Return of the Antagonistic Lady Boss

Chapter 55: Zheng Xu, We Meet Again

Jia Xiufang arranged ten tables for the entrance banquet, and all the guests were relatives.

Without Chen Lin, the atmosphere was a bit odd, but no matter what, Qian became the focus of today.

Following Jia Xiufang from table to table, chatting and accepting congratulations from everyone, some sincere, some insincere, Qian went over each relative who came in her mind.

Actually, most of their family members were the kind that weren’t particularly good or bad. They would visit when something came up, but weren’t too close when nothing was happening. There weren’t many who could be relied upon, but truly shameless ones were also rare. Only the second uncle’s family seemed like that in Qian’s memory.

Worth noting was Qian’s fourth uncle’s family. Qian remembered that in her previous life, her fourth uncle was good to her. After she hit rock bottom, it was the only family that extended a helping hand. Fourth Uncle’s family included her cousin, Chen Chao, who left a deep impression on Qian.

Qian faced two extremely difficult times in her past life. One was when she divorced that scoundrel.

The second was just after Qian set up her studio. Cash flow was tight, and coincidentally, her daughter Xiaowei fell ill and was hospitalized. She made the rounds borrowing money and truly saw the warmth and coldness of humanity during that time.

When nothing happened, many people were friends and relatives, but when problems arose and money was needed, everyone avoided her faster than anything.

After a round of borrowing, Qian was at the brink of despair, about to take extreme measures to raise money for her daughter. It was then that her cousin Chen Chao returned from abroad and handed her a lump of fifty thousand RMB.

Actually, Cousin was sent abroad by his company and hadn’t saved much money. This amount wasn’t trivial for him, but Qian would never forget that snowy night. She carried the sick Xiaowei, stood at the hospital entrance, and saw Cousin get off a taxi and hand her a shoebox wrapped in a black plastic bag, saying only one thing.

"Take it to treat the child."

Upon opening it, there was a stack of money, several bundles.

After Qian became successful, many people came to her, gift-giving, trying to network. She had seen all kinds of situations, received gifts worth hundreds of thousands, and exchanges often involved tens of thousands. It was normal.

But those trivial gestures were nothing compared to the five thousand that was like coal in a snowstorm, something Qian could never forget.

Even though she later helped Fourth Uncle’s family after becoming rich, Qian always felt she could never fully repay that kindness.

Cousin hadn’t lived a good life not because of financial issues but because of personal relationship problems. Qian felt that her rebirth at this point in time could help Cousin avoid those troubles.

"Qian’er, what are you daydreaming about? Your second granduncle is talking to you, didn’t you hear?" Jia Xiufang nudged Qian.

Qian snapped back to reality. At this table, besides second granduncle’s family, there was also fourth uncle and granduncle. Chen Lin was the third in the family.

Granduncle was a particularly showy sort, if he bought some ribs, he’d want to parade them around the neighborhood twice, making a point to anyone he met. He got envious at others’ good fortune, but apart from being petty and sharp-tongued, he hadn’t done anything too excessive.

Second granduncle was articulate, sycophantic, and would immediately attach himself to wealthier families, speaking only good things to their faces. But when Qian faced difficulties, they were the first to evade her.

Although these two families weren’t what you’d call exceptionally bad, they hadn’t done anything extremely wrong either. Qian didn’t want to deal with them but also didn’t want to distance herself too much.

"Qian’er seems to be a promising child. From childhood, you were the best student in our family. Now with you getting into college, it’s also a matter of pride for your second granduncle."

Second granduncle spoke as if he had significantly contributed to Qian getting into college. With her head down, no one could see the sarcastic curve of Qian’s mouth.

She never forgot the face her second granduncle showed when she went door-to-door borrowing money while holding Xiaowei in her previous life.

"Qian’er, quickly toast your second granduncle." Jia Xiufang nudged Qian. Qian stood up with a glass of Sprite but addressed her still silent fourth uncle.

"Uncle, I toast you. Didn’t Chen Chao come?"

"Your Cousin had work at his unit and couldn’t come. He asked me to bring you his regards," Fourth Uncle replied.

"I’ll find him to hang out in a few days." Calculating the time, Cousin was about to go abroad; Qian had to stop him because going abroad was the first step to his romantic misfortune.

Second granduncle felt awkward, utterly ignored, and could only drink a sip of his wine.

Fourth Uncle’s family were sincere people, not talkative, but at crucial moments, they were the ones who came through.

Those who genuinely treated you well didn’t necessarily talk much or maintain presence but would stand up when needed.

Facing Qian’s toast, the honest Fourth Uncle was at a loss and could only raise his glass to drink the niece’s toast, sincerely saying to Qian.

"Study well."

Second granduncle fell silent, a hint of displeasure appearing on his face.

Qian couldn’t care less what he thought, finding an excuse to leave.

The entrance banquet booked four small private rooms altogether, the air saturated with the smell of alcohol, making it cloying after a while. Busy until now, Qian hadn’t had a bite to eat and gulped down soda instead.

She wasn’t feeling hungry nor was she in the mood to eat. She walked to the corner of the corridor and looked outside through the window. The hotel wasn’t far from his unit, and she could faintly see the tall, luxurious building standing in the city center.

Yu Minglang still hadn’t given any news. She didn’t know if he was finished with work or if he’d been wrongly accused or hurt.

Thinking of that fool, Qian felt agitated and wanted to wash her hands.

She was on the second floor and needed to go to the third floor to find a restroom. A cleaning lady was mopping the floor by the stairs, so Qian turned to the nearby elevator.

There was already someone in the elevator — a man. Qian glanced at him, initially paying him no mind, but upon seeing the man’s face, she froze.

Isn’t this... Zheng Xu?!

The man was almost the same height as Yu Minglang, about 180 cm, more sturdy with muscles, and wore sunglasses. His overly sharp features gave him a menacing look, even though his individual features were nice enough; put together, he appeared inexplicably fierce. Most young girls wouldn’t dare give him a second glance.

Zheng Xu had a deep connection with Qian. The man had an impressive background, substantial influence, and started his career in real estate. He was once entrenched in social affairs but later withdrew, retaining an indelible underworld aura.

Qian didn’t expect to encounter Zheng Xu ten years early.

So this is how he looked when he was young...

Zheng Xu sensed a girl was watching him and looked over, noticing a rather cute young lady. He looked at Qian with curiosity. Qian muttered an apology and shifted her gaze away.

The elevator doors opened, and Zheng Xu exited first. Qian glanced at his back before finally entering the restroom.

Turning on the faucet, the water gushed as Qian washed her hands, thinking about her past encounters with him.