The wedding ended with a dance party on the second day. Before that, Shan Song had someone send Tong Zhao away and secretly took her back to her residence.
Since I didn't participate with them, I got a good night's sleep early.
Tong Zhao slept until noon, then reluctantly got up and was dragged by the makeup artist to get ready. She was dressed in a brand new dress, like a well-dressed doll or a high-level figurine that was about to be taken out for an exhibition.
The most important event today is the dinner tonight. Since the island has never been open to the public, there is no banquet hall or similar facility on the island, and the banquet hall we are using today is a temporary structure.
Although it was a temporary venue, there was no sign of hasty preparation or roughness. It was clear that Aunt Yuan had ingenuity. Both the scale and the layout were magnificent and grand, luxurious but not vulgar. In Shan Song's words, it was something that Zhou Muyuan, that nouveau riche, could not compare to!
However, Tong Zhao's mind wasn't really on the upcoming banquet. Tonight was the time he and Shan Song agreed to mark their relationship. They had discussed marking their relationship as casually as discussing what to eat for dinner, but now that the moment had come, he was a little timid.
Tong Zhao silently cursed his own incompetence. It was just a mark, wasn't it? He was bound to experience this sooner or later. Dan Song's pheromones... he had been exposed to them before, and the compatibility should be quite high.
"What are you thinking about so intently?"
The sound of Shan Song coming from behind startled Tong Zhao.
"Why such a big reaction?" Shan Song released the doorknob, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "What mischief are you thinking of?"
"How come you have time to come over?" Tong Zhao's face flushed, and her voice involuntarily carried a slight complaint, sounding a bit like she was being coquettish.
Shan Song thought his voice sounded particularly pleasant at that moment and wanted him to say a few more words: "I came to see you. Did you sleep well last night?"
"Hmm, it's very comfortable with no one bothering me. Is that villa yours?"
Shan Song chuckled softly: "The entire island is mine, what do you say?"
Tong Zhao forgot about that, patted his head, and laughed at his own stupid question: "Okay."
Dan Song watched his movements: "But I do live there more often."
"I told you, they've prepared all the necessary daily necessities over there..."
"Hmm, very observant." Shan Song casually praised him, then glanced at the time and gave up on the small talk, getting down to business: "I'll be following Zhou Muyuan throughout the banquet later. Qi Changzhou will also be socializing with people, so he'll try his best to look after you. You should also be careful. There aren't as many guests as yesterday, so it's basically a business banquet, but Geng Keli will still be there."
"Okay, at worst I'll just stick with the Qin family. Even if I run into Geng Keli, nothing will happen. He's the best at maintaining his public image."
Tong Zhao knew this person quite well. He was adept at putting on a gentlemanly facade and was a master at using others to do his dirty work. Moreover, Shan Song had mentioned some of this person's deeds in the circle before, so it was clear that he was very good at hiding his true nature. No one would have guessed that beneath the polite and refined exterior lay a beastly face, a complete scoundrel.
Shan Song leaned down and rested his chin on Tong Zhao's shoulder, his broad hand gently rubbing his back soothingly: "Zhao Zhao, you've worked hard these past few days. You don't need to handle these things anymore."
Tong Zhao blushed slightly and whispered back, "It's okay, you've already taken good care of me, I understand!"
Shan Song patted his shoulder again: "Check the time. The banquet is almost over, so you can go back first. I probably won't be able to go back to the villa until all the guests have left. You can start preparing. If you're sleepy, go to sleep. Don't be too nervous, okay?"
Tong Zhao lowered his eyes and nodded, but a question arose in his mind: what else needed to be prepared for the marking?
Dan Song had no idea what the little omega in front of him was thinking. The banquet was about to begin, and he had to leave.
"I'm leaving." Shan Song hooked Tong Zhao's hand.
"Mm." Tong Zhao looked up and gave the man in front of her a bright smile.
Today, Zhou Muyuan, as one of the central figures at the banquet, pretended to carry a cane and chatted and laughed with the Qin family and others with his two sons.
Although Shan Song was nominally the main character of the wedding, Zhou Muyuan's attitude was clearly that he wanted to use the banquet to introduce Zhou Xinlin to his network of connections. This was almost a blatant declaration to the public that Shan Song was the heir in name only.
During this time, he repeatedly and unintentionally observed Shan Song's expression, showing his regard for Zhou Xinlin while subtly hinting that he wanted Shan Song to take the initiative to explain Qi Changzhou's matter. Shan Song almost couldn't maintain his facade and wanted to laugh. Did Zhou Muyuan think that he would feel some kind of crisis? So he could continue to impress him and beg him not to give up on his son?
He doesn't even need to do anything. Zhou Xinlin himself is not a good-for-nothing. Look at the smugness and boastfulness on his face right now. He has no respect for his elder brother. He speaks recklessly in such an important occasion. Is he trying to announce to the entire circle of wealthy families that the heir chosen by the Zhou family is an idiot?
Zhou Muyuan tried to stop him several times but failed, and his face turned green with anger. On the surface, he still had to pretend to be a loving father and filial son to make amends to Zhou Xinlin.
Shan Song pretended not to see it, secretly scoffing, since it wasn't him who was losing face.
On the other side, Ruan Qiuju, as the matriarch of the Zhou family, attended the banquet with a beaming smile on her face. She even tore off her usual mask a little, and her words and actions were full of sarcasm for Shan Song's overestimation of his abilities. Her words and actions revealed her shallow understanding. The socialite next to her agreed verbally, but her eyes were practically overflowing with disdain.
Although Shan Song and the others were far away, Tong Zhao could see clearly. He felt that Shan Song's assessment of the nouveau riche was incisive and accurate.
Tong Zhao had been lingering on the periphery of the crowd since entering the banquet. The Qin family didn't have time to pay attention to him, and even fewer people were willing to talk to him. Zhou Xinlin glanced at him and wanted to say something, but Shan Song inadvertently stopped him, and then Zhou Muyuan noticed and scolded him.
If he were to actually flirt with his sister-in-law at the banquet, it would be a complete embarrassment for the Zhou family.
However, this was the first time Tong Zhao had seen Zhou Xinlin's appearance clearly. He didn't resemble Shan Song at all. His mean face was five parts like Ruan Qiuju and five parts like Zhou Muyuan. Shan Song looked like his mother. He was on a completely different level from them.
If Shan Song really followed Zhou Muyuan, he himself would probably feel uncomfortable.
As Tong Zhao pondered this, she walked in the opposite direction, glancing around at the other guests to avoid running into any unlucky people.
But what you fear most is what happens. Just as they managed to evade Geng Keli, Qin Chong blocked their way.
"What are you doing wandering around aimlessly? Don't embarrass the Qin family! Come with me to see our eldest brother."
"Okay." Tong Zhao replied, his gaze sweeping over Qin Chong's impatient face. Qin Siyuan had just kicked him out, so why was he being called back now?
Because he already had doubts, Tong Zhao quickly realized that Qin Chong was not leading him towards the Qin family. Seeing this, Tong Zhao turned around and wanted to leave, but was stopped by a familiar figure.
Tong Zhao instinctively took a few steps back to avoid the noise, only to hear a soft laugh from above: "Tong Zhao? Do you remember me?"
"..."
The newcomer wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, exuding an air of natural nobility and gentlemanly demeanor. Anyone who saw him would praise his elegant manners. However, his eyes resembled those of a snake flicking its tongue, sending chills down one's spine with just a glance.
It's Geng Keli.
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