Pampered by Short-Lived Bigshot

Chapter 416: 267 A dog won’t bite the throat, personal debts are the hardest to pay (3 more updates)

After the engagement party, having sent off relatives and friends and seen the elders settled, Tang Wan had already booked a private room at the KTV next door; everyone decided to go there for a small gathering.

Shen Zhixian politely declined as she needed to take care of her children.

"The children can be taken care of by me; go and have fun with Xiaowu and the others." Fan Mingyu seldom saw her granddaughter, and though caring for the children was hard, she relished it.

The children, already worn out from playing, Taotao was lying in the old lady’s arms, fast asleep; otherwise, she would certainly have wanted to join the lively fun.

"Go on, it’s rare for you to be out," urged the old lady, and Shen Zhixian agreed but decided to wait until after the children had bathed and fallen asleep before leaving.

...

The KTV was next to the hotel in Pingjiang City; it was quite upscale, modest in facade, yet luxuriously understated inside.

Jiang Yanting had come with her and pushed open the door to the room; he immediately spotted Jiang Chengsi seated at the bar chair, monopolizing the karaoke machine, singing a Cantonese song with a voice that seemed destined for pop stardom; with his background in running bars, nightclubs, and clubs, he knew how to have fun and show others a good time.

"Big brother and sister-in-law are here! I specially picked a duet for you two," he said, swiftly switching the song to a popular duet that even children could hum a few lines to.

"I can’t—" Shen Zhixian started to refuse, but Jiang Chengsi had already handed them the microphone, "You both arrived late; normally, you’d be fined three drinks, but just singing a song isn’t too much, right?"

He was already sitting back on the sofa, casually opening a beer against the edge of the table with practiced ease, then drinking directly from the bottle.

His demeanor...

Truly carefree and uninhibited.

"Ms. Shen, sing one song. I’m not good at singing either, no worries, everyone here is family," Tang Wan said with a smile.

Shen Shuci sat quietly on a single seat sofa, simply listening and watching; she wasn’t familiar with anyone else, being Tang Wan’s aunt, and given the family hierarchy, no one dared call her out.

Qi Zeyan, always ready for fun and excitement, cheered them on to sing the duet, while Ruan Mengxi was enthusiastic but too timid to urge them on, especially considering it was the Jiang Family’s second master...

He looked genuinely rather fierce.

Shen Zhixian was now holding the microphone, her palms sweating, "I really can’t sing."

"Just hum a few lines then," Jiang Chengsi said with a smile, "however off-key, we won’t laugh at you."

Shen Zhixian had been pushed too far and, out of options, turned to Jiang Yanting for help.

"What’s there to fear? I’m with you."

"You know very well..." Shen Zhixian kept signaling him with her eyes.

"Hey, you two at the front, we asked you to sing, why are you whispering and flirting there? The song’s already started," Jiang Chengsi frowned. noveldrama

The room was noisy, and Tang Wan leaned in close to Jiang Jinsang, whispering, "Ms. Shen has a nice voice, singing must be okay too, right?"

Jiang Jinsang stayed silent.

Xie Duo, sitting nearby and eagerly anticipating, knew that during holidays, the Xie Family also had gather-rounds where Shen Zhixian had been asked to sing, but her seniority was so high that after she refused a couple of times, no one dared to press further, and thus, he had never heard her sing.

Shen Zhixian, out of options, clutched the microphone and reluctantly followed the lyrics, singing a couple of lines; her tone was not bad, quite nice actually.

A duet between a man and a woman, alternating lines, Jiang Yanting took over and finished the next line—

Everyone was dumbstruck!

Jiang Chengsi was drinking beer and nearly spit it out; though he stumbled through his lines, he was still on key. But the tune Shen Zhixian managed to twist into impossible contortions was anyone’s guess.

The real trooper was Jiang Yanting, always steady, clinging to the melody, trying to guide her back on track.

But reality struck a merciless blow.

For someone tone-deaf, once off-key, there’s no pulling back.

Tang Wan held her laughter, having seen many tone-deaf singers on TV but never encountered one this off-key in real life...

Describing a good singer as being kissed by an angel, some might say she sounded chewed on by a dog; as for Shen Zhixian...

Perhaps even a dog wouldn’t bother chewing on that.

Shen Zhixian knew she was tone-deaf and wanted to correct herself, to follow Jiang Yanting’s melody, but just couldn’t make it; she felt horrible, planning to just put down the microphone and give up when her hand was suddenly caught.

"Stopping already?"

Isn’t that obvious?

"I can’t bring it back," Shen Zhixian said, both embarrassed and annoyed, better to not embarrass herself further.

"No matter how off, I’m here. Just follow my lead."

Jiang Yanting was still holding the microphone, and their conversation didn’t miss a beat, heard by everyone present. Except for Ruan Mengxi, who hadn’t interacted much with Jiang Yanting, the rest were utterly stunned...

The aloof and detached Second Master Jiang.

Now publicly displaying affection and dishing out couple vibes with such tenderness. Honestly, his own brother Jinsang, who had lived with him for so long, had never seen this side of him, let alone strangers.

"Singing like that, looking at her with such affection, it truly must be love," said Qi Zeyan, his lips twitching. His beautiful sister-in-law, how could her singing be so lethal?

...

While singing and drinking progressed, the atmosphere was cheerful. Jiang Chengsi noticed Shen Shuci sitting on the side, not participating.

Thinking about how he had mistakenly treated her like a thief previously, and had been rude in his speech, after his drunken episode, he returned kindness for ill treatment. He’d been beaten up and left at the door by some shameless person, and it was her who had helped him back to his room.

Jiang Chengsi was always clear about debts of gratitude and grudge. He poured a glass of wine, sat down beside her, and said, "Miss Shen, there was some misunderstanding before. I owe you an apology. Later, you didn’t hold a grudge and even helped me. I never formally thanked you. This drink, it’s for you."

Shen Shuci coughed, "Actually, your head..."

"Imparting bad association, just leaving me at the door was insane enough."

She tried to explain things, feeling it wasn’t good to let him continue misunderstanding, but Jiang Chengsi didn’t give her a chance.

"I’ll finish this drink, and you can do as you like."

Saying that, he turned and walked away.

Shen Shuci felt odd in her heart. The collision was not intentional, and given how he had treated her before, perhaps it was just karma for him that day. But that Mr. Huo...

Now, she seemed to owe him a favor, which she didn’t like, especially since favors were the hardest to repay!

As soon as Jiang Chengsi returned to his seat, Qi Zeyan moved a couple of steps and sat next to him, "What were you and your future aunt discussing?"

"Nothing." He naturally wouldn’t say much about that night, "What aunt?"

"Xiaowu and your sister-in-law got married, his aunt is now your aunt too, right?"

Jiang Chengsi took a sip of his drink, "Right, I remember on my brother’s death anniversary, you also drank a lot, didn’t you?"

"I was blackout drunk, didn’t even know how I got home."

"Did you feel unwell when you woke up the next day?"

"Just a hangover headache, why?"

"Nothing."

Jiang Chengsi downed his drink heavily, Mr. Huo, so it seems you targeted only me for a beating.

...

It was past eleven when everyone departed. The hotel was nearby, so no need for farewells. Only Ruan Mengxi, whose place was further away, went back to stay with Tang Wan.

"I’ll take you guys home." It was very late, and they were a few girls; Jinsang was somewhat worried.

"With me here, what’s there to worry about?" Shen Shuci hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol that night and was completely sober.

Jinsang thought for a moment, if they really encountered ruffians, with Shen Shuci handling them, they’d likely be the unlucky ones.

After Tang Wan got home, she called Jinsang to report they were safe. She rarely stayed with Ruan Mengxi, and together with Shen Shuci, the three of them talked until late into the night.

Strangely, what they mainly talked about was the health of Jinsang.

Ruan Mengxi just mentioned, "I heard Fifth Master will have surgery soon?"

"He fainted before; the doctor said he couldn’t engage in strenuous activities," said Shen Shuci straightforwardly.

"What?" Ruan Mengxi seemed alarmed.

"Don’t—Auntie, don’t spread rumors!" Tang Wan was both amused and frustrated, "Brother Fifth is perfectly healthy."

"No issues? Then why does he need surgery?" Tang Wan was left speechless by this poignant question, Shen Shuci raised her brow, "Moreover, the prohibition on strenuous activities came directly from Dr. Zhou."

"What about after the surgery? It should be fine then," pressed Ruan Mengxi, "This is a major issue..."

Before going to sleep, Jinsang was replying to congratulatory texts from friends. Some were from people he wasn’t very close with, like the Fu Family from North Sichuan. Normally with no contact, it seemed inappropriate to ignore their kind congratulations.

When he came across Zhou Zhongqing’s message, his lips twitched sharply.

A red packet of just 55 yuan with the message: "Xiaowu, congratulations on your engagement."

Followed by: "I’m waiting for you to return."

Such words from a doctor felt ominously chilling.