Ma Zhaoshi shouted that he wanted to go to the banquet hall as soon as possible to find girls, because he wanted to achieve female freedom. He regretted persuading Xia Baozhu to come along.

Before she came, everyone was the same; everyone here was single, and no one had to envy anyone else.

Now that she's here, that shameless Sun Xingyan drags her everywhere he goes, even to the toilet, he practically has to pull her in too.

Ma Zhaoshi was curious about what was happening inside their room, so he secretly went to the door on the third floor to listen. Two hours later, he came down with a livid face.

The problem isn't scarcity but inequality; Ma Zhaoshi, a single guy who passively accepts being flirted with, runs away every day.

As Chen Lu drove, he listened expressionlessly to Sun Xingyan touching Xia Baozhu's hand in the back, praising how her hand made the ring look even more beautiful.

The car drove into a grand, classical manor, where the guards checked their invitations and respectfully invited them inside.

"The owner here is Mr. Ivanov, whom you met once."

Ivanov is one of the ten most common surnames in the Great Bear Kingdom. It is the patronymic of the most common male name "Ivan," derived from the Christian name "Yoan."

Between the 14th and 19th centuries, people with the surname Ivanov comprised 25% of the peasantry in Great Bear, and they were widely distributed and had a certain social influence.

This surname indicates that the family owner came from an ordinary background, belonging to the nouveau riche category in the Great Bear Kingdom.

Xia Baozhu took Sun Xingyan's arm and walked into the corridor, entering the front hall, where she saw a magnificent hall that could only be described as spacious and bright.

The enormous crystal chandelier emitted a soft yet dazzling light, illuminating the entire space like a dreamlike realm.

The banquet hall was decorated with blooming flowers, including vibrant roses, elegant lilies, and delicate tulips, which emitted a captivating fragrance.

The long banquet table was covered with a snow-white linen tablecloth, with delicate gold patterns embroidered along the edges.

The silver cutlery was arranged neatly, gleaming with a cool luster under the light, and the crystal glasses were like transparent works of art.

There are three banquet tables, each filled with delicious food and wine, served buffet-style for guests to help themselves.

The band played cheerful music in a corner of the hall, the melodious tunes flowing in the air and adding a romantic atmosphere to the banquet.

The men were mostly dressed in formal suits, while the women were like blooming flowers, their colorful evening gowns swaying gracefully, lace and silk intertwining to create a dreamlike beauty.

They wore exquisite headdresses and dazzling jewels around their necks, exuding elegance and nobility with every step.

It's rare to see someone like Xia Baozhu wearing a women's suit, but she didn't care, since nobody knew her anyway.

A man with black hair, brown eyes, and a sharply defined face walked over, laughing and opening his arms to hug Sun Xingyan and Chen Lu respectively.

This is the host of the banquet, Lev Ivanov, one of the company's biggest partners. He is thirty-five years old, well-maintained, tall and slender, with deep eyes that are filled with ambitious shrewdness, and he is a high-profile person.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, beautiful Mrs. Xia." Lev looked into Xia Baozhu's eyes with admiration, his movements elegant and graceful.

Xia Baozhu smiled politely and shook hands with Lev: "Thank you very much for your invitation, Mr. Ivanov."

Sun Xingyan presented Ivanov with a painting he had created himself.

Ivanov opened it with a delighted expression and exclaimed in a slightly exaggerated tone, "Fantastic! Yan, this painting is just what I want! I'm going to hang it in my office!"

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the host beckoned a waiter to take a few sips of wine with him, and then went to greet the other guests.

Attending banquets is a way to make friends and socialize, and several local friends that Sun Xingyan knew were also there.

Most of these people were accompanied by female companions, all of whom were fair-skinned, beautiful, with delicate features and high noses—typical beauties from the Great Bear Kingdom.

Xia Baozhu greeted each of them. Although she wasn't very fluent in everyday language, she could understand it. However, when she encountered technical terms, Sun Xingyan had to translate for her.

Ma Zhaoshi was chatting happily with a tall, beautiful woman, and when he saw Sun Xingyan and the others, he pulled the woman over.

"Chen Lu, why did your brother Sun let your sister-in-law come out dressed like this? Does she think this is work?" Ma Zhaoshi nudged Chen Lu's arm, raising his chin to look at Xia Baozhu in the chat group.

Tsk tsk, so beautiful. He turned to look at his female companion, who also had fair skin, a high nose and big eyes, but he felt that the beauty of Chinese people was more charming and more spiritual.

Especially their skin, the pale white of the beauties from the Great Bear Kingdom, lacks luster, and their noses are too high. At first glance, they are very beautiful, but after looking at them for a long time, it feels like something is missing.

This may be related to his Chinese tastes and the influence of his country's traditional aesthetics. In his opinion, no one in the entire banquet hall could compare to Xia Baozhu.

But why wear a suit? It makes you look so cold and hard. Haven't you worn enough to work? A dress would look so much better; a dress really brings out a woman's femininity.

"Brother Sun is probably worried that his wife is dressed too nicely and someone will snatch her away," Chen Lu said with a smile, swirling his wine glass.

“That does sound like something your brother Sun would do; he’s a total wife-obsessed guy.” Ma Zhaoshi pursed his lips. “By the way, let me introduce you to your new sister-in-law, Dalia.”

Xia Baozhu turned around without noticing the people behind her and was splashed with wine by a woman.

The white suit was quickly stained with red wine. Lev Ivanov noticed the situation and had someone take Xia Baozhu and Sun Xingyan to the lounge to change into spare clothes.

"Wife, why don't you change into this one?" Sun Xingyan picked out a square-necked, long-sleeved imperial dress from a row of clothes.

Xia Baozhu took the clothes to the dressing room to change. As soon as she got to the door, she heard some noises inside and her hand paused when she opened the door.

Just as they were about to leave, the door opened, and a handsome man with shoulder-length blond hair walked out lazily, followed by a slender, long-haired woman with disheveled clothes frantically trying to put on her clothes.

Upon seeing Xia Baozhu, the man raised an eyebrow and reached out to touch her face. Xia Baozhu coldly grabbed his wrist and gently tightened her grip. A look of pain appeared on his handsome face, and he cried out in surprise.

Sun Xingyan, who had just arrived at the restroom and hadn't even started to undo his belt, rushed out immediately: "What's wrong, wife?"

Seeing this, he frowned, pulled Xia Baozhu aside, and said to the man who was waving his arms around his wrists, "Sir, please have some self-respect."

"She was the one who laid a hand on me," the man said angrily, giving Xia Baozhu a deep look with his azure eyes as if trying to memorize her appearance, before quickly leaving.

The woman inside was adjusting her skirt. When she saw the two people at the door, she lowered her head in embarrassment and followed the man out.