Chapter 338: Chapter 338 Call Him Brother-in-Law
Wan Muqi nodded faintly.
“Ye, do you have anything else?” An Mi asked.
Ye Xuan scratched the back of his head, “Oh, nothing else, just happened to see you, so…”
“By the way, you know Professor Wan? Why haven’t you mentioned it before?” Ye Xuan asked.
An Mi: “Yes, I’ve known him for a long time, but knowing someone doesn’t mean I have to talk about it everywhere.”
“…”
An Mi’s words directly heightened the awkwardness.
But the awkwardness was only felt by Ye Xuan himself.
Ye Xuan had no choice but to quickly change the subject: “Are you going home now?”
An Mi: “Yes.”
Suddenly at this moment, two voices burst in.
“Mu Qi.”
An Rui and Su Heng suddenly appeared.
An Rui jumped over and put his hand on An Mi’s shoulder.
An Mi nearly couldn’t withstand his force.
“What are you doing?” An Mi glared at him and slapped his hand.
Ye Xuan didn’t know the two, but seeing how close An Rui and An Mi were, he felt somewhat upset.
“Nothing, just going home together. Sister asked us to go to Moon Gift Villa for dinner,” An Rui said.
“Ah?” An Mi looked puzzled: “How come I didn’t know about this?”
An Rui: “Did you check your phone?”
She really hadn’t checked her phone.
Ye Xuan stood there, like an outcast.
Clearly, An Mi also had no intention of introducing these people to him.
Just as An Mi was about to take out her phone, An Rui said: “Forget it, don’t look now. Since Mu Qi is also here, let’s all go back together.”
But An Mi still remembered Ye Xuan was there, she looked at him and politely said, “Ye, since you have no more matters, we’ll be going first.”
Ye Xuan couldn’t say much at this moment, “Hmm, okay, see you Monday.”
He had been thinking about inviting her for dinner.
An Mi didn’t say anything, and An Rui pulled her away.
…
Moon Gift Villa.
“How come you’re here too?”
Jiang Yan looked at Su Heng and the others followed by Wan Muqi, this out-of-place middle-aged man.
The man naturally took a seat.
He stated boldly and confidently: “Came to eat, any problem?”
Jiang Yan: “…”
He spoke as if this were his own home.
“Your skin is getting thicker, isn’t it?”
Wan Muqi smiled lightly: “Likewise.”
“…”
There wasn’t anyone else in the living room, just him and Wan Muqi.
Su Heng and An Rui went to the basement playroom.
An Mi took Su Baobao to walk the dog in the backyard.
So, Jiang Yan didn’t have to worry about being overheard: “Are you together with An Mi?”
He asked very directly, although it was a question, the affirmative aspect occupied ninety percent.
Wan Muqi looked at him, not intending to conceal.
“How did you figure it out?”
Jiang Yan glanced at him lightly, “All your thoughts are written all over your face. If I couldn’t see that, I would have lived these thirty years in vain.”
Jiang Yan frowned, “You acted too quickly this time.”
Wan Muqi didn’t say anything.
He even thought it was too late.
But thinking of An Mi’s words, he still asked him one thing: “Don’t tell my sister-in-law about this matter first, An Mi doesn’t want this to be public yet.”
Jiang Yan slightly lifted his eyelids and raised his eyebrows: “Are you getting ready to call me brother-in-law?”
Wan Muqi: “…”
The meaning in Jiang Yan’s words couldn’t be clearer—he wanted him to call him “brother-in-law” in exchange for keeping the secret.
Smart move.
Having already called Su He “sister-in-law”, was he really missing out on calling him “brother-in-law”?
Really!
“Alright, then I’ll entrust our secret to brother-in-law.”
Jiang Yan curled his thin lips and smirked devilishly, “Heh, quite adaptable, not bad.”
Wan Muqi: “…”
Although Jiang Yan didn’t object, he still reminded him: “An Mi is still a college student, I hope you can control yourself.”
Wan Muqi clearly understood his meaning: “I’m not as desperate as you.”
Jiang Yan sneered, dousing him with cold water: “Don’t speak too soon.”
“…”
Monday afternoon.
An Mi and Chen Jin were the first ones to arrive at the rehearsal room.
Chen Jin complained, “I don’t even know if we can rehearse today. If it’s always such a mess, then it’s simply wasting my money, after all, time is money.”
An Mi pursed her lips and nodded, agreeing.
Ever since she joined this drama performance, her reading time had indeed reduced.
An Mi sat cross-legged, propping her chin with one hand, lost in thought.
“By the way, I heard a piece of gossip these past two days,” Chen Jin suddenly whispered.
An Mi was not interested in gossip, but she knew that whether she was interested or not, Chen Jin would tell her anyway.
An Mi calmly said, “Hmm, go ahead, I’m listening.”
Chen Jin looked around and, seeing no one else around, she said, “Wu Xiaomin has a crush on Ye Xuan.”
Upon hearing this, An Mi’s eyebrows subconsciously raised slightly.
She was indeed shocked.
“Are you sure this isn’t a rumor?” An Mi asked.
Chen Jin replied, “Combining my recent observations, this rumor has been confirmed.”
“Especially that day, her wanting to switch roles with you, it’s clearly ulterior-driven,” Chen Jin said, “She just wants to play Viola, wanting to act as lovers with Ye Xuan.”
An Mi: “…”
She silently gave Chen Jin a thumbs up, “You could even think of that, impressive.”
“Don’t doubt it, a woman’s sixth sense is always accurate.”
“I’m not disbelieving, I’m thinking, if that’s the case, shouldn’t I agree more to switch roles with her?”
An Mi didn’t want to be the person who gets shot while lying down.
Chen Jin said, “Yeah, switch, I fully support it with both hands and feet. After all, no matter which role it is, I believe you can perform it well, it would save her some hassle.”
An Mi nodded, “Alright, then let’s see what she says later.”
Just as they finished speaking, someone walked through the door.
It was Wu Xiaomin and other members of the drama club.
And Wu Xiaomin, upon seeing An Mi, immediately grew colder, her eyes filling with hatred.
She even rolled her eyes at her.
Her attitude puzzled An Mi very much.
Chen Jin also noticed and commented: “Is she on the wrong medication today?”
An Mi shrugged and shook her head, “I don’t know.”
When Wu Xiaomin came in, she stood in front of An Mi and arrogantly said, “An Mi, you don’t have to put on an act in front of me; I thought you were so noble, but it turns out you are just a despicable person behind the scenes!”
An Mi was completely baffled by her statement.
Chen Jin has a fiery temper. She stood up and snapped back, “Wu Xiaomin, did your brain get caught in a door? Did you sleep in the toilet over the weekend? Otherwise, why does your mouth stink the moment you come in?”
Wu Xiaomin’s brows furrowed, and her face grew increasingly ugly.
She clenched her teeth: “Chen Jin, I’d advise you not to meddle in other people’s business!”
Chen Jin snorted coldly, “You’re not my mom, what right do you have to order me around? You…”
An Mi grabbed Chen Jin’s hand, stopping her from saying more, “Jinjin, don’t be impulsive.”
After she spoke, she turned to Wu Xiaomin, saying very calmly, “Wu Xiaomin, you say I’m pretending in front of you? Who do you think you are? Do I really need to waste my effort pretending in front of you? Are you overestimating yourself too much? Besides, if you want to pin a crime on me, at least let me know why I am suddenly a despicable person behind the scenes?”
Seeing how confidently and calmly An Mi spoke, Wu Xiaomin felt even more uncomfortable inside.
“If you didn’t want to trade roles with me that day, then why did you act so generously? Since you did act that way, and then slandered me behind my back, An Mi, you really opened my eyes!”
An Mi was increasingly speechless after hearing this.
Chen Jin picked up her line: “Who do you think you are, to say we slandered you? You’re really being too sentimental.”
An Mi instantly lost any desire to continue the conversation.
In the end, there wasn’t a single focus in the discussion.
“Wu Xiaomin, you don’t need to waste words in front of me. I admit what I’ve done, but if I haven’t done anything, don’t think you can pin it on me. Since you say I slandered you behind your back, then bring out some proof. What have I slandered you about?” An Mi said coldly and indifferently, “Otherwise, I’ll have to resort to legal measures. Your public defamation and fabrication of facts against me could constitute the crime of false accusation!”
An Mi’s tone was steady, her demeanor calm, and her manner both tough and resolute.
The others, initially doubtful of her, suddenly turned their suspicious gazes towards Wu Xiaomin.
What Wu Xiaomin didn’t expect was for An Mi to bring up legal consequences.
But she wasn’t afraid, “Don’t scare me, over such a trivial matter, to escalate it to a legal level! An Mi, I think you’re just feeling guilty. Don’t think just because you’re a bit pretty, every man in the world should revolve around you. Wearing brand names every day, you think you’re a rich lady, maybe you’re kept by some old man after all.”
Chen Jin couldn’t bear it anymore, but she didn’t curse. Instead, she spoke in a sarcastic tone: “Someone here, their mouth is really filthy enough. Not just bad breath, but a dirty mind too. It’s always said that a dirty heart makes one see filth everywhere! Always thinking she’s the cleanest one, but it turns out she’s actually the dirtiest.”
“Who are you calling filthy?” Wu Xiaomin angrily pointed her finger at her.
Chen Jin rolled her eyes: “I didn’t say it was you. You’re putting on the cap yourself, what does it have to do with me?”
Wu Xiaomin pointed towards An Mi and said, “Since you’re not maintained by someone, then tell me, where do all these come from? An Mi, don’t say you bought them yourself, that necklace around your neck is a limited edition worth millions. Do you think you can afford it?”
Wu Xiaomin sneered sarcastically.
An Mi: “…”
Truth be told, she could actually afford it.
But she never clarified it so explicitly to her.
Chen Jin said, “What, just because you can’t afford it, you won’t allow Mimi to have it too? You’re really funny! You don’t have money yourself, and you can’t bear to see us being wealthy, right?”
Many people were unaware of An Mi’s identity, and her acquaintances only knew her because she was academically talented and beautiful, making her well-known at school.
But almost everyone focused on her academics and didn’t pay much attention to her private life.
However, Wu Xiaomin’s comments aroused everyone’s curiosity.
Sometimes, what An Mi wore and the accessories she used were indeed big-name brands.
After all, in today’s society, anything is possible.
A female college student being maintained is not surprising.
Although some girls indeed do not know how to respect and cherish themselves and cannot resist the temptation of money.
However, An Mi did not seem like that kind of girl.
From the few rehearsals they had together, everyone noticed that An Mi was easygoing, gentle, and her scholarly temperament was delicately expressed through her demeanor.
At this point, one of the male members of the drama club looked at Wu Xiaomin and said, “Wu Xiaomin, you can’t just say that. You are both girls, casually tarnishing a girl’s reputation may hurt their self-esteem.”
Wu Xiaomin sneered, “What, you like her too? Already starting to defend her?”
The male student was instantly annoyed by her: “You… We are all classmates here, I was just kindly reminding you, if you don’t want to listen, pretend I never said it!”
Just then, Ye Xuan walked in.
“What are you doing? I just arrived and heard you arguing, what’s the fight about?”
Ye Xuan came in looking serious.
Seeing him arrived, Wu Xiaomin also restrained a bit, her expression not so unpleasant anymore.
Because Ye Xuan arrived, Wu Xiaomin stopped picking on her.
To An Mi’s and Chen Jin’s surprise, she did not bring up the matter of changing roles anymore.
Once everyone arrived, the rehearsal started.
One hour later.
The rehearsal ended.
The rehearsal went much smoother this time, Chen Jin thought Wu Xiaomin was going to cause trouble, but she didn’t.
But she didn’t believe Wu Xiaomin could be so well-behaved; the moment she arrived, she stirred up conflict, it must be fishy for her being this quiet now.
Wu Xiaomin suddenly approached An Mi, grabbed her, and said, “Mimi, be careful around her, she’s not someone who stays put.”
An Mi looked back at Wu Xiaomin and didn’t say anything.
But she saw defiance in Wu Xiaomin’s eyes.
She didn’t understand what got into her, nor did she want to.
She truly didn’t want to deal with such a person, it’s simply an insult to her intelligence.
Ye Xuan clapped his hands loudly and said: “Everyone did well in the rehearsal today, if we continue like this, we still have hope for the first place. Let’s keep it up. There are still two weeks left until the competition; let’s maintain today’s condition and push harder, and tweak it a bit more, it will only get better.”
Then, seizing the moment, he continued: “Tonight, I’d like to treat everyone to dinner at the food festival next to our school, as a reward for our recent performance. I know you all are busy with academic things, and now having to juggle this competition as well, it’s been hard. But if we persist, let’s bring honor to our school, and it will also be a great addition to your college life experience.”
His speech was very inspiring, but only a few responded to him.
Of course, Wu Xiaomin was the most enthusiastic in her response.
Chen Jin and An Mi did not want to go.
Just as Chen Jin was about to speak, Ye Xuan preempted her by saying, “Nobody is allowed to turn down my treat. I know none of you have classes tonight, we all rarely have time together, it’s also good to gather around and consider this as a team building activity for our club.”
“…”
Having said that, if Chen Jin spoke out against going now, it would only make the atmosphere freeze to below zero.
“Alright, everyone, pack up, let’s meet downstairs,” Ye Xuan declared with a clap of his hands.
An Mi walked to a nearby cabinet to get her bag, when Wu Xiaomin came over again and whispered in her ear: “An Mi, let me tell you, Ye Xuan is mine. You better tuck away that seductive heart of yours, stop using it to disgust people!”
After speaking, she grabbed her own backpack, a victorious look on her face, and turned to leave.
An Mi gave her an annoyed glance and said nothing: “…”
Is there something wrong with her brain?
Chen Jin came over and asked, “Mimi, what did she say to you?”
An Mi repeated the words.
After hearing it, Chen Jin rolled her eyes in exasperation, “Her brain must be filled with water that’s not drained properly! It’s like she’s seriously ill, so toxic! Who would fight with her for Ye Xuan? Isn’t Mr. Wan much better? Seriously, why swap a towering tree for a wee shrub. Let’s not bother with her. She’s just bored, seeking attention, trying to make us sick.”
After hearing Chen Jin’s rant, An Mi chuckled and said, “I’m not really angry, but you seem to be.” An Mi then consoled her, “Take it easy, don’t stoop to her level. She’s not even worthy of being your rival; she’s too low class. Comparing ourselves to her only lowers our own standards.”
Chen Jin burst into laughter, “True to our top scholar Mimi, even your insults have grace and substance.”
…
An Mi and Chen Jin then sat down, messaging each other on WeChat using their phones.
After all, with outsiders around, it wasn’t appropriate for them to chat too openly.
During the dinner, An Mi sent a WeChat message to Wan Muqi, telling him about what happened today and how she was forced to sit here for a so-called team building meal.
She didn’t hate dining out, but she really disliked this kind of gathering, and also had no appetite.
Wan Muqi replied: “When does it end? I’ll come pick you up.”
An Mi replied, “The food hasn’t been served yet, probably an hour more.”
“But I want to leave now, I don’t feel like eating at all.”
Wan Muqi sent a head-patting emoticon, then added, “Alright, just eat a little bit for the show. I’ll give you a call in a while, and you can say something urgent came up, and then come out.”
An Mi asked, “Is that okay?”
Wan Muqi: “It’s fine.”
An Mi took a screenshot of her conversation with him and sent it to Chen Jin.
Chen Jin immediately replied, “X﹏X Woohoo, don’t leave me behind; take me with you too. I don’t want to face them alone.”
An Mi suddenly found it hilarious.
“Don’t worry, I won’t leave you behind.”
She had just finished replying when Ye Xuan suddenly leaned in close.
This close encounter startled An Mi, she quickly moved closer to Chen Jin and also put away her phone simultaneously.
Seeing that he had startled her, Ye Xuan apologized with a regretful face, “Sorry for scaring you, I just wanted to see what you were looking at, you’ve been staring at your phone all this while.”
This move immediately lowered his standing in An Mi’s eyes.
She didn’t like his sudden and silent closeness.
Her face slightly cold, she spoke in a somewhat chilly tone, “It’s nothing, just chatting with family.”
Wu Xiaomin, sitting opposite, glared furiously at her.