MGASC -Chapter 237 So Embarrassing, Like a Show-Off

The next day, when she dragged her sore, aching waist to the restaurant, she felt like castrating Lin Tianyue.

Early in the morning, the waiters were still busy preparing for opening—some wiping tables, some sweeping the floor.

Zhang Ling was surrounded by Manager Ren and two waitresses, who were holding her hand and examining it like it was something rare.

“Sister Ling, this bracelet is gorgeous. It’s real gold, right?”

“It looks even bigger and heavier than Sister Qiaoqiao’s.”

“Sister Ling, hurry up and confess—who gave it to you?”

“Who else could it be? Isn’t it obvious?”

Zhang Ling had never been the center of attention like this before. She was so embarrassed she wished she could hide her wrist altogether.

“Don’t talk nonsense. It’s fake. Just something for fun.”

“Mm-hmm, right, fake. Definitely fake.” Ren Hong winked mischievously at the others.

“Sister Ling, then tell us where you bought this fake bracelet. I’ll get one for the New Year too.”

Zhang Ling was rendered speechless. She regretted wearing it out so openly.

At noon, when she heard that Zhang Qiao had come with Xia Xia, she went to the office to see the child.

Zhang Qiao spotted the bracelet on her wrist at a glance. “Sister, that bracelet is nice.”

Zhang Ling had already endured a whole morning of attention. Facing Zhang Qiao, she still felt awkward and instinctively pulled her hand back. “Just for fun.”

“Sister, that’s gold!”

Zhang Ling’s face flushed even redder. She picked up Xia Xia to distract herself. “Uh… probably not.”

At that point, she couldn’t hide it anymore. Seeing there were no outsiders, she stretched her hand out to Zhang Qiao. “Qiaoqiao, I don’t understand these things. Help me take a look—do you think it’s real or fake?”

Zhang Qiao saw how serious her sister looked and smiled meaningfully.

Seems like the rough guy’s method worked. The fact that her sister wore the bracelet so openly meant she had, in her own way, accepted Jin Quan.

But her sister was timid. When Jin Quan gave it to her, he probably said it was fake so she wouldn’t be afraid to wear it.

Holding her hand, Zhang Qiao examined it carefully. “Hard to say. It does look real.”

She muttered inwardly—where would you even find fakes these days? Of course it’s real.

Zhang Ling grew nervous. “Qiaoqiao, if it’s real, how much would it cost? Wouldn’t it be very expensive?”

Zhang Qiao waved a hand. “Oh, who cares whether it’s real or fake? If you like it, just wear it. Even if it’s real, we can afford it. If it’s fake, then all the more reason to wear it freely. It looks good, Sis. It’s New Year—just keep it on.”

Zhang Ling listened in a daze and still couldn’t figure out whether it was real or not.

Soon it was the end of the year. Kemanlou Restaurant closed for the holidays, and Lin Tianyue’s trading company also temporarily suspended operations. The streets and alleys were filled with festive cheer, brimming with the spirit of the New Year.

Though Zhang Qiao came from the advanced 21st century, in her time fireworks were banned during the Spring Festival. With technology and the internet so developed, hardly anyone watched TV anymore. Even on New Year’s Eve, when families gathered together, everyone just scrolled on their phones. The Spring Festival Gala was nothing more than background noise.

But now things were different. People’s lives had only just begun to improve. They usually couldn’t bear to eat well or buy new clothes, but during the New Year, they would splurge a little—buy a new outfit, cook a few good meals, purchase treats they normally wouldn’t indulge in, and give children some lucky money. Even three or five yuan would be treasured by the kids.

No wonder people said, “Happy as if it were New Year.”

This was Zhang Qiao’s first New Year here. Surrounded by the festive atmosphere, she felt as if she had returned to her childhood. Everything was simple and sincere. People were genuinely happy. When acquaintances met on the street, they greeted each other with “Happy New Year.” Friends would casually stuff a few candies or a handful of sunflower seeds into each other’s pockets—small gestures that brought special joy.

Before the New Year, Zhang Qiao brought gifts to visit Grandma Gu.

Despite their age gap, the two had become close friends thanks to their similar tastes.

Grandma Gu had heard about the outrageous things Gu Junye had done. She felt deeply apologetic to Zhang Qiao and kept complaining about her troublesome grandson. Before Zhang Qiao left, she even insisted on stuffing a red envelope into her hands.

Passing by Yuehai Hui on her way back, Zhang Qiao saw it still shuttered, no longer as glorious as before. Thinking of the disappointment in Grandma Gu’s eyes, she felt a bit regretful.

She thought that if Gu Junye stopped bothering her after the New Year, she would let bygones be bygones for Grandma Gu’s sake.

After all, in business, harmony was most important.

When Kemanlou closed, Zhang Ling was among the last to leave. That day, as the boss, Lin Tianyue treated his employees to a meal at the restaurant.

Gu Yu and Jin Quan both came.

Zhang Ling and several waitresses who lived in the city bustled about serving everyone. Jin Quan arrived last. As he took his seat, she was pouring water for everyone. The gold bracelet on her wrist occasionally knocked against the teapot with a crisp clinking sound.

Jin Quan glanced at her porcelain-white wrist several times. When he looked up, Lin Tianyue shot him a sly look.

Jin Quan lowered his head and took a shallow sip of tea.

Lin Tianyue said, “Brother Quan, the tea’s fragrant, isn’t it? Qiaoqiao just brought it in before the New Year. Said it’s the best kind—what’s it called again, Sis?”

Suddenly called out, Zhang Ling’s heart skipped. “Oh, Qiaoqiao said it’s Jin Junmei.”

“Right, that’s it.”

Before Jin Quan could respond, Zhang Ling fled as if escaping.

She felt so embarrassed, like some kind of attention-seeker.

Since he arrived, Jin Quan hadn’t spoken to her at all, and yet she had gone up to serve him, making a spectacle of herself.

Objectively, it hadn’t been many days since they last met, but to Zhang Ling, it felt like a long time.

She was wearing a white sweater today with ruffled cuffs that stopped at her mid-forearm, making the bright golden bracelet especially eye-catching.

Sitting there, she rubbed the bracelet on her left wrist with her right hand.

Did he understand what she meant? What if he didn’t?

She felt awkward—like she had deliberately tried to seduce someone, only to be seen through at a glance and still fail.

Sigh. Might as well bang her head against a block of tofu.

After sitting for a while, someone from the kitchen called her, and she went back to help again.

Several times she felt uncomfortable enough to take the bracelet off, but after gritting her teeth, she kept it on.

The kitchen was short-staffed, and she worked until two in the afternoon.

She headed toward the dormitory, dejected, planning to rest a while. Just as she reached the door, she suddenly sensed something was off.

Looking up, she saw Jin Quan leaning against the door to her dorm, smoking.

He was slightly hunched, his loose coat hanging from his shoulders. Half of him was in shadow, half bathed in the afternoon sunlight. His expression was unreadable; his sharp profile looked distant and hard to approach.

The moment she saw him, Zhang Ling wanted to run—but his sharp voice came from behind her.

“Where are you going?”

Her back stiffened. She stopped and slowly turned around.

“Come here.”

Jin Quan straightened up and ordered.

Though she didn’t like his tone, her feet moved honestly toward him.

When she was still two or three steps away, she stopped and looked up at him. Unexpectedly, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward, pulling her straight into his chest.