Strategy to Tame My Dimwitted Older Sister A - Chapter 39

The person who arrived was Ruan Manxiang.

Dressed in a neutral white gown with a purple rose brooch pinned to her chest, she looked strikingly dashing.

Of course, the effect might have been better if someone else had worn it.

Chu Nanqiao stepped down from the swing, her mood instantly plummeting to rock bottom. “What are you doing here?!”

The back garden was usually Chu Nanqiao’s private domain. Apart from Chu Muqing and Xu Qing, anyone else who wanted to enter needed her permission.

But today was the Chu family banquet, so Chu Nanqiao couldn’t enforce that rule, giving Ruan Manxiang the opportunity to slip in.

“The villa was a bit stuffy, so I came out for some fresh air. I didn’t expect to find you here, Qiaoqiao.”

Chu Nanqiao absolutely did not believe this excuse.

The back garden was quite a distance from the villa. Unless someone deliberately came looking, there was no way they would stumble upon her here. Did Ruan Manxiang really think she was a three-year-old child?

Just as Chu Nanqiao was about to say something, Li Ai stepped in front of her, blocking Ruan Manxiang’s line of sight. With a cold tone, she said, “Miss Ruan, there are only two omegas here. Isn’t it inappropriate for an alpha like you to barge in?”

Li Ai and Chu Nanqiao were complete opposites in personality not only was she short-tempered, but she was also fiercely assertive. She preferred action over words, and most alphas couldn’t handle her, some even developing a psychological fear of her.

Ruan Manxiang had heard plenty of gossip about Li Ai from other alphas, all of which boiled down to one piece of advice, steer clear if possible.

What Ruan Manxiang hadn’t expected was how close Chu Nanqiao and Li Ai were. Despite their vastly different personalities, they got along surprisingly well.

“Third Young Miss, I mean no harm, so don’t misunderstand. I really didn’t come here with any ulterior motives toward Qiaoqiao. Like I said, I just found the villa too stifling and came out for some air. I didn’t expect to run into you two.”

Li Ai couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. “Do all alphas love lying this much? How far the villa is from the back garden, we both know the answer. Whether you came here on purpose or not, you know it better than we do. We’re all seasoned foxes here, so spare us the act. And let me give you a piece of advice, Miss Ruan: stay away from Qiaoqiao. She already has an alpha she likes, and it’s not you. Stop dreaming about things that’ll never happen, it’ll do you good.”

Ruan Manxiang knew she had met her match, but she didn’t lose her temper. Instead, she seized on a loophole and countered, “I already knew yesterday that Qiaoqiao has someone she likes. But there’s one thing I’m really curious about, if she’s already with that alpha, why didn’t he show up at such an important event like the Chu family banquet? Or is it that Qiaoqiao isn’t actually with him? Or maybe that alpha doesn’t really care about her at all?”

The words struck right at the most painful spot in Chu Nanqiao’s heart. Yet, at the same time, she was relieved that Bai Xia hadn’t come. This way, she could keep up the pretense and force Ruan Manxiang to back off.

Her small hand lightly tugged at Li Ai’s sleeve, and she stood on tiptoe to whisper in her ear, “X-Xiao Ai, don’t hold back on my account. Say whatever you want. I hate her!”

Li Ai had initially been worried about causing trouble for Chu Nanqiao, so she had been careful with her words. But now that Chu Nanqiao had handed her the reins, she no longer had any reservations.

Seizing the opportunity from Ruan Manxiang’s words, Li Ai retorted directly, “Miss Ruan, are you asking that because you’re jealous? Just because she didn’t come doesn’t mean she doesn’t care about Qiaoqiao. How ridiculous of you to say such a thing! And you deliberately came to the garden, doesn’t that prove you have ulterior motives toward Qiaoqiao? Should I go tell Uncle Xu Chu and Aunt Xu right now and have you publicly shamed?”

“Besides, what does a couple’s business have to do with you? Even if that alpha doesn’t care about Qiaoqiao, that’s for Qiaoqiao to handle. As an outsider, you should keep your mouth shut!”

Her words struck a nerve with Ruan Manxiang’s pride, and her expression darkened instantly. But she couldn’t afford to lose her temper outright, so she suppressed her emotions and replied, “Third Young Miss, I’ve already said I meant no harm. It’s just that Qiaoqiao is quite naive, and I was worried she might get hurt. I was merely expressing concern.”

Li Ai scoffed, her gaze growing even more disdainful. “Miss Ruan, I’ve heard from others that you once pursued Qiaoqiao in public but were rejected by her. Is that true? I also heard that because she turned you down, you used your alpha pheromones to pressure her into submission. That happened too, didn’t it?”

Chu Nanqiao froze.

She had never told anyone about this not even her parents. How did Li Ai know?

“Xiao… Xiao Ai, you!”

Li Ai turned to reassure her. “Don’t worry. If she bullied you, I’ll make sure she pays for it.”

Chu Nanqiao had thought no one would care about such matters after all, if she didn’t speak up, no one would know what had happened to her. A warm feeling spread through her chest. “Thank you, Xiao Ai.”

Li Ai smiled. “Aren’t we best friends? If someone bullies you, it’s only natural for me to stand up for you. No need to thank me.”

With that, she turned back and stepped closer to Ruan Manxiang. “Miss Ruan, don’t think people can’t see through your little schemes. You just want to use Qiaoqiao as a stepping stone for the Ruan family’s rise, don’t you? Well, let me tell you, dream on! You’d better give up now, or else I won’t hesitate to get involved. And if that happens, things won’t be as easy as they are now.”

Ruan Manxiang clenched her fists unconsciously. She didn’t want to engage with Li Ai after all, if an alpha stooped to arguing with an omega, it would only prove how useless that alpha was. “Third Young Miss, you should have evidence before making accusations. Do you have any proof for what you just said?”

She smirked, exuding an air of confidence.

This only fueled Li Ai’s irritation. The tension between them was like a ticking time bomb, its fuse already sizzling, just waiting for a spark to ignite.

But at that moment, Chu Nanqiao’s phone buzzed with a notification.

The sound instantly shattered the tension between Li Ai and Ruan Manxiang.

When she opened her phone, she saw a message from Xu Mo:

[Nanqiao, I’ve brought the person you asked for. We’ll be there in ten minutes!]

“Actually, Xiaxia really has something to do tonight. She only agreed to stay at your place for half an hour.”

“And also, she said she won’t go inside. Since it’s your family’s party, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her, as an outsider, to join. She’ll just wait for you outside the villa.”

“That’s all I can do for you, junior. Hope you two have a pleasant chat tonight!”

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