Chapter 117: The Beautiful and Sweet-Tongued Junior Sister
“At the orchestra,” Lian Li said.
“You don’t like the cello but always go to the orchestra,” Jin Shiyue asked, “Are you seeing someone behind my back?”
Seeing someone? There wasn’t even a ghost at the orchestra.
Lian Li grumbled inwardly, then said, “Stealing is illegal, and I don’t do illegal things. What do you need me for?”
Jin Shiyue: “What’s the house password?”
Lian Li glanced warily at the call screen on her mobile phone and asked him, “What do you need the password for?”
Jin Shiyue said slowly, “To reincarnate.”
Lian Li: “…No one in my family is having children, so you should find another place to reincarnate.”
Jin Shiyue let out a low laugh, the sound coming through the receiver and brushing against her ear as if with a feather.
Lian Li uncomfortably raised a hand to rub her ear and told him, “The door lock password is 100109.”
“What’s the meaning?” Jin Shiyue entered the password and walked in after unlocking it.
Lian Li: “Taipei’s postal code.”
Upon hearing this, he laughed again, seemingly amused, and perhaps a little surprised.
“Let’s have dinner together tonight.”
The calm statement carried an air of irrefutability.
“I can’t tonight,” Lian Li said. “I have plans with my Senior Sister, maybe another day.”
Jin Shiyue didn’t say anything more about it, accepting it, and then casually asked her, “Move in with me?”
“No,” Lian Li refused without hesitation.
Moving into Wan Yi Hua Fu would be like walking into a trap.
“Do you think Wan Yi Hua Fu is my only residence?” Jin Shiyue scoffed, knowing her concern, “Who are you insulting?”
“Then where should I move?”
“Xi Shang Yuan,” Jin Shiyue said.
Both Wan Yi Hua Fu and Xi Shang Yuan were areas where the powerful and wealthy congregated, quiet and discreet, offering tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle; such locations were not accessible to ordinary people.
But Lian Li still refused, “I’m not going, I’m fine at home.”
Although the commute was a bit far, at least it was peaceful.
“Then I’ll move there,” Jin Shiyue was surprisingly agreeable today.
Lian Li also conceded a step, “Okay, my place is small, so please behave yourself and don’t bring your entire collection over.”
After hanging up the phone, Lian Li walked into the orchestra’s practice room. She took out her well-maintained cello, tuned a few notes, and after confirming the pitch was correct, prepared to practice her sheet music when her mobile phone rang again.
She thought it was Jin Shiyue calling again, but when she looked at her phone, she saw it was Jin Yan Ting.
Lian Li blinked her eyelashes and swiped to answer, “Brother.”
“Why didn’t you receive a red envelope for your birthday?” Jin Yan Ting’s voice was as gentle as ever.
“I already received my birthday gift, so I don’t need the red envelope.”
Jin Yan Ting said, “Xiao Li, you’re being distant with me.”
“Is it different from the past?” Lian Li asked back, her expression unchanged and her tone gentle.
Her voice was naturally sweet and soft, so just hearing it would make people feel she was genuinely asking, curiously seeking an answer.
Someone called out Jin Yan Ting’s name from the other end of the phone; he was likely attending an important gathering, and after a brief chat, he hung up.
Lian Li stayed at the Wen Gang Orchestra until evening. Like before, her life was actually very simple: school, orchestra, home – a three-point trajectory.
The restaurant Xue Shufan booked was Fu Yan, which required advance reservations and was extremely difficult to secure. The restaurant prided itself on combining exquisite cuisine with art, with its offerings overseen by a world-class pianist and international food and wine connoisseur, and its cuisine prepared by a national treasure chef.
Xue Shufan was wearing a crisp, light blue suit paired with matching wide-leg pants. The high heels on her feet were a gift from Lian Li. She had light makeup on, looking like a powerful CEO returning from a business reception.
As soon as she spoke, she sounded like a down-to-earth CEO: “I was passing by the alley entrance and wanted to buy a Jianbing Guozi to fill my stomach, but who knew I’d coincidentally run into the stall being closed for the first time in ten years.”
In this bustling area, the hutong alleys showed a stark contrast between the common folk selling street food and the powerful nobles.
Lian Li said, “Misfortune and fortune are intertwined. Losing a Jianbing Guozi means you’ll have new good luck today.”
“My Junior Sister’s words are so sweet, Senior Sister likes it!”
Xue Shufan and Lian Li were led by a waiter into the opulent Fu Yan.
“How did you book this place?” Lian Li asked after sitting down. “Aren’t you short on funds? Did you win the lottery recently and become a nouveau riche?”
The Xue Family had cut off Xue Shufan’s card a long time ago. Her finances weren’t abundant, and she mostly spent money on other things, with a very low Engel coefficient.
Usually, Lian Li would treat her to meals at restaurants, and Xue Shufan would provide emotional value.
Xue Shufan said, “Pei Qingji booked it.”
Lian Li’s rosy lips curved slightly, and she smiled faintly, “Your ‘idiot’ friend has become your assistant.”
“Resources and connections, might as well use them,” Xue Shufan said nonchalantly.
The Junior Sister, one of the resources and connections, was responsible for ordering. She took the menu and ordered a few signature dishes. The waiter bowed to receive it and asked them to wait a moment, as the food would be ready soon.
“Chen Wei Qi and Duan Shiqing, whom you met today, they aren’t related by blood, but their relationship is closer than sisters. Do you know why?” Xue Shufan liked to play riddles with her Junior Sister.
Lian Li: “Why.”
“Chen Wei Qi’s mother, Su Ying, and Duan Shiqing’s mother, Duan Si Yao, are both the persons in power of their respective families, and the two have a good relationship and similarities,” Xue Shufan said. “Su Ying frequently travels for work, so she asked the Duan Family to help look after Chen Wei Qi.”
Duan Xingyu and Chen Wei Qi are the same age and get along well, so it’s normal for them to be close.
Lian Li’s eyes flickered as she caught the information and asked, “Do Duan Shiqing and the others all take their mother’s surname?”
Xue Shufan nodded, “Duan Shiqing’s father doesn’t have much background, but he has strength, comparable to a top scholar in ancient times. After marrying Duan Si Yao, he joined the Duan Family, changed his surname to Duan, and rose through the ranks relying on the Duan Family’s power.”
“Didn’t I mention before that Zhong Yang’s aunt moved abroad after marrying the Duan Family’s second son due to work transfer?”
Lian Li: “I remember. The Duan Family’s second son from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a promising future, but isn’t that Duan Yu’s uncle?”
An uncle is a father’s brother, and an aunt is a mother’s brother. If they took their mother’s surname, then the uncle shouldn’t be surnamed Duan, right?
“Ah, did I say uncle before?” Xue Shufan asked in surprise.
“Yes,” Lian Li nodded.
“It’s all their family’s complicated situation, I got confused for a moment!” Xue Shufan never blamed herself; if anyone was to blame, it was others.
Lian Li’s eyes curved slightly, her pupils reflecting a genuine, faint smile.
“Never mind. Anyway, what I wanted to say is that Zhong Yang’s aunt is a translator, and the Duan Family’s second son is in diplomacy. They are a perfect match,” Xue Shufan said. “In summary: once you have power and money, respect and love will naturally follow. You can also play around with men like Chen Wei Qi.”
“The former is possible, but as for playing around with men…”
The two red jades on Lian Li’s bracelet clinked together, making a beautiful ding-dong sound. She suddenly thought of Jin Shiyue and, with a flash of inspiration, shook her head, “Men are troublesome, too much hassle.”
Jin Shiyue’s thoughts were as unfathomable as the bottom of the sea; she couldn’t figure out what he was thinking and didn’t have the extra energy to deal with other men.
From the moment Jin Yan Ting stepped out of the car, the manager of Fu Yan eagerly approached him, fawning over him and escorting him to the second floor.
Jin Yan Ting’s gaze swept across the first-floor lobby, and a familiar face caught his eye, causing him to stop in his tracks.
Even in this luxurious and opulent setting, she was still someone who could be recognized at a glance.
The manager of Fu Yan, bowing and scraping, followed his gaze and saw Lian Li. “President Jin, someone you know?”
