Chapter 2235 - 720: The Full Act

The footsteps and conversations in the corridor gradually subsided.

Lin Muxue and Mayor Li’s party disappeared at the entrance of the neighboring Chang’an Hall.

Inside the Peony Hall, the silence born from reverence exploded like water dropped into boiling oil.

"Buzz buzz buzz—"

Intense discussions erupted like a swarm of bees, sweeping across the relatives’ seats.

"My heavens! Did I see that right? Was that really Mayor Li just now?!"

"And shook hands with our Baoshan! Personally shook hands! My goodness, what kind of honor is this!"

"Xue... what’s she really doing now? From the way they’re talking, is she representing some ’capital’ inspecting our Chang’an?"

"I heard it’s called... Rongliu Capital? Oh, just hearing that name sounds impressive!"

...

All at once, everyone was flushed and wide-eyed.

So excited they were incoherent.

Those relatives who previously looked down on Xue, gossiping behind her back saying she was "messing around outside" and laughing at her for not being serious, all suddenly changed their expressions.

Someone awkwardly straightened their collar, forcing a smile: "Oh my, this girl has been clever since childhood, I always said she’d amount to something!"

"Yeah, exactly! In our family, Xue is the smartest and most capable!"

Second Aunt Wang Suyun grabbed the still stunned Wang Suxia.

Her voice trembled: "Suxia! You useless old woman! Your second girl has achieved so much, why didn’t you tell us anything?! You hid it too well!"

"I... I didn’t know either..." Wang Suxia’s mind was blank until now, only able to mutter subconsciously.

She looked at her husband Lin Baoshan’s hand, the one just shaken by Mayor Li, her mind replaying over and over the image of her daughter Xue in that dazzling white suit, surrounded by prominent figures like stars around the moon.

Peng Xiaomeng held her child, her face pale, yet her heart was in turmoil.

Half was cold fear, half was burning ecstasy.

The fear was that the sister-in-law she always looked down on, complained and spoke bitterly about behind the scenes, had suddenly risen to heights she couldn’t even gaze up to as a "big shot."

Recalling the harsh words she previously said at home, the petty actions (like preventing her in-laws from giving money), she was terrified of Lin Muxue seeking revenge later.

But the ecstasy was equally real.

No matter what, she was still her husband’s blood sister.

If they could cling to this towering branch, her husband’s precarious job, her son’s future, even her own job...

Wouldn’t all have undergone a radical transformation?

She glanced at Lin Muchuan, who was also in shock, bit her lip quietly, and immediately made a decision.

She forced a gentle and virtuous smile: "Oh dear, Muchuan, I’ll go feed Dudu, lest he starts to disturb everyone here later."

After speaking, she hurriedly left the banquet hall with her head down, heading to the hotel’s nursing room.

She was most grateful now that she still had a baby in the nursing phase.

The child, after all, was Xue’s nephew.

Even if she had spoken out of turn before, with this blood relationship, there was always room for reconciliation and a way out.

Just as all the relatives were immersed in shock and bewilderment, the sound of footsteps drew near.

The Zhao family hurried over.

But this time, the expressions on their faces were completely different from the previous polite detachment and hidden arrogance.

Especially Zhao Changhong, his face was full of enthusiasm, and even a few traces of intentional flattery.

He walked straight to Lin Baoshan and Wang Suxia, grasped Lin Baoshan’s still unsettled hand, his voice filled with admiration and reverence:

"Brother Baoshan! Your Xue... no, President Lin! She is truly amazing! Truly a phoenix!"

"Earlier, there were too many people, too many eyes, more neglect than I’d prefer, my apologies, Zhao here offers my apologies! Let me start with three glasses!"

After speaking, he really picked up a glass of white liquor on the table, and drank it all down, his cheeks turning red instantly.

Zhao Peng quickly stepped forward too, lowering his posture drastically, slightly bowed to Wang Suxia and Lin Baoshan, his voice incredibly sincere: "Uncle, Aunt. I’m sorry about earlier, neglected you!"

Shi Mengjia stood nearby, her heart surging.

Since childhood, she had competed in secret with the similarly pretty cousin Lin Muxue, who was a year younger than her.

She believed her family background, education, and career surpassed Xue’s by far, and this always gave her a sort of hidden sense of superiority.

But just now, when she saw Lin Muxue, surrounded by the Mayor and provincial officials like stars honoring the moon, confidently walking out of the light and shadow.

All her superiority shattered into nothing.

There was certainly envy, but more than anything it was disbelief, an inability to comprehend.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t understand, how in her impression, this clumsy, somewhat vain cousin suddenly became such an impressive big figure.

Then, watching her fiancé and future father-in-law’s unprecedentedly attentive demeanor, her eyes shifted.

Her mind quickly became active.

Although she had climbed the high branch of Zhao Peng, she actually had little status in this family, especially in front of the dominant future mother-in-law.

Like the seating arrangements at this engagement banquet.

The male side’s business partners, friends from government offices, naturally occupied the main table and VIP seats.

While her Shi family and the Lin family’s female relatives, all came from Zhou County town.