Appearance

As soon as the car came to a stop, a waiter in a suit opened the door. Flashbulbs went off at the entrance. Li Fuqiang, beaming, helped Zhiwei out of the car and led her inside, while photographers frequently called out, "Excuse me, this way, this way, thank you."

Zhiwei chuckled inwardly, but outwardly she maintained a radiant smile and impeccable poise. The red carpet was laid out at the hotel entrance, and late December in Beijing was quite chilly. Unlike many other ladies who, for the sake of appearance, wore thin gowns and only wrapped themselves in fur vests for warmth, she opted for something different.

She wore a long, calf-length white Dior cashmere coat, with a sliver of champagne-colored, asymmetrical skirt peeking out from the hem. She even wore delicate white lambskin boots and gloves, ensuring she was always well-protected from the cold. Her waist remained incredibly slender, making the coat look like an evening gown – truly enviable.

After taking photos and leaving their calligraphy on the autograph slips, they were escorted inside. Along the way, Li Fuqiang exchanged many pleasantries. Apart from the senior executives of Anyao Glass, the attendees were various business owners and their female companions, dressed elegantly and gracefully, giving off a sense of luxury and extravagance.

Zhiwei couldn't help but think mischievously that Fumao's employees were urging their boss to compete for first place, perhaps so that they could broaden their horizons.

They arrived at a moderate pace, about two-thirds of the group had arrived. Li Fuqiang escorted her to chat with the ladies, then went to socialize with the gentlemen.

Zhiwei didn't know anyone, but fortunately, Lin had given her some information about the lady, including pictures and text. She was a new guest here, and no one knew her before, although it was possible that someone who had seen her wedding photos might recognize her.

Most people are familiar with Li Fuqiang, and judging from the way he brought her over, and considering the major events in the neighborhood, they can naturally tell that she was referring to him.

Zhiwei noticed that the ladies present were divided into several groups. Most of the ladies in the information Lin had given her were concentrated in the middle group. Li Fuqiang brought her over and greeted a middle-aged woman in the middle with a smile: "Good evening, Mrs. Xu."

After he left, Zhiwei didn't rush to interrupt. She just leisurely listened to the people chatting and took a look at everyone.

As expected, all the ladies present were dressed very formally. Madam Xu, of course, was adorned with a full set of ruby ​​jewelry, sparkling with precious stones. Zhiwei estimated that it weighed at least one or two pounds, indicating that Madam Xu was quite physically strong.

The venue was spacious, and although the heating was on, it was still a bit chilly. Zhiwei didn't want to catch a cold, so she was still wearing her coat. Many of the ladies, however, had already removed their coats, revealing thin evening gowns underneath; it was unclear whether they were using numerous heat packs or relying on their own bodies to keep warm.

Madam Xu was also dressed very formally, her rather plump waistline tightly bound, revealing horizontal marks. Zhiwei, who designed the clothes herself, knew that the thick, tight-fitting garment was undoubtedly responsible for that waistline, and she was genuinely worried that the fabric might not be strong enough and could break halfway through.

However, Madam Xu, being a seasoned veteran, naturally wouldn't allow such a situation to occur. Zhiwei felt a deep respect for Madam Xu; she hadn't expected someone born into such wealth to be so hardworking.

Madam Xu's makeup was also very heavy, and Zhiwei couldn't tell whether it was a tribute to Japanese geishas or just a preference for such heavy makeup. Zhiwei secretly thought that it would be best if their seats weren't too close together that night, otherwise she was afraid that if some powder fell onto her plate, the evening would be unbearable.

As she listened with a smile, subtly and quickly observing others, it's likely that they were also observing her. Most of the ladies were quite old, with a few younger ones in their thirties who seemed to talk little, mostly listening. When their eyes met Zhiwei's, they would politely nod in greeting, and Zhiwei would also return the nod from afar.

Mrs. Xu was loudly proclaiming, "These days, these little vixens are getting more and more despicable, always finding ways to fawn over men. They don't even realize they're just playthings; men play with them for a couple of days and then move on to another. They're overjoyed with a few hundred thousand dollars worth of jewelry, so petty and low-class."

Zhiwei found the conversation utterly boring, so she wandered around, listening to what the other ladies were saying. Some of them were talking about their family businesses; she couldn't tell if they were genuinely complaining or just showing off. Zhiwei thought to herself, "The Chinese language is indeed profound and subtle."

Several ladies were also chatting about their children's education. Zhiwei smiled slightly; it seemed that no matter how prestigious the family, their worries were all pretty much the same.

Some of the ladies gathered together, chatting about where to go to the fashion shows and how difficult it was to make a reservation at a newly opened Michelin-starred restaurant. Of course, there were also some ladies like her who wandered around listening to opera.

Fortunately, the waiters soon came to invite the gentlemen and ladies to their seats, and the banquet was about to begin. As expected, Zhiwei saw that most of the ladies who had been highlighted in Lin's file were gathered in the middle at the large round table. Luckily, her seat was a few seats away from Madam Xu's. She bowed and greeted the ladies on either side, chatting casually about the weather and how thoughtfully the arrangements were made for the day.

The banquet hall was much warmer; when the waiter arranged her seating, he had helped her take off her coat and brought it out. She was now only wearing a sleeveless champagne-colored silk dress with an irregular, flowing hem. She also wore long white lambskin gloves that reached her mid-arms, and white boots that revealed a touch of untamed spirit.

Unlike the other ladies who were adorned with jewels, she wore only a small ring and a pair of delicate diamond earrings. Yet, her face was radiant and beautiful, her expression relaxed, and she possessed a touch of the allure of a newlywed, leaving the other ladies present with mixed feelings. This was truly the most beautiful time of her life; but how long could such beauty last?

The banquet began with a speech by Mrs. Xu, the salon's chairperson. To Zhiwei's surprise, her words were quite elegant, appropriate, and generous. She thanked all the guests for attending and expressed her hope that they would work together that evening to contribute to charity and fulfill their social responsibilities.

Zhiwei sighed inwardly, realizing that one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. But then she overheard the two ladies in front of her whispering, "Is Anyao Glass short of workers? The manuscript is almost the same as last year's, which is a bit perfunctory. I remember in the first two years, the manuscripts were different every year."

“No one has a memory as amazing as Madam Zhao. You can still remember the gist of a script that you only heard once last year.”

After the speech, a continuous stream of dishes was served, which were indeed more for show than for eating. The ladies barely touched their chopsticks, perhaps afraid their tight waists couldn't handle it or worried about ruining their makeup. Zhiwei sighed with relief, thankful she had been wise to eat until she was about 70% full before coming out.

Soon the evening's main event began, with items donated by the ladies being brought to the stage one by one for display. The emcee introduced the items and the donors with great enthusiasm, while the business owners in the audience held up their numbered paddles to bid, with each bid increasing by 50,000.

Each exhibit saw multiple bids, with some owners bidding against each other to create hype and excitement. Every item was sold for far above market value. Many were purchased by the husbands of the suppliers, while others were won through mutual support – it was simply a social game.

When the auction was halfway through, it was Mrs. Xu's turn to bid, and the bidding became even more intense, with even Li Fuqiang raising his hand several times to raise the price. In the end, Mr. Xu won the Suzhou embroidery painting of galloping horses provided by Mrs. Xu for nearly 8 million yuan. The ladies at the table also complimented Mrs. Xu on the auspicious meaning of her item and praised Mr. Xu's philanthropy for winning the bid.

Because Zhiwei joined relatively late, her items were usually presented later in the auction. Sure enough, as the auction neared its end, the emcee introduced the art piece brought by Mrs. Li Fuqiang in an exaggerated tone: a porcelain work of art depicting a slender, white female wrist with delicate, graceful fingers and an elegant design.

The auction atmosphere was very lively, but after seven million, only three people were still bidding.