Chi Ye asked a server for some warm water and food and set them on the table in front of Shen Zhiyi. Not long after he finished, Chu Yanqing called him over.
Chi Ye looked at Shen Zhiyi's already somewhat tired eyes, then gave her a few instructions, telling her to stay seated and wait for him to come back.
The banquet began without much ceremony. Chu Yanqing simply went onstage and said a few words, and everyone applauded. It looked like a birthday banquet, but it was more about business networking.
Most people could find potential business partners here and chat at length.
Chi Ye could not get back quickly. Some elders kept him there talking. He stood listening, suppressing his impatience, his gaze trying to pierce the crowd and greenery in the vain hope of catching sight of Shen Zhiyi.
Chu Yannan had invited An Qian. He had already made it clear to his family that he would not follow their arrangements. His family still had not relented, but he thought that must be because they had not met An Qian. Once they met her, they would definitely agree with his choice.
So he brought An Qian straight to the birthday banquet. That way, his family would certainly see her and have a chance to prepare themselves mentally.
This was An Qian's first time attending a banquet like this. Everything here felt like a dream, so unreal and magnificent.
The scent of champagne and fresh flowers drifted over, leaving her unable to help losing herself in it, while Chu Yannan walked into the hotel as though it were an everyday occurrence.
This was the Chu Family's hotel, and the servers bowed as soon as they saw him. An Qian felt a little awkward. No one had ever treated her this way before, so she bowed slightly too, nodding in response.
Seeing this, Chu Yannan merely smiled fondly. This was the person he liked, someone with kindness etched into her very bones. Unlike those pampered young ladies who only waited loftily for others to serve them.
He felt that An Qian had lit up the light in his life. From the very first moment he saw her, his heart had fluttered uncontrollably.
Liu Muyan spotted his idiotic smile from a short distance away, rolled her eyes, and complained,
"What the hell is he being such an idiot about all day? How embarrassing." With that, she turned and left without hesitation.
She was going to find Chu Yanqing. She had prepared a little cake so that, after the banquet ended, Brother Yan Qing could make a proper wish.
"Qian, these are all my friends. Tell me if there's anything you want to eat, and I'll get it for you." Chu Yannan reached out and ruffled An Qian's hair, prompting varying expressions from those present.
They all belonged to the same social circle. Some of their families were on par with the Chu and Liu families, while others had somewhat less capital.
But everyone knew that the Chu Family and the Liu Family would sooner or later form an alliance through marriage. Ever since they were little, the two names everyone had mentioned were Chu Yannan and Liu Muyan.
There had previously been rumors that Chu Yannan had fallen for a girl and wanted to break off his engagement to Liu Muyan. Everyone had assumed the news was false, but today they had seen Chu Yannan bring a girl here and even pat her head. This...
When Chu Yannan looked over, everyone present laughed awkwardly.
"Ha, ha, hahaha. Right, right, we're Yannan's friends. Um, just make yourself at home. Make yourself at home."
As if they would take sides. Liu Muyan had grown up with them too. If they took sides now, there was no telling how badly they would suffer later. Everyone quietly studied An Qian.
She wore a white evening gown, her hair half pinned up. She was certainly fair-skinned, but she seemed a little reserved and shy.
Still, everyone could understand that, since it was her first time at an occasion like this. But why had Chu Yannan chosen her? They really could not see what was so outstanding about her.
In terms of looks, Liu Muyan was striking and beautiful, with exquisite features and curves in all the right places. She had a good personality and a good family background. Though she did put on the airs of a pampered young lady, she had been born into wealth. There was nothing wrong with being a little delicate, as long as it did not get in their way.
But An Qian, no matter how they looked at her... yes, her face was quite delicate and pretty, with a fresh, unworldly quality. She looked rather resilient too, and a soft, saintly glow seemed to radiate around her.
Though appearances could not define a person, comparisons were inevitable when people were put together. Even now, no one could figure out what criteria Chu Yannan had used to make his choice.
Could An Qian have some remarkable quality they knew nothing about, something that had bewitched Chu Yannan so thoroughly that he had even rejected the Liu Family?
Chu Yannan asked the others to take good care of An Qian. He planned to sound out his family's attitude. Before leaving, he had a server bring every dessert over to where An Qian was sitting.
Then he returned to An Qian's side to claim credit and began introducing the desserts. Only after he finished did he reluctantly leave.
An Qian was seated at a long table. The others wanted to take a good look and see exactly what made her so charming. When Chu Yannan asked them to look after her, they naturally all made an "okay" gesture.
Never mind An Qian herself-they would not let anyone take even the desserts on this table. Only An Qian could choose from them.
They were going to see exactly what charm had left Chu Yannan so infatuated!
After greeting them, An Qian sat quietly. The cakes in front of her were very tempting. Apparently, they had been made by a pastry chef Chu Yannan's eldest brother rather liked.
And there were not many of them. Almost all of them were on this table.
"Would you like to have some too?" she asked the people around her softly.
Everyone hurriedly shook their heads. "No, no. Please, help yourself, Miss An."
An Qian smiled bashfully and asked again, "Let's all have some."
The others shook their heads and declined. They could eat dessert anytime, but this secret had to be uncovered now!
An Qian could only savor the desserts slowly by herself. The moment she took her first bite, her eyes lit up. So delicious!
This had to be the best dessert she had ever eaten. It was not overly sweet or rich, making it a little hard to stop eating.
Shen Zhiyi tasted a little of the pale yellow cake. It was all right, but not as good as the chocolate cake beside it.
But there had only been a tiny piece of chocolate cake, and she soon finished it.
Neither of them had eaten before coming to the hotel. She was a little tired after socializing, and her stomach had already begun to rumble in protest.
Usually, she would ignore her stomach when it growled, but that cake was so delicious that she wanted another bite.
She decided to get up and look for some herself. Just as she stood, Liu Muyan appeared from somewhere and began greeting her with a beaming smile.
"Brother Chi said you were here, and sure enough!"
Liu Muyan had just gone to see Chu Yanqing and made him promise that he would wait for her later, when she would give him her present and cake.
Chu Yanqing was very busy, and Chi Ye had been kept there too. With no other choice, Chi Ye had sought out Liu Muyan and asked her to look after Shen Zhiyi.
Liu Muyan had agreed at once, then come looking for her, and happened to find her right away.
"Zhiyi, where are you going? Brother Chi asked me to come find you."
Shen Zhiyi pointed at the cake on the table and said,
"I want to eat this cake."
Liu Muyan recognized the cake immediately. Chu Yanqing had specifically invited someone to make it, and she had also asked that person to teach her how to make her own cake.
"I'll take you. Come on."
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