Upon hearing this, Ning Nan got excited—could this be one of his fans? "Do you think I'm especially handsome?" "You are indeed very handsome, but don't blame me for being blunt—your taste in TV dramas is really questionable. Yet sometimes, they're so cliché they're actually entertaining." "Right? I think so too. It's all the company's fault. They're the bosses; if I don't listen, I don't get paid." Feng Yuan smiled faintly. "If Mr. Lu didn't pay you, I'd believe it, but if Mr. Xu didn't pay you, I wouldn't buy it. Hey, you two must have things to do, and I've got stuff to handle too, so I'll take off and stop being a third wheel." Ning Nan rubbed his chin with his index finger, watching Feng Yuan leave, muttering under his breath, "Interesting, very interesting." Xu Su shot him a cold glare, and Ning Nan immediately changed his tune, saying righteously, "No matter how interesting, I won't like her."
That evening at the Heavenly Realm, it was Ning Nan's arrangement. Back in Jiang City, he had to get out and stretch his legs, and catch up with old friends. Lu Zhengting and Xia Yan arrived first, of course with Xiao Han in tow. Whenever Xiao Han was with the Ning brothers, they'd team up for mischief. Ning Xi came alone. Ning Nan looked behind him for a long time but saw no one else, puzzled. "Third brother, why are you alone?" "Haven't I always been alone?" "Why didn't you bring that one to show us?" Lu Zhengting frowned at Ning Nan's words and said coldly, "That woman is trouble." "A woman even our Mr. Lu finds troublesome—how bad is she?" Ning Xi dodged Ning Nan's incoming gesture, causing Ning Nan to slip. If Xu Su hadn't caught him quickly, he'd have face-planted. Xu Su shot a glance at Ning Xi, and Xia Yan couldn't help but laugh at the scene. "I didn't expect Xu Su to be such a protective husband," Xia Yan said casually, catching Ning Nan's attention. He pushed Xu Su's hand off his waist, walked up to Xia Yan, and stared at her in disbelief. "Why am I the wife?" "Huh?" Xia Yan froze, then looked innocently at Lu Zhengting. "Fine, then Xu Su is the wife?" At that, Xu Su's sharp gaze immediately locked onto her. Xia Yan chuckled awkwardly, rubbed her nose, glared at Ning Xi and Xiao Han, who were enjoying the joke, and tugged at Lu Zhengting's hand. "Ning Nan, if you're not the wife, what are you? Do you want Xu Su to be the wife?" Lu Zhengting glanced at Ning Nan and said coolly. Ning Nan rolled his eyes and went back to Xu Su's side, feeling unsafe without someone to protect him. Spotting Ning Xi grinning, Ning Nan grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at him. "Is it that funny, third brother?" "Not funny." Ning Xi looked at the suddenly opening door, his smile instantly freezing.
Zhan Meng stood at the door, holding Mengmeng in her arms, a faint smile on her face, her gaze locked on Ning Xi. "Well, well! I told you, no matter where you are, if I, Zhan Meng, want to find you, I will." "A persistent ghost!" Ning Xi, as if seeing a ghost, immediately picked up Xiao Han as a shield. "Ning Xi, stop hiding. I can see you." Zhan Meng smoothed the fur of her slightly agitated cat, smiled, and whispered to it, "Mengmeng, are you hungry? Hmm, then go find your poop-scooper." As she spoke, she let go, and the cat shot out, heading straight for Ning Xi. "Meow... meow meow" The lighting in the private room was dim. Zhan Meng squinted and saw Xia Yan there, immediately breaking into a smile. She walked straight over to Xia Yan, plopped down, then turned to look at the person beside her with a cold aura—it was Xu Su, the eldest son of the Xu family. That meant Ning Nan must be here too. Mengmeng was very familiar with Ning Xi's scent, so it jumped directly onto him, meowed a few times, and gently patted his head with its soft paws, looking particularly smug. Xia Yan laughed out loud at the sight. Ning Xi helplessly picked up Mengmeng and scanned for Zhan Meng, only to find her staring intently at the second brother. Ning Xi immediately got annoyed and shouted at her, "Why are you sitting so far away? Come here." Zhan Meng completely ignored him, her eyes fixed on Ning Nan and Xu Su. "Such a feast for the eyes, really. So, who's the top and who's the bottom?" "Zhan Meng!" Ning Xi couldn't stand her ignoring him like this. He abruptly stood up, handed the cat to Xiao Han, and walked over to grab Zhan Meng by the collar, intending to lift her. But she seemed to be on guard; just as he was about to catch her, she spun around, making his hand miss. Ning Nan burst out laughing. He finally understood the disgusted expression Lu Zhengting had when talking about Zhan Meng. "Ning Xi, you want to catch me? Can you even do it?" Zhan Meng stuck her tongue out at him triumphantly and made a face. "Stop right there." "Ning Xi, are you joking? If I stop just because you say so, where's my dignity? Come chase me." Zhan Meng ran out of the private room, but by the time Ning Xi chased after her, she was nowhere to be seen. Ning Xi scanned the area, seeing only passing waitstaff. Puzzled, he turned back into the room, picked up Mengmeng again, and felt the probing gazes from all around. He glanced back calmly and said flatly, "What's with those looks?" "New Year's coming up soon. I'm thinking if you bring a daughter-in-law home, maybe the old man won't make a fuss about my issues." Ning Nan spoke his mind bluntly. Ning Xi raised an eyebrow. "Dream on." "I think you two get along great, very harmonious." "If this is harmonious, you haven't seen Lu Zhengting and his wife flaunting their love."
Xia Yan was with Xiao Han, Lu Zhengting and Xu Su were talking about something, and Ning Xi and Ning Nan were discussing Zhan Meng. The atmosphere in the room was peaceful compared to outside. The first floor was a lobby packed with people, the music deafening, each beat making hearts pound. Zhan Meng hid among the crowd, waiting for Ning Xi to come find her, but he never showed. She grew furious. That guy didn't come looking for me—he's asking for trouble. The dazzling stage suddenly dimmed. Zhan Meng stood in a corner, and in an instant, a curvaceous woman in a crop top appeared center stage, her slender arms raised slightly, her face heavily made up with an exotic flair. The crowd below erupted in screams, even more headache-inducing than the music. Zhan Meng stared at the woman on stage. Hmm, why does she look familiar? She racked her brain, then blurted out, "Holy crap, isn't that Feng Yuan?" Every move the woman made on stage drew screams and whistles from men Zhan Meng deemed lecherous. Seeing Feng Yuan leave the stage, Zhan Meng pushed through the crowd and headed backstage, finding her in the dressing room. Zhan Meng turned and locked the door, then crept up to Feng Yuan to scare her. Feng Yuan was removing her makeup with her eyes closed, not even looking back. "Mengmeng, why are you in Jiang City?" "I should be asking you. Weren't you studying abroad? Why are you back suddenly?" "I finished my courses early and came back." Feng Yuan opened her eyes and glanced at the person behind her. She didn't quite get it—Zhan Meng was her cousin, but she showed none of the traits of an older cousin. If no one told you, you'd think Zhan Meng was the younger sister and she was the older one. Zhan Meng sat on a chair, stretching her legs onto another, and looked at Feng Yuan. "If Uncle finds out you're in a place like this, do you want to keep your legs? And since when did I know you could dance?" "Cousin, now you see how little you care about your dear sister." "Do I?" "Of course. By the way, why are you in Jiang City, and why here?" "Don't get me started. I woke up, and Dad—your uncle—had someone send me to Jiang City. I don't even know why I ended up here after waking up, and now I'm an entertainment reporter." "Isn't that good? You used to pester everyone about becoming a reporter." "I don't want to be an entertainment reporter." "Knock, knock, knock..." "Cousin, can you get the door?" "I don't want to move. Let them knock." Zhan Meng said lazily. Feng Yuan rolled her eyes with a wry smile, tidied up the stuff on the table, and got up to open the door. No one could match Zhan Meng's laziness. The knocker was a burly man. Zhan Meng looked up at Feng Yuan, not catching what they were saying, but saw her frowning occasionally. Then the man's expression turned stern and sharp. Zhan Meng stood up abruptly and walked over. "What's going on, buddy? Are you kidnapping a woman or forcing her into something?" "Cousin..." Zhan Meng grandly draped an arm over Feng Yuan's shoulder, staring at the man whose face was darkening. "What are you glaring at? Comparing eye sizes?" Feng Yuan quickly pulled Zhan Meng aside and whispered, "Cousin, don't cause trouble. If I bring my dad into this, my legs are done for." "Oh, fine." Zhan Meng said softly, then paused, pointing at someone who had appeared behind the man. "But it looks like getting out of here might be tough now." Feng Yuan followed her gaze and took a step back. "Miss, please come with us." Zhan Meng waved a hand, stepping in front of Feng Yuan. After a moment's thought, she said, "Hold on, let me doll her up first." With that, she dragged Feng Yuan back into the dressing room. Seeing her bewildered look, Zhan Meng smirked. "Don't worry, I'll call for backup."