No Ulterior Motives C45

Chapter 45: Singing a Little Song

Dasan Hotel was a fairly upscale hotel, located by the old moat on the outskirts of the city.

It was quite well-known in Jiangzhou, especially in an era when Hilton, Marriott, and Sheraton hadn’t yet expanded nationwide.

For the old residents of the city, such an old-fashioned hotel was the best place for gatherings and banquets.

This was Jiang Ning’s first time visiting a hotel like this in her life, and she couldn’t help but be fascinated by its décor, arrangements, and landscape features, observing everything as she walked.

It did have a distinct style—though that distinction was only relevant to the aesthetics of the early 2000s.

“Slow down, the floor is slippery.”

Tian Wenhao gave a reminder from ahead, and Jiang Ning responded with a casual “Mm.”

Following the guidance of the staff, the two of them entered the hotel’s first-floor banquet hall.

The hall wasn’t large—about two to three hundred square meters—with seven or eight tables arranged sparsely. Only four of them were occupied with guests and dishes, while the others sat idle.

At that moment, the people inside noticed the two cousins entering from outside and greeted them warmly:

“Xiao Hao, you’re here! Come sit down!”

“Who’s that behind you? Your little girlfriend? Not bad, not bad.”

“Huh? What? That’s Ning Ning?”

“Wow, Ning Ning has grown so pretty! Did you put on makeup?”

“Probably not, her face looks quite natural…”

Listening to these strange comments, Jiang Ning’s expression twitched. She had no idea how to react to these relatives she hadn’t seen in years.

She had no choice but to maintain a polite smile, nodding at one and returning a small grin at another who called out to her.

Finally, after maneuvering through the sea of relatives, Jiang Ning reached the main table and took a seat beside her mother.

But just as she sat down—

“Ning Ning, didn’t I tell you to dress nicely today?”

Nicely dressed?

Jiang Ning glanced down at her loose and comfortable sportswear.

“It looks fine,” she muttered.

The next second, her mother’s hand reached for her ear and gave it a gentle twist.

Then, in a hushed tone, she scolded her with a mix of disappointment and exasperation:

“We’ll settle this later.”

Usually, “settling it later” meant nothing would actually happen.

Jiang Ning chuckled and pulled a small box from her pocket, handing it to her aunt with a sweet smile.

“Auntie, happy birthday. This is a little gift I bought with my New Year’s money.”

Her aunt beamed with joy, not caring what the gift was, happily accepting it.

“Thank you, Ning Ning. I hope you’ll always be happy too.”

“Hehe, thanks, Auntie.”

And with that, the simple birthday banquet began.

Dishes were served, people ate, others drank and chatted boastfully.

That was basically the entire routine of dining at such a hotel.

Most young people would find this process dull.

But Jiang Ning was different.

She nibbled on peanuts, sipped tea, and watched her uncle speak with great interest.

So, Uncle used to be such a talker?

How did he become so reserved later in life?

And Auntie—she must be in her forties by now, yet she still had the figure of a thirty-year-old woman.

Slightly plump, but full of charm upon closer look.

Even the content of their conversations—on the surface, it was just mundane family talk.

But when she matched it with her memories of the future, there was an unexplainable amusement in it all.

However, the fun faded when the topic turned to her.

“How are your grades, Ning Ning?”

“The academic atmosphere at First High must be intense, right? Have you decided on your specialization for sophomore year?”

“Do you know a teacher named Liang Fuxi? He teaches sophomores at your school. He was my elementary school classmate—if you end up in his class, I can put in a good word for you.”

Faced with this barrage of questions, Jiang Ning could only smile and nod.

Then, out of nowhere, a distant uncle grinned at Tian Cuilan and asked,

“Cuilan, has Xiao Ning started dating yet?”

“My wife has a younger brother who just got into university. Want to introduce them?”

The moment those words left his mouth, Jiang Ning’s aunt’s face fell.

“Ma Qun, drop it. Ning Ning is only seventeen!”

“Exactly! I’m still young!” Jiang Ning immediately chimed in.

Seeing the disapproving looks from the surrounding relatives, Ma Qun quickly backed off.

As the meal progressed, the relatives drank more and became increasingly animated.

Some simply raised their voices, insisting they weren’t drunk and could keep going.

Others were more dramatic—like her uncle, who suddenly climbed onto the small stage in the banquet hall.

Grabbing the microphone, he tapped it twice and slurred:

“Today… today… is my sister, Tian Cuixiang’s… hic… 55th birthday!”

“I, as her brother… today… today, I want to sing… to sing her a song!”

“A song… ‘Baolanxiang’! Thank you, everyone!”

With that, the screen behind the stage started playing a song—one that must have been at least twenty years old, filled with the weight of history.

Jiang Ning didn’t care much for these old tunes.

But when she glanced at her mother and aunt, she saw their eyes glistening with tears.

A strange feeling stirred in her heart.

Perhaps, this song held shared memories for the three siblings.

As the music played, her thoughts drifted far away.

Her uncle’s singing wasn’t great, but his heartfelt performance made it impossible for anyone to criticize.

And for some reason—

Jiang Ning suddenly felt like singing too.

She glanced at her mother, then at her aunt, who had a faint smile on her lips.

Her cousin looked lost in thought, and the other relatives were all watching the performance.

After a brief pause, Jiang Ning quietly got up and slipped past the tables, heading to the reception desk.

“Excuse me, do you have a guitar here?”

Meanwhile, on the other side—

Li Mingyu emerged from a private dining room with her best friend Liao Liao and her assistant.

“Naiyu, thanks for ditching your family dinner to treat me tonight!”

“No problem. Just make sure to get me some handsome guys to drink with when I visit Haicheng.”

“Deal!”

Li Mingyu chuckled and bantered with her best friend before preparing to escort them outside.

But then—

She seemed to spot a familiar figure carrying a large bag, heading in the opposite direction.

That’s…

A guitar case?

Driven by curiosity, Li Mingyu bid her friends farewell and quickly followed.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ning had no idea someone was tailing her.

At that moment, she was carrying a guitar case back into the banquet hall.

She walked up to the stage and exchanged a few words with her uncle, who was adjusting the music.

Soon after—

Her uncle happily picked up the microphone and announced to all the gathered relatives:

“Our Ningning is going to sing a song for everyone!!”

“Let’s give her a warm welcome!!”

With that, he handed the microphone to Jiang Ning, who had just pulled a stool over.

She took the mic, set it up, and pulled out her guitar from the case.

“When did Ningning learn to play the guitar?” Jiang Ning’s mother, Tian Cuilan, couldn’t help but ask.

And she wasn’t the only one wondering—the same question flashed across Li Mingyu’s mind as she stood at the entrance, looking equally puzzled.

Jiang Ning knows how to play the guitar?

Is that for real?

The next moment—

As a smooth sequence of guitar notes flowed through the microphone,

the entire room fell silent.

“A song—Passing Through the Mortal World—for everyone.”

“Wishing Aunt forever youth and everlasting happiness.”

(End of Chapter)

Song Mentioned Is《路过人间》 (“Walking by the World”) – 郁可唯 (Yisa Yu)