Chapter 25: The Gathering 2

Ning Chu and Ruan Shiman turned their heads to see Zhao Chunlan. Zhao had always looked down on Ning Chu, as the Ning family had initially been a nonentity in their social circle, and it was only through her sudden marriage into the Tantai family that Ning Chu had entered the public eye.

Zhao was close friends with Mrs. Chen, Luo Youqin, and while she despised Ning Chu, she had maintained a friendly facade. However, as soon as Ning Chu divorced Tantai Chao, she immediately dropped the mask.

Ruan Shiman frowned slightly. "Mrs. Qian, I didn't invite you." Zhao Chunlan was married to Qian Ming of the Qian family, whose business was in clothing; they ran a famous national chain that dealt in apparel, as well as related textiles and design.

Zhao Chunlan replied, "Mrs. Lin, aren't you welcoming me? Mrs. Li invited me, saying you were hosting a party and that she had invited me along."

At that moment, Mrs. Li stepped out of her car and walked over. "Why are you all standing at the entrance instead of going in?"

Zhao Chunlan said, "Mrs. Li, you're here. Didn't you invite me? Now Mrs. Lin doesn't seem to want me here."

Mrs. Li looked at Ruan Shiman awkwardly. "Mrs. Lin, this is..."

Ruan Shiman said, "Come in. I’m not unwelcoming; I was just surprised."

Zhao Chunlan remarked, "What’s there to be surprised about? We’re old acquaintances."

Ruan Shiman squeezed Ning Chu’s hand, hoping she wouldn't take it to heart, and led them inside.

On the backyard lawn, a long table was set up, laden with food and drinks. Nearby, servants were preparing a barbecue, and a violinist was playing; the atmosphere was quite pleasant.

Ning Chu sat beside Ruan Shiman. The others cast occasional glances at her, as this was her first social appearance since her divorce, even if it was just a small private gathering.

"Tantai... Miss Ning, you're here today? Care for a drink?" Sitting across from Ning Chu was Mrs. Jiang. Her expression was neutral; at the very least, there was no contempt in her eyes.

Ning Chu gave her the courtesy of a response. "Long time no see, Mrs. Jiang."

Mrs. Jiang said, "It has been a while. How have you been lately?"

Ning Chu smiled. "Quite well—free and happy."

Zhao Chunlan let out a scoff nearby. When everyone looked at her, she waved her hand dismissively. "I’m just looking at my phone; I saw some surprising news. Don't mind me."

This was, of course, a mere excuse. Everyone understood the implication, though no one dared to address it openly.

If this were the Ning Chu of the past, she might have swallowed her pride, but the current Ning Chu only wanted to enjoy life, not suffer. She stared directly at Zhao Chunlan. "Zhao Chunlan, you’ve mocked me twice now, right? Once at the door, and again just now."

"I..."

"Don't give me that 'news' nonsense. Do you think anyone believes that? Did you even take your phone out? You can't even fake it convincingly." Ning Chu rolled her eyes and cut her off.

Zhao Chunlan stood up in a rage. "Ning Chu, you aren't the lady of the Tantai family anymore!"

Ning Chu swirled her wine glass and said nonchalantly, "I’m certainly not the lady of the Tantai family anymore. So what? At least I’m a polite person, unlike you, Zhao Chunlan—ill-mannered and ugly to boot! Ugly people are always stirring up trouble! And honestly, how old are you? Over forty, right? I suppose it's fine to maintain yourself like that at your age."

"Though, you might want to take notes from the ladies here; everyone else looks much younger than you. You seem a generation apart from them, and perhaps two generations apart from me?"

"I am only thirty-five!" Zhao Chunlan, seething, walked over to Ning Chu and raised her hand as if to strike her. Ning Chu stood up, caught her hand firmly, and gave her a shove. "I may have divorced Tantai Chao, but I’m not someone anyone can just bully."

"Zhao Chunlan, since you have so much spare time to mock others, why don't you go home and manage your own husband? If I recall, your husband has more illegitimate children than you can count. Oh, right—wasn't there news recently about your husband getting very close to a certain actress?"

Zhao Chunlan was grinding her teeth in fury. "Ning Chu, have you lost your mind? What are you babbling about?"

Ning Chu shrugged. "What am I babbling about? Isn't what I said the truth?"

Ning Chu’s expression turned cold. She stepped closer to Zhao Chunlan and grabbed her by the lapels. Zhao Chunlan felt that the current Ning Chu was unhinged, and she grew genuinely afraid. "What are you doing?"

Ning Chu let go of her collar. "I was going to beat you up, but you look so terrified that I’ll spare you." She patted Zhao Chunlan’s face. "Don't provoke me, understand?"

Ning Chu suddenly beamed, smiling gently at the crowd. "Sorry, I got a bit carried away. By the way, since I’ve divorced Tantai Chao, do you want to guess what I got from the Tantai family?"

The others were speechless. Was that just "carried away"? Wasn't that just going insane? Why was their impression of Ning Chu so different? Could a divorce really change someone's personality?

What did she get from the Tantai family? Surely not? Did Ning Chu actually hold shares in the Tantai company? But then again, it was impossible to leave a marriage with nothing.

Ning Chu sat back down. "Let’s continue our conversation."

Ruan Shiman’s mouth twitched, but as the hostess, she kept a pleasant smile and steered the conversation elsewhere. The conflict seemed to vanish as if it had never happened, and everyone resumed chatting and laughing.

Off to the side, Mrs. Li pulled Zhao Chunlan aside. "Why did you provoke her?"

Zhao Chunlan replied, "How was I supposed to know Ning Chu would suddenly become like this? She didn't look like this before; it's like she’s possessed."

Mrs. Li shook her head. "Keep your voice down. If she hears you, you’ll be in trouble again. Besides, even after the divorce, Ning Chu is still a young lady of the Ning family. She’s a generation younger than us; why make a scene with her? You’re only lowering your own status."

Ning Chu was only in her twenties. Mrs. Lin and Ruan Shiman were relatively young, around thirty, and the rest were in their thirties or forties—roughly a generation older than Ning Chu.

Zhao Chunlan scoffed, "Young lady of the Ning family? That’s just talk. Weren't there rumors that her parents sold their daughter for status? If she hadn't seduced that man from the Tantai family, would she even be able to attend these gatherings of ours?"

Mrs. Li replied, "At least she was 'sellable.' And besides, she just asked us to guess what she got from the Tantai family. When they married, the Tantai family gave her five percent of their shares, and she also has five percent of the Ning family's shares. She’s still quite formidable, even after a divorce."

Zhao Chunlan asked, "Wouldn't they take those back after the divorce? That’s impossible, right?"

Mrs. Li said, "Who knows."

Meanwhile, Ning Chu was listening intently to Mrs. Jiang talk about business. Mrs. Jiang had created a beauty salon chain and had previously given everyone VIP cards.

Ning Chu asked, "I’ve been thinking of starting a small business lately. Does Mrs. Jiang have any advice?"

A flash of surprise crossed Mrs. Jiang’s eyes. "What is it you’re looking to do, Ning Chu?"

Ning Chu replied, "I'm still thinking about it. Do you have any suggestions?"

Mrs. Jiang said, "My advice is that if you don't understand the business, it’s safer to keep your money in the bank and live off the interest. But if you’re daring and aren't afraid of losing money, then go ahead and play. You only live once, so you might as well experiment. You’re still young, Ning Chu; you have plenty of room to try new things."

Ning Chu said, "Mrs. Jiang, that makes sense. I’ll toast you."

Just then, the Lin family butler brought a bowl of medicine to Ruan Shiman’s side. "Madam, it’s time for your medicine."