Transmigrated as a vicious stepmother, I raised a child who became a heartthrob.

"He still has the blood of the Pei family in his veins. Pei Hong won't let go so easily."

Li Xuefei spoke these words with near certainty.

“I have custody. I have the ability to protect him. And he has the ability to discern right from wrong. He won’t go astray.”

Jiang Zhuhua used a little force to place the teacup on the table.

"Really? Have you seen the old lady of the Pei family? She doesn't seem to know where her grandson is."

Li Xuefei sipped the fish soup slowly, a blush gradually spreading across her pale face, as if she were slowly coming back to life.

The lack of information meant Jiang Zhuhua had only heard of this person. He was described as ruthless and decisive in business. Nothing more was known. After all, he was getting old; legends are just legends.

"What exactly do you want to say?"

Jiang Zhuhua's expression was already quite unpleasant.

The Pei family is a behemoth.

"Didn't Miss Jiang also invite the young master of the Shen family today? The Shen family is also a behemoth, and it's not like they can't afford to mess with the Pei family."

Li Xuefei stared at the milky white soup in the bowl, drinking it slowly and politely, but the words she uttered were chilling.

"I heard he still owes you a favor. It's a waste to use that money to promote the restaurant, isn't it?"

Every word Li Xuefei uttered was a headache.

Jiang Zhuhua's brow twitched uncontrollably, and his knuckles clenched tightly.

"You want me to join you in dealing with the Pei family, or to act as a go-between?"

Jiang Zhuhua understood. Li Xuefei wanted her help—to use her connections and resources. She wanted her to act as a go-between, or even to be a scapegoat.

"You seem to like that child quite a bit. But it's not just you who likes him. Pei Hong may not like him, but the rest of the Pei family does. After all, he's the successor's first child."

Li Xuefei spread her hands lightly, but her delicate, boneless fingers seemed to carry a thousand pounds of weight.

His tone was so light and casual, as if he were talking about something trivial. But Jiang Zhuhua seemed to see a shadow behind him, a ferocious figure baring its fangs and claws.

"I'll like him too. After all, he treated me so badly in his past life, how could I not like this wicked child?"

As if she had thought of something funny, Li Xuefei began to laugh. It wasn't a loud laugh, but a strange laugh, a sharp laugh that seemed to come from her chest, from her very soul.

Are you threatening me?

Jiang Zhuhua's good mood vanished. He felt that with this conversation, the beautiful future he had envisioned was about to be destroyed in an instant.

"How can this be called a threat? As long as you don't care about the child, what does this have to do with you? You just need to give him to me obediently."

No, it's different. The original owner that Li Xuefei and Jiang Zhuhua knew, the one who helped the tea shop sell tea, is different.

Jiang Zhuhua clearly realized that things had changed. She wasn't quite sure what kind of story this would be from Li Xuefei's perspective.

"I'm not familiar with the young master of the Shen family. We've only exchanged a few words."

This is the truth. Jiang Zhuhua still tried to struggle.

"It's alright, you already know each other. Getting to know each other is just a matter of time."

Li Xuefei smiled.

"Why does it have to be me? In terms of social status, I'm not very high in this circle. As for the closeness of our relationship, I'm not very familiar with him either."

Jiang Zhuhua couldn't understand it.

"Because you'll be on the same boat as me. That way, no one will be able to spot me."

Li Xuefei was still smiling.

"understood."

Jiang Zhuhua finally understood that she had no choice but to get on this pirate ship; the other party had never intended for her to escape unscathed.

"By the way, thank you, Mr. Li, for your mediation in the contract a while ago."

He lost face so badly at his birthday party. The internet is buzzing with all sorts of opinions. Jiang Zhuhua can resolve it, but it will still take some time.

Li Jiao acted decisively, and soon after, news broke that something had happened at the construction site. It was still a safety issue.

Jiang Zhuhua could certainly solve it himself, but it would save him the trouble.

"You're too kind. We're all in the same boat."

Li Jiao simply nodded. The two exchanged more pleasantries. Jiang Zhuhua then chose a suitable moment to leave.

She didn't choose to attend the next social event, but instead went to her own room first.

The broth inside is a traditional beef tallow base, with half of it being mushroom soup. The aroma of numbing spiciness and freshness hits you as soon as you enter the room.

"Quick, quick, get me a few bites of the mushroom soup. I'm going out for drinks later."

There were no outsiders inside, and Huo Wang was hardly an outsider. Jiang Zhuhua could sense Huo Wang's intentions, so he was exceptionally adept at ordering him around.

"Anyone have allergies?"

The dishes had already been ordered; it wasn't a lot, but it was enough for three people. Huo Wang put some greens into the pot, then turned and picked up a small bowl to get the condiments.

"No."

Jiang Zhuhua picked up the yogurt from the table and poured himself a large glass. There were quite a few people here today, and he'd need their help, so drinking was unavoidable. Not everyone was like Li Jiao and Li Xuefei, who didn't drink alcohol and just drank soup.

Drinking a little milk before drinking alcohol is better for your stomach.

Huo Wang deftly prepared the bowls and plates: two dipping sauce dishes and a classic oil sauce dish containing cilantro, scallions, sesame oil, chili oil, and some oyster sauce and minced garlic. Jiang Zhuhua had said there was nothing he couldn't eat, so there were no dietary restrictions.

The other one is sesame paste: a mixture of sesame paste, vinegar, cilantro, scallions, minced garlic, crushed peanuts, a little light soy sauce, a little sesame oil, and you can add a little more sesame oil. Adding a little chili would make it even tastier, but Jiang Zhuhua wanted to drink, so Huo Wang hesitated for a moment and decided not to add it.

After the dipping sauce was prepared, the blanched lettuce in the pot was ready quickly. Huo Wang pulled up a bowl and used serving chopsticks to put food on her plate.

Jiang Zhuhua sat in his chair, ignoring everyone, and was looking through some documents. These were the documents Wang Xianghai had just sent him—information on those people.

Including Ji Anrui and their friends.

Jiang Ji sensed a slight tension in the atmosphere and scooped a plate of handmade shrimp paste from the table. Her steps were light, and her voice was soft.

"Huo Wang, cook this. My mom really likes shrimp."

Huo Wang was keeping an eye on things, and he also cooked the shrimp paste into the pot.

"Do you want to eat that?"

The hot pot broth had just been prepared and served; the two of them hadn't even started eating yet. Huo Wang asked in a low voice.

"I want to eat this."

Jiang Ji pointed her finger in the direction of the red pot, glancing cautiously at Jiang Zhuhua, her voice so low it was almost inaudible.

Although it was only mildly spicy, there was still a layer of bright red chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns floating on the bottom of the pot. It was the kind of dish that would make your mouth water just by looking at it.

"An'an, what did you just say?"

A soft voice rang out, and Jiang Ji felt the hairs on the back of his head stand on end.