Li Yang tossed the invitation onto the coffee table, buried her face in her hands, and let out a muffled groan.
Auntie’s voice drifted over from the kitchen.
“Yangyang is back? Come have some bird’s nest soup while it’s still hot.”
“Coming.”
She answered weakly, got to her feet, and walked toward the kitchen.
The sweet fragrance unique to bird’s nest soup floated through the air. Auntie was busy at work and turned to look at her when she heard footsteps. Her expression clearly conveyed four words:
You’re on your own.
Leaning against the kitchen doorway, Li Yang suddenly felt that tonight’s ordeal was more exhausting than any party she had ever attended.
After finishing the bird’s nest soup, she said goodnight and went upstairs to her room.
The moment the door closed, she threw herself onto the bed and buried her face in a pillow, letting out another muffled cry.
Xie Zongxu.
Xie Zongxu.
How could she possibly be this unlucky?
Out of all the hotels in Capital City, she had entered that one.
Out of all the rooms in Capital City, she had walked into that one.
Out of all the men in Capital City, she had ended up…
Forget it.
She rolled over and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Her phone chimed.
A message from Lin Qingqing appeared on WeChat.
【How did it go? Uncle Li didn’t find out you went clubbing, right?】
Li Yang replied:
【Something even worse happened than that.】
Lin Qingqing responded instantly:
【???】
Li Yang typed:
【The Xie Family sent an invitation and specifically requested that I attend.】
Lin Qingqing replied immediately:
【What?! Old Master Xie’s birthday banquet? Isn’t that invitation nearly impossible to get? My dad asked several people and still couldn’t get one.】
Li Yang had no desire to explain where the invitation had come from, so she simply replied:
【Mm.】
Lin Qingqing:
【Then you’ve hit the jackpot! You’ll get to meet so many big bosses there, right?】
Li Yang:
【…】
Lin Qingqing:
【Dress up nicely! Maybe you’ll catch yourself a rich husband!】
Li Yang flipped her phone face down onto the pillow and refused to look at it anymore.
Catch a rich husband?
What she feared was being caught by one.
…
Two days passed.
Not particularly long, but not exactly short either.
Li Yang stayed locked in her room. Aside from attending classes, she mostly lay around. She even turned down Lin Qingqing’s invitation to go shopping.
Her father did not question her again, though from time to time he would cast thoughtful glances her way, making her increasingly uneasy.
On the afternoon of the birthday banquet, the makeup artist arrived right on time.
Li Luqian had personally hired her.
According to him, she was highly renowned among the wealthy ladies of Beijing’s elite circles and specialized in styling socialites.
The makeup artist’s surname was Zhou. She was in her forties and spoke gently with a slight Shanghai accent.
The moment she entered, she sat Li Yang down in front of the vanity and studied her reflection for quite some time before nodding with satisfaction.
“You have excellent features. I hardly need to do much work.”
Li Yang smiled but said nothing.
Teacher Zhou began applying her makeup with gentle, practiced movements while chatting away.
“Miss Li has such wonderful skin. If my clients saw this, they’d be green with envy. What skincare products do you use?”
“Just… ordinary ones.”
“Then you’re naturally beautiful.”
Teacher Zhou continued working.
“With today’s styling, I guarantee everyone at the banquet will be looking at you.”
Li Yang thought to herself, I’d much rather nobody look at me.
The makeup process lasted over an hour.
The hairstyle took another half hour.
When everything was finally complete, Li Yang stared at her reflection and felt momentarily dazed.
The woman in the mirror looked as though she had stepped out of a vintage magazine.
She wore a moon-white qipao made of silk. Under the lights, the fabric glowed with a soft, lustrous sheen.
The design was simple rather than elaborate, but its perfect tailoring made all the difference. The fitted waistline subtly transformed her youthful slenderness into graceful curves.
The collar was semi-high, edged with an extremely fine trim that accentuated the elegant length of her neck.
The hem reached her knees, revealing a section of smooth, fair calves.
On her feet were matching high heels adorned with tiny diamonds that sparkled discreetly.
Teacher Zhou circled around her and nodded repeatedly with satisfaction.
“I knew it. A figure like yours would be wasted without a qipao. Just look at these lines—absolutely beautiful.”
Li Yang tugged uncomfortably at the collar.
Moon-white felt too plain.
She was accustomed to wearing brighter colors. Suddenly dressing like this made her feel oddly out of place.
But Teacher Zhou would not allow her to adjust it and insisted she turn around a few more times.
Teacher Zhou slapped her hand away.
“Don’t pull it. The collar has to sit exactly like this. Half loose, half fitted—that’s where the charm is. One tug from you and the whole effect is ruined.”
Li Yang reluctantly lowered her hand.
Teacher Zhou then selected accessories for her.
A pair of pearl earrings, small and delicate, glimmered subtly against her earlobes.
Around her wrist was a thin gold bracelet.
At its center hung a ruby no larger than a grain of rice.
Its crystal-clear red color stood out against the moon-white sleeves like a tiny spark of fire on a snowy field.
“Beautiful.”
Teacher Zhou stepped back to admire her work.
Li Yang slowly turned in front of the mirror.
She had to admit it.
It really was beautiful.
But what was the point?
The person she was about to meet had already seen her at her most embarrassing.
A car horn sounded from downstairs.
Taking a deep breath, Li Yang gathered her skirt and headed downstairs.
Li Luqian was waiting in the living room.
When he saw her descending the stairs, his eyes brightened briefly before he returned to his usual composed expression.
“Let’s go.”
He extended his arm.
Li Yang linked hers through it, and the father and daughter left together.
…
The Xie Family ancestral residence was located in an alley in Dongcheng District.
The alley was usually quiet.
Today, however, it was bustling with traffic.
By the time Li Yang arrived, the entrance was already packed with vehicles.
The least impressive among them were Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs.
Further ahead stood neatly lined Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, and Maybachs.
After the driver parked the car, Li Yang linked her father’s arm and walked inside.
The vermilion gates stood wide open.
Two young men in black suits stood guard outside, evidently members of the Xie Family security team.
After checking their invitation, they politely gestured for them to enter.
The moment they stepped through the gates, the scenery opened into an entirely different world.
It was a classic Beijing-style courtyard residence.
Three courtyards deep and three courtyards wide.
At the center stood an opera stage, where a performance of Magu Offers Birthday Blessings was underway.
Many guests had already arrived.
Small groups stood chatting with one another.
The men were uniformly dressed in suits.
The women glittered with jewelry.
Everyone held champagne glasses and smiled with impeccable social grace.
At a glance, Li Yang recognized several faces that frequently appeared in financial news.
She took a deep breath and straightened her posture even more.
“Mr. Li, this way please.”
A butler-like attendant approached and guided them further inside.
Passing through a covered corridor, they entered the main hall.
The atmosphere inside was even livelier.
Voices filled the room, mingling with the sounds of toasting and clinking glasses.
The moment Li Yang stepped inside, she felt several gazes settle upon her.
Some were appraising.
Some curious.
Others less friendly.
She paid them no attention and followed her father forward, preparing to offer birthday wishes to Old Master Xie.
Then her gaze swept across the crowd.
And froze.
At the opposite end of the hall stood Xie Zongxu.
Today he wore a perfectly tailored black suit, a white dress shirt, and a dark red tie.
The attire made his already handsome features appear even more refined and austere.
At that moment, he was slightly lowering his head, listening attentively to a white-haired elder speaking beside him.
His demeanor was modest and courteous.
But in the next instant, he lifted his head.
His gaze crossed the crowd and landed directly upon her.
Their eyes met.
Li Yang’s legs went weak.
Then she saw the corner of his lips curve upward slightly.
Li Yang immediately looked away, her heartbeat becoming irregular.
“Mr. Li, this way please.”
The butler’s voice pulled her back to reality.
Tightening her hold on her father’s arm, she walked forward without looking sideways.
As she passed by Xie Zongxu, she could feel his gaze following her the entire time.
Yet until she had completely walked past him, he never called out to her.
Li Yang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The rest of the evening became a series of social engagements.
Li Luqian had extensive connections within Beijing’s elite circles, and people constantly came over to greet him, exchange pleasantries, and discuss recent business matters.
Standing beside him, Li Yang maintained a polite smile.
Occasionally she joined the conversation, but most of the time she simply listened quietly.
They had only walked a few steps when someone approached them.
“Luqian, it’s been a long time.”
The newcomer was a middle-aged man with a tall build.
His features somewhat resembled Xie Zongxu’s, though his temperament was entirely different—more approachable and much more cheerful.
Xie Chengsi.
Li Yang had seen photographs of him in the news.
He was one of Jincheng’s most influential business figures and the former head of the Xie Corporation Group.
Yet at this moment, he looked no different from an ordinary middle-aged uncle.
Grinning warmly, he seized Li Luqian’s hand and shook it enthusiastically.
“Brother Xie.”
Li Luqian smiled in return.
“It’s been a long time.”
“Indeed it has. The last time we met was at the old master’s birthday banquet last year.”
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Li Yang, and his eyes immediately brightened.
“This is Yangyang, isn’t it? My goodness, you’ve grown up so much. The last time I saw you, you were only this tall.”
He held his hand at approximately waist height.
“Hello, Uncle Xie.”
Li Yang greeted him politely.
“Good, good, good. You’ve become more beautiful every year.”