Chapter 20

 

Everyone was looking at Liang Jiancheng.

At least every single employee from Longmao Parkway had turned to stare.

Their gazes were mixed.

Liang Jiancheng stood tall and straight, his expression calm, dignified, even overly righteous. The calm and fearless look in his eyes alone was enough to fend off the crowd’s pointing fingers, even though he hadn’t said a word in his defense.

He had stood up simply because he was Xinghai’s boss, the person in charge of tonight’s year-end banquet — not because he was the “man” they were looking for.

Calm down.

Liang Jiancheng looked toward the group from Longmao and spoke evenly, his tone calm and measured:

“Today is the year-end banquet for both our companies, and it’s not over yet. To avoid disturbing the innocent, I suggest we find a separate place to resolve this issue. And if the matter involves anything unlawful, I recommend calling the police.”

The innocent people Liang Jiancheng was referring to included himself.

Oh, oh, oh… so it wasn’t him.

The big sisters in the crowd were already showing disappointment. They’d come for the drama, but the handsome face had definitely made it more entertaining.

Ming Xi, who had been frozen in surprise, her gaze a little dazed, now understood too — the cheater wasn’t him. But he was definitely sitting at that table.

So who was it?

Ming Xi’s eyes swept over the men one by one. Each time her gaze landed on someone, their reactions varied — a few lifted their heads slightly to meet her eyes, others ducked so low it was as if they wanted to disappear under the table.

Different temperaments, different tells — not enough to judge by.

Compared to Ming Xi’s relatively polite glances, Ding Xiao’s glare was almost predatory.

Like a police officer interrogating a suspect.

Originally…

Originally, as Xinghai’s host, Liang Jiancheng had wanted to handle the situation gracefully. The man in question was one of his invited guests, and this entire spectacle was unfolding in front of everyone. He had intended to defuse the chaos with a little tact.

Unfortunately, no amount of experience could have prepared him to clean up this kind of emotional mess.

Liang Jiancheng withdrew his gaze, his eyes scanning the large table. His face was handsome and serious, with a touch of sternness, and finally settled on the distinguished guest seated to his right.

Tian Dafa from Ning City. Boss Tian.

Boss Tian was a supplier for Liang Jiancheng’s factory. He’d come all the way here from Ning City just to finalize two contracts for the coming year.

Since tonight was Xinghai’s year-end banquet, Liang Jiancheng had naturally invited him along. Boss Tian had mentioned that his wife was also coming along and that he might bring her.

Liang Jiancheng had prepared extra seating — one or two more guests wouldn’t be a problem.

But in the end, only Tian Dafa showed up, saying his wife wasn’t feeling well.

Liang Jiancheng looked at the imposing and domineering Mrs. Tian not far away and found it quite laughable. She didn’t look the least bit unwell; she seemed to want to arrange some entertainment for their banquet!

But Mrs. Tian’s “luring the prey into a trap and killing the chicken to scare the monkey” move was just too unsightly!

A faint, dry color brushed Liang Jiancheng’s face. Because he was tall and standing, he happened to block Tian Dafa from view behind him. The man was hunched down, shrinking like a turtle in its shell, too scared to move.

“Mr. Tian, ​​your wife has such a good temper,” Liang Jiancheng said coldly. “Would you like to get up and take a look?”

Tian Dafa: …

Finally, under Liang Jiancheng’s firm and unrelenting gaze, the man let out a heavy sigh: “Oh my God! This is so embarrassing!”

He too, huh. Everyone was embarrassed today, except the one holding the megaphone. Liang Jiancheng stepped aside, moving one step back, leaving no room to escape, and directly made way for Tian Dafa.

Now everyone could see the person hiding behind Liang Jiancheng.

Ugh…

That’s what he looks like…

What a disappointing face…

So disgusting!

Tian Dafa’s fat face instantly flushed red, then turned blue. He couldn’t bear to face anyone—his hands clasped behind his back, body half-turned, desperate to flee.

But if he was going to walk away, he should’ve done it earlier. Now was the worst time.

Liang Jiancheng politely warned, “Mr. Tian, ​​if you walk out like this, how do you expect the scene to end? Whether it’s your wife or your mistress, that’s your private affair. As an outsider, it’s really not my place to step in!”

Liang Jiancheng spoke politely, but his voice wasn’t soft, at least loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

Having learned from his previous experience, Liang Jiancheng made sure not to speak too mildly again, lest his words be misunderstood.

At last, everyone’s attention shifted away from him. Those who were reluctant to look away could only be said to be more interested in beauty than in the excitement—especially the beauty that had just been “humiliated”.

Behind Liang Jiancheng, several onlookers shook their heads. The earlier curiosity in their eyes had faded, replaced with sheer disgust toward the man.

Being surrounded and stared at by everyone, Tian Dafa’s face burned like fire. Angry, humiliated, and helpless, he suddenly straightened his back, stormed over to his wife, and slapped her hard across the face.

Then he roared—

“Are you done making a scene?!”

At that moment, he seemed to have finally found a way to reclaim his masculine dignity.

But that slap only provoked public outrage—and ignited his wife’s fury. In his shame and anger, the man might have forgotten the source of his wife’s confidence to make a scene.

The next second—

The wife slapped back, but once wasn’t enough, so she slapped him again.

Everyone was stunned.

Her face was twisted with fury, ready to tear the disgusting, filthy Tian Dafa apart right there and then.

She’d thought about sparing him some dignity, but he’d cast away even the last ounce of decency between them.

“Okay, Tian Dafa, I’m divorcing you! I’ll take every penny you’ve got!”

Then came the truly dramatic moment.

At the mention of divorce and losing his money, the man suddenly sobered up. Whatever hollow masculine pride he had evaporated the instant money was mentioned… His pride vanished; his knee hit the ground with a dull thud—he knelt before his furious wife.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Besides being dumbfounded, Ming Xi also felt so disgusted that she nearly threw up, feeling as if her body and soul had been defiled.

She’d seen the ugliest side of this man. Did Sister Lingna see it too?

This man had nothing attractive about him besides money. What on earth could she possibly have liked about him?

Do men really think that having money makes them gods?

It turns out that the beauty and youth that she was proud of were so cheap…

The whole time, this man didn’t even look at He Lingna.

At first, he only thought about how to save face. When his face could no longer be saved, he tried to show his “manly” dominance. In the end, when money was at stake, he abandoned even dignity and pride.

Money…

Truly a marvelous thing.

It could buy a woman’s youth—and buy back his own self-respect. Before everyone’s eyes, he knelt, without hesitation.

Look at him and think about it—he feared divorce not out of love, but because of money.

He was like a soft, spineless insect, bred and fed on money, yearning for dignity yet incapable of possessing any.

…

That night’s farce ended, predictably, with the police being called. Tian Dafa wasn’t allowed to just walk away.

It was Liang Jiancheng who made the call.

What surprised Ming Xi was that—

Afterward, things were resolved rather peacefully. He Lingna received a sum of money and signed a letter of understanding.

The next day, she returned to Guangdong.

Sister Lingna said she was from a small county in Guangdong near the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. She hadn’t been home for the New Year in many years, so she wanted to go back this year.

In the afternoon, Ming Xi and Ding Xiao accompanied her to the Haigang bus station.

Every day, many long-distance buses departed from Haigang to Guangzhou, but the journey took two days and two nights. Tickets were easier to get than during the Spring Festival rush, but the trip was exhausting.

Maybe the long, gruelling journeys in the past were what had led Lingna down the wrong path.

Still—no matter how hard or tiring the road ahead, it couldn’t be worse than yesterday.

Before leaving, Sister Lingna gave Ming Xi a cashmere hat she’d bought with her own money and helped her put it on.

Partings were always sad, so Ming Xi, trying to brighten the mood, asked, “Does this hat look good on me?”

Ding Xiao rarely complimented, “It does.”

He Lingna smiled faintly, “As long as it keeps you warm.”

A pang of sadness welled up in Ming Xi’s heart; her eyes burned with tears.

She glanced around. For a city as vast and beautiful as Haigang, the bus station was still rundown and dilapidated—nothing like the modern train station she’d arrived at. All around were migrant workers hauling their belongings, hurrying to catch buses home.

“Sometimes for girls like us, being pretty isn’t a blessing,” He Lingna said.

After yesterday’s events, Sister Lingna seemed to have lost all her energy and spirit. Her whole person was dull, and her voice was hoarse and weary.

Ming Xi looked at He Lingna like this with a pained look in her eyes.

Ding Xiao exhaled heavily, still thinking of that slap from last night.

“I’m sorry, Ding Xiao.”

If she’d known it would come to this, she never would’ve—

Ding Xiao pressed her lips together, cold and silent. After a pause, unable to keep blaming her, she said quietly, “Forget it. I got compensation too.”

Lingna felt lost. She turned to Ming Xi.

Ming Xi’s throat was dry; her words came out rough and stiff. “Sister Lingna, take care of yourself. We’ll see you after the New Year.”

Sister Lingna replied with a “yes.”

In truth, both sides already had an answer in their hearts: Sister Lingna would not come back. Even if she did, she would no longer be Ming Xi’s mentor.

People come and go—that’s just how life is. For the wealthy and the carefree, parting was for the sake of reuniting again; they could fly anywhere for a single encounter. But for them, parting was truly an ending.

Sister Lingna was gone.

Ming Xi felt, for the first time, the bitter helplessness of a poor girl trying to survive in a big city—without money, there’s no dignity. That was her first real lesson from society, delivered brutally the night before.

Afterwards, she worked two days as normal until the second day of the Lunar New Year, when she took a day off.

…

The incident at the year-end party had been an absurd farce, the kind of scandal that refused to die down. Fortunately, He Lingna was no longer working at the counter.

Everyone couldn’t see her, but they could see Ming Xi and Ding Xiao.

And now, Ming Xi was famous. Her reaction that night had spread—everyone at Longmao Parkway knew who she was, and even employees from Xinghai recognized her when they came shopping in the import section.

“You’re the girl from the other night, right? Ah, you’ve got guts!”

“Where are you from? You don’t sound like you’re from Haigang.”

“That night, we were shocked too. Never thought something like that would happen. Good thing you reacted fast.”

Customers were still customers—Ming Xi couldn’t turn them away. She had to smile, warm and bright, as if greeting old friends.

The male employee from Xinghai grew more animated as he spoke, his excitement bubbling over into generosity.

“I like people with guts. Do you have any new styles that would suit me? Show them to me.”

Since he insisted, Ming Xi didn’t hold back. Who would’ve thought that the farce from the year-end party would turn into free publicity for her?

Of course, she would’ve preferred to be known another way.

Still, a customer was like a god— if you can help boost her sales, you are a big shot.

She picked out a few classic bestsellers for him. The man didn’t hesitate—he chose one without even trying it on.

She didn’t expect that an ordinary employee of Xinghai would be so generous and buy a sweater worth four figures.

A sweater here costs four figures!

Even she, working there as a saleswoman, sometimes felt like they were robbing people blind…

“Wrap me another one, one size bigger. I’m giving it to my family.”

“…Alright!”

What was even more unexpected was that she would sell two of this “robbing people blind” sweaters!

——

After the last day of work, the New Year had already passed.

On the first morning of the holiday, Ming Xi stood at the dormitory window and looked at the empty alleys and streets outside. A quiet hollowness spread through her chest.

She had never liked the New Year, so going to work during the New Year this year was the most satisfying thing.

Cai Ni had called yesterday, saying she’d found a coin in her dumpling on New Year’s Eve; Ding Xiao had managed to get a train ticket home early; one of the local big sisters was bustling about, preparing piles of New Year goods…

She’d never experienced such vibrant atmosphere of the New Year, yet it seemed to brush past her heart.

Clean and empty, neither stirring nostalgia nor sadness.

She was simply bored, and for a long time she stood by the window watching passersby on the street, clutching gifts as they headed home.

Longmao had distributed New Year’s goods to each employee, and she’d received a box of large Red Fuji apples and a bag of Want WantWant Want is a rice cracker brand gift packs.

She’d eaten one of the Red Fuji apples on New Year’s Day, and the Want Want gift pack was still unopened…

Then she checked her phone, scrolling through the New Year’s greetings she’d sent to all her contacts on New Year’s Eve.

She’d been especially respectful when texting Professor Liang—editing her message twice before sending.

Professor Liang hadn’t replied, but his son, Liang Jiancheng, had.

Ming Xi opened the thread containing the only two messages between them.

“Wishing you great fortune in the Year of the Dragon, Mr. Liang! May your career soar like a golden dragon across the skies.”

Liang Jiancheng replied to her late at night on New Year’s Eve with a simple sentence: “Happy New Year.”

Compared to Liang Jiancheng who replied to her with “Happy New Year”, Professor Liang completely ignored her.

Ming Xi couldn’t figure it out—if Professor Liang had been willing to help her find a job, why wouldn’t he even reply to a New Year’s text?

Was her message not written well enough?

She reread it carefully:

“As the New Year’s Eve bells ring, Ming Xi sends blessings. Wishing Professor Liang a harmonious family, best wishes, and good health in the year 2000! Sincerely, your student Ming Xi.”

What’s wrong with that? Isn’t it very thorough and proper?

Ming Xi tightened her grip on her Nokia phone, then decided to send another message. After all, her mobile plan had given her fifty free New Year’s texts—it’d be a waste not to use them.

“Professor Liang, it’s Ming Xi again, sending you another New Year’s greeting! I wish you all the best. I’ll never forget your kindness. No matter where you are, I’ll always remember and be grateful to you! Sincerely, your student, Ming Xi.”

After all, it was a text message, so she could express her gratitude however she wanted! No need to worry about sounding cheesy. And if it did sound cheesy, well… Professor Liang would be the one embarrassed, not her.

Truthfully, she did feel a genuine sense of gratitude toward him.

She didn’t get a reply for the New Year’s Eve blessing text, but the professor replied to this one very quickly.

Three messages in a row:

“I’ll be in Haigang during the Spring Festival holiday.”

“My address in Haigang is 357 Shaoxing North Road, Siming Street.”

“If you’re also in Haigang, come by for a visit.”

Ming Xi: …

Was she supposed to rush off and bring a gift again?!

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