Forcing herself to suppress the earlier displeasure, Shi Nian called Su Xi Liu, inquiring where Tang Yanqing was dispatched. Su Xi Liu hemmed and hawed, finally apologetically saying, "Shi Nian, this time I owe you a favor. I'll find a way to make up for this interview in the future."
Despite her frustration, Shi Nian had no choice but to accept.
After hanging up, she thought for a moment and then called Ye He, "Have you sorted out the news leads you have?"
Ye He replied, "There's an interesting lead. If we work it out, we might be able to outshine Tang Yanqing... But, it's too dangerous."
Shi Nian was instantly invigorated, "Tell me!"
Ye He sighed, "...Child bride involved in drug trafficking."
Shi Nian frowned, "Got it. Ye He, let's start with this case. See you tonight at 'Yanwu Square'."
Ye He was shocked, "Boss, are you really taking on this case? It's very dangerous!"
Shi Nian teased, "Are you afraid you'd be mistaken for a child bride and get implicated?"
.
Taking advantage of the afternoon break, Shi Nian drove to the neighboring town "Paoquan," found the largest Chinese supermarket there, and bought the bird's nest often eaten by Xiang Yuan's mother.
Since it was the largest Chinese supermarket locally, the cashier and customers were mostly Chinese and Asian. While checking out, a tall Chinese man shot Shi Nian a sideways glance and suspiciously said, "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."
Shi Nian blushed slightly, raising her ring finger with the wedding band, "Sorry, I'm married."
The man looked embarrassed, "No, you've misunderstood..."
Shi Nian didn't care, took the bird's nest with a smile, and left first, "Bye~"
Shi Nian hesitated for a moment before finally driving to the old Xiang Family residence.
.
From a distance, the Gothic spired three-story house made Shi Nian's heart tighten. The Gothic architecture was like a manifestation of her mother-in-law Guo Zhengmei: meticulous, sharp, and uncompromising.
Shi Nian carefully carried the bird's nest inside, barely daring to breathe, but heard Guo Zhengmei's hearty laughter coming from the living room as she approached the entryway.
The old servant, Third Granny, quickly came up to her, whispering, "Don't worry, Madam is in a good mood today."
Shi Nian mustered up the courage to walk towards the hall, loudly greeting Guo Zhengmei's back, "Mom, good afternoon."
The laughter abruptly stopped as Guo Zhengmei turned her head, stepping aside just enough to reveal the person sitting on the opposite sofa.
Shi Nian was taken aback.
The person smiled warmly and greeted, "Hi Shi Nian. You came?"
Shi Nian forced a smile, "Rosa, you came too."
Guo Zhengmei glanced at Shi Nian, did not offer her a seat, merely grunted in acknowledgment, then turned back, smiling warmly as she spoke to Rosa, "...Shasha, you've gone out of your way."
The closeness of the two made Shi Nian feel like the outsider. She stood awkwardly at the doorway, unable to advance or retreat.
Third Granny, feeling compassionate, said, "Madam, the Young Madam brought bird's nest for you! It's the brand you're accustomed to, which has been out of stock in the city for a while. The Young Madam must have gone out of her way to get it."
Rosa cocked her head, glanced at the box in Shi Nian's hands, and laughed, "So you came to give bird's nest too?"
—The words were layered with meaning.
Shi Nian quickly glanced around, and indeed saw several elegantly packaged boxes with big bird's nest images on them placed on a small table near Guo Zhengmei.
Third Granny diligently took the bird's nest from Shi Nian and presented it to Guo Zhengmei. Guo Zhengmei gave it a glance and ungraciously said, "Just put it in the storage room, not sure if I'll get around to eating it. Rosa just gave me the finest Official Swallow, far superior to this."
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Thanks, Chang Ren, for the red envelope~