Chapter 229 - 228: Birthday Banquet

Chapter 229: Chapter 228: Birthday Banquet

At 7 p.m., Huo Yunjing picked up Gu Qingyin and Huo Xingchen and went to Dongfang Lingjun’s birthday banquet together.

The banquet, as expected, was not held at an ordinary hotel. Instead, it was at a mountain villa in the suburbs—Dongfang Lingjun’s private retirement estate, which was normally closed to the public and open for this one night only.

When they arrived, the area outside the villa was already filled with all sorts of luxury cars.

Huo Yunjing got out first, handed the keys to the valet, and pulled open the back door.

Gu Qingyin and Huo Xingchen, dressed in matching mamian skirts, stepped out of the car one after the other, instantly drawing the gazes of everyone around them.

Amidst a sea of evening gowns and formal dresses, the mother and son’s outfits were utterly dazzling.

At first, their clothing drew people’s attention. A second look left them stunned by their beauty. Then came the questions: ’Which family do these outstandingly attractive people belong to? Why have we never seen them before?’ And the man with the mother and son—dressed in a subtle, black Tang suit, he possessed an aura so powerful it was impossible to ignore.

Even after they entered the villa, the people around were still buzzing about them.

Inside the main hall, Gu Qingyin saw many familiar faces: Elder Miao and Miao Yan, Liu Ergou, and even Dongfang Ran.

Dongfang?

Gu Qingyin blinked and asked Huo Yunjing, "What’s the relationship between Dongfang Ran and Dongfang Lingjun...?"

Huo Yunjing replied, "Grandfather and granddaughter. Dongfang Ran is the most talented of her generation in the Dongfang Family. She’ll most likely inherit Senior Dongfang’s mantle." He paused, then asked, "Over there... was your relationship with Dongfang Ran not good?"

Gu Qingyin let out a dry laugh. ’Not good? That’s putting it mildly. We were mortal enemies,’ she thought. After all, she had something to do with the other Dongfang Ran’s death.

But that was all in another time and place. It had nothing to do with the Dongfang Ran of this world.

"Huh?" Gu Qingyin looked ahead in surprise at a familiar figure. "What is she doing here? I thought everyone here tonight was from the Mystical World."

Huo Yunjing followed her gaze and recognized the woman in the distance. He nodded. "Yes, there are also some high-status businesspeople."

Gu Qingyin understood. ’Ah, major clients. Of course, you have to maintain those relationships.’

Their gazes were so overt that the woman they were watching noticed and looked over. Her eyes filled with resentment as she turned to the man beside her and whispered something. The man glanced in their direction before indifferently looking away. After a few more words with the person he was talking to, he turned and made a beeline for Gu Qingyin’s group.

"Should we avoid them?" Huo Yunjing asked.

Gu Qingyin smiled and shook her head. "Someone’s eager to be humiliated. Of course, I have to oblige her."

Huo Xingchen watched the approaching woman with a discerning gaze, matching a name to her face: Lin Xiao. ’A scheming green tea,’ he thought.

Lin Xiao, arm-in-arm with a man who wasn’t exactly young, stopped before Gu Qingyin. Her thorny gaze swept over them, and she began with a scoff, "Haven’t seen you in a few days. Already playing stepmom?"

Before, when she was trying to keep Zhou Jingchuan on the hook, she could still put on an act. Now that he was determined to dump her, why bother pretending to be a delicate white lotus? She would do whatever she damn well pleased!

Gu Qingyin’s smile never faltered. "Unlike you. A few days go by, and you’ve gone from the prospective young mistress of the Zhou Family to someone else’s kept woman."

Lin Xiao was speechless. She could only think that the amnesiac version of Gu Qingyin was exceptionally hard to deal with!

The man whose arm she held spoke up with a grin, "I’m single, and Miss Lin is single. We’re just getting to know each other. There’s nothing sordid about it."

"Oh," Gu Qingyin drew out the word with a thousand twists and turns. "Then I must have misunderstood. My apologies." She sighed. "After all, Lin Xiao has always been an expert at doing whatever it takes to steal men from other women. I just assumed... Alas, perhaps she’s changed her ways."

Needless to say, Lin Xiao’s jaw was clenched tight.

The man’s smile also faltered for a moment, but he was a slick old fox, as thick-skinned as they come. The next second, he was smiling as if nothing had happened and even tried to strike up a conversation.

"You two look unfamiliar. Might I ask which company you’re with? Perhaps we’ll have a chance to work together in the future."

Gu Qingyin looked down to speak with Huo Xingchen, pretending she hadn’t heard.

Huo Yunjing, on the other hand, was incredibly mentally resilient. He didn’t even need an excuse; he just stared at the man with an indifferent gaze, his expression clearly saying, ’I heard you, but I’m deliberately ignoring you.’

The man lowered his eyes and chuckled. "It’s always good to have more friends. It’s not good for young people to have such a temper."

Huo Yunjing continued to ignore him. The man’s smile finally collapsed. He sneered, "I hope we don’t run into each other in the business world."

This was already a blatant threat.

Lin Xiao finally managed to swallow her anger, but before she could speak, the man, who had just lost face, grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away.

The man dragged her to a remote corner and demanded in a cold voice, "What’s the background of those two?"

Lin Xiao rubbed her bruised arm and said pitifully, "I only know the woman. Her name is Gu Qingyin. She’s an orphan, but she has a lot of assets. She used to be Zhou Jingchuan’s fiancée. Even though the engagement is off now, Zhou Lang and Sheng Wan are both very fond of her and treat her like their own daughter."

The man’s expression grew inscrutable. ’A woman like Gu Qingyin is the perfect candidate for a marriage alliance. No wonder the notoriously hard-to-please Sheng Wan likes her so much,’ the man thought, sneering inwardly. Then, his thoughts turned to the man with her.

He was a complete stranger with an unknown background, but judging by his aura alone, his origins had to be significant.

The man pondered for a moment and decided to wait and see. After all, besides people from the business circle, this banquet also had some extraordinary individuals with special abilities. It was best not to offend anyone.

Seeing the man’s mood stabilize, Lin Xiao grew anxious. Her eyes reddened as she began to instigate, "President Wu, so many people were watching. How could they humiliate you like that? It’s outrageous!"

President Wu gave her an indifferent glance, a smile once again appearing on his face. "Cut the green tea act. The smell is getting to me."

Lin Xiao’s expression changed, and she didn’t dare to speak.

President Wu snorted. "I’ve seen plenty of women like you. Drop your petty schemes and do what you’re supposed to do. If there’s a next time, you can start thinking about living in another country."

Lin Xiao stammered a nod, her face completely pale.

After that brief interlude, the guest of honor at the banquet finally made his appearance. At that moment, Gu Qingyin was with Huo Xingchen, getting something to eat.

What could they do? The boy was still little and hadn’t eaten dinner. He was starving.

"Mom, Mom, I’m done eating! Senior Dongfang is out, let’s go over quickly."

Gu Qingyin was diligently twirling spaghetti. "What’s the rush? It won’t be easy for him to get away. Eat until you’re full."

Sure enough, Dongfang Lingjun went on stage to give a speech of thanks and took the opportunity to make a big announcement: he was officially taking on Dongfang Ran as his final disciple. The day she completed her training would be the day she inherited the position of Dongfang Family Head!

Everyone applauded enthusiastically in support.

Once the speech was over, various guests went up one after another to wish Dongfang Lingjun a long life and present their gifts.

Huo Yunjing felt the time was about right. He turned to Gu Qingyin and asked, "Are you full?"

Gu Qingyin looked down at Huo Xingchen. The child’s mouth was stuffed, so he could only nod repeatedly to show that he was full.

Huo Yunjing took out a handkerchief, wiped Huo Xingchen’s mouth, and said calmly, "Let’s go over then."