Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 402 Just a Tool
It was purely coincidental that Yang Mi guessed correctly.

Shu Chang scheduled her performance for the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, as she had been busy visiting relatives in the preceding days.

Because of her childhood experiences, she places particular importance on family ties. She visits one family every day, finishing on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.

If it weren't for her aunt's enthusiastic recommendation, she wouldn't have met the other party at all, not wanting to offend them.

Shu Chang was determined not to get married. Her father abandoned his wife and children, and her mother's difficult experiences left many shadows on her childhood.

Childhood trauma often lingers throughout life. Although she has forgiven her father now, it doesn't mean she doesn't care about that past.

Shu Chang feels that she is freer without her husband and can live a better life.

Especially after she and Liu Jingcheng got married, Shu Chang's idea of ​​marriage was completely extinguished.

If you need something, you can ask Wood; he's very good at solving these problems.

Why is Sisi so good to Shuchang and often fights alongside her? It's not entirely because of their best friend relationship; she knows Shuchang poses no threat whatsoever.

A celestial being is indeed a celestial being; her level is different from ordinary people, and she also categorized her opponents into different levels.

Shu Chang and Jing Tian pose no threat, Pang Bing and Bai Bing pose some threat, and Gao Yuanyuan and Tang Yan pose a moderate threat.

The most threatening one is Liu Shishi, who doesn't hesitate to film short videos to manipulate people, and then there's Yang Mi, who is also a big threat.

Liu Shishi is good at performing and rarely makes mistakes, unlike Yang Mi who often shows off and occasionally gets cocky.

Sisi couldn't find a legitimate reason to target or suppress the little lion.

Moreover, it must be said that Liu Shishi is indeed the type of virtuous wife and loving mother, as Sister Li used to praise her often.

As for Zeng Li, Xiao Dao, and Tong Liya, Xixi has not yet discovered them and therefore they are not included in the risk level assessment.

Shu Chang's blind date location wasn't anything fancy; it was just Starbucks.

The location was chosen by Shu Chang. People come and go here, and Shu Chang feels safe here, which makes her seem upright and honest, without any personal feelings.

The appointed time was 3:00, and Shu Chang arrived at 2:58. She was neither too early nor too late.

The rich kid is decent-looking, handsome, and full of confidence; not all rich kids are good-for-nothings.

He graduated from Harvard University and returned to China to work directly in the family business; he has an outstanding track record.

For Shu Chang, no matter how splendid her qualifications are, it doesn't matter. Who can be more powerful than my godbrother? This girl has only ever eaten the best food; everything else is just ordinary.

Because the other party wasn't a simpleton, and was also a relative of a distant friend of her aunt's, she couldn't find a reason to directly refuse.

If this one doesn't come, they'll definitely introduce another. I can't exactly tell my relatives, "Don't bother, my godbrother and I have many legs."

Many relatives may not be unaware of the situation regarding the legs, but everyone is pretending to be ignorant.

As long as Shu Chang doesn't admit it, no matter what the outside world says, it's not true. When her aunt introduced her to the man, she directly said that Shu Chang had never been in a relationship, and that Cao Jun, Liu Jing, and others were just using it for publicity for filming and shouldn't be taken seriously.

Shu Chang felt a surge of annoyance when she thought of her aunt; this new aunt was such a troublemaker.

If it weren't for her uncle's sake, she wouldn't have wanted to come at all.

"Hello, I'm Su Ming. You must be Shu Chang? It's an honor to meet you."

Shu Chang had just entered Starbucks when her blind date spotted her. There was nothing they could do; many customers whispered among themselves that she seemed to be a bit of a simpleton.

"Hello, I'm Shu Chang, it's nice to meet you." Shu Chang composed herself and smiled gently.

"You're even prettier on TV than you are on TV." The second-generation rich kid was genuinely happy and a little excited.

Shu Chang looked closely and saw that the person dressed up looked quite presentable, but not quite the same as in the photo. The photo her aunt gave her must have been photoshopped; she looked even more handsome than Leon Lai.

The real person is just average-looking, not as handsome as Wood, though about the same height. But he lacks Wood's depth, his eyes aren't as bright, and his spirit is far less than Wood's.

She subconsciously compared herself to Liu Jing and found that he was like an immature child.

Shu Chang became even more polite, pulling a little girl along, "Thank you. This is my cousin Juanjuan. Her mother went on a trip, so she's spending the New Year with me."

He brought his younger cousin to a blind date. It was the second generation's first time meeting her, and he was slightly taken aback, saying, "The little girl is very cute..."

"Sis, can we eat now?" Juanjuan tugged at Shuchang's sleeve, "Don't just focus on the introductions, you promised to be a third wheel and treat me to a big meal."

"Ahem, please sit down first, I'll go order for you." Shu Chang was a little embarrassed that she was asked to eat as soon as they met.

"Mr. Su Ming, I'm sorry. My cousin didn't eat lunch. Let me order something for her first, and we can chat later." Shu Chang smiled slightly, a true lady of high society, polite and elegant.

If Liu Jing saw this, he would be dumbfounded. Could it be that Shu Chang was possessed? He had never seen this side of Shu Chang before.

Descriptions like "gentle and refined" are just what others say about Shu Chang.

"It's alright, what does she want to eat? I'll order," the second-generation heir quickly said.

"I want chicken wraps, mousse cake, and milk tea..." Juanjuan's voice gradually weakened, and she sensed a murderous aura.

"I'll do it, my cousin is a picky eater," Shu Chang shook her head and refused.

The second-generation customer was a bit confused. Wasn't your cousin's explanation clear enough? This is Starbucks. They only have small, medium, and large cups. There are no mild, medium, or extra spicy options, and certainly no five-spice, garlic, or numbing-spicy flavors.

Shu Chang walked unhurriedly to the front desk and quietly sent a text message: "Where are you?"

She had already picked up her food but hadn't received a reply, and she was starting to get anxious.

Shu Chang truly lives up to her reputation as a skilled actress; no matter how many stories she has inside, she remains calm and composed on the surface. She smiles without revealing her teeth, speaks softly, and exudes serene elegance.

"Miss Shu Chang, what movie are you filming lately?" The second generation's approach was excellent.

"I've been relatively free lately, so I haven't been filming much," Shu Chang said with a faint smile.

“I’ve watched all the movies you’ve made in the last two years. You’ve chosen the right path, and your movies are more sophisticated.”

"They're all the same."

Shu Chang was talking to the second generation, multitasking without wasting time on either. "Wood, if you dare not come, I'll kill you."

“I watched ‘If You Are the One’ before the New Year. You acted better than Shu Qi. She…” The second generation spoke eloquently, having done their homework in advance.

"You flatter me. She's a senior, I'm not as good as her." Shu Chang smiled and sent another text message: "You good-for-nothing who kills but doesn't bury, if you don't come soon, I'll cheat on you."

She types very fast, typing a dozen words in the blink of an eye.

"You're a senior too. I grew up watching your shows," the second-generation actor praised.

"Really? Thank you. What does Mr. Su's family do?" Shu Chang silently complained, implying that he thought I was too old. Mu Tou debuted even earlier than me, so he must be even older.

"My family is in the machinery business..."

Shu Chang nodded and smiled, then silently sent a text message: "Get off the belly of the function quickly, and hurry up."

A dozen minutes later, Shu Chang finally received a reply, "Wait," and then she casually put her phone away.

"Mr. Su is young and promising, I admire you." Shu Chang gave a small compliment after hearing the story of the second generation in the company, but in fact she hadn't been listening carefully at all.

"Haha, it's nothing special. Let's go shopping later." The second-generation rich kid seized the opportunity to extend an invitation.

"Sorry, I have plans for tonight, let's reschedule." Shu Chang said apologetically, glancing at the time; it was already 3:30. Time seemed to drag on forever.

"Tomorrow is fine too. Tomorrow is the sixth day of the lunar new year, an even better day, many shops will be open then." The second-generation rich kid was still unwilling to give up.

Shu Chang was more outstanding than he had imagined, and he was truly moved.

"I'm going to Jiangcheng tomorrow, leaving very early in the morning," Shu Chang continued to refuse.

"Your company only made a little over 20 million last year, while my brother Liu Jing can earn tens of millions from just one movie. You're not as good as my brother Liu Jing. If you want to date my cousin, it won't be that easy."

Shu Chang didn't listen carefully just now, but her cousin listened very attentively. However, the way she spoke didn't sound like a ten-year-old girl at all.

"Juanjuan, are you full?" Shu Chang's face darkened. Although it was true, there was no need to show off in this setting. My mother is here on this blind date today entirely thanks to your mother, so don't cause trouble.

"It's alright, it's alright. Last year was an economic crisis, everyone was struggling." The second-generation rich kid was slightly embarrassed; the little girl had been too direct. Children speak the truth, children speak the truth…

"Then why does Brother Liu Jing earn so much money?" Juanjuan asked, puzzled.

"Shut up."

The second-generation rich kid thought Shu Chang's reprimand was quite right. This little girl was really annoying. "The Liu Jing he mentioned, is that the director Liu Jing? 'Under the City Wall' was well-made, although I haven't seen it." "Yes, he's my younger brother." Shu Chang smiled. If he hadn't seen it, why was he spouting nonsense? He could shut up now.

"Are you two close?" The second-generation rich kid frowned, thinking of some rumors circulating online. Although his aunt said they were all rumors, he still felt a little uneasy.

“He is my younger brother,” Shu Chang repeated, her tone completely different from before.

"It seems you two have a good relationship, but after all, you're not siblings..." the second-generation chuckled.

"How our relationship is seems to be none of your business." Shu Chang's smile faded, and she interrupted directly, no longer wanting to be perfunctory. "I'm still young, only twenty-two this year, and I didn't plan to get married so early. My aunt was pressuring me, saying you're the child of some friend of hers. I really couldn't refuse, so I thought I'd meet you. Now that we've met, I've given her an explanation. Goodbye for now. This caramel macchiato is on me; the bill has already been paid. I'm really sorry to have taken up your time."

"Sigh..." The second generation was dumbfounded. Why did they suddenly turn on me? I didn't say anything.

He takes blind dates with big stars very seriously. Marrying one would be such a status symbol!

He had been preparing for this blind date for several days. His family had promised his aunt many benefits in hopes that he would succeed in the blind date.

He practiced his speaking skills and learned etiquette diligently, even more so than when he was studying in the United States.

His aunt gave him a lot of information about Shu Chang, and he also collected some information through his own channels.

He stood up to try and persuade her to stay, but his little cousin waved her hand and said, "No need to see me out, you're not my cousin's type."

Shu Chang dragged Juan Juan away, giving her no chance to stop. Before they even left Starbucks, she made a call to her uncle, "Alright, I've met her and eaten. Please tell her to keep quiet from now on and stop introducing me to this or that. I've given her face; if you ask me to give her face again, I'll turn on you."

She slammed down the phone in a huff, and looked up to see Liu Jing running towards her. "So rushed? I'm not really going on a blind date, just going through the motions."

Before I knew it, I felt much better.

Forget it, she's not important. There's no need to argue with an aunt who's not even close to me.

For my uncle's sake, let's put this matter behind us.

"Is it over? Let's go home." Liu Jing didn't ask, but he could tell that the silly girl wasn't in a good mood.

"Brother Liu Jing, let's go shopping!" Juanjuan let go of her cousin's hand, ran towards Liu Jing, and hugged his leg tightly.

"What are you doing shopping? Let's go home." Shu Chang said with a stern face. She's so young and already knows how to compare herself to others; what will she be like in the future? Why didn't she try to curry favor with that older brother earlier? Does she know that Brother Liu Jing is making a lot of money?

What a load of rubbish! What kind of messages does she keep feeding her daughter? How can a mother like that raise a child well?

“Okay.” Juanjuan didn’t dare to object. Her cousin was acting strangely today, so it was best not to provoke her.

"Did you drive?" Liu Jing felt something was off. Shu Chang used to be so affectionate towards her little cousin, but today she seemed a bit disgusted.

"No," Juanjuan replied quickly.

"Give you a chance to pick me up." Shu Chang pouted. This girl is on a blind date and you're late. I'll drain you dry tonight.

"Then thank you." Liu Jing said irritably.

Liu Jing's car was parked by the roadside; he had just pressed the lock. Juanjuan rushed to the passenger seat, leaving her cousin bewildered. "Sissi's not here; this seat is mine alone."

Once in the car, Shu Chang felt even more depressed. Her godbrother and little cousin were busy asking and answering questions, leaving her with nothing to do.

"How was your blind date today?" Liu Jing asked, trying to make conversation.

“My cousin is using you as a benchmark, so she’s bound to fail at everything she tries,” Juanjuan replied, shaking her head and sighing.

Liu Jing glanced sideways. How old was this girl again? She seemed to be eleven. So precocious. But compared to Qianqian, she didn't seem so advanced. Qianqian was even more extraordinary at eleven.

"It started at three o'clock, and it's only 3:40. What did they talk about?" Liu Jing asked curiously.

“They didn’t talk much. He did most of the talking. My cousin just smiled and nodded, saying things like ‘Really?’ ‘Great!’ ‘You flatter me.’ ‘You’re amazing.’ ‘I admire you.’” Juanjuan sighed again, feeling sorry for her blind date. “My cousin was so distracted that the guy thought she was praising him.”

"That's... pretty tragic." Liu Jing murmured in sorrow.

"He invited my cousin to go shopping, but she said another day. He changed it to tomorrow, but my cousin is going to Jiangcheng tomorrow. Isn't it obvious that my cousin isn't interested in him?" Juanjuan said in a mature tone, wrinkling her nose. "Whether it's easy for a man to pursue a woman or not depends on whether the woman is interested in him. If she is interested, then there is hope. If she is not interested, pursuing her is a waste of time and effort."

Liu Jing was truly shocked. "Juanjuan, how old are you this year?"

"I'm eleven years old by the traditional Chinese age reckoning, and twelve by the Chinese age reckoning. My mom says I can sign with a company and debut as a celebrity," Juanjuan answered in a clear, sweet voice.

"She learned all of this from her mother. With a mother like that, she'll inevitably be corrupted sooner or later," Shu Chang quickly interjected, "Let's not talk about the contract anymore."

She was quite unhappy; today she stole my passenger seat, tomorrow she'll dare steal my man.

“That’s what your uncle said,” Juanjuan retorted.

Shu Chang grunted, "What is my uncle to you?"

"Stepfather," Juanjuan replied weakly. Her cousin seemed angry. What should she do?
Liu Jing ignored her pleading eyes and asked, "Where should I take you?"

"I'm going back to Baiyujing."

"What about her?"

“My uncle and her mother went on a trip and left her with me.”

The word "uncle" was emphasized. There was a full three-second pause between "my uncle" and "her mother".

"Why didn't you bring her with you?" Liu Jing asked, puzzled.

"Can we still have fun with her around?" Shu Chang asked rhetorically.

Liu Jing remained silent. With such a chatterbox, it was indeed impossible to have a proper time.

It's not just that we can't have fun; once we get home, we can't even enjoy some time alone together.

The little girl was curious about everything, as if she had entered a zoo, turning into a walking encyclopedia of questions.

Cartoons weren't enough to keep her entertained, so they put on a horror movie, and that finally calmed her down.

"Sigh! Yang Mi, you guessed wrong. Shu Chang is right next door, but unfortunately I can't sleep here." Liu Jing, filled with regret, rested his head on his lonely pillow and drifted off to sleep.

It was late at night, my little cousin was asleep, and it seemed that the older brother next door was asleep too.

Shu Chang, barefoot and without turning on the lights, tiptoed stealthily into her godbrother's room.

The door opened with a push, and she threw off the covers, slipping inside like an eel.

Liu Jing woke up with a start. Without even looking, he knew who it was just by feeling.

"You're only arriving now? I was already asleep."

"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up."

"Shuchang, what do you take me for?"

"Just a tool."

Liu Jing was furious. He hadn't even settled the score with the guy for going on blind dates behind his back.

After settling the accounts, the two of them quieted down.

Shu Chang nestled against Liu Jing's chest like a kitten. "My uncle is henpecked and always gets manipulated by my aunt. It was the same with this blind date. I only went because I was afraid of putting my uncle in a difficult position."

"Aren't you afraid of making things difficult for me?" Liu Jing asked with a deep look in his eyes, his hand gripping his chest tightly.

"Don't be afraid." Shu Chang chuckled and whispered in Liu Jing's ear, "I can apologize."

"If an apology were enough... um..."

Liu Jing fell silent; his apology wasn't just lip service, but something he actually did.

Shu Chang's apology was quite effective; Liu Jing stared blankly at the dark roof.

Singing mouth, Minjie's plumpness, Mimi's fierceness, Bingbing's charm, Shishi's beauty, Tangtang's legs, Jingtian's tenderness, Xiaobai's water, Zengli's base, Yuanyuan's delicate beauty, and Xiaodao's famous knife.

Everyone has their own unique characteristics and is a distinct individual.

All was silent, yet the silence seemed to carry a sound.

dong dong dong...

Someone knocked on the door, and was surprisingly polite. "Brother Liu Jing, are you asleep? Your house is haunted. My cousin has been taken away by a ghost."

(End of this chapter)