Chapter 21: Tang Xiao, Where Is Your Conscience?

Xin Ling changed into an elegant evening gown as well.

She looked graceful and beautiful, like a black swan.

Her current appearance was a stark contrast to the loud, boisterous homeroom teacher at school.

Tang Xiao didn’t even dare to recognize her.

Xin Ling tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Who cares if I look ugly at work? It’s after work now. Get in the car.”

Xin Ling drove, and she and Tang Xiao arrived at a high-end restaurant, Jianhu Xuan.

Jianhu Xuan was located near Jianhu, the most expensive area in Jiang’an City, and the environment was serene and elegant.

Jianhu Xuan was one of the priciest restaurants in Jiang’an City, offering only sixteen tables per day. Reservations had to be made well in advance.

Xin Ling had already reserved a table, and the two of them sat down.

There was even someone playing the saxophone in the background.

The sophisticated atmosphere was a first for Tang Xiao. He glanced around, admiring the surroundings, but when he looked at the menu, his breath caught.

The prices were steep.

This puzzled Xin Ling.

“Tang family is one of the wealthiest families in Jiang’an City. You’ve lived with them for two years and never eaten here?”

“I’ve never been. At the Tang family, just getting enough to eat is a blessing. How could they take me to a place like this?” Tang Xiao replied casually, as if it were someone else’s problem.

Xin Ling didn’t believe him at first.

For ordinary people, this place was expensive, but for the wealthy, it was nothing.

However, seeing how thin Tang Xiao had become after living with the Tang family for two years, she understood the kind of treatment he’d received.

“No wonder you want to cut ties with the Tang family. They’re really terrible!” Xin Ling couldn’t help but curse.

She was heartbroken for Tang Xiao. She knew how sensible and optimistic he was.

His casual attitude didn’t just show how strong he was, but also how much his experiences had hurt him. It had made him close off his heart like concrete.

Xin Ling ordered many dishes.

The plating was exquisite, and each dish was served in tiny portions, barely enough to fill you up.

It was all about the ambiance.

As they ate, Xin Ling explained each dish to Tang Xiao.

But Tang Xiao couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty. “Ling Jie, we’re here enjoying ourselves. Shouldn’t we be thinking about Xia Yuxi? Is it right to leave her out?”

Xin Ling treated both Tang Xiao and Xia Yuxi like younger siblings, but now only her brother was with her while her sister was missing.

Earlier, Xia Yuxi had asked if Tang Xiao had time.

Xin Ling wasn’t concerned. “What’s the problem? She’s preparing for the exams. We can eat after she’s done.”

“Going out for dinner would distract her from her studies. Not everyone is like you, working so hard at school.”

Although Xin Ling was a good friend of Xia Yuxi, her sister was about to take exams.

She was eager to matchmake the two of them, but not at the expense of Xia Yuxi’s studies.

The exams had to come first.

Confident, Xin Ling added, “Who says I haven’t been taking care of her? I just sent her ten sets of real exam papers. See how much I care about her?”

Meanwhile, in a corner of Jianhu Xuan.

At one table, two exceptionally beautiful, fashionable girls were eating and chatting.

One of them was actually Tang Jie.

The other girl sitting with Tang Xiao was Tang Jie’s close friend, Su Lengdie.

Su Lengdie wasn’t a celebrity, but the Su family was also one of the prominent families in Jiang’an City.

Tang Jie, afraid of being recognized, purposely chose a corner table.

The two of them had planned to come to Jianhu Xuan for dinner today.

It was Tang Jie who had invited Su Lengdie out; she had been fuming these past few days.

Tang Jie complained, “That jerk, Tang Xiao, is really too much. It’s one thing to piss me off, but how dare he sever ties with the Tang family? He’s so full of himself. I don’t believe he would actually leave the Tang family. It’s all a game of cat and mouse. I told Xia Xin, but she didn’t believe me.”

Su Lengdie, though not in the entertainment industry, was still an incredibly beautiful woman.

She tried to calm Tang Jie down. “Jie, you need to relax. You’ve been cursing Tang Xiao for days now. Honestly, I’ve never heard you curse a man like this before.”

“What kind of man is he? He’s caused chaos to my whole family. How can I not curse him? What’s he worth? A poor student, and if it weren’t for the Tang family taking him in, he’d be nothing,” Tang Jie retorted.

“Yes, yes, but honestly, did your family really only spend three thousand on Tang Xiao? Isn’t that a bit unfair?” Su Lengdie said bluntly.

Even for this dinner alone, the cost was three to four thousand.

Though they were close friends, Su Lengdie was no pushover and was known for being straightforward.

Tang Jie was momentarily speechless but defended herself, “Yes, we might have ignored his feelings a bit. But he wasn’t a good person to begin with. He steals, hurts people, bullies me and my brother. He’s worse than anyone. Besides, we accepted him into the Tang family, what more does he want? Don’t get carried away. He’s only related to me by blood, but there’s no real bond. My brother is the only one who matters.”

Zijian was too important to her. The thought of Tang Xiao taking Zijian’s place only fueled her hostility toward him.

Su Lengdie agreed. “That’s true. Tang Xiao’s delusion of replacing your brother is foolish. It really speaks to his character.”

Tang Jie said, “He lived with us for two years. It was us tolerating him, not the other way around. Watch, when he really leaves the Tang family, he’ll regret it.”

While they were talking, Su Lengdie suddenly noticed a familiar figure and alerted Tang Jie.

“Jie, that person looks a lot like Tang Xiao, but he’s much more handsome.”

Su Lengdie spotted a young man in the distance whose face resembled Tang Xiao’s.

Tang Jie turned to look and gasped, “Oh! It is Tang Xiao!”

Su Lengdie had met Tang Xiao before when she visited the Tang family.

In her memory, Tang Xiao had been thin, shy, and a bit frail, with a gentle personality and always a smile on his face.

But now, the Tang Xiao in front of her was handsome, charismatic, and tall.

Several girls in the restaurant couldn’t help but glance at him.

It was the same face, but the aura was completely different. He was far more attractive now.

Su Lengdie honestly admitted, “Putting his character aside, Tang Xiao really is good-looking.”

Tang Jie couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Not only had Tang Xiao become more handsome, but he was dining at such a high-class restaurant with a beautiful companion. It really bothered her.

“How can he afford to come to a place like this?” Tang Jie thought, remembering Tang Xiao’s background. She knew that without the Tang family, he could never afford such a place.

Then she glanced at the woman sitting with him.

Su Lengdie, still admiring Xin Ling’s beauty, remarked, “Who’s that girl with him? She looks so familiar… but she’s gorgeous.”

Tang Jie, still hating Tang Xiao, was further irritated.

Not only had Tang Xiao gotten handsome, but he was now eating at such a fancy restaurant with someone so beautiful. This made her feel even more upset.

While she was fuming, Tang Xiao seemed to be living his best life.

Tang Jie couldn’t sit still anymore.

“I’m going to ask him! I’m going to ask that heartless person why he looks so content!” Tang Jie declared.

Su Lengdie, always supportive, offered, “Jie, I’ll go with you!”

Although Tang Xiao was good-looking, her best friend mattered more.

Tang Jie didn’t act recklessly. They were at a high-end restaurant, and some of the people here might even recognize her father. Causing a scene would be embarrassing.

She was actually quite composed, just influenced by the entertainment industry.

Together, Tang Jie and Su Lengdie walked straight to Tang Xiao’s table.

They stood while Tang Xiao sat.

Tang Jie looked down at him, demanding, “Tang Xiao, how can you be so at ease? Don’t you have a conscience?”