spring bite mark

Chapter 54 The Deep Waters of a Wealthy Family
Yan Changye was unaware that the sight of him holding a child stirred up a storm in Jiang Manman's heart.

He casually put one arm around Xie Jian, his long, slender fingers gently pinching the child's cheek, his tone indifferent:
"Two hundred yuan is a lot for a child. Xie Jian is not a materialistic or greedy child."

Xie Jian looked aggrieved but hesitated to speak.

Jiang Manman didn't want to argue with Yan Changye: "Is Xie Jian still running a fever?"

Yan Changye hummed in agreement: "He still has a slight fever, but he should be better by tomorrow."

Xie Jian's eyes lit up, and she immediately looked up at Yan Changye with sparkling eyes: "Then—"

Yan Changye interrupted him, saying, "However, children who have just recovered from illness have little resistance, so it is not recommended for them to go to crowded places. They need to rest at home for three to five days."

Xie Jian's eyes visibly dimmed.

Jiang Manman knew that he had just decided to come to the capital, so she could only comfort him: "Your health is the most important thing. Besides, the cruise ship has already left the port and is now in the vast ocean. Even if you wanted to come, you wouldn't make it in time. Next time you come to the capital, your aunt and your Uncle Yan will take you on a cruise ship alone."

Xie Jian nodded sullenly.

Jiang Manman comforted the child for a few more moments, then looked at Yan Changye and asked, "Where are you staying tonight?"

“Since we’re already here, let’s stay at Xie Jian’s place.” Yan Changye paused for a moment. “The scenery here is quite nice. I’ll video call you tomorrow and show you his villa. It has many Chinese-style elements that you like, and it also has Juliet roses and German irises that you like.”

Jiang Manman hesitated: "Won't it bother them if you stay at their house? Does Xie Yunxi have any objections?"

Yan Changye remained silent for a few seconds before giving a soft "oh":
"I'm a regular here."

Jiang Manman realized that he was familiar with the job, even tutoring homework, so she stopped worrying about it.

The two chatted for a while longer. Jiang Manman checked the time, then looked at Xie Jian's round, wide-open eyes, which were clearly tired, and urged Yan Changye to hang up the phone.

The next day, Jiang Manman didn't leave her room until nine o'clock.

Following last night's project launch meeting, a large banquet was held on the cruise ship today. Jiang Manman found Mu Chan's group of people at the entrance of the banquet.

"Why don't you go in?" Jiang Manman looked at the crowd lingering at the door, hesitant to go in.

Jiang Rong explained, "They're all from wealthy families and are big stars; they're a bit timid."

Shan Shan was particularly embarrassed: "Boss, I feel inferior watching these celebrities eat like they're doing art. How about we go to a buffet restaurant instead? The food there is all made by Michelin chefs. We didn't get enough of it yesterday."

Ayla nodded in agreement: "They're wearing formal dresses, and we're wearing beach dresses. It really looks so out of place. Sigh, if I had known it was the Night Chaser, I would have made my own dress."

Jiang Manman thought for a moment and said, "Let them all go in. Let them socialize. We'll find an inconspicuous place and treat it as a studio gathering. We can just do our own thing."

Jiang Rong glanced at the cruise ship's schedule: "Later there will be a music exchange and a dance party, as well as a charity event. The Chen family has invited many famous domestic musicians and dancers. The charity event will also bring together tycoons from the capital and Hong Kong, people you wouldn't normally see. Everyone should go and see for themselves."

Hearing this, everyone was somewhat tempted. "But, if we just go in like this, won't we be stopped?" one employee hesitated.

The staff at Muchan thought it was just an ordinary city cruise. They prepared several outfits according to tourism standards, all of which were beach and ocean-themed suitable for taking photos, but there was still a significant gap between them and formal wear.

Jiang Rong glanced at Jiang Manman: "Don't worry, follow Madam, no one will dare to stop you."

Yan Changye usually kept Jiang Manman's information very well protected. Apart from the direct descendants of the six top aristocratic families, not many people knew Jiang Manman.

However, the organizer was the Chen family, and Chen Jinzhou had been given a death order by Yan Changye to protect Jiang Manman. Therefore, wherever Jiang Manman was, Chen Jinzhou would definitely be nearby, and he would be keeping a close eye on the situation.

When Jiang Manman and her group entered, Chen Jinzhou personally came to greet them and led them to their reserved seats. He then tactfully made his way out, demonstrating a new level of tact and discretion.

Compared to his sticky behavior yesterday, Jiang Manman was much more satisfied with his performance today.

"Was that handsome guy your friend, boss?" Everyone has a gossipy nature, and a Muchan employee lowered her voice, "I saw him yesterday. Wherever he went, all those big stars were trying their best to curry favor with him, being extremely respectful!"

Jiang Manman didn't hide anything: "He's my cousin, and also the boss of Shengshi Entertainment."

The group of people looked at her with a bit of shock.

Even Ayla and other long-time employees, who were used to seeing her surrounded by bodyguards, were somewhat taken aback at this moment:
"Boss, I knew you had a powerful background, but I didn't know it was this powerful—you're actually a cousin of the Chen family, a wealthy and powerful clan!"

Jiang Rong sighed inwardly. What did cousins ​​matter? The lady was someone even the Chen family wanted to curry favor with.

Jiang Manman had no interest in discussing personal matters. The group sat in a relatively quiet place, drinking beverages and chatting about work. They watched the elegant ladies and the clinking of glasses at the banquet, occasionally gossiping, and had a very pleasant time.

"I really learned a lot this time." Shan Shan exclaimed, holding her drink. "I went to eight floors yesterday. Each floor had a different restaurant, but without exception, they were all private dishes by top chefs. They were at least on par with restaurants like Dejulou in the capital, where a single dish could easily cost four figures. But here, I could really eat as much as I wanted. For the first time, I felt like I had a small appetite."

"You have a small appetite?" Ayla teased. "You can already eat enough for three people by yourself. But the food is alright. Yesterday I went to those luxury stores, and they really only had limited editions, and there were purchase limits. They required proof of funds, and they wouldn't sell to anyone with less than ten million in cash flow."

Another employee chimed in: "I ran into a lot of big stars yesterday. They were all very nice to me when I asked for their autographs. I even got autographs from two of them that I know are really bad behind the scenes, but they were still very friendly and chatted with me for a while. It was unbelievable."

Jiang Rong said tactfully, "In this kind of occasion where there are celebrities everywhere, and with their boss, Mr. Chen, in charge, they wouldn't dare to cause trouble even if they had a hundred lives. On the contrary, you should try to avoid those young ladies and gentlemen from aristocratic families. People at that level are not afraid of causing trouble and just do whatever they want."

"Cause trouble? They wouldn't dare to cause trouble in a situation like this."

“We don’t dare to provoke big troubles, but we’re always dealing with small ones.” Jiang Rong casually pointed in a direction. “Take that group of socialites, for example. They’ve been tearing each other apart for a while now. You should all stay away from that kind of battlefield, or you’ll become cannon fodder.”

The speaker meant no harm.

Jiang Manman glanced casually in the direction Jiang Rong pointed, but suddenly froze.

(End of this chapter)