Chapter 378: Chapter 367: The Guests Thought Su Manhan Was Not Good to Qiao Jing
Qiao Jing glanced briefly at the invitation and responded.
“Great, I will have someone deliver a gown to you; come to Purple Garden first, and I will take you in.”
Qiao Jing hesitated for a moment. If it were Su Manhan sending the gown, it would cost her a bit of money.
Previously, Ni Yue had made a custom gown for her, which she hadn’t worn many times; it would be perfect for the occasion.
Thinking of this, she did not agree to Su Manhan’s offer to send a gown.
“No need to send a gown, I have one; I’ll come first—”
Before she could finish her sentence, her phone was snatched away by a large hand.
Zhan Qipei furrowed his misty long eyebrows, surrounded by the scent of jealousy.
“Mom, Qiao Jing will enter with only me.”
The person escorting his wife had to be him.
Even his mom wouldn’t do.
This time, Su Manhan truly realized her son was fiercely jealous; she could sense the jealousy through the phone itself.
“Alright, alright, you two go ahead. I won’t disturb the two of you,” she said.
She had wanted to enter alongside Qiao Jing mainly to show how much she valued her daughter-in-law.
Previously, it had always been Qiao Jing and her son entering together, and coupled with those rumors, it seemed like her daughter-in-law was not favored in the Zhan Family.
If someone like Mrs. Chen appeared again, she wouldn’t be able to outtalk them.
But she also couldn’t take away from the couple’s time together; otherwise, she would be burdening her son.
Su Manhan decisively hung up the phone.
Zhan Qipei then returned the phone to Qiao Jing and continued driving, focusing straight ahead.
Qiao Jing, observing the taut contour of the man’s face and the pervasive scent of vinegar in the air, spoke in a half-joking tone.
“Open the window a bit; it smells like vinegar.”
Zhan Qipei paused, deliberately raised his smoky, misty eyebrows, and sniffed around the car.
“Hmm? I don’t smell anything?”
Qiao Jing was amused by this playful man, revealing a smile.
“Must be my imagination then.”
Zhan Qipei smirked, a trace of amusement in his dark eyes.
After a few seconds of contemplation, he spoke,
“The vinegar smell coming from me?”
At that moment, Qiao Jing was looking at the scenery outside the window. Hearing Zhan Qipei’s words, she turned her head to look at him but didn’t speak.
Zhan Qipei didn’t admit to being jealous and found another excuse.
“I just think it’s more convenient for you to enter with me.”
If his wife knew he was jealous, he would appear rather petty, especially since he was even jealous of his own mother.
Qiao Jing looked at the man’s strikingly handsome face with an almost teasing gaze, maintaining her silence.
From the time spent with him, she had learned that Zhan Qipei was indeed a jealous type.
Not only was he jealous of other men, but also of women, children—anyone who got close to her.
Zhan Qipei pursed his thin lips and focused on driving, not bringing up the topic again.
He couldn’t let his wife think he was a petty man.
Once home, Qiao Jing went straight to her room and, in preparation, took out the gown designed by Ni Yue, placing it on a clothes rack.
The banquet was scheduled for the following evening, at a hotel with its own swimming pool.
The following evening.
At the grand entrance of the hotel, security guards were meticulously checking the invitation letters of each guest.
Qiao Jing’s gown was a black, floor-length dress that covered her ankles but left her slender arms exposed.
Zhan Qipei was very satisfied with the design this time, at least it did not reveal her back like the last time.
Yet, he still wished to have Qiao Jing covered up tightly, ideally even her face hidden from others’ views.
The gown worn by Qiao Jing also incorporated some unique designs, with circles of black lace around her slender waist and roses running along the side to her right leg.
On the hem of the gown, there was a distinct design unique to Ni Yue herself, a small forget-me-not flower.
As Qiao Jing entered the venue on Zhan Qipei’s arm, she drew the attention of everyone present.
Zhan Qipei looked straight ahead with a very cold expression, but his face softened significantly when he looked at Qiao Jing.
The quick change in his expression surprised the crowd, who began discussing in murmurs.
“Qiao Jing is wearing a dress designed by Ni Yue! The dress was personally designed by the chief designer of Yueji Pavilion!”
“Is that the point? The point is the way Young Master Zhan looks at Qiao Jing, look at that change in expression…”
“Exactly, he has an icy demeanor when he looks at us, but turns tender the moment he sees Qiao Jing, tsk tsk, even Young Master Zhan falls for beauty.”
“What’s the use? Besides Old Master Zhan and Young Master Zhan, Qiao Jing isn’t favored much in the Zhan Family. Mrs. Su and Miss Zhan especially dislike her, even if she’s not divorced now, it probably won’t be long before she’s kicked out.”
The speaker was a woman in a pink dress, standing next to Lou Xinrou, clasping her arm, looking very close.
She had disliked Qiao Jing for a long time—how could a mere country bumpkin like her deserve Young Master Zhan?
What did beauty matter? She was still a nobody without any significant background.
Hearing her friend’s words, Lou Xinrou’s face turned pale for a moment, knowing well that the Zhan Family now treasured Qiao Jing.
The impression of the upper-class remained unchanged, completely unaware of the shift in the Zhan Family’s attitude towards Qiao Jing.
But she couldn’t let others know this, so she reluctantly began to persuade.
“Yan Ting, stop talking…”
Yan Ting snorted coldly and patted Lou Xinrou’s arm.
“Xinrou, I know you’re kind-hearted. A person like Qiao Jing simply doesn’t match Young Master Zhan. Moreover, you and Young Master Zhan have been childhood friends. How can she, an outsider, climb over your head?
After all, both Mrs. Su and Miss Zhan dislike Qiao Jing. Just relax, and with your many years of ties with the Zhan Family, your position is definitely higher than Qiao Jing’s.”
The guests previously engaged in discussions shifted their attention towards Yan Ting with strange looks and started to walk away to other places, distancing themselves from the two women.
“If Young Master Zhan heard this, she would be in big trouble…”
“Exactly, and moreover, this is at Elder Mr. Lou’s banquet, in front of so many people. She really has no sense.”
“Plus, anyone with clear eyes can see that Young Master Zhan likes Qiao Jing…”
As people whispered among each other, a few more people entered the banquet hall from the entrance!
It was Zhan Yao, Su Manhan, and Zhan Nanqing, making their way directly to Qiao Jing.
Yan Ting crossed her arms, her face full of scorn.
“Ha! Mrs. Su and Miss Zhan have arrived, let’s see if Qiao Jing can still be so smug.”
Everyone knew that Mrs. Su and Miss Zhan didn’t get along with Qiao Jing, and soon Qiao Jing wouldn’t be able to maintain her composure.
Lou Xinrou’s expression grew increasingly strained, and she simply shut her mouth, refusing to speak.
But the next moment, the scorn on Yan Ting’s face disappeared, replaced by shock.
Su Manhan affectionately took Qiao Jing’s hand and gently patted the back of her hand.
“If it weren’t for President Lou’s sake, I wouldn’t have come at all. Is there anything you’d like to eat? I’ll take you to the dessert area to check.”