Qin Yanchuan’s eyes darkened slightly, his lips pressed into a straight line. He coldly shifted his gaze away and strode off.
The people from Huiteng naturally forgot about Wen Yunsheng, quickly ushering him into the conference room.
Wen Yunsheng felt as if a chilling gust of wind had swept past, sending shivers down her spine in an instant.
The young man beside her kindly reminded, “Aren’t you getting in the elevator?”
Wen Yunsheng quickly nodded and hurried inside.
“You really said you didn’t know him?!” Lin Xi was shocked.
Wen Yunsheng nodded, her brow furrowed tightly. “Did I make him angry?”
“Of course you did! But you did great!”
“…”
Lin Xi patted her shoulder, her tone approving. “Not bad, you’re not as timid as before. You even dared to provoke your brother. Shengsheng, you’ve really grown up.”
Wen Yunsheng: “…”
“I didn’t mean to provoke him.”
Wen Yunsheng explained, “I just didn’t want to rely on his influence. When I returned to the country this time, I didn’t want to have any further contact. If I got into Huiteng through his connections, I’d inevitably have to deal with him a lot in the future.”
Not to mention anything else, just the project Huiteng was doing for Xinyu Group would definitely assign her as the liaison.
At home, it was unavoidable, but outside, she still wanted to make her own decisions.
“So how did your interview go today?” Lin Xi finally asked about the main matter.
“Not too good, it seems.”
Wen Yunsheng briefly explained the situation about the connections hire.
Lin Xi’s temper flared up. “A vice president’s nephew can take your spot? You should have revealed your identity and scared them to death!”
Wen Yunsheng stirred the pearls in her milk tea cup with a straw, lowering her gaze. “I don’t really have any identity to speak of.”
Seeing her suddenly downcast mood, Lin Xi immediately softened. “It’s fine, there are plenty of good jobs out there. Shengsheng, you’re so talented. Even without relying on the Qin family, you can find a good one!”
Wen Yunsheng forced a smile again, her eyes brightening. “Yeah, this was just the first interview. No rush, there are plenty of opportunities. It’s not like every company only hires through connections.”
“Exactly!”
Lin Xi asked again, “By the way, when is Ji Beicun returning to the country?”
Wen Yunsheng took another sip of her milk tea. “The day after tomorrow, I think.”
Originally, they had planned to return together, but Ji Beicun got held up by something last minute, so he let Wen Yunsheng go first.
“That unreliable Ji Beicun! And I actually believed his nonsense about promising to take good care of you. I can even hear about his scandals all the way here in the country!”
Wen Yunsheng laughed. “He did take care of me, but he has his own life too.”
“What life does he have? Besides chasing girls, it’s just chasing girls! And he actually left you to come back first.”
Wen Yunsheng explained, “He saw me off at the airport.”
“Don’t defend him. Everyone in Beijing knows what he’s like!”
“…”
Lin Xi snorted coldly. “So it’s no wonder Uncle Qin and the others were worried. Who could feel at ease with someone as unreliable as Ji Beicun? My parents were so strict, they absolutely refused to let me study abroad, saying I’d go bad if I went. Otherwise, we could have gone together, how great would that have been!”
Wen Yunsheng took her hand. “Xiao Xi, I was fine in England.”
“Alright, alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s order. Today’s to welcome you back!”
In the afternoon, Wen Yunsheng received a call from Aunt Jin, saying there was a family dinner tonight and asking her to go to Wanghaichao for the meal.
Having just returned to the country, Wen Yunsheng naturally couldn’t avoid this big reunion dinner.The Qin Matriarch would also be attending today. The elderly lady usually spent her retirement at Yanshan Manor, preferring peace and quiet. Typically, only the younger generation visited her.
Qin Mingqian was the eldest son, with a younger brother and two sisters below him. The Qin family could be considered flourishing and prosperous, which was why almost everyone was expected to attend this grand reunion dinner.
“Miss Wen, please come in.” The waiter led her to the door of the private room.
Wen Yunsheng took a deep breath, pressed the door handle, and pushed it open to enter.
Though called a private room, it was more like a banquet hall. Inside, it was lively, with the women gathered around the Qin Matriarch, chatting. Qin Yanchuan stood near the door, holding a wine glass, while uncles, elders, and a few cousins discussed business matters with him.
At this moment, he appeared more relaxed than during the day. His tie had been removed, his suit jacket taken off, and the top two buttons of his white shirt were undone. His every movement exuded an air of casual elegance.
Her entrance drew the attention of many, including Qin Yanchuan and the uncles and cousins standing nearby.
“Yun Sheng is back.”
Wen Yunsheng greeted them obediently: “Second Uncle, Third Uncle-in-law, Fourth Uncle-in-law.”
As she called out to them, her gaze fell on Qin Yanchuan. She pursed her lips and said, “Brother Yanchuan.”
Qin Yanchuan did not respond. The atmosphere remained quiet for a moment before he spoke coldly, “Didn’t you say you didn’t know me?”
Wen Yunsheng’s face instantly flushed bright red.
“I… I didn’t…”
“What’s going on? Yun Sheng, you haven’t been back for four years, and now you don’t recognize your brother?” Third Uncle-in-law teased upon hearing this.
Wen Yunsheng quickly explained, “No, I was out job hunting today. I didn’t mean it.”
Her last sentence was directed at Qin Yanchuan.
Third Uncle-in-law laughed heartily. “Yun Sheng has graduated and is looking for a job now, wanting to rely on her own efforts. That’s good, very good. Next time you see me, don’t say you don’t recognize me either.”
Wen Yunsheng looked at Qin Yanchuan, but he picked up his wine glass and took a sip, no longer paying attention to her.
She couldn’t tell whether he had forgiven her or not.
After four years apart, he seemed more petty than before.
“Shengsheng, come here.” Chen Jin beckoned.
Wen Yunsheng lowered her head and hurried over, greeting again, “Grandmother.”
The Qin Matriarch glanced at her, frowned slightly, and responded casually.
Wen Yunsheng then greeted each person in the circle one by one.
Only then did Chen Jin pull Yun Sheng to sit on the sofa, smoothing things over. “Since Shengsheng returned this time, she refused to join the family company, saying she wanted to find a job on her own. She hasn’t taken a single day off and only went for an interview today, which is why she arrived late.”
“Oh, Yun Sheng is truly sensible. My Jiawei disappeared after graduation, running all over the world, and only settled down after returning recently.” The speaker was Feng Zhiyue, the Qin family’s second daughter-in-law.
Chen Jin smiled and said, “Shengsheng has rarely given us much to worry about since she was young.”
“Hasn’t she caused enough worry?” Qin Jiawei remarked with a hint of sarcasm. “Four years ago, she insisted on following Ji Beicun abroad to study…”
Before she could finish, Feng Zhiyue interrupted her.
“What’s the point of bringing that up on such a joyous occasion!” Feng Zhiyue lowered her voice.
The atmosphere in the banquet hall grew quiet for a moment.
Chen Jin’s expression also darkened. “What do you mean, following the Ji family’s boy? Shengsheng was properly admitted to the University of Edinburgh. Could our Qin family not afford to send her abroad for studies?”
Qin Jiawei awkwardly fell silent, then snorted softly.That may be the official story, but the private rumors tell a different tale.
Back when that unruly Ji Beicun was sent abroad by his family to study, Wen Yunsheng insisted on going too.
Everyone quietly knew that Wen Yunsheng had followed Ji Beicun there, but that scoundrel Ji Beicun had never settled down in all these years.
Naturally, some unpleasant gossip emerged, saying that Wen Yunsheng was throwing herself at him.
Qin Yanchuan lowered his gaze, his expression calm, but the knuckles of his fingers gripping the wine glass gradually turned white.
The Qin Matriarch suddenly turned cold and looked at Wen Yunsheng: “Have you cut ties with that Ji Beicun or not? Now that you’re back, behave yourself. Let Aunt Jin help you find a few proper marriage prospects. Don’t go chasing after that kind of scoundrel and embarrass our Qin family along with yourself!”
The Ji family wasn’t bad either, and could be considered a match for the Qin family in terms of status.
But in high society, especially in top-tier wealthy families like the Qin family, face and reputation mattered.
Wen Yunsheng offered no defense, only obediently nodded: “Understood, Grandmother.”