Tang Yue rolled her eyes, then patted Song Shiyi's hand: "Alright, alright, we're all friends, what's there to hold a grudge about? Besides, this is my birthday party, everyone should be happy."
Hearing this, Song Shiyi was very satisfied. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Tang Yue, she left.
Tang Yue also came to Qiao Zhen's side and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Miss Qiao, Shi Yi is just like that. He says whatever comes to mind. Please don't take it to heart."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhen merely smiled faintly and did not respond.
Tang Yue wasn't annoyed that he didn't reply, and turned to look at Lu Zheng to the side.
"I'm not saying this to be mean, but you're a grown man, and your female companion was bullied, and you just casually say something like that? That's so irresponsible."
Although she was speaking to Lu Zheng, Tang Yue's eyes kept glancing at Qiao Zhen, as if she were speaking to Qiao Zhen herself.
Lu Zheng snorted coldly, his expression remaining calm: "This is your birthday banquet, and you, as the main character, hid in the back and didn't come out until I spoke up. What, is your appearance fee expensive?"
Hearing this, Tang Yue looked flustered and glanced around. "What nonsense are you talking about? I just thought the earrings weren't very nice, and I was a bit conflicted, which is why I didn't come out in time. Otherwise, I would have saved the day."
"It's alright, it's all in the past, and it was nothing serious."
Seeing the two of them on the verge of conflict, Qiao Zhen couldn't help but try to mediate.
Tang Yue's eyes narrowed: "Look, Miss Qiao is so understanding, much better than your icy face."
Lu Zheng didn't reply, but simply pulled Qiao Zhen away.
Tang Yue watched the two figures disappear into the distance and smiled meaningfully.
"It's not really appropriate for you to just leave like this."
Qiao Zhen felt it was a bit impolite and asked with lingering fear.
"You really love to speak up for others," Lu Zheng said sarcastically, his sarcasm obvious.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhen pursed her lips, then heard Tang Yue speak loudly from not far away.
"I've been living abroad for a while, so this is the first birthday party I've ever held in China. Thank you all for coming!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone around him smiled and complimented him.
"How could we possibly miss Miss Tang's birthday party?"
"That's right, that's right. Miss Tang is so beautiful, it would be a waste not to come."
Tang Yue listened to their praise, maintaining a faint smile on her face.
Then, someone suddenly said, "Since you're here, I have to say something. This is an amethyst that my father brought back from abroad. There are only a few in the world. I hope Miss Tang will accept it."
Seeing this, the others also offered the birthday gifts they had prepared.
When it was Lu Zheng and Qiao Zhen's turn, Lu Zheng prepared a haute couture dress that perfectly suited Tang Yue's temperament.
Tang Yue laughed and joked, "Why send me a dress? You know I hate those restrictive outfits."
Lu Zheng smiled without saying a word. As the two were about to leave, Tang Yue suddenly called out to Qiao Zhen, "Miss Tang, where's my gift?"
Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhen paused for a moment, then looked back at the dress she had just worn.
Tang Yue looked at the dress in her hand and smiled, "This is a gift from Lu Zheng, Miss Qiao. I think you must have prepared this for me with good intentions."
This stumped Qiao Zhen, who had originally planned to receive the same gift as Lu Zheng.
I never expected Tang Yue to pull this stunt at the last minute.
At that moment, Song Shiyi, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but laugh and said, "I say, a commoner is a commoner, isn't he? Coming here to rub his face."
Qiao Zhen frowned slightly. She suddenly remembered that there were other people who had brought female companions earlier, and they had only given one gift.
Why didn't Tang Yue cause trouble for that woman?
A bad feeling rose in my heart.
Qiao Zhen felt the increasing gazes around her, and nervously pursed her lips. Just as she was about to speak, Lu Zheng spoke first.
"This is a gift that Qiao Zhen prepared for you. I forgot to prepare it. I'll make it up to you next time. Sorry."
Upon hearing this, Tang Yue was stunned, thinking she had misheard.
"You mean this gift was prepared by Qiao Zhen for me, and not by you?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng nodded firmly: "Miss Qiao specially chose this dress for you last night."
Tang Yue's expression froze for a moment, then she immediately smiled again: "Oh, what's the big deal? It's just a gift. You've given me so many things since I was little, one more won't make a difference."
Lu Zheng nodded and led Qiao Zhen to sit down to the side.
Qiao Zhen then realized what was happening and tugged at Lu Zheng's sleeve: "Why did you help me?"
“I have said that you can rely on me in front of outsiders.”
Lu Zheng tidied his stray hairs, his movements intimate and natural.
Qiao Zhen nodded blankly, recalling the details in her mind, her heart pounding with anxiety.
Lu Zheng always poured cold water on her when she was moved, and always gave her something sweet when she was rational.
She doesn't know how to face Lu Zheng now.
Just as I was lost in thought, the people around me suddenly started whispering.
Qiao Zhen felt something was off, frowned and looked up, and saw Shen Yan holding the gift, looking uneasy.
"Why is she here too?"
Lu Zheng whispered in Qiao Zhen's ear, "Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. No matter how down on its luck the Shen family is, it is still a prestigious family. In addition, Shen Yan has now married into the Lu family, so her status is not much different."
However, other people's perspectives go beyond just that.
What Shen Yan did has almost become the talk of the town.
Hearing the whispers around her, Shen Yan tightened her grip on the gift.
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