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Novel Catalog
Chapter 21
After their indulgence in food and drinks, Jiang Ning had consumed quite a bit, and so it was decided that he wouldn’t drive. Huang Yuming took the responsibility of arranging a ride for them.
Lin Wen, having had his share, clung to Su Mei as they made their way home, his words slurred but heartfelt. “My dear, I love you… I’ll get better, and we’ll be happy, you and Yuzhen both.” He paused, giving her a tender look, “Thank you for all these years. How did I get so lucky to have such a wonderful wife?” His voice took on a childlike sincerity as he continued, “Wifey, let’s stay together forever, alright?”
Su Mei blushed, flustered by his declarations, but helpless to stop him. “The kids are watching!” she reminded him, though Lin Wen only chuckled in response.
Lin Yuzhen, pretending to ignore the exchange, couldn’t help but smile. It had been a while since she’d seen her parents like this.
Later, that night, Lin Yuzhen lay on her side, with Jiang Ning sprawled on the floor beside her bed. A quiet moment passed between them before she spoke softly, “Jiang Ning?”
“Hmm?” He responded lazily, already half-asleep.
“Thank you.” Her voice was low, almost lost in the stillness.
“No need,” Jiang Ning mumbled, his eyes closing.
But Lin Yuzhen wasn’t quite done. “Next time, don’t spend so much on my family, okay?” She was concerned, though her tone was gentle.
Jiang Ning didn’t hesitate to reply, even in the quiet of the night, “I can’t agree to that.” His voice was firm, his words clear. “This is my family too, which means your family. If I don’t spend on you, then who else will I spend on?”
“But… why?” Lin Yuzhen bit her lip in confusion. She didn’t understand, especially considering Jiang Ning’s wealth and status. With all the women he could have, why insist on marrying into her family?
“I’ve been living in your house, enjoying your mum’s cooking—how could I not contribute?” Jiang Ning responded nonchalantly. “Now, go to sleep, goodnight.”
Lin Yuzhen’s thoughts swirled, unanswered, as she lay beside him, wondering about the mysterious, almost inexplicable nature of his actions. But there were no more words, and the night grew quiet.
The next morning, Jiang Ning woke to find breakfast more lavish than before. Without hesitation, he dug in, his appetite ravenous as always.
“Where’s Dad?” He asked between bites.
“He drank too much last night,” Su Mei called from the kitchen, her voice light. “He’s still sleeping.”
Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow. “He really needs to work on his alcohol tolerance—how else will he entertain clients?”
Su Mei froze for a moment at the unexpected comment. “Entertain clients?” she murmured, unsure what he meant.
Before she could question it further, Lin Yuzhen burst from her room, hurriedly packing. “Something’s happened at the factory, I have to go right now!”
Jiang Ning didn’t think twice. “I’ll take you there!” He was already on his feet, the fried dough stick still in his hand.
“Mum, we’re leaving!” Lin Yuzhen called as they dashed out of the house.
“Yuzhen, you haven’t eaten!” Su Mei called after them, but they were already gone. She shook her head at the mess left on the table where Jiang Ning had eaten, laughing quietly to herself. “This boy—no one’s going to steal the food from him.”
As Su Mei began clearing the dishes, the doorbell rang. When she answered, a few men in suits stood at the doorstep, holding gifts.
The man leading them, with graying hair, bowed respectfully. “Are you Madam Su Mei?”
“Yes, I am,” Su Mei replied, surprised.
“I am Xue Xing, CEO of Donghai Bank,” the man introduced himself, followed by the branch manager. “We’re here to apologize for the unfortunate incident at our branch yesterday.”
Su Mei was taken aback. The CEO and manager of the bank had come personally?
“May we come in?” Xue Xing asked with courtesy.
“Of course,” Su Mei replied, stepping aside to let them in.
Meanwhile, Zhang Rong, furious, stood at the management office, having not slept the entire night. “I want to see who hit my car!” he demanded. His Porsche was beyond repair, and he was determined to find the culprit, even if it meant ruining their life.
“I’m sorry, but it was too dark last night,” the manager explained. “The CCTV may not have caught it.”
Zhang Rong wasn’t having it. “Don’t tell me that! I live here, I know how good your CCTV system is. Didn’t it catch that affair of Dasheng’s daughter-in-law?”
Zhang Cui’s voice grew louder, “You better investigate this, or we’ll call the police!”
Reluctantly, the manager agreed to check the footage. When she saw the BMW without a license plate, Zhang Cui’s voice broke out in a triumphant shout.
“It’s them!” she yelled. “It’s that neighbor of mine!”
She laughed, mocking them, “They pretended the man who married into their family bought it—everyone knows he’s a nobody!”
Zhang Rong’s anger grew. “They hit my car, so they’re going to pay for it.”
With that, the two siblings set off toward Su Mei’s house, Zhang Rong intent on making them pay.
Back at Su Mei’s house, Xue Xing and the branch manager presented their apology with full sincerity. “We’re truly sorry for the misunderstanding. Please let us know how we can make this right,” Xue Xing said, his face filled with concern.
Su Mei, ever gracious, shook her head. “It’s alright. It was a misunderstanding. There’s no need to go that far.”
Xue Xing admired her for her magnanimity. “Madam Su, you’re incredibly understanding. We respect your wishes.”
Then, turning to the branch manager, Xue Xing motioned for the man to present a gold card. “This is a VIP card from Donghai Bank, with five million inside. Please accept it as our way of apologizing.”
Su Mei hesitated, but before she could protest, all of them bowed deeply in unison, pleading, “Please accept this, and give us a chance to do better.”
