Chapter 22: Barbecue, Sight

After returning home to inherit the family business, he had encountered Ning Chu several times when meeting with Tantai Chao. To those close friends of Tantai Chao, she had always been gentle yet distant, her gaze fixed solely on Tantai Chao.

No one expected that after a year, Ning Chu would divorce Tantai Chao. The news sent shockwaves through their social circle, especially since they had seemed to be on good terms. Lou Jiaye didn’t know the reason for their divorce, but he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of joy in his heart.

Ning Chu stood on the balcony, letting the breeze brush against her. Finding the atmosphere dull, she sent a message to Chen Yixin saying she was heading home, then left the bar.

Along the way, she was approached by a man attempting to strike up a conversation, but Ning Chu turned him down. Emboldened by alcohol, the man tried to harass her, but before he could act, someone grabbed his wrist and twisted it. With a sharp cry of "Ah!", the man was suddenly sobered.

Lou Jiaye threw the man toward the black-clad bodyguards nearby. "Throw him out. Don't let him back in again."

"Yes, sir."

Ning Chu looked at Lou Jiaye. "Thank you."

Lou Jiaye felt a sudden sense of awkwardness. "Ahem, you're welcome. Are you heading home? Shall I drive you?"

"No need, I can manage on my own," Ning Chu replied. She left quickly, already deciding that next time, she would keep a bodyguard with her to avoid unwanted attention.

Lou Jiaye followed her out, only feeling at ease once he saw her safely into her car. Watching it pull away, he clicked his tongue. Up close, she was even more beautiful, and her voice was lovely, too!

When Chen Yixin saw the message, Ning Chu had already left. She quickly called her, asking, "Why did you leave? Wasn't it fun?"

"It was quite boring," Ning Chu replied.

"Fine, fine. What do you want to do? I'll join you next time."

Looking out the car window, Ning Chu caught sight of an open-air food stall by the roadside. The people sitting at the tables seemed genuinely happy, eating and drinking. It was a lifestyle she had never encountered before. She glanced at the sign.

"Chen Daniu’s Food Stall. It looks like it might be good."

"Huh?" Chen Yixin replied.

***

A few days later, at nine in the evening, Chen Yixin brought Ning Chu to the stall. "This is the place you mentioned, right? I had to ask around for a long time."

The two women, dressed in luxury designer brands, stood at the entrance, looking distinctly out of place.

"Two ladies, what would you like to order?"

Ning Chu looked at Chen Yixin, who looked back at her. "I... I've never eaten here either."

"I'll call a friend," Ning Chu said.

Chen Yixin frowned. "You have other friends?" She had assumed she was the only one. In the past, she had never seen Ning Chu close to anyone—only superficial acquaintances. After marrying, it was even less likely she’d have real friends, only the wives of other socialites.

Ning Chu called Zhou Ran, who agreed to come immediately. "Give me fifteen minutes, I'll be right there."

The stall wasn't far from where Zhou Ran lived. When she arrived, she saw Ning Chu and a strikingly dressed young woman sitting at a table. The two of them made the simple, slightly grimy table look almost elegant.

"Why did you suddenly decide to come here?" Zhou Ran asked, eyeing the stall. She didn't imagine Ning Chu would willingly frequent such a place. She then looked at the woman beside her.

Chen Yixin looked back at Zhou Ran, her eyes full of hostility. "Are you the 'good friend' Ning Chu mentioned?"

Zhou Ran turned to Ning Chu, smiling brightly. "So you tell everyone I'm your good friend? I'm truly honored!"

Chen Yixin frowned. "I'm her good friend too, how come I've never seen you?" She reached out and linked her arm through Ning Chu’s.

Zhou Ran looked at Chen Yixin. "I've never seen you either."

Chen Yixin looked her up and down. "You wouldn't have. You’re clearly not from our circle, are you?"

"I'm not," Zhou Ran replied. "But I've known Ning Chu for a long time."

"Longer than me? I've known her since high school."

"I've known her since high school, too."

"We lived in the same neighborhood!"

"We were in the same class!"

"Our families know each other!" (Though they weren't on good terms.)

"Ning Chu sponsored my college education! She's always been helping me!"

The two continued to bicker childishly until they both looked at Ning Chu. "Tell us, who is your best friend!"

"I thought we came here to eat," Ning Chu remarked.

Eventually, Zhou Ran wiped down the table and ordered some delicious skewers and other dishes. "Eat up, though I still don't know why two high-society misses would be here."

"Ning Chu said this stall looked tasty, so I brought her," Chen Yixin explained. She took a bite of the grilled eggplant. "Actually, this is pretty good."

Ning Chu chewed on a skewer. It tasted mostly of spices, but watching the people around her eating with such gusto, she felt the "vitality of life" she had only ever read about in books. Everyone looked like real, living people, not mannequins wearing masks.

Tantai Chao, having just finished work, was sitting in his car. Due to an accident on the main road home, his driver had taken a detour that happened to pass through this area. Looking up from his laptop, he caught a glimpse of Ning Chu sitting at a roadside table, holding a skewer...

The person opposite her appeared to be Zhou Ran, whom he had previously had investigated. Whatever Zhou Ran said made Ning Chu laugh—a bright, genuine laugh that left Tantai Chao stunned.

"Stop the car!" he commanded. The driver hit the brakes immediately.

Tantai Chao watched Ning Chu. Why was she in such a place? Sitting by the roadside in such... such an unclean environment. She shouldn't be here. In his mind, this place wasn't worthy of her; if she wanted skewers, the chefs at home could make them much more delicious and hygienic.

He rolled down the window, only to see a cockroach scurry past a trash can nearby.

The cars behind began to honk. Tantai Chao took a deep breath. "Drive on."

"Yes, sir."

"Zheng Cheng, transfer one hundred million to Madam... to Ms. Ning Chu." He wondered if the Ning family had taken her money, leaving her broke. Even though they were divorced, he still wanted her to be well.

"Yes, sir."

Meanwhile, Ning Chu was eating and listening to Zhou Ran gossip about a case she was handling: a husband had cheated, and the wife wanted a divorce. The wife had earned all the money, yet the husband wanted her to walk away with nothing.

Chen Yixin was outraged. "Scum! That kind of man is despicable. In our circle, people like that are looked down upon."

"He is despicable," Zhou Ran agreed, "but he couldn't get into your circle anyway."

"True," Chen Yixin said, glancing at Zhou Ran. "Since you told me so many stories I haven't heard before, I’ll admit you can be Ning Chu's friend."

"I was her friend regardless of whether you admit it or not! Hmph!"

Suddenly, Ning Chu’s phone chimed. She discovered that one hundred million had been deposited into her account—sent by her ex-husband.

Ning Chu: ? Did he send that to the wrong person?