Chapter Eight

The Zhan family villa was large, and there were quite a few guests, especially young people.

As soon as they entered, Dong Zhenghao and his wife started chatting with people they knew, leaving Liu Mumu and Dong Yue standing by a dining table. The table was laden with a wide variety of pastries, looking quite tempting.

"Can we eat these?" Liu Mumu whispered to Dong Yue.

Dong Yue shook her head slightly. "It's best not to right now. After Aunt's husband cuts the birthday cake later, no one will be paying attention."

"Rich people..." Liu Mumu muttered, regretfully averting her gaze from the small cakes.

"It seems like a lot of people our age are here today. Don't you know anyone? Shouldn't you go say hello?" Liu Mumu, curious about everything, scanned the room and asked Dong Yue.

Dong Yue shook her head. "Xiao Qi is more familiar with them."

Qing City's most famous private school was called Deyu, from elementary to high school. Most of the people here were from the same school. They certainly knew each other, but whether they were close was another matter.

Dong Qi had a lot of pocket money and could hang out with these people. Dong Yue was different from him; she hadn't made many friends.

Just as Dong Yue had said, no one came to talk to her until the banquet began.

The young people seemed to have their own cliques and didn't interact with outsiders.

Actually, it wasn't that no one noticed Liu Mumu. In the circles of those young people, she was being discussed at that very moment.

Dong Zhenghao was not an unknown figure. For him to suddenly bring an unfamiliar girl to the banquet today, how could it not attract attention?

Some well-informed individuals knew that the Dong family had gained an additional girl.

Someone looking in Liu Mumu's direction scoffed, "I don't know what's been going on lately, but suddenly the trope of a 'hidden pearl of the sea' has become popular."

Someone familiar with the speaker knew that their family had recently found an illegitimate child, which explained their sour mood.

Another person retorted, "Isn't that young lady older than Dong Yue? Perhaps she was born before Mr. Dong got married."

"Born before or after marriage, aren't they all illegitimate? Who is nobler than whom?"

This group bickered for a bit before quickly changing the subject.

However, one person was utterly shocked upon seeing Liu Mumu.

Zheng Xuan had recently undergone a minor surgery and was holding orange juice instead of red wine at the banquet.

He was sitting with a few friends, all of whom had been dragged there by their parents and were finding it boring. He overheard the gossip next to him and, following the topic, saw the person they suspected to be Dong Zhenghao's illegitimate daughter.

The granddaughter of a fortune teller!!!

What a bizarre turn of events!

After leaving the hospital, Zheng Xuan had fallen into a delusion that he might be living in a fantasy world. He had spent the night searching for cultivation manuals online and, after three consecutive days of failing to "guide qi into the body," he had abandoned his dream of immortality.

He had originally thought that since the master had passed away, his life was destined to be that of a mortal. Who knew he would see the master's granddaughter here?

It was... quite a surprise.

Zheng Xuan eagerly rushed towards Liu Mumu. When he reached her, he felt a bit apprehensive. Would she remember him?

Fortunately, Liu Mumu had a good memory and recognized Zheng Xuan at a glance.

Mainly, during those few days in the hospital, Zheng Xuan's obvious intention to report her and her grandfather to the police had made it impossible for Liu Mumu to forget him.

"Hi, my name is Zheng Xuan. Do you still remember me?" Zheng Xuan tentatively greeted her.

"I remember. The young man who lived next door to Grandpa and had hemorrhoid surgery."

"...Cough cough." Zheng Xuan choked on his own saliva, his face flushing with embarrassment. "It's good that you remember, good that you remember."

"Hello, my name is Liu Mumu. This is my younger sister, Dong Yue," Liu Mumu introduced Zheng Xuan.

"I know, I know. What a coincidence meeting here today. Can we add each other as friends?" Zheng Xuan was usually not so shy around girls, but Liu Mumu was enveloped in the aura of a master, so he was naturally different.

Liu Mumu had no reason to refuse. They added each other as friends and exchanged phone numbers. Liu Mumu's note for him was: Potential Customer 1, Piles Xiao Zheng.

Zheng Xuan suddenly leaned in, attracting the attention of Dong Zhenghao and his wife. Seeing that they seemed to be approaching, Zheng Xuan waved his phone at Liu Mumu. "Let's chat another day."

Then he quickly left.

Dong Zhenghao, who was walking over, glanced in the direction Zheng Xuan had left and said to Liu Mumu, "That's the kid from the Zheng family. He's a bit of a slacker, but he's alright."

He was somewhat proud that his eldest daughter was being approached by a young man on her first public appearance.

If nothing else, his daughter was indeed beautiful, and young people nowadays had good taste.

Seeing that Liu Mumu remained still, Dong Zhenghao assumed she was shy and added a few more words, "You're not getting any younger. You can start dating appropriately. Don't worry, the family won't object."

The Zheng family didn't have much business dealings with him, but they had been rooted in Qing City longer and had broader connections. It wouldn't be bad to get to know them.

If Liu Mumu could develop something with Zheng Xuan, it would be beneficial to the Dong family in the future.

He now felt that having an extra daughter wasn't so bad after all.

Who knew that after Dong Zhenghao finished speaking, Liu Mumu looked at him with a disappointed expression?

Dong Zhenghao's brow twitched. "What's wrong?"

"Dad, don't I have a fiancé arranged before birth?"

Dong Zhenghao was utterly confused. "What fiancé?"

"Daughters found by wealthy families always have a fiancé. Our family is so rich, why aren't you assigning me a fiancé?" This was how it was written in the books she read.

Not only was nothing assigned, but her boyfriend had to be found by herself. This was too heartbreaking for her. She had even held a small expectation.

"...Should there be one?" Dong Zhenghao was a little confused.

"I think there can be one."

Although Blind Liu said she would definitely find a boyfriend before she turned twenty-five, Liu Mumu felt that with her destiny, she still needed some help from those around her.

For example, if her dad sent her one, that would be great. If he could send two, he would definitely be her dear dad.

Dong Zhenghao pondered for a moment and told her with great certainty, "There really isn't."

He regretted not having thought of this before. It was a decision-making error!

A moment later, the host of the banquet entered with his children.

Zhan Hongye was gentle and refined, and looked very well-matched standing with his wife, Jiang Jia. Behind them were a pair of siblings, the elder being Zhan Hongye's eldest son, Zhan Huitian. He looked very much like Zhan Hongye. Although he had only graduated from university, he was already helping out in the family company.

The girl was Zhan Ni, who had just been brought back home. Zhan Ni's skin was a bit dark, and she was wearing a pink formal dress today, which looked garish and out of place.

This was Zhan Ni's first time facing so many people, and she was inevitably nervous. Under everyone's gaze, she appeared timid and hesitant, making people look down on her even more.

Jiang Li glanced over and knew immediately that this must be her sister's doing. Unfortunately, her own sister was much harder to deal with than the Zhan family's. She hated it in her heart.

Zhan Hongye first thanked the guests, and then Jiang Jia brought out a cake that was not very large but exquisite, stating that it was made by their daughter for him.

With the timely music enhancing the mood, the atmosphere was warm and touching, with only Zhan Ni appearing slightly stiff.

Anyone could tell that the cake couldn't possibly have been made by her, but that wasn't important. However, it was clear that Zhan Ni was not adapting well.

"Old Zhan's daughter isn't much," Dong Zhenghao commented.

Many people shared his thought. They wouldn't consider the girl's past living environment or deeper reasons. The first impression alone was enough for them to judge her like that.

It wasn't apparent yet, but in the future, she would be ostracized by this circle because of this less-than-ideal first impression.

In fact, there was no need for the future. After fixed programs like making wishes ended, Zhan Hongye and his wife performed an opening dance, and the atmosphere gradually became lively. Zhan Ni was naturally squeezed into a corner.

No one approached her to say hello, even though she was one of the protagonists of the day. Her brother, who was related to her by blood, had already been pulled away by friends. Her father was chatting with business partners, and her stepmother only glanced at her from afar.

She was like a savage on a deserted island, completely exposed to the cold wind, shivering.

Just then, she saw Liu Mumu in the crowd, her high school classmate.

In high school, her relationship with Liu Mumu wasn't good. She came from a single-parent family, and Liu Mumu didn't even have parents. But in school, teachers and classmates preferred the latter. Even though her grades were better, the teachers treated Liu Mumu more kindly.

Even so, she still walked towards Liu Mumu.

Zhan Ni took a breath, put on a smile, and greeted Liu Mumu, "Liu Mumu, long time no see."

Meeting a familiar person in a strange city, even if there were some minor frictions before, still made them feel closer than others.

Zhan Ni thought that it was like this for her, and it was the same for Liu Mumu.

They were both isolated people.

The two of them walked to the small garden outside. There was no one there, and the lighting was dim, suitable for talking.

"Why did you come to Qing City?" Zhan Ni asked her.

Liu Mumu answered frankly, "I found my biological father and am staying with him while waiting for school to start. What about you? What will you do about Aunt Zhang?"

Aunt Zhang was Zhan Ni's mother. She used to work in the school canteen. Liu Mumu always liked to get her food from her because Aunt Zhang's hands weren't shaky and she always gave her a little extra.

Zhan Ni fell silent. After a while, she said, "My mother is gone."

Liu Mumu was stunned. "How could that be?"

She had seen Zhan Ni's father at school last year. Not long after, Aunt Zhang resigned from her job at the school canteen, and she never saw her again. But Aunt Zhang had a good face, and although she didn't have much luck with wealth, she had the appearance of a long and stable life. She shouldn't have just disappeared suddenly.

Recalling her mother's death, Zhan Ni suddenly grabbed Liu Mumu's wrist, stared at her intently, and lowered her voice, "I know your grandfather is very accurate at fortune-telling and knows many things. My mother's death was very strange. Can you ask your grandfather for me?"

"But my grandfather has already passed away."

Zhan Ni was struck by lightning, and her whole person was distraught. Liu Mumu's grandfather, who was so accurate at fortune-telling, was dead?

"Why don't you tell me about it?"