CHAPTER 606: CHAPTER 523: EXPERIENCE IS IMPORTANT

Li Si intuitively sensed that something was off with Leng Ning’s expression. In the past, whenever she ran into her and Jin Yichen, the two were always laughing and chatting. But this time, it seemed like she was upset.

Otherwise, why would she just sit down on her own, completely disregarding where Jin Yichen was sitting?

Leng Ning quickly glanced at Jin Yichen, her eyes flashing with disappointment, and then smiled faintly: "It’s nothing! Just a minor misunderstanding. We’ll clear it up soon!"

Li Si glanced at the two of them, took a sip of plain water, and didn’t say much.

Leng Ning noticed Wang Mei was constantly sneaking glances at her. Unable to hold back, she whispered to Li Si, "Sis-in-law! Look at how annoying Wang Mei is. Why does she keep staring at me? I’ve already heard from Aunt that she and Lei Ming just had their wedding."

Li Si glanced in Wang Mei’s direction, "Who cares about her! If anything, she’s probably regretting it. How could Lei Ming ever compare to Yichen?"

Leng Ning took a sip of her drink without responding.

Throughout dinner, the group listened to Wang Meishu chattering noisily with the entire table.

Jin Yichen seemed preoccupied, his gaze occasionally sweeping past the silent Leng Ning.

There was a hesitation in his eyes, as if he wanted to say something.

Li Si observed for a while but didn’t know how to offer advice.

It’s normal for couples to have minor tiffs and friction.

As long as it doesn’t involve fundamental issues, everything can usually be resolved and reconciled.

For some reason, Yin Xuan’s image suddenly popped into her mind. Could this argument be caused by her?

Mrs. Leng used shared chopsticks to serve Li Si several times, prompting Wang Meishu to loudly praise Li Si for having such a wonderful mother-in-law.

Li Si smiled and played along, returning the favor by serving Mrs. Leng some food. Courtesy is something she could manage well enough!

After a while, Mrs. Leng also noticed her daughter’s unusual demeanor. "Xiao Ning! What’s on your mind?"

Leng Ning chuckled lightly across from Li Si: "Nothing! I was just thinking of going to Sis-in-law’s house to see Buding later! I really miss him!"

Mrs. Leng shot her a playful look and laughed: "You child! If you want to go, then go! It’s your brother and sister-in-law’s house! Should I come with you?"

Li Si parted her lips but didn’t get a chance to speak before Leng Ning abruptly declined, "Mom! I’m not just going to see Buding, I also have something to talk to Sis-in-law about. If you’d like, you can go tomorrow instead!"

Mrs. Leng gestured at her from across the table, shaking her head indulgently: "You win!"

She could tell that her daughter was troubled. Letting Li Si have a chat with her was a good idea since young adults can relate better than someone older like herself.

Leng Ning affectionately served Mrs. Leng a dish using shared chopsticks: "Mom! You’re the best!"

Jin Yichen, seated at the other end of the table, felt relieved to see Leng Ning finally smiling.

Leng Mochen silently ate his food, his gaze occasionally darting toward others but consistently being ignored.

Ouyang Zhenglin, as the birthday celebrant, was heavily encouraged to drink and ended up slurring by the time dinner was nearly over.

Wang Mei’s family of three didn’t make much of an impression at the table. When Wang Meishu went to see a friend off, they used the opportunity to bid farewell as well.

Before leaving, Wang Mei gave Leng Ning a deep and lingering glance, thinking to herself that Leng Ning truly was luckier than her.

At least Leng Ning had found a competent man who took care of everything for her—not someone who needed her to handle everything herself.

Unlike her, who married Lei Ming. Although he treated her well, his consumer habits and outlook often left her at a loss for words!

But there was no alternative. With her reputation already tarnished, she had no choice but to soldier on with life.

Fortunately, Lei Ming’s family had average conditions and wasn’t part of the social circle. Otherwise, had news of the engagement dinner scandal back then spread, even being able to marry him would have been uncertain.

Leng Qiankai was also considerably tipsy by the end of the night, his face flushed deep red, prompting Mrs. Leng to drive him home.

As they left, Jin Yichen offered to drive Leng Ning home, but she rejected him outright: "No need. I want to visit my Sis-in-law’s place and see Buding!"

"Alright! I’ve got matters to attend to at the office, so I’ll head out first!"

Watching Jin Yichen bid the group an awkward goodbye, Leng Ning bit her lower lip, feeling distressed inside.

Li Si shook her head helplessly and took hold of Leng Ning’s hand.

Leng Mochen knew the two women were bound to discuss private matters and returned to the office himself.

Leng Ning linked arms with Li Si and sighed: "Sis-in-law! Did I do something wrong?"

"What do you think? If someone offers to take you home, why would you refuse? If there’s an issue, you need to address it. Avoidance won’t solve anything!"

Li Si tapped her forehead lightly, amused by the younger woman’s stubborn streak.

Leng Ning glanced around them. "Sis-in-law, can we go to your place now? After the banquet that day, you all left so quickly, and I didn’t get a chance to talk to you properly!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!"

Li Si and Leng Ning headed to her home. Buding was asleep, so they didn’t linger downstairs and instead went straight to the bedroom.

After hearing Leng Ning recount everything, Li Si finally learned that Jin Yichen and Yin Xuan had actually known each other for years. They first met at a banquet long ago, when Yin Xuan was still young, and Jin Yichen was around sixteen or seventeen.

According to Jin Yichen, Yin Xuan had accidentally tripped and scraped her knee during that event. He carefully helped bandage her wound, and the two had some level of connection afterward.

Later, Jin Yichen went abroad, and Yin Xuan also left the country, where they coincidentally crossed paths again.

This was why they appeared so familiar when their companies started collaborating upon returning to China.

"Xiao Ning! Even if they knew each other, so what? You and Jin Yichen are engaged to be married in just over a month. Is it really worth dwelling on this now?"

Li Si didn’t see anything suspicious about Jin Yichen and Yin Xuan. If the two had genuinely been interested in each other, they’d had countless chances to be together before now. It seemed highly unlikely.

Leng Ning gazed out the window, lost in thought, before turning to Li Si after some time: "Sis-in-law! I try to convince myself not to overthink, but I can’t help feeling that Jin Yichen sees Yin Xuan differently!

You haven’t witnessed it, but the way he looks at her—the sheer affection in his eyes—is unusual!"

Li Si patted her shoulder: "Xiao Ning! Try not to dwell on this so much. You know, trust between two people is the most important thing in a relationship. Besides, men sometimes have a stubborn streak.

If Yin Xuan has any feelings for him, aren’t you essentially giving her an opening by behaving this way? In the end, you might just drive him further away from you!"

Li Si hadn’t expected Jin Yichen and Yin Xuan to have known each other before.

However, she could still see that Jin Yichen and Leng Ning’s love for each other was real.

But sometimes, things are precarious when even the slightest possibility is involved.

Love has no fixed rules or hierarchies; it operates unpredictably. For Leng Ning to say what she did, it meant Jin Yichen certainly felt something special for Yin Xuan.

Just then, Leng Ning’s phone rang, her face showing a hint of hesitation: "Sis-in-law, it’s Jin Yichen calling!"

"Hurry and answer it!" Li Si urged her. Things are better confronted face-to-face than left to endless speculation.

Ruminating over things alone never yields any real answers or solutions.

Taking a deep breath, Leng Ning answered the call. After exchanging a few words, a smile lit up her face.

After hanging up, she coyly shook Li Si’s arm: "Sis-in-law! You were right! I was overthinking it! He just told me over the phone that I’m the only one he has feelings for. If he had truly liked Yin Xuan, those years abroad would’ve given him plenty of time to pursue her!

We’ve already agreed to meet tomorrow to sit down and talk everything through!"

Li Si tapped her forehead: "Glad you’ve come to your senses! Some things, no matter how much we try to persuade you, can only be resolved through direct communication. Make sure you have a good talk tomorrow! With your engagement so close, don’t get worked up over nothing, alright?"

(To be continued. If you enjoy this story, feel free to visit Qidian at qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile readers can visit m.qidian.com for continued reading.)