Chapter 159: Avoiding Qiao Meixia

Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Avoiding Qiao Meixia

Feng Lan cast a sharp, venomous glance directly at Qiao Meixia before addressing the room. "Well, he probably just does not feel like sharing a table or breathing the same air as certain ungrateful people."

"Mom, why do you constantly feel the need to start an unnecessary fight?" Jiang Suhan sighed deeply, his face darkening the instant he caught his mother’s glare.

He knew precisely what, and who, his mother was implying. There was zero subtlety left in her passive-aggressive digs when her target was sitting right across the table.

"I am simply stating my honest thoughts out loud." Feng Lan snapped back defensively, refusing to own up to her deliberate cruelty.

"Mom, if you are genuinely that desperate to know why Chinan is hiding upstairs, I can easily march up to his room, drag him down by his collar, and ask him directly." Jiang Suhan offered in a cold, steady tone.

"He is your own flesh and blood, your younger brother! You would not dare treat him like that!" Feng Lan shrieked, instantly leaping to his defence.

"That is quite enough out of both of you. Let’s just eat in peace." Jiang Lukang interjected, raising a hand to cut off the argument before it could explode into a full-scale shouting match. "If the boy does not want to come down for dinner, then leave him be."

Feng Lan bit down hard on her lower lip, a wave of bitter resentment surging through her chest.

Lately, her eldest son seemed to take a perverse pleasure in directly contradicting and arguing with her at every single turn. No matter what topic she brought up, Jiang Suhan always found a clever way to tear down her words, acting with a protective hostility that always surfaced whenever Qiao Meixia was involved.

In Feng Lan’s eyes, the root cause behind her eldest son’s drastic, disrespectful shift in attitude was none other than the stoic, completely emotionless girl sitting quietly at the far end of the table.

Ever since Qiao Meixia had forced her way back into the Jiang household, Jiang Suhan had acted like an aggressive guard dog, going out of his way to shield her from criticism and openly defying his own mother just to put her in her place.

Feng Lan genuinely could not comprehend how things had deteriorated to this point.

Even though Qiao Meixia was technically the biological daughter she had carried and birthed years ago, Feng Lan found herself completely incapable of summoning even an ounce of maternal affection for the girl. She had tried, or at least told herself she tried, to accept the reality of her return, but the moment she locked eyes with that cold, expressionless face, a deep, visceral wave of rejection would rise within her gut. She could not even logically explain why she loathed her so intensely.

After all, Qiao Meixia had not committed any unforgivable sins against her personally. Yet, despite that, Feng Lan simply could not force herself to treat Meixia with even a fraction of the warmth and indulgence she showered upon Jiang Yanna.

The more she dwelled on it, the more suffocating her frustration became. However, with Jiang Lukang sitting right beside her wearing a stern expression, and with Jiang Suhan primed for another fight, Feng Lan had no choice but to swallow her bitter complaints, lower her head, and force herself to endure the rest of dinner in silence.

Feng Lan seemed to forget that Qiao Meixia did not force her way back to the Jiang Family. They were the ones who wanted to bring her back to the family. They were the ones who prevented Qiao Meixia from leaving when Qiao Meixia wanted to leave.

And now, Feng Lan blamed Qiao Meixia for disturbing her family’s peace.

Qiao Meixia completely ignored Feng Lan’s resentful glare, quietly continuing with her meal as if nothing had happened. She honestly did not give a single thought to what Feng Lan felt or believed about her. If it were not for the practical necessity of maintaining a suitable public identity to legally reside and navigate this city, Qiao Meixia would have packed her bags and walked out of this toxic household long before now.

"Mom, try some of this... I am told it’s really good for your stomach." Jiang Yanna cooed softly, delicately picking up a piece of meat and placing it directly into Feng Lan’s personal bowl.

Hearing her beloved daughter’s sweet, attentive voice, Feng Lan instantly shifted her gaze away, her harsh expression melting into a warm, doting smile.

"Mhm... You truly are my most precious and dutiful daughter." Feng Lan murmured affectionately, patting Jiang Yanna’s hand.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jiang Yanna stole a glance toward Qiao Meixia, eagerly searching for any sign of jealousy, bitterness, or hurt on her face. However, Qiao Meixia remained completely absorbed in her plate, acting as though the sickening display of affection wasn’t even taking place.

"I am done eating." Qiao Meixia announced flatly.

Without pausing for a second or waiting for anyone’s permission, she pushed her chair back, stood up from the table, and walked straight out of the dining room toward the front entrance.

"Meixia, where on earth are you headed at this hour of the night?" Jiang Lukang asked, frowning as he watched her march toward the door.

He was not yet aware that Qiao Meixia had a strict, quiet routine of taking a solitary stroll around the estate’s gardens every evening after dinner. Because she had only recently been integrated back into the Jiang family, he was still completely unfamiliar with her daily habits.

Stepping forward with a polite bow, Butler Jun quietly intervened to answer the head of the house.

"Young Miss Meixia always likes to take a brief walk through the garden following her evening meal." Butler Jun explained respectfully.

"Ah, I see..." Jiang Lukang nodded, his expression softening slightly.

"It is good for the digestive system." Jiang Suhan added.

"Hmph!" Feng Lan let out a sharp, audible scoff, her face twisting in utter disgust.

She simply could not fathom why everyone in the house treated Qiao Meixia’s every minor movement with such unwarranted attentiveness. Even something as mundane as walking off dinner required a formal explanation given directly to Jiang Lukang.

After spending thirty peaceful minutes wandering the quiet paths of the courtyard, Qiao Meixia finally headed back indoors and made her way toward the grand staircase. However, as she started climbing the steps to the second floor, she abruptly crossed paths with Jiang Chinan.

Normally, Jiang Chinan would seize every available second to spit out a petty insult or openly mock her whenever their paths crossed. He never let a single opportunity slip by without throwing a sarcastic jab her way or making his intense dislike explicitly clear. Today, however, was completely different.

Qiao Meixia had already picked up on Jiang Chinan’s bizarre, jittery behaviour earlier that evening. Now, coming face-to-face with him in the dim lighting of the staircase, she became even more certain that something was seriously off with him.

The moment Jiang Chinan spotted Qiao Meixia stepping onto the landing, he froze as if struck by lightning. He instantly dropped his gaze, desperately avoiding direct eye contact.

Qiao Meixia walked right past him without uttering a single word. She did not waste her breath demanding an explanation for his bizarre demeanour, nor did she harbour any idle curiosity to initiate a conversation with him.

Watching her silent figure disappear down the upper hallway, Jiang Chinan finally exhaled a long, shaky breath of sheer relief.

The truth was, he was currently consumed by a heavy, gnawing wave of remorse over what he had done earlier that day. He was the absolute mastermind who had hired those sketchy hoodlums to tamper with Qiao Meixia’s superbike. Yet, after sitting alone and thinking through the cold reality of his actions, panic and regret had thoroughly set in.

Even though he genuinely despised Qiao Meixia and could not stand the mere sight of her arrogant face, he had never once intended to actually take her life. His original goal had only been to cause a minor inconvenience, trash her ride, and teach her a humiliating lesson. He had never imagined or desired for the situation to escalate into a fatal disaster.

Earlier in the evening, while desperately trying to call off the operatives he had hired, he had nearly suffered a heart attack upon seeing Qiao Meixia walking right toward him. The second he recognised her silhouette, he had instinctively bowed his head, terrified to look her in the eye.

For the first time, a suffocating wave of pure guilt had hit him.

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