Chapter 66
"Yinxi, the wind outside is too strong. Why don't you close the window?" Li Chian sat on the carpet as the aunt came over with freshly brewed jujube tea and gently placed it on the coffee table.
Xu Zhuwen nestled on the sofa, her fingers flying across the tablet. "The renovation of Rose Manor is two weeks ahead of schedule. The question now is whether we should open on New Year's Day or the New Year? Both of these dates are peak seasons, and it would be a shame to miss them."
Gao Yinxi was watering her flowers on the balcony when she put down the watering can, closed the window, turned around, and smiled.
Even though pregnancy often made her feel cumbersome, she remained sensitive to work-related issues.
"Let me see the data." She walked over to Xu Zhuwen, took the tablet, and quickly browsed the market analysis report. "The New Year's Day holiday is short, suitable for short trips and company annual meetings, while the Spring Festival holiday is more suitable for family trips. Our positioning is a high-end healing homestay, which can cater to both."
Li Chi'an leaned closer and pointed at the screen, "The event company said that if we can confirm the opening date in advance, they can tailor a promotion plan for us. If we open before New Year's Day, we can catch the year-end team building craze."
The three were having a lively discussion when the doorbell suddenly rang.
"He should be back by the second watch," Gao Yinxi said.
The aunt went to open the door.
A short while later, Yuan Ergeng walked in, dressed in gym clothes and drenched in sweat.
“He just went to the gym downstairs,” Gao Yinxi explained casually. “You guys will be having dinner at home later. I had the housekeeper buy a lot of vegetables and fruit this morning.”
Yuan Ergeng's forehead was still covered with fine beads of sweat. "I'm going to take a shower. You two can chat slowly."
He greeted Xu Zhuwen and Li Chian, then went into the room.
"I want to see what good food we have," Xu Zhuwen asked with great interest.
"Lamb, shrimp, chicken, fish, and pickled pomelo peel," the aunt answered earnestly from the side. "I bought the vegetables and meat early this morning at the market, they're very fresh. I removed the hair from the lamb by holding it up to the sunlight through the window."
“That’s fine.” Xu Zhuwen nodded. “It’s gotten colder recently, and I’m craving lamb. I was even thinking of going for hot pot.”
"How was it?" Gao Yinxi asked again, "Was lunch at home?"
“Okay.” Li Chi’an nodded.
When Yuan Ergeng came out of the room after taking a shower, he saw the three of them chatting animatedly around the coffee table and asked curiously, "What are you talking about so intently?"
"The opening date of Rose Manor," Gao Yinxi looked up at him. "New Year's Day or the Lunar New Year? It's hard to decide."
After he finished answering, she handed him a bottle of water.
Yuan Ergeng unscrewed the bottle cap and took a big gulp. "Is it settled?"
"not yet."
Yuan Er raised an eyebrow. “I do have an idea. Why not have a trial operation first? We can start the trial operation on New Year’s Day, with a one-month trial period. This will allow us to serve customers who are having team building activities at the end of the year, and also accumulate experience and reputation for the official opening. Then, we can have a grand opening in the new year, doubling the exposure and doubling the profits.”
Gao Yinxi's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea! We can launch promotional activities during the trial operation period, collect customer feedback, and then make adjustments and optimizations when we officially open."
Xu Zhuwen flipped through the budget sheet in her hand. "Time is indeed tight, but if we hurry, we should be able to make it. The New Year's Day and New Year period is the best time for homestays and event companies to do business. Opening earlier will allow us to start making profits sooner."
Li Chi'an nodded in agreement, "I agree. I've already contacted several media friends, and they've agreed to do special reports on us before and after the opening."
"It's settled then, we'll start trial operation on New Year's Day!"
Gao Yinxi habitually made overall arrangements, "Wenwen, you're in charge of contacting the event company and designing the opening discount plan. An'an, you're in charge of optimizing the customer experience during the trial operation period."
Yuan Ergeng loved watching Gao Yinxi's radiant appearance.
He suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, I have some high-end client resources that I can introduce to you later. Also, my 'Hatsune Miku' and Yu Shi's 'Cloud Pavilion' are in preparation. We can cooperate in promotion and promote each other's venues."
When he mentioned "Hatsune Miku" and "Yun Jian Li", he gave Li Chi'an a meaningful look.
Gao Yinxi, Xu Zhuwen, and the other two exchanged excited glances.
Yuan Ergeng's "Hatsune" and Yu Shi's "Yun Jian Li" are renowned in Xianghai City. Collaborating with them would greatly boost the promotion of Rose Manor.
"That's fantastic!" Xu Zhuwen clapped her hands excitedly. "With this powerful alliance, it's no wonder our manor is so popular!"
Li Chi'an also laughed and said, "Ergeng is reliable; he always comes to the rescue."
“Hey~” Yuan Er waved his hand generously, “Young Master Yu is not far behind.”
After finishing their business, Yuan Ergeng suddenly remembered something, leaned closer to Gao Yinxi, and said gently, "Yinxi, Mom and Dad just called and said your birthday is coming soon. This is your first birthday after marrying into the Yuan family, and they want to have a big celebration, which will also be a formal meeting between both sets of parents."
Gao Yinxi frowned. "I'm not feeling well right now. A simple meal will do. There's no need for a big celebration, is there?"
Yuan Ergeng grasped her hand. "We can't refuse a gift from our elders. Your parents value you and want to take this opportunity to express their welcome and approval. Let's accept their kindness and have a proper celebration, shall we?"
Gao Yinxi hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded, "Alright then. But I'd like to hold it at Six Senses. It's all in my own backyard anyway, so I can just invite some close relatives and friends. I don't want to deal with too many people."
“That works too. My parents originally said they'd have it done at the Yuan family's," Yuan Er said with a smile. “Since you like Six Senses, I'll talk to them and have it done there.”
After Yuan Ergeng left.
Xu Zhuwen and Li Chian teased Gao Yinxi, saying, "Yuan Er deliberately said it for us to hear."
Gao Yinxi laughed heartily, "He has a shame."
"Tsk tsk, still so pretentious." Xu Zhuwen rolled her eyes.
...
With Gao Yinxi's birthday approaching, Yuan Ergeng personally oversaw the preparations for the birthday party.
The night before Gao Yinxi's birthday, Yuan Ergeng personally went to inspect the venue set up by the event company. Many staff members were busy setting up decorations and the stage.
The banquet hall at Six Senses Hotel is decorated in a luxurious yet elegant style, with crystal chandeliers illuminating a carefully arranged sea of flowers and a subtle fragrance filling the air.
He didn't get home until after 2 a.m. Gao Yinxi was already fast asleep. She had chosen her clothes for tomorrow and casually placed them on the sofa in the living room. Yuan Er knew that she was going to have the housekeeper iron them for her first thing in the morning.
The next day.
Gao Yinxi wore a custom-made dress and tried her best to cover her pregnant belly, but it was still obvious that her belly was very big.
She stood at the photo spot at the entrance of the banquet hall, greeting guests together with Yuan Ergeng.
"Are you tired?" Yuan Er asked in a lower voice, gently squeezing her palm with his fingers.
Gao Yin smiled and shook her head, "It's alright, the shoes are very comfortable today."
"Let's buy a few more pairs from the store later." These shoes were bought when the two of them went for a check-up and then went shopping at MixC Mall. After buying them, Gao Yinxi didn't have much opportunity to wear them.
Today, I paired it with my black dress, and I thought the new shoes would be uncomfortable, but they were surprisingly comfortable.
Turning her head, Gao Yinxi looked at the crowd coming and going and said, "Didn't we say we shouldn't invite so many people? Why are there so many?"
She left the entire birthday banquet to Yuan Ergeng and didn't pay much attention to it. She only realized when she arrived at the venue that she had misjudged the scale of today's birthday banquet. There were at least ten tables, if not twenty.
To put it dramatically, it's equivalent to a medium-sized wedding banquet.
“They’re all family members. My parents notified them. They said they’re all relatives, and since we’ve already invited them, it’s a good opportunity for them to see you.”
As the two were chatting, a well-dressed family of three walked up to them.
The hostess was wearing a long purple dress and holding a thick red envelope, which she casually stuffed into Gao Yinxi's hand.
"Thanks."
The hostess looked at Gao Yinxi's belly with a smile on her face, "It's so big, six or seven months along, your belly is so round."
"Yes, yes." Gao Yinxi smiled and touched the little girl in her hand who was wearing a purple dress. "Baby, how old are you? You're so pretty."
"I'm six years old," the little girl answered confidently.
The woman of the house held the little girl's hand and said, "This is Aunt Gao. Say hello to her."
Hello, Auntie.
After chatting for a few minutes, the younger members of the Yuan family who had come to help led the family of three to sit down on the side.
Gao Yinxi and Yuan Er were even more amazed, "You have so many relatives!"
“This is the daily life of the young mistress of the Yuan family. You’ll have to get used to it,” Yuan Ergeng chuckled.
Li Chian and Yu Shi walked in hand in hand, marking their first public appearance as a couple.
Li Chi'an wore a burgundy long dress, while Yu Shi wore a well-tailored dark suit, but with a burgundy tie.
"Wow!" Gao Yinxi's eyes lit up. "It's so beautiful, sister."
"Happy birthday!" Li Chi'an hugged Gao Yinxi and whispered in her ear, "You look absolutely gorgeous today too."
Yu Shi handed over an exquisite gift box, saying, "It's just a small gift, nothing special."
Gao Yinxi smiled and accepted the gift. "Thank you for coming. Have fun later. Please forgive me if there is any inadequacy in our hospitality."
Yu Shi smiled and waved his hand, "You're too kind. I'm just here to freeload a meal."
They claimed they were just there to freeload, but they were dressed very smartly.
Gao Yinxi immediately noticed the cuff of his wrist and winked at Li Chian, "Did you give it to me?"
Li Chi'an nodded with a knowing look in his eyes.
Yuan Ergeng and Yu Shi exchanged a few more pleasantries.
Given that Yuan Ergeng and Gao Yinxi are not at their peak in terms of appearance, the appearance of Li Chian and Yu Shi was like a beacon, attracting the attention of most people present.
Gao Yinxi raised her eyebrows triumphantly, "Sister, you have to stand there and take a lot of pictures later to help me save face and raise the overall look of my birthday party."
She was referring to the photo booth.
Li Chi'an said generously, "Let's go make one now."
"Let's go." Gao Yinxi immediately put her arm around her waist.
Xu Zhuwen arrived shortly after, dressed in a smart white suit, a stark contrast to her usual casual style.
"Wow, Wenwen, you're going for the strong woman look today," Gao Yinxi teased.
Xu Zhuwen raised an eyebrow. "We're business owners now, so we still need to maintain a certain image."
"Did Yuan Ergeng invite half of the city's elites? Why are there so many tables?" She leaned closer to Gao Yinxi and lowered her voice. "I just came downstairs. I took a shuttle bus here, and I saw your cards placed among several wedding banquets and baby showers. Just by looking at them, I can tell that your hall is the largest."
"That's an exaggeration, but quite a few prominent figures did come." Gao Yinxi chuckled, then lowered her voice and said, "Ergeng said his parents invited them, and many of them are family members."
“Family members,” Li Chian asked in surprise. “Does their family have that many people?”
"Yes, it's local, think about it."
As soon as Gao Yinxi explained, Xu Zhuwen and Li Chian understood.
Xianghai City is an immigrant city, and local prosperous families like the Yuan family are usually incredibly large, with a family history spanning over a century.
The three women and one man happily posed for several photos in front of the cards.
A short while later, Gao Yanshu led both sets of parents over.
The adoptive father, Gao Shanhai, looked radiant. Standing next to him was his new girlfriend, who looked to be about the same age as the three of them. She was good-looking and had a good figure, but her demeanor was a bit frivolous.
Gao Yinxi looked at Gao Yanshu.
Gao Yanshu secretly walked up to her and whispered in her ear, "This is the first time I've met this woman today."
In such a situation, Gao Yinxi would certainly not embarrass Gao Shanhai, and of course, she could only be polite to his new female companion.
Mr. and Mrs. Yuan were dressed festively, with Mrs. Yuan wearing gorgeous jewelry, making her look more wealthy than usual. Both of them had joy on their faces.
"Sister, brother-in-law, why don't you take a group photo with Dad and the others?" Gao Yanshu promptly suggested.
Mr. and Mrs. Yuan were very fond of Gao Yanshu, this handsome young man. "Yanshu, come along. Let's take a group photo together, since today is Yinxi's special day."
Gao Yinxi called to the photographer, "Take a few more pictures of us."
When the Yuan and Gao families wanted to take a group photo, Xu Zhuwen, Li Chian, and Yu Shi automatically stood to the side.
There was also Gao Shanhai's female companion. She had heard that the two families were going to take photos and was eager to follow Gao Yinxi in her high heels, but Gao Shanhai pulled her wrist and whispered something in her ear.
Then, the three noticed that Gao Shanhai's young female companion had taken a few steps back.
"You must be Yinxi's friends." This girl's ability to appear in such a setting with Gao Shanhai shows a certain level of emotional intelligence.
Even though Gao Shanhai blocked her way, the smile on her face never faded.
However, it would be better if she didn't let her eyes fall on Yu Shi unintentionally when she was chatting with the three of them.
Xu Zhuwen never gave this kind of woman much face. She glanced at her, then turned to Li Chian and said, "Let's go, let's find a place to sit."
"Mm." Li Chi'an smiled slightly, nodded to the girl, and turned to follow Xu Zhuwen.
Without even looking at her, he caught up with her in a few steps, put his arm around her shoulder, and led her to her seat.
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