{“Qian Xu’s second slap had already fallen mercilessly.” 4}

“Alright then.”

In the end, Xu Yun couldn’t get their seats changed as she had hoped, failing to outshine Qian Xu. Watching her friend, Cheng Shuangyi, growing visibly impatient outside, Xu Yun had no choice but to grudgingly agree to the manager’s arrangement.

She turned to Cheng Shuangyi with an apologetic tone. “Shuangyi, I’m sorry. This was my failure.”

“I don’t blame you,” Cheng Shuangyi said, a hint of malice flashing in her eyes. “It’s just that some women are clearly better at this than you.”

The two strutted into the restaurant with an air of self-importance.

Perhaps it was their ostentatious fur coats, the exaggerated sunglasses more fitting for a movie set, or the noisy clack of high heels on the floor. Whatever it was, they captured everyone’s attention as they entered. Yet, to Cheng Shuangyi, even this dramatic entrance felt insufficient. She wouldn’t be satisfied until her appearance alone created an overwhelming disparity that Qian Xu couldn’t ignore.

However, Qian Xu didn’t even bother to look up at her.

Qian Xu wasn’t oblivious. She was fully aware of the pair’s gaze locked onto her since they walked in. Though hidden behind a veil of arrogance and subtlety, the scrutiny was impossible to miss.

Beyond the gaze, it wasn’t hard to detect a sense of expectation—an anticipation for something.

Did they think wearing earrings plastered with logos would somehow create an insurmountable difference? How utterly ridiculous.

Qian Xu had anticipated Cheng Shuangyi’s antics might be a bit over-the-top, but this was beyond absurd.

“Qian Xu, it seems those two didn’t come here to eat,” Bi Xin said, setting down her dessert spoon. She wasn’t oblivious to her surroundings and spoke with certainty without even glancing around. “Looks like they’re here for you.”

“Let’s finish our meal first. No rush,” Qian Xu said, pausing briefly.

“Alright.”

Still, Bi Xin couldn’t shake the feeling that these two had come prepared. She touched the calluses on her hand, a reminder of her recent hard work during the move, and thought to herself that even if things turned ugly, they had the upper hand. Taking the initiative, she asked, “Care to explain who they are?”

Calm and collected, Qian Xu focused on the golden, flaky crust of her Wellington steak. “Cheng Shuangyi, Shen Qi’s ex. She’s also the mother of Shen Xiyue and Shen Xinian.”

Having just learned about Qian Xu’s recent life events, Bi Xin immediately connected the dots.

“No way! If I were her, I wouldn’t even dare to breathe too loudly in public. How does she have the audacity to walk in here like this?”

She scoffed. “Her nerve is something else.”

Knowing Qian Xu’s usual preference for avoiding conflict, Bi Xin instinctively asked if they should leave. “Xuxu, I think they’re up to no good. Should we just leave early?”

“That’d be no fun,” Qian Xu said with an unusual firmness. She didn’t flinch, and her striking beauty shone even more brightly without any need for embellishment. “It’s fine. Let’s wait and see.”

Sure enough, Cheng Shuangyi grew impatient. Seeing that Qian Xu wasn’t reacting to her dazzling entrance—as if she didn’t even notice her existence—Cheng couldn’t stand it any longer.

Before their desserts could arrive, Cheng Shuangyi walked straight to Qian Xu’s table. She didn’t introduce herself or offer a greeting. Instead, she launched directly into an attack:

“I just want to ask—when my children personally came to see you, what gave you the right to refuse them?”

She completely ignored the years she claimed to have toiled raising her children, choosing instead to take the moral high ground.

“Don’t you think your behavior is selfish?”

“They’re such innocent and adorable kids, with eyes that sparkle like summer stars. How could you bear to turn them away?”

“As a mother, my heart aches for my children,” Cheng Shuangyi accused with righteous indignation, her tone sharp enough to draw the attention of every diner in the restaurant. “And I find your behavior absolutely disgraceful.”

Qian Xu calmly continued cutting her steak. After a long pause, once most of the diners’ eyes had converged on the scene, she leisurely wiped her mouth and folded her napkin.

Then, without missing a beat, she asked, “And you are?”