Chapter 123: Why Not Replace “Eat” with “Bite”?

The day of the banquet arrived in the blink of an eye. Jiang Linyuan had completely mastered the dance steps of high-class society.

With his **Overclocked Brain**, he could make zero mistakes!

The banquet was held at a clubhouse in Shanghai, so Xiao Su had specifically come to pick him up.

Early winter brought darkness quickly. It was only four or five in the afternoon, but night had already blanketed the entire city.

Jiang Linyuan rushed to the school gate. A car horn sounded beside him as a black business Mercedes stopped at his side.

The rear window rolled down, revealing a pretty face with strikingly proud features. That face was brimming with smiles:

“Not getting in?” Su Muzhi asked with a grin.

“Thanks, Xiao Su. You saved me the cab fare. Such a great favor I can never repay, so I won’t bother trying.”

Jiang Linyuan chuckled and climbed into the car.

Xiao Su smelled really nice. He wondered what perfume she used. He should buy one for Haji Yao to spray on herself.

Sitting next to her, Jiang Linyuan noticed there were only three people in the car, including himself. The driver was the same one who had taken him to meet Auntie Shaqima last time.

He remembered Xiao Su calling her Auntie Yun?

“Did Uncle and Auntie not come?”

With outsiders present, Jiang Linyuan restrained himself a bit and didn’t use his pet names for the Vice Principal and Auntie Shaqima.

“As the hosts, they arrived early.”

Su Muzhi seemed to find the car a bit stuffy, cracking the window next to her by a sliver.

“Then why didn’t you go with them, Xiao Su?”

Jiang Linyuan asked.

“For you, of course.”

Su Muzhi replied swiftly, suddenly leaning her face close to his, and asked:

“Feeling the flutter?”

Staring at the girl’s beautiful face, Jiang Linyuan suddenly recalled a poem by Meng Jiao:

*In the spring breeze, the horse’s hooves race with glee,*

*Seeing all of Chang’an’s flowers in a single day.*

He felt he was pretty much in that situation. The luxury car he sat in was probably a sweat-blooded steed in ancient times, and Su Muzhi beside him was like a spring blossom bud.

Unfortunately, Jiang Linyuan didn’t have Meng Jiao’s exhilaration.

“No, I don’t feel a thing. I’m starving to death!”

Jiang Linyuan shoved Su Muzhi impatiently:

“I haven’t even had dinner because of tonight’s banquet! When will we get there?”

Su Muzhi raised her hand and slapped his arm, sneering coldly:

“Do you think you’re going to a buffet? Skipping dinner?”

“Am I not?”

Jiang Linyuan shot back.

“Right. For a country bumpkin like you, your mind’s only filled with eating, eating, eating.”

Su Muzhi snorted, clearly dissatisfied with his answer.

“I just realized something. If you split the character for ‘eat,’ it’s ‘mouth’ and ‘beg.’ So eating is like begging with your mouth, isn’t that pathetic?”

Jiang Linyuan said with a straight face:

“Why not say I’m all about ‘bite, bite, bite’? That way it’s ‘mouth’ and—”

The car suddenly braked, cutting off his next words.

“Sorry, Miss.”

The driver apologized apologetically.

“Auntie Yun, you don’t need to apologize.”

Su Muzhi smiled sweetly, then shot Jiang Linyuan a sharp glare:

“Can’t you just act normal for once?”

“Xiao Su, do you even have the right to say that? Are *you* normal?”

Jiang Linyuan complained.

Why were there always people with no self-awareness? They themselves weren’t normal, yet they called others abnormal!

Su Muzhi couldn’t be bothered to argue. This dog of a man had zero self-awareness.

She looked him up and down and asked:

“You’re wearing *that* to the banquet?”

Jiang Linyuan glanced down at himself. An orange jacket paired with washed-out jeans—perfect, right?!

“What? Is this not okay? I think I look great.”

He said.

Jiang Linyuan felt that even in a sack, he’d still be a heartthrob.

Su Muzhi said:

“The dress code for the banquet is formal wear.”

“…Then if I don’t wear it, will the waiters kick me out?”

Jiang Linyuan looked at Su Muzhi and asked.

“Hehe…”

Su Muzhi smiled, her pretty eyes full of disdain:

“Since when does a host get kicked out? Who’d dare? I’ll have them thrown into the Huangpu River.”

Xiao Su was really something else.

Jiang Linyuan gave her a thumbs up.

“But still, I’d kind of like to see you in a suit sometime.”

Su Muzhi sized him up again, a smirk curling at the corner of her mouth.

“Auntie Yun, don’t head to the clubhouse yet. Go to that boutique Mom always takes Dad to.”

“Okay.”

The driver nodded.

“Xiao Su, what are you doing? You’re not really afraid I’ll embarrass you, are you?”

Jiang Linyuan asked.

“Hahaha!”

Su Muzhi burst into loud, unrestrained laughter, startling Jiang Linyuan:

“No. No matter how you dress or what family background you have, as long as you’re standing by my side, no one will dare mock you.”

She lifted her chin, prideful, her eyes brimming with laughter:

“I just want you to wear it, so I’m taking you there.”

“Some country bumpkins stick to one style forever. It’s just boring.”

Jiang Linyuan smirked:

“Are you trying to flirt with me?”

“What, only you get to make a move, and I can’t counter?”

Su Muzhi flicked her hair back, smiling carelessly.

“Xiao Su, you’re really just like me.”

Jiang Linyuan said, turning his gaze away to look out the window at the rapidly retreating scenery.

But the next second, his face was suddenly twisted back.

He froze. Outside the window, orange, red, and green neon lights flickered across the girl’s face, as if blending with the city’s glow, dazzling and radiant.

Su Muzhi gently pinched his chin with her right hand and winked at him, her eyes full of mirth:

“Wrong. It’s you who’s like me.”

…

The car was fast, and soon the two arrived at the boutique.

As soon as she walked in, Su Muzhi asked the saleswoman:

“Is that outfit ready?”

The saleswoman smiled:

“I’ll get it for you right away.”

Jiang Linyuan watched their exchange and asked:

“You planned this all along?”

“Hehe. The country bumpkin isn’t that dumb after all.”

Su Muzhi covered her mouth with a laugh:

“I originally wanted to get it custom-made, but time was tight, so I reluctantly picked one I found passable.”

“Wait, Xiao Su. How did you know my exact measurements? Did you secretly—”

Su Muzhi cut him off impatiently, afraid he’d blurt out something shocking:

“Teacher Yun taught you etiquette, didn’t she? She’s very good at judging a person’s build just by looking. I asked her, and basically knew what size would fit you best.”

Teacher Yun, you were quite something in your youth too—able to gauge a man’s measurements at a glance.

He felt a bit shy all of a sudden.

Before long, Jiang Linyuan’s clothes arrived.

Standing in front of a full-length mirror, he adjusted his cuffs. In a suit and tie, he looked handsome and upright. He fixed his bow tie and stepped out of the fitting room.

He noticed that Su Muzhi had changed clothes at some point too. A wine-red long-sleeved shirt was tucked into an extravagant black skirt with a puffy, billowing hem that swayed lightly.

The skirt’s built-in belt tightly cinched her slender waist, making Jiang Linyuan realize one thing: Xiao Su was actually a very captivating woman.

“Mesmerized?”

She lifted her chin, smirking.

“When did you change?”

Jiang Linyuan asked.

“Auntie Yun brought it from home. It’s not far from here anyway.”

Su Muzhi said as she stepped closer to Jiang Linyuan, grabbed his cuff, refastened it, and adjusted his collar:

“My taste really is spot-on.”

“Let’s go.”

She lifted her swan-like neck, like a queen, her eyes full of pride and satisfaction.