Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Elder Qu Quietly Defended Her

“What are you looking at, Elder Qu?”

On the second-floor lounge, an old man with a full head of white hair sat in a square-backed armchair, eyes bright with amusement as he watched the scene downstairs like a performance. Nearby, a middle-aged man calmly brewed tea, then finally spoke when he saw how entertained the old man seemed.

Elder Qu accepted the cup, inhaled once, and took a slow sip. “I saw an old friend’s last disciple.”

The middle-aged man paused, surprised. Elder Qu set the cup down with a soft click, gaze still angled toward the hall below.

“That girl’s tea-brewing,” Elder Qu said, “is so good that even you wouldn’t dare compare.”

“That impressive?” the middle-aged man asked, genuinely startled. “Which family’s young lady is she?”

Elder Qu shook his head. “Just an ordinary little girl.”

The middle-aged man didn’t believe him. Elder Qu rarely praised anyone, and he never praised without reason.

The Ji family’s late great-grandmother had come from a scholarly household. In her day, her tea and chess had been famous. Even after the Ji family shifted into business, that scholarly air remained carved into their bones.

And among the Ji family, the one most renowned for tea wasn’t Elder Qu—

It was Yan Jing’s Richest Man himself: Ji Chang An.

Elder Qu called out, “Chang An.”

Ji Chang An looked up. “Elder Qu?”

Elder Qu smiled, eyes crinkling. “I heard you’ve finally given away your last Black-Gold Business Card?”

Ji Chang An didn’t bother to hide it. He nodded once. “Yes. I gave it away today.”

His gaze drifted, as if a thought had hooked him and wouldn’t let go. “It was to a young girl.”

He paused, then said quietly, “But that young girl isn’t simple.”

A line surfaced in his mind as if it had been waiting there all along—

How could a golden-scaled fish be something that stayed in a pond? Once it met wind and cloud, it would become a dragon.

Elder Qu chuckled. “If you can say that, then she must be very capable.”

“I heard she’s an entertainment celebrity,” Ji Chang An said. “But I don’t think her future achievements will be low.”

Elder Qu lifted an eyebrow and teased, “Kid, aren’t you just praising her because you like her by association? Exaggerating a little?”

He sipped his tea again, smiling. “Not everyone is the Si family’s Little Su Girl.”

Ji Chang An’s ears reddened for reasons he didn’t bother to explain. “Elder Qu… other people might not know about me and A Chan, but you know, don’t you?”

Back when he’d liked Madam Ji, she’d still been a little girl.

Elder Qu’s smile widened, but he didn’t press. He only raised his cup, drank, and let the warmth of the tea settle like satisfaction in his chest.

—

Downstairs, Madam Ji knew the matter couldn’t be allowed to swell any further. She shot Su Luo Yu a sharp warning look—one that made it very clear there would be consequences if she tried to stir again.

Only then did Xu Shu Jing, who’d been standing to the side like a piece of background decoration, finally hurry over.

“Sister Qing Yan!” Xu Shu Jing’s voice trembled with urgency. “What are you doing? You… you were too reckless.”

She turned immediately to Madam Ji, bowing her head again and again. “Madam Ji, I’m so sorry. Sister Qing Yan is attending such a large banquet for the first time. If she was rude in any way, I hope Madam Ji won’t blame her.”

Then she leaned in toward Qiao Qing Yan, as if helping, but every word smeared like mud. “Sister Qing Yan, hurry and apologize to Madam Ji…”

The people nearby stared at Xu Shu Jing, startled.

Was she out of her mind?

Madam Ji had already reprimanded Su Luo Yu, yet Xu Shu Jing still tried to paint Qiao Qing Yan as the offender.

It was obvious, to anyone with eyes, where Madam Ji’s stance lay.

Xu Shu Jing clearly wanted to pull Madam Ji’s attention toward herself—toward her “good intentions”—but Madam Ji had been in the entertainment industry before. How could she not see the little schemes flickering behind Xu Shu Jing’s wet lashes?

Madam Ji didn’t even spare her a glance.

She looked directly at Qiao Qing Yan instead.

“Miss Qiao,” Madam Ji said evenly, “since the card has been given to you, how you handle it is naturally your right. It seems this card simply wasn’t fated to stay by Miss Qiao’s side.”