Chapter 161 - 161 131 Jiang Family has a beauty a circle one level

Words : 1564 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Chapter 161: 131 Jiang Family has a beauty, a circle one level lower than others (2 updates)_2 Chapter 161: 131 Jiang Family has a beauty, a circle one level lower than others (2 updates)_2 The elderly lady raised her hand to adjust her gold-rimmed glasses and squinted, sizing up the newcomer until she approached and suddenly seemed to have a moment of realization, “Oh, isn’t this Shuyan? Look at my eyesight, I’m getting old and can’t see clearly anymore, I didn’t even recognize you.” “It’s fine, you came to listen to the opera and didn’t even call me.” “On the weekend, you surely have other plans, why would you want to spend time with an old woman like me?” After greeting the few young ladies who came with her with some polite small talk, they fell silent, obviously not very familiar with the elderly lady. “This must be the sister from the Tang Family,” she said with a smile toward Tang Wan. “Let me introduce you, Wanwan, this is Xiaowu’s cousin—Shuyan,” the elderly lady made the introduction. “Hello, Tang Wan.” Tang Wan immediately stood up to greet her. “I had heard from Granny that sister is beautiful, and seeing you today, it is indeed true. The southern land truly nourishes beauty; not only are you lovely to look at, but even your voice is exceptionally pleasant. Knowing you were coming, I made a special effort to see you, but just missed you as you stepped out. It’s a bit regrettable.” Tang Wan just smiled, probably knowing that this was the cousin Jiangjiang had mentioned before. Her grandfather and Jiang Jinsang’s grandfather were brothers, and with two generations in between, her relation to Jiang Jinsang and the others certainly couldn’t be considered particularly close. The elderly lady spoke up, “Are you also here to listen to the opera today?” “Yes, it’s about to start soon, so I’ll go ahead with my friends. Granny, you and Tang sister take your time and enjoy, I won’t disturb you any further,” Jiang Shuyan spoke and acted quite appropriately, not staying long after the greeting and then leaving. The elderly lady took a sip of tea with a faint smile on her lips, her thoughts unknown. Tang Wan did not know much about the Jiang Family’s affairs and did not inquire further. ... After the opera finished an hour later, the elderly lady specifically spoke to the manager, allowing Tang Wan to get a close look at the Cyan Feather headdress backstage. But the manager was very busy and asked her to wait a moment before accompanying her. “It’s fine, I can go by myself.” “The backstage area is quite chaotic, I’m worried someone might bump into you,” the manager was also not foolish, knowing the elderly Jiang lady took special interest in her, he definitely had to be courteous. “I’ll just take a quick look.” “Then I’ll find someone else to escort you, the garden out back is large, and I don’t want you to get lost.” “Thank you for the trouble.” ... Tang Wan left the VIP box and waited for the person designated by the manager to arrive. Peach Garden was designed in an ancient style, indeed full of twists and turns. She waited for a while but did not encounter the person; instead, she overheard a group of women laughing. “... Hey, that girl who was just with Old Lady Jiang, the rustic bumpkin from the countryside, didn’t she look so out of place?” Tang Wan raised an eyebrow, were they talking about her? She subconsciously looked at her clothes, thinking, ‘This is considered rustic?’ “I heard there was some betrothed marriage, and it seems that family was not agreeable. Why the hurry to come to Shangjing now?” “To not agree to a marriage with the Jiang Family? Must be playing hard to get, but it seems Old Lady Jiang quite likes her, even brought her out to listen to the opera. Does she even know whose garden this is?” “Only Shuyan has the patience to be pleasant with her, I didn’t even bother to look her in the eye back then.” “She just has good fortune, plus those incidents she caused before can still be searched for on the local forums in Pingjiang. Some were clarified later, but I suspect there’s no smoke without fire.” “The Beijing circle has its hierarchies, not everyone who wants to get in can get in, right?” ... Tang Wan was aware that the circles in Beijing could run deep, and merely having a household registration from Sijiu City might make some feel superior. Especially those within the Beijing circle... They most likely see everyone else as below them! Then, a man’s voice interrupted their conversation. “What kind of circle is this Beijing circle?” Tang Wan’s heart skipped a beat, she couldn’t see the speaker from her angle, and could only hear his voice, tinged with an old-fashioned Beijing accent, very distinctive. This person had a very good voice. The surroundings were eerily quiet. “My garden is very clean, filled with only those who sing opera and those who listen.” “You say that the circle has its rankings, but where do you think you stand?” No one spoke. Tang Wan pursed her lips, perhaps in these people’s eyes, she was insignificant, but to the man who was speaking, were they any more worthy of his attention? “Sixth Master—” a woman spoke up. Due to the angle, Tang Wan couldn’t see what she looked like, and she had no idea what her expression was, but just from her voice, it was clear that she was trembling with fear. “If you’re so eager to chat, there’s a teahouse not far from here.” The intention to dismiss was crystal clear, and he didn’t fear offending anyone. The loud speculation from behind was now silent, and the crowd hastily took their leave. The man, however, chuckled lightly and said a phrase. “Circles are drawn by people; if you don’t respect yourselves, don’t expect others to look up to you.” Tang Wan didn’t respond and didn’t feel it was her place to step forward, so she remained quiet. As the sound of footsteps approached, a group of people whisked past her; she only caught a glimpse of the man. His profile was excessively handsome and refined, and even from his walking posture, one could tell that he was meticulous. Clad in white, his grace was natural, exuding an inherent nobility. Beijing really was a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers abounded. ** After visiting the backstage, Tang Wan couldn’t help but inquire about it with the elderly lady on their way back. She didn’t mention the gossip she had overheard, only that she had seen a man of such appearance. “So, you saw him too. In Beijing, although there is contact between the families, it’s all entangled and divided into factions, with various degrees of closeness. Like the man you saw today, who is entrenched in North Sichuan...” The elderly lady explained a lot to Tang Wan on their way, giving her a general understanding of the dynamics in Beijing. She had been curious; his voice was pleasant, and although his words carried a sting, it wasn’t enough to make someone quiver from head to toe, or so she thought. After a deeper understanding, she realized... This man was famously ruthless and notorious for his tactics. Appearances can be deceiving indeed. “Actually, these are all rumors, he himself is not like that. If you get the chance, I can introduce you to him. His family has a large collection, and his mother used to be an opera singer; Cyan Feather headwear is abundant in their home.” Tang Wan just smiled. “What can I say, he already has a partner, but why is it so difficult for the two grandsons in our family? Fortunately, Xiaowu has you, but as for his brother, oh—” the elderly lady sighed deeply, “So worrisome.” Speaking of someone with a ruthless reputation, Tang Wan couldn’t help but feel a bit wary about Jiang Yanting; after all, the rumors about him harming his younger brother never ceased. “Didn’t you say before that you wanted to arrange a match for him?” Tang Wan pursed her lips. “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. Yesterday, Old Qian in the courtyard met with me, saying there’s a suitable girl to introduce to Yanting. Look at my memory.” Tang Wan laughed, the picture of innocence and purity. ** Jiang Yanting had drunk quite a bit last night, so his work efficiency today was not high, and he had a splitting headache. He had just taken a painkiller when his grandmother’s phone call came through. His heart skipped a beat, and he pressed the speakerphone button, signaling his secretary to answer. “Hello—Grandma, Jiang is in a meeting. Do you have a message for him?” “I know he’s right beside you, let him take the call.” The secretary looked awkwardly at Jiang Yanting, but he remained motionless. The grandmother rarely called during work hours, and he had a strong hunch about the content of this call, which only worsened his headache.

Chapter 161 - 161 131 Jiang Family has a beauty a circle one level

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