After seeing Shen Lei off, Jiang Nian felt a little hungry and poked Shen Hui beside her.
"What time is it?"
Shen Hui glanced at his watch. "Almost six. What, are you hungry?"
Jiang Nian pulled a face. "I've been hungry for ages."
She had been dragged out of bed that morning to get ready and had only grabbed a couple of bites at noon. If there hadn't been some food in the reception hall, she would have given out long ago.
Everyone else was here to socialize. She was different.
She was here to feast.
It was her first time eating at such an expensive banquet, and she was a little excited.
Shen Hui looked helplessly at her greedy expression and tapped her forehead. "Soon. Grandpa and the others will be out any minute."
No sooner had Shen Hui finished speaking than Shen Qifei emerged, supporting Old Master Shen.
On the spiral staircase to the left leading up to the second floor, Shen Qifei helped the seventy-year-old Old Master Shen down step by step under the eyes of the distinguished guests.
Jiang Nian watched Old Master Shen struggle down the stairs, then glanced at the elevator between the two spiral staircases, at a loss for words.
Why aren't they taking the elevator? Do they just not like it?
Everyone around her fell silent. Only Shen Hui curled his lip in disdain.
It had nothing to do with liking it or not. He simply wanted everyone's eyes on him so he could show off his status.
Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, Old Master Shen stood in the middle of the crowd, assuming the air of a powerful, respected elder as he addressed everyone.
"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this old man's birthday banquet. It is my honor to have you here."
With that, Old Master Shen rested both hands on his cane and turned to glance at Shen Qifei.
"It's getting late. Qifei, let the banquet begin."
Shen Qifei nodded and signaled for the servants to lead the guests into the dining hall.
Dozens of round tables filled the grand, spacious dining hall, with the character for "longevity" standing out prominently above the head table.
Naturally, Shen Qifei, Old Master Shen, and the other big shots sat at the head table, while Shen Hui came over to join Jiang Nian and the others.
Seeing that the seats on either side of Shen Hui were empty, Jiang Nian thought about the plot coming up and decided to sit on his left to shield him from it.
But just as she reached the seat, Fang Qiu appeared out of nowhere and sat down in it, even shooting Jiang Nian a provocative look.
Shen Hui frowned at Fang Qiu on his left. He was about to say something when Jiang Nian patted his shoulder and smiled pleasantly at him.
"I'd like your seat. Could you move one place to the right?"
Shen Hui glanced at Fang Qiu's dark expression and agreed, moving straight over by one seat.
Jiang Nian then sat between Fang Qiu and Shen Hui and gave Fang Qiu on her left a faint smile.
Nice try.
Fang Qiu gritted her teeth in anger, but Wen Jincheng had already taken the seat to Shen Hui's right, so she had no choice but to stay put.
The guests took their seats one by one, and the servants brought out dish after dish.
Tuna belly with black truffle, coral trout, charcoal-grilled wagyu steak, hand-shredded partridge soup, premium bird's nest stewed in sun squash...
Watching one delicacy after another arrive before her, Jiang Nian couldn't help marveling at how worthwhile this feast was.
Seeing how happily Jiang Nian was eating, Shen Hui picked up some food for her with the serving chopsticks. "This three-head net abalone is delicious. It was the first dish I chose at the tasting. Try it."
Jiang Nian's eyes lit up after one bite. The crisp, tender abalone was coated in a rich truffle sauce, its distinctive flavor lingering in her mouth.
"Delicious!"
She praised it to Shen Hui and was just about to ask what else he recommended when she spotted a servant preparing to pour him some wine.
The maid glanced at Shen Hui, then casually picked up a stemmed glass from the trolley, ready to pour.
Jiang Nian narrowed her eyes at the sight.
The aphrodisiac is in that wineglass, right?
Everyone at the table froze when they heard her thoughts, then silently turned their attention to the glass in the maid's hand.
Once the maid had poured the wine, Wen Jincheng, sitting to Shen Hui's right, was about to ask for it when Jiang Nian spoke first.
"Shen Hui, I'm a little thirsty. Let me have yours first."
With that, Jiang Nian reached for the glass.
The maid hadn't expected someone to suddenly appear and disrupt things when she was so close to succeeding.
She instinctively stepped back. Meeting Jiang Nian's puzzled gaze, she said stiffly, "Miss, I'll pour you another glass right away. Please let our young master have this one first."
Jiang Nian raised an eyebrow. "What, is your young master the only person allowed to drink this wine? I can't have it?"
The maid looked at Shen Hui as he turned his gaze toward her, her face gradually paling. "N-no. That's not... I..."
She hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and handed the glass to Jiang Nian anyway. "Here you are, miss."
Jiang Nian smiled in satisfaction and took the glass, but instead of drinking, she simply set it on the table.
As long as Shen Hui didn't drink it, that was enough.
Seeing Jiang Nian take Shen Hui's wine without drinking it, Fang Qiu decided she was doing it on purpose and gave a loud huff.
But Jiang Nian ignored her.
Shen Hui knew she only wanted to set the glass aside so no one else would drink it.
Relieved, he asked the maid to pour him another glass.
Having secured the tainted wine, Jiang Nian was just about to get back to eating when 88 spoke in her head again.
Host, the new glass that maid got for Shen Hui has also been coated with the drug.
Jiang Nian's feasting hand paused slightly.
Then she stared incredulously at the maid pouring the wine.
This glass has the drug on it too??
This maid had even thought to prepare a backup?
Everyone who had just looked away turned their attention back again.
Jiang Nian stared at the glass, wondering whether she should simply pretend to break it by accident.
But Fang Qiu caught Jiang Nian's gaze and assumed she was about to snatch Shen Hui's wine again, so she spoke directly to him. "Shen Hui, I'm thirsty too. Could you let me have this glass first?"
With that, she even raised an eyebrow at Jiang Nian.
You think you're the only one who can snatch it?
Shen Hui didn't want the wine himself, but he couldn't give it to an innocent person either.
He was just about to refuse Fang Qiu when Jiang Nian snatched the wine from the maid's hand and tossed it into the trash, then returned Fang Qiu's provocative look.
She had been wondering how to deal with it. Thanks, Fang Qiu.
Only the maid stared wearily at the two young ladies who refused to play by the rules, silently choking with frustration.
Are these two out of their minds?!
Why dump my wine just because you're arguing?!
That was my last drug-coated glass!
Idiots!
Fang Qiu was furious with Jiang Nian, but she couldn't just flip the table. All she could do was imagine the crispy duck in her bowl was Jiang Nian and bite into it viciously.
After provoking Fang Qiu, Jiang Nian glanced at the maid, who had started pouring wine again, and asked 88 inwardly.
There's no drug on the glass this time, right?
88 checked the glass the maid was holding this time.
There isn't.
Jiang Nian breathed a sigh of relief.
Good, good. If there were another one, I wouldn't even know how to smash it.
Hearing that there was nothing wrong with this glass, the main cast all breathed sighs of relief too, thinking the trouble was finally over.
Then 88 spoke again.
This time, while pouring the wine, the maid sprinkled it straight in from under her fingernail.
Everyone: ...
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