Chapter 92 - 91: Ancestral Genes, Asura Field Warning
Chapter 92: Chapter 91: Ancestral Genes, Asura Field Warning
He turned his head and jerked his chin at Housekeeper Pei. "Get in the car."
Housekeeper Pei was deeply flattered. He ran forward gleefully. "Young Master, I can’t believe you actually came to pick me up."
Once he got back, he would definitely show off to Mr. Pei, even at the risk of getting beaten up.
Pei Xuan gave a noncommittal grunt. Without even glancing at Old Madam Meng, who stood rooted to the spot in a daze, he drove off.
At this moment, the banquet hall was in a state of commotion. The guests whispered among themselves, clearly curious about the identity of the mysterious visitor from earlier.
Old Sir Xu and Old Madam Xu exchanged a glance, a vague suspicion forming in their minds.
Xu Zhao Yu asked tentatively, "Dad, Mom, was that person just now... a Pei family member?"
"There’s no mistake. The Pei family accepted the invitation, so they were bound to come." Old Sir Xu sighed. "It’s just that we didn’t expect..."
Old Madam Xu wore a cold expression. "Once Master Yan, whom Zhao Yu invited, arrives, we must properly teach that wretched girl some manners! She ruined a perfectly fine banquet all by herself. Doesn’t she feel any shame?"
Xu Zhao Yu pursed her lips. "Exactly. We could have used this chance to connect with the Pei family..."
She didn’t finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear, stoking the flames of Old Sir Xu and Old Madam Xu’s intense dissatisfaction with Shi Changying.
"Opportunities always come around. If we missed this one, there will be a next time," Meng Baizhou said gently, pushing up his glasses. "Don’t take it too much to heart."
Old Sir Xu shook his head. "Who knows when the next opportunity will arise."
On the other side, Meng Shuyan clenched his fists, his voice squeezed through gritted teeth. "Shuyu, I told you long ago, she definitely has persecution paranoia. What kind of person records everything 24/7?"
He had originally been watching Shi Changying make a fool of herself. If she committed a faux pas at a banquet like this, she could forget about ever squeezing into the Jianghuai social circles.
But he never expected that a single audio recording would turn Meng Miaoyan into the laughingstock instead.
Still, by acting like this, Shi Changying was effectively burning her bridges in public, and she would undoubtedly suffer the consequences.
Yet, a Pei family member had shown up, completely reversing the situation.
What kind of dumb luck was this?
"This is exactly how she set me up last time, and now she’s done the same to Sister Miaoyan," Meng Shuyan said resentfully. "Not only that, she caused our Meng family to lose face in front of the Pei family. She truly is a jinx. Maybe she even cursed her own mother to death!"
Xu Shuyu replied coldly, "Then why did you say those things in the first place? Don’t you understand that saying too much only leads to mistakes?"
"Shuyu, how can you still speak up for her?" Meng Shuyan was furious. "Just you wait. If you don’t keep your guard up, you’ll see just how obnoxious she is when she starts infringing on your interests."
Taking advantage of the chaos, Meng Qi’an sneaked over to Shi Changying. Lowering his voice, he whispered, "Senior Sister, that man just now was a Pei family member!"
Shi Changying’s hand paused. "The Jianghuai Pei family?"
"Exactly." Meng Qi’an nodded. "He’s even the Young Master of the Pei family, though I don’t know his name."
Very few people actually knew the name Pei Xuan; after all, not just anyone was qualified to know it.
Realization dawned on Shi Changying. "No wonder he’s so arrogant. It turns out to be inherited in his genes."
Under the heavens, Pei Xuan was the only one audacious enough to travel all the way from Jianghuai to Mingjing to assassinate her on the night of her coronation.
Meng Qi’an was puzzled. "Why is it inherited in his genes?"
Shi Changying glanced at him. "Weren’t the Pei family’s ancestors from the historical Jianghuai Pei Family?"
"Yeah. My mom told me that among the Four Great Aristocratic Houses, the Jianghuai Pei Family and the Yunzhong He Family had it the easiest. At least someone managed to escape alive and establish a new family," Meng Qi’an said. "The Linsu Xie Family and the Nanling Cui Family didn’t have a single survivor left. It was far too tragic."
Shi Changying asked again, "Four hundred years ago, what was the nickname of Pei Xuan, the Young Master of the Pei Family?"
Meng Qi’an’s expression brightened. "I know this one! The Poetry and Sword Dual Master!"
Shi Changying said, "There’s another one."
Meng Qi’an racked his brains but couldn’t think of anything. "I don’t know."
"He was also known as the Poetry Madman."
"Oh, right. But what does this have to do with inherited genes?"
Shi Changying reached out a hand, gesturing for Meng Qi’an to step back. "Stay away from me."
"Huh?"
"You’ll drag down my IQ."
Meng Qi’an was left speechless.
He, of course, knew what his classmates said about him.
They said he was stupid but undeniably beautiful.
He couldn’t even tell if that was a compliment or an insult.
At this moment, Old Madam Meng returned. Although today’s banquet hadn’t gone according to her expectations, it couldn’t just end here.
With the banquet officially commencing, Shi Changying could finally pick up her chopsticks.
However, after taking only two bites, she lost her appetite. The standard of the dishes at the birthday banquet thoroughly disappointed her, so she announced, "I’m going out to forage for food."
"Now?" Ming Chengli looked around and said hesitantly, "Changying, the banquet isn’t over yet. Dad will take you out to eat in a bit."
Shi Changying said, "Dad, there’s no need. There’s a night market nearby. I’ll be back right after I get some good food."
Ming Chengli was still hesitant. He was worried that some villain might appear in the dead of night. What if they hurt his daughter?
"Thirteen Street truly is a food paradise," someone smiled, breaking the impasse.
Ming Chengli turned around. Upon seeing Shaoyuan, he asked in surprise, "Little Shao, why are you attending the Meng family’s birthday banquet too?"
He had previously inquired with Principal Ning about Shaoyuan’s family background, but even Principal Ning couldn’t give a clear answer.
The guests invited to Old Madam Meng’s birthday banquet this time were all prestigious and reputable families from Jianghuai and several other cities.
"I was free, so I came to join the fun," Shaoyuan said, extending a hand to Shi Changying in his usual, casually elegant gesture of invitation. "Come."
"Alright then. With Little Shao going with you, I can rest easy." Ming Chengli breathed a sigh of relief. "Changying, don’t wander off too far. Remember to come back soon."
Xu Shuangqiao was incredibly puzzled. "Mr. Ming, why are you so reassured just because Young Master Shao is going with her?"
"Old Ning said Little Shao is very reliable. He’s the president of the student council, and many students look up to him as a role model," Ming Chengli said. "Changying also mentioned that he’s a good teacher. With him keeping an eye on her, of course I’m reassured."
"Is that so?" Xu Shuangqiao nodded. "But Mr. Ming, Young Master Shao really spoils Yingying. Is he actually going to keep an eye on her?"
Ming Chengli was speechless.
He evidently remembered the time not long ago when Shi Changying was hospitalized, and Shaoyuan had personally spoon-fed her.
Ming Chengli suddenly noticed something odd. "Shuangqiao, why are you calling Little Shao ’Young Master Shao’ too?"
"It just rolls off the tongue," Xu Shuangqiao said. "His surname is Shao, so isn’t it perfectly logical to call him that?"
Ming Chengli thought to himself that when it came to this specific matter, Principal Ning and Xu Shuangqiao would definitely find common ground.
The night deepened as the moon climbed above the treetops, scattering a faint, silvery glow.
On the way to Thirteen Street, Shi Changying dug out her remaining autographed photos and handed them to Shaoyuan. "Here."
Shaoyuan didn’t take them. "The treasure box mentioned that the market price for one of these autographed photos has already surpassed a thousand. Why give them to me?"
Shi Changying said lazily, "Because I want to thank you."
Shaoyuan looked at her, a hint of a smile seemingly dancing in his eyes, though his lips didn’t curve. "Shouldn’t it be to show that you didn’t pamper me for nothing?"
As the Sovereign who once unified the realm, he had seen far too many treasures.
Countless people had traveled thousands of miles to Sheng’an, the Capital City during the Jing Dynasty, just to present their family heirlooms in the hope that he would spare them a single glance.
"When I get my hands on some good things in the future, I’ll see what I can give you." Shi Changying turned her pockets inside out, showing that she truly had nothing left.
She had been poor in her past life as well, but never truly this broke.
Even the one-million-yuan cheque she got for free from Xingyi Entertainment had been stuffed into Ming Chengli’s briefcase.
Only then did Shaoyuan accept the autographed photos from her hands, asking unhurriedly, "So, what does the young lady want to eat today?"
Shi Changying began rattling off a list of street food: "Fried skewers, pork tenderloin roujiamo, grilled cold noodles, barbecue..."
Shaoyuan turned and walked away to buy them.
Shi Changying squatted by the roadside, using a stalk of foxtail grass to tease the ants while waiting for Shaoyuan to return with delicious food to feed her.
Suddenly, her shadow was eclipsed by another, and an elegant, melodious voice rang out. "Why did you sneak out for a late-night snack so early today?"
Shi Changying looked up.
Xie Qingshi’s eyes curved into a smile. "What a coincidence."