Li Qiao is a stubborn child.
He, refusing to believe in misfortune, took Zhang Xiaoman and her mother to several restaurants he considered respectable, only to be turned away at each one.
This really damaged Li Qiao’s pride.
Zhang Xiaoman indeed called him cousin.
But there’s no blood relation between them.
Li Qiao is the son of Zhang Xiaoman’s uncle’s ex-wife, and since Zhang Xiaoman was accepted into Kyoto University, both families intended for her to marry Li Qiao.
Also, Li Qiao was aware of his stepmother’s intentions, who is Zhang Xiaoman’s aunt. Zhang Xiaoman might not be particularly attractive, but having a girlfriend from Kyoto University wasn’t bad, and their family had financial resources in Qin City. Moreover, Zhang Xiaoman was the only daughter; if he married her, the Zhang Family’s businesses could eventually belong to him, Li Qiao.
Additionally, this arrangement would please his stepmother, so he agreed readily.
This time, with Zhang Xiaoman and her mother visiting, his parents ordered him to entertain them well and secure the marriage proposal.
"So, cousin, is this where you want us to eat?" Zhang Xiaoman asked, looking at the nearly empty and dirty restaurant.
"Xiaoman, it’s already late, let’s just grab something simple to eat," Mrs. Cao Yun, Zhang Xiaoman’s mother, was already exhausted from the journey and starving, eager to quickly order some dishes and eat.
"Yes, cousin," Li Qiao, who was also starving, tried to persuade Zhang Xiaoman, "tomorrow I’ll definitely take you out for a big meal."
"I’m not eating." Zhang Xiaoman stomped her foot angrily and turned to get back into Li Qiao’s car, "You two go eat by yourselves."
"Then... I’ll ask Sister-in-law Li to make you something when we get back." Li Qiao had no choice but to pacify her.
So the three of them, late at night, drove back home, reaching home nearly at midnight.
"What happened...?" Zhang Juanmeng, dressed in satin sleepwear, lazily descended from upstairs with sleepy eyes, "Haven’t eaten yet?"
She instructed Sister-in-law Li to make them some noodles and asked, "What exactly happened?"
Thus, Li Qiao angrily recounted the day’s events, embellishing them a bit.
"Such things happen?" Zhang Juanmeng lit a cigarette and said slowly as she smoked, "Do you know who owns any of those restaurants?"
Li Qiao, "..."
In his anger, he hadn’t thought to find out.
"Alright, have something to eat and rest, we’ll discuss this tomorrow." Then she turned to Cao Yun and Zhang Xiaoman with a smile, "I’m sorry for letting big sister-in-law and Xiaoman down today. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get some justice for this incident."
"Aunt," Zhang Xiaoman approached Zhang Juanmeng and said, "I have to tell you, that Gu Lingling was so infuriating, you must help me teach her a lesson. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have been embarrassed like this today."
"Gu Lingling?" Zhang Juanmeng asked, puzzled.
"Yes, the one we met on the train," Zhang Xiaoman said angrily.
"Alright, aunt will stand up for you," Zhang Juanmeng pinched her cheek and said, "Go eat."
With that, she extinguished her cigarette, yawned elegantly, and leisurely headed upstairs.
Behind her was Zhang Xiaoman’s admiring gaze and a fleeting, unreadable expression on Li Qiao’s face.
"What’s going on?" Li Gang, smoking inside, asked when he saw her enter. "Li Qiao and my sister-in-law returned, got a little flustered outside."
"Nothing serious, why are you awake?" she asked Li Gang.
"I missed... you." Saying this, he sat up and pulled Zhang Juanmeng close, tearing open her sleepwear to find she wore nothing underneath, "You’re really... wild."