socalfunplaces Chapter 170: The easiest way to get hooked and want more.
Chapter 170: The easiest way to get hooked and want more.
Li Xianglian was taken aback by her words, and a surge of anger welled up inside her.
What's wrong with working in an office? Does working in an office make you superior?
Every penny her husband, Qin Rushan, earned was clean; he was second to none.
But seeing Aunt Hua's apologetic smile and realizing that she had indeed forgotten about the important matter last night, Li Xianglian managed to suppress her anger.
"He who eats another's food is bound to do so; he accepted their food, but if he didn't get the job done, he is indeed in the wrong."
Li Xianglian didn't respond to Wang Chunyan's comment. "Auntie, this is indeed my fault."
She had a hint of apology on her face, but she didn't seem humble. "Last night, Lao Qin came home late and drank quite a lot. The whole house reeked of alcohol. I was so busy helping him wash up and get to bed that my brain went to mush and I completely forgot about this."
At this point, Li Xianglian subconsciously tugged at her collar, as if trying to cover the faint red marks on her neck.
"He rushed off to the provincial capital before dawn today. I'll definitely pass on the message as soon as he gets back in a couple of days and ask him about it for my aunt."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Hua's plump face twitched twice, clearly showing her deep disappointment.
"Oh my, my dear sister! How could you forget something so important! Captain Wei is a golden catch; all the matchmakers in the county are eyeing him. If you're even a little late, someone else will snatch him up!"
Before Li Xianglian could reply, Wang Chunyan, who was standing next to her, exploded.
"Mom, I told you you were just trying to get the cold shoulder, but you wouldn't believe me!"
Wang Chunyan snorted coldly, crossed her arms, and her heavily powdered eyelids looked like they were about to roll to the sky.
"What do you mean, 'forgot'? I think they simply don't have the ability and are just trying to fool you!"
She stomped her little leather shoes heavily on the ground, kicking up a layer of dust, then took two steps back in disgust, as if afraid of getting her shoes dirty.
"Don't they even look at themselves in the mirror? What kind of person is Captain Wei? He's the living devil of the criminal investigation team! They usually deal with bureau chiefs and directors. And their family? A self-employed driver running an unlicensed taxi, a housewife from the countryside—how could they possibly talk to Captain Wei?"
Wang Chunyan got more and more excited as she talked, her mouth, painted with bright red lipstick, became like a spray bottle, with spittle flying everywhere.
"What kind of life-or-death friendship is this? I bet it was just someone passing by asking for a drink of water that day, and you guys are making a big deal out of it, showing off everywhere! Only country bumpkins like you would believe this kind of nonsense, actually thinking you've climbed the social ladder?"
Aunt Hua's face turned green upon hearing this, and she quickly covered her daughter's mouth: "Oh my! My little darling! Can't you just say less?!"
While stopping her daughter, she awkwardly smiled apologetically at Li Xianglian, "Sister, don't take it to heart, this child..."
"It's alright, Auntie."
The polite smile on Li Xianglian's face completely disappeared.
She has a good temper, but that doesn't mean she's a pushover who can be easily manipulated.
"Miss Chunyan is from the city, she has high standards, it's normal that she looks down on us roughnecks."
Li Xianglian sat motionless on the stone bench, toying with an empty bowl in her hand, her tone indifferent.
"However, there's one thing you're wrong about, young lady. This friendship isn't something that can be built on empty words. There's a long road ahead, and everyone will be living in this courtyard. Who can keep up the pretense forever? As for your ambition, if you look down on our humble family, then Brother Wei's threshold is probably even higher than ours. You might not be able to cross that threshold."
"you--!"
Wang Chunyan's sore spot was touched, and her face turned a deep purplish-red.
She hates it most when people question her qualifications.
She's a full-time employee and not bad-looking, so why can't she get in?
"You country bumpkin, what do you know!"
Wang Chunyan was furious and pointed at Li Xianglian's nose, ready to hurl insults, "This house was probably bought with dirty money from somewhere! Captain Wei was just scouting this place for his case, do you really think he respects you? Stop pretending to be something you're not! Mom, let's go! Why waste words with people like this? It's beneath us!"
After saying that, she ignored Aunt Hua's attempt to say a few more polite words and grabbed Aunt Hua's plump arm, dragging her outside.
"Hey hey hey... Swallow! Slow down! My shoes!"
Aunt Hua was pulled along, staggering, and could only turn back and shout to Li Xianglian, "Little sister! Um... remember to come back when Comrade Qin gets back! Auntie will come again later!"
"Clang!"
Wang Chunyan slammed the large red-painted iron gate shut with a loud bang, causing several petals of the pomegranate flower in the corner to fall off.
Li Xianglian looked at the iron gate that was still trembling slightly and shook her head.
Some people in this city may look well-dressed, but their hearts are smaller than the eye of a needle.
She got up and cleared the dishes, thinking to herself that she should tell Qin Rushan about this when he returned.
Even if it doesn't work out, we have to let Wei Donghai know that he shouldn't end up being harassed by this kind of person.
**
The jeep bumped along the potholed national highway all day, kicking up dust that could have turned the poplar trees along the roadside a yellowish-brown.
The sun was setting in the west, shining obliquely through the windshield. The carriage was stuffy and hot, like a steamer, filled with the smells of diesel fuel, sweat, and an enticing aroma of scallion oil.
Xiao Lan sat in the passenger seat, took her feet out of her high heels and put them on the rubber mat of the jeep to let them breathe.
She had unbuttoned the top two buttons of her white shirt, revealing her delicate collarbone and a small patch of pale skin damp with sweat. She was holding an oil paper package and taking small bites of a scallion pancake she had bought on the way.
The pancake is thick and layered, filled with scallions and salt and pepper, with a golden and crispy exterior that crumbles when you bite into it.
Xiao Lan ate politely, but quickly. She was exhausted after being tormented by this rough man last night.
Xu Yuecheng held the steering wheel with one hand, while his other arm rested on the car window frame, where it was being blown by the wind.
He had an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth, but his eyes kept glancing to the side.
This woman, even the way she eats seems to be seducing people.
Her lips were rosy and glistening with oil, and her cheeks bulged slightly as she chewed, like a little squirrel hoarding food.
Especially when the tip of his tongue occasionally peeked out to lick the sesame seeds at the corner of his mouth, it made Xu Yuecheng's throat dry, and the lustful fire in his lower abdomen was hard to suppress.
"What are you looking at? Drive properly."
Xiao Lan swallowed the biscuit in her mouth without even lifting her eyelids, as if she had eyes on her profile. "Only you would dare to drive like this on this road. Anyone else would have fallen into a ditch long ago."
"It can't be turned over."
Xu Yuecheng took the cigarette out and tucked it behind his ear, his voice hoarse and lazy, "I could drive back to the compound with my eyes closed. But you, you've been eating the whole way, aren't you feeling stuffed?"
"Hungry." Xiao Lan replied with a single word, then tore off another piece of pastry and put it in her mouth. "I was exhausted last night, shouldn't I eat something?"
Upon hearing the words "I was exhausted last night," Xu Yuecheng couldn't suppress the smile on his face, and even looked a little smug.
He freed one hand and, quite naturally, reached over and pinched the woman's thigh.
"I'll catch up on this, then I'll get back to work tonight."
"screw you!"
Xiao Lan glared at him reproachfully, then used the oil paper package in her hand to block his hand. "You're always so irresponsible, all you ever think about is that little thing."
Men are most likely to develop a taste for this kind of thing.
She looked down at the half-eaten pancake in her hand, then glanced at Xu Yuecheng's lips.
The man drove all day and, apart from drinking a couple of sips of water, didn't eat a single grain of rice.
Even the strongest body can't withstand this kind of strain.
"Are you hungry too?"
Xiao Lan opened the oil paper package and picked out a whole, untouched flatbread. The heat had long since dissipated, but the aroma was still there. "Here, there's another whole one. Have a couple of bites first, and then your brothers will prepare a proper one when we get back."
She handed the cake over.
Xu Yuecheng did not answer.
His gaze fell on Xiao Lan's other hand—where she was holding a half-eaten pancake, with teeth marks still visible around the edge, after she had just taken a few bites.
"I don't eat that."
Xu Yuecheng nodded, his eyes fixed on the half-eaten piece in her hand. "That one has no flavor. I want to eat this one."