Chapter 71 Encountering Danger A pair of warm, large hands grasped her shoulders from behind...

Although Meng Cenjun gave his permission, his gaze remained fixed on Lan Jia. When Grandpa Qiao saw this, he immediately struck up a conversation with him about various random things. As soon as his attention shifted, Qiao Zimu and his sister quickly pulled Lan Jia toward the west building.

As Lan Jia weaved through the crowd, looking around, Qiao Qinghuai noticed and asked with a smile, "Who are you looking for?"

"Is no one else from the Meng family attending this birthday banquet?"

Unaware of the details, she truthfully replied, "The invitations have all been sent out, and Ms. Meng might come. However, Mr. Meng never attends these kinds of occasions, so he most likely won't be coming."

Qiao Qinghuai glanced at Lan Jia. The property dispute between the two branches of the Meng family was in full swing, so she naturally couldn't attend to social matters. However, considering that Meng Cenjun was also a member of the Meng family, she still didn't say anything.

Lan Jia's heart sank upon hearing this. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if he didn't come, who knew when he would get another chance?

While listening to the two talking on the way, Qiao Zimu, who had been neglected, complained, "Hey, who's the main character today? Are you really going to leave me hanging?"

Qiao Qinghuai smiled at the two little ones and said tactfully, "Alright, I'll go to the kitchen to check on the pastries first. Zimu, you keep Lanjia company and have fun."

Seeing her walk away, swaying her skirt, Qiao Zimu immediately came over like a big dog, his eyes crinkling with laughter, "You look so beautiful today."

Normally, the two would start teasing each other after just a few words, but Lan Jia was distracted and only replied indifferently, "You're not bad either."

Qiao Zimu was so happy tonight that he didn't notice anything unusual. He just pulled her forward and enthusiastically described how perfect the ball he had planned was. Lan Jia lifted her skirt and occasionally chimed in with a word or two. They walked to the west building chatting and laughing like this.

As soon as the maid opened the door, the music that had been locked inside burst out. Listening closely, it sounded like classical music adapted from pop, fitting the theme while also being lively and cheerful. A considerable number of people had already gathered in the hall, mostly the children of the wealthy and powerful who had come to the banquet. They were all wearing masks and having a great time. Lan Jia, exposed to the lights, suddenly felt very out of place, after all, she was showing her true face.

As soon as Qiao Zimu appeared in the crowd, people swarmed around him, urging the birthday boy to dance the opening dance. He chatted for a couple of minutes, then turned to Lan Jia and asked, "Want to dance?"

Lan Jia shook her head.

She usually enjoys lively gatherings, but today she was particularly uninterested. Being suddenly stared at by so many eyes made her feel uncomfortable all over.

Seeing that she was not in good condition, Qiao Zimu had no choice but to give up. He then made excuses to the others and said to Lan Jia, "Let's go upstairs and play."

After the two left, several men and women gathered together and whispered among themselves.

"Who was that lady next to Young Master Qiao? She looks like a fairy."

"Young Master Gu, don't even think about it. This is clearly his rumored childhood sweetheart. She's staring at him like that, as if she's afraid he'll run away."

"Oh, so you're the young lady from the Yi family?" Upon hearing Lan Jia's identity, Gu Shao's interest immediately waned. The Yi family, once a prestigious clan comparable to the Meng and Qiao families, was not easy to befriend, even after its misfortunes. Moreover, the one currently in charge at Payne was known for her fierce protection of her family.

Someone gossiped, "Look at how beaming Young Master Qiao is, and how well the two of them match. I bet they'll be having an engagement party soon, right?"

At that moment, Zuo Tai, dressed in a black suit, passed by and glanced in their direction, seemingly unintentionally.

When the crowd saw his extremely intimidating face, they remained silent for a while, and then started whispering among themselves after he had walked away.

"Engaged? I doubt it. You have no idea how controlling her brother is." One of them said, then gestured towards Zuo Tai's back, "Look, he even had a bodyguard following her around the banquet every step of the way. There's no chance for them to even have a chance to be affectionate, is there?"

Immediately, another busybody winked and said, "I heard that the siblings have an ambiguous relationship. Over the years, the brother has never allowed his sister to date. Whenever his sister has someone else, the brother will try every means to get rid of him."

"That can't be right, can it? Meng Cenjun seems so aloof and proper, yet he actually has these kinds of feelings for his sister? I heard they lived together for ten years afterward, and he practically raised her. How could he possibly develop feelings for a child he watched grow up? That's just too much..."

"Why is it impossible? This is an old tradition in the Meng family, right? They're just naturally not normal." Someone got more and more excited as they talked, lowering their voice to gossip: "Did you know that before Old Master Meng got married, he also had an ambiguous relationship with his cousin? Rumor has it that Meng Cenjun's uncle had a child before marriage, and it was only later registered under the name of his first wife."

"My God? No wonder he looks crazy. My dad met Meng Shiyuan once before and said that he doesn't act like a normal person at all."

"Didn't he have a relationship with that young lady from the Yi family before? It caused quite a stir in the city, and I heard he even threatened to kill himself when she got married!"

Someone outside the inner circle asked, completely bewildered, "Which young lady is it?"

Before he could finish speaking, he was immediately interrupted by a jeer: "Keep your voice down. You can't just say things without evidence."

The man muttered, "It's not just me who thinks this way; many people have the same suspicions in private..."

Once this issue was resolved, someone brought up a new topic: "Don't you guys really think Meng Cenyun and his uncle look alike?"

"Isn't it normal for children of brothers to look alike?"

"It's not the kind of resemblance between relatives. It's more like the two of them were cut from the same mold, which is particularly eerie."

"Could it be..." The crowd couldn't help but think in the direction of another fantastical tale, and they were all secretly shocked.

"If that's really the case, then the Yi family mother and daughter are really too pitiful, being harassed by these lunatics from the Meng family..."

The group of people felt increasingly chilled as they thought about it, and dared not say anything more.

Lan Jia, one of the people being discussed, was being pulled by Qiao Zimu as they climbed the stairs, one step at a time.

"Wait a minute, I have something for you." Qiao Zimu smiled and slipped into the bedroom.

Lan Jia lingered at the door for a while without going in. Seeing that he didn't come out for a long time, she decided to sit on the stairs leading to the attic for a while.

Unfortunately, the staircase was spiral, and with a slight glance, she saw Zuo Tai standing at the bottom of the stairs on the next floor. The distance was just right—not too close, not too far—perfect for him to keep an eye on her.

She felt inexplicably frustrated and sat down, feeling blocked at every turn. Without Meng Shiyuan's arrival, the plan could not proceed, and she was being watched so closely that she could hardly move. She was controlled by others whenever she wanted to do anything.

Just then, a text message notification came through on his phone, indicating that things weren't going smoothly for Song Qingqu either. Today was a birthday banquet, and security at the Qiao family's residence was extremely tight; ordinary people were not allowed inside.

She couldn't let Meng Cenjun know that she was secretly contacting him, so she couldn't go to meet him.

Just as she was fretting, Qiao Zimu came over, holding a box in his hands, and looked at her with a slight smile.

"I've been preparing this for a long time, but I haven't had a chance to give it to you until now," he said, naturally sitting down next to her.

Lan Jia asked, somewhat amused, "It's your birthday today, why are you giving me a gift?"

Qiao Zimu scratched his head and said shyly, "I just think it suits you very well. It should only look good on you. Take a look and see if you like it."

Lan Jia opened the heavy black velvet box and found a pearl necklace inside. Four bright pink conch pearls were embedded in the center of the flower and hung down like vines.

Conch pearls are rare, especially such a vibrant pink with such clear flame patterns. But she's wearing jewelry today and doesn't want to wear it anymore.

"Xiao Qiao, thank you, I really like it." As she spoke, she closed the box.

Seeing her indifferent expression, Qiao Zimu assumed the gift hadn't touched her heart and couldn't help but feel disappointed. Remembering her seemingly listless demeanor throughout the evening, he felt even more guilty for not having treated her well. After a moment of silence, Lan Jia suddenly said, "Xiao Qiao, can you do me a favor?"

"OK."

"I haven't even said anything yet, and you've already agreed?"

"Anything you say is fine." He was worried about how to please her, and at this moment he was willing to go through fire and water for her.

"Could you bring someone in for me, please?"

Qiao Zimu nodded and was about to get up to do it when Lan Jia grabbed his hand.

His eyes lit up with excitement, and he took her hand, swaying it gently in the air, and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? I'll be right back."

If she had someone else she could trust, she would have been extremely reluctant to drag him into all of this; her personal grievances had nothing to do with him. Seeing that he decided to help her without hesitation, Lan Jia felt even worse, even hoping that things wouldn't really escalate tonight. If she ruined his birthday because of her, she would feel incredibly guilty.

But she couldn't ignore the hatred for her parents' sins, and she had to keep her promise. Torn between these two conflicting emotions, she could only smile bitterly and say, "Xiao Qiao... thank you so much."

"Why are you being so polite today? If you keep this up, I'm really going to get angry!" He glared at her feigned anger, then finally let go of her hand. "I'm leaving."

After Qiao Zimu left, she stayed alone for a while, but couldn't sit still, so she decided to go downstairs to take a look.

The hall was still filled with laughter and chatter, yet a sense of tranquility prevailed amidst the merriment. Lan Jia stood silently by the dessert table, observing. She wondered if the evidence provided by Song Qingqu and the others had been sent for testing. Even if Meng Shiyuan didn't come, the police could still arrest and question him. But what if someone as cunning as him received advance notice and fled the country? Yet, she was certain that Song Qingqu would come. If he did, the arresting officers could hide in the ballroom, and she could act as bait, luring him to a secluded spot without causing a commotion.

Once today is over, everything will be fine. A huge weight will be lifted off her shoulders, and she won't have to live in fear anymore.

As Lan Jia was lost in thought, someone suddenly exclaimed in front of her. It was a waiter who was walking towards her. He slipped and fell, spilling all the red wine on his tray onto her dress.

She quickly stepped back two steps, and Zuo Tai, who was not far away, immediately came over to check.

She glanced at Lan Jia, and seeing that she wasn't angry, she apologized while taking out a clean towel to wipe her down. Zuo Tai stopped her, casting a wary look at her.

The commotion they caused immediately drew the attention of others on the dance floor, who began to scrutinize Lan Jia.

She frowned, not wanting to attract so much attention, and immediately told her not to wipe it off. Then she whispered to Zuo Tai, "There's a spare dress in the car. Could you run it for me?"

Zuo Tai hesitated: "Miss, you're all alone..."

Lan Jia was already on edge, and this incident only made her more irritable: "I'm already like this, what are you afraid I'll run off to?"

The waiter seized the opportunity to say, "There are changing rooms upstairs for guests, miss. You can go there and rest first."

Zuo Tai replied, "Then please have a seat first, I'll be right back."

Lan Jia nodded and was led upstairs by the waiter.

"Miss, this is it. I'll go get you some tea and snacks." The waiter opened the door for her attentively and then went to arrange the food for her.

After Lan Jia saw her leave, she stepped into the dressing room. Before she could take a closer look at the decor, everything suddenly went black.

The lights went out, and a pair of warm, large hands grasped her bare shoulders from behind.

Author's Note: Recommended Song: Life Ain't Easy — AD TurnUp