As he walked up to the round table and saw the people seated there, Ji Hanxing felt immense pressure.
Though he barely knew any of them, he could guess their identities: the young heirs and socialites of City A's four most elite families.
First and foremost was Jiang Yuzhuo, who was looking at him with a brilliant smile.
As soon as Yan Jinyue and Ji Hanxing approached, everyone at the table stood up. "Brother Yan."
Their gazes, however, all fell on Ji Hanxing.
"Let me introduce everyone."
"This is Ji Hanxing."
Ji Hanxing nodded to them. "Hello, everyone."
To be fair, his appearance was quite convincing.
Yan Jinyue pointed to the young man beside Jiang Yuzhuo, who looked only seventeen or eighteen, his face still youthful and immature:
"This is Cheng Jiuyang of the Cheng Family."
Cheng Jiuyang gave Ji Hanxing a shy smile. "Hello, Brother Ji."
His gaze held a little curiosity and fear as he looked at Ji Hanxing.
Ji Hanxing knew that the Cheng Family's ancestors had been shipbuilders back in the Republican era. The Cheng Family had always handled ports, shipping, and related businesses, with a long legacy and deep roots.
The person currently in charge of the Cheng Family was its eldest daughter, Cheng Binghua, a famous career woman in City A. She, too, had joined the Cheng Group at a young age, carrying out sweeping reforms and leading the Cheng Group through industrial restructuring to keep pace with the times. She was highly capable, and barring any surprises, Cheng Binghua would become the head of the Cheng Family.
Beside Cheng Jiuyang sat a very beautiful girl, her large almond-shaped eyes fixed on Ji Hanxing. Before Yan Jinyue could introduce her, she spoke up herself:
"Hello, I'm Ye Zuixi."
Ji Hanxing's pupils abruptly contracted, and his hand, hanging inside his sleeve, clenched sharply. She was Ye Zuixi!
His unusual reaction drew a sidelong glance from Yan Jinyue.
"You know her?"
Ji Hanxing lowered his eyes. "No, I don't."
"You may not know me, Brother Ji, but I've known about you for ages. I finally get to meet you today."
Ye Zuixi smiled sweetly.
Yan Jinyue's gaze darkened. "Your brother isn't here yet?"
With the subject changed, Ye Zuixi pouted. "That's right. He said he was stuck in traffic."
"Traffic, my foot. I suspect he was just having too much fun and lost track of time."
The Ye Family primarily dealt in luxury goods and jewelry, with several auction houses and large shopping malls under its name. Some of the items in this charity auction had been provided by Ye Corporation. The Ye Family's eldest son, Ye Chongyun, who was also Ye Zuixi's older brother, was a notorious playboy, but he was capable and enjoyed considerable prestige within the Ye Corporation Group.
Yan Jinyue nodded slightly and continued the introductions. The remaining two were his maternal uncle's children, his younger male and female cousins, a pair of twins who were still at university. His male cousin was named Xie Baotan, and his female cousin was named Xie Beiyan.
Though the Xie Family could not compare to the Yan Family, as their in-laws, they could hardly be poorly off. The Xie Family's businesses mainly involved the medical industry, ranging from private hospitals to medical equipment. The person currently running the Xie Family was Yan Jinyue's uncle.
Xie Baotan was especially excited to meet Ji Hanxing. "Hello, Brother Ji!"
His holler made people at several nearby tables look over, and Ji Hanxing's toes began curling with embarrassment.
Xie Baotan lived up to his name: he really could talk. He did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. "Brother Ji, you're my idol!"
He genuinely admired Ji Hanxing. In particular, that investment Ji Hanxing had made in medical equipment had been nothing short of miraculous in Xie Baotan's eyes.
"Brother Ji, I go to University A too. I'm your junior."
What could Ji Hanxing say? He could only offer a stiff greeting. "Hello, junior."
Xie Baotan wanted to say more, but a sidelong look from Yan Jinyue instantly silenced him. There were generally few people he feared, but Yan Jinyue was one of them.
Only after Ji Hanxing sat down did he notice that there were still two empty seats at their table.
Yan Jinyue said, "They're for Ye Chongyun of the Ye Family and Jiang Yujing of the Jiang Family."
"Let's eat. We won't wait for them."
Everyone had more or less finished taking group photos, so they could move on to the next part: the meal itself.
Just as Yan Jinyue had said, no one came over to disturb their table. With Yan Jinyue sitting there, the younger ones at the table all behaved themselves, and Ji Hanxing was fairly satisfied with the meal.
It would have been even better if the system had not been policing how many bites he ate.
Only after they had all finished eating, the dishes on the table had been replaced with an assortment of desserts and fruit, and the auction items had been arranged on the display stage did Ye Chongyun and Jiang Yujing finally arrive.
Ye Chongyun wore a light coffee-colored suit, with the top two buttons of his white shirt undone and his tie hanging loose. The gold-rimmed glasses on his face did not make him look more refined; instead, they gave him more of a roguish air.
"Oh, Jinyue. Sorry, traffic held me up. I'm late."
Ye Chongyun waved casually at Yan Jinyue, pulled out the chair beside him, and sat down. The moment he sat, his gaze landed on Ji Hanxing.
His eyes behind the lenses stared straight at Ji Hanxing, and his lips curved. "Isn't this President Ji of the Ji Group?
"Everyone says you rarely come out to have fun, President Ji. What a rare occasion."
Ye Chongyun's gaze made Ji Hanxing a little uncomfortable, and his words made Ji Hanxing's heart sink even further. Both Ye siblings knew about him. Taken together with the original plot, this was clearly not a very good sign.
Ye Chongyun turned to Yan Jinyue again. "Jinyue, how did you manage to invite him?"
"Hanxing is my friend."
Ye Chongyun adjusted his glasses, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Ji Hanxing and Yan Jinyue several times. He smiled inscrutably. "A friend, huh..."
Jiang Yujing, meanwhile, looked as though he had come straight from the office, a little travel-worn.
"Sorry I'm late. Something suddenly went wrong with a new project I'm in charge of, and it needed urgent attention."
His gaze landed on Jiang Yuzhuo, and he smiled. "Little Zhuo must have arrived very early, right?"
Jiang Yuzhuo kept his head lowered as he played with his glass, not even looking up. His voice was languid. "Brother Yan organized this. Of course I had to get here early."
Jiang Yujing was still smiling. "You certainly have plenty of time, Little Zhuo. Unlike me-Dad keeps an eye on me every day. I don't even have time to slack off."
Yan Jinyue handed Ji Hanxing a cup of tea. Ji Hanxing was watching the Jiang brothers' verbal sparring so intently that he did not notice his hand brushing against Yan Jinyue's as he accepted the cup. Ji Hanxing raised it and took a sip.
What fine tea.
Hearing this, Yan Jinyue curved his lips. He had chosen the growing site and cultivated this tea himself. If Ji Hanxing liked it, he would give him some. Just as Yan Jinyue was about to speak, he heard Ji Hanxing's thoughts again.
Jiang Yujing's words are steeped in fake innocence. What fine tea indeed.
On the surface, he's saying he was late because he's busy with company business, while also making a point of saying Jiang Yuzhuo has plenty of time.
Isn't he just trying to say Jiang Huai values him and gives him work, while Jiang Yuzhuo has nothing to do?
Is Jiang Yuzhuo going to blow up?
Yan Jinyue thought, He is.
The next second, Jiang Yuzhuo slapped the table and gave Jiang Yujing a sidelong look. "You're showing off right in front of me now?"
"Isn't it just a Cloudwater Villa project?"