When Bai Mangguo heard Jiang Fei call Jing Ran a “show-off,” she indeed felt a bit uncomfortable.
Ye Yuanyuan could joke like that, and she couldn’t do much about it, but if anyone else made such a comment, she wouldn’t be happy. So, from the start, she had wanted to give Jiang Fei a little payback and make him lose face. Even if Jiang Fei had prepared a birthday gift, it definitely wouldn’t be as extravagant as the gemstone Jing Ran had given. If Jiang Fei presented his gift right after Jing Ran, the stark contrast would surely make him look bad.
Of course, Bai Mangguo hadn’t initially planned to humiliate Jiang Fei too much—it was more of a playful prank. After Ye Yuanyuan stepped in to defend Jiang Fei, she could have let it go, especially since Qiao Yiyi also came to Jiang Fei’s rescue.
Bai Mangguo genuinely liked Jing Ran—so much so that if he were willing, she would marry him on the spot. But even though she adored Jing Ran, she wouldn’t let a casual comment like “show-off” ruin her decades-long friendship with Ye Yuanyuan or embarrass her in front of everyone.
The reason she kept pressing Jiang Fei was that she was curious. She wanted to see what kind of man could make Ye Yuanyuan mention him so often.
After their first meeting and her initial assessment, Bai Mangguo was disappointed by Jiang Fei’s appearance but even more intrigued by his abilities.
What kind of man, who seemed so ordinary compared to the elites in their circle, could make Ye Yuanyuan, of all people, feel so helpless?
After all, their circle wasn’t just filled with idle, spoiled rich kids. In fact, those who truly wasted their time and had no real skills wouldn’t even be able to enter their social circle.
Among their friends, there were certainly some who were arrogant, but they also had genuine talents—whether in business, politics, or other fields—and had achieved notable success.
The average person might think of wealthy heirs as nothing more than playboys with no real skills, but they often forget that the parents of these heirs aren’t fools. They wouldn’t raise their children to be useless.
Take Jing Ran, for example, the so-called “heartthrob” of Jin City.
He wasn’t just a pretty face. His skills, his methods, and his demeanor were what made him so popular among women.
Bai Mangguo watched Jiang Fei with wide eyes, curious about how he would handle the situation. Ye Yuanyuan, noticing her friend’s expression, roughly understood what Bai Mangguo was thinking.
Ye Yuanyuan felt a bit uneasy.
She knew exactly what kind of person Jiang Fei was. Did Bai Mangguo really need to test him?
Now that Bai Mangguo was putting Jiang Fei on the spot, Ye Yuanyuan wasn’t worried about her own face—she was worried that Jiang Fei might suddenly lose his temper and cause a scene!
Usually, it was others who feared Ye Yuanyuan’s temper, but now, she was the one afraid of Jiang Fei’s outburst.
This guy didn’t play by the rules. If he decided to make a scene, would Bai Mangguo’s birthday party even continue?
Ye Yuanyuan didn’t think she had the ability to calm Jiang Fei down if he got angry.
Not only was she no match for him in terms of strength, but this guy had also somehow become “friends” with her grandfather. What could she even say?
Just as Ye Yuanyuan was about to step in and pull Bai Mangguo away, Jiang Fei, who had been frowning, suddenly smiled and said, “I’ll give you my birthday gift when Qiao Yiyi gives you hers.”
His response left everyone stunned.
He’d give his gift when Qiao Yiyi gave hers?
But Qiao Yiyi had already said she didn’t bring a gift! Was Jiang Fei using this as an excuse to indirectly say he wasn’t giving a gift either?
If this were a joke, it might be funny. But as a way to defuse the situation, it was just embarrassing.
This excuse was way too weak!
Just as Bai Mangguo and Jing Ran were starting to feel disappointed, thinking Jiang Fei was just a guy with no real skills who relied on cheap tricks, they suddenly realized something.
Wait, that wasn’t quite right.
Qiao Yiyi hadn’t brought a gift, but later, Bai Mangguo had asked her to sing a song as a birthday present.
Did that mean…
Jiang Fei was planning to sing a song too?
The thought made everyone’s expressions turn strange. Some looked like they wanted to laugh, while others seemed ready to mock him. It was a mix of amusement and disbelief.
Qiao Yiyi was currently the hottest singer, often referred to as the “next diva.” Her popularity had already surpassed many veterans, and even some of the older generation’s stars couldn’t compare to her in the eyes of young people.
For Qiao Yiyi to sing at Bai Mangguo’s birthday party was perfectly normal and fitting.
But Jiang Fei?
Could this guy even sing?
“Are you planning to go on stage and sing too?” This time, it wasn’t Bai Mangguo who asked, but Ye Yuanyuan. She had been about to help Jiang Fei out, but his bizarre response left her both amused and exasperated.
Jiang Fei smiled but neither confirmed nor denied it. “You’ll see later.”
Ye Yuanyuan facepalmed, not knowing what to say.
Bai Mangguo had wanted to test Jiang Fei to see what made him so special that Ye Yuanyuan mentioned him so often. She hadn’t expected Jiang Fei to respond like this. She couldn’t help but tease, “Dr. Jiang, are you one of those people who ‘sings to kill’? If you start singing, what if all the guests at my birthday party run away?”
Whether someone could sing well or not often depended on their voice. Just by listening to someone’s speaking voice, you could usually tell if they had a good singing voice.
Jiang Fei’s speaking voice wasn’t particularly remarkable—it wasn’t clear or melodious, nor did it have the deep,磁性 (magnetic) quality or the smoky tone some men had.
It was just… average.
Plus, Jiang Fei wasn’t a musician, so he probably didn’t know any singing techniques. If he went on stage now, people couldn’t help but wonder if his goal was to ruin Bai Mangguo’s party.
If Bai Mangguo wanted to embarrass him, maybe Jiang Fei was planning to go all out, sing a song, and completely derail the party, leaving everyone in chaos.
The only one who seemed excited by Jiang Fei’s response was Qiao Yiyi. Her eyes lit up, and she couldn’t hide her joy. When she glanced at the center of the hall, where a white marble stage stood with a grand piano, her excitement grew even more.
The stage was clearly meant for speeches or performances, and the sight of the piano made Qiao Yiyi’s heart race.
“Let Jiang Fei and I perform a song together!” Qiao Yiyi said eagerly, unable to contain her excitement.
“What?” Bai Mangguo was stunned, not understanding why Qiao Yiyi was so thrilled by Jiang Fei’s suggestion.
What was she so happy about?
Didn’t she realize that performing with Jiang Fei might lower her own status and ruin her act?
What Bai Mangguo didn’t know was that Qiao Yiyi’s biggest wish right now was to collaborate with Jiang Fei. She had even promised Jiang Fei that she wouldn’t give him a “good person card,” which, in their context, implied something more.
Of course, Qiao Yiyi’s willingness to go along with this wasn’t just because of her love for music. It was also because she didn’t dislike Jiang Fei. If it were someone she found unpleasant, even if they were a musical genius, she wouldn’t have agreed so readily.
“Let’s do it! Jiang Fei and I will perform a song together as your birthday gift!” Qiao Yiyi, usually so polite and reserved, became almost forceful in her excitement.
She was desperate for this opportunity. If she could collaborate with Jiang Fei now, it would make it much easier to convince him to join her concert later.
After all, the first time was always the hardest. Once they had performed together once, a second time wouldn’t be far off.
And this time, it would be on the piano, not the guitar. Qiao Yiyi had heard Jiang Fei play the guitar several times, but she had never heard him play the piano. She had always suspected that Jiang Fei, being a versatile musical genius, was skilled with other instruments too, but she had never seen it firsthand.
Now, she finally had the chance to witness Jiang Fei’s piano skills, and she couldn’t be more excited.
Since even Qiao Yiyi was eager to collaborate with Jiang Fei, Bai Mangguo, despite her reservations, had no choice but to agree.
“Is this guy really planning to ruin my birthday party?” Bai Mangguo muttered to herself.
