In the evening, Assistant Liang was the one who picked her up to go to the Cheng Family.
At home, there was only He Jia, along with a cooking aunt, Cheng Xun was not there.
So, the dinner was just between them two and Assistant Liang.
He Jia wore a cheongsam, enthusiastically pulling her into the kitchen, showing her the lemon shredded chicken that was about to be finished.
"The summer is stuffy, this refreshing dish is just right, Cheng Zhirang occasionally loves eating this. Would you like some staple food?"
"Just a little bit." She reached out to help with the disposable gloves. "Is Uncle not coming back for dinner?"
"He’s busy at the company, he might come back very late."
Busy at the company...
Before, this phrase seemed trivial, but now thinking about it, the images in her mind were like signing a stack of millions worth of expense claims or casually discussing billion-dollar collaborations with industry bigwigs.
She knew the Cheng Family was wealthy, Cheng Zhirang himself was quite wealthy too, but didn’t expect them to be this wealthy.
"Come, try and see how it tastes." He Jia put on disposable gloves, pinching a piece of shredded chicken up to her mouth.
Mu Qiu tasted it and stuck out her tongue, saying this piece was a bit spicy.
"No worries, I only mixed on this side. The other half doesn’t have much chili pepper mixed."
Her gaze swept over Mu Qiu’s lips, seeing a bit of swelling, deepened her smile, and opened the lid of the nearby stew made by the aunt, saying: "We also prepared papaya seaweed black chicken soup for you."
"There’s this kind of soup too? Papaya can be stewed like this?" Mu Qiu leaned in to smell it, "It smells so good."
"Since it smells good, have more later. You can try a sip now. Did Cheng Zhirang mention what time he’d be home tonight?"
"He said around nine o’clock." She hadn’t thought much about the word ’home’ in the conversation.
He Jia arranged the shredded chicken on a plate, smiling, "That’s good, earlier than before. He moved out to live on his own when he was eighteen, and now he finally has his own small home to return to, he should be more motivated than before."
"Cough cough cough!"
Mu Qiu got choked, her face reddened from coughing.
He Jia took off her gloves and patted her back: "What’s so embarrassing about it, isn’t he moved there to live with you already?
I said I’d visit him last time, but when I called, I found out he moved to your place. Don’t worry, he’s never had bad habits growing up, sharing an apartment is a pretty good choice."
Is this called sharing an apartment?
Mu Qiu, amused and helpless, helped carry the plate, blushing, out of the kitchen.
He Jia laughed happily from behind.
The topic among the two women and Assistant Liang mainly revolved around Cheng Zhirang.
They talked about his early days in the industry, some dangers he faced during filming, and more about Cheng Zhirang’s maturity, reliability, and being someone worth "sharing an apartment" with.
It literally sounded like a businessman trying to sell off his unsalable product.
After dinner, it was time for Mu Qiu to leave.
He Jia escorted her to the door, and just as they opened it, they bumped into Lin Huanyue, who was about to knock on the door.
Seeing Mu Qiu, Lin Huanyue’s smile froze.
"Aunt Cheng," she smiled again, showing no sign of tricks, "Miss Mu."
Mu Qiu nodded towards her, taking the packed soup from He Jia’s hand: "I’ll be leaving now, Auntie? Let him taste this soup, he misses your cooking."
"Alright. If he stays out too late, give him a call. He has a family now, yet stays out late for work discussions."
Mu Qiu smiled, waved, and walked out with Assistant Liang.
Lin Huanyue stepped aside slightly, saying to He Jia, "Had I known Miss Mu was visiting, I would have come at another time. I’ll come back tomorrow to see you, Aunt Cheng, now I’ll walk with Miss Mu."
He Jia smiled without speaking, looking at Mu Qiu.
"Alright," Mu Qiu smiled, her eyes curving, "walking after dinner is good too. Assistant Liang, could you put the soup in the car first? Wait at the intersection where we came in?"
Assistant Liang took the packed box and agreed.
"Miss Lin, please lead the way. Auntie, please go back and rest, we’ll stroll for a few minutes and be back."
"Sure, stay safe, call me if there’s anything."
Mu Qiu nodded, said okay, then turned around becoming cold, polite but lacking any friendliness: "Miss Lin, do you have business with me?"
"Why didn’t Cheng Zhirang come back today?"
She tilted her head, staring at her eyes, speaking word by word: "None of your business. Do you think we can friendly discuss the relationship of my man?"
Lin Huanyue felt a little embarrassed: "I just casually asked since he’s not here, no need to be so aggressive, right?"
"I am just this aggressive, I don’t want to hear my man’s name from other women. If you have something, just say it directly, don’t mention his name again."
She was truly unapologetic, leaving Lin Huanyue embarrassed, biting her teeth, her face turning pale with anger, not taking the calm approach: "What’s to be proud of, it’s just a relationship, what happens next is uncertain, have you seen any ordinary person truly marry into a wealthy family? Just from his status, rarely do regular people and celebrities marry after dating. You’re boasting by relying on him to speak to me like this..."
"Stop," interrupting what she didn’t want to repeat, she delivered a decisive blow, "He proposed yesterday."
Lin Huanyue’s pupils slightly shrunk.
"So we’re not only dating, we’ll get married, and maybe invite you to the ceremony? When we have kids later, you might need to be called Aunt Lin when meeting them. Excited?"
"You! Stop dreaming!"
"You’re the one dreaming," she paused, walked two steps toward Lin Huanyue, habitually staring at her eyes without expression, forcing her back two steps,
"And I’m calling it wish fulfillment. Your Lin Family is having a lively day, yet you have time to visit others, to compete with others’ girlfriends? What’s the deal, evaporating seven billion is just trivial to you?"
Lin Huanyue’s face turned gloomy, glaring at her with hatred: "It’s not your place to judge about the Lin Family. Since you’re so confident, stay strong in your role as Cheng Zhirang’s girlfriend, I’ll wait to see if you truly reach that day of fulfillment."
"Every day I live my dream come true, while you, Miss Lin, focus on the wrong priority, isn’t it better to manage your own life well? Why fixate on this piece of prime meat, giving up other opportunities out there, careful of losing instead."
"What do you know? We’ve been together since childhood, he’s supposed to be mine!"
Mu Qiu sneered: "And yet he’s thirty now, and you haven’t put this supposed possession in your pocket? Why, waiting for him to die old right in front of you? It sounds laughable, as if money has clogged your mind."
"Shut up! He..."
"He’s mine now. Honestly, I hate talking to you, no focus or actions, as if all you have is big talk. I fish with my own rod, and you’re waiting for others to fish it out before you pick up what they don’t want? How come you have your eye on the prime fish in the middle? Try another fish."
She took one last glance at Lin Huanyue and turned away toward the intersection, not looking back.