After Being Bent by Reader

Chapter 98: Pt.1

Xu Xiangxiang spent half an hour blabbering on and on about the rumors surrounding Sweet Melon. She had a crisp voice and vivid expressions, so listening to her rambling wasn't boring at all.

When Xu Xiangxiang stopped to catch her breath, Xu Chuanchuan sighed ruefully and said, "How pitiful of her."

Upon hearing her elder sister's words, Xu Xiangxiang immediately resumed running her mouth, saying, "What's so pitiful about her? I've long since found her irritating. She got her just desserts for stealing my resources earlier on."

Xu Chuanchuan naturally wasn't sympathizing with Fragrant Citrus. She simply found it baffling that the woman would fall to such an extent. Then, she looked toward Ange and whispered, "It seems she was telling you the truth before."

In response, Ange pondered for a moment and said, "So what? We've long since broken up. I'm not the one who turned her into that state. I do not need to take responsibility for her."

"That's not what I'm trying to say."

"I don't know." Wearing an indifferent expression, Ange said, "I just find it sickening."

"Sick? Big Sis Tang Xin, did you get carsick?" Xu Xiangxiang, who wasn't aware of the situation, asked.

Ange immediately smiled and said, "I'm fine; thank you for your concern. By the way, now that I got a closer look, you resemble your elder sister a lot, particularly your nose and eyes."

Ange was reluctant to talk about Fragrant Citrus's matter, so she quickly diverted Xu Xiangxiang's attention to something else.

Everyone talked and laughed on the road, so time quickly passed by. However, halfway through the trip, Xu Chuanchuan suddenly started feeling dizzy.

Noticing this, Murong Shi wanted to have Xu Chuanchuan switch places with Xu Xiangxiang. However, Xu Xiangxiang had already fallen asleep in the passenger seat, and Xu Chuanchuan did not wish to disturb her little sister's rest. So, Xu Chuanchuan offered to switch places with Murong Shi instead, saying, "You must be tired as well, so let me drive."

The driver needed to focus their attention on the road, so it was an excellent way to treat motion sickness. Knowing this, Murong Shi did not argue with Xu Chuanchuan.

After moving from the driver's seat to the back seat, Murong Shi sat beside Ange. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before indifferently looked away.

Xu Chuanchuan saw this scene through the rear-view mirror and wanted to laugh but dared not make it too obvious. So, she grinned and said, "You two can chat with each other."

In response, Murong Shi gloomily scrutinized Ange from top to bottom before saying, "Miss Tang, did you leave Shanghai just to visit Chuanchuan again this time?"

Although Murong Shi spoke in a polite tone, Ange kept on getting the feeling that Murong Shi held ill intentions. After remaining silent for a moment, Ange said, "Not exactly."

"Is there some other reason?" Murong Shi asked, her interest somewhat piqued.

Then, Ange raised her eyebrows and said, "Do you remember the last time you visited Shanghai, and I told you not to get happy too soon?"

Revealing an unhappy face, Murong Shi asked, "What are you trying to say?"

In response, Ange looked toward Xu Chuanchuan and pointedly said, "Visiting Chuanchuan is only my secondary goal. My main goal in coming here this time is to deepen my relationship with Chuanchuan."

"What relationship?"

Narrowing her eyes, Ange said, "You look like a smart person, so why are you acting dumb? Of course, I came here to steal Chuanchuan away."

Murong Shi's expression darkened.

Ange grew delighted when she saw Murong Shi's reaction. Then, she leaned against the door beside her and said with trepidation, "Tang'er, quickly stop the car!"

"What's wrong?"

"Your girlfriend looks like she wants to hit me!"

"..." Xu Chuanchuan had heard every word of Murong Shi and Ange's conversation, so she knew that Ange was only joking. So, in a helpless tone, she said, "Can you two please stop making trouble? If you wake up Xiangxiang, she's going to blabber none stop again."

Losing interest in messing with Murong Shi, Ange sat upright and closed her mouth. She was never one to interact with strangers. If it weren't for Xu Chuanchuan, she wouldn't even bother talking to Murong Shi.

Subsequently, silence enveloped the inside of the car.

However, having the atmosphere in the car becoming too silent wasn't a good thing, either. Looking at the awkward situation at the back of the car, Xu Chuanchuan couldn't help but wonder if it was a mistake to invite Ange to Xian City. After much deliberation, she tried initiating a conversation, asking, "Has Fang Qin's father been discharged from the hospital yet?"

Murong Shi knew that Xu Chuanchuan was speaking to her, so she responded with an "mhm."

"Has she reconciled with her family?" Xu Chuanchuan asked.

This time, Murong Shi did not immediately give a reply. Instead, she pondered for a moment before saying, "I don't think so. She is never one to compromise. When I visited the hospital that day, I even saw her quarreling with her mother."

When Xu Chuanchuan recalled Fang Qin mentioning the intimidation she received from her parents, Xu Chuanchuan couldn't help but sigh and said, "Fang Qin is quite pitiful as well to have such stubborn parents."

Ange kept her mouth shut throughout the entire time Xu Chuanchuan and Murong Shi talked about Fang Qin. However, while she pretended to look out of the window, her two ears listened closely to their every word. Meanwhile, the more she heard, the more confused she became.

What intimidation? Why is she quarreling with her family?

Although Ange wasn't clear of the details, when she recalled the story about Fang Qin's ex-girlfriend Xu Chuanchuan told her in the hotel, she could more or less guess what was going on.

"Ange, what are you thinking about?"

Upon hearing her name being called, Ange quickly withdrew her gaze and focused her attention. Then, she said, "Nothing. I didn't get enough sleep last night, so I'm feeling a little tired now."

Looking at Ange's dazed expression, Xu Chuanchuan said, "Go to sleep, then. I'll wake you two when we arrive."

"Mhm."

Xu Chuanchuan and Xu Xiangxiang's grandfather was an 80-year-old man already. After holding a discussion, everyone in the family decided to hold a grand birthday banquet for him. They invited many friends and relatives to have a big meal in the most luxurious hotel in the city.

The meal began at noon, and Xu Chuanchuan's group arrived at the hotel around 11 o'clock. Many of the guests had already arrived as well, and a bunch of relatives were currently surrounding Xu Chuanchuan's grandfather and talking to him. Xu Chuanchuan's group of four had to squeeze through the crowd to reach the old man.

"Grandpa, you look so handsome today!" Xu Xiangxiang sweetly said.

Grandpa Xu currently wore a set of bright-colored clothes and had his hair combed meticulously. Hearing his granddaughter's praise, he smiled and revealed his dentures, saying, "You two are back?"

Hugging her grandfather affectionately, Xu Xiangxiang said, "Grandpa, I wish you a long and healthy life!"

Xu Chuanchuan wasn't fond of behaving in a spoiled manner. She wasn't particularly close to her grandfather, either. So, she simply gave her grandfather her blessings and introduced Murong Shi and Ange to him.

Afterward, Murong Shi and Ange also stepped forward to offer the old man their blessings.

Apart from verbal blessings, Xu Chuanchuan and Xu Xiangxiang also prepared a red packet for their grandfather.

Grandpa Xu's smile extended from ear to ear when offered the red packets. However, he only accepted Xu Chuanchuan's and refused Xu Xiangxiang's, saying, "You're still studying, so keep it for yourself."

Even though Xu Xiangxiang said that she had earned the money by herself, Grandpa Xu still refused to accept the red packet. Knowing that her grandfather was pampering her, Xu Xiangxiang brightly smiled and stuffed the red packet back into her pocket.

As a guest, Ange also prepared a gift for Grandpa Xu. Knowing that elderly people liked tea, she gave Grandpa Xu a tea set.

When Ange saw Murong Shi not stepping forward to offer a gift, she was a little surprised. She refused to believe that Murong Shi didn't prepare a present before coming here.

However, Ange's confusion was quickly cleared up when Xu Xiangxiang said, "Grandpa, is the massage chair useful?"

In response, Grandpa Xu eagerly nodded and said, "Yes, it's very comfortable."

Hearing this, one of Xu Chuanchuan's relatives said, "Chuanchuan sure is filial. We also saw the massage chair and tried it just now, and I have to say that it is wonderful. It should've cost a pretty penny, right?"

Feeling a little embarrassed, Xu Chuanchuan said, "A little over 20,000."

"Twenty thousand?!" the relative exclaimed. "You must be making a lot each month if you can afford such an expensive gift."

"I don't make a lot," Xu Chuanchuan truthfully said. However, she also didn't tell her relatives that she earned a lot more money from her side job than her main job.

At this time, Xu Xiangxiang eagerly said, "My Big Sis earns around 5,000 each month."

"That's a lot," someone exclaimed.

For people living in a small city like Xiang City, a monthly salary of 5,000 yuan was indeed a significant amount. However, this amount was barely anything in a big city. Even so, Xu Chuanchuan simply smiled and did not bother explaining.

Because everyone had heard that Xu Chuanchuan had bought a house for her family, many people kept on praising her for being a filial daughter, causing her to blush. There were even people who joked about borrowing money from her. However, just when Xu Chuanchuan thought about how she should respond to these people, Mother Xu dragged her away.

Seeing this, Xu Xiangxiang, Murong Shi, and Ange also followed Xu Chuanchuan.

After leaving the crowd, Mother Xu turned to Murong Shi and greeted, "Little Shi, long time no see."

"Hello, Auntie," Murong Shi responded.

"This is?" Mother Xu asked as she looked at Ange.

Then, Xu Chuanchuan hurriedly introduced them. She even emphasized that Ange had given Grandpa Xu a tea set.

"Little Xin, you're too polite," Mother Xu said.

"It's something I should do," Ange replied.

Then, Murong Shi said, "I came empty-handed. Auntie, you won't mind, right?"

In response, Mother Xu's smile widened as she said, "Why would I mind? You always drive Chuanchuan back for free."

Not wanting her mother to misunderstand, Xu Chuanchuan hurriedly said, "It's not like that, Mom. Murong paid for half of that massage chair. The two of us bought it together."

Mother Xu knew the price of the massage chair, so she couldn't help but widen her eyes in shock. "Little Shi, why did you prepare such an expensive gift?"

"It's okay, Auntie. It's not expensive to me," Murong Shi said with a reserved smile.

"Mom, Big Sis Shishi is rich. Ten thousand yuan really isn't anything to her," Xu Xiangxiang whispered to her mother.

From the first time Mother Xu met Murong Shi, she already felt that the other party was different from the average peasant. While she might not know much about famous brands, she could tell that Murong Shi's attire definitely wasn't cheap. One time, Father Xu had even secretly told her that the car Murong Shi drove was incredibly expensive. As for exactly how expensive it was, she didn't know.

Honestly, Mother Xu couldn't help but be puzzled about how her eldest daughter managed to befriend such a wealthy person. Moreover, this friend appeared to be treating her eldest daughter very well. Last time, the other party had even loaned them over a hundred thousand yuan to renovate their new home.

For a time, Mother Xu couldn't think of anything to say. Simultaneously, she also started growing curious about Murong Shi's identity.

...

The Xu household had booked a total of ten banquet tables for their friends and relatives. People belonging to the older generation sat at a table of their own, while Xu Chuanchuan's group, Mother Xu, and several other women sat at another table.

As the waiters began serving the dishes one after another, Xu Chuanchuan suddenly noticed an unfamiliar face sitting next to her grandfather. So, she asked Mother Xu, "Who's that old granny sitting beside Grandpa?"

"That's your grandpa's new partner," Mother Xu said with a strange look on her face.

"What?!" Xu Chuanchuan was astonished, and she couldn't help but take a closer look at the granny. "Is she reliable?"

"Your father and I were originally against the idea, but your grandpa insisted," Mother Xu said. "But after giving the matter some more thought, we decided to go along with his wishes. Not only is Grandma Zhang ten years younger than your grandpa, but she is also very healthy. She often goes out to pick up plastic bottles to sell. Not to mention, it's been many years since your grandma passed away. It's not a bad idea to have someone accompany your grandpa."

"When did it begin?"

"It's been a while already," Mother Xu said. Then, she looked around before leaning in to Xu Chuanchuan's ear and saying, "It's because of this matter that your grandpa refused to come with us when we moved into the new house last week. He says he can't bear to leave the old house, but we know he's just trying to stay together with Grandma Zhang, so there's nothing we can do about it."

Grandpa Xu was 80 years old this year, and all of his hair had long since turned white. However, because he frequently exercised and had a light diet, he was physically and mentally in good shape. He might be skinny, but he had a sturdy back. Meanwhile, Grandma Zhang might be a little chubby, but she had a kind look on her face. When seated together, the two of them looked like quite the matching pair.

While looking at the old couple from a distance, Xu Chuanchuan thought to herself, So that's why Grandpa looks so energetic today.

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