Chapter 129: Chapter 28: Big Sister’s Troubles

This was Xia Xiqing’s first time at Hongmei Cottage. The environment suited her aesthetic tastes quite well, and walking along the antique-looking pathway seemed to improve her mood a bit.

But this didn’t stop her from asking the question she had been holding back: "Where are my clothes?"

When Zhang Yan got out of the car, his hands had been completely empty. There was not even a shadow of the clothes he had promised to return to her. However, she figured he had no reason to lie about such a thing, so she hadn’t rushed to press him. Now that it was just the two of them on the path, she finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

"What’s the rush? Since I said I’d give them to you, I naturally won’t go back on my word." Zhang Yan smiled at Xia Xiqing, appreciating her impatient look.

Of course, he had intentionally not brought them out right away. The more she wanted something, the more he needed to keep her in suspense. That was the only way her anticipation would brew and become richer.

Faced with Zhang Yan’s near-shameless behavior, Xia Xiqing was helpless. After all, he hadn’t said he was going back on his word. She figured that perhaps he had left the clothes in their private dining room earlier, so she silently followed him inside.

As soon as the two sat down, a graceful older woman walked in—it was Sister Mei.

She carried a delicate, exquisitely crafted side dish that had clearly just been made. Presenting the food, she took a seat at the guest side of the table. She was still wearing the same white "Plums in the Snow" qipao from last time. As she sat down, she naturally tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, fully displaying a distinct, mature charm.

"Yan, um, you don’t mind me calling you that, right?"

"Of course not. I call you Sister Mei, so it’s only fitting for you to call me that."

Sister Mei nodded, choosing her words carefully before she continued. "Yan, I can tell that you and Mingcheng are a bit different from your other friends. You are both good kids. So, if it’s convenient, could you pass a message to your friend with the surname Huo for me?"

Zhang Yan was somewhat bewildered. "What message?"

"Please stop harassing me. My patience has a limit."

Without knowing the context, Zhang Yan was even more confused. "Umm... Sister Mei, could you be more specific? It’s really hard for me to pass on a message when things are this unclear."

Sister Mei looked seriously into Zhang Yan’s eyes, confirming that he wasn’t brushing her off or lying, before her expression softened slightly. "Yan, I believe you really didn’t know about this. You just need to pass the message for me; he’ll naturally understand what I’m talking about. Can you do me this favor?"

In her early years, Li Huamei had been a housekeeper for top-tier tycoons, encountering more elites and prodigies than she could count on both hands. With her experience and discerning eyes, she had naturally seen through Huo Shaoqi’s clumsy theatrics from the very beginning. However, having come to Meng City alone to make a living, she truly couldn’t afford to offend him and could only play along.

She had originally intended to humor him for a while, figuring that once the wealthy young master’s novelty wore off, he would naturally lose interest in a fading woman like her. But to her surprise, despite having plenty of young girls around him, Huo Shaoqi had a soft spot only for her. His childish games were escalating, gradually showing signs of spinning out of control.

If this continued, it would become hard for her to even run her business. That was why Li Huamei had no choice but to lay everything out in the open, hoping to put a timely end to this farce. However, she still couldn’t say it to him directly. Having Zhang Yan act as a buffer would be perfect, which was why she had come to ask for his help.

Zhang Yan was temporarily thrown off by this sudden plot twist, but piecing together what he had seen during his first visit and the current situation, he vaguely guessed the gist of the truth. But on one side was the heir to half of Meng City’s nightlife industry and Si Mingcheng’s friend, while on the other was just a private restaurant owner he had met by chance. How would he choose?

"Sister Mei, if I pass this message, it will inevitably represent my attitude and stance. And Huo Shaoqi is Brother Cheng’s friend, after all..."

Li Huamei’s eyes dimmed. How could she not have thought of this? They were people from the same circle, bound by mutual interests, whereas she was merely a passing stranger who couldn’t bring Zhang Yan any benefits whatsoever. If she were in Zhang Yan’s position, she would only have refused even more firmly and coldly. Thus, she didn’t blame him; in fact, she felt a little guilty.

Just now, she had harbored a faint intention of taking advantage of his youth. He had just entered society and didn’t understand complex social dynamics, so she hoped he might agree to her request in a moment of impulse. And regardless of whether Zhang Yan personally supported her or not, the effect would be the same once the words reached Huo Shaoqi’s ears.

However, Zhang Yan hadn’t finished his sentence—or perhaps he had paused on purpose.

"So, Sister Mei, if I just pass this message along, it’ll make everyone lose face. But I have a proposal. Would you care to listen?"

A bit of light returned to Li Huamei’s eyes. "Go ahead, Yan."

"Huo Shaoqi is probably pursuing you, right? Then I’ll just pursue you too, and that’ll solve it!"

This statement not only stunned Li Huamei, but even Xia Xiqing—who had been silently acting as a wallflower ever since Li Huamei entered the room—couldn’t help but turn to glance at Zhang Yan.

But Li Huamei was no naive young girl. Glancing at the ridiculously beautiful girl sitting next to him, she naturally knew that Zhang Yan didn’t genuinely want to pursue her. She pondered for a moment and vaguely grasped his true intention. "Do you mean you want me to put on an act with you?"

"Nothing gets past you, Sister Mei. Exactly. If I just meddle and intervene without any reason, it would obviously be disrespecting Huo Shaoqi. We might even turn into enemies over it. But if both of us fall for you, then it becomes a matter of romantic rivalry. As long as we handle it well, it won’t fundamentally damage our amicable relationship."

This outcome was even better than what Li Huamei had originally anticipated!

After all, even with Zhang Yan as a buffer, it would only make the rejection less blunt. It was still unknown how Huo Shaoqi would ultimately react. But now, with Zhang Yan’s help, if she ultimately chose Zhang Yan and rejected Huo Shaoqi, then Huo Shaoqi would have no choice but to give up on all his thoughts about her and stop harassing her.

The very thing she had initially worried about worked both ways: wealthy young men like them had no reason to ruin their friendship over an older woman like her.

Therefore, Li Huamei was genuinely grateful, as Zhang Yan truly had no obligation to help her. She couldn’t help but glance at Xia Xiqing again. "With a girl like that by his side, he couldn’t possibly be interested in a fading woman like me... It must just be out of the goodness of his heart," she thought.

Li Huamei was just about to express her thanks when, to her surprise, Zhang Yan smiled and spoke again. "Sister Mei, don’t rush to thank me just yet. If we’re going to do this, I have one prerequisite."

That was only fair. Li Huamei grew serious, saying gently, "Go ahead, Yan. I’m listening."

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