Chapter 82

Chapter 82: How Was Your First Experience? He pushed Chu Tang toward the bathroom. "Tangtang, be good, go wash up first." Chu Tang finished washing up and sat down at the dining table. Jiang Shixu had made three dishes and a soup. Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, salt-and-pepper ribs, spicy shrimp, and winter melon rib soup—all of Chu Tang's favorite home-style dishes. Chu Tang hadn't eaten breakfast, and her stomach was growling with hunger. After washing her face, she was fully awake now. She picked up her chopsticks and dug in with gusto. Jiang Shixu sat across from her, the corners of his eyes slightly lifted, a smile shimmering in his gaze as he watched Chu Tang eat with utter adoration. "Is it good?" the man asked softly. "Mm-hmm!" Chu Tang nodded. "Shixu-gege's cooking is still the most to my taste." "Shixu-gege, you eat too." Chu Tang's brows curved like crescents. "Don't go hungry." "Tangtang." Jiang Shixu's voice carried a smile. "Hm? What's wrong?" The girl looked up at him. Jiang Shixu smiled, his handsome peach-blossom eyes brimming with affection. "I was already fed full by you last night. Now it's my turn to feed you." "Pfft—cough, cough, cough..." Chu Tang choked on her soup, coughing uncontrollably. "You..." The girl's little face flushed crimson. She bit her lower lip lightly, dying of embarrassment. "Why would you say something like that!" Jiang Shixu laughed gently and indulgently. "Alright, alright, I won't say it anymore. You eat your meal properly." ... Xu Jingxuan's private villa. "Miss, Chen Jingsu has been taken away by the young master's men." A man in a black bodyguard uniform bowed his head and spoke to Xu Jingxuan with utmost deference. "How did those useless pieces of trash fail to kill her?" Xu Jingxuan's eyes flashed with a vicious light, her teeth clenched. "A bunch of idiots!" "Yes." The bodyguard replied mechanically, like an emotionless machine. Xu Jingxuan suddenly whipped her head around to glare at the bodyguard. "You're useless too! An idiot!" "Yes." Xu Jingxuan: "..." "Get lost!" She grabbed a teacup from beside her and hurled it at the man. "Yes." The bodyguard acknowledged and left. After the bodyguard departed, Xu Jingxuan stared coldly at the teacup shards on the floor, then took out her phone and sent a text message. [Chen Jingsu was found by Jiang Shixu. What should we do now?] A reply came quickly: [I'll send someone to silence her.] [What do I need to do?] [Do nothing. Don't worry, it won't be traced back to you.] ... After the meal, Chu Tang blushed and shooed him out. She pushed Jiang Shixu toward the door. "Alright, alright, Shixu-gege, you should head back first. I have plans to go shopping with Yuanyuan and Xueluo this afternoon, so I don't have time to spend with you." The man's gaze was plaintive as he stood rooted to the spot. "Tired of me already?" At nearly 1.9 meters tall, he stood there like a pillar, and Chu Tang really couldn't budge him. The girl pouted her lips, instinctively striking a coquettish pose. "Oh, it's not that! How could I ever get tired of being with Shixu-gege? I promised them yesterday. It's a girls' gathering—it wouldn't be convenient for a big man like you to tag along, right?" Jiang Shixu raised an eyebrow slightly. "How is it inconvenient? I can go carry your bags for you. You girls are definitely going to buy a lot of stuff when you shop, right? How much can your petite frame carry?" Chu Tang stamped her foot. "Oh, just go when I tell you to go! I still need to do my makeup in a bit, and I don't have time to cuddle with you." Jiang Shixu's long eyes rippled with amusement. "I'll help you with your makeup." Chu Tang laughed helplessly. "You don't know the first thing about makeup." "Alright, alright, I'll come find you tonight, okay?" Chu Tang softened her voice to coax him, like soothing a child. "Really?" Chu Tang nodded. "Really. Why would I lie to you?" Jiang Shixu relented. "Fine. Then call me when you're done shopping, and I'll come pick you up." "Okay." ... Inside Zhou Xueluo's private villa. Peals of laughter rose one after another. Half an hour ago, the three sisters were chatting when somehow the topic drifted to the night Chu Tang got drunk and made a scene, and it spiraled out of control from there. "Hahahahaha, Tangtang, you don't need to be shy. We're all family here. Come on, tell us—does Shixu-ge really have a problem down there?" The owner of the laughter, Chen Yuanyuan, was clutching her stomach, laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face. "Hahahaha Xueluo, let me tell you—last night my brother came home and told me that Tangtang got drunk at the bar and said in front of a bunch of people that Shixu-ge has a problem down there. I'm dying laughing, hahaha. Tangtang, you're so badass!" With that, Chen Yuanyuan pulled out her phone. "My brother even sent me a video. Take a look." She tapped the video open and held it up for Zhou Xueluo to see. "Last night, Shixu-ge went to the bar to pick up Tangtang, and Tangtang was clinging to him, refusing to let go, even demanding kisses in public!" Chen Yuanyuan laughed with a thoroughly smug expression, her little eyes full of teasing. "I never would've guessed, Tangtang. You're that wild when you're drunk? We've been friends for so many years—how come I've never seen this side of you?" In the video, she was drunk, wrapped around Jiang Shixu, her tone so syrupy it gave her goosebumps. "Gege, want a kiss..." "Kiss me..." At this moment, Chu Tang was so embarrassed she could have dug out a two-bedroom apartment with her toes. "Ahhhh!!!" Chu Tang's face was so red it looked like it might drip blood. She screamed in exasperation, "So embarrassing! This is black history! Pure black history! Delete the video right now!!" She reached out to snatch the phone. Chen Yuanyuan dodged with lightning-fast reflexes. "Hehe, no way! Why would I delete it? It's so sweet, isn't it, Xueluo?" Zhou Xueluo sat on the sofa, her eyes curved into crescents from smiling, looking every bit the demure, well-behaved girl. She spoke softly, "That's right, Tangtang. I don't think it's black history at all. I think it's really sweet. This is the first time I've seen you act so coy." "You two are so annoying." Chu Tang was mortified. She stomped her foot. "Delete it now!" Chen Yuanyuan held the phone up, dodging left and right to avoid Chu Tang's grabs, with the expression of someone who'd just discovered a new continent. "Tsk tsk tsk, look at Brother Shi Xu's expression here. He's feeling it, isn't he? The desire in his eyes can't even be hidden. Damn!" "Who would've thought a man who's usually like an iceberg could be stirred up by just a few words from you? Tangtang, you've really got something!" Chen Yuanyuan grinned mischievously. "By the way, is Brother Shi Xu really... not good in that department?" Chu Tang's face flushed all the way to her ears, and she instinctively denied it: "Nonsense! That's not true at all!" "Oh~" Chen Yuanyuan dragged out the syllable, looking at Chu Tang with a sly smile. "So that means he's very good? Tangtang, fess up. Did you two... do it?" Zhou Xueluo looked shocked. "Tangtang, you two..." Chu Tang's face grew even redder. "Ahhhh! Yuanyuan! You're so annoying! Why do you keep asking about this?" Chen Yuanyuan giggled and shot Zhou Xueluo a look. Zhou Xueluo looked back. The two exchanged a knowing smile. Chen Yuanyuan put down her phone and leaned in close to Chu Tang, tilting her head to look at her. "You really did it? Tell me about it. How was the first experience?" Zhou Xueluo didn't say anything, but it was clear from her eyes that she was just as eager to hear. Chu Tang looked like she was about to cry. "What's there to talk about..." "So you're admitting it? Holy crap!" Chen Yuanyuan slapped her thigh dramatically, her mouth gaping wide enough to fit an egg. "That was fast!" Zhou Xueluo smiled warmly. "It's not that surprising, really. Tangtang's been back for quite a while now." Before Chu Tang could say anything, Chen Yuanyuan pressed on: "Was it that night when you were drunk and lost control?" She immediately slapped herself on the mouth. "Ugh, what am I saying? How could I call it losing control from drinking? It should be—alcohol gives cowards courage! Alcohol reveals true feelings!" Chu Tang blushed and mumbled softly, "No... it was a couple days ago when we were traveling in Linyuan Ancient Town..." "Wow!" Chen Yuanyuan's eyes sparkled. "So it happened while you were fully sober?" The word "it" was a bit too blunt. Chu Tang choked on her words, then nodded awkwardly. "Nice one, girl!" Chen Yuanyuan grinned wickedly. "So tell me, what was it like?" Chu Tang hemmed and hawed, stalling. Just then, her phone rang. Chu Tang felt like she'd been granted a pardon. She let out a sigh of relief and pulled out her phone. "Let me take this call first."