The waiter looked at her with envy, " Xiao Yan, you should have stayed on as a long-term employee! You learn everything so quickly!"
Yan Heqing smiled faintly, "I've folded it before, just a few details are different."
The waiter smiled too; who wouldn't like a handsome and humble young man? He divided the food into several groups for Yan Heqing to set out while he went to other tables.
Ten beautifully folded swan-shaped napkins were arranged on each table. After setting out the tableware, Yan Heqing was called away again; the guests were about to enter, and it was time to prepare the dishes.
Footsteps gradually approached the entrance to the banquet hall. Yan Heqing lowered his head and went out through a side door.
Lu Lin didn't go to his room to rest. Instead, he entered the banquet hall, where he was surrounded by a crowd. He stood there with a glass of red wine in his hand, used to listening to the subtle flattery, and occasionally responding with a distant word or two.
Unlike Chu Ziyu, Lu Lin has not officially taken over the responsibilities of the Chu family yet. He has his father and brother above him, so he has no opportunity to socialize in this kind of setting.
He found a seat and sat down, scrolling through his phone. After a while, Lu Lin finally arrived. Chu Ziyu put away his phone and teased, "No wonder you never want to come out. You're always surrounded by people wherever you go. It must be exhausting."
Lu Lin remained noncommittal. He didn't dislike necessary social interactions; he put down his wine glass without touching it.
Chu Ziyu perked up again, "You're not drinking it even though it wasn't Xiao Yan who mixed it? This is Pétrus that Old Xie specially ordered for you."
Mentioning Yan Heqing, Lu Lin frowned slightly. "Don't joke about him."
Chu Ziyu was taken aback, then raised an eyebrow slightly, "Don't tell me you're alright, I don't believe it. You were having dinner with them late at night just the other day."
Others might not know that Lu Lin treated Yan Heqing differently, but as his childhood friend, he saw it Qingqing. If anyone else had asked Lu Lin for a kiss, they would have been "invited" away by the bodyguards long ago.
"Going to a friend's house for a casual meal is perfectly normal," Lu Lin said casually, the light from the crystal chandelier falling on his eyelashes, his dark eyes unfathomable.
Chu Ziyu was puzzled. Dinner could be explained, but what about the singles night at the bar? Lu Lin and Yan Heqing spent the whole night alone in a private room; they couldn't have just been chatting about cocktails all night, could they?
His curiosity was burning, but Lu Lin's clear intention to stop there, he swallowed his words. Just then, he caught sight of a familiar figure, raised his glass, and called out, "Hey, Mr. President Lu, I thought you weren't coming today."
Lu Muchi had come to the banquet hall to find Yan Heqing, but when Chu Ziyu called him, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and come over, bowing his head and saying, "Uncle." Only then did he turn his head to greet Chu Ziyu, " Young President Chu, you're too kind. I had to come to President Xie's wedding no matter how busy I was."
Lu Muchi and Chu Ziyu got along naturally, without any sense of seniority, and spoke very casually.
Only Lu Lin.
He was terrified of his uncle and dared not act rashly.
Lu Lin gave a curt "hmm" and said nothing more, not even Lu Muchi for Lu Muchi to sit down. Lu Muchi was more than happy to do so, as he was focused on finding Yan Heqing. However, before he could speak, Chu Ziyu kicked the chair next to him, "Sit down, join us at our table."
Lu Muchi subconsciously looked at Lu Lin, but seeing that Lu Lin did not react, he had no choice but to sit down, feeling extremely uncomfortable, his eyes constantly searching the crowd.
Aside from the kitchen, the surveillance cameras only showed the entrances. He only saw Yan Heqing arrive at the banquet hall and then disappear. Could she have gone to find that man now? Lu Muchi increasingly agitated. If Lu Lin hadn't been there, he would have kicked the table over and found Yan Heqing immediately.
On the 21st floor, Lin Fengzhi his universal room card to open room 2120. He gently closed the door, shut his eyes, and tilted his head back to take a deep breath of the air in the room. He knew that Lu Lin had not entered this room yet, but... he imagined Lu Lin's scent, the smell of pine needles after a snowfall, and his heart trembled uncontrollably.
The fragrance Lu Lin used was probably custom-made. He looked at all the brands, and there were a few that were very similar, but the middle notes were different, and only the top notes were somewhat similar.
Uncle Lin...
Lin Fengzhi flushed. He pressed his hand to his rapidly beating chest and went into the bathroom first.
He needs to take a bath before nightfall.
*
The food service area was bustling with activity as Yan Heqing took the trays and continuously delivered dishes to the banquet hall.
The wedding went smoothly. After the bride and groom kissed each other on stage, their parents gave speeches, accompanied by a gentle and moving piano solo.
Waiters moved about busily serving dishes.
Yan Heqing glanced around and, after confirming that Lu Lin wasn't at any of the tables on the left, he started delivering dishes to those tables.
We need to avoid running into Lu Lin today.
Running into him by chance multiple times would be too deliberate, and there's no need to see Lu Lin today.
The focus was all on the stage, and the lighting inside the venue was very dim. People next to Lu Lin would occasionally strike up a conversation with him, Lu Lin would nod occasionally to indicate that he was listening. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he glanced sideways and looked into the distance, about seven or eight tables away from him, where a slender figure flashed by.
" President Lu?" The man called several times before Lu Lin came to his senses.
He picked up his glass, took a small sip, and finally spoke, "Excuse me, what did you just say?"
Chu Ziyu had already left the table to greet the guests and offer toasts. Lu Muchi had no interest in watching the wedding; he anxiously fidgeted with his fingers. Finally, the dishes were served, and he hastily ate a few bites, put down his chopsticks, got up, walked to Lu Lin's side, and whispered, "Uncle, I have to go."
Lu Lin was still thinking about the figure from earlier, and nodded slightly in response.
Fearing that Lu Lin would notice something amiss, Lu Muchi initially walked normally, but as he approached the door, he quickened his pace, almost sprinting towards the monitoring room.
He checked each of the small windows one by one, but still couldn't find Yan Heqing. It was as if Yan Heqing had vanished into thin air.
grass.
Lu Muchi cursed.
He turned to the security guard and asked him to replay the surveillance footage from the previous few hours. The guard didn't dare refuse and quickly replayed the footage.
Lu Muchi leaned forward a few more times, watching with utmost concentration.
On the other side, after Yan Heqing finished delivering the dishes, they were finally able to take a short rest before the banquet ended.
" Xiao Yan!" The waitress who had been setting the table with Yan Heqing earlier ran over, carrying a plate of durian pastries. She smiled adorably and handed them to Yan Heqing, "These are leftovers from the kitchen, made with fresh Musang King durians flown in today. They're generously filled with ingredients, here, have some."