487: 431 Ingenious Ideas (Thanks for the tips, seeking monthly votes!) 487: 431 Ingenious Ideas (Thanks for the tips, seeking monthly votes!) Although it didn’t look impressive from the outside, once they put on shoe covers and entered, the interior decoration was quite distinctive.
It was a typical Chinese-style decor, with calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall and a cabinet-integrated fish tank where several goldfish swam leisurely about.
Three bedrooms and two living rooms, roughly a hundred square ters in size—lacking the air of a businessman’s wealth, it indeed suited the style of a university professor.
“Uncle Duan.”
After they entered, Duan Zhongxin ca out from the kitchen, still wearing an apron.
An influential figure in Hancheng, actually cooking himself.
“Please have a seat, the al will be ready shortly.”
“Don’t worry about us, Uncle Duan.
Do you need any help?”
Shi Qianxi glanced into the kitchen.
There was another woman busy in the kitchen, no doubt Duan Zhongxin’s wife.
“No, you should sit down with Jiang Chen and the others first.
Xue Ling, serve the guests so tea.”
Shi Qianxi, who had always left a strong impression, smiled and didn’t insist further.
Then she gave a nod and a smile to Jiang Chen and Hong Xiaoyu, and Duan Zhongxin headed back into the kitchen.
“Please, take a seat.”
Shi Qianxi, not at all out of place, invited the two brothers to sit on the mahogany sofa.
Jiang Chen was fine, but Hong Xiaoyu was clearly a bit restrained, not daring to say a word.
While the parents were cooking, Duan Xueying busied herself with pouring tea.
“Xiao Yu, what do you think of this girl?”
Jiang Chen’s eyelids twitched.
The inevitable had happened!
“Qian Qian, what do you an by that?”
Hong Xiaoyu blurted out, caught off guard.
Shi Qianxi gave Duan Xueying, who was not far away pouring tea, a aningful look.
“Her?
She’s from Hancheng Conservatory of Music, sa age as you, also just a freshman.
Is she prettier than the girl you like?”
Hong Xiaoyu was at a loss, he instinctively glanced at the supple-bodied Duan Xueying, then, like a thief, quickly averted his eyes, not knowing how to respond.
Shi Qianxi found his reaction amusing and, hiding her laughter, whispered, “I’ve already inquired for you; she doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
If he still couldn’t understand what was going on after that, he’d be beyond help.
Hong Xiaoyu huffed and puffed, his face turning red.
“Qian Qian, I…”
He looked towards his cousin as if pleading for help.
Jiang Chen didn’t just stand by and watch.
Although he’d long known this woman to be unpredictable, he hadn’t expected her to be so “ingenious.”
“Are you crazy?”
Jiang Chen lowered his voice.
“Don’t talk,” Shi Qianxi shot Jiang Chen down with a single phrase and continued to ask Hong Xiaoyu.
“She studies music, so when it cos to her personality, you can rest assured.
She’s definitely better than any of the girls you’ve t.
Do you like her?”
“…”
Hong Xiaoyu, completely overwheld, was unable to utter a single word.
Fortunately, at that mont, Duan Xueying ca over with several cups of tea.
“Qian Qian, here’s your tea.”
“Thank you.”
Shi Qianxi accepted politely.
Jiang Chen also thanked her graciously.
But Hong Xiaoyu, the young man, was less composed.
Influenced by Shi Qianxi, when he took his tea, he didn’t dare to look at her and accidentally touched her hand, almost knocking over the teacup in his fluster.
“I’m sorry.”
He quickly apologized.
“It’s okay.”
Duan Xueying smiled with pursed lips.
Unable to contain her amusent, Shi Qianxi said, “I haven’t introduced you two yet.
Xue Ling, this is Hong Xiaoyu.
He goes to the University of Geosciences, just like you, a freshman.”
“Oh?
I have friends at the University of Geosciences.
I’ve been there a few tis.”
“That’s quite a coincidence.”
Shi Qianxi smiled and said, “The next ti you go to the University of Geosciences, you can look for Xiao Yu to hang out.”
“Okay.”
This young woman was indeed outgoing.
Not only was she pretty, but she also had a friendly deanor and flawless social skills.
Even though she wasn’t very familiar with Shi Qianxi, they could still sit and chat happily together.
On the other hand, Hong Xiaoyu was as red as a monkey’s behind, with his head down the entire ti, too shy to say a word.
“The dishes are ready, let’s serve them.”
Duan Zhongxin, who was carrying a dish from the kitchen, called out.
Several people stood up and took their seats at the dining table.
“There’s so much food, Auntie Pang is amazing.
I’ve never seen my mom cook my whole life.”
Shi Qianxi admired the variety of dishes on the table.
“Director ng has important matters to attend to, she can’t be compared with a housewife like us.”
Duan Zhongxin’s wife used to work as a clerical employee in a governnt unit but resigned to beco a full-ti homaker once her husband started working at Jin Hai.
This family’s temperant was very similar, belonging to the upper class but lacking the arrogance and ostentation typically associated with it.
“Xiao Jiang, would you like so wine?”
Duan Zhongxin looked at Jiang Chen kindly.
This was definitely not how one would normally treat a re assistant.
Of course.
If he were just an ordinary assistant, he wouldn’t be at this dining table in the first place.
Jiang Chen wasn’t one to indulge in alcohol, but in situations like this, it was clear he had to follow the host’s lead.
“Xiao Yu, right?
Would you like so as well?”
Duan Zhongxin even rembered Hong Xiaoyu.
“I, I can’t drink alcohol.”
Hong Xiaoyu stumbled over his words, having not forgotten the lesson from his last brush with the authorities.
“Uncle Duan, he’s just shy,” said Shi Qianxi.
“Not drinking isn’t a bad thing,” Duan Zhongxin said, not pressuring him.
“Xue Ling, bring the wine here.”
It wasn’t Moutai or Wuliangye but just an ordinary homade wine.
“Alright, your tolerance isn’t great either, and Xiao Jiang is still young, so drink less.”
“Xiao Jiang, let’s just have one glass.”
“Okay.”
Duan Zhongxin passed a glass of wine over, Jiang Chen stood up, and accepted it with both hands.
“It’s been a long ti since our ho was this lively,” Duan Zhongxin said with a smile and a sigh, raising his glass, “let’s all have one together.”
Aside from him and Jiang Chen, Shi Qianxi and the others were drinking soft drinks.
“Uncle Duan, when I ca here last ti, Xue Ling was still in junior high, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“She’s all grown up before you know it.”
Jiang Chen remained silent.
He noticed another trait of this lady: despite her young age, she always liked to speak with the tone of an elder.
And the girl showed no displeasure, responding with a gentle smile.
Hancheng Music Academy is famous for its beauties.
This girl clearly inherited her parents’ best features, the epito of a lady from a distinguished family.
Logically, wealthy people tend to send their children abroad for studying; Shi Qianxi was no exception, yet Duan Zhongxin kept his child in Hancheng and did not send her to the better Hancheng University.
This showed his progressive attitude toward educating his child.
To understand soone, you don’t need deep interaction; a few inconspicuous details can be very telling.
“When I first t Miss Shi, she was about the sa age as Xue Ling is now.
I never imagined that the next ti we t, Miss Shi would have taken on the great responsibility of Jin Hai,” said Pang Lijuan, Duan Zhongxin’s wife, moved by the thought.
Looking at Shi Qianxi now and rembering the quirky girl who used to sneakily pour salt into the dishes, it truly was a cause for reflection.
“Xue Ling, you should learn from Miss Shi,” Pang Lijuan said.
Jiang Chen’s eyes twitched slightly involuntarily.
He knew there was a polite elent to her words, but learn from this lady?
Hong Xiaoyu looked up secretly at Duan Xueying.
The key was that the two were sitting opposite each other and the girl, sensing his gaze, looked up at the sa ti.
As their eyes t, Hong Xiaoyu’s heart skipped a beat and he dropped his chopsticks on the floor with a tremble.
“Clatter.”
Everyone subconsciously turned to look.
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