Chapter 13 – Little Sister-in-law… Is She Always This Fierce?

That one “darling” from Xu Nuo stunned everyone in the car into silence. Lei Ming’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he blurted, “Holy crap! Little sister-in-law… no wait—dang, is she always this intense?!”

Darling.

She said “darling”!

In this day and age, who would dare say something like that out loud in front of everyone? That kind of passionate and bold endearment was only whispered secretly between lovers in the heat of romance.

More often than not, phrases like “darling” or “I love you” were too awkward to speak aloud. People would shyly pen those words in letters, carefully folded and sent to their crushes, blushing the whole time.

But Xu Nuo had just casually thrown it out there, like it was nothing!

Even Lu Cheng froze.

But he recovered quickly. He brushed her hand off his shoulder with a stern face and said, “Xu Nuo, please mind your image. We’re in public—have some decorum.”

Xu Nuo nearly rolled her eyes. What are you pretending for now?

Still, she held back, choosing not to embarrass him further.

She withdrew her hand and said calmly, “What I said just now is true. Believe it or not—it’s easy enough to verify.”

Everyone had gotten so caught up in that one word that they’d lost focus. Now, their attention slowly shifted back to the actual issue.

Yang Pan turned to Lu Cheng and asked directly, “Is this true?”

At this point, there was no point hiding it. What good would denial do?

“…Yeah. It’s true,” Lu Cheng admitted, though his tone was clearly reluctant.

Xu Nuo shrugged. “See? That’s the truth.”

Her single sentence plunged the entire car into an awkward silence.

Just moments ago, everyone had been talking about Jiang Miaomiao and Lu Cheng’s supposed chemistry. Now, no one dared say a word. They didn’t know what to say.

Eventually, the jeep pulled up in front of the western restaurant.

This was a well-known spot in the city. Walking in through the revolving doors and stepping up the grand staircase, they entered a space that felt more like a palace than a dining establishment—seven-meter-high ceilings, ornate golden chandeliers, glossy wooden floors—it was grand yet tasteful, lavish yet dignified.

The restaurant had two floors, and Jiang Miaomiao had reserved a table on the first floor. She was already seated, browsing the menu as she waited.

“Jiang Miaomiao!” Lei Ming, ever the loudmouth, hollered before even reaching the table, earning several annoyed glances from nearby diners.

“Over here,” Jiang Miaomiao called, standing up and waving at them.

Xu Nuo glanced toward her. She saw a tall, striking woman with permed waves in her hair, dressed in a polka-dot dress with dramatic puff sleeves and a wide red belt cinching her waist. In a crowd, she was impossible to miss.

After the initial reunion, pleasantries were exchanged.

The men couldn’t stop showering her with praise.
“Wow! You’re gorgeous—definitely got that foreign-educated flair!”
“Looks and elegance! She’s more dazzling than the actresses on TV!”
“No kidding! So stylish!”

Lu Cheng kept his gaze on her face but didn’t say a word. Only when she turned to meet his eyes did the two of them share a smile.

Jiang Miaomiao extended her hand confidently. “Hello, Lu Cheng.”

The corners of Lu Cheng’s mouth finally lifted. “Jiang Miaomiao, hello. Welcome back.”

“Thank you.” She flashed him a radiant smile, then turned her gaze to the young woman standing behind Lu Cheng. “And this young lady is…?”

Lu Cheng hesitated for a moment, unsure how to introduce her.

But Xu Nuo stepped forward and reached out her hand with a smile. “Hello, I’m Xu Nuo. Nice to meet you.”

Everyone had assumed Xu Nuo would be at least a little timid. No one expected her to be this composed and gracious. From the way she carried herself and spoke, who would’ve guessed she came from a remote mountain village barely marked on the map?

“You’re friends with all of them?” Jiang Miaomiao asked, clearly curious about her relationship with the group.

Xu Nuo gave a slight smile and didn’t answer directly, but her gaze shifted toward Lu Cheng.

“Yeah, yeah! We’re all friends!”
“Right, all together!”

Lei Ming and Yang Pan, who’d grown up with Lu Cheng, instinctively jumped in to cover for him.

Since someone had already answered for her, Xu Nuo didn’t bother saying anything more.

It was pretty obvious Lu Cheng had a thing for Jiang Miaomiao. Since Xu Nuo was planning to break off the engagement anyway, she wasn’t going to play the villain here.

Jiang Miaomiao turned out to be quite a lively and outgoing girl. At the table, she took charge of the conversation, sharing fun anecdotes and stories from her time abroad.

Her face lit up when she talked, eyes sparkling with energy.

“Don’t just listen to me talk, eat! Come on, try the food! The steak here is really good!”

At the mention of steak, several people instinctively turned to look at Lu Cheng, who in turn looked toward Xu Nuo.

To be fair, he had wanted her to feel the difference between their worlds. But he hadn’t intended for her to make a fool of herself in the process.

After all, she was still a girl.

Even if she weren’t, he wasn’t the type to enjoy watching someone be humiliated. Everyone has pride. That wasn’t his goal.

Xu Nuo finally pieced together Lu Cheng’s real plan.

So this was how he wanted to get out of the engagement? By making her feel inferior and back off on her own?

If it had been the original Xu Nuo—the real one who’d grown up in the countryside and never even left her village in eighteen years—she might have been utterly overwhelmed in this kind of setting.

Just for that, Xu Nuo’s impression of Lu Cheng dropped several notches.

“If you’re going to eat steak, you’ll need to use a knife and fork. You should…” Lu Cheng started, trying to explain.

But Xu Nuo didn’t even wait for him to finish. She picked up the knife and fork and began cutting the steak with fluid, practiced ease. Not a single screech or clang from the utensils.

Her posture was calm, her movements graceful—it was genuinely a pleasure to watch.

Once again, the group was stunned.

“Whoa!” Lei Ming couldn’t help praising her. “You’re even smoother than me! No joke, the first time I tried cutting steak, I pressed too hard and launched the meat right into someone’s face. I wanted to crawl under the table!”

Xu Nuo smiled and replied, “Thanks for the compliment.”

Then she tilted her head and looked at Lu Cheng with a teasing glint in her eye. “I didn’t embarrass this friend of mine, did I?”

Lu Cheng could tell she’d seen through him—and called him out for it. His face twitched with embarrassment, but he forced himself to nod. “Mm, not bad.”

Jiang Miaomiao sensed the subtle, strange tension between the two of them. She glanced at Lu Cheng with a questioning look.

He pressed his lips together and didn’t say anything.

She then looked toward Lei Ming.

Lei Ming quickly lowered his head. The other two guys also suddenly became very interested in their plates, refusing to meet her eyes.

Yep. Something was definitely up.

“Hey, just sitting around and eating is boring. See that piano over there?” Jiang Miaomiao pointed cheerfully. “I’m gonna play a piece for you all—just wait!” She put down her utensils and got up, heading toward the grand piano.

Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow.
Oh? Now this is getting interesting.