I had no idea what Si Jiangchen's intention was when he brought me to the family dinner arranged by Lin Shuya.
It wasn't until Si Tong led me by the hand into the banquet hall set up by Lin Shuya that I realized this wasn't a family dinner to celebrate Si Tong's recovery at all. It was clearly a blind - date party to introduce a girlfriend to Si Jiangchen!!
The casual T - shirt and jeans I was wearing were completely out of place in the banquet atmosphere, immediately attracting many surprised looks.
"Achen, I told you to pick up Tongtong. Why did you bring her here?"
Lin Shuya was wearing a sleeveless cheongsam in moon - white with dark bamboo - shadow patterns today. It had a turquoise border, and a jade bead tassel was hanging from the same - colored pipa - knot frog fastener on her chest. She looked noble and elegant.
She walked over from a group of well - dressed women in half - high heels decorated with pearls on the shoe uppers. Holding a small sandalwood fan in her hand, she pointed at me, showing her impatience without the slightest attempt to hide it.
"Sister Xiaohe is Dad's girlfriend. It's only right to invite her," Si Tong, who had been tugging at my finger, said loudly before Si Jiangchen could say anything. "Besides, she's my savior. Even if we take a step back ten thousand times, she's an honored guest who should be invited."
"What do kids know?"
Noticing that several guests were looking this way, Lin Shuya quickly opened her fan and half - covered her chin, smiling. "There are small cakes over there. Go and take your savior to have a taste."
Then, she reached out and hooked Si Jiangchen's arm. "Achen, come with me. I have some friends I want you to meet."
"Elder sister, you don't need to keep promoting those women to me. I have Xiaohe, and that's enough," Si Jiangchen, who naturally knew Lin Shuya's little plan, gently broke free from her hand.
"Achen, she can't help you. To develop your career, you need a wife from a well - matched family. She..."
Lin Shuya glanced at me. "In my era, at most, she could only be a concubine, and that would already be giving her face!"
She spoke loudly enough that some of the guests who had been paying attention to this commotion started whispering to each other.
"So that's the woman..."
"She has Mr. Si completely infatuated. He really takes her everywhere."
"I heard that because of her, Deputy General Manager Bai of Lengshan lost face at the charity dinner. She's been staying at home these days, acting like she's on the verge of death."
"Mr. Si is of such a high status. Bai Wei doesn't even stand a chance with that kind of background..."
"At least she's better than that one. I heard she's a quack fortune - teller!"
"...Stop, stop talking. She's looking this way!"
A few gorgeously dressed female guests were whispering in the distance. Their voices were soft but just loud enough for me to hear.
I've always hated people gossiping the most. I bet there are more of these kinds of women in the Hell of Tongue - Pulling than anywhere else!
I was really fed up with these kinds of fancy dinners. A bunch of strangers sitting together with fake smiles on their faces, eating cold food. It would be better if Si Jiangchen went back and cooked porridge for me!
However, I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to be taken advantage of.
It was one thing for those women to talk about me behind my back, but now that they were saying such things to my face, how could I be willing to let them get away with it without making them pay?
I turned to look over and saw a few vaguely familiar women quickly turn their heads away with giggles when they noticed my gaze.
"Xiaohe, let's go," Si Jiangchen didn't bother arguing with Lin Shuya at all. "Tongtong is here. The star of the show has arrived. We can go back and rest."
"Sister Xiaohe, don't go!!"
Si Tong held onto my hand tightly. Her thin little face scrunched up, and she pouted, almost on the verge of crying. "If... if you and Dad both leave, I don't want to stay here either!!"
"Tongtong, quickly ask your dad to stay. Your aunt said something wrong," Lin Shuya covered her mouth, looking panicked, as if she were the one who had been wronged.
"Don't worry. I'm not leaving," I naturally understood the hidden meaning in Lin Shuya's words. She wanted Si Tong to keep Si Jiangchen, but she didn't show the slightest sign of apology to me, the woman who could only be a "concubine" in her eyes.
There was no way I was going to let her have her way.
Si Tong was just a child. When she heard me say I wasn't leaving, she immediately happily pulled me and Si Jiangchen towards the food area she liked.
"...Trying to cause trouble?" Si Jiangchen smiled faintly and looked at me.
"I'm about to be taken as your 'concubine'. Can't I go a little crazy?"
I glared at him angrily, then reached into my bag and took out the small yellow porcelain bottle, opening the cap with a "pop".
A cold, ghostly aura immediately surrounded me. Wang Yingxiu's faint shadow appeared in front of me. "Xiaohe?"
She was startled by the luxurious and bustling scene in front of her and quickly clung to my shoulder. "What are we going to do?"
"That woman bullied me," I pointed in Lin Shuya's direction. "Go and teach her a lesson for me."
This was the first time I had actively asked a "ghost to harm someone". Wang Yingxiu raised her eyebrows, a look of eagerness on her face. "Kill her or drive her crazy?"
I was a bit taken aback. Sure enough, evil ghosts were inherently cruel. The only reason Wang Yingxiu hadn't done any harm was because I had been keeping her in check!!
"No. Just slap her a few times," after all, she was Si Jiangchen's sister and Si Tong's aunt. Although her words were disgusting, I couldn't take her life.
"Just that..." Wang Yingxiu seemed a bit disappointed, but she still followed my instructions and disappeared.
At this time, Si Tong had already ordered Si Jiangchen to get her two small cakes. She walked over and stuffed them into my hands. "Sister Xiaohe, try this! The only good thing the cook at aunt's house makes is the small cakes!"
I took them and sat down on the sofa. Si Tong sat obediently beside me, using a small spoon to scoop up the cake bit by bit and put it into her mouth.
"Have you made your arrangements?" Si Jiangchen only took a glass of sparkling water and leaned against me. His eyes were fixed on the direction where I was looking. Lin Shuya was chatting and socializing with the guests who were arriving one after another.
"Yeah. You go out later. I don't want you to get splashed with blood."
I also scooped up a large piece of cake with a spoon and stuffed it into my mouth, chewing hard... Well, it actually tasted really good. The soft cake had a strong milk flavor, neither too sweet nor too greasy, and there were also some nuts in it.
"Hehe, so fierce! Then... I'll go for a smoke," Si Jiangchen reached out and ruffled my hair. "As long as you're happy."
"Don't worry! Everyone who said bad things about me today will be punished by the evil ghost!"
I said angrily, "Don't blame me for ruining this dinner later."
"Wow! Really? Are my little friends here with sister Xiaohe?"
Unexpectedly, after hearing my words, Si Tong even forgot about the small cake in her hand. She looked up at me expectantly. "Sister Xiaohe, since you could save me, then Ah Dong and the others should also be here, right? They were harmed by that stinky Taoist priest and couldn't even find their own homes. They're so pitiful..."
"...They are here with me," I touched Si Tong's head in surprise. "How can you still remember things from when you were a wandering soul?!"