10:30 a.m.
The midday sunlight streamed through the bulletproof floor-to-ceiling windows of the Imperial Capital International Hotel, scattering fragmented gold across the floor.
Only one hour remained before the engagement banquet officially began.
A uniform convoy of black Maybachs, escorted by six Land Rover Range Rovers at the front and rear, drove into the hotel entrance with an almost solemn bearing.
The doors opened.
Bai Ye, the White Family's eldest young master and the center of today's storm, finally arrived late, stepping through the scattered light.
Today, he wore a minimalist, pure-white custom-made formal suit, with two translucent sapphires set into his cufflinks.
With every gesture, the frivolous arrogance that had belonged to his former self had been replaced by the unfathomable composure of a great family.
Rather than enter the hall to be gawked at, Bai Ye was personally led by several manager-level attendants straight to the highly confidential exclusive private room at the very heart of the hotel's rear section.
As the heavy Golden Phoebe door opened, the rich fragrance of precious Agarwood washed over him.
Inside the private room.
Bai Ye's father, Bai Hongyi, the head of the White Group conglomerate, was speaking quietly with his wife, Shen Manyin.
Shen Manyin wore a dark-purple Suzhou-embroidered qipao, and the string of South Sea Pearls around her neck gleamed softly beneath the lights.
As the mistress of a top-tier family, elegance and composure had long since been etched into her bones.
Across from them, Liu Ruyan's father, Liu Chengzong, and his wife, Lin Wanhua, had already taken their seats.
Lin Wanhua had a tranquil temperament, with the refined air of a scholarly family between her brows. She was smiling as she exchanged greetings with Shen Manyin.
In the corner, Liu Ruyan sat like a breathtaking ice sculpture, radiating an