“……”
Yu Huan’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“How could you do this?!”
She suspected Zhu Heqing had done it on purpose.
He had deliberately not told her beforehand, waiting until she agreed before revealing that his parents would also be attending.
Whether it was attending the banquet or specifically going to visit his parents—
They both led to the exact same result!
She was going to meet Zhu Heqing’s parents either way.
Zhu Heqing found her reaction adorable. He suppressed the urge to smile and mimicked her in an exaggeratedly gentle voice.
“How could you do this?”
Yu Huan snorted and slapped Zhu Heqing’s hand away from her stomach.
“You don’t have to rub my stomach anymore.”
She accused him indignantly, “You’re such a big bully.”
“Okay.” Zhu Heqing accepted her accusation without hesitation. “I’m a big bully.”
“Then will this clever, beautiful, kind, and most devoted-to-Zhu-Heqing baby be willing to accompany this big bully to the banquet?”
He had no shame.
Not only had he praised her, but he’d also slipped in the claim that she loved him the most.
Yu Huan thought Zhu Heqing was truly shameless.
But she loved being praised.
She pretended to look reluctant, but the smug little smile on her face completely betrayed her.
“Fine. I’ll reluctantly agree to your request.”
The banquet was the following Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Zhu Heqing came to Yu Huan’s house to pick her up and brought some health supplements for Zhang Ya and Yu Hezhang.
Knowing that they didn’t like overly expensive gifts, Zhu Heqing had deliberately chosen some well-established brands that were reasonably priced but still highly effective.
He hadn’t forgotten what Yu Huan had said either.
The gift he prepared for her was a bracelet made with a pink diamond he had purchased at an auction earlier that year.
The dazzling diamond, combined with the craftsmanship of the jeweler, immediately captivated Yu Huan the moment she opened the box.
She couldn’t wait for Zhu Heqing to put it on her.
Once he had fastened it around her wrist, Yu Huan happily took pictures with her phone and posted them on social media.
She had chosen a perfect angle.
Not only did it highlight the beauty of the bracelet, but it also showed off her slender, fair wrist.
The moment the photo was uploaded, it received plenty of likes.
Some of her more familiar friends immediately flooded the comments with compliments:
[What a gorgeous bracelet! Gorgeous wrist! Gorgeous goddess!]
[Just knowing someone this beautiful is my roommate makes me feel like heaven is really looking out for me.]
[The bracelet is beautiful, but I really want to see the goddess’s face~]
Yu Huan’s little face was glowing with happiness.
She gestured for Zhu Heqing, who had just gotten into the driver’s seat, to come closer.
Zhu Heqing obediently leaned toward her.
“Mua.”
Yu Huan kissed him on the cheek and sweetly said,
“Thank you, big brother. I really love the gift.”
Yu Huan was an emotional person.
When she liked something, she wished everyone knew how much she loved it.
And when someone gave her something she liked, she would shower them with smiles and affection.
Zhu Heqing had known this about her for a long time, and she did the same thing every time.
But no matter how many times it happened, Zhu Heqing still had absolutely no resistance to being kissed by Yu Huan and hearing her sweetly act spoiled.
His gaze became so gentle it seemed as though it could melt into water.
It was wonderful.
His girlfriend liked the gift he had given her.
She liked the diamond he had specifically bought for her.
An immense sense of satisfaction filled Zhu Heqing’s chest, making him feel like he was floating on air.
Yu Huan continued scrolling through the comments.
In just a short while, several more comments had appeared.
One of them caught her attention.
[Showing off your bracelet wasn’t enough? You even had to show off your boyfriend! As a single person, I can only swallow this dog food through my tears and wish you and your boyfriend a long and happy relationship.]
Yu Huan was confused when she read it.
She hadn’t shown off her relationship at all.
She hadn’t even mentioned Zhu Heqing in the caption.
She opened the photo again and carefully examined it.
She had raised her hand and taken the picture straight ahead.
At the exact moment she pressed the shutter, Zhu Heqing happened to walk past the front of the car, so his figure had accidentally been captured in the background.
Because the background was blurred, Yu Huan hadn’t noticed him at all.
Yu Huan:
“?!”
Whoever had left that comment was practically Sherlock Holmes reincarnated.
The banquet began at seven in the evening.
It was held at a manor owned by the Xu family.
By the time Yu Huan and Zhu Heqing arrived, quite a few guests were already there.
The magnificent estate was brightly illuminated, while luxury cars filled the driveway and guests came and went continuously.
There were staff members assigned to park the guests’ cars.
Other than company vehicles, Zhu Heqing generally didn’t like letting other people handle his personal car.
“Baby, do you want to go inside and wait for me, or would you rather come with me while I park?”
To match the bracelet Zhu Heqing had given her, Yu Huan was wearing a pink evening dress that made her skin look even more delicate and fair.
Yu Huan thought about it.
“I’ll go inside. If I wait for you to park and then walk back here, that’s too much trouble.”
“Okay. I’ll walk you inside first, then park the car and come find you.”
Zhu Heqing got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side, opened the door for Yu Huan, and took her hand as they walked toward the entrance.
This was Yu Huan’s first formal banquet.
Even before entering, she could see groups of people gathered in the hall, wine glasses in hand as they chatted enthusiastically.
Zhu Heqing noticed her discomfort.
He gently stroked the back of her hand and said warmly,
“Do whatever you want. Don’t worry about making a mistake. I’m here for you.”
Yu Huan nodded, her delicate, slender neck slightly raised.
“Mm.”
Whenever Zhu Heqing appeared, he naturally became the center of attention.
Several guests nearby stopped their conversations.
With enthusiastic smiles, they came over to greet him.
“President Zhu, long time no see.”
Zhu Heqing gave them a calm nod.
“Hello.”
His cool attitude did nothing to diminish their enthusiasm.
Their gazes shifted to Yu Huan standing beside him.
Even people who had seen countless beautiful women couldn’t help but brighten at the sight of her.
Everyone might have different tastes, but in the face of truly exceptional beauty, those differences seemed to disappear.
One of the younger men couldn’t help asking,
“And this is…?”
Zhu Heqing glanced at him.
“My girlfriend.”
The man’s back instantly went cold under Zhu Heqing’s gaze.
He quickly smiled and complimented them.
“President Zhu, you and your girlfriend really are a perfect match. A handsome man and a beautiful woman.”
Zhu Heqing smiled at him.
“Thank you for the blessing.”
People who had spent years navigating the business world were all shrewd.
They knew exactly where to draw the line.
After briefly greeting Zhu Heqing and learning the identity of the woman beside him, they didn’t linger.
Zhu Heqing gently hugged Yu Huan before releasing her hand.
“Baby, wait for me for a little while. I’ll be back soon.”
After Zhu Heqing left, Yu Huan wandered around for a bit before stopping at the dessert table.
She hadn’t eaten much before coming.
The desserts at the banquet were conveniently bite-sized. Clearly designed with the female guests in mind, they were small enough to eat without smudging one’s lipstick.
A servant was standing nearby.
Yu Huan took a small plate from them and selected two little cakes, eating them slowly.
In front of the dessert table stood a champagne tower.
Two or three men were chatting beside it.
Perhaps because there weren’t many people around, they didn’t bother watching what they said.
Their voices weren’t particularly quiet either, so Yu Huan, standing behind them, could hear everything clearly.
“Do you guys know what’s really going on between President Zhu and the Xu family’s eldest daughter?”