"Don't be so reserved," Su Jialan noticed Qin Yaoyao's uneasiness and couldn't help smiling gently. "A Yan, this young girl seems quite introverted."
It was just a simple sentence, but it carried a profound implication.
Qin Yaoyao immediately bit her lip and stood silently beside Xiao Yanzhi.
"Don't be nervous," Xiao Yanzhi nodded slightly, patting her on the back reassuringly. His voice was gentle. "We're just sitting down for a meal. I'm here."
These two brief sentences gave Qin Yaoyao great peace of mind.
She summoned up her courage, tightened her grip on Xiao Yanzhi's arm, and deliberately moved closer to him. She showed a sweet smile. "Auntie, I'm actually quite extroverted."
As soon as this address came out, Su Jialan frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed. She laughed heartily. "You're really a smart girl."
The word "auntie" made it seem as if she was already the prospective daughter - in - law of the Xiao family.
Qin Yaoyao didn't catch the meaning behind Su Jialan's words. She really thought it was a compliment, and her smile became even brighter. She walked over and was about to sit on Su Jialan's right side.
Su Jialan slightly raised her hand, stopping her from sitting down.
"A Yan, sit beside me," Su Jialan said casually, with an underlying meaning. "Miss Qin, I'm old and rather cautious. I only want to sit next to people I'm close to. I hope you understand."
Qin Yaoyao's face froze.
She glanced at Jiang Li sitting on Su Jialan's left. Even if she was slow - witted, she couldn't fail to understand Su Jialan's intention at this moment.
This was a show of power to her.
Qin Yaoyao lowered her eyelashes, and a surge of emotions welled up in her heart.
Since she joined Jiangyu and followed Xiao Yanzhi, when had she ever suffered such humiliation?
Within just a few seconds, she reached out and grabbed the cuff of Xiao Yanzhi's sleeve. She straightened her back, looking extremely stubborn and determined.
Her eyes were moist, and the corners of her eyes were red. "Auntie, it's okay. I can understand. After all, it's our first time meeting, and it's reasonable for you to be wary of me."
There was an undeniable hint of grievance in her soft tone.
Xiao Yanzhi immediately frowned and said softly, "Don't think too much. She's just joking to make you happy."
Without this comfort, it might have been better. With his words, Qin Yaoyao tightened her grip on the corner of Xiao Yanzhi's clothes. Her face turned pale, and she sniffled.
Her eyes and nose were red, looking extremely innocent. "Auntie, I respect elders like you very much. If you make fun of me, I'll be sad."
Qin Yaoyao had a pure face. Her pitiful and aggrieved look at this moment made people feel pity for her.
Su Jialan watched their interaction. A flash of annoyance quickly crossed her kind face, but she covered her lips and laughed. "I didn't expect you to be so innocent. You really are just a young girl."
Qin Yaoyao's expression remained stiff. It didn't ease up at all because of this sentence.
She wore her emotions on her face and couldn't hide anything.
Xiao Yanzhi exuded coldness from the corners of his eyes and brows. He slowly looked at Jiang Li and said indifferently, "Innocence is a good thing. It's always more likable than those who always try to take shortcuts."
Jiang Li noticed his gaze and looked back. Her eyes were calm, like a still lake.
She was unperturbed by praise or blame.
Finally, they all took their seats. The four of them sat around an old - fashioned European square table, and the maids served Western food and pastries one after another.
Besides several Western main courses, there were also several desserts.
Jiang Li ate very little throughout the meal. When Su Jialan was speaking, she would put down her utensils and listen attentively with a gentle look in her eyes.
The maid served a piece of Western pastry. Su Jialan smiled and pointed at it with her fingertip. "Lili, try this. I specifically asked the chef to change the ingredients. It's coconut milk that you won't be allergic to."
Jiang Li's smile was elegant but not obsequious. It was just right. "Thank you, Madam, for your concern."
Saying that, she gently picked up the pastry with her index finger and middle finger, slowly put it into her mouth, and swallowed it in small bites. Her lips were slightly pursed, and she made no sound at all.
Jiang Li ate cleanly and calmly. She slowly wiped off the little bit of residue on her fingertips with a tissue, one by one.
She was as elegant as a young lady.
Qin Yaoyao clenched the tissue tightly and looked at the plate of pastries, feeling a bit eager to try.
"Yaoyao, try it too," Su Jialan said. There was a hint of probing in her kind eyes.
Qin Yaoyao beamed and reached out to take the pastry on the plate. But she didn't control the strength well, and the flaky crust of the pastry fell on the table.
Su Jialan's eyebrows wrinkled visibly.
Crude.
Qin Yaoyao noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere. She forced a smile and tried to say something to break the ice. "This pastry is so soft when you hold it. It's not well - made at all. I almost crushed it."
"This is a Western pastry freshly made by a top - level Italian pastry chef," Su Jialan's last trace of smile faded, and her voice became colder than before. "Jiang Li, I'm thirsty."
This was a precursor to her anger.
Jiang Li immediately understood. She stood up slightly, making no sound with the chair. "I'll go out and get you some tea."
"Sister Jiang Li, I'll go instead!"
Qin Yaoyao was suffocated by this atmosphere and wanted to escape quickly. She lowered her eyes and added, "I'll go find the servants to refill everyone's tea. You just keep chatting."
Servants? Refill tea?
What era did she think this was?
Hearing these sharp and vulgar words, Su Jialan's face turned ashen. The last bit of her calm disappeared the moment Qin Yaoyao pushed the door and went out.
"A Yan, is this the marriage partner you want to introduce to the family?"
Su Jialan's voice was sharp. Her dissatisfaction with Qin Yaoyao was very obvious. "She has absolutely no manners!"
Jiang Li sat on one side, calm about Su Jialan's anger. Her eyes dropped involuntarily.
It was expected.
Su Jialan was still fuming. "A Yan, if you bring a woman like this into the Xiao family, it's nothing but wishful thinking!"
Qin Yaoyao went out and called the maid over. She said very stiffly that she wanted them to bring tea. But the maid replied in fluent Filipino, which left her stunned.
It turned out that all the service staff in this hotel were Filipinos.
The problem was that she didn't know a single word of Filipino.
After gesturing hard for a while, the maid seemed to understand her meaning. She nodded understandingly and stepped back.
Qin Yaoyao heaved a sigh of relief. When she walked back to the door and was about to push it open, she heard Su Jialan's sharp and angry voice.
"A woman like this, with no manners and no quality, don't you feel ashamed?"
Qin Yaoyao's whole body immediately stiffened, and her face turned deathly pale.
Su Jialan's voice continued to come from the room. "This woman is no match for Jiang Li at all. What on earth do you see in her?"