Chapter 577 - 592: Banquet

Yu the Elder and the others were shown to their accommodations. The rooms this time were excellent, worlds better than the ones they had for the last math competition.

The group of five consisted of Yu the Elder, Xu Cheng, and Wang Qiang sharing a large suite, while Zhao Xin and An Ning were in the room next door.

"Please get settled in. There will be a banquet this evening. Your room keys also grant you free meals at the restaurant here. If you need anything, just come find us downstairs. We’ll be around."

Yu the Elder said goodbye to the staff member at the door, and the five of them entered his suite together.

Inside, Yu the Elder was about to speak when Xu Cheng gave him a subtle tug. Yu the Elder kept a straight face while Wang Qiang did a sweep of the entire room, finally tossing three hidden cameras onto a table.

An Ning, still uneasy, endured the pain and sent her spiritual power sweeping through the room before quietly retracting it. ’Best to let the professionals handle their own business.’

Yu the Elder shot Xu Cheng a questioning look. After Xu Cheng nodded, Yu the Elder stood up and went to support An Ning.

"Master, how are you feeling? Let Wang Qiang take a look at you. Or we can just go home. Who cares if we attend this stupid conference or not?"

"I’m fine. I just used a bit of Mysticism and I’m a little drained, that’s all. I’ll be fine after a short rest. Don’t make a fuss."

After An Ning reassured him, Yu the Elder sat down, looking aggrieved and guilty under her gaze.

"It’s all because I’m not capable enough. Otherwise, Master, you wouldn’t have had to come with me and suffer like this."

An Ning speechlessly tapped Yu the Elder on the head.

"What are you talking about? I had my own reasons for coming here. It has nothing to do with you. Don’t think you’re so important."

"Alright, get back in character. I’m going back to my room to rest."

An Ning and Zhao Xin left together and returned to their room.

Once in their room, Zhao Xin busied herself with making the bed for An Ning, asking if she needed a bath, and even offering to help her take off her clothes.

"No, no, I can do it myself, I’m fine."

An Ning took a few steps back as Zhao Xin said jokingly, "We’ve already seen each other bare, what’s there to be afraid of!"

"Huh?"

An Ning couldn’t recall what she meant at first, until Zhao Xin reminded her about the bathhouse in Hong Kong.

"Ohhh—that’s different."

An Ning took off her outer clothes, eager to get some rest.

Zhao Xin stood guard outside An Ning’s door, not leaving her post.

While An Ning slept like the dead, Jiang Xia was frantically searching for her all over Beijing.

Unable to reach An Ning by phone, Jiang Xia first went to her home, but she wasn’t there.

Jiang Xia had a feeling An Ning was away on business, but he couldn’t shake the worry in his heart.

He then went to An Guoming’s courtyard house, but no one was there either. At this point, Jiang Xia’s imagination started running wild with worst-case scenarios.

Jiang Xia drove dazedly to An Guoming’s company and, after much running around, finally found him.

Even though it was already November, Jiang Xia was covered in sweat and panting when he found An Guoming.

"An Ning—where did An Ning go?"

An Guoming handed Jiang Xia a pack of tissues and asked with a mocking look, "You came all this way looking for her. Did it not occur to you to call?"

"I did! I’m not that stupid! Calling An Ning was the first thing I did, but it didn’t go through."

An Guoming sighed deeply and pointed at himself. "Then did you not think of calling me?"

Jiang Xia, who was wiping his sweat, looked dumbfounded. "It didn’t cross my mind," he said blankly.

"I—It’s just not a habit. I don’t mean I forgot, it’s just that I’m used to calling An Ning, it’s just—wait, why am I explaining this to you? It’s not like you don’t know."

As he was talking, Jiang Xia suddenly remembered something.

"Second Brother An, you promised at your wedding that you’d help put in a good word for me. It’s been several months now. Has that drum been beaten?"

"I remember taking several bottles’ worth of drinks for you, you know."

An Guoming looked at the serious expression on Jiang Xia’s face and playfully punched his shoulder. "You brat, you really don’t hold back with me, do you?"

"Don’t worry. As soon as An Ning is back, I’ll have your sister-in-law put in that good word for you. But aren’t you moving a little too slow? A guy should be more proactive. Can’t you just confess?"

Jiang Xia slammed the tissues down and declared with great pride, "I don’t have the guts!"

Amidst An Guoming’s laughter, Jiang Xia asked one last question and only left after learning that An Ning had gone abroad.

Meanwhile, far away in Country F, An Ning’s spirits had improved greatly after her sleep. At the very least, her face was no longer so deathly pale.

But even so, someone still asked if she was anemic.

After An Ning explained several times, the person finally believed that she wasn’t anemic and that some Huaxia people really did have such fair skin.

That evening, An Ning and Zhao Xin changed into evening gowns and accompanied Yu the Elder to the banquet.

The banquet was filled mostly with scholars, and the conversation topics were highly scientific. There was some one-upmanship, but it was mainly academic.

Of course, an event like this was not without the involvement of capital; without it, many people couldn’t complete the experiments or research they wanted.

For the first time, An Ning witnessed Yu the Elder’s status in the world of mathematics. Nearly everyone present came over to chat with him and ask for his insights on various problems.

As Yu the Elder’s assistants, An Ning and Zhao Xin stood quietly to the side, maintaining a polite distance and good social decorum without being arrogant or overly fawning.

"Beautiful lady, would you care for a drink?"

A blond, blue-eyed man in a gentlemanly suit extended the invitation to An Ning.

An Ning shook her head and pointed to her own glass of water. "I’m sorry, I don’t drink."

"Oh, your French is exquisite. You might be the only person I’ve ever met who can speak it so beautifully."

An Ning offered a polite smile.

"Thank you for the compliment, but I still don’t drink."

An Ning refused him again, and the man took a gentlemanly step back, not pressing the issue.

As the banquet officially began, Yu the Elder sat at the main table, while An Ning and Zhao Xin were seated in the second row. Many foreign banquets included dancing. An Ning had only been sitting for a moment when the same man who had offered her a drink approached her. He came to her side, extended his hand palm-up, and gave a slight bow.

"Beautiful lady, may I have this dance?"

An Ning felt nothing but annoyance. ’I know it would probably be wise to accept in this kind of setting,’ she thought. ’Dancing like this is perfectly normal abroad, but I just don’t want to.’

"I’m sorry, I don’t know how to dance."

An Ning refused him once more.

The man, likely feeling a bit awkward, left again.

The banquet continued, and during the middle portion, someone went up to sing a heartfelt song.

After the beautiful song ended, the singer didn’t leave the stage. Instead, they began speaking in French. Zhao Xin couldn’t understand, but she felt An Ning’s expression change.

At that moment, thunderous applause erupted, and a group of foreigners started chanting, "China! China!"

Even if Zhao Xin didn’t understand the words, she understood that the spear was now pointed at Huaxia.