spring bite mark

Chapter 55 Entering Xie Jian's World

The commotion in the socialite circle is quite significant.

Jiang Manman didn't recognize most of the socialites in the capital, but she did recognize Ning Xinyue, who used to be by Yan Changye's side.

At this moment, Ning Xinyue was at the very center of the battlefield, her expression gloomy as she was being mocked in a sarcastic tone by several socialites:
"How did the Crown Prince's beloved, who was once the apple of his eye, end up marrying the second young master of the Liu family? I heard your wedding is next month. Why don't you send out wedding invitations to your former sisters?"

"You and the second young master of the Liu family, was it personally arranged by the Crown Prince? The Crown Prince really dotes on you, afraid that your life is too dull, so he found you such a marriage. What a coincidence, the second young master of the Liu family is also here today, and he brought his three little lovers. I heard that there are seven or eight others who didn't bring them. Miss Ning's life is really going to be interesting from now on!"

"I envy Miss Ning, at least she had a relationship with the Crown Prince. Unlike us, who have been longing for him for years but can't even get a proper meeting. I heard the Crown Prince cherishes his wife very much. Miss Ning, how does it feel to have your efforts come to nothing?"

"Everyone's saying you had a terrible time abroad these past five years, and that the Crown Prince himself threw you overseas. I wonder what you did to offend him. Why don't you share this with everyone so we can avoid offending him in the future?"

……

Ning Xinyue's face was dark and sullen, but everyone present was of equal or higher status than her, so she suppressed the urge to curse and spoke perfunctorily:
"It's not common for relationships to break up and get back together. There's no need for you all to be so radical just because I was with the Crown Prince before. If you really have feelings for him, you can go and confess to him yourselves. As for who I'm going to marry now and what kind of life I'll lead in the future, that's none of your business."

"Who cares about your life? We only care about the young master." Another socialite spoke up forcefully. "You and he had a passionate relationship back then. Now that you've broken up, how about you tell us about his hobbies so we can learn to cater to them?"

"Why don't you go ask his precious wife?" Ning Xinyue chuckled. "Who in the capital knows his preferences better than the Crown Prince's bedmate?"

"It's not that we're afraid to ask, it's just that the Crown Prince is very protective, and we still don't know who his wife is. You must know, right? Tell us?"

Some people have become quite aggressive, saying, "People in our circle have been fighting over him for over a decade, and they can't even get a glimpse of his clothes. I'm curious, who is so capable that not only did they snatch the crown prince away, but they've also kept him devoted to her for so many years..."

Someone had a sudden inspiration: "The Night Chaser is the Crown Prince's cruise ship, so his wife must be on board too, right?"

Ning Xinyue ignored them and reflexively scanned her surroundings, unexpectedly meeting the gaze of Jiang Manman in the lounge area a few meters away.

Jiang Manman met her gaze quietly, her expression indifferent. It was unclear how much of their conversation she had overheard.

Ning Xinyue felt a slight sense of suffocation.

Her eyes flickered slightly, but she casually looked away after only a few seconds. Under the intense scrutiny of the socialites, her tone remained tense:
"I don't know who the Crown Prince's wife is."

After saying that, she awkwardly squeezed herself out of the group of socialites and walked away quickly with a gloomy face.

Recreation area.

The Mu Chan employees, having witnessed the spectacle, turned their attention away. Shan Shan lowered her voice: "I always thought wealthy families were full of arrogant princesses, but I never imagined they could fight so fiercely over a man."

Ayla gossiped, "Didn't you hear them say he's a prince? A prince from the Beijing elite circle. Even if he's ugly, that status alone is enough to make all the high-achieving women fight tooth and nail for him."

Jiang Rong interrupted with a light cough: "Don't talk about that young master. We can't afford to get involved in his gossip."

After speaking, he looked at Jiang Manman. The group's conversation had drifted to Jiang Manman, and he wasn't sure if she cared.
"Madam, it's crowded here. Would you like me to accompany you outside for some fresh air?"

"No need, Chen Jinzhou is keeping an eye on things. You guys just eat and have fun. I'm going to go up on the deck for some fresh air."

Jiang Manman got up, walked out of the huge banquet hall, and went outside.

There weren't many people on the deck.

Jiang Manman found a perfect viewpoint, sat down, and gazed at the rolling waves in the distance. After thinking for a moment, she took another photo and sent it to Yan Changye. Soon after, Yan Changye called back with a video.

“What’s the point of just taking pictures of the sea view? I’d much rather see Madam’s selfies,” Yan Changye chuckled on the other end.

Jiang Manman ignored his teasing: "Aren't you busy today?"

"It's alright." Yan Changye seemed to be outdoors, where the light and shadows were bright. "I'm still here with Xie Jian. We agreed yesterday that I would show you the scenery of the villa today. Is Madam free now?"

"Ah."

"Shall I give the phone to Xie Jian now?" Yan Changye asked with a hint of indulgence. "He's been talking about it since early this morning, but he's afraid of bothering you. He seems to be suffering."

Jiang Manman nodded: "Okay."

The next moment, the phone was in Xie Jian's hands.

"Manman." He seemed much better than yesterday, his round eyes sparkling with excitement. "Then I'll be your tour guide and show you around my house?"

Jiang Manman smiled and said, "Okay, I'm looking forward to it."

Xie Jian switched the camera and started walking around: "Let me show you the garden first. There are more than a hundred kinds of flowers in the garden. This is your favorite rose. There are also irises, ghost orchids, baby's breath..."

The child's voice was crisp and clear, with the soft and innocent charm unique to children. Jiang Manman listened to his introduction with great interest. Before her eyes was a sea of ​​flowers that seemed to stretch endlessly, arranged in a pleasing and orderly fashion. Many of them were rare varieties that required careful cultivation by professionals.

At first, Jiang Manman was just reluctant to dampen Xie Jian's enthusiasm, but later she actually began to appreciate it seriously.

After strolling through the garden, Xie Jian took his phone and went to the lakeside of the villa, where there was a Chinese-style swimming pool, an open-air Chinese-style art park, a wine cellar, and an organic vegetable and fruit garden...

I haven't even looked at it closely yet; just walking around half a circle has already taken me more than half an hour.

"Manman, the villa is a bit big, I can't show you everything, but that's okay, next time you come to Gangdu, I'll show you slowly." Xie Jian was too tired to walk any further when they reached the vegetable and fruit garden, so he sat down on the spot. Switching the camera, his little face was rosy and lovely, and sweat was beading on his forehead. Behind him, large swathes of pure natural vegetables and fruits looked very pleasing.

"You all eat vegetables you grow yourself?" Jiang Manman asked with great interest. "I saw green beans and loofahs hanging on the trellis, and a big pumpkin hidden in the ground..."

“My dad says that many vegetables outside contain hormones, while home-grown vegetables are safer. Some of them are even from seeds I planted myself. It’s fun to watch them grow, and I’ll pick them myself when they’re ripe!”

Jiang Manman was a little tempted: "I'll check if I have any space at home that I can use to grow vegetables..."

Xie Jian pointed his phone at a certain spot again: "There are two rows of cherry blossom trees here, and they're in full bloom right now. Manman, look!"

The cherry blossom grove is at the end of the vegetable garden.

The sea of ​​crimson is indeed extremely beautiful.

In the shot, under the nearest cherry blossom tree, there is a little child wearing a sun hat, with his back to the camera, sitting in front of a drawing board and drawing.

The cherry blossoms are depicted in vibrant colors on the paper, with bold and unrestrained brushstrokes, exuding an artistic feel.

Jiang Manman exclaimed in surprise, "Thank you for your help. You have classmates coming over to play?"

(End of this chapter)