.”
After some pleasantries, the group headed toward the banquet hall.
The hushed atmosphere in the memorial hall gradually stirred with faint murmurs.
As Gu Qingqiu followed Cheng Zimo into the banquet hall, she glanced back casually, her eyes meeting Cheng Xing’s.
That single glance left Cheng Xing dazed, as if someone had suddenly gripped her throat.
If looks could kill, Gu Qingqiu’s eyes would be the sharpest sword.
Cheng Xing took a deep breath to suppress the wave of fear, only to notice Xu Congshi’s eyes were vacant, as if her soul had been snatched away.
Jiang Ciyi lowered her gaze and coughed lightly, snapping Xu Congshi back to reality, her eyes darting around.
To break the tense atmosphere, Cheng Xing teased with a smile, “Senior, don’t tell me you’re mesmerized by a beauty?”
Xu Congshi paused, exhaling heavily. “Damn.”
Cheng Xing: “?”
Even the usually composed Jiang Ciyi couldn’t help but look up. “What’s wrong?”
Xu Congshi pressed her chest. “Hell, I must not have slept well last night. I’m seeing ghosts today.”
Cheng Xing asked, “Who did you see?”
“That…” Xu Congshi stopped mid-sentence, meeting the curious gazes of Cheng Xing and Jiang Ciyi. After a two-second pause, she smirked mischievously. “Wanna know? Not telling you.”
Amid the playful banter, Xu Congshi’s tense nerves relaxed. She made a random excuse and slipped away.
Jiang Ciyi reminded her not to go to the outdoor canopy, and Xu Congshi waved without looking back. “Don’t worry, junior. I won’t cause trouble for your wife.”
After she left, Jiang Ciyi toyed with a pendant on her clothing, her head lowered. Cheng Xing leaned in and asked, “What are you thinking?”
“Is that Gu Qingfeng’s sister?” Jiang Ciyi asked.
Cheng Xing nodded. “Yes.”
“She really looks like Gu Qingfeng,” Jiang Ciyi remarked, then asked, “Twins?”
“Yes,” Cheng Xing replied, pausing before adding casually, “You seem particularly interested in her.”
Jiang Ciyi frowned slightly. “She looked at me with an expression I really don’t like.”
It was the same haughty, cold, and scrutinizing look Lu Qi often gave when standing beside Lu Xishi.
Cheng Xing said, “She looked at me the same way.”
“So I looked back at her,” Jiang Ciyi said. “I don’t like her.”
Cheng Xing had thought Jiang Ciyi might have noticed their similarities, but instead, Jiang Ciyi openly expressed her dislike.
Jiang Ciyi was someone who could endure a lot and rarely judged others. For her to say she didn’t like someone spoke volumes about how unappealing that person was.
Cheng Xing wanted to probe further and hint that Jiang Ciyi’s voice was similar to Gu Qingqiu’s, but fearing it might violate some system rule, she hesitated. By then, Jiang Ciyi had already shifted the topic. “Lu Qi has found a backer. Cheng Xing, are you scared?”
Since their school days, Jiang Ciyi had known Lu Qi was not someone to cross. Whether it was Zheng Shuqing guiltily admitting, “My family has business with the Lu family, so I can’t afford to offend her,” or the fact that the entire school, students and teachers alike, gave Lu Qi wide berth, or how those bullied by her never dared report it to teachers or parents—all signs pointed to Lu Qi having a powerful backer.
That day at Fusheng Bookstore, seeing Lu Qi after years apart, still as arrogant as ever, Jiang Ciyi couldn’t deny she’d hoped to use Cheng Xing’s background to her advantage—and it had worked.
But she hadn’t expected Lu Qi’s family to come knocking so soon.
Raising the issue openly at such an event made it clear they wouldn’t let it go easily.
Jiang Ciyi gazed at the banquet hall, where Lu Qi, dressed in a black gown, followed her older sister, holding a glass of champagne and smiling sweetly. But no one knew what kind of venomous heart lay beneath that beautiful exterior.
Jiang Ciyi gripped the armrests of her wheelchair tightly, her hands trembling. Cheng Xing gently pried open her clenched, bloodless fingers, frowning. “A’Ci, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Jiang Ciyi denied reflexively, brushing it off. “Just thinking about some things.”
“Between you and Lu Qi…” Cheng Xing paused, then shifted gears. “I’m not scared.”
Cheng Xing had wanted to ask about the history between Jiang Ciyi and Lu Qi, but after leaving Fusheng Bookstore last time, Jiang Ciyi had deliberately avoided the topic.
There was no need to ask again.
It clearly wasn’t a pleasant story.
Cheng Xing held Jiang Ciyi’s hand and said softly, “She may have a backer, but so do we.”
“That’s yours,” Jiang Ciyi replied, drawing a clear line between them.
To the Cheng family, Cheng Xing was the only one who truly mattered.
Jiang Ciyi was merely an accessory to Cheng Xing.
Even if Cheng Zijing would protect Jiang Ciyi for the sake of the late Wang Tingwan, he would undoubtedly abandon her when interests were at stake.
Jiang Ciyi understood the unspoken rules of this world.
Just like how Zheng Shuqing would stand up for her against classmates but would flee when Lu Qi cornered her in an alley.
So, the Cheng family was Cheng Xing’s backer, not Jiang Ciyi’s.
Cheng Xing was momentarily stunned, then lightly tapped Jiang Ciyi’s hand. “It’s ours.”
Jiang Ciyi smiled faintly but said nothing.
Cheng Xing knew she didn’t believe it but didn’t elaborate further, only saying, “Everyone knows you’re married to me. If someone slaps you, it’s like slapping me. Likewise, if someone hits me…”
“I wouldn’t think it’s like hitting me,” Jiang Ciyi interrupted.
Cheng Xing: “…?”
Cheng Xing’s mouth opened, her mind short-circuiting, nearly forgetting what she was about to say.
Jiang Ciyi shrugged. “Just kidding.”
In the banquet hall, glasses clinked as everyone mingled.
No one paid attention to the two whispering in the memorial hall.
The rain outside grew heavier, as if playing a dirge for the funeral.
The atmosphere between them grew colder.
Jiang Ciyi didn’t want Cheng Xing to comfort her. In matters like this, a lighthearted joke was better than dwelling on grievances.
Besides, Jiang Ciyi didn’t want to talk about it.
Cheng Xing didn’t catch the humor but was used to Jiang Ciyi’s random jokes. She played along with a laugh. “Haha, very funny.”
Jiang Ciyi’s lips curved slightly. As she glanced at the banquet hall, her eyes met Lu Qi’s.
Dressed as a refined socialite, Lu Qi, amidst the bustling crowd, raised her middle finger toward Jiang Ciyi and Cheng Xing.
Cheng Xing: “…”
“Is she sick or something?” Cheng Xing asked, exasperated.
Jiang Ciyi nodded in agreement. “You think so too, right?”
Cheng Xing grew more curious about the history between Jiang Ciyi and Lu Qi but suppressed it with reason, only teasing lightly, “Don’t worry. She has her brother to back her up, but our Cheng family isn’t vegetarian either. If the sky falls, we’ve got Cheng Zijing’s 1.8-meter frame to hold it up.”
“Why him?” Jiang Ciyi asked.
Cheng Xing deftly excluded Jiang Ciyi from the equation. “Who else but him with all his romantic entanglements? Plus, my mom’s partly to blame. Always trying to recruit someone as a daughter-in-law without considering her unreasonable daughter at home. Conflicts are only natural.”
“You? Unreasonable?”
“Don’t I seem like it?”
“Very self-aware.”
“…”
Cheng Xing was left speechless, managing only a helpless smile.
Xu Congshi stood at the end of the corridor outside the restroom, smoking her second cigarette, her fingers ice-cold.
Only when the cigarette butt burned her hand did she snap out of her reverie, hurriedly tossing the spent stub into the trash can.
Her fingers were red from the burn.
Xu Congshi exhaled softly, walked into the restroom, and ran cold water over her hand.
She hadn’t expected to see that person here.
Frustrated with her mothers’ arranged engagement, she’d decided to find someone to marry on her own terms.
Someone good-looking, easy to handle—get it done and make it official.
Between being arranged and taking control, Xu Congshi chose the latter.
That night, irritated and restless, she walked into a bar. After a few drinks, no one caught her eye. Some approached her, but she found them lacking.
They weren’t even as interesting as her lab data.
So she opened her laptop and started organizing data.
Until… a woman with long, slender, pale fingers sat nearby, a bright platinum ring on her pinky, clearly decorative.
Using her glass as cover, Xu Congshi got a clear look at the woman’s face.
Stunning, as if sculpted by a divine hand.
Cold and aloof, every sip of her drink seemed deliberately seductive.
But Xu Congshi knew she wasn’t.
It was simply because she was so beautiful that every move seemed intentional.
Later, somehow, after a few more drinks, they shared a cigarette in the dim, narrow stairwell. A casual invitation led to a chaotic night in a hotel.
Xu Congshi still remembered the woman’s touch.
Her skin was like fine silk, smooth and soft. In bed, it felt like a fight, but her moans were like those of an injured cat—soft, fragmented, and bewitching.
Xu Congshi had set two criteria but ended up confirming only one: she was beautiful.
Because the woman was anything but easy to handle.
While Xu Congshi was mentally paving a starlit path for her, the woman had already left the hotel.
When Xu Congshi woke up in the morning, the sheets beside her were cold.
All that was left was a note: Good job. I’m satisfied.
Xu Congshi: “…”
It was as if she’d been treated like a free escort, slept with, and then rated.
The incident left Xu Congshi inwardly frustrated, but she was too embarrassed to tell anyone. She never imagined they’d meet again.
Gu Qingqiu, Jiang Yuxi.
She even had two names.
Xu Congshi wasn’t interested in this social circle. As a child, no matter how much her mothers tried to drill its intricacies into her, it went in one ear and out the other, so she had no idea who this woman really was.
But judging by Cheng Zimo’s deference, she was no ordinary person.
Most importantly… she didn’t even give her a proper glance!
What? Did she forget after having her fun?
It made Xu Congshi, who couldn’t stop thinking about it, feel like a fool.
The cold water soothed her burned fingers, her hand turning red. Then someone reached over and turned off the faucet.
The sound of running water stopped, along with Xu Congshi’s memories of that night.
In the dimly lit hotel room, dozens of condoms littered the floor, the white sheets stark against purplish marks. The woman had gripped her arm, leaving red welts, refusing to beg for mercy, her voice hoarse by the end.
Xu Congshi snapped back to reality, glancing sideways, only to find that face overlapping with her memory.
Except now, there was a mole by the corner of her right eye, and her gaze was colder, sharper.
Xu Congshi wasn’t intimidated.
The one who left without a word after a night of passion… wasn’t her.
“Miss Gu?” Xu Congshi leaned against the cold sink, smirking coldly. “Or perhaps, Miss Jiang?”
“Have we met?” Gu Qingqiu turned on the faucet to wash her hands, then pulled a paper towel, wiping slowly, her tone icy.
Her words doused Xu Congshi’s fire.
She laughed in frustration, grinding her teeth as she repeated, “Have we met?”
“I don’t recall,” Gu Qingqiu said. “So call me whatever you like.”
Xu Congshi: “…”
Five seconds later, as Gu Qingqiu reached the restroom door, Xu Congshi said, “Huaji Hotel, Room 7601.”
Gu Qingqiu’s steps faltered, and she glanced back, the mole by her eye making her seem even more aloof.
Xu Congshi continued, “Don’t think I wouldn’t recognize you just because you added a mole.”
Gu Qingqiu suddenly smiled, her expression playful. “Is that so?”
Xu Congshi: “…”
“You’d better remember me well, then,” Gu Qingqiu said, her voice dripping with amusement. “Miss Xu.”
The way she said “Miss Xu” sent a shiver down Xu Congshi’s spine, like a cold venomous snake slithering up her back, making her tremble despite the warm room.
By the time she reacted, Gu Qingqiu’s figure had vanished.
Xu Congshi clenched her fists, her knuckles cracking. She took several deep breaths but couldn’t calm down, slamming her hand against the wall.
Cheng Xing and Jiang Ciyi stayed in the outer hall for another half hour, confirming no more guests would arrive before heading to the banquet hall.
But they had little interest in socializing.
Gu Qingqiu and Shen Qingxue stayed together the entire time, making their spot a hotspot for guests to approach.
Jiang Ciyi wasn’t well-versed in this circle’s dynamics, so she casually asked about the Gu and Shen families.
And the Lu family.
A few times, Jiang Ciyi’s eyes met Lu Xishi’s probing, displeased gaze, but Jiang Ciyi always responded with a faint nod.
Cheng Xing couldn’t help but frown.
“You don’t have to be so polite,” Cheng Xing said. “If someone glares at you, glare back.”
“I will, but not now,” Jiang Ciyi replied.
Her gaze swept over the crowd. After Cheng Xing’s brief explanations, she could roughly discern the hierarchy in this circle.
The more money flowed, the starker the class distinctions.
Like when Gu Qingqiu entered, someone knelt to clean her shoes, and no one found it odd.
They say death equalizes all, but Jiang Ciyi, who had worked at the Jianggang Police Station and dealt with the dead for so long, knew better.
Some deaths were like snow, scattered by the wind or melted by the sun, leaving no trace.
Others had pure gold coffins, with orders to investigate their deaths coming from the top, each command stricter than the last, like a guillotine over everyone’s heads.
So, even in death, there were tiers.
Not wanting to cause trouble for the Cheng family at this funeral, Jiang Ciyi kept a low profile, sitting quietly.
But occasionally, a heated gaze cut through the crowd, landing on them.
After a long pause, Jiang Ciyi said lightly, “Your sweetheart’s been staring at you. Sure you don’t want to catch up?”
Cheng Xing was peeling an orange and froze, looking up to see Su Manchun’s warm, smiling gaze.
Cheng Xing: “…”
She shoved the half-peeled orange into Jiang Ciyi’s hand. “Don’t talk nonsense. There’s nothing to catch up on with her.”
Cheng Xing didn’t know her. There was indeed nothing to catch up on.
The one who knew her was the original host.
Cheng Xing said, “Try this orange. Is it sour? It smells a bit off.”
Jiang Ciyi took a bite. “Not sour.”
Cheng Xing ate a segment and immediately spat it out, her face contorting. “You lied! It’s so sour it hurts my teeth.”
“Really? Didn’t taste it,” Jiang Ciyi said calmly, eating another piece, her voice growing colder. “If you don’t go to her, she’ll come to you in five minutes, and then more eyes will be on me.”
“Do you want me to go to her?” Cheng Xing paused. “I don’t want to.”
“Then don’t,” Jiang Ciyi said. “Just a heads-up so I don’t become the center of attention. I’m not happy about it.”
Cheng Xing was taken aback, then smiled. “Of course.”
Su Manchun’s gaze lingered on them, but Cheng Xing ignored it, chatting with Jiang Ciyi to shift the topic.
Perhaps sensing they weren’t engaging, Su Manchun didn’t approach.
The situation Jiang Ciyi feared didn’t materialize, and soon the banquet began.
After the banquet, preparations for the cemetery visit began. Cheng Xing was briefly called away by Cheng Zijing, who gave her instructions for the cemetery trip.
He also mentioned that if Jiang Ciyi felt unwell, she didn’t have to go, emphasizing “unwell” as if giving her an excuse.
Everyone knew about Jiang Ciyi causing a scene at Xu Zhaozhao’s funeral, which had sent the old matriarch to the hospital.
There wasn’t much affection to begin with, so there was no need to make Jiang Ciyi go in the rain. Cheng Zijing was deliberately giving her an out.
When Cheng Xing returned, the banquet hall, used for socializing, was nearly empty, with most guests having moved to the dining area.
She texted Jiang Ciyi and was about to head over.
But out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone paying respects to her grandmother in the memorial hall.
Thinking it might be a late guest, Cheng Xing, wanting to be a good host, returned.
There were two people: one was Qin Shuang, her sister-in-law’s cousin and the doctor who assisted in Jiang Ciyi’s surgery.
The other looked familiar, but Cheng Xing couldn’t place her.
Guests were guests.
After they finished paying respects, Cheng Xing approached to invite them to the banquet.
But as she stepped forward, the other woman instinctively stepped back, her eyes filled with clear fear.
Cheng Xing: “…?”
Was her smile that scary?
She was sure she’d smiled kindly.
Qin Shuang supported the woman, politely declining. “No, thank you. We just came to pay respects to Madam Ji.”
“You’re our guests,” Cheng Xing said. “The banquet’s about to start. You can eat before you go.”
“No… no need,” the other woman stammered. “We… we have things to do. We’ll leave now.”
Cheng Xing paused. “Are you a friend of Dr. Qin?”
“You don’t remember…” The woman looked up in shock, her lips forming the word “me,” but she stopped abruptly.
Realizing she’d said something she shouldn’t, she pressed her lips shut.
“There’ve been so many guests today, I’m a bit overwhelmed,” Cheng Xing said, giving herself an excuse. “Please forgive me.”
Seeing they had no intention of staying, Cheng Xing didn’t insist, handing them a red envelope as a return gift before bidding them farewell.
Unexpectedly, Qin Zhiyun appeared, excitedly greeting Qin Shuang and recognizing the woman beside her. “You’re Luo Xi, right? I often hear Ah Shuang mention you.”
Luo Xi smiled shyly. “Hello, sister.”
“You’re here, so stay for the meal,” Qin Zhiyun said. “I might be too busy to look after you, so let Xingxing arrange seats for you.”
Luo Xi wanted to decline, but Qin Zhiyun gently squeezed her hand. “Of all the people Grandmother sponsored, you’re the only one who remembered to come see her off.”
“Sis, I’ll take Luo Xi.” Qin Shuang said, seeing Luo Xi soften, taking charge.
Qin Zhiyun, busy as ever, left like a spinning top.
Cheng Xing nodded to them, still intending to play host, but Qin Shuang gave her a meaningful look and led Luo Xi away.
Cheng Xing, left standing there: “…”
The banquet menu was personally selected by Cheng Zimo, and the seating was arranged by him as well.
Political figures didn’t stay for the meal, leaving after brief condolences.
Those who remained were mostly businesspeople looking to curry favor with the Cheng family.
But Cheng Zimo hadn’t expected Lu Xishi to bring her sister, clearly here to settle a score.
While the Lu family wasn’t as powerful as the Gu or Shen families, it was on par with the Chengs.
Others might not know, but Cheng Zimo, who had been Lu Xishi’s classmate, knew that Lu Xishi and Jiang Yuxi—Gu Qingqiu, to be precise—had an ambiguous relationship since their school days. Whether they’d marry in the future was uncertain.
Lu Xishi was no pushover either.
With Gu Qingqiu in the mix, Cheng Zimo preferred making friends over enemies.
So the seating was adjusted last-minute, moving Cheng Xing, who was meant to sit quietly in a corner, to the main table—right next to Lu Qi.
The table seated eight peers: Cheng Zimo, Cheng Zijing, Cheng Xing, Jiang Ciyi, Gu Qingqiu, Shen Qingxue, Lu Xishi, and Lu Qi.
Compared to other tables, it was quieter but thick with tension.
Everyone openly sized each other up. Even after the dishes were served, no one touched their chopsticks, the silent standoff lasting several minutes.
Suddenly, a chair scraped, and Xu Congshi sat beside Jiang Ciyi, directly across from Gu Qingqiu.
Facing the oppressive gazes, she crossed her arms and smirked. “My table was nagging about marriage. Coming here for some peace isn’t too much, right?”
Her eyes locked onto Gu Qingqiu, as if trying to bore a hole through her face.
Across from Jiang Ciyi was Shen Qingxue. After the silent standoff, Shen Qingxue smiled warmly at her, breaking the ice. “Miss Jiang, you look better than before. In a good mood lately?”
“Mm,” Jiang Ciyi nodded. “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”
Her response instantly shattered the friendly atmosphere Shen Qingxue had tried to create.
Undercurrents swirled at the table.
But the deadlock broke. Lu Xishi’s gaze shifted between Cheng Zimo and Cheng Zijing before settling on the latter. “Was it you who insulted and humiliated my sister?”
Cheng Zijing grinned lazily. “Miss Lu, you’re not the only one with a precious sister.”
His gaze casually swept over Cheng Xing and Jiang Ciyi, his smile not reaching his eyes. “They’re my precious sisters too. Why don’t you mention how your sister tried to set rules for mine before even joining the family?”
Cheng Xing stayed quiet, playing the innocent bystander, but Lu Xishi turned her focus solely on her, her voice cold. “I want to know what rules Lu Qi set for you that made you slap her.”
Her words silenced the table.
Even Cheng Zimo and Cheng Zijing were stunned. They knew Cheng Xing had clashed with Lu Qi at a book club over Jiang Ciyi, but they thought it was just verbal sparring—not a physical slap.
Cheng Zimo’s voice turned icy. “Are you saying you want to slap my sister’s face today?”
Cheng Xing looked at Lu Qi, tilting her head with a gentle smile. “Lu Qi, dare to repeat what you said that day? Or should I repeat it for you?”
Lu Qi bit her lip, her hands clenching into fists under the table, not daring to speak.
If her sister found out she’d been slapped for insulting someone, she wouldn’t be spared at home either.
Lu Xishi was not someone to cross, and Lu Qi knew it well.
She could only mumble, “It was just a careless remark.”
Cheng Xing laughed. “So if I call you an idiot and say it was a slip of the tongue, does that count?”
She paused, then turned her gentle smile to Lu Xishi, almost provocatively. “Your sister’s young and reckless. I was just worried she’d tarnish the Lu family’s name…”
“That’s for the Lu family to handle, not you,” Lu Xishi said.
Cheng Xing rubbed her wrist. “True. Whether the Lu family’s name is tarnished isn’t my concern. I just needed an excuse.”
“What’s the truth?” Lu Xishi asked.
Cheng Xing rolled up her sleeve, revealing a patch of lingering bruises. “The truth is, she raised her hand to hit me, and I acted in self-defense. This is from blocking her swing that day. Want to check, Sister Lu?”
Lu Xishi stared coldly, searching for signs of a lie in her eyes.
“It’s been days, and it’s still there?” Lu Qi said. “I didn’t even hit hard.”
“My skin’s delicate. A slight touch leaves marks that take forever to fade,” Cheng Xing said. “Injuries linger.”
“So what exactly did my sister say to make you so angry?” Lu Xishi pushed a glass toward her.
Cheng Xing glanced at Jiang Ciyi, not planning to answer, but Jiang Ciyi spoke up. “She just arrogantly walked up to me and called me a crippled.”
Her tone was calm, as if recounting someone else’s story.
But Cheng Xing sensed her sadness, squeezing her hand under the table, not wanting her to continue.
Cheng Xing’s tone turned cold. “If Lu Qi bit me, I could let it go for Sister Lu’s sake. But she bit my wife, and I can’t convince myself not to act.”
Lu Xishi glanced at Lu Qi but said nothing.
Jiang Ciyi’s cool voice swept from Gu Qingqiu to Lu Xishi, her lips curving slightly. “Back in school, I thought Miss Lu was just riding on someone else’s coattails to act so recklessly. Now I see she does have the capital to be arrogant. After all, her ‘careless remark’ can rally so many to fight for her, with her sister backing her up regardless of the occasion or the truth.”
Jiang Ciyi chuckled softly. “I used to think Miss Lu was like this occasionally. Now I see it’s just how the Lu family operates. Eye-opening.”
“You!” Lu Xishi’s fist slammed lightly on the table.
No one was a fool—how could they miss the layered insults in Cheng Xing and Jiang Ciyi’s words?
It was practically outright mockery.
Clap—clap—clap—
Gu Qingqiu lightly applauded, a rare smile on her face. “Well said.”
Jiang Ciyi glanced at her, meeting her gaze with equal intensity. “Miss Gu, you flatter me.”
“What’s your name?” Gu Qingqiu asked.
“My surname’s Jiang,” Jiang Ciyi said. “Jiang Ciyi.”
Gu Qingqiu paused, her gaze complex. “My sister mentioned you. She said you’re beautiful and unique. Now I see she’s right.”
“Really?” Jiang Ciyi replied. “I just don’t want to be bullied at my own doorstep and forced to swallow it.”
Their back-and-forth sounded to Cheng Xing like one person talking to themselves.
Aside from slight differences in tone and inflection, their voices were eerily similar.
Cheng Xing thought it was her imagination, but then Xu Congshi, who had been silent, frowned and said, “You two… your voices sound like the same person.”
Cheng Xing mentally gave Xu Congshi a thumbs-up.
Jiang Ciyi took a sip of tea and said coolly, “Maybe because I’ve got a cold and my throat’s off.”
Gu Qingqiu: “…”
“I don’t think I’ve offended Miss Jiang,” Gu Qingqiu said, catching the subtext in her words and smiling. “Why the indiscriminate attack?”
“No attack,” Jiang Ciyi said. “Just don’t want people thinking I’m trying to curry favor with Miss Gu. I don’t have that luck or that courage.”
Gu Qingqiu smiled, her eyes gleaming with appreciation. “I think Miss Jiang’s got plenty of courage. Not everyone dares to go head-to-head with Lu Xishi.”
“Jiang Yuxi.” Lu Xishi said, glancing at her.
Gu Qingqiu responded lazily with a hum. “Hm?”
“If this matter’s settled, let’s eat,” Jiang Ciyi said. “If this drags on, word will spread soon.”
She gave Lu Xishi a faint glance.
Lu Xishi turned to Cheng Zimo. “Sorry, I got heated.”