CHAPTER 643: CHAPTER 632: VICIOUS VILLAIN

As Ye Qiu walked away, Wen Xiao felt a rising threat within her, not because the other was beautiful, but because of Jiang Cheng’s attitude towards her.

Although Jiang Cheng’s stepsister looked not bad, a closer examination revealed that her facial features were just average. It was mainly her fair skin that stood out, but when compared to herself, Wen Xiao still saw a gap. What she was wary of was Jiang Cheng’s attitude towards this stepsister.

Even though Ye Qiu had not spoken a word during her short time in the room, Wen Xiao’s sharp senses still detected something amiss between them. It was not love; to her, it seemed more like the kind of dependence and trust found between family members. But after all, they were not biological siblings, which made Wen Xiao feel very uncomfortable.

She thought if one day she really ended up with Jiang Cheng, she would definitely not allow him to have excessive interactions with Ye Qiu, even if theirs was just a brother-sister relationship.

Because sometimes kinship is harder to give up than love. If Jiang Cheng accepted her, she had to be the most important person in Jiang Cheng’s life, not some so-called stepsister.

Wen Xiao did not reveal her thoughts but continued to converse amicably with the four people. Yet, it was clear to any observant person who her target was. Gao Feng and Han Fei also created opportunities for the two, occasionally mentioning some interesting stories from their school days as well as Jiang Cheng’s preferences.

"So you used to dye your hair red? Do you have a photo? May I see it?" Wen Xiao asked expectantly.

Remembering that embarrassing part of his past, Jiang Cheng’s face stiffened, then he shook his head.

Gao Feng laughed and took over the conversation: "We don’t have any pictures here, he made us delete them. But Qiu definitely has them, Brother Cheng would never force her."

"Is that so?" Wen Xiao’s smile tightened slightly, but since none of the others were attentive, no one noticed.

"Then I must get Qiu’s contact later, maybe there will be some unexpected surprises!" She looked meaningfully at Jiang Cheng, with Han Fei and Gao Feng thinking she wanted to use Ye Qiu to pry open Jiang Cheng’s cold heart, so they all smirked ambiguously, only Mo Ziang frowned slightly.

"The dishes are ready." A waiter knocked on the door, followed by pushing it open, "Here is the lotus seed and lily bulb soup you ordered, please enjoy."

Lotus seed and lily bulb soup is a very common dish since the other dishes’ names were too elegant, so Wen Xiao chose this as the first dish. She thought that even if the cooking skills weren’t great, the soup made from lotus seeds and lilies should at least be drinkable.

However, the moment the soup was served, she felt her spirits lift; not only did the soup look delicious, but the aroma was also refreshing.

"Quick, try it. So many people beg for a chance to taste Qiu’s cooking, and we’re lucky to get this opportunity through Jiang Cheng," Gao Feng said before tasting the soup and feeling rejuvenated.

Wen Xiao, somewhat skeptical, scooped a spoonful of soup into her mouth and then her eyes widened in shock. How could this be the soup made by Jiang Cheng’s stepsister?

She hastily took another spoonful, marveling that whatever kind of person Ye Qiu was, at least the soup she made was good!

The four guys had been watching Wen Xiao since she began to scoop the soup. Seeing her eagerly drink a second spoonful after the first, they all laughed. It seemed that no one could escape Ye Qiu’s culinary skills.

"How is it? Our recommendation wasn’t wrong, was it?" Gao Feng asked, full of expectation.

"Indeed, it’s good," Wen Xiao smiled and nodded, "No wonder it’s difficult to even make a reservation here."

"Let’s see if there is any new dish later; surely you won’t be disappointed," he said with pride.

Wen Xiao was smiling on the outside, but her heart was somewhat complicated. Yet, the dishes that followed defeated her past understanding time and again. Could there really be such a thing as a culinary genius in this world?

But why did it have to be Jiang Cheng’s stepsister?

"Take your time with the meal, I’ve got more things to tend to." The last dish was personally served by Ye Qiu. After pondering for a while, she figured it out: if her second brother was truly fond of Wen Xiao, why not just matchmake them? As for Jiang Yi, she could just put in more effort.

"Can I call you Qiu sister too? Could I add you on WeChat?" Wen Xiao took out her phone and said with a smile.

"I didn’t bring my phone with me, but my second brother has my WeChat ID. You can get it from him." In truth, Ye Qiu did have her phone with her, but she said this to give them more opportunities to communicate.

Wen Xiao didn’t know whether what Ye Qiu said was true or false, but the chance to connect with Jiang Cheng made her very happy.

Gao Feng and Han Fei gave Ye Qiu a knowing glance. Understanding their signal, she winked back and then left the room.

Upon closing the door, she sighed. She didn’t know whether what she had done was right or wrong.

Perhaps knowing Wen Xiao’s intentions, Ye Qiu made little contact with Jiang Cheng and the rest, always excusing herself with the busyness of "He Chef," and since her business was indeed booming, no one suspected anything.

After some time and getting to know Ye Qiu, Wen Xiao, realizing that Ye Qiu was deliberately maintaining a distance, happily accepted Ye Qiu, deciding to formally treat her as a regular sister.

But what she didn’t know was that, no matter how long they were out of touch, Ye Qiu was always someone special in Jiang Cheng’s heart.

Both of them were children disliked by the Jiang Family; over the years, only by warming each other had they found salvation and Jiang Cheng had slowly returned to normal. Thus, although he saw Ye Qiu as a sister, she was not an ordinary sister to him.

However, for Wen Xiao, considering Ye Qiu an ordinary stepsister was already her limit, so there was bound to be conflict between her and Jiang Cheng. But now, with Wen Xiao’s efforts, their relationship was progressing steadily.

On the other hand, when he heard that Jiang Cheng had accepted Wen Xiao, Jiang Yi’s face darkened.

Ever since Jiang Yi became sensible, he never saw Jiang Cheng as a true rival. The occasional kindness he showed to Jiang Cheng was nothing more than a perverse pleasure for him; seeing Jiang Cheng being manipulated by him gave him an unstoppable thrill. He didn’t want to feel this way, but who told Jiang Cheng to be the cause of their mother’s death? It was what he deserved.

The more his father grew disgusted with Jiang Cheng day by day, the happier he was. Why should the illegitimate child compete with him for the Jiang Family’s wealth?

But Jiang Cheng had changed since two years ago; he no longer trusted him and had started to become ambitious. However, that was of no concern; his father only ever valued him.

Even if Jiang Cheng got into the same prestigious university B as he did, it didn’t matter to him. Would getting into a good university mean he had made it? No matter how hard Jiang Cheng tried, he could never catch up to the family business his father was giving him, and besides, he was not doing too bad himself, right?

But why did Wen Xiao have to show up?

He heard that the Wen Family was not only extremely wealthy but also had connections with high-ranking officials. If Jiang Cheng really ended up with Wen Xiao, what would all his efforts over the years amount to?

He could not allow it—he would never allow Jiang Cheng to outshine him!