A Truly Vicious Mouth

Sure enough, the moment Fatty Bro finished speaking, Shen Fangli's second aunt shot to her feet in a fury. "Is this how you run a business?"

She shouted, "Get your boss out here! You're just a chef, yet you're mocking a customer? I'm filing a complaint!"

For a moment, the Yan Household and Fatty Bro all fell silent.

Is it possible that Fatty Bro is the boss?

I've seen all sorts of situations, but I've never seen someone demand to complain to the boss right in front of the boss!

Exactly. The Yan Household nodded along. Who could have expected that?

Fatty Bro released Yan Xianjue's arm and took two steps forward with a half-smile.

Ever since Yan Xianjue had known him, he had never been slim.

At nearly six feet tall, he was already above average in height.

A broad, burly man like that was walking toward her.

Shen Fangli's second aunt felt an indescribable sense of pressure.

She trembled as she said, "Y-you... what are you doing? Are you threatening a customer now?"

After a while, she still did not hear the man answer.

Shen Fangli's second aunt muttered softly, "Fine, I won't file a complaint against you."

Yan Xianjue curled his lip. Bullies the weak and fears the strong.

As though he were merely stirring up trouble for fun, he spoke up. "But Fatty Bro is the boss."

He put on an innocent expression. "Big Brother, why does she want to complain about Fatty Bro to Fatty Bro?"

Yan Yi'an was amused by his teasing tone. He lightly held a fist to his mouth to keep himself from laughing out loud.

With a straight face, he answered, "Maybe she doesn't know who the boss is."

"Huh? But doesn't Fatty Bro's place only serve regular customers?"

"That's right," Fatty Bro said in a deep voice. "I'd also like to know who brought her here."

His private kitchen had always prioritized quality over quantity.

The entire restaurant had only one head chef—him—and could serve no more than three tables a night.

Only someone with connections like Yan Ci could add a table at the last minute without asking in advance.

So...

"Boss, only the Shen Household had a reservation at this time."

Just as I thought. Should I ruin it for her? Shen Fangli isn't here right now, so she can't blame it on her.

The Yan Household glanced sideways at him. Yan Xianjue was not usually the type to meddle in other people's business.

Was there something special about this girl named Shen Fangli?

Then they heard Yan Xianjue continue muttering in his mind.

Let's call it payment for that handful of sunflower seeds.

We did eat Lin Shi's gossip together, after all. If I can pull her out of the mess, I'll give her a hand.

Shen Fangli hid behind the crowd.

Actually, when she saw things getting a little out of hand earlier, she had been ready to step forward.

She could not let her father get blacklisted by the owner because of her second aunt!

This private kitchen did not receive many customers, and its privacy service was excellent.

Some business tycoons like the Yan Household enjoyed coming here to discuss deals.

If her father was barred from entering in the future, how many connections would he lose?

She was so angry at her second aunt that she stomped her foot.

She was also secretly annoyed at why her mother was so easily swayed!

When she heard Yan Xianjue's inner thoughts, she relaxed.

"He's actually pretty nice."

Aside from the waiter standing in front of her, whose ears twitched as if he had heard something, no one else reacted.

Everyone else's attention remained on Shen Fangli's second aunt.

My old habit of feeling embarrassed on behalf of others is acting up again!

Shen Fangli took out her phone, her fingers tapping rapidly across the screen.

What should she do at a time like this?

Of course, she had to message her father and complain!

Her father replied quickly, with only three simple words: "Got it."

Yet Shen Fangli put away her phone with complete peace of mind.

She stepped past the waiter in front of her, ignoring her second aunt, who was currently the center of attention.

Instead, she openly greeted Yan Xianjue.

"Young Master, what a coincidence. We meet again."

Yan Xianjue nodded, unable to stop himself from wondering inwardly:

Instead of hiding at a time like this, she came out on her own to embarrass herself alongside her second aunt?

What fearless spirit!

No wonder her second aunt sold her off to the Lin Household!

The Yan Household: "..."

Shen Fangli: "..."

Was there perhaps another possibility—that Shen Fangli had chosen to show up now for a reason other than the one he imagined?

Shen Fangli thought with mixed amusement and exasperation. Thankfully, no one else could hear his inner thoughts, or her image would be ruined.

The Yan Household was shocked by his last remark.

Was the Lin Household the Lin Household they knew?

When they looked at Shen Fangli again, their gazes carried sympathy.

The poor girl was truly unlucky to have such an unreliable relative.

No wonder even someone as unwilling to meddle as Yan Xianjue could not help taking a jab at her.

"You're Xianjue's classmate, right? Come, come, sit over here."

Mother Yan waved warmly, inviting her to sit on the sofa beside her.

Shen Fangli's second aunt had just breathed a sigh of relief at Shen Fangli's appearance.

Then, in the blink of an eye, she saw Shen Fangli sit beside the family that had mocked her.

Unable to hold herself back, she snapped, "Shen Fangli! Do you have no sense at all?"

They were family, yet Shen Fangli had gone and sat over there. Where was that supposed to leave her dignity?

She passed over Fatty Bro, who was clearly closer to her, and redirected her attack toward Shen Fangli.

"Upstarts really don't know how to raise children! Today, I'll teach you a lesson on your mother's behalf."

Shen Fangli scoffed. It was not as if she could not tell that her second aunt was using her to divert everyone's attention.

Sitting on the sofa, she showed no trace of timidity. "Second Aunt, I'm not one of those girls who need to curry favor with you to marry into a wealthy family. On the contrary, you're the one who needs to curry favor with my dad. Don't think I don't know how you've been using my dad's name to throw your weight around outside. I couldn't be bothered to argue with you before, but if you dare set your sights on me, just see whether I'd dare take you down with me."

Yan Xianjue applauded like a little seal in his heart.

As expected of the vicious supporting character from the novel who could kill herself at the heroine's award ceremony to prove her innocence!

But there's no need to be so drastic. She only needs to tell the wealthy wives that this woman arranged for girls to "run into" rich men with families, and those wives will tear her apart themselves.

Shen Fangli's eyes lit up.

The Yan Household nodded repeatedly as well. It was a good idea.

The union between wealthy families was not just about marriage; it involved exchanges of interests and many other things.

It was common for husbands and wives to each have their own affairs.

But if one side found some true love and affected their interests—

Then they would absolutely tear apart the person responsible.

Yan Xianjue's little mouth started firing away. "Shen Fangli, is she one of your poor relatives who comes to mooch off your family?"

"Otherwise, why does she keep calling your family upstarts while refusing to leave?"

Shen Fangli burst out laughing. The young master's tongue was truly vicious, and she liked it.

She nodded solemnly. "Who knows? We hadn't been in touch for centuries, then she suddenly asked my mom out for dinner."

"Maybe she just wanted a good meal."

She was no longer afraid of offending her second aunt.

She had been distracted throughout the entire day of classes, unable to understand how she could have become engaged to Lin Shi, or how she could possibly have competed with Lin Shi and Su Su until she was driven to suicide.

Her father had only one daughter, and he had always spoiled her.

Her mother treated her well too, but she was easily swayed and could very likely be persuaded by others.

After thinking it over and over, she still felt that if everything Yan Xianjue heard in his inner thoughts was true—

Then the problem probably lay with her mother.