Reborn as a Rich Woman in the Eighties
Chapter 565 - 564: Didn’t Expect You to Be So Open-Minded

Chapter 565: Chapter 564: Didn’t Expect You to Be So Open-Minded

Jiang Mingyuan knew that Chen Gang had also tampered with the toys, and without waiting for Lin Xia to answer, he continued to ask, "How much inventory do you still have left?"

"Just a little bit left! Not much!" Lin Xia said, "Second Brother! The reason I came to see you isn’t about this!"

Lin Xia had always felt that birth, aging, sickness, and death, joy, and separation were the norms of human life.

If they didn’t happen close to her, she wouldn’t feel too affected.

However, Ji Man was an acquaintance of Lin Xia, and her ordeal left Lin Xia unsettled for a long time.

Her decision to see Jiang Mingyuan was made after much deliberation.

Ji Man might have told her about the incident but probably didn’t have the courage to confront Jiang Mingyuan directly.

But, from what Lin Xia inferred from Ji Man, both she and Jiang Mingyuan ought to feel guilty toward her.

Sometimes, the unaware are at greatest risk from those who scheme, so Lin Xia wanted to give Jiang Mingyuan a heads-up to keep him informed.

"Oh? What is it then?" Jiang Mingyuan appeared all ears.

Lin Xia pursed her lips, "It’s about Ji Man! She came to my house yesterday to find me!"

Jiang Mingyuan closed the notebook on the table and asked leisurely, "What did she want with you?"

He knew Ji Man was interested in him, but he really didn’t reciprocate.

Just as Ji Man saw him with Song Zhiya together and asked about their relationship on the spot.

He had answered honestly, only to see Ji Man walk away distraught.

Now that Lin Xia brought up Ji Man, he assumed it was because Ji Man, unwilling to give up, had said something to Lin Xia.

"She..." Lin Xia was just about to speak.

The office door was suddenly pushed open, and Song Zhiya entered smiling broadly.

She was surprised to see Lin Xia there and smiled, "Lin Xia! When did you get here?"

Lin Xia turned and smiled at her, "Cousin! I just arrived a little while ago!"

"I thought so!" Song Zhiya walked straight over to Jiang Mingyuan and stood by his side, "Why didn’t you just stay home and catch up on some sleep if you didn’t sleep well last night?"

"I came to see Second Brother for something!" Lin Xia replied, but didn’t specify what.

Since Ji Man’s matter was best kept confidential with as few people knowing as possible, Lin Xia did not want to tell Song Zhiya.

Jiang Mingyuan picked up on Lin Xia’s intentions, looked up gently at Song Zhiya beside him, and said, "Zhiya! Why don’t you wait downstairs for a while? Lin Xia and I have something to discuss."

He had a hunch that what Lin Xia wanted to discuss wasn’t appropriate for Song Zhiya to hear.

Song Zhiya paused, surprised that there was something Jiang Mingyuan and Lin Xia needed to discuss that she shouldn’t hear.

Curious, yet discerning, she quickly agreed, "Okay! I’ll head downstairs then! You two chat away!"

Jiang Mingyuan and Lin Xia both nodded with a smile, "Great!"

Once Song Zhiya had left, Jiang Mingyuan spoke again, "What did she say?"

Lin Xia paused for a moment, then simply told Jiang Mingyuan about Ji Man’s situation.

Jiang Mingyuan listened quietly, first shocked, then melancholic.

Who could have imagined that Ji Man would encounter such an ordeal!

He was silent for a while before saying, "No wonder, some time ago, I heard your godmother mentioning that Xu Haimin injured his leg!"

At the time, he had only half-listened and hadn’t paid much attention.

"Xu Haimin deserves it! Second Brother, he and people like Xu Haihua are simply wolves in sheep’s clothing!" Lin Xia had never liked Xu Haimin and Xu Haihua.

Now, with what had happened to Ji Man, her disdain for them had intensified.

After sharing their thoughts for a while, Lin Xia continued discussing the matter of Ji Man believing she and Jiang Mingyuan had wronged her.

This was what troubled her the most.

She even questioned herself, wondering if she was too cold-hearted.

Having heard everything, Jiang Mingyuan couldn’t help but marvel at the differences between individuals.

He could see Lin Xia’s distress and hesitation, so after pondering for a while, he said, "Lin Xia! Her experiences are indeed worth sympathizing with!"

It was indeed because of you and me that we met Xu Haimin!

But for such things to happen, it’s not our fault!

You mustn’t overthink it!

I think, from now on, it’s better for us to act as if nothing had happened.

However, if she encounters any difficulties, we should help her if we can.

We should never let her feel that we will fulfill her every request out of guilt..."

"Big Brother! I know! I actually understand the reasoning! But I can’t help but feel sympathy for her!"

After talking with Mingyuan, Lin Xia’s mood became much calmer.

...

Even after hearing the same response from Lin Xia and Xiao Bai, Zhiya still felt something was off.

Perhaps these two were conspiring to keep something from her? But she was always carefree and optimistic, so she stopped caring after a couple of days.

A few days later, Ji Man came to eat at Mingyuan’s restaurant.

It just so happened that Mingyuan was out, and Zhiya was at the bar doing the accounts.

Zhiya glanced at Ji Man and continued with her work, not wanting to interact with her.

Ji Man, seeing Zhiya acting like the boss lady, felt resentment filling her heart.

No matter how she looked, she felt that this woman did not deserve Mingyuan.

Her eyes flashed, and she stepped forward, "May I have a word with you?"

Zhiya raised an eyebrow, "What do you want to talk about?"

Ji Man pretended to be profound, "There are some things, I wonder if you are aware of them?"

Zhiya mocked her, "Are you speaking in riddles? What’s this about knowing or not knowing?"

Ji Man crossed her arms and huffed, "I doubt you would know!"

Although Zhiya was curious, she didn’t want Ji Man to gloat and lead her by the nose.

This woman had always liked Mingyuan and was her rival in love.

Zhiya gave her an impatient glare, "Stop beating around the bush! Just say it if you have something to say; otherwise, leave it and don’t disturb my accounting!"

"Do you know why Mingyuan, being so old, has never had a girlfriend?"

"Because he hasn’t met the right one," Zhiya responded nonchalantly.

Ji Man scoffed, "You really are naive! I’ll tell you the answer," she deliberately leaned closer to the bar and whispered just loud enough for them both to hear, "because Mingyuan has always liked Lin Xia!"

If she couldn’t fully disrupt Mingyuan’s potential relationship with this woman, she was determined to make Lin Xia and her turn against each other and create a rift.

After all, she wouldn’t let them be happy!

"Stop trying to sow discord here! Even if he likes her, so what? My cousin is already married now."

Ji Man saw a slightly unusual expression in Zhiya’s eyes, reaching her goal, she mocked with a sneer, "I didn’t expect you to be so open-minded! Since you don’t care, I have nothing more to say!

I can only add one more thing, I don’t know whether he still likes Lin Xia now, but he used to like her very much, even willing to do anything for her."

Zhiya watched Ji Man’s retreating figure, deep in thought.

Actually, when they first met, she had felt that Mingyuan and Lin Xia’s relationship was not ordinary.

Back then, he always silently directed his gaze towards Lin Xia, yet she could tell that Lin Xia only had brotherly feelings towards Mingyuan, nothing more.

Ji Man purposely told her these things, clearly also trying to stir up trouble between her and her cousin.

How could she possibly fall for that?

Yet, inevitably, there was still a bit of discomfort in her heart.

After all, Mingyuan was now her boyfriend, and who wouldn’t want their boyfriend to have only them in their heart?