Sweetie, don't look at him, kiss me.

Lin Qingmian was stunned for a moment when she saw the message, then she realized what it meant.

He must have asked her because she appeared in the photo Su Tingwan took for him.

These people were right; as soon as Su Tingwan's photo was sent, he was on his way.

She just didn't understand why he didn't just contact Su Tingwan directly and instead asked her to send it to him.

Could it be that you want to give this Miss Su a surprise?

"When I was filming a movie abroad, Hoshino told me that he had a childhood sweetheart girlfriend in China."

Suddenly, Su Tingwan's gentle voice rang out from the private room: "I'm very curious, what kind of girl could make him so obsessed?"

As soon as she said that, almost everyone in the private room turned their attention to Lin Qingmian.

Those looks made Lin Qingmian feel very uncomfortable.

At that moment, the phone vibrated again.

Ji Linzhou seemed to have little patience, and this time he directly sent her a location sharing request.

After she clicked "reject" in a flustered state, she heard Ji Xingye's mother, Chen Qiu, say mockingly, "What childhood sweethearts? That woman is shameless; she's always following him around, trying to get married into our Ji family."

Lin Qingmian lowered her eyes, her fingernails digging deeply into her palms.

Ji Xingqing, indignant, spoke up for Lin Qingmian: "Aunt, you can't say that, can you?"

"Weren't Mianmian and Xingye engaged when they were just born, and were they supposed to get married?"

She looked at Lin Qingmian with pity, frowning as she said, "Since it's a pre-arranged engagement, there's nothing wrong with Mianmian and Ji Xingye developing feelings for each other, is there?"

"That's a really harsh thing to say."

"Miss Lin."

Old Madam Ji gave Lin Qingmian a cold look: "Do you also find those words offensive?"

All eyes turned to Lin Qingmian once again.

She suppressed her emotions, raised her head, and smiled flawlessly: "Madam Ji, you are my guests now, and I am your waitress. Naturally, I must do as you say."

"If you find this offensive, I find it offensive too."

"If you don't find it unpleasant to listen to, then naturally I don't find it unpleasant to listen to either."

Madam Ji narrowed her eyes: "I don't think it sounds bad; it's the truth."

Lin Qingmian laughed along, "Then it doesn't sound bad, it sounds very nice. Say more if you want."

Her response made Chen Qiu and Madam Ji feel as if their words had hit a cotton ball.

Not only did they not get the result they wanted, but they also felt frustrated and depressed.

After a long pause, Chen Qiu snorted coldly and turned his attention to Ji Xingqing's mother, Ye Yinuo: "You'd better discipline your Xingqing properly from now on."

"I am, after all, her aunt. How can she go against me for the sake of outsiders?"

"Mianmian is not an outsider."

Ji Xingqing stood up again, took Lin Qingmian's arm, and defiantly stared at Chen Qiu, saying, "She'll be my cousin-in-law sooner or later, so she's family. How is she an outsider?"

After saying that, she even tried to drag today's protagonist, Su Tingwan, into the fray: "According to what you're saying, Sister Tingwan is an outsider too!"

Chen Qiu's face instantly turned ugly: "I'm talking to you about Lin Qingmian, why are you bringing up Miss Su? In what way can she compare to Miss Su!?"

"that is."

Madam Ji snorted coldly: "Don't compare just anyone to our Tingwan. She's miles behind."

"yes."

Chen Qiu smiled as he poured tea for Su Tingwan: "Our Tingwan comes from a prestigious family. She has been learning ballet since she was a child and has won many awards. Her family has been raising her like a true young lady."

"Unlike some people..."

She scoffed lightly, her gaze sweeping casually over Lin Qingmian's direction: "I was taught by my family from a young age that I would have to rely on men when I grew up. From the moment I learned to walk, all I knew was to follow men around."

"She was dumped, and she even tried to kill herself, kneeling outside his house for days...tsk tsk..."

After saying that, she handed the poured tea to Su Tingwan: "Tingwan, could you really do something like this?"

Su Tingwan paused for a moment, then smiled somewhat awkwardly: "This... is all a personal choice."

She looked up, gazed intently at Lin Qingmian, and said softly, "I deeply admire Miss Lin's willingness to sacrifice everything for love..."

Lin Qingmian paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked up at her, somewhat taken aback.

Then, the woman sighed, "But I've always known self-respect and self-love. I simply can't do something so undignified."

The woman paused for a moment, lowered her eyelashes, and gave a bitter smile to herself.

She was too naive.

It's unbelievable that this seemingly gentle and kind woman would speak up for someone she'd only just met...

"See? That's the difference."

Chen Qiu chuckled and glanced smugly in the direction of Lin Qingmian and Ji Xingqing: "Some people still need to know their place."

"If you're born to serve others tea and water, don't even dream of climbing the social ladder."

"No one would want a woman who has no dignity and can't even learn self-respect and self-love."

Lin Qingmian fell silent, her fingernails digging deeply into her palms.

Seeing her lower her head, Chen Qiu's smugness deepened: "Back then, some people even knelt outside other people's houses, begging for their contact information to continue harassing them... How shameful!"

"What's so shameful about that?"

As soon as Chen Qiu finished speaking, a deep male voice sounded from the doorway.

At the same time, the door to the private room was pushed open.

Upon seeing who it was, Su Tingwan, who had been calm and gentle all night, suddenly stood up, her voice excited: "Linzhou, you're here!?"

Ji Linzhou ignored her.

The man, with his suit jacket draped over his arm, strode into the private room, his eyes and voice equally cold and sharp: "I remember, back then, Miss Lin and Ji Xingye were boyfriend and girlfriend."

Ji Linzhou stopped in front of Lin Qingmian: "I think it's understandable that someone would do anything, no matter how humble, to try and win back a relationship."

The man's voice was deep and indifferent, yet firm and resolute.

Lin Qingmian paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked up.

Whether intentionally or not, the position he was standing in now was just right to completely separate her from the Ji family members who were mocking and making things difficult for her.

He was like a wall, blocking the light from her eyes and also blocking those malicious gazes.

After a brief silence in the private room, the man's deep, aloof voice rang out again: "I admire people who are sentimental and responsible in relationships, and I don't think they should be ridiculed."

Lin Qingmian bit her lip, feeling as if something had gently touched her heart, making it tingle and ache.