Chapter 45: Making a Fool of Oneself

A small, snow-white Samoyed bared its teeth and lunged toward Cao Laoting.

"She's poisonous," a light, casual voice drifted over.

Hearing Jiang Yuan's voice, Xiao Bai suddenly slammed on the brakes, turned around, and bolted back.

"Poisonous! How terrifying!"

Deng Rui turned her head to look over, surprised. "Why did you come down?"

Jiang Yuan: "Waiting for a friend."

In truth, she had heard the puppy crying for help from upstairs. She hadn't expected that the old hag Cao Laoting would be bullying a puppy.

The little black dog recognized Jiang Yuan. It ran from under the stone table to her side, looking pitiful. "Yuan Yuan, it's me, Bubu!"

"Bubu?" Jiang Yuan reached out to pat its head, asking in confusion, "What are you doing here?"

Bubu was a stray from the vicinity of Happy Home.

"Yuan Yuan, Dan Huang is missing!" Bubu said urgently. "I've been looking for days and can't find him. Can you help me?"

Like Bubu, Dan Huang was a stray mixed-breed dog with yellow and white fur. Dan Huang was Bubu's mate.

Jiang Yuan knit her slender brows. "I'll try to think of something, but I can't guarantee I'll find him."

"Okay..." Bubu lowered its head dejectedly.

Jiang Yuan crouched in front of Bubu and asked concernedly, "Did she kick you? Does it hurt?"

Bubu lifted its head, meeting Jiang Yuan's gentle gaze, and nodded honestly. "It hurts."

But this bit of pain was nothing; as a stray, it was beaten and scolded almost every day.

Worried that Jiang Yuan might misunderstand, Bubu quickly explained, "Yuan Yuan, I didn't steal any food. I heard her on the phone—her son's rich girlfriend is angry and won't come to her house or give her a gold bracelet. She was unhappy, and as soon as she saw me, she started hitting me."

"I understand." Jiang Yuan stood up and looked at Cao Laoting's face, which was as large as a basin.

Noticing her gaze, Cao Laoting began to curse. "What are you looking at? Always bringing stray dogs into the complex. If one of them steals my food again, I'm holding your family responsible!"

Deng Rui gritted her teeth in anger. "Bullshit!"

Jiang Yuan sneered, "Don't worry. Your family's trashy dog isn't worth looking at, just like your useless son—even a rich woman wouldn't want him."

These words struck directly at Cao Laoting's sore spot.

Everything had been settled: her son was supposed to bring his rich girlfriend home and buy her bird's nest, shark fin, and gold bracelets. She had waited for two days, only for her son to suddenly call and say he had fought with his girlfriend, and she wasn't coming tomorrow. When she immediately asked about her big gold bracelet, her son said it was gone too.

The more Cao Laoting thought about it, the angrier she got, so she took it out on Bubu.

"You're talking nonsense!" Seeing other neighbors around, Cao Laoting shouted to save face, "There are plenty of rich women who like my son! One even wanted to give me a big gold bracelet, but I didn't want it."

"It's definitely because she won't give it to you," Deng Rui mocked. "You're so greedy, how could you possibly refuse?"

Just then, a neighbor suddenly shouted, "Isn't that Sister Cao's son?"

Everyone looked over to see Cao Laoting's son, Wang Xinhan, appearing at the entrance of the complex.

"Is the girl next to Xinhan his girlfriend? She looks so beautiful."

"Oh my god, is that a Ferrari? What a luxury car!"

"So that's Xinhan's rich girlfriend! Sister Cao is so blessed!"

Seeing her son standing by a luxury car talking to that beautiful woman, Cao Laoting's sagging face lit up with pleasant surprise. She replied enthusiastically, "Yes, yes, yes! That woman is my son's girlfriend!"

Good heavens! He told her she wasn't coming tomorrow, but it turns out he changed it to *now*!

Wobbling her fleshy body, Cao Laoting ran over, bypassed her son, and reached out to take the gift box from Zhou Shuyu's hands. "Let me, let me!"

Wang Xinhan was surprised by his mother's actions. So this woman was a guest in their home? He then enthusiastically helped carry the items.

Zhou Shuyu froze for a few seconds. Thinking they were Jiang Yuan's family, she did not refuse.

The driver and bodyguard also took several gift boxes out of the trunk.

Seeing this, Cao Laoting's face was covered in smiles, her eyes nearly squeezed into slits. "Oh my, you came, but why did you bring so many things!"

Good lord, there was even Hermès!

Wang Xinhan was also stunned. Did his family have such wealthy relatives? How had he not known before?

Carrying the gift boxes, Cao Laoting walked with her head held high and chest puffed out under the envious gazes of the neighbors, looking extremely smug.

She said proudly, "Oh, look, Deng Rui, see? She brought them right over!"

Deng Rui: "..."

She looked at Zhou Shuyu, her eyes filled with deep sympathy. What an unlucky girl.

Cao Laoting didn't go upstairs immediately; instead, she showed off the gifts to the neighbors.

Watching her behavior, Zhou Shuyu was deeply shocked. She hadn't expected Jiang Yuan's family to have such a way of conducting themselves...

Seeing Jiang Yuan, she called out, "Miss Jiang, Happy New Year."

Cao Laoting was full of surprise. This girl actually knew that brat from the Jiang family?

A smile played on Jiang Yuan's lips. "Miss Zhou, Happy New Year."

Cao Laoting's face hardened, and she pulled Zhou Shuyu away unhappily. "Let's go home."

Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow. "If you want to go home, go home, but let go of my guest and my gifts."

Cao Laoting sneered, "What 'your guest'? This is my family's guest!"

Zhou Shuyu froze for a moment, realizing something was wrong. "Aren't you all one family?"

"What family? Bad luck!" After saying that, Cao Laoting spat several times. "Being neighbors with people like this is bad enough!"

Jiang Yuan introduced her, "Miss Zhou, this is my mother, Ms. Deng."

"Hello, Auntie Deng." Zhou Shuyu reached out to Deng Rui. "I am Zhou Shuyu."

Seeing this, Cao Laoting quickly intervened. "Why are you greeting her? Hurry up and come upstairs with me!"

Zhou Shuyu frowned and shook off her hand. "I'm sorry, please put down the gifts I brought for Miss Jiang."

She had just found it strange—how could Jiang Yuan's family be so vulgar when she was such a principled person?

Cao Laoting's eyes widened in disbelief. "What did you say? Gifts for whom?"

Zhou Shuyu said coldly, "Gifts for Miss Jiang. Please put them down."

Deng Rui was amused and said with a smile, "Cao Laoting, what were you just telling everyone? Your son's girlfriend? My apologies, but Xiao Zhou is my Yuan Yuan's good friend."

A flash of surprise crossed Zhou Shuyu's heart. Had Jiang Yuan introduced her to her family as her good friend? She pursed her lips, wanting to smile from happiness.

Cao Laoting's body swayed slightly, feeling as if she had been struck by lightning.

She turned her head stiffly to stare at her son, asking through gritted teeth, "A-Han, isn't this your girlfriend?"

Wang Xinhan frowned, looking completely puzzled. "Mom, isn't she our relative?"

"So it turns out Sister Cao and her son were both wrong!"

"That's hilarious, hahaha!"

Zhou Shuyu signaled her bodyguard to take back the gift boxes from the hands of Cao Laoting and her son.

(End of Chapter)