Watching Old Master Zhang avoid him like the plague, Second Young Master Hou was not a particularly patient person, and his face immediately fell.
Zhang Lingxuan caught sight of his expression and couldn’t help but shiver.
After spending time together since last night’s dinner, she had fully realized how volatile this man’s emotions could be.
When happy, he could casually give her a purse worth hundreds of thousands or a gown worth millions without blinking an eye.
But if those around him didn’t serve him well and made him unhappy, even if they had been by his side for several years, he could unfeelingly turn against them and throw them out.
Not to mention she had a task on this visit.
If she failed to find a way to please him this time, she’d face the same fate upon returning home — being thrown out.
The thought of being kicked out, having to rent a place on her own, and losing a maid to clean and cook, not being able to spend money on whatever she wanted, made Zhang Lingxuan regret for the second time in her life, wishing she could go back ten minutes in time.
Why did I get carried away when a simple apology could solve everything!
Now it’s too late to apologize.
"Haha, if I had such a disgraceful granddaughter, I wouldn’t acknowledge her either!"
Faced with the mockery this time, Zhang Lingxuan gritted her teeth and held back.
The one speaking was Mr. Han, who had remained silent, standing quietly in place with a sullen expression.
Jiang Xiyu didn’t recognize Zhang Nachuan, but he did.
He just hadn’t expected Second Young Master Hou’s female companion to be the old man’s granddaughter.
Though that Old Master Zhang seemed to have major issues with his granddaughter, cutting ties with blood relatives is not something so easily done, and certainly not something a small celebrity like Jiang Xiyu could mock freely.
Needing the support of others, Jiang Xiyu immediately fell silent.
During this period of quiet, she learned when to give in.
"Mr. Han, I want to touch up my makeup. And the dress..."
Finding a new female companion on short notice was almost impossible, so Mr. Han had someone come over and took Jiang Xiyu to freshen up.
After exchanging a few words with Second Young Master Hou, he turned and left.
"Second Young Master, I..."
"Take her to get tidied up and then bring her back to me!"
Looking at the impatient expression of the person in front of her, Zhang Lingxuan suddenly had a newfound understanding.
In his eyes, she was just an object.
When he was happy or in need, she should be well-dressed.
So when he wasn’t happy or in need, would she be kicked aside?
As soon as Zhang Nachuan appeared, everyone in the lounge stood up to greet him.
"Old Master Zhang is here."
"This must be Old Brother Zhang’s granddaughter, a good girl with great qualities at first glance."
"Old Master Zhang, and the young lady, come and sit here. Have a cup of tea, my granddaughter just brewed it."
"I should have brought my grandson along, look at how nice this girl is, it would’ve been nice for them to meet."
"Old Zheng, your calculations are going to fly right into my face!"
Even though Zhang Nachuan hadn’t officially joined the Calligraphy and Painting Association, even its president wasn’t as renowned as him; he was arguably the number one figure in the contemporary calligraphy and painting scene.
Seeing everyone rising to greet him, Zhang Nachuan nodded at them, suppressing his anger and disappointment at having just caught his granddaughter carelessly bickering with someone in the corridor. Forcing a smile, he said, "It seems everyone is here, I’m late. Let’s replace tea with wine and toast a cup of self-punishment later."
"No need for that, I’m a bit surprised you could make it."
"Bringing the kids from home to gain some experience."
"Haha, that’s exactly what Old Cao said just now."
Xu Ling’an held his grandfather’s arm, calling out to people. Once they finally sat down, he let out a sigh of relief.
Unable to resist looking around.
Zhang Nachuan finished talking with an old friend and, seeing his granddaughter looking around, patted her shoulder, "Looking for Miss Jiang?"
"Yeah, the person who brought us here said she was in this lounge, but I didn’t see her just now."
"Perhaps she stepped out briefly, let’s wait a bit."
Jiang Lingxi returned from the restroom where she had washed her hands, and upon entering, noticed the surprised gaze directed at her. She looked over and met Xu Ling’an’s joyous little face.
Pivoting on her toes, she walked over.
"How long have you been here?"
"Just arrived." Xu Ling’an said, shifting over, "Sister, sit, I thought you weren’t here."
"I was just writing with a brush and got some ink on my hands, so I went out to wash them."
After replying to Xu Ling’an, Jiang Lingxi nodded at Old Master Zhang who had turned his head, "Old Master Zhang."
"An’an was looking for you as soon as she arrived. I’m just surrounded by old men here, you two go over there to chat."
Zhang Nachuan pointed towards the coffee corner where there were two rocking chairs, empty and quiet.
Jiang Lingxi didn’t sit down, she reached out her hand to Xu Ling’an.
Xu Ling’an quickly grabbed her sister’s extended hand, and the two walked hand-in-hand toward the coffee corner.
This scene was seen by many.
"Old Zhang, do these two kids know each other?"
"Not only do they know each other, but the sisters have a very close relationship."
Cao Xinyan, who was intending to come over and get to know Xu Ling’an, thinking it’d be great to ally together against a certain someone: "..."
This Jiang Lingxi sure is here to go against her!
The two sat on the rocking chairs.
Jiang Lingxi then quietly asked, "The old man seems a bit unhappy, as if he’s forcing a smile, what’s wrong?"
"Sister, you noticed it." Xu Ling’an leaned closer, then lowered his voice to reply: "I was in the corridor with Grandpa earlier and we ran into Zhang Lingxuan. She was in a fight with another man’s female companion, fighting quite disgracefully, and Grandpa was angered by it."
No wonder she saw a cleaning lady in the corridor earlier, clearing up the mess after the chaos.
"How did Zhang Lingxuan get in?"
Her father hadn’t received an invitation, shamelessly asking the old man for one.
Zhang Lingxuan was now an unemployed couch potato, and it was even less likely she got an invitation herself.
"She came in with a man. Grandpa seemed to know him and disliked him a lot, and I also felt the man didn’t seem like a good person."
Jiang Lingxi: "...Well, that surely is bothersome!"
She guessed Zhang Anfeng had pushed his daughter to this step out of exasperation.
He might have meant to annoy the old man as well.
The main idea is, if you don’t make my life easy, I won’t make yours easy either.
"Let’s not talk about that," Xu Ling’an waved, "The person who brought us in earlier mentioned Sister was here with Old Mr. Yuan, how come Brother-in-law isn’t with you? I saw his name on the list too."
Jiang Lingxi repeated the explanation she had already given Tong Yue before.
But this time Xu Ling’an wasn’t as easy to handle as Tong Yue, and after listening, he blinked, "Let me guess, I guess it was Sister who suggested it first, and then Brother-in-law agreed, right?"
Xu Ling’an tilted his head, biting his finger, trying hard to suppress his smile.
Although Brother-in-law listens to Sister well enough, which is good.
But sometimes the head of the family needs to assert himself, you know.
Truly, under her thumb!