“Brother Wang! Turn on the camera! Hurry!”
“Huh?”
Zhang Yuan directed, “Film those two! Be careful! The image quality must not be blurry!”
Sister Liang, who had come out with her, was even sharper. The moment she saw Ling Qingzhou and Yi Hansheng appear, she simply snatched the camera from the cameraman and started filming herself.
The other reporters also picked up on something and immediately raised their cameras, both big and small.
Some even tried to approach them for an interview.
Unfortunately, the bodyguards blocked them—no one was allowed near.
Half an hour ago, Cao Dou received a message from Jiang Fuyue. He almost thought he read it wrong.
She asked him to pick up who?
Yi Hansheng and Ling Qingzhou?
For a moment, Cao Dou was completely dumbfounded.
Then, as it sank in, he was so excited that his limbs trembled and his lips quivered.
He’d been in Linhuai for a while now, even worked with Wu Qian, so he naturally had some understanding of the city’s elite circles.
Brother Wu always said this stuff was “required learning” in the industry.
So of course he knew who Ling Qingzhou and Yi Hansheng were.
But… why would those two legendary figures be here?
Who could they be here for?
Subconsciously, he didn’t want to admit it was Jiang Fuyue.
But reality wouldn’t let him deny it—when he led them into the private room and saw Jiang Fuyue already inside, calmly greeting them, he had no choice but to believe.
Just before the door closed, he happened to glance up—and through the gap, he saw Ling Qingzhou personally pouring tea for Jiang Fuyue!
She accepted it with perfect composure, and at the same moment, Yi Hansheng offered her a peeled orange.
She shook her head, likely turning it down.
But Yi Hansheng popped a slice into his mouth first, then said something to her—only then did she take it.
And Yi Hansheng… actually smiled like he’d just achieved some great joy?!
Like Jiang Fuyue accepting the orange he peeled was some kind of special privilege.
The three of them all looked utterly at ease, as if this was a completely normal occurrence.
Cao Dou was already stunned—his understanding of Jiang Fuyue had just been taken to a whole new level.
And that new level was called—
“The Big Boss’s Little Ancestor.”
D*mn!
Inside the room.
“What are you two doing here?” Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow.
Yi Hansheng: “Why? Not happy to see us?”
Ling Qingzhou’s mouth twitched. “New store opening. Of course we’re here to support it.”
“This temple is small—can it really hold two gods like you?”
Yi Hansheng chuckled. “Doesn’t matter. If it can hold you, it can definitely hold us.”
Jiang Fuyue’s eye twitched slightly.
Ling Qingzhou muttered: Suck-up.
“Of course I welcome you, but didn’t you say last time that Lou Mingxin’s been watching you? Weren’t you supposed to be laying low?”
Yi Hansheng snorted, “She’s got her own mess to deal with now. No time for us.”
Jiang Fuyue tapped the table lightly, a flicker of interest in her gaze. “Oh? What happened to her? Tell me.”
Yi Hansheng’s eyes lit up and he started chattering away.
Ling Qingzhou had wanted to speak too, but this annoying guy beat him to it, so he could only quietly listen, adding a few comments here and there.
Turns out Lou Mingxin had way overspent trying to buy up old houses on Qingtong Street, putting her company in a financial crunch. The board found out and demanded answers.
In a moment of desperation, she swore to cover the gap within a month.
But how do you fill a hole of billions?
She then tried to cozy up to Jufeng Group in City A, aiming to buy a plot of Xu family land on the cheap.
It was said that in order to get in with Xu Yao, the eldest young master of the Jufeng Group, she tried to cater to his interests and deliberately showed up at the Auction, intending to use that piece of red chalcedony as a stepping stone.
“…Too bad someone cut her off midway and snatched it up! Talk about bad luck, right?” Yi Hansheng laughed as he spoke.
Unbeknownst to him, the person who outbid Lou Mingxin for that red chalcedony was sitting right next to him, listening to his gossip with a pleasant smile.
“I heard the one who won the bid not only became a frequent guest at Xu Yao’s table, but also went on a winning streak at the Golden Emperor Casino—raked in this much in one night.” He gestured a number. “In US dollars.”
Ling Qingzhou frowned. “Do we know who that person is?”
Yi Hansheng shook his head. “No info on their identity. Rumor has it they looked a bit like a—um, you know. Tall and thin, pale, very good-looking. A natural bottom.”
Cough cough cough cough cough— Jiang Fuyue choked.
“Drink slower,” Yi Hansheng handed her a tissue. “Where was I? Oh right, he’s a total—”
“That’s enough.”
“Huh?” Yi Hansheng froze.
Ling Qingzhou also looked at her, confused.
Jiang Fuyue wiped the corner of her mouth, cleared her throat. “We can skip the discussion about that person. No one can find out their identity anyway.”
“True.” Yi Hansheng nodded. “Oh right—I haven’t even gotten to the main point!”
Jiang Fuyue: “…” Please don’t say anything fatal.
“Listen to this—Lou Mingxin got ambushed and beaten up in a sack!”
Jiang Fuyue put on a properly surprised face, though inwardly she felt nothing at all.
But… she was a little curious.
“How did you find out?”
Being beaten up like that was humiliating—Lou Mingxin definitely wouldn’t spread it herself.
Xu Yao, the enforcer, wouldn’t admit it either, especially if he didn’t want to burn bridges with the Lou family. Otherwise, why bother with the sack in the first place?
As for her—no way she’d talk.
And Liu Sisi’s mouth was airtight.
Yi Hansheng: “It’s all over the place! I just happened to hear a bit of it—who knew it’d be such juicy gossip.”
“You mean, it’s gone public?”
“Of course! Word is it started in the capital, and then spread through the whole social circle. Now it’s everyone’s dinner-table joke.”
Jiang Fuyue shrugged. Not her fault.
Yi Hansheng: “Some say it was one of Lou Mingxin’s bodyguards who spilled it. Others say she went to the hospital after the beating and got recognized… Who cares who spread it? The important part is—she got beat up.”
As he spoke, a gloating grin crept onto his face.
Just then, a knock came at the door.
Jiang Fuyue: “Come in.”
It was the waitstaff bringing their food.
They swiftly placed the dishes and exited the private room.
Jiang Fuyue got up and personally set out bowls and chopsticks for the two men.
Yi Hansheng was stunned.
Ling Qingzhou froze too.
“No need—I can do it myself—” the two said in unison.
Jiang Fuyue ignored them, calmly finishing the setup, then sat back down and smiled. “President Ling, President Yi—won’t you do me the honor of tasting it?”
The two were visibly flattered.
Taste it?
Right now!
Taste it properly! With full attention!
…
Outside the restaurant, Zhang Yuan reviewed the video and photos. Confirming they were usable, she gave Brother Wang a thumbs up.
Sister Liang had just finished watching the footage too. She looked up and returned the equipment to the cameraman.
“What do you think’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
Zhang Yuan: “I don’t believe your eagle eyes didn’t recognize who those two were.”
Sister Liang chuckled. “Yi Hansheng and Ling Qingzhou. Anyone remotely connected to the business or finance scene in Linhuai would recognize them.”
Those big Bentleys and Rolls-Royces parked out front weren’t exactly low-key either.
Zhang Yuan’s eyes flickered. “I heard those two don’t get along? Usually they avoid each other in public. Who would’ve thought they’d show up together at some small restaurant today. Isn’t that odd?”
Sister Liang gave her a look. “Of course it’s odd. But so what? We’re not part of their circle. Who knows what’s really going on? Maybe they never did have a feud—it’s just gossip that made everyone think so.”
Zhang Yuan nodded. “No wonder you do society news—you’ve got way more perspective than us entertainment reporters.”
Sister Liang laughed. “Don’t flatter me. We’ve pretty much filmed everything we need. Let’s pack it up and head back. Looks like we’ve got tomorrow’s front-page material. Didn’t expect to get a scoop on a lazy day.”
Mentioning it, Zhang Yuan’s eyes lit up too. It really was an unexpected scoop.
Who would’ve thought the opening of some random restaurant would draw both Ling Qingzhou and Yi Hansheng?
And the fact that they arrived at the same time, through the same door—now that’s intriguing…
Suddenly, Zhang Yuan’s gaze paused on a certain table. “Um… Sister Liang, I think we might have even more.”
“What?”
“Look at that table in the far corner—the old man sipping soup. Doesn’t he look like the long-retired gourmet critic, Elder Nie?”
Before Sister Liang could reply, a black Mercedes pulled up to the entrance. It was much more low-key compared to the Bentleys and Rolls-Royces.
But when the car door opened and a tall figure stepped out—his face was anything but low-key.
The man wore a well-tailored suit, with a straight posture. His face, under the sunlight, had a serious, even stern look—but that only added to the scholarly precision of his presence.
Someone in the crowd suddenly blurted—
“P-Professor Xie?!”
