Chapter 132: The Gathering

"Boss, I'm sorry. Please accept my apologies on behalf of my mother!" Li Lulu stood before Jiang Yun, her posture elegant as she bowed deeply.

"Mr. Jiang, how would you like to handle this?" the traffic officer asked, approaching him.

Jiang Yun really wanted to say that they should detain this woman and charge her with extortion. But the words died on his lips. He felt a sense of helplessness.

With his left hand on his hip, Jiang Yun waved his right hand dismissively. "Forget it, forget it. Let's just end it here. That's enough."

"Mr. Jiang, do you mean you aren't going to pursue this any further?"

"Yes," Jiang Yun nodded.

Li Lulu’s face lit up with ecstatic relief. "Thank you, Boss! Thank you so much!"

Jiang Yun felt disgruntled, but there was nothing he could do. The incident had fizzled out in an anticlimactic mess.

Li Lulu stepped toward him. "Boss, do you need a ride?"

Jiang Yun shook his head.

"Then I'll take my mother and leave. I need to get her settled."

Jiang Yun nodded. "Travel safely."

"Thank you, Boss!"

Li Lulu took the middle-aged woman by the hand and led her toward the car. As they passed by, the woman chirped, "Big boss, we’re all family now! All family!"

Jiang Yun finally understood: this woman was a total parasite. As long as she had the slightest connection to him, she would latch on and never let go. Too weary to engage, he remained silent.

The woman didn't seem to mind the lack of response. "Big boss, I’ll come visit you when I have time!"

Jiang Yun gave her a long, inscrutable look. Visit me? I’ll pass, thank you very much!

Once they were in the car, Li Lulu rolled down the window and waved. "Boss, I'm heading off!"

Jiang Yun waved back without speaking. He then shook hands with the traffic officer.

"I’m sure this delayed your dinner plans?"

"It's fine," Jiang Yun replied.

The officer waved, mounted his motorcycle, and rode away.

"Jiang Yun, are we still going to dinner?" Zhou Lun asked.

"Of course! Why wouldn't we? Don't let someone like that ruin our mood!" Jiang Yun said.

Tian Zhen gave him a thumbs-up. "Little brother Jiang, you’ve got charm! And a broad enough heart to match."

"Pfft!" Jiang Yun chuckled.

"Hey? Little brother Jiang, you finally laughed. Just a moment ago, your expression was so dark it looked like it could drip ink!" Tian Zhen teased.

Jiang Yun shook his head with a wry smile. "Let’s go, let’s get moving."

"Right!"

"Let's do it!"

With that, Jiang Yun got into his yellow Beetle, with Li Mengya in the passenger seat.

Following behind were Zhou Lun’s Mercedes business van, Tian Zhen’s Range Rover, and Wang Feng’s Ferrari 812. The convoy headed toward Changhe Road and Songling Road.

Meanwhile, in the Cadillac, Li Lulu gripped the steering wheel, her brow furrowed and her expression grim and helpless. *Sigh, I’ve definitely left a terrible impression on the boss.*

"Daughter, whose car is this? We didn't see you driving this last time we came to Shanghai," the middle-aged woman said, sitting in the passenger seat and poking at everything. She spotted a bottle of water, grabbed it, and gulped it down.

"Hah," Li Lulu exhaled, suppressing her rising anger. She didn't answer.

"Oh, by the way, that boss of yours is quite something. Does he have a girlfriend?"

Li Lulu remained silent, terrified that if she opened her mouth, she would scream. She desperately wanted to confront her mother about the insurance scam, but the words wouldn't come out. Her heart was simply too heavy with disappointment.

After dropping her mother off at a hotel, Li Lulu drove away without looking back.

*Ring-ring!*

She pulled over to the side of the road and checked her phone. It was her younger brother. Her expression softened, and she answered.

"Hello?"

"Sister, are you okay?"

Li Lulu managed a smile. "I'm doing just fine."

"I know Mom went out pulling those stunts again. I can't talk any sense into her," her brother’s voice came through.

Li Lulu skipped over the topic. "How is Dad’s health?"

"He's recovered; he just needs to take it easy now. But they’re still staying in Shanghai and won't go back!"

"Xiao Hua, I'll buy you that apartment once I save enough for the down payment. But don't let them know!" she said.

"Sister, what are you talking about? You don't need to worry about my housing!" Li Hua replied.

Li Lulu felt a sliver of comfort; at least her brother was sensible. After a few more words, she hung up.

"Sigh." She sat in the car, watching the black night, feeling utterly helpless. She wondered how she would ever face Jiang Yun again. Meeting him had been the luckiest thing to happen to her. If something like this happened again, she might have to leave his company. She wouldn't have the face to stay by his side.

Shaking her head, she decided to stop thinking about it.

*Vroom!*

The engine roared to life, and she drove off into the night.

...

"Come on, drink up!" Zhou Lun draped an arm around Jiang Yun’s shoulder, boisterous and loud.

"Brother Zhou, maybe we should skip it. Last time you drank so much you were vomiting everywhere!" Jiang Yun said.

"What? Are you looking down on me or something?" Zhou Lun feigned indignation.

"Not at all, not at all!" Jiang Yun shook his head repeatedly.

"Then drink!"

"Alright, alright!" Jiang Yun took the glass and downed it in one go.

Li Mengya sat to the side, eating quietly and watching the others laugh and talk. She picked up a piece of duck blood jelly and put it in her mouth.

"Hah! Hah!"

"So spicy, so spicy!" She fanned her mouth with her hand.

"Hm?" Jiang Yun noticed her reaction and leaned over. "Here, let me show you how to eat that."

"Waiter!" he called out.

The waiter entered the private room. "How can I help you?"

"Could I get a small bowl?"

"Certainly!"

Moments later, the waiter returned with the bowl. Jiang Yun thanked him and filled it with plain water.

Li Mengya watched, confused, and Tian Zhen and the others looked on with curiosity.

Jiang Yun placed the bowl of water in front of Li Mengya. "Here, just dip the piece in the water for a second before you eat it. That way, it won't be so spicy."

Li Mengya’s eyes brightened.

"Little brother Jiang, you’re so attentive and thoughtful," Tian Zhen remarked. "Being this good at taking care of people, you must have had a lot of girlfriends to gain all this experience, right?"

Jiang Yun froze. Li Mengya secretly peeked at him, waiting for his answer.

Jiang Yun rubbed his nose, feeling a bit guilty, though his expression remained calm. In truth, the trick with the bowl of water was something he remembered from his past life—his girlfriend before he transmigrated couldn't handle spice either, and that was how they used to manage it.

He kept his gaze steady. "Sister Tian, you’re joking. I haven't had that many girlfriends!"

Upon hearing his answer, Li Mengya went back to happily eating her spicy stew.

Tian Zhen laughed. "Haha! Little brother Jiang, I was just teasing you, no need to take it so seriously!"

Jiang Yun kept a neutral expression, thinking, *Do you really think I’m drunk enough to spill my secrets? Trying to get me to talk after a few drinks, are you?*