She always thought she was doing well: young, pretty, and caught Jiang Cheng's eye.
But looking at this woman now, she suddenly realized that what separated them wasn't age or experience.
It was class.
It was that inherent confidence of someone born into a high position, who never needed to prove anything to anyone.
It wasn't just Chloe; Chen Jiaxue and Zhao Yihan felt the same.
The two women pursed their lips, their eyelashes trembling slightly.
They recalled their subtle little thoughts on the plane earlier.
Those furtive glances at Jiang Cheng, those calculations of how to act once they landed.
All of them were shattered cleanly in front of this woman's aura.
Unlike the three women, An Xin had spotted them from a distance.
With her understanding of Jiang Cheng, just one glance was enough for her to know the relationship between the three women and Jiang Cheng.
Compared to previous times, An Xin's face showed no expression at all.
It wasn't the first time Wang Congcong and the other two had seen An Xin.
Seeing Jiang Cheng pick up Annie, the three exchanged glances.
Watching An Xin walk towards them, Wang Congcong's eyes darted around.
He was a good person in every way, except sometimes his mouth was faster than his brain.
But in today's situation, he felt his quick mouth was perfectly justified.
He didn't know what relationship the An Family had with Jiang Cheng.
But Annie was clinging to Jiang Cheng, calling him 'Daddy,' and Jiang Cheng hadn't truly corrected her all these times.
This clearly felt wrong.
Thinking of this, Wang Sicong cleared his throat and said with a grin:
"Sister An—no, look at my mouth."
He patted his face and put on a more sincere smile:
"Hello, Sister-in-law!"
This call of "Sister-in-law" was neither too loud nor too soft.
But it was loud enough for everyone around to hear clearly.
Qin Fen and Wang Zheng paused, then exchanged glances and quickly followed suit cleverly:
"Hello, Sister-in-law!"
Chloe, Chen Jiaxue, and Zhao Yihan stood behind, their expressions instantly becoming rich.
Especially Chloe, her hand clutching Jiang Cheng's arm unconsciously tightened a little.
This cry of "Sister-in-law," combined with the gazes of everyone present, made An Xin's steps momentarily falter.
However, after just a moment, she continued walking forward as if nothing had happened.
The rhythm of her high heels tapping on the ground seemed to miss a beat.
Then it returned to normal.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Although she maintained a calm expression on her face, only she knew the immense turmoil this'sister-in-law' had stirred within her.
Even the tips of her ears were slightly red.
Though very faint, almost imperceptible.
But they were indeed red.
Seeing her mother a little scared, Annie couldn't help but cover her mouth.
Then she blinked.
And blinked again.
Suddenly, she leaned her small face close to Jiang Cheng's ear and asked in a voice she thought was very quiet, but which everyone around could hear:
"Jiang Cheng Daddy, why did that uncle call my mommy'Sister-in-law'?
Jiang Cheng: "..."
Jiang Cheng suspected this little girl was doing it on purpose.
She had deliberately dealt a critical blow in front of Zhou Ying before.
This naughty child understood how to create opportunities for her mother, so how could she not understand what'sister-in-law' meant...
Wang Sicong almost burst out laughing.
An Xin's steps faltered again upon hearing this.
This time, the pause was clearly more pronounced than before.
Annie continued to ask innocently: "What does'Sister-in-law' mean? Does it mean you're my daddy?"
Jiang Cheng looked down at her.
Annie's eyes sparkled, filled with the expectation of "Say yes, say yes."
As expected, he hadn't guessed wrong.
Jiang Cheng was silent for a second, then deliberately replied: "...No. Those are two different things..."
This answer clearly dealt a critical blow to the naughty child as well.
She was clearly a little sad, immediately pouting: "Ah, why? You're lying to me. Calling my mommy'Sister-in-law' means my mommy is your girlfriend. She's your wife!"
Hearing this, Wang Congcong, Qin Fen, and Wang Zheng finally couldn't hold back.
Wang Congcong chuckled and whispered into Jiang Cheng's ear: "Brother Cheng, this little girl's assists are even fiercer than mine; she's definitely your own."
Seeing the three of them enjoying the show, Jiang Cheng laughed helplessly and cursed: "Don't you three get too cocky..."
Behind a pillar not far away, some of the paparazzi who hadn't fully dispersed instinctively raised their phones.
Then someone next to them slapped their hand down.
"Are you crazy? Wasn't the lockdown just now enough?"
The person sheepishly put down their phone but still couldn't help but peek, muttering: "Who is that woman... Why are there so many big shots appearing in Chengdu? That aura is too terrifying..."
Seeing An Xin walk up to Jiang Cheng, Annie deliberately shouted even louder: "Mommy, did you hear? That uncle called you'Sister-in-law'!"
Wang Sicong finally couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
Then, after a faint glance from Jiang Cheng, he immediately covered his mouth, but his shoulders were still shaking.
Qin Fen and Wang Zheng lowered their heads, their shoulders also shaking violently.
Chloe stood behind, watching this scene, her mood as complex as an overturned five-flavor bottle.
That woman...
She clearly said nothing, did nothing.
But everyone knew she had implicitly agreed.
That slight redness at the tips of her ears, those quickened steps, that persistent silence without rebuttal.
It was more effective than any words.
An Xin had originally intended to pretend not to hear the three men's address to her.
But with Annie's repeated emphasis, she could only helplessly speak to stop her: "Annie, don't talk nonsense..."
Annie clearly wasn't afraid of An Xin's scolding at all.
After all, she already knew An Xin liked Jiang Cheng.
She deliberately blinked, then turned to look at Jiang Cheng, concluding seriously: "Jiang Cheng Daddy, look, Mommy is shy."
Ignoring Annie, An Xin calmly glanced at the three women beside Jiang Cheng.
Then she shifted her gaze to Jiang Cheng.
"Jiang Cheng, I didn't expect to run into you at the airport. What a coincidence."