Her hand feeling a bit numb from the slaps, Jiang Ling finally stopped.
At this moment, An Qiuyan's face was so swollen that even her own mother wouldn't recognize her.
Watching this scene, Jian Zhou stood behind Jiang Ling, frozen as if struck by lightning, completely still.
An Qiuyan's eyes welled up with tears, her heart burning with hatred, and she roared, "You, you just wait! I won't let you get away with this!"
With that, she ran out crying.
Jiang Ling snorted disdainfully, "Waiting? I'm not afraid of you!"
This shameless little bitch dared to threaten your grandma. Looking for trouble in a urinal, lighting a lantern in a toilet!
Jian Zhou's dark eyes flickered, "Lingzi, you don't suspect me?"
"Suspect what?"
"Suspect me and him..."
Jiang Ling smiled softly, "If people can't even have the most basic trust between them, it's too pathetic. I believe you're not that kind of person, and you wouldn't fall for An Qiuyan's trap."
This heartfelt "I believe you are not that kind of person" was more genuine and touching than any love confession in the world.
Jian Zhou's heart warmed upon hearing this, her voice choking up, "Lingzi, I..."
"Oh, right, today is your birthday. Look what I prepared for you."
In her haste to deal with An Qiuyan earlier, Jiang Ling had set aside the spicy tofu pudding she had made.
Remembering it now, she quickly brought it over as if presenting a treasure.
Jian Zhou's heart melted like honey upon hearing that Jiang Ling had prepared a birthday gift for her.
"Let me see what surprise you have for me."
Opening the lid, she saw a vibrant red, glistening spicy topping that completely covered the plain tofu pudding. Anyone unfamiliar might mistake it for a bowl of spicy "Maoxuewang."
"I heard you like this the most, so I got up early to make it for you."
Jiang Ling blinked her clear, charming eyes, looking at Jian Zhou with anticipation.
"Who told you I like this?" Jian Zhou was stunned.
"Your sister-in-law. She said you absolutely love spicy tofu pudding. I like spicy food too, so try my spicy topping."
Jian Zhou: "..."
Oh my god, what kind of dark cuisine is this? Couldn't she be more evil?
"I ground this myself, over and over again with a stone mill. The taste is definitely better than what you buy outside. Hurry and try it."
Even though she thought it was a culinary disaster, for the sake of her beloved, Jian Zhou picked up a spoon and, bracing herself, took a bite.
With that bite, Jian Zhou felt like she was about to ascend to heaven.
The intense spiciness surged from her throat to the crown of her head, truly exhilarating.
"Is it good?" Jiang Ling asked.
"Delicious, it's so delicious! I've never had such delicious tofu pudding. The spiciness is perfect!" Jian Zhou said with a forced smile.
"If it's delicious, then eat it all. I have a big pot of it at my place."
Jian Zhou: "..."
Jian Zhou liked salty, sweet, and sour, but she disliked spicy food and couldn't handle it at all.
Coincidentally, Jiang Ling's hometown, Gan Province, was one of the four major spicy regions of Longguo, a representative of pure spiciness.
The level of heat there was so intense that even those from the spicy provinces of Sichuan and Hunan couldn't handle it.
The consequence of stubbornly pretending to endure it was that after eating a bowl of tofu pudding, she ended up in the hospital that night in extreme discomfort.
The doctor in charge was a chatterbox and loved to chat in a casual, conversational manner to alleviate patients' fear and anxiety.
Seeing Jian Zhou so miserably affected by the spice, he chuckled and teased, "Young people don't know their limits. You even dare to eat Gan Province chilies prepared like this. Now you know how powerful they are, right?"