Chapter 18: She Wasn't Invited

Jiang Yu curled the corners of his mouth into a mocking smile, "Are you talking about yourself? Deputy County Magistrate Shen?"

The words "Deputy County Magistrate Shen" almost made Shen Lan bristle.

He absolutely loathed the "deputy" in his job title, as if it were mocking him for not having the ability to be the County Magistrate.

"I'm just curious, why are you following me?" Shen Lan clenched both his fists.

Having his most hated workplace rival appear in his personal life—how could one not have a breakdown!

It was the first time Jiang Yu had been this speechless, "Seriously, I really doubt how you managed to become this Deputy County Magistrate. It seems the waters in our Huaiyang County government run very deep! The fact that you haven't been beaten to death yet while talking like this is enough to show just how solid your background is."

Shen Lan almost bristled again.

Aside from their competitive relationship, the most annoying thing about this Jiang Yu was his mouth.

Every time he opened his mouth to speak, Shen Lan wanted to take a needle and sew it shut.

It was one thing to mock him behind his back before, but today he had actually said it directly to his face!

Did he really want to compete with him for County Magistrate?

"Also, I didn't come here following you," Jiang Yu pointed behind him, "I was invited."

Shen Lan turned his head and saw his brother-in-law, Si Yan.

"What's wrong with you two?"

Si Yan asked curiously.

"Nothing, your brother-in-law seems to have misunderstood that I came here following him; you should explain quickly."

Jiang Yu shrugged his shoulders.

"I invited Secretary Jiang here to cut the ribbon for the ribbon-cutting ceremony in a moment. Shen Lan, hurry up and apologize to Secretary Jiang," Si Yan said.

Shen Lan:...

For some reason, he always felt that his brother-in-law's attitude toward him seemed different from before.

But he couldn't quite put his finger on exactly what was different.

And his brother-in-law clearly knew that he and Jiang Yu were rivals, yet he still made him apologize to him!

And even invited Jiang Yu to cut the ribbon!

Does he even know how to cut it!

This is just too much.

However, he absolutely could not offend his brother-in-law, so he could only suppress the disdain in his heart and apologize to Jiang Yu.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine, it's not like it's the first day you've been this reckless and ignorant, Deputy County Magistrate Shen." Jiang Yu waved his hand very magnanimously.

Shen Lan was absolutely furious!

Just you wait!

The day he becomes County Magistrate, this Jiang Yu won't have it easy!

He had noted this grudge.

But these indignities were only the beginning; next, he was ordered around by his brothers-in-law as if they were deliberately making things difficult for him.

They, on the other hand, chatted happily with Jiang Yu, as if they had a great relationship.

However, as an adult, he naturally knew that his two brothers-in-law were only being superficial with Jiang Yu.

Could they possibly secretly support Jiang Yu to be County Magistrate?

He was the only son-in-law of the Si Family!

What was Jiang Yu anyway.

But even knowing this, Shen Lan still felt very unhappy inside and could only stare at Si Rong with a resentful gaze.

He thought that if Si Rong saw him, she might come over to comfort him and, by the way, teach her two brothers a lesson.

Don't look at how those two brothers-in-law acted so arrogant in front of him; they turned into little lambs in front of Si Rong.

But it didn't happen; Si Rong was very busy today, so busy that she didn't even have time to give him a glance.

Si Rong was indeed very busy today.

Her eldest brother's advertising campaign was very effective.

After he released her award-winning dance art photos from back in the day, many parents who wanted their daughters to pursue an artistic path came hearing the news.

Not only that, many of these families were either wealthy or influential.

She charged five hundred yuan per student per semester, and not a single person even tried to bargain.

Soon, she had enrolled several dozen students.

She temporarily divided them into two classes; she and Ming Zi would handle them, and if they couldn't keep up later, they would hire more teachers.

Busy until noon, Li Xuan also arrived.

She had dressed up specially today, wearing a tender green trench coat with a cream-colored camisole underneath.

She combed all her hair to the left side, revealing the right side of her face, which she thought looked better.

Shen Lan had once said that she looked best like this.

But he had overlooked that that was eighteen years ago.

A twenty-year-old girl full of youth—that was an age where one looked good even wearing a burlap sack.

Seeing her dressed like this, Shen Lan frowned heavily.

"Si Rong, congratulations!" Li Xuan bought a bouquet of baby's breath.

Si Rong took it and smiled gently, "Thank you."

She was only wearing a plain white dance outfit today, her chestnut-brown long hair cascading down.

Time was exceptionally kind to her; Li Xuan felt extremely jealous in her heart. Clearly, they were the same age, both nearly forty, yet there wasn't a single wrinkle on Si Rong's face.

Her beauty was detestable.

Originally standing out from the crowd like a crane among chickens, she was suddenly made to look like a gaudily dressed old hen when standing beside Si Rong.

"How is it going? Is the dance studio running smoothly?"

Li Xuan asked with concern.

She did not know why Si Rong suddenly wanted to run some dance studio instead of staying home properly to be a housewife.

If looks and family background could give Si Rong a score of eighty, then her dancing could add points up to one hundred and twenty!

So shining, so dazzling.

She could easily attract everyone's gaze.

She had not seen many students coming to sign up all the way in just now.

It made sense; Si Rong had been kept at home by Shen Lan for nearly twenty years, so it would be strange if a forty-year-old middle-aged woman came out to be a Dance Teacher and actually had students!

"It's alright." Si Rong closed the students' registration information, "We were just about to go eat, let's go together!"

"Okay."

Li Xuan had not seen Shen Lan for a while either; usually, to avoid suspicion, even if they met, they only exchanged perfunctory greetings, and she could only wait bitterly for Shen Lan to go on business trips.

The group, consisting of the three Si siblings plus Ming Zi, Jiang Yu, Shen Lan, and Li Xuan, split into three cars and headed to Zuiyun Pavilion, which Si Yan had booked for dinner.

Si Rong, Ming Zi, and Li Xuan were all sitting in the car driven by Shen Lan.

"Li Xuan, I heard that this year's Huaiyang County Dance Competition will be held at your school?"

Li Xuan assumed Ming Zi wanted to curry favor with her; after all, the Dance Competition required tickets.

It was not something a woman like Ming Zi, who relied on schemes to marry a rich second generation and become a full-time housewife, could just go to whenever she wanted.

"That's right, you are quite well-informed."

"Then see you then."

The corners of Li Xuan's mouth curled into an ambiguous smile; she only assumed Ming Zi wanted to spend a high price to hunt for tickets to watch the performance at their school.

She did not think in any other direction at all.

Those who could participate in the dance academy event, besides the various schools, were dance organizations with some influence in the county, which generally had some foundation.

The Rongzi Dance Studio that Si Rong opened could absolutely not appear on the invitation list.

However, this Rongzi Dance Studio also made her feel quite uncomfortable; Si Rong and Ming Zi had partnered to open a dance studio, yet they hadn't told her.

And they hadn't invited her!

Clearly, in the past, she and Ming Zi were both the same to Si Rong.

But now, the relationship between Si Rong and Ming Zi seemed to have become closer.

Ten-plus minutes later, they arrived at Zuiyun Pavilion.

Two rows of luxury cars were parked outside Zuiyun Pavilion, and a military jeep was particularly eye-catching.

The private room Si Yan booked was on the top floor.

Walking up the solid wood staircase the whole way, they ran into a few acquaintances as soon as they reached the top floor.

"Brother!" Jiang Yu called out.

Jiang Cheng was wearing a long pine-green overcoat, his posture upright and his temperament dashing; his gaze first swept over someone in the corner as if nothing were the matter, before he asked Jiang Yu in return, "Here to eat?"