Chapter 48: Do You Know? Part 1

Later, when Miao Zhu turned on her phone, she saw the three messages Mu Shanyi had sent. She had no mood to think about them or reply, and Mu Shanyi tactfully did not contact her again.

The next sunny Sunday, Miao Zhu returned to Carp Moon Manor with Sheng Xingran.

“It snowed a while ago, and these two little ones ran to the manor to escape the cold. A-Heng said it was fate, so they stayed.”

Winter days were short, and by four or five in the evening, dusk gradually enveloped everything. In the courtyard, Tang Yuwen held Angel’s leash, while two little black balls like coal briquettes tumbled and played at Angel’s feet. Angel friendly sniffed one, then the other. Tang Yuwen asked where the kittens came from, and Aunt Su explained their origins.

Tang Yuwen picked up on the key info. “A-Heng has been here recently?”

Aunt Su replied, “She came to soak in the hot springs too.”

“Mia…” In the restaurant, by the window lattice, Emma hesitated to speak.

“Hm?” Miao Zhu pulled her gaze back from the courtyard and looked at Emma’s furrowed face. “What’s wrong? Something you want to tell me?”

Emma could sense that Mia had something on her mind, and what she was about to say would only make it worse, but she had to say it. “Wen-jie happened to be at her friend’s farm today. I went to pick up Angel and ran into her, so Wen-jie invited me and Angel to ride with her to the manor.”

“Mm~” Miao Zhu rallied her spirits and smiled. “I know. You told me on the phone.”

“Wen-jie asked me on the way how things were between you and Xingran. We’re not close enough for me to gossip about private matters behind your back, so I said you two were great—you’re engaged, aren’t you?”

“Then! Wen-jie asked, ‘What about Miao Zhu and A-Heng?'” As Emma recounted Tang Yuwen’s words, she rolled her eyes and glanced out the window at Tang Yuwen’s tall figure. “Who gets it? She really scared me to death. My heart felt like it stopped…”

Miao Zhu’s emotions finally shifted, surprise appearing on her face.

“It was really scary.” Over an hour had passed, but Emma still felt lingering fear as she brought it up. She worried, “I told Wen-jie that things between you and Mu Shanyi should be fine—she’s Sheng Xingran’s sister, after all… Wen-jie just smiled and said, ‘I see,’ and didn’t bring it up again.”

Miao Zhu pondered. “Your answer was fine.”

“No, it’s not about my answer!” Seeing that Miao Zhu missed the point, Emma grew anxious. “The point is why Wen-jie asked that! Who normally cares about things between you and Mu Shanyi? Is she suspicious of you two? Was she probing me? Or did I slip up somewhere and she saw through it? —She wouldn’t have gotten clues from me and discovered the secret between you and Mu Shanyi, right!? …Mia, if it’s my fault you two get exposed, I’m so sorry! But believe me, I really didn’t mean to!”

Emma raised her hand in a swearing gesture.

“Anything that happened leaves traces, and sooner or later it will come out.” Miao Zhu grasped Emma’s wrist and made her lower her hand. “It’s not your fault.”

“No, no, no.” Though Emma now had some complaints about Mu Shanyi and secretly hoped Mia would break up with her soon, she dreaded imagining the terrifying scene if it all came out… Fortunately, things were far from that irreversible point. “You and Mu Shanyi just need to be more low-key from now on. Even if Wen-jie knows, I believe she won’t snitch. If she wanted to tell Sheng Xingran, she would’ve done it already—Xingran hasn’t noticed anything, right?”

Had Sheng Xingran really noticed nothing?

After the meteor shower night, interactions with Sheng Xingran seemed normal. Those three messages from Mu Shanyi on her phone—Sheng Xingran didn’t act like she’d seen them.

As Miao Zhu recalled Sheng Xingran’s recent words and actions, she saw Sheng Xingran leading four or five late-arriving friends through the Moon Gate into the courtyard.

Emma made a zipping motion over her mouth, and the dangerous conversation ended.

Everyone was there, so they sat down to eat together.

They planned to soak in the hot springs that evening, so no alcohol was served.

When the server brought the rice paper spring rolls, Aunt Su delivered the meal specially prepared for Angel. Angel smelled the food and excitedly jumped around Aunt Su.

“Thanks, Aunt Su!” Emma wanted to feed Angel, but Tang Yuwen stood up first. “I’ll do it.”

Tang Yuwen took the bowl from Aunt Su. Angel placed her front paws on Tang Yuwen’s legs, wagging her tail and stretching her neck toward the bowl.

“Wait.” Tang Yuwen raised the bowl higher.

Angel’s tail wagged even more vigorously, accompanied by deafening wer wer wer sounds as drool dripped nonstop.

“Wait.” Tang Yuwen repeated, raising her other hand in a stop gesture.

Angel’s rebellious big ears flicked back and forth, her eyes taking turns to glare sideways at Tang Yuwen. After a standoff of several dozen seconds, Angel retracted her paws, let out a “woo” from her throat, sat back on her haunches, and obediently sat in front of Tang Yuwen.

Emma’s eyes nearly popped out. “Am I dreaming?”

“Good girl~” Tang Yuwen patted the little dog’s head and lowered the bowl.

Angel perked her ears to dive in, but Tang Yuwen cleared her throat.

Angel froze for a second and sneakily glanced at her.

Tang Yuwen smiled. “Okay.”

Angel immediately vacuumed up the food like a storm.

“What’s the deal? I wanna be trained by Wen-jie too!” One of Sheng Xingran’s short-haired friends deliberately livened up the mood.

Tang Yuwen sat back down, casually picked up a napkin to wipe her hands, a faint smile curving her lips. “Don’t even think about it. I don’t play those games.”