Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Meeting Gift
As a top luxury hotel, Yunmu Hotel has branches all over the world. Its target group has always been the world's top high-net-worth customers or highly influential people with a certain reputation in a certain field.
Located in the heart of the city, the Hangzhou branch occupies a century-old building with a large private back garden, stunning scenery, and a tranquil environment.
To be able to book the entire Yunmu Hotel and hold a private banquet, one not only needs to have sufficient funds, but also extremely high social status and reputation.
Xu Zhixi sat in a corner of the banquet hall, looking at the many celebrities walking gracefully not far away. It was his first time to come into contact with so many wealthy families, and his scalp tingled.
She had assumed Liao Keke would at most take her to a private club, like the one they'd visited in Zhangcheng, somewhere quiet and peaceful. But who could have imagined Liao Keke would go so far as to bring her directly to this gathering place for the rich and powerful?
The men and women inside were dressed in luxurious couture gowns, adorned with jewels and gems, or at worst, brand-name ready-to-wear from the season. Xu Zhixi had arrived in a hurry, and even though she had changed into decent clothes and put on some makeup, she still looked out of place.
When Liao Keke first arrived, she greeted a few friends, then took Xu Zhixi to a corner to escape the world and took two glasses of champagne from the waiting staff.
"Why did you bring me to a place like this?" Xu Zhixi didn't touch the dessert on the table. After all, it was his first time in such a place. No matter how calm he looked on the surface, he felt a little restrained in his heart.
Liao Keke has always been relaxed and didn't wear anything haute couture. She just found a one-shoulder long dress that was suitable for going out and paired it with jewelry, which looked extremely simple.
"It's really okay." Liao Keke handed her the champagne and said with a smile, "Although the host of today's banquet is the Song family, they deliberately kept a low profile. In fact, it's almost like a small family dinner, not grand. Look, everyone is quite relaxed."
If it was a large private dinner, she wouldn't dare to be so casual, as that would only bring shame to her family.
Xu Zhixi's eyes moved slightly, and he immediately grasped the key point: "Song family?"
Liao Keke put down her champagne glass and nodded. "With my family background, I'm not really qualified for a banquet like this, but who can blame me for having so many friends? Since I have the chance, of course I have to come and see Mr. Song's new wife. It would be nice to get to know her. You wouldn't know, but this Mrs. Song is only about the same age as us, while Mr. Song is already in his fifties. I guess the Song family held this banquet just to help the new wife integrate into the social circle and to make her known to the world."
It is not uncommon in the circle for a girl in her twenties to marry a wealthy man in his fifties.
But since the other party is the Song family, this matter becomes interesting.
Everyone knows that Mr. Song has an only son who has been trained as the heir since birth. Now that Mr. Song has married a young and beautiful girl, who knows, he might give birth to a son in the future. Then it is hard to say who will own the property.
After all, it was common knowledge that Mr. Song and his son didn't get along. Everyone privately speculated that Mr. Song disliked his ex-wife, who was born out of an arranged marriage, and the son she had, which was why their relationship was so cold.
But he only has this one son, so even if he doesn't like him, he can only train him as his heir.
Xu Zhixi clinked glasses with her and took a sip: "So you brought me here to broaden my horizons? Or to see the so-called Mrs. Song?"
Liao Keke smiled and said, "We have everything. What do you want to eat? I'll ask the waiter to bring it over."
Xu Zhixi shook his head: "That's all, I can't eat any more."
Liao Keke continued to tell her gossip and secretly signaled with her eyes: "Mrs. Song hasn't come out yet. I'll show her to you later."
Liao Keke was initially hesitant about attending the banquet. After all, none of her close friends were invited, leaving only the "little sisters" who were just "sham friends." But she was eager to meet Mrs. Song, and as she and Xu Zhixi were chatting about the secrets of wealthy families, she suddenly realized that she could bring Xu Zhixi along, which would be much more interesting than going with her "little sisters."
Xu Zhixi wasn't interested in any of this, but seeing how excited she was, he didn't discourage her and said with a smile, "Okay."
The Yunmu Hotel is a modern Italian style hotel that is simple yet noble, elegant and sophisticated.
The bright lights at the banquet became luxurious and hazy, with figures moving around. Every guest present was a celebrity in the industry.
Everyone was talking in low voices, the wine glasses in their hands were crystal clear, and they were smiling faintly as they toasted each other, making it difficult to tell whether they were truly in love.
Chu Chaoyan took Song Qiming's arm and slowly walked into the banquet hall under the gaze of everyone.
She was wearing a high-end dress tailored for her by a top designer. It was light and elegant. The hundreds of millions of jewels around her neck sparkled, but it did not take away her charm at all. She became even more elegant and bright.
"Old Song."
Chairman Fu Jingnian of Fu Rui approached with a smile, his features reflecting the mature masculinity of time. Nearing sixty, he remained elegant and charismatic. He greeted Song Qiming with a familiar greeting, then glanced at Chu Chaoyan, who stood beside him, and nodded.
Song Qiming looked behind him. Since they were familiar with each other, he didn't exchange pleasantries. "Where's Rongying? Didn't she come with you?"
Fu Jingnian couldn't help but smile, his low, mellow voice revealing helplessness: "You know her too. She's been worried sick about Cheng Ze's situation these past few days and can't leave the house. She asked me to tell your wife a message, asking her to come to her house next time she has a chance."
Song Qiming didn't care. This banquet was originally held for Chu Chaoyan. Moreover, Fu Jingnian came in person. Even if his wife didn't attend the banquet, it was enough to show his attitude.
Chu Chaoyan then put on a bright smile, released the man's hand, and acted impeccably: "Your health is the most important thing. The banquet can be held anytime. Madam Fu, please take care of yourself."
Fu Jingnian's deep pupils contained a smile.
"Chaoyan." Song Qiming looked at Chu Chaoyan and said softly, "Didn't you say you wanted to go meet Mrs. Qin?"
Chu Chaoyan understood what he meant. Without any emotion on his face, he smiled at the two of them and said, "Then I'll excuse myself. Have fun, Mr. Fu."
Fu Jingnian: "Mrs. Song too."
Chu Chaoyan nodded politely. After she turned and left, Song Qiming and Fu Jingnian walked towards the VIP seats and each took a glass of wine from the waiter's tray.
Song Qiming raised his glass and clinked it with him. "I haven't seen Rong Ying much lately. Has Cheng Ze's matter been dealt with yet?"
Fu Jingnian smiled helplessly: "If it can be handled well, I won't have to worry so much."
Song Qiming gently shook the champagne in his hand and said, "If you ask me, children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. As an elder, there is no need to forcibly obstruct him. What he will become in the future depends on his luck."
"You're quite open-minded. Wait until Jing finds you a daughter-in-law of mediocre talent, and see if you can still smile." Fu Jingnian said this in a joking tone. He was indeed close to giving in, but his wife wouldn't budge.
Song Qiming smiled but said nothing.
Actually, I have found it.
But we can't say that the other party's qualifications are mediocre. At least the girl has a clean family background and is smart. The most important thing is that she has a clear-headed and open-minded spirit, which is quite similar to Song Jing's mother.
As he was speaking, Song Qiming suddenly noticed something strange out of the corner of his eye, and he stopped and looked over.
In the brightly lit banquet hall where people were drinking and chatting, a thin figure sat quietly in a corner, listening to the girl next to him talking incessantly and occasionally smiling back.
Compared to other girls in the banquet hall who were dressed gorgeously and had delicate makeup, she was like a simple white rose, pure and elegant, blooming in the corner of the gorgeous sea of flowers. Her charm was not suppressed at all, but instead her stunning and bright beauty was highlighted. Many men present cast their eyes on her frequently.
Fu Jingnian saw him suddenly stop, so he stopped too. He followed his gaze and immediately noticed Xu Zhixi sitting in the corner.
Clear and peaceful, beautiful and reserved.
Not only him, any man looking at her like this would find it difficult to ignore her figure.
Fu Jingnian is used to seeing all kinds of people. He is not a naive boy. Even if a beautiful girl is in front of him, he can remain indifferent. He will just glance at her and then look away, with a deep look in his eyes.
It was obvious that Song Qiming knew this girl.
But he understood Song Qiming's character and knew that he was not a man who was greedy for beauty and lacked self-control.
But because of this, he became even more curious.
Song Qiming waved his hand, and the banquet manager immediately stepped forward and said respectfully, "Mr. Song."
Song Qiming looked at Xu Zhixi who was not far away and asked calmly, "Who did that little girl come with?"
All the new members registered. The banquet manager took a look and nodded, saying, "This Miss Xu is here with the daughter of Liao Yi Technology."
Song Qiming paused.
I originally thought Xu Zhixi came here with Song Jing, but it turned out not to be the case.
He looked at the butler Lin Ke who had been waiting behind him and asked, "Didn't Leminke send a set of jewelry over? What is it?"
Lin Ke said, "It's a gemstone necklace, the work of Italian designer Delle."
Song Qiming nodded, weighed the price, and felt that he could afford it. Then he said, "Give it to Miss Xu as a small gift."
Lin Ke knew that Xu Zhixi was Song Jing's girlfriend, so he was not surprised, but felt it was natural.
The banquet manager was stunned.
Lakemin is a top global jewelry brand, and designer Dale only releases a piece of jewelry every five years. A few years ago, Dale announced her retirement, and Lakemin painstakingly managed to finally produce a piece. When this necklace was presented, everyone assumed it would be given to Mr. Song's new wife, but they didn't expect it would be given to this little-known young woman.
But he adhered to his professional ethics, showed no emotion on his face, and followed Lin Ke to make arrangements.
This piece of jewelry worth hundreds of millions of dollars finally found its owner.
…
Xu Zhixi had never attended such a luxurious banquet and didn't know anyone here, so she had to sit quietly in her seat and act as a transparent person, tasting the food from time to time and listening to Liao Keke and her popularizing knowledge about the rich and gossiping about their secrets, just to broaden her horizons.
However, peaceful times are always short-lived. She was listening to Liao Keke talking about Mr. Song Qiming's new wife. Before she could even hear her name, two beautiful young ladies in formal dresses came over.
One of the young ladies waved and greeted them with a faint smile: "Hi! Honey, why are you sitting here all the time? You're going to become a beautiful painting."
Liao Keke grinned, stood up and gave her a light hug: "I brought a friend here today. It's her first time attending a party like this, and I'm afraid she won't be used to it, so I have to accompany her well."
The woman looked at Xu Zhixi beside her. After Liao Keke stood up and greeted her, Xu Zhixi also stood up politely and nodded.
"Your friend is so beautiful." The woman's name was Susan. She was the daughter of a jewelry brand. She was not very familiar with Liao Keke, but they had some contact.
The relationships in the circle are true and false, and are basically tied together because of interests. No one knows who is sincere and who is fake.
Xu Zhixi smiled at her, quite gracefully: "You are also very radiant."
Thanks to her internship experience and her previous job at a large company, she gained a lot of knowledge and exercised her adaptability, which prevented her from being impolite in such occasions.
Pei Baozhen, the daughter of a real estate tycoon next to Susan, did not smile so much. She just nodded lightly and looked at Xu Zhixi calmly. She found that apart from her face, Xu Zhixi did not have any luxury goods from head to toe, and even did not have any hairstyle. Her long hair was casually draped behind her head, and her makeup was so light that it was almost invisible. She looked very shabby in such a wealthy banquet.
This made her feel more repulsive.
Susan only smiled faintly at Xu Zhixi, obviously not taking it seriously, and turned to continue chatting with Liao Keke: "I heard that you went to work, how do you feel?"
Liao Keke didn't really want to chat with these two young ladies, but they were not the kind of people she could treat lightly, so she just had to bite the bullet and chat: "What's the big deal? They're just messing around." There was no way she could get a permanent position anyway unless she used her connections. But that also went against her original intention, so she could only continue working as an intern, happy with the free time.
Pei Baozhen sat down on the sofa, swaying her wine glass. "Some people desperately try to squeeze into the upper circle, but you're doing the opposite, trying to get into the lower circle." She smiled, her eyes passing over Xu Zhixi's face. "Hmm... quite interesting."
"What's the big deal?" Liao Keke pulled Xu Zhixi to sit down. Hearing the sarcasm in her words, she couldn't help but say, "If I don't experience all kinds of life, how will I know my Xiaoxi? I'll regret it for the rest of my life."
Xu Zhixi could sense the other party's innuendo, but since he was a nobody and his influence was not influential, there was no need to offend him, so he just pretended that he didn't understand.
If you hit cotton with a stick, people will soon lose interest.
But she didn't expect that Liao Keke, who was always carefree, would come to her rescue.
Xu Zhixi's heart was filled with ripples. After deciding to take the civil service exam, she always felt that she would leave Hertz sooner or later, so she didn't have much real feeling for the people in the company.
Pei Baozhen chuckled: "As long as you like it."
Liao Keke smiled back: "Of course I like it."
Susan watched silently as these people were stirring up a storm, not saying a word until she heard movement in the center of the banquet hall. She then raised her chin and gestured for everyone to look towards the center of the hall. "Look, today's protagonist has arrived."
The crowd that had been scattered around greeted Chu Chaoyan with smiles upon seeing him.
Who wouldn't want to curry favor with the Song Group? Now Chu Chaoyan, who came from a grassroots background, has risen to prominence and firmly secured the position of Mrs. Song. Even if everyone looks down on her background, they can only flatter her.
The key is that people may not buy into your tricks.
Pei Baozhen glanced at it casually and then looked away.
It is said that Fu Rui has the best relationship with the Song Group. However, when Chu Chaoyan made her first appearance as the wife of the chairman of the Song Group, Mrs. Fu was not present. It was obvious that she did not really take her seriously, otherwise she would have come long ago.
Asking Chairman Fu Rui to attend was just to save face.
Everyone knows that Mrs. Fu has been angry recently because her son insisted on marrying a woman who is not of the same social status as her. How could she possibly attend Chu Chaoyan's banquet? Isn't this a slap in the face?
Liao Keke touched her chin and said, "This Mrs. Song is really young."
Susan smiled and said, "Of course not. I heard that she was with Mr. Song during college." She must have been only around 20 years old at that time, how could she not be young.
Several people were chatting casually, with different attitudes, but Xu Zhixi didn't want to get involved, for fear of getting into trouble. Moreover, after she saw the face of the new Mrs. Song, she was completely stunned.
This is not...
Chu Chaoyan?
Pei Baozhen's calm voice sounded again: "Sometimes background doesn't determine anything. Ability seems to be more important." She turned to look at Xu Zhixi and smiled at her. "Miss Xu, this is your first time attending such a banquet. Maybe you will become a regular in the future."
“…”
Xu Zhixi felt a little helpless. Rich families were indeed complicated.
She was treated with hostility just for coming here to see the world, let alone Chu Chaoyan, who had just become Mrs. Song. Although everyone flattered and courted her in public, who knew what they were doing to her in private.
The fact that Chairman Song married her shows that she has extraordinary qualities. Why is she so sarcastic? It's just sour grapes.
If they were allowed to flirt with Mr. Song, he might not even be bothered to look at them.
"Right, Miss Xu?"
Xu Zhixi: "Well, you are right."
Pei Baozhen smiled: "Then I look forward to seeing you next time."
Xu Zhixi smiled perfunctorily: "Okay."
As expected, no girl can stand being treated perfunctorily. Pei Baozhen frowned.
Xu Zhixi said to her again: "You have a good ability to predict the future. I believe you."
Susan chuckled. "Baozhen, when did you start learning fortune-telling? If you're right, I'll come to you often."
Liao Ke was afraid of offending others, so he could only laugh secretly in his heart, and almost couldn't hold it back.
Pei Baozhen's expression turned cold. She opened her mouth to say something when she suddenly saw the banquet manager in a tuxedo coming towards them with Lin Ke.
Everyone knows Lin Ke's identity. He is an old man who has been with Song Qiming since he was a child. He is his personal butler and work assistant.
Seeing everyone's instantly tense expressions, Xu Zhixi naturally guessed that the person's identity was extraordinary. Otherwise, why would the arrogant Miss Pei Baozhen immediately behave well?
She lowered her head and played with her phone silently. Anyway, this person's identity had nothing to do with her.
After sending the photos of the banquet hall she had just taken to her girlfriends group, Xu Zhixi immediately received Gao Yue's groundhog-like "Ahhhhh". She couldn't help but smile. Just as she was about to continue typing, a black shadow suddenly covered her eyes.
She looked up blankly and met Lin Ke's kind eyes.
"Hello, Miss Xu."
The other person had a smile in his eyes and a respectful attitude.
Xu Zhixi was startled for a moment, and subconsciously looked around to make sure that she was the only one around, Miss Xu, before she responded blankly, "Hello."
Lin Ke looked to the side, and the banquet manager understood. He took a step forward, carefully holding the luxurious velvet box inlaid with metal and diamonds in his hands, and nodded respectfully to Xu Zhixi.
Lin Ke smiled and said, "This is a gift from our husband. I hope you like it."
“……?”
ah?
Xu Zhixi was stunned.
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The author has something to say: The goose looked left and right and found that she was the only one with the surname Xu [question mark]
Ha ha ha ha
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