Chapter 9

The nail salon was more of a studio, offering a wide range of services. The second to fourth floors were dedicated to beauty and aesthetic treatments.

It had quite a reputation in the industry, attracting many celebrities, socialites, and wealthy heiresses.

Naturally, the prices were exorbitant.

There were designated valets outside the shop. After Tang Xiaoyan handed over her car keys with a polite thank-you, she and Song Zhi walked into the salon together.

All three of them—Song Zhi, Tang Xiaoyan, and Xu Lanlan—were VIP clients here. As soon as they entered, the staff warmly greeted them, serving tea and water.

The nail technician began removing Song Zhi’s previous manicure and noticed the diamonds embedded on her nails. She asked politely, “Would you like me to save these for you?”

They were small diamonds, less than one carat each, which added a touch of sparkle when placed on nails—but that was about all they were good for.

“No need,” Song Zhi replied casually.

The technician pursed her lips slightly and carefully set the diamonds aside.

She couldn’t believe her first day working here would yield such unexpected treasures.

Stealing a glance at Song Zhi, she observed her delicate swan-like neck and bare shoulders. At that moment, Song Zhi was gazing at her hand as the nails were being removed, her long, curled lashes casting soft shadows on her porcelain-white face.

Life was unfair. Some people were full of flaws, while others were so perfect that even their jawlines were flawless.

Beside her, Tang Xiaoyan, who had been dozing off, suddenly perked up. Her large eyes blazed with anger as she glared fiercely at a spot in the lobby.

Song Zhi, puzzled, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Tang Xiaoyan gritted her teeth. “I think I just saw that white lotus Lin Shanshan.”

Following her gaze, Song Zhi spotted Lin Shanshan standing quietly near the entrance. Dressed in a mix of luxury brands, her petite face radiated an air of innocence.

Next to her, a man pulled out a card from his wallet and handed it to the receptionist.

Judging by his attire, he was either wealthy or powerful. However, his appearance left much to be desired: a beer belly, a receding hairline, and an oily demeanor.

After completing the transaction, the receptionist returned the card to him.

He took it and turned to Lin Shanshan with a chuckle. To Song Zhi’s disgust, his greasy hand landed directly on her shoulder.

Lin Shanshan leaned obediently into his embrace, and the two stepped into the elevator together.

Tang Xiaoyan’s expression grew complex. “This damn…”

Song Zhi wasn’t particularly surprised. “I know that man.”

Tang Xiaoyan blinked. “You do?”

She nodded. “His surname is Huang, I think. He’s a director. One of his projects approached me before, but our schedules clashed, so I declined.”

Such occurrences weren’t rare in the entertainment industry.

For young artists without money or connections, resorting to these kinds of unspoken rules was often the only way to get ahead.

But Song Zhi found this puzzling. Jiang Yanzhou was extremely particular about cleanliness and hygiene in relationships. If he truly had some secret affair with Lin Shanshan, there was no way he’d let her sleep with another man afterward.

And there was no reason for it, either.

Once she had hooked up with Jiang Yanzhou, she could have obtained any resource she wanted—there was no need to go crawling to an old, ugly director.

Tang Xiaoyan felt increasingly nauseated. That white lotus had seduced her man, only to turn around and cozy up to a balding, oily old man.

Song Zhi consoled her: “When you walk too much, you’re bound to step in mud. It’s only a matter of time before a female artist gets caught blatantly accompanying a director.”

Xu Lanlan seized the opportunity to mock Song Zhi further. “Are you saying that one day, you’ll step in mud too?”

Song Zhi smiled mischievously. “I wouldn’t dare let my Valentino bag tread through muddy paths.”

Xu Lanlan sneered and decided to stop talking to her altogether.

After finishing their manicures, Tang Xiaoyan had mostly calmed down. She drove Song Zhi home.

It wasn’t too late yet—there were still two hours before dinner at the Jiang estate.

Song Zhi went into her walk-in closet and picked out a more formal outfit to change into.

Regardless of anything else, appearances mattered.

By now, everyone in the Jiang household presumed that Song Zhi was already Jiang Yanzhou’s future bride.

Aunt He brought over several packets of herbal medicine and reminded Song Zhi to take them to Madam Jiang.

“This medicine is for insomnia. Just boil it and take it an hour before bed.”

She gave Song Zhi some additional advice about what to pay attention to when visiting the Jiang estate, then headed downstairs.

Jiang Yanzhou was a man of strict punctuality. Exactly one and a half hours later, he arrived home.

Song Zhi suspected he timed his arrival down to the minute—not a second more, not a second less.

He didn’t come inside. His car was parked at the intersection, and he waited inside for her.

Song Zhi dawdled as she descended the stairs, opened the car door, and slid into the passenger seat.

Today, she carried a chain purse, palm-sized, barely enough to hold a phone.

After reversing the car, Jiang Yanzhou glanced at the purse resting on her lap.

In that instant, Song Zhi detected a flicker of emotion in his otherwise indifferent gaze.

Something like… confusion.

“What can you possibly fit in that bag?” Song Zhi kindly voiced his question aloud and answered for him: “I’m not carrying this bag for functionality—it’s a fashion statement. It complements my outfit. Without it, this dress would look too plain.”

Jiang Yanzhou offered no response, focusing instead on driving.

Clearly, he neither understood nor cared.

Traffic was light today. A journey that usually took an hour and a half was completed in just one hour.

Song Zhi had visited this house only a handful of times, and each time, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

Today was Grandfather Jiang’s birthday, and the house was bustling with guests. Even from outside, Song Zhi could hear the laughter of children and the indulgent calls of adults.

This joyful atmosphere came to an abrupt halt the moment Jiang Yanzhou appeared.

It was as if someone had pressed the pause button.

The mood shifted to something tense and eerie. Everyone stared at Jiang Yanzhou. Younger children instinctively hid behind their mothers.

As if Jiang Yanzhou were some terrifying monster.

This was the one thing that made Song Zhi feel a twinge of pity for him.

No real sense of family—he was an outsider in his own home.

Jiang Yue cleared his throat and descended from upstairs. “You’re here.”

Jiang Yanzhou gave a low hum in acknowledgment.

Jiang Yue instructed the nearby maid: “Tell the kitchen to bring out the food.”

In such a prestigious household, etiquette was paramount—even seating arrangements strictly followed seniority.

Jiang Yue sat at the head of the table, with Jiang Yanzhou, as the eldest son, seated to his right.

Everyone else was seated more casually.

Today’s meal was Western-style cuisine. The steaks were air-flown directly from Australia, tender and fresh.

But Song Zhi had little appetite, nibbling only on some broccoli garnish.

Across from her, Ji Weimin was soothing the young boy beside her. He looked about five or six years old.

Outside, Song Zhi had already heard his loud, unruly shouting—clearly lacking manners.

His name was Jiang Songyue, Jiang Yanzhou’s half-brother and Ji Weimin’s son.

These days, no affluent family was complete without some drama involving mistresses, illegitimate children, or scandals.

The Jiang family was no exception.

Ji Weimin was Jiang Yue’s mistress, kept secretly for ten years without discovery. Later, she became pregnant and attempted to leverage her unborn child to secure a position within the family.

She even confronted Cao Suyue directly, challenging her openly.

How could a proud noblewoman endure such humiliation? In the end, as Ji Weimin hoped, Cao Suyue filed for divorce.

However, despite living in the Jiang household for years, Ji Weimin never received a legitimate title.

Grandfather Jiang disliked her and showed little affection toward her illegitimate grandson.

Even though Ji Weimin persistently begged Jiang Yue to allow Jiang Songyue to change his name and be added to the family register, Jiang Yue remained silent on the matter.

Jiang Songyue clung to Ji Weimin, peeking fearfully at Jiang Yanzhou from across the table. “Mommy, I’m scared.”

Ji Weimin hugged him and comforted him: “Songyue, don’t be afraid. That’s your older brother.”

He shouted back loudly: “He’s not my older brother! He’s a demon! He’s evil!”

An eerie silence fell over the dining table. The only sound was Ji Weimin’s gentle voice soothing her son.

Jiang Yanzhou remained unfazed, calmly cutting his steak with knife and fork.

His posture was upright, like bamboo.

Etiquette revealed itself in moments like these.

Even if you put a golden shell on a turtle, it was still a turtle.

Ji Weimin quickly interjected: “Yanzhou, don’t be upset. Your younger brother is still young and doesn’t understand. You’re the bigger person—don’t take offense.”

Jiang Yanzhou said nothing, as if he hadn’t heard, continuing to eat quietly.

Ji Weimin’s lips trembled, on the verge of tears: “Children say things without thinking. I’ll discipline him properly. Please forgive him. After all… he’s still your younger brother.”

As she spoke, she cast a fearful glance at Jiang Yue. “Ayue…”

As if she had suffered a great injustice.

Damn, what a performance. Jiang Yanzhou hadn’t said a word, yet he was unjustly scolded and made to look like the villain.

Song Zhi set down her knife and fork, smiling. “Auntie, please don’t worry. My Yanzhou isn’t so petty.”

Hearing this, Ji Weimin feigned relief.

Song Zhi pushed the bacon from her plate toward Jiang Songyue: “Kids are growing up—they need to eat more.”

Instinctively, Jiang Songyue glanced at Ji Weimin.

Ji Weimin patted his head. “Go on, thank your sister-in-law.”

Jiang Songyue muttered begrudgingly: “Thank you, sister-in-law.”

Song Zhi smiled sweetly. “What sister-in-law? Nothing has been finalized yet.”

Ji Weimin also smiled, her tone suggestive. “You two have been together for so long. Why hasn’t there been any news about a baby yet?”

“We’re still young—we’re not in a rush.” Song Zhi leaned affectionately against Jiang Yanzhou’s arm. “Besides, having a child before marriage would invite ridicule. I’m shy—I can’t bear to lose face like that.”

Ji Weimin herself had been unmarried when she got pregnant. Song Zhi’s words clearly implied that Ji Weimin lacked shame.

Ji Weimin’s face instantly turned ashen.

Seeing Ji Weimin’s livid expression, Song Zhi bit her lip, feigning innocence as she turned to Jiang Yanzhou. “Zhouzhou, did I… say something wrong?”

Ji Weimin was most sensitive about this topic.

Though she feared Jiang Yanzhou, she could still reprimand his girlfriend under the guise of being an elder.

Just as she was about to lash out—

Jiang Yanzhou’s voice was cold and detached: “Song Zhi is young and doesn’t understand. There’s no need to take her words to heart.”

With that, he stood up. “I’m done eating. Take your time.”

Pushing back his chair, he left. Seeing no reaction from the others, he glanced back.

Meeting his gaze, Song Zhi immediately knew what he wanted to say without him needing to speak.

She flashed a sweet smile at Jiang Yue. “I’m also done eating, Uncle. Please enjoy your meal.”

Then, she scurried after Jiang Yanzhou like a loyal puppy, following him upstairs.

From afar, they could still faintly hear Ji Weimin’s whining complaints: “Look at your son. He doesn’t show me any respect. If it weren’t for his indulgence, how dare his girlfriend speak to me like that? Honestly, he’s not even as good as our Songyue. I don’t know why Grandfather favors him so much. Arrogant and disdainful, just like his mother.”