Chapter 968: Showing Off Intentionally

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Su Jing turned to leave with Gu Zi but remembered her earlier instructions. Quietly, yet deliberately, she muttered, “Sister-in-law, if she doesn’t want to accept it, so be it. After all, she’s the one who started this mess. I haven’t even mentioned how she falsely accused me! You weren’t even home when she came by. I explained everything, and she flat-out called me a liar. Forget it—let’s take the cake back and eat it ourselves. A woman as unreasonable as her doesn’t deserve something this good anyway.”

Huang Fei had initially planned to deliver a few more sharp remarks to assert her dominance over Gu Zi, but she hadn’t expected them to simply leave—taking the exquisitely crafted cake with them.

Panic flashed across her face for a brief moment, quickly replaced by irritation. That little wench Su Jing was fanning the flames now, spurring Gu Zi to leave. Her fingers curled into fists at the thought of missing out on that coveted dessert.

From the moment she had moved into this neighborhood, Huang Fei had tried, and failed, to get the upper hand over Gu Zi. Not once had she managed to gain the upper hand in their petty skirmishes. But to let this cake, crafted by Gu Zi’s own hands, slip through her grasp? That was unacceptable.

For all her disdain for Gu Zi, Huang Fei couldn’t deny Gu Zi’s unparalleled talent in baking—those cakes of hers were the stuff of legend, utterly impossible to replicate or purchase elsewhere.

Huang Fei shot a pointed glance at her housekeeper. Catching on immediately, the housekeeper hurried to intercept the guests. “Oh, please stay!” she called out, forcing a conciliatory smile.

Gu Zi and Su Jing paused, letting themselves be persuaded without much resistance.

Huang Fei, now with a slightly more affable expression, stepped forward and said, “Gu Zi, you’re right—this really isn’t a big deal. No need to blow it out of proportion. I’ll accept the cake, and let’s just pretend none of this ever happened. We’re neighbors, after all. All I ask is that you teach your sister-in-law to be a little less confrontational in the future.”

The housekeeper, taking her cue, eagerly reached out to collect the cake from Gu Zi, who relinquished it without protest.

Smiling politely, Gu Zi said, “Well, I must say, I didn’t expect us to make peace so quickly. Perhaps this is a turning point for us. If you ever host a housewarming party, I trust you’ll invite the Su family as a gesture of goodwill?”

Huang Fei’s eyes flickered with a hint of suspicion. A housewarming party? Why bring that up? Then she remembered that the Su family had recently hosted one of their own. Perhaps Gu Zi was merely making small talk. Brushing it off, she replied, “Oh, we hadn’t planned on having one, actually. You see, we’re originally from the capital, and we don’t have many friends or family in this area. Moving here was only because of my husband’s work transfer.”

“We’ll eventually return to the capital,” she continued breezily. “There’s no point in throwing a party here. Besides, my husband is so busy with work, and I’m not the sort to bother with organizing events like that. He wouldn’t even let me lift a finger for something so trivial. He’s always been like that—even when we were dating, he promised I’d never have to tire myself out after marriage. And he’s kept his word. We’re very much in love.”

The timing couldn’t have been better. Gu Zi seized the opportunity to prod further, her tone light but pointed. “So both of you are natives of the capital? That’s quite impressive. But doesn’t this constant relocating make things rather unstable? My husband’s work in business is much more flexible—we have the freedom to settle down in one place. It’s certainly less disruptive for the kids.”

Standing off to the side, Su Jing was utterly baffled. What was the point of all this chit-chat? Wasn’t Gu Zi just showing off now? This isn’t like her at all!

Yet, as Huang Fei basked in her smug superiority, Su Jing had to admit that her preening was oddly amusing. If she were a man, she might even find Huang Fei’s haughty mannerisms charming.@@novelbin@@

What Su Jing failed to realize was that Gu Zi’s apparent indulgence in petty rivalry was a calculated move to lower Huang Fei’s defenses.

Sure enough, the strategy worked like a charm. Huang Fei, now completely at ease, didn’t sense any ulterior motive as she replied, “Oh, my husband’s job is perfectly stable. This is the first time he’s been transferred out of the capital, and it was entirely his own choice. We’ve been together since high school, you know. He comes from an excellent family with a stellar background. After graduating, he stayed in the capital to work and, of course, to marry me. We’ve never really left—until now.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Huang Fei’s son, Xu Sheng, who had just finished his assignments upstairs.

Hearing his mother recount the story of her idyllic romance for what felt like the hundredth time, he rolled his eyes and approached. “Mom, what should I work on next?” he asked, his voice carrying a faint edge of impatience.

Gu Zi and Su Jing’s attention immediately shifted to the boy. Both women scrutinized him carefully, their gazes lingering. Gu Zi noticed something she hadn’t paid attention to before—a striking resemblance between Xu Sheng and her children, particularly Su Le. It was uncanny.

Her mind raced as an old saying echoed in her memory: daughters resemble their fathers. If Xu Sheng truly were Xu Ye’s son, his resemblance to Su Le would make perfect sense.

Su Jing, meanwhile, was frozen in place. The moment she saw Xu Sheng, she felt as though she were staring straight into a reflection of Xu Ye himself.

That same air, those features—it was unmistakable. In that instant, she became almost certain: Xu Sheng’s father had to be Xu Ye.