Chapter 304: It hit Jiang Lai right where she liked it

Tang Dean was the airport Jiang Lai and Ping'an personally sent him to, and the driver remained Ke Zhongyu.

Since it was an afternoon flight, the original other plans were hard to arrange; Jiang Lai planned to take Ping'an for a comprehensive check-up tomorrow, and today she would go buy Ping'an daily necessities and clothes.

The three walked into the mall and entered a clothing store.

Just after entering, they heard two clerks whispering about a girl squatting on the floor sorting clothes.

"Clumsy, always causing trouble for us."

"She's different; she's a management trainee, just here to train."

"Really, anyone can be a … welcome!" The clerk who had been gossiping turned around and saw a handsome man and beautiful woman bringing in a thin youngster, immediately smiled and began welcoming, and poked the colleague beside her with her hand.

The colleague also immediately greeted with a smile.

While Jiang Lai was looking at clothes, her gaze fell on a figure in the corner facing a pile of clothes, looking helpless; she felt somewhat familiar, and getting closer she could even hear faint sobbing, full of grievance.

She didn't continue paying attention, but told Ping'an, "Ping'an, you can take anything you like."

As soon as Jiang Lai finished speaking, the figure squatting in the corner froze instantly, the hand movements stopped, and only after the person behind went around to the other side did the girl slowly turn her head and look up.

The management trainee disliked by the clerks for being clumsy was Shen Xi.

After confirming that the customer who had just entered the store was Jiang Lai, Shen Xi flashed with panic, thinking only of hiding quickly, fleeing to the warehouse, absolutely not letting Jiang Lai see her in this sorry state.

However, the two clerks had long disliked her, thinking she was trying to slack off again, and immediately shouted, "Shen Xi, where are you going? You haven't finished your work yet."

Jiang Lai, reaching for clothes, paused, finally realizing why that figure had seemed so familiar.

It was Shen Xi.

Jiang Lai did not turn around immediately.

Ke Zhongyu lifted his gaze and, with his eyes, told Jiang Lai that it was indeed Shen Xi.

Jiang Lai released her grip, turned sideways to Ping'an, and said, "Let's change stores."

Ping'an nodded.

Ke Zhongyu had no objection.

However, just as they reached the door, Shen Xi, as if having given up, turned around and called out to Jiang Lai.

"Jiang Lai!"

She gritted her teeth and walked over to Jiang Lai: "You clearly saw me, why are you leaving? You don't dare to look at me? Look at me, look at me!"

"Look how miserable I am now!" Shen Xi's eyes were red, her hanging hand clenched into a fist, "With so many stores in the mall, you happened to walk into the one I'm in—are you here to laugh at my misfortune? You must be mocking our Shen family behind my back!"

Jiang Lai, who had said and done nothing, suddenly faced a barrage of accusations and speculation; she looked at Shen Xi and said, "I don't have time to mock your family."

"Yes! Right! You, Dr. Jiang, are now a big shot—busy with career, busy with love! Who has time for us?" Seeing Jiang Lai doing so well while her own family had fallen into ruin, reduced to doing odd jobs and sales in a clothing store, Shen Xi's pent-up resentment and jealousy poured out endlessly.

"Jiang Lai has given you enough dignity, yet you insist on putting yourself forward." Ke Zhongyu's icy voice came, light as clouds and wind, delivering a heavy blow to the three in the store: "Get your store ready for a suspension and rectification."

No sooner had the words fallen than the mall manager, who had just received a call from Assistant Zhou, rushed over.

"Ke Ke, Ke Zong!"

"Hmm." Ke Zhongyu gestured to him, "Handle it quickly."

"Right away, right away."

Ke Zhongyu looked at Jiang Lai: "Let's go."

Jiang Lai pulled Ping'an out, while Shen Xi, frightened pale, hurriedly shouted, "Sister-in-law!"

She also hurriedly explained to the mall manager, "That's my sister-in-law, it's all a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding! I've only been here a short while, I can't afford to make a mistake—" (she sobbed).

Jiang Lai paused her steps, turned back, and said, "Shen Xi, don't use the term 'sister-in-law' to insult me."

Shen Xi, feeling wronged, said: "Why are you so ruthless? You hired such a fierce lawyer that my brother couldn't get a single penny, and that money ended up in your pocket! Otherwise I wouldn't have fallen to this state—my car, house, jewelry, and bags are all gone!"

Jiang Lai: "That money in my hands will only bring merit to your Shen family."

She pulled Ping'an and left quickly.

The good mood of shopping was almost ruined by Shen Xi's single cry of "sister-in-law."

Ping'an sensed something and shouted, "Sister."

Jiang Lai gently exhaled a breath of stale air: "It's fine, Ping'an, let's go somewhere else."

In the end, having bought many things for Ping'an, Jiang Lai's mood gradually improved.

She still worried that buying too much would be hard for the three to carry back, but forgot that if Ke Zhongyu gave an address, the store staff would deliver the clothes, allowing her to travel light.

Aunt Mo had already prepared the meals at home, just waiting for them to return.

Ke Zhongyu saw them to the door and told Jiang Lai, "Ms. Nian is back, I have to go back."

"Eat well, rest well, Aunt Mo will bring Ping'an's clothes tomorrow."

He spoke as if entrusting a worrisome child.

Only in the presence of Dean Mom and the master's wife could Jiang Lai feel that they treated her twenty-eight-year-old self like a child.

Now, there is one more Ke Zhongyu.

"Ping'an, come over for a drink of water; you must be tired from shopping today," Aunt Mo called Ping'an over.

Only Jiang Lai and Ke Zhongyu remained at the doorway.

Jiang Lai opened her lips: "We just came back from the zoo yesterday; I'm not a fifteen-year-old child."

Ke Zhongyu: "I have no pedophilic tendencies."

The implication is that he likes the twenty-eight-year-old Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai realized that Ke Zhongyu's speech was both tactful and direct; he wouldn't outright ask if he could place the orchid he sent in the bedroom, nor would he directly say he likes the twenty-eight-year-old Jiang Lai, yet this tactful manner expressed the most straightforward affection without making his fondness seem superficial.

It hit Jiang Lai right where she liked it.

Jiang Lai stared at Ke Zhongyu for a moment; when her gaze lingered on his lips, the kiss by the riverbank quickly surfaced in her mind, even the sensation could be recalled.

She withdrew her gaze.

"Ke Zhongyu, stay safe on the road, and give my regards to your uncle and aunt." Jiang Lai's voice was not entirely calm.

"Hmm." Even if Jiang Lai doesn't say it, Ke Zhongyu will do that.

He returned to the old residence.

Ms. Nian was sitting on the sofa, flipping through a red-gilt photo album, which was one of her dowry items from back then.

"Dad, Mom." Ke Zhongyu sat down beside them at his mother's gesture, and his gaze fell on Gu Sen in the group photo.

Ms. Nian pulled out the photo and said: "Regarding the question you asked me over the phone yesterday, I actually have thought about it; the moment I saw Jiang Lai, I had this feeling—she really resembles Gu Sen when he was young, but I never doubted it. Do you know why?"

Ke Zhongyu asked in a low voice: "Why?"

He also said: "Gu Yinxue, Uncle Gu, and Song Nvshi are not alike."

Ms. Nian looked at her son: "But back then, the Gu family secretly had a paternity test done for Gu Yinxue; she is the child of Gu Sen and Song Shiwei."