Chapter 102: What Nonsense

"You've lost weight," Situ Mingze said, with a hint of pity in his eyes. "No, it's just right," Qiangwei replied flatly.

Everyone found this scene bewildering. Weren't this mafia father and daughter at each other's throats for years, fighting fiercely? How could they now calmly discuss the daughter's figure? Situ Mingze looked at Qiangwei's delicate and radiant face, full of emotion, and said, "You look more and more like your mother, just like she did when she was young." "I don't remember," Qiangwei said indifferently. "You shouldn't remember. She left us right after giving birth to you. Honestly, you and your mother have both been so heartless to me. One left me right after giving birth to you, and you left me as soon as you grew up," Situ Mingze lamented. "The issue isn't us, it's you." "This is just something you can't understand." Qiangwei's face remained impassive. "Is this what you came here to talk about today?" "Don't talk to me like that. After all, I am your father. Whether you acknowledge it or not, half of your blood is mine, and you can't deny that," Situ Mingze said, seemingly a bit proud. "No matter how strong you become, you will always carry the mark of 'Situ' for life, Situ Qiangwei." Qiangwei's hand clenched into a fist but then relaxed. "You're old and prone to talking nonsense." "Haha..." Situ Mingze laughed, looking up. "Yes, I am indeed old. I've got more gray hairs lately, but it's comforting to have such a good daughter like you, so I won't be lonely in my old age." "You will be lonely," Qiangwei stated firmly. "That's hard to say," Situ Mingze said, casting a strange glance at Qiangwei's body. "How's your gunshot wound?" Qiangwei sneered. "Thanks for your concern. Your men's shooting skills are not great." "I'm genuinely glad you weren't seriously hurt, really... though it's a bit of a pity. But if you're physically fine, then you can attend next week's banquet on time," Situ Mingze said. "Don't worry, I'll be there," Qiangwei said. "If you have nothing else, you can leave now." At that moment, a young leader in the Red Thorns Society answered a phone call. After a few whispered words, he hurried over to Qiangwei and whispered something in her ear.

Qiangwei's face changed as she looked at Situ Mingze's smug expression, her eyes sharp. "Your thick skin and opportunism are better than mine."

"Haha, when you get old, you prefer to take it easy. Instead of fighting with guns and knives, it's better to find a gap and take it directly," Situ Mingze laughed. "Now it's good. The three territories you seized have been taken back by me without losing a single brother. You're welcome to try to take them back anytime. I won't hold them tightly, really..."

After speaking, Situ Mingze waved his hand, and the members of the Ximeng Society stood up. Some were laughing wildly as they followed him out of the Rose Bar.

Several members of the Red Thorns Society breathed a sigh of relief, but seeing Qiangwei's furrowed brow, they approached to ask what had happened.

Qiangwei briefly explained, and everyone was filled with indignant frustration. It turned out that while Qiangwei was injured and the Red Thorns Society was in some disarray, Situ Mingze had both pressured them at the bar and openly sent a large force to reclaim the three territories that had been taken from him.

Yang Chen, who had been sitting at the bar watching the scene unfold, finally finished his third cocktail. He let out a small burp, jumped down from his seat, walked over to Qiangwei, and in front of everyone, pulled her into his arms, gently patting her soft, resilient back.

"Don't worry, once the banquet next week is over, everything will be over."

Qiangwei rested her head on Yang Chen's shoulder, savoring the unique mixed scent of tobacco and alcohol on him, and nodded slightly.

The young members of the Red Thorns Society were surprised and intrigued to see their usually stern leader melting into a man's embrace, but they all silently offered their blessings.

After leaving the bar, Yang Chen checked the time. It was already past noon. Feeling a bit hungry, he was too lazy to go back to the company's cafeteria. Suddenly, he remembered a restaurant Liu Mingyu had taken him to before. The food was good and it was nearby, so he drove there alone.

Upon entering the restaurant, the waiter led him to a two-person table against the wall. Since he was alone, Yang Chen didn't bother ordering drinks and went for a simple meal: one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and a small soup, planning to head back to the company for a nap after eating.

Before his food arrived, another group of customers entered from the front door. Yang Chen was slightly surprised to see that he knew them—it was Old Li and his family, whom he hadn't seen for a long time!

What made it even stranger for Yang Chen was that along with Old Li, Li Jingjing, and Li's mother, there was another familiar face—Jiang Shuo!

Because he had been busy running between the hospital and the company, dealing with various issues, Yang Chen hadn't contacted Li Jingjing for a long time. Li Jingjing also hadn't reached out to him.

It had been a long time since Yang Chen had seen Li Jingjing, and he noticed she looked a bit haggard. Wearing a simple white dress and carrying a light coffee-colored bag, the ponytailed girl appeared more mature and elegant, perhaps due to her role as a teacher. She was no longer the naive college girl he remembered but more like a cultured young woman of the city, exuding a charming confidence.

At that moment, Li Jingjing was supporting her mother while Old Li was chatting happily with Jiang Shuo as they walked toward Yang Chen. Jiang Shuo was dressed smartly in a black suit with a red tie, his hair slicked back, making his handsome face look even more distinguished. He appeared warm and courteous, laughing and talking with Old Li.

Just as the waitress was about to lead the four of them to a table, Old Li spotted Yang Chen sitting by the wall, smiling at him.

"Xiao Yang, you're here too?" Old Li genuinely liked Yang Chen and showed a happy face.

Li Jingjing, her mother, and Jiang Shuo also noticed Yang Chen eating alone. Li Jingjing's mother looked a bit displeased, while Li Jingjing seemed somewhat flustered. As for Jiang Shuo, he frowned slightly before giving a smug smile.

"After running errands, I came here for a meal. I have to go back to work later. What a coincidence to run into your family," Yang Chen said, deliberately ignoring Jiang Shuo.

"Why eat alone? Join us. I haven't had the chance to dine with you in a while. Let's take advantage of this opportunity," Old Li suggested.

However, Li Jingjing's mother immediately showed her displeasure. She pulled Li Jingjing forward and said coldly, "Xiao Yang has to work later. We're here to discuss important matters with Jingjing and Xiao Jiang. Sitting together will delay things. Old man, if you want to drink with Xiao Yang, arrange it for another time."

Important matters between Li Jingjing and Jiang Shuo?

Yang Chen was taken aback. He looked at Li Jingjing, whose face turned red and white, but she remained silent, her head lowered in thought. Yang Chen felt a sinking feeling. Could it be that during this period, Li Jingjing had started a relationship with Jiang Shuo?

"Yes, although I've met Brother Yang before and would love to catch up, today we have important matters to discuss. It might delay Brother Yang from getting back to work. How about you treat Brother Yang to a meal later, Uncle? We can pick a better place then," Jiang Shuo said warmly, trying to be accommodating.

Old Li had spent his life running small businesses. Now, thanks to his daughter's connections, even the son of a Bureau of Education director was eager to please him. Naturally, this gave him a bit of a heady feeling. Thinking it over, he realized it wouldn't be appropriate to involve Yang Chen in their serious family matters, which might become awkward. So he nodded, "Alright, Xiao Yang, let's leave it for now. I'll treat you to a meal next time."

Yang Chen smiled nonchalantly, "No problem. I'll leave soon after finishing my meal. You don't need to worry about me."

"See, Xiao Yang is a considerate person," Li's mother said with a pleased smile.

Jiang Shuo gave Yang Chen a contemptuous, challenging look. Clearly, he felt triumphant now that Li Jingjing's family was siding with him, erasing the humiliation he had felt at the Tianfu KTV. "So what if you drive a BMW? The woman I want will still end up with me," Jiang Shuo thought, glancing greedily and eagerly at Li Jingjing, who stood quietly like a serene orchid.

Under Li's mother's urging, the four of them followed the waitress to their reserved private room, leaving Yang Chen alone at the wall-side table, though he had been alone initially. From start to finish, Li Jingjing hadn't given Yang Chen a single direct look, which left him feeling a bit uneasy.

Yang Chen understood that with Lin Ruoxi as his high-status wife and Qiangwei as a deeply devoted lover, he shouldn't get involved with someone as pure as Li Jingjing. Besides, although Lin Ruoxi had been cold and distant towards him, treating their relationship as merely contractual, recent events and revelations about her family background had created an intricate bond between them. Having shared conjugal relations and increasingly stable marital ties, Yang Chen realized he couldn't and didn't want to leave Lin Ruoxi.

Thus, ensuring that Li Jingjing found a good match was a relief. However, Jiang Shuo as the prospective partner troubled Yang Chen. He understood that Li's parents, coming from a poor background, naturally wished for their daughter to marry into a wealthy family. Yet this choice might lead to a lifetime of misery for Li Jingjing.

Pondering over this dilemma, Yang Chen couldn't find a good solution. He couldn't use force to interfere in someone else's family matters. He decided to put it aside for now and think about it later.

Meanwhile, as Old Li and his wife walked towards the private room, they were conversing in hushed tones, careful not to let the two younger ones hear.

Old Li, feeling a bit uneasy after saying goodbye to Yang Chen in such a cold manner, hesitated and asked his wife, "Xiao Yang has helped us so much. Isn't it wrong to be so wary of him?"

Li's mother shot him a glance and whispered, "What are you talking about? Can that be compared to our daughter's future? Passing up on the son of a bureau director and a bright future for Jingjing—can you afford to ruin her life?"

Old Li glanced at Jiang Shuo walking ahead with Li Jingjing. Jiang Shuo was enthusiastically chatting, while Li Jingjing smiled slightly, though somewhat reluctantly. The complexities of young people's affairs truly puzzled Old Li, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.