Chapter 163: Xiao Su’s Thousand-Layered Schemes

“Xiao Su, you don’t mean that if we stay at a hotel tonight, we’d share a single room, do you?” Jiang Linyuan asked.

“What hotel? There’s a house in Yanjing too, we’ll just go straight there.” Su Muzhi looked at him with a smile. “What? You’re not thinking of rushing off to see Shen Wanyu the moment we land, are you?”

“The second day of the new year belongs to the Department Head. Today’s share belongs to you, Xiao Su.” Jiang Linyuan said with a grin.

“It’s not just today, and...” Su Muzhi poked his chest, flashing a mischievous grin. “When you go see her on the second day, you’ll be going with me to see her. I told you, coming to Yanjing is about having fun. She’s just one part of it.”

“Sounds like you’re trying to monopolize my entire New Year holiday, Xiao Su?”

“Monopolize? I’m just using a privilege I’ve never exercised.”

“What privilege? Even between good friends, there needs to be some distance, Xiao Su.” Without distance, he’d have to rely on his sixth sense.

“Hehe, good friends... hehe.” Su Muzhi didn’t bother correcting him. It was useless anyway. Sometimes she thought Shen Wanyu’s description was pretty fitting—an uncivilized ape who liked to play dumb and have fun at others’ expense. Tch, she felt a bit like that herself.

“From now on, when Shen Wanyu calls you an ape, you need to fight back.”

“Are you stupid? She’s insulting you, and you still ask why?”

“I’ve always treated that word as my safe word. Because whenever the Department Head calls me an ape, she’s usually losing her composure, can’t take it anymore! It feels like she’s surrendering to me!”

“...You’ve insulted apes.”

...

By the time they arrived in Yanjing, the sky was already pitch black, mainly because of a traffic jam on the way.

Getting out of the car, Su Muzhi led Jiang Linyuan into a standalone villa as if she knew the place like the back of her hand.

They passed through the yard and entered the house. The interior was a new Chinese style. The first floor was probably close to 300 square meters, with the kitchen, dining room, and living room all in one open space, with three sides letting in light.

Rich little Su, even her out-of-town house was this luxurious.

“I had someone clean it a while back, so it’s livable.” She walked inside and flopped down on the sofa, stretching lazily. “The traffic in the countryside is such a mess. How did they even plan the city? Made us so late.”

“There you go with the regional discrimination again, Xiao Su! Lucky I’m not from Yanjing, or I’d be shoving fermented mung bean juice down your throat!”

Jiang Linyuan sat down beside her.

“Hehe, your own homemade juice?” Su Muzhi glanced sideways at him with a smile.

This Xiao Su, her mouth was dirtier than anyone’s, but when it came to actually doing something, her face turned redder than anyone’s.

“How about we grab dinner first? I’m a bit hungry.” Jiang Linyuan said.

“No way. It’s the first day of the new year. Going out for dinner wouldn’t look right.” Su Muzhi swung her legs lightly, speaking casually.

“Then we’ll just starve to death, the two of us.” Jiang Linyuan said irritably.

“You can cook for me.” Su Muzhi stood up abruptly, then sat back down close to him, hugging his arm with a grin. “There are ingredients in the fridge. Someone just bought them yesterday.”

“...Xiao Su, you planned this, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Su Muzhi extended her index finger and waved it lightly, her smile unwavering.

“Fine. I’ll cook. What are you going to do?” Jiang Linyuan asked.

“Hmm... if you beg me to help you wash the dishes, I might consider it.” Su Muzhi thought for a moment, then said.

“There’s no dishwasher in this house?” Jiang Linyuan asked.

“Hehe, no, there isn’t.” Su Muzhi said with a smile.

It just wasn’t there as of yesterday.

Jiang Linyuan didn’t know what to say. He had genuinely thought that Xiao Su had only come to see him for a quick meeting. It seemed she had long planned to kidnap him.

“How did you know I was coming to Yanjing on the second day?” Jiang Linyuan asked as he headed to the fridge.

“It’s New Year, so of course you’d come to find Shen Wanyu. On the first day, I came to get you. Even if you hadn’t agreed, I would have dragged you here anyway.” Su Muzhi said, her voice sweet.

“Why? You want to see the Department Head too?”

“You country bumpkin. Didn’t I tell you? I came out to have fun! To play!”

Jiang Linyuan paused, pulled out some pork, and weighed it in his hand. It wasn’t too hard; thawing shouldn’t take long.

“What’s a Shanghai heiress like you doing in Yanjing for fun? What’s there to do here?”

“The Cultural and Tourism Bureau set up an event near the Forbidden City. They want to recreate the scene of the palace lantern festival from back in the day. I thought it sounded interesting, so I came to check it out.” Su Muzhi said lazily, then added, “Don’t put too much salt in the dishes. I prefer lighter flavors.”

And now you’re giving orders! I’ll give you a lethal dose!

Lighter flavors? What nonsense are you spouting?

“Then why did you drag me along? If you think it’s interesting, you could have just gone by yourself.” Jiang Linyuan started prepping the ingredients.

“You willingly got into my car and now you’re saying this?”

“I came to see the Department Head, not to attend some lantern festival.”

“No difference. You’re here to accompany me.”

“I feel like you just grabbed me to be your free labor.”

“Then you need to start getting used to it. The days ahead will be long.”

“You lazy bum!”

Jiang Linyuan bickered with Xiao Su while preparing dinner.

There was even a grill in the kitchen. Pretty impressive.

About an hour or so later.

“Hey, freeloader, come and eat!” Jiang Linyuan called out to Su Muzhi, who was lying on the sofa.

“Hehe, took you long enough. Are you trying to starve me to death?” Su Muzhi shuffled over in her slippers.

“Are you Lian Po? ‘Is Lian Po too old to eat?’” Jiang Linyuan said sarcastically.

On the table was enough for two: teriyaki chicken, spicy grilled fish, pan-seared pork chops, and a few side dishes.

“I remember saying I prefer lighter food!” Su Muzhi said, but her chopsticks immediately went for the grilled fish.

“Cut it out. Lighter food? At the nursing home, even when you ate chips, you always picked the barbecue flavor.” Jiang Linyuan watched her grab the fish and added, “Better if you dip it in some soy sauce.”

“Mmhm, mmhm.” Su Muzhi nodded without responding, clearly starving.

There was none of the reserved elegance of a Shanghai heiress, not that she ever had any.

Midway through the meal, Su Muzhi picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth, turned to Jiang Linyuan beside her, and her face was full of smiles. “It’s delicious. I really like it.”

“Don’t say meaningless things.” Jiang Linyuan said.

“Hehe...” Su Muzhi chuckled softly, her eyes glancing behind Jiang Linyuan. “Want to drink?”

“...Red wine?”

“Baijiu.”

Before Jiang Linyuan could respond, Su Muzhi ran to the wine rack behind him and grabbed a bottle of baijiu. It was a bottle of Moutai.

She also took two wine glasses and poured them full, sloshing the liquor in!

She placed one glass in front of herself and pushed the other in front of Jiang Linyuan.

“...If you want to kill me, just say so. You don’t expect me to chug that, do you?” Jiang Linyuan said.

“Idiot, of course you drink it slowly!” Even as she said that, she didn’t move herself, just stared at Jiang Linyuan, as if waiting for him to drink.

“What are you looking at me for?” Jiang Linyuan felt something was off.

Was the liquor clean? Was it drugged?

“Just watching how you drink.” Su Muzhi said.

Jiang Linyuan snapped out of it. “Xiao Su, you’ve never drunk before, have you?”

“Hehe, I’ve had plenty of alcoholic drinks.”

“Never had it, then just say so.” Jiang Linyuan glanced at her and took a small sip. The proof was pretty high. He said, “If it’s your first time, don’t drink anything this strong.”

“Hehe, you take a sip yourself first and then tell me that. Is that your way of challenging me?”

With that, she defiantly took a gulp, with a grand, generous movement that made her look like a complete fool.

Jiang Linyuan thought for a moment, then let out a sigh.

Great, looks like it’ll be a late night tonight.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d been tricked again.