That evening, Zhou Zi'an had Sun Cheng arrange a room for the old woman at the hotel. He then led Xu Keke into the banquet hall first.
To match Xu Keke's appearance, Zhou Zi'an wore a long gown with a plain silk jacket over it. Xu Keke didn't usually think men looked good in long gowns, but the Zhou family members were generally good-looking, and Zhou Zi'an, with his well-proportioned and tall figure and long fan in hand, looked both refined and handsome.
Zhou Xiangnan and Feng Shaozhe arrived first and were exchanging pleasantries with several blond-haired, brown-eyed foreigners. Just as they approached, before they could even speak, a short Shanghai local, dressed in a blue cotton shirt and wearing glasses, came over with a few people to greet Feng Shaozhe.
Zhou Zian whispered in Xu Keke's ear, "Lin Qinghai."
Lin Qinghai, one of the three future giants of Shanghai.
Xu Keke never expected that she would meet two historical figures who would one day dominate Shanghai.
Although Lin Qinghai was stronger than Li Shirong, he was still only a hall master in the Dragon Gang. He was in his forties, with a fair complexion and no beard. He did indeed look somewhat scholarly. His expression was somewhere between humility and modesty, but because he had been subordinate to others for many years, he leaned more towards the latter.
Seemingly sensing that someone was watching him, Lin Qinghai greeted the others and then turned his gaze to Xu Keke. With a warm smile, he seemed more like an approachable elder compared to Feng Shaozhe's aloof demeanor.
"I haven't had a chance to congratulate the two families yet. This is such a great occasion, we should celebrate here. It's also a chance for me, as the uncle, to show my appreciation. Why isn't Young Master Feng here today? He's back from abroad, and my son has been saying he'd treat him to a meal at the club. He's invited him several times, but he just happened to be out each time. It's such a pity. I thought he would be here today."
Following behind Lin Qinghai, his youngest son did not echo his father's words. Lin Qinghai did not find anything wrong with this and continued to talk about how much his son wanted to befriend the young master of the Feng family.
As they were talking, a commotion broke out at the entrance. Lin Qinghai's youngest son peeked in, then ran over without saying hello. Clearly, he was more interested in the person who had arrived than in the Feng family's young master, whom he had never met before.
The commotion at the entrance grew louder and louder, with newspapers rushing over with cameras in hand. Everyone in the hall turned their attention there.
Mingyu sported a newly popular wavy perm and wore a high-waisted, sleeveless Western-style long dress, revealing her two fair and delicate arms. This completely overturned her image as a well-behaved young mistress in the movies.
Especially her one hand, which rested weakly in the arm of the man next to her, made her arm appear even whiter and more alluring by the dark suit.
The cameras nearby kept clicking away. All eyes were on Mingyu. Then, when the thin man beside her took off his hat, the crowd in the hall gasped in surprise.
It turned out that the slender woman who walked in with Mingyu, wearing a dark suit and a top hat, was actually a woman. The reason everyone was surprised was not only because she was dressed in men's clothing, but also because she had cut her hair shorter than most men's.
No matter how she dresses up or how cold she tries to appear, she can't change the womanly charm in her eyes and brows.
"A cheap trick." Like many rigid elders, Feng Shaozhe made no attempt to hide his contempt for this woman.
Lin Minghai was initially quite pleased with the commotion caused by the two women. Feng Shaozhe's words froze his smile. He looked somewhat awkwardly at the two people walking towards them, accompanied by his son.
Feng Shaozhe didn't disappoint them; he gave the two women who came over to greet him a cold look, simply uttering a curt "hmm." Mingyu clearly knew Feng Shaozhe's identity, and the reserve in her eyes vanished instantly. She transformed from a peacock displaying its plumage into a docile caged bird, a glint of confusion in her eyes.
Tang Wan, who was standing next to her, didn't seem to care. She looked at Xu Keke and said with a faint smile, "This must be Miss Zhou. I've heard so much about you."
"Really? I've never seen you before, how do you know who I am?"
Tang Wan couldn't help herself for a moment; her words carried a veiled sarcasm. After all, everyone in Shanghai knew Zhou Shaoqiu's name. First, Ji Mingkai published a serialized novel professing his love, then came her own clarification letter, and now the newspapers were naming her as the prototype for the third party in the movie.
Normally, when someone greets you with "I've heard so much about you," people would politely reply with "Not at all," or "Not at all." Tang Wan never expected the other person to respond so earnestly.
What could she say? Should she say she had met her privately before, or that she had just seen her at her doorstep this morning? Neither seemed appropriate.
"Who in Shanghai doesn't know Miss Zhou's name these days? It's hard not to recognize you." The clueless young master Lin stepped in to help the beauty out of the predicament.
Lin Qinghai slapped him on the head, "What nonsense are you talking about? Apologize to Miss Zhou now."
Lin Qinghai really put a lot of force into that palm strike. It made the young master Lin's head droop. But even so, none of Feng Shaozhe or the Zhou family members stepped forward to make a move.
The surrounding gazes were already drawn to this area because of Mingyu and Tang Wan, who was dressed as a man. Young Master Lin raised his head, already losing face, and was about to get angry with his father. Little did he know, his father was even more shameless than he was now.
Lin Qinghai's invitation to Feng Shaozhe was just a formality. Everyone knew Feng Shaozhe's character; he would never support an actor. Lin Qinghai never even expected him to come.
Because Feng Shaozhe came, many people received the news and made a special trip over.
This should have been a matter of great pride, but Feng Shaozhe's current attitude made it crystal clear to everyone that although he didn't know why he was there today, it certainly wasn't because of any connection with Lin Minghai. In fact, it seemed like things could easily escalate into enmity.
It's important to understand that Feng Shaozhe was sent by the Republic of China government not only because of his good relations with the foreigners in the various concessions, which allowed him to balance the power among them, but also because of his upright character, fair dealings, and the high regard he enjoyed among the Chinese community in Shanghai.
If this isn't handled well today, Feng Shaozhe will be in a difficult position in Shanghai.
Lin Qinghai's thoughts were swift and decisive; he was adept at humble and unassuming behavior. He was about to lower himself and apologize.
Then Tang Wan, who was standing nearby, laughed and said, "Please don't hit Young Master Lin. I misspoke just now. I am Ji Mingkai's fiancée. Ji Mingkai once sent a letter home with a portrait of Miss Zhou in it. I saw him when Uncle Ji came to my house to discuss the marriage, so I blurted out that I had long admired his name. Please don't take offense, Miss Zhou."
After saying this, Tang Wan respectfully bowed to Xu Keke.
The way she adopted that attitude was undeniably humble. No wonder she later became known in Shanghai. Surviving in chaos is never about acting impulsively.
Xu Keke smiled.
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