Pampered by Short-Lived Bigshot by Beautiful Crescent

Chapter 416: 267 A dog won’t bite the throat, personal debts are the hardest to pay (3 more updates)

After the engagement party, having sent off relatives and friends and seen the elders settled, Tang Wan had already booked a private room at the KTV next door; everyone decided to go there for a small gathering.

Shen Zhixian politely declined as she needed to take care of her children.

"The children can be taken care of by me; go and have fun with Xiaowu and the others." Fan Mingyu seldom saw her granddaughter, and though caring for the children was hard, she relished it.

The children, already worn out from playing, Taotao was lying in the old lady’s arms, fast asleep; otherwise, she would certainly have wanted to join the lively fun.

"Go on, it’s rare for you to be out," urged the old lady, and Shen Zhixian agreed but decided to wait until after the children had bathed and fallen asleep before leaving.

...

The KTV was next to the hotel in Pingjiang City; it was quite upscale, modest in facade, yet luxuriously understated inside.

Jiang Yanting had come with her and pushed open the door to the room; he immediately spotted Jiang Chengsi seated at the bar chair, monopolizing the karaoke machine, singing a Cantonese song with a voice that seemed destined for pop stardom; with his background in running bars, nightclubs, and clubs, he knew how to have fun and show others a good time.

"Big brother and sister-in-law are here! I specially picked a duet for you two," he said, swiftly switching the song to a popular duet that even children could hum a few lines to.

"I can’t—" Shen Zhixian started to refuse, but Jiang Chengsi had already handed them the microphone, "You both arrived late; normally, you’d be fined three drinks, but just singing a song isn’t too much, right?"

He was already sitting back on the sofa, casually opening a beer against the edge of the table with practiced ease, then drinking directly from the bottle.

His demeanor...

Truly carefree and uninhibited.

"Ms. Shen, sing one song. I’m not good at singing either, no worries, everyone here is family," Tang Wan said with a smile.

Shen Shuci sat quietly on a single seat sofa, simply listening and watching; she wasn’t familiar with anyone else, being Tang Wan’s aunt, and given the family hierarchy, no one dared call her out.

Qi Zeyan, always ready for fun and excitement, cheered them on to sing the duet, while Ruan Mengxi was enthusiastic but too timid to urge them on, especially considering it was the Jiang Family’s second master...

He looked genuinely rather fierce.

Shen Zhixian was now holding the microphone, her palms sweating, "I really can’t sing."

"Just hum a few lines then," Jiang Chengsi said with a smile, "however off-key, we won’t laugh at you."

Shen Zhixian had been pushed too far and, out of options, turned to Jiang Yanting for help.

"What’s there to fear? I’m with you."

very well..." Shen Zhixian kept

why are you whispering and flirting

and Tang Wan leaned in close to Jiang Jinsang, whispering,

Jiang Jinsang stayed silent.

and eagerly anticipating, knew that during holidays, the Xie Family also had gather-rounds where Shen Zhixian had been asked to sing, but her seniority was so high that after she refused a couple of times, no one dared to press further, and thus,

reluctantly followed the lyrics, singing a couple of lines; her tone

duet between a man and a woman, alternating lines, Jiang

Everyone was dumbstruck!

lines, he was still on key. But the tune Shen

Yanting, always steady, clinging to the melody, trying to guide her back on

struck a merciless

off-key, there’s no

held her laughter, having seen many tone-deaf singers on TV but never encountered one this off-key in

singer as being kissed by an angel, some might say she sounded chewed on by a dog;

dog wouldn’t bother chewing on

and wanted to correct herself, to follow Jiang Yanting’s melody, but just couldn’t make it;

"Stopping already?"

Isn’t that obvious?

Shen Zhixian said, both embarrassed

off, I’m here. Just follow

the microphone, and their conversation didn’t miss a beat, heard by everyone present. Except for

and detached Second

with such tenderness. Honestly, his own brother Jinsang, who had lived with him for so long, had never seen this side of him,

affection, it truly must be love," said Qi Zeyan, his

...

singing and drinking progressed, the atmosphere was cheerful. Jiang Chengsi

his speech, after his drunken episode, he returned kindness for ill treatment. He’d been beaten up and left at the door by some shameless person, and

"Miss Shen, there was some misunderstanding before. I owe you an apology. Later,

coughed, "Actually, your

leaving me at the door

explain things, feeling it wasn’t good to let

drink, and you can do as you

that, he turned and

and given how he had treated her before, perhaps it was just

which she didn’t like,

of steps and sat

wouldn’t say much about that

got married, his aunt is now