Transmigrating into the Genius Cannon Fodder’s Aunt

Chapter 123 – So What If I Use My Boyfriend?

Xia Mian slowly clenched her fists. She had no idea what she or Mao Huimei had done to provoke He Wei. He seemed determined to assume the worst about them with the utmost malice…

Suddenly, a glass of juice was pushed toward her. Xia Mian looked up and realized that Miss Tang had appeared across the table at some point.

Because she was sitting there, no one else had dared approach the table.

Noticing Xia Mian had come back to her senses, Miss Tang tilted her head slightly in a gesture. Xia Mian nodded and stood up, following her away.

This was Rong Xin’s grandfather’s birthday banquet—she wasn’t planning on making a scene. And honestly, beating up someone like He Wei would be letting him off too easily. He wanted Mao Huimei to regret things for the rest of her life?

Then they would make him regret it for the rest of his!

After walking a dozen steps and confirming they were out of earshot, Miss Tang finally spoke. “The He family only came into money in the last seven or eight years. When this He ‘young master’ was nine, his mother couldn’t stand the poverty anymore and ran off with a wealthy businessman, leaving him and his father behind. That’s why he has such a deep hatred for women who despise the poor and cling to the rich.”

“But he deeply respects his stepmother, who stuck with his father through thick and thin. Lu Nana is her niece, so the two are quite close.”

Xia Mian’s eyes widened slowly. “Miss Tang… how did you know I was watching He Wei?”

“No, wait, how do you know so much about him, just like that? Don’t tell me you’ve memorized info on everyone here?!”

What kind of ability is that? A female version of Ning Shaobai?!

Miss Tang didn’t expect that to be her focus. Seeing Xia Mian’s wide-eyed curiosity, her lips subconsciously curved up, revealing a faint smile. It was like a fleeting flower in bloom, breathtaking for a moment.

Xia Mian blinked in surprise and said, “Miss Tang, you should smile more. You look beautiful when you do.”

Tang gave a slight pause but didn’t smile again. She only said, “My name is Tang Miaomiao.”

“Then can I call you Sister Miaomiao?” Xia Mian asked. “Thank you for coming over to help me.”

Tang Miaomiao paused again. “I didn’t come over specifically for that. I just happened to pass by.”

Xia Mian grinned. “Well, thanks anyway!”

Still curious, she asked, “Do you really know everything about everyone here?”

“No,” Tang Miaomiao replied. “But our magazine happened to do an interview with Mr. He. During the background research, we found out a few things, like how his son has played tricks on a few girls in the past.”

The Eastern Fortune magazine, founded by the Tang family, was one of the top-tier business publications in the country, featuring interviews and reports on outstanding entrepreneurs. So really, Xia Mian wasn’t wrong in thinking Tang Miaomiao knew a lot about the people here.

…

Lu Nana noticed Qi Kai staring blankly in a certain direction. She followed his gaze and saw two girls disappearing around the corner. “What is it?”

Qi Kai frowned slightly. “I think I saw Xia Mian.”

He Wei scoffed, “No way. She’s probably clinging to Young Master Ning right now, wouldn’t dare leave his side. You think she has the guts to show up alone? People would tear her apart.”

“If no one else, Fan Xiaowan would be first in line. She hates Xia Mian with a passion.”

“You guys are behind the times,” a familiar acquaintance passing by overheard and said. “Fan Xiaowan might not even dare mess with her.”

“Young Master Ning seems to really care about his girlfriend. Just earlier, inside, Liang Mi suggested that Miss Gao perform a duet with him for Old Master Rong’s birthday.”

“Sounded like a good idea,” Lu Nana said. “Did Young Master Ning refuse?”

“No, Xia Mian refused,” the acquaintance replied. “She said she wanted to perform the duet with Young Master Ning herself.”

Lu Nana frowned. “That’s so petty. It’s just a duet.”

He Wei sneered, “Clearly, she’s guarding against Miss Gao like mad.”

“Besides, can she even play the piano?”

“The real question is, can she play any instrument?”

“She said she plays the drums,” the acquaintance said in surprise. “And get this—she plans to play the drums in a duet with Young Master Ning’s violin!”

“Drums and violin? How do you even make that a duet?”

“Aren’t drums for rock music or nightclubs? And she’s pairing that with an elegant violin?”

“She really will do anything to block Miss Gao, huh?”

Everyone turned to look at the person sharing the story. “Young Master Ning didn’t actually agree to that… did he?”

“He did!” the acquaintance said with a sigh. “Didn’t ask a single extra question—just told Young Master Rong to go find her a drum set.”

“Miss Gao tried to persuade him not to ruin the event, but guess what Young Master Ning said?”

Everyone leaned in, curious. “What?”

The person didn’t keep them in suspense and said excitedly, “Young Master Ning said, if their duet isn’t exciting, and if Old Master Rong ends up unhappy, then he’ll give Rong Xin a Ferrari as a wedding gift.”

“A Ferrari?!” the group gasped.

At this time, sports cars were still rare, even for the wealthy. Ferraris were the ultimate dream machines. To casually offer such a luxury just to indulge his girlfriend’s whims? None of them could imagine doing the same. It clearly showed how much Xia Mian meant to Young Master Ning.

“And Young Master Ning himself said it—he was the one who pursued Xia Mian. Took him quite a while to win her over.”

He Wei scoffed coldly, “Probably just Xia Mian hyping herself up. She has just graduated from high school and is in school all the time. When would Young Master Ning have had the time to chase her?”

“Then Xia Mian, who’s also in school every day, wouldn’t have had time to chase him either, right?” the person replied, noticing He Wei’s unusually harsh attitude. While most people had some skepticism about Xia Mian because of her background, no one else was this aggressive.

“This was something Lin Xuan’er heard Young Master Ning say himself.”

“She’s your date today, isn’t she? She was over in the lounge with Young Master Ning just now. Believe it or not—but if you don’t want Young Master Ning to remember you in a bad way, you all might want to tread carefully.”

He Wei’s face darkened, and Qi Kai looked down thoughtfully.

Just then, they noticed a number of people heading toward the front yard. He Wei casually grabbed someone and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Apparently, Liang Mi and Fan Xiaowan stopped Xia Mian out there. Sounds like there’s going to be some show.”

He Wei immediately laughed, “See? You definitely heard wrong. If Xia Mian was really so important, Fan Xiaowan wouldn’t dare touch her. Those rumors must be just hype—probably ones Xia Mian planted herself.”

“Didn’t you just say she’s clinging to Young Master Ning’s side and wouldn’t dare go out on her own? Well, now she’s out there.”

“Ugh, enough talking. Go, go, let’s take a look for ourselves.”

…

As the crowd downstairs shifted, the people in the second-floor lounge took notice. One of the dates suddenly said, “Looks like Miss Xia is in trouble.”

Rong Xin happened to walk in just then and casually replied, “Who’s dumb enough to pick a fight with her? Not afraid of getting taught a lesson?”

He’d witnessed Xia Mian’s sharp tongue firsthand. Totally unforgettable!

The woman blinked. “I think it’s Miss Liang Mi.”

Now it was Rong Xin’s turn to be stunned. He walked to the window, took a look, and sure enough, there was his cousin. And he spotted Fan Xiaowan lurking nearby too. He couldn’t help but curse, “That dumb girl Liang Mi! Always letting people use her as a tool.”

Gao Qiongying walked in at that moment and said to Ning Shaobai, who was in the middle of playing cards, “Looks like Xia Mian’s in some trouble. Aren’t you going to check on her?”

She seemed to be offering a friendly heads-up, but Ning Shaobai didn’t even acknowledge her. She calmly played his final card and pushed the stack forward.

The others groaned in frustration.

Zhu Jiadong laughed, “I thought you were going to dash off to save her, then I might’ve had a shot at winning.”

Li Jiaze added, “You really don’t seem worried at all, huh.”

Ning Shaobai just smiled, said nothing, and stood up to walk to the window for a look.

“Ah!” Several women cried out at once.

It turned out Xia Mian had made a move—she suddenly swung her fist toward Fan Xiaowan, startling the onlookers.

Liang Mi, who was standing closest to Fan Xiaowan, froze completely, too scared to react.

Rong Xin was also taken aback. “She actually threw a punch?”

Ning Shaobai cast him a sidelong glance and said with a faint smile, “She’s even more awesome with her kicks. Too bad the skirt’s holding her back today.”

Everyone: “…”

…

By the time He Wei and his group arrived, they were greeted by a chorus of gasps and Fan Xiaowan’s shrill scream. The group exchanged looks and quickly moved forward, only to see Xia Mian’s fist hovering just a breath away from Fan Xiaowan’s nose.

Fan Xiaowan had stumbled back against the dining table behind her, one hand pressed into a plate of cake, her expression twisted with fear. Liang Mi stood stiffly beside her, too tense to move.

Xia Mian slowly drew back her fist and said coolly, “I thought you were smarter than this, Miss Fan.”

“Didn’t expect that after all these years, you’ve only grown more foolish. Coming to provoke me under circumstances like this? Oh, come on!”

She glanced around at the onlookers and gave a soft laugh. “Anyway, congratulations. Making a fool of yourself again will probably knock your marriage-market value down another notch.”

Fan Xiaowan’s face went pale. She put on a pitiful expression, looking as if she’d been bullied. “Xia Mian, I was just passing by! Why are you targeting me for no reason?”

“What, you don’t dare pick on Miss Liang, so you bully me instead?”

Liang Mi had finally regained her senses. She glared at Xia Mian. “How could you just hit someone like that?”

“If I’d really hit her, she wouldn’t still be standing here.” Xia Mian said calmly. She tilted her head. “Let me think… the last thug I hit ended up with several broken ribs and spent months in the hospital.”

Liang Mi’s face paled slightly.

“As for why I’d hit her…” Xia Mian smiled. “Miss Liang, I don’t believe you came here to find trouble with me out of nowhere. I’m sure she said something to you beforehand.”

“Don’t rush to deny it,” Xia Mian continued lightly. “Let me guess—something along the lines of, ‘Don’t worry, she won’t dare fight back today,’ right?”

Liang Mi whipped her head around to glare at Fan Xiaowan.

“I really won’t fight you today,” Xia Mian said with a smile, “but that’s not because I’m afraid. It’s out of respect for your grandfather.”

“If you like being someone’s pawn, that’s your business. But today is his birthday banquet.” She shot Fan Xiaowan a meaningful look. “Others might not care, but as his filial granddaughter, you’d best not bring him shame.”

“Even if you came to trouble me in private, that would be better than using your grandfather’s birthday as leverage to pressure me.”

Liang Mi’s expression darkened as she turned to Fan Xiaowan.

“I didn’t!” Fan Xiaowan’s eyes filled with tears as she protested weakly, playing the victim. “It’s Xia Mian! She’s just relying on Young Master Ning’s power to bully me and show off!”

“Oh, please.” Xia Mian chuckled. “You think I need you to prove my status?”

“Miss Fan, you haven’t changed a bit, huh? Still so good at twisting things.”

“Wasn’t it you two who stopped me first? And now you want to accuse me?”

“You say I’m using Young Master Ning’s power…” Xia Mian’s eyes swept over Fan Xiaowan and Liang Mi, and then around the crowd.

He Wei and Qi Kai instinctively took a step back, clearly afraid of being recognized.

Many people averted their gaze. Xia Mian smiled faintly. “That’s funny, isn’t it? He’s my boyfriend. I can’t rely on his power and should let you use it instead?”

Seeing Liang Mi’s widened eyes, Xia Mian continued, “What? You’re upset that I can lean on Dr. Ning? Is that why you can’t stand me?”

“Then here’s a tip—if you want to deal with me, try using smarter, more dignified methods.”

She suddenly smiled. “If nothing else, seeing you all despise me and still be powerless to do anything to me… only delights me more.”

“Oh, and it really boosts my confidence too. Makes me think, ‘So these rich young ladies aren’t much after all. Compared to them, a country girl like me is actually a better match for Dr. Ning.ʼ”

With that, she turned and took Tang Miaomiao’s arm, smiling politely. “See you later, Miss Liang.”

Liang Mi’s face flushed red with anger.

(If you have both kofi and patreon, please subscribe using kofi. Thank you!)