yournovel Chapter 535 Ordinary Sapling
Chapter 535 Ordinary Sapling
As soon as the father-in-law and son-in-law led Wang Xianjiao into the banquet hall, a number of restaurant staff followed, pushing food carts in one after another.
Dressed in neat, uniform attire, they focused intently and began serving the dishes in an orderly fashion.
Wang Xianjiao did as instructed, walked to Xing Yujia's side, and gently pulled out a high-backed chair to sit down. Her hands involuntarily clenched into fists, her nails digging slightly into her flesh, and her palms were almost sweating.
At this moment, I am quite nervous.
The reason is simple: Meng Jie was sitting on Xing Yujia's other side, and beyond that was Su Su, her long-time idol.
A surge of indescribable excitement welled up inside me.
Wang Xianjiao pretended to be calm and secretly glanced at Susu sitting next to her.
The Susu we see on screen every day is nowhere near as real and tangible as she is now.
Upon closer inspection, her small, delicate face was exquisitely beautiful, with bright and lively eyes. When she smiled, her lips and the corners of her eyes turned up slightly, and her straight, mountain-like nose added a lot of three-dimensionality to her face.
In this light, such striking and distinctive facial features create a strong visual impact.
Wang Xianjiao couldn't help but marvel inwardly, feeling that Su Su was even more beautiful than she appeared on camera, making it hard for her to look away!
Just then, Su Su suddenly stood up, pulled out a chair, and walked unhurriedly toward Brother Yu.
The two stood side by side, exchanging friendly greetings with the guests, looking like a perfect couple...
Despite the laughter and chatter in the banquet hall, Wang Xianjiao felt a throbbing pain in her temples, as if she could clearly hear her heart pounding like a drum in her chest.
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.
Inadvertently, Wang Xianjiao caught a glimpse of Xing Yujia turning her head, her round, apple-shaped face beaming with a friendly smile.
She quickly returned a smile.
Just as he was pondering how to greet her and get closer to Xing Yujia, she spoke first, her words tinged with curiosity.
"Hello, I see you came with Brother Yu and Uncle Lin. May I ask who you are...?"
"My name is Wang Xianjiao, and I currently work at the Jiangnan Morning Post," Wang Xianjiao quickly introduced herself.
Xing Yujia's face immediately showed a look of realization: "Oh, so he's Brother Yu's colleague."
Hearing their conversation, Ji Meng turned her head to examine Wang Xianjiao's face closely. She felt that Wang Xianjiao looked very familiar, but for a moment, she couldn't remember where she had met her before.
This sense of familiarity is clearly more than just a nodding acquaintance; there must have been at least a lot of interaction between them.
Ji Meng thought for a moment, since she was Yu Huan's colleague...
Suddenly remembering their department's team building event, it dawned on me, and I couldn't help but interject, "I think I've seen you before, probably at the farm stay?"
When Wang Xianjiao saw that Ji Meng had taken the initiative to start a conversation with her, her nervousness immediately dissipated.
She nodded eagerly in response, "Yes! Sister Meng! We even played mahjong together!"
Ji Meng said with a smile, "No wonder then. I was wondering why you looked so familiar... I didn't recognize you at first glance. Please don't be offended."
Wang Xianjiao quickly waved her hand: "Sister Meng, what are you saying? How could I be offended? There were so many people at the farmhouse at the time, and it's been quite a while, so it's perfectly normal that I didn't recognize you at first glance."
Ji Meng then said, "I remember you had pretty good luck back then."
Wang Xianjiao smiled slightly: "It seems that only my sister-in-law and I won money."
Ji Meng nodded after hearing this.
After a moment's thought, Wang Xianjiao did not try to get closer to Xing Yujia by using her status as a "young sapling." Instead, she frankly smiled and said, "Brother Yu asked me to help out at Su Su's studio. Maybe we'll be colleagues in the future."
Upon hearing this, Xing Yujia raised her eyebrows slightly, carefully examined Wang Xianjiao, and asked curiously, "Oh? You're the Jiaojiao that Sister Ru mentioned?"
Wang Xianjiao wasn't surprised that Xing Yujia knew about her existence.
With a smile, she calmly replied, "Yes, I submitted an event planning proposal to Sister Ru before, and I've also communicated with her online many times. I've always been looking forward to actually joining Su Su's studio; I feel it will definitely be a fantastic working environment."
"That's great! Susu has gained another capable assistant!" Ji Meng chimed in with a smile.
After these two encounters, Wang Xianjiao discovered that Ji Meng was not as aloof as she appeared when she was wearing a mask and taking photos to support Su Su. On the contrary, she was quite easygoing and very approachable.
Xing Yujia nodded in agreement and said to Wang Xianjiao, "Although Sister Susu is a big star and seems to be quiet in the public eye, she is actually very approachable and down-to-earth. You will definitely be able to integrate quickly after you arrive."
As they talked, one hot dish after another was served.
The rich and alluring fragrance filled the air, gently wafting into Wang Xianjiao's nostrils, making her feel a little hungry.
Wang Xianjiao suppressed her hunger and chatted happily with Ji Meng and Xing Yujia while subtly glancing in the direction of Brother Yu and Su Su.
Several people approached Susu with smiles on their faces, handing her red envelopes one after another. Among them was the cute little girl who called Brother Yu "godfather".
The couple, with sincere expressions and earnest words, politely declined everyone's kind offers.
Finally, having no other choice, Brother Yu picked up the little girl, faced the crowd, and raised his voice to say:
"Dear friends and family, we invited you all over for dinner today to celebrate the birthday of our beloved. We are already very happy that you could take time out of your busy schedules to come. As for red envelopes and gifts, please don't bother with them, otherwise it would be too formal!"
The voice just fell.
A man at the next table, sporting a large gold tooth, cheerfully chimed in, "Xiao Yu is right! Getting together happily, eating and drinking well, that's better than anything else!"
"Uncle is right!" Brother Yu replied half-jokingly.
For a time, the venue was filled with laughter and joy, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
……
"Life is a journey of no return—the good and the bad are all part of the scenery..."
The radio played the soothing and heartfelt song "Echoes of the Rainbow".
Wang Xianjiao sat upright, holding a pair of chopsticks in her hand, silently eating with her head down, but her gaze would occasionally drift to Susu and Brother Yu sitting at another table.
Su Su was smiling gently as she spoke softly with a graceful middle-aged woman, while Brother Yu occasionally chimed in. Wang Xianjiao watched this scene, a genuine, maternal smile naturally spreading across her face.
“I’ve actually been wondering if you’re the one in the group, ‘Jiaojiao who loves Susu’?” Xing Yujia suddenly nudged Wang Xianjiao’s arm with her elbow.
Wang Xianjiao snapped out of her daze and quickly swallowed the sour, spicy, and tender Dong'an chicken in her mouth.
Seeing Xing Yujia's curious expression, she readily admitted, "Yes, I've been a fan of Susu ever since she participated in 'The Voice of China.' I joined the Xingcheng support group the day it was registered..."
"Wow, you're such a loyal fan! And you even work in the same department as Brother Yu, what a coincidence with Sister Su!" Xing Yujia exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
Wang Xianjiao smiled gently and nodded, saying, "To be honest, I never expected that I would have the opportunity to join Susu's studio. It feels like a dream."
"Then you're definitely a winner in the world of fangirling! Not only do you get to get up close and personal with your idol, but you can also work together in the future." Just then, a young man sitting on the other side of Wang Xianjiao, with a distance between them, suddenly interjected in a muffled voice.
Even when he was sitting, he appeared tall and imposing, exuding a sense of power and presence.
Upon hearing the sound, Wang Xianjiao turned to look at the burly man with a face full of scars.
For some reason, she always felt that this person's features were inexplicably similar to Brother Yu's, especially that high, straight nose, which was almost identical...
She laughed heartily and replied, "Haha, I also feel incredibly lucky."
The man smiled, reached out with his chopsticks, skillfully twisted off the head of the steamed mandarin fish, placed it in a bowl, and then ate it with relish.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Wang Xianjiao couldn't help but ask, "What's your relationship with Brother Yu? Why do you two look so alike?"
Ji Meng was eating a mouthful of rice when she heard their conversation and couldn't help but interject, "He and Yu Huan are cousins."
"Oh!" Wang Xianjiao suddenly realized, "No wonder."
A slightly naive smile appeared on the man's face as he explained, "I can only say that we both look a bit like Grandpa."
After saying that, he lowered his head and spat out the fish bone in his mouth.
The people on both sides were easy to talk to, so Wang Xianjiao felt no longer reserved and said in a light tone, "Your family's genes are really strong. I just thought you and Brother Yu looked quite alike, especially your noses, they're practically identical. By the way, I still don't know how to address you."
"My name is Yu Songnian."
"Nice to meet you!" Wang Xianjiao replied with a smile, her words full of warmth.
Before she knew it, she had eaten five different dishes, and Wang Xianjiao felt much fuller in her stomach.
At that moment, she suddenly felt an urge to urinate. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to go to the restroom.
At the entrance to the banquet hall, a waitress stood quietly with a standard professional smile on her face.
Seeing Wang Xianjiao approach, she quickly and warmly opened a door and politely said, "Please come in, ma'am."
Wang Xianjiao returned a grateful smile, paused slightly, and asked softly, "Excuse me, where is the restroom?"
"Turn left when you go out, and you'll see it at the end," the young woman replied politely. Although her smile was somewhat formulaic, it still made people feel quite comfortable.
Wang Xianjiao stepped out of the banquet hall, turned left as instructed, and strolled leisurely down the spacious and bright corridor.
The carpet underfoot was soft and thick, and every step felt like walking on clouds, with almost no sound.
When she returned from the restroom, she immediately saw Shen Gang standing with his hands on his hips by the door, intently explaining something to several staff members.
Two handcarts were parked next to them.
One trolley displayed fruit platters, while another held a two-tiered birthday cake with delicate and exquisite frosting, looking very tempting.
Just as Wang Xianjiao approached, Shen Gang finished giving his instructions.
Upon catching a glimpse of her, Shen Gang's face instantly lit up with a charming smile. He nodded politely to her and naturally placed his hand on the doorknob, ready to open the door for her.
However, Wang Xianjiao stopped two steps away from him, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of illicit intent, "Xiaogang, it's me, Jiaojiao."
"Huh?" Shen Gang looked completely bewildered, his eyes filled with confusion.
He carefully observed Wang Xianjiao's serious expression, making sure she wasn't teasing him, and then asked, "Which Jiaojiao?"
Wang Xianjiao slightly turned her head, glanced at the staff members next to her without leaving a trace, coughed lightly, and said in a low voice, "That 'Jiaojiao who loves Susu' in the group."
“No…you…” Shen Gang wasn’t stupid. He reacted instantly, turned around and prepared to walk towards the front hall, saying, “Let’s find a place to talk.”
Wang Xianjiao understood immediately and nodded in agreement, "Okay."
The two of them walked hurriedly to the window in the front hall, one after the other.
Along the way, Shen Gang's mind raced, and he had already figured out some things.
Turning around, he grinned and said cheerfully, "Hey, we two active members of the chat group actually met offline in this kind of situation! I never expected it, Jiaojiao, you're actually like this in real life!"
Wang Xianjiao raised an eyebrow and asked with interest, "So what do you think I should look like?"
Shen Gang looked Wang Xianjiao up and down. She was about the same height as him and he estimated that she was at least 1.7 meters tall. He pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and said, "Well... anyway, she is not quite the same as your internet image. You should be a sharp-tongued little girl who is less than 1.5 meters tall."
After exchanging identities, the group members quickly became quite familiar with each other.
Wang Xianjiao didn't mince words, simply uttering a single word: "Get lost!"
Shen Gang didn't care at all. He just scratched his head and asked with curiosity in his eyes, "How come you came with our leader? You've been lying in wait! I thought you were just an ordinary sapling like us!"
"How am I not just an ordinary sapling? It just so happens that I work in the same unit as my boss! Besides, Su Su opened her own studio, and I'm going to go help out there! I'll mainly be in charge of the operations." Wang Xianjiao said, unconsciously raising her chin, a hint of undisguised smugness in her eyes.
Upon hearing this inside information, Shen Gang's eyes widened instantly, and his mouth opened in surprise into an "O" shape, as if it could fit an egg.
"Wow, Jiaojiao, you're amazing! So, does that mean you'll be in charge of all the fan clubs?"
Wang Xianjiao coughed lightly, feigning composure, and said, "This is just part of my job." (End of Chapter)