HBWMA -Chapter 295 We Are Friends

The Zhou butler led the two of them into the side hall.

Inside, Madam Zhou was playing mahjong with a few friends. Seeing them enter, she quickly asked the maid to watch her tiles and stood up to greet them.

“Miaomiao, why didn’t you say you were coming in advance?” Madam Zhou looked at Jiang Huashan curiously. “If I’m not mistaken, you should be the young lady of the Shen family—you’re also called Shanshan, right?”

Madam Zhou had met Jiang Huashan before. At the Shen family’s night banquet three years ago, Jiang Huashan’s opening dance had left a deep impression on her.

“Hello, Aunt Zhou. My name is Jiang Huashan.”

A hint of surprise flashed in Madam Zhou’s eyes. Three years ago, she had thought the girl looked a bit immature, but she had grown beautifully since then.

“Good girl.” Madam Zhou warmly invited them to sit, while the maids hurriedly poured tea and brought fruit plates.

Su Miao glanced upstairs. “Aunt Zhou, where is A-Shan? There was a school project today, so I brought it over for her.”

How could Madam Zhou not understand what these little girls were thinking? She patted Su Miao’s hand. “How thoughtful of you.”

Then she turned to the maid beside her. “Where is the young lady? Didn’t I tell you to go invite her ten minutes ago?”

The maid looked troubled and leaned closer to Madam Zhou, lowering her voice. “Third Madam won’t let the young lady see guests. She also said the young lady has become disobedient because she’s been associating with the wrong kind of friends.”

Madam Zhou’s expression changed slightly. This was ridiculous.

Su Miao looked at them. “Aunt Zhou, what’s wrong?”

Madam Zhou quickly composed herself. “Shanshan caught a cold last night and isn’t feeling well right now. She already knows your kindness. When she recovers in a few days, you girls can get together again.”

“Oh~ I see.”

Su Miao pretended to drink water, then glanced at Jiang Huashan.

Jiang Huashan stood up, speaking irritably, “Why are you looking at me? Let’s go. Are you going to keep flattering someone who doesn’t even want to see you?”

Su Miao spat out her water, staring blankly at Jiang Huashan.

Madam Zhou was stunned as well, not expecting such a blunt reaction. She smiled awkwardly. “What’s going on here?”

Jiang Huashan said, “Aunt Zhou, there’s no need to cover for Zhou Qishan. If she doesn’t want to see me, I don’t particularly want to see her either. Please help us pass on a message—since she won’t accept an apology in person, then from now on we’ll go our separate ways. We’re no longer friends.”

Madam Zhou looked completely confused. How did it suddenly become “not friends”?

Su Miao looked at Jiang Huashan with admiration. Amazing. Zero preparation, straight to the point—worth every cent of that hundred-thousand.

Jiang Huashan kicked her lightly on the leg. “What are you standing there for? Are we leaving or not?”

“Leave, leave, leave!” Su Miao said indignantly. “I’m going to tell my grandfather that Zhou Qishan looks down on me—and the Zhou family looks down on the Su family!”

“Who said the Zhou family looks down on the Su family?”

Zhou Guochao leaned on his walking stick and slowly walked down from the second floor.

Madam Zhou hurried forward to support him. “Dad.”

The ladies who had been playing mahjong immediately stood up and greeted respectfully, “Old Master.”

Zhou Guochao nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping between Jiang Huashan and Su Miao before finally settling on Jiang Huashan’s face.

“So you are the apple of Shen Zhuang’s eye? Your grandfather even called and scolded my entire Zhou family across three generations just to vent for you.”

Su Miao quickly smiled to smooth things over. “Hello, Grandpa Zhou.”

Jiang Huashan nodded slightly. “Hello, Grandpa Zhou. I’m Jiang Huashan.”

Zhou Guochao allowed Madam Zhou to support him as he sat down, then asked knowingly, “What were you just arguing about?”

Madam Zhou glanced at the two of them, about to speak, but Jiang Huashan beat her to it.

“Grandpa Zhou, we wanted to see Zhou Qishan.”

Zhou Guochao looked at her with a faint smile.

“Weren’t you just saying… you’re no longer friends?”

Jiang Huashan met Zhou Guochao’s gaze head-on without the slightest fear.

“Grandpa Zhou should know those were just angry words. The real purpose is to see her.”

Zhou Guochao remained flawless and composed. “I already told you just now, Shan Shan caught a chill. She’ll be fine in a few days.”

“Don’t try to bully us just because we’re young!” Jiang Huashan didn’t even bother responding to what he said and shot back directly. “I’ve never heard of someone catching a cold so bad they can’t even answer the phone. Now that we’ve come all the way here, you’re still making excuses and refusing to let us see her. It’s hard not to suspect something.”

In an instant, the entire hall fell into an eerie silence.

Madam Zhou looked at Jiang Huashan in shock. In the Zhou family, aside from Zhou Yanheng, no one dared speak to Zhou Guochao like that—not even Zhou Yuanzheng.

Su Miao glanced at Jiang Huashan silently. After a brief hesitation, she chimed in, “She’s right.”

Zhou Guochao’s expression remained unchanged. “Suspect what?”

Jiang Huashan said, “That you’re detaining and mistreating Zhou Qishan.”

“!” Madam Zhou, a traditional woman, was completely stunned by Jiang Huashan’s boldness. She quickly turned to Zhou Guochao. “Dad, they—”

Zhou Guochao raised a hand to stop her. “Even if that’s the case, what can you do? Qishan is a child of the Zhou family. Naturally, she will be disciplined by us.”

Was that even human speech?

Su Miao’s anger flared instantly.

“You—how can you say that!! Do you even know what Qishan is like normally… she respects you so much as her grandfather… she works so hard every day… she—”

Damn it, just say it properly!

Su Miao was about to explode with frustration. Every time she got emotional, her mouth just couldn’t keep up with her brain.

“….”

Jiang Huashan couldn’t stand watching anymore and covered her mouth, stepping in to respond.

“Not happening! Then we’ll just file a lawsuit and accuse the Zhou family of abusing a minor. No matter what, we’re getting Zhou Qishan out.”

“Mm-hmm!” Su Miao nodded vigorously, pulling Jiang Huashan’s hand away. “Me too.”

A hint of something unreadable flashed in Zhou Guochao’s eyes. “You want to save her—even if it means going against the Zhou family?”

Jiang Huashan replied, “We are her friends. It has nothing to do with the Zhou family. Of course we’ll help her.”

The tension in Madam Zhou’s chest slowly eased. She let out a soft sigh. “Dad, should I go call Qishan?”

Zhou Guochao waved his hand. “Fine. Didn’t you hear what they said? They’re here as friends, nothing to do with the Zhou family. Tell the third daughter-in-law to calm down, and take them to Qishan’s room.”

Madam Zhou was slightly surprised, then smiled with relief and waved them over. “Come on.”

Seeing that their goal had been achieved, Su Miao quietly gave Jiang Huashan a thumbs-up. Jiang Huashan slapped her hand away and glanced back at Zhou Guochao.

In her previous life, after something happened to Zhou Qishan, Zhou Guochao immediately launched retaliation against the Su family. At the time, everyone in elite circles said Zhou Guochao had made a strategic mistake—but her grandfather had sighed and said, “That wasn’t strategy. That was love.”

She didn’t believe Zhou Guochao.

But she believed her grandfather.

And as it turned out, her grandfather had indeed been right—within Zhou Guochao’s rare moments of sincerity, Zhou Qishan held a place, and not a small one. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said so much today.

A black-and-red Phantom sped down the road. The electronic iron gates slowly opened from both sides. The car surged forward like a beast, executed a smooth 180-degree drift, and came to a steady stop.

“Young Master.”

The butler hurried forward.

Zhou Yanheng got out of the car, casually glancing at the garage. “There are guests at home?”

He immediately recognized the Su family’s car.

The butler nodded. “Yes. Miss Su and Miss Jiang from the Shen family have come to visit Miss Qishan.”

Zhou Yanheng paused mid-step. He turned back slightly.

“The Shen family’s Miss Jiang?”