Chapter 249: Chapter 249: Birthday Banquet Face-Slapping (7) Chapter 249: Chapter 249: Birthday Banquet Face-Slapping (7) Song Ye also had this thought in his heart.

Apart from Qin Jingchen, they truly couldn’t think of anyone else who could invite the esteemed Mr. Wu to a birthday banquet and for what reason.

“Mr. Wu, please have a seat first,” Jiang Zhe said.

“Yes, please take a seat,” Jiang Yaowang also called out.

Jiang Zhe casually stood to the side.

Once everyone sat down, Mr. Wu glared at Jiang Zhe, “Why aren’t you sitting? Come on, sit, sit, sit, I have to look up to talk to you while standing, don’t wear this old man out.”

Only then did Jiang Zhe pull out a chair and casually take a seat.

Song Ye and Jiang Yaowang were surprised; Mr. Wu’s tone was not at all polite, almost as if he had known Jiang Zhe for a long time.

If he was really invited by Qin Jingchen, why would he speak to Jiang Zhe this way?

The group made small talk, and after just a few words, Mr. Wu complained about Jiang Zhe, “This kid, he’s always been good at writing, but he just doesn’t practice enough. There’s a saying, three days without practice makes the hand clumsy, how can this do? You can’t just rely on having talent and not practice writing properly, right?”

Jiang Yaowang honestly didn’t know about this, and smiled, “Kids can be a bit naughty when they’re young.”

“Let’s not talk about writing for now. Even celebrating her birthday is such a difficulty. I’ve said before, have her come to Beijing for her birthday, to gather with her junior brothers, sisters, and students; she just wouldn’t listen! Finally, this year I got to see her celebrate her birthday. I have no regrets left. Take my advice, arrange it like this next year too!”

Mr. Wu, esteemed and distinguished in the eyes of outsiders, turned out to be like this, acting somewhat childish on occasion, to Song Ye’s and Jiang Yaowang’s surprise.

Beyond their surprise, they realized that it was precisely because he was close enough to Jiang Zhe that he could speak with such a grandfatherly tone.

To receive such attitude and recognition from Mr. Wu, Jiang Zhe’s talent in calligraphy might be beyond imagination.

Li Yihua didn’t know Mr. Wu, but since he was here, he honestly took a short video and sent it to Ding Yuehua and Jiang Cheng.

The couple did not reply.

He didn’t mind, as long as he was doing his job well, that’s all that mattered.

Jiang Zhe had only sat down for a short while when she glanced at her phone and said to Mr. Wu, “I’m stepping out to meet a friend.”

Jiang Yaowang and Song Ye watched Jiang Zhe’s figure leave.

Jiang Yaowang knew that Jiang Zhe was unlike other kids; the more different she was, the more he worried she would get hurt because of it.

But the current Jiang Zhe suddenly made him feel that her world was still too unfamiliar to him.

The people and events around her were far beyond ordinary understanding.

This was not something that could be simply explained by Qin Jingchen alone.

The child from the Jiang Family, had he underestimated her after all?

When Jiang Zhe returned, she brought in Fa Pinglun and Zhou Ruzhi, two professors from the Beijing Music Academy.

They entered chatting and laughing, only to see Wu Jiang sitting inside.

Both parties were a bit surprised, but upon thinking of Jiang Zhe, they felt it wasn’t so surprising after all.

“Professor Fa and Professor Zhou?” Jiang Yaowang had heard their names, and of the incident that happened at school with Jiang Zhe last time.

“Mr. Jiang. I’ve heard much about you,” Fa Pinglun said elegantly, “It’s really rare this time, Xiaozhe is willing to celebrate her birthday in Beijing.”

Zhou Ruzhi chuckled, “Are you saying if she celebrated it in Jincheng, you wouldn’t have gone?”

“Of course, I would rush over,” Fa Pinglun also smiled, “Having the chance to attend Xiaozhe’s eighteenth birthday is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, miss it and it’s truly gone forever.”

Mr. Wu snorted, “What, you’re here to have Xiaozhe practice piano or to record teaching pieces?”

“Mr. Wu, whatever we’re here for, it still depends on whether Xiaozhe is willing,” Fa Pinglun teased with a smile.

“Oh, is that so? But Xiaozhe just promised me she would come back to my place to practice calligraphy soon,” said Mr. Wu with a triumphant glance as if he were a child claiming victory.

Fan Pinglun and Zhou Ruzhi both knew that he would only behave like this with people he was close to, becoming childlike as he got older.

So they didn’t argue with him and went along with his words, saying, “It’s because Teacher Wu teaches well, that Xiaozhe is willing to learn.”

This comment pleased Old Wu, “You’re not bad either, strive to make progress soon.”

Fan Pinglun and Zhou Ruzhi, who were already about twenty years younger than him, and also his juniors, listened to his teachings with smiles on their faces.

Jiang Yaowang and Song Ye had originally thought their relationship with Jiang Zhe was as formal as that of a teacher and student, but now it seemed their regard for Jiang Zhe was much more than that.

Jiang Zhe walked out and approached Xiao Meng, “Go keep Professor Fan company for a while.”

“I’m not tired, I’ll just stay here and help.”

“As a student personally chosen by Professor Fan, it’s only right for you to go over and chat with your teacher for a bit,” Jiang Zhe reminded her.

“Yeah, you go ahead,” Xia Enci said, pushing Xiao Meng inside.

Xiao Meng entered timidly.

Thus, Fan Pinglun’s topic of conversation finally shifted from Jiang Zhe to Xiao Meng.

The group became serious and resumed the demeanor of professors not given to casual chatter while offering a few words of encouragement to Xiao Meng.

Li Yihua, capturing these moments, might not have fully understood these people’s identities, but he also began to feel surprised.

The guests at this birthday banquet seemed quite different from what he had expected.

He could only continue filming the short video.

Soon after, the retired principal of Jincheng First High School, Principal Zhang, walked in.

Jiang Zhe himself was a bit surprised that he came.

“What, are you not welcoming me?” Principal Zhang asked with a kind smile.

“Of course not, Principal Zhang, please come inside,” Jiang Zhe responded with a nod, welcoming him in.

Principal Zhang said with a smile, “You go on with your tasks, I can find my own way in.”

Jiang Zhe didn’t insist and watched him go inside.

Li Yihua wheeled in his three-tiered cake, looking for a place to set it down.

He heard someone outside bringing a cake in, too.

He turned around, and saw a blond, blue-eyed foreigner pushing in a cake that was virtually two stories tall.

If it were not for the high ceiling of this private room, his cake might not have been able to fit through the door.

Li Yihua was surprised; Jiang Cheng had arranged for him to deliver the cake, didn’t Jiang Zhe and the others know? Why had they ordered another cake separately?

The foreigner wheeled in the cake and then opened his arms wide, “Jiang Zhe, your birthday cake, please accept it with pleasure!”

He spoke in standard Mandarin, but there was something comical about his solemn expression as he said it.

“Wan Si!” Jiang Zhe didn’t embrace him with the same enthusiasm, opting for a handshake instead.

Wan Si knew she was always different with others and didn’t mind it.

“How about it? The cake is made to your local standards, in the shape of a phoenix. Do you like it?”

“Thank you,” Jiang Zhe never expected Wan Si to come.

After she had told him about the new energy utilization method, she hadn’t thought there would be any follow-up contact.

She didn’t anticipate he would come all this way.

It hadn’t even been forty-eight hours since the idea for Jiang Zhe’s birthday party was raised, and Wan Si must have boarded a plane as soon as he found out, just to be able to make it now to deliver this cake.