Night fell as usual, and the Shi family mansion was brightly lit for the first time ever. Rows of aircraft of various shapes and prices were neatly parked on the wide lawn. Young men and women dressed in fine clothes walked toward the butler who stood respectfully by the door.
Accompanied by the butler's warm greetings, the men, dressed in sharp suits, straightened their backs, their well-fitting clothes highlighting their strength and elegance, while the women, in floor-length gowns, followed the servants with graceful nods and gentle smiles.
Shi Lan stood by the bedroom window, watching the aircraft that were still landing outside and the people who were coming in, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
If she weren't wearing a cute moon-white dress and five-inch heels, she would definitely look like a miniature version of Shi Min.
As the moon gradually climbed higher in the sky, the butler came to knock on the door to inform her that all the guests had arrived and asked her to come down.
Shi Lan nodded, grabbed the water glass on the table, drank it all in one gulp, and walked downstairs with an air of fearlessness in the face of any storm.
The lights suddenly dimmed, and everyone in the hall stopped what they were doing. The lively atmosphere of clinking glasses turned into the long-awaited tranquility.
A ray of light slowly rose to the top, and a graceful young woman with a delicate temperament and pretty face stood there. A breeze blew from somewhere, causing the ribbon tied to her chest to flutter gracefully.
The beautiful woman lowered her eyes, looked at the crowd, smiled gently, and glanced at the five men who were dressed in the same smart clothes but had gloomy faces. She took a step down the steps with her fair and slender legs, causing her soft skirt to flutter, like a beautiful and delicate elf who had fallen into the mortal world.
The young men raised their eyebrows, watching with interest, while the women secretly gasped, subconsciously glancing at the tall, handsome men beside them, their expressions almost always a mixture of resentment and suppressed anger.
Shi Lan glanced at her mother, who was standing on the second floor, watching her nervously. She gave her a reassuring smile, then pursed her lips slightly, making her smile elegant and reserved, and her demeanor became dignified and graceful.
The original owner's appearance was similar to that of the stone mother. If she sat still, she would naturally be as elegant and noble as the ladies in the painting.
Unfortunately, she inherited her father's temperament; once she set her mind on something, she would never look back. The kind of gentle beauty that could turn steel into silk could only be glimpsed in her when she was fast asleep; at other times, people could only see her stubbornness and obstinacy in sticking to her own opinions.
But now it's Shi Lan inside. In the previous world, she received all the memories of the courtesan. At this moment, although she can't bewitch people like a real courtesan, she can still make the men present feel some goodwill towards her, especially since she has the prestigious Shi family name behind her.
Shi Lan's gaze gently swept over everyone present. As her feet touched the ground on the first floor, a smile gradually spread across her lips, revealing the brightness and innocence unique to a young girl.
At the same time, the bright and dazzling chandelier suddenly lit up, and everyone paused subconsciously, as if they had just come back to their senses.
The butler brought over a crystal-clear wine glass. Shi Lan picked it up, gently swirled it, and smiled slightly as she looked at the golden liquid.
In the crowd, Wenk, dressed in a white suit, stepped forward and elegantly extended his hand. Shi Lan smiled at him and gently placed her hand on his.
Wenk gestured to Shi Lan, then looked around at the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce my cousin, Shi Lan."
The crowd applauded politely. He gently nudged Shi Lan forward half a step and said with a smile, "Haven't you all been curious about what the little princess the Wen and Shi families have been hiding is like?"
He shrugged, a proud smile on his refined and handsome face, and said, "This is our most adorable little princess."
Shi Lan lowered her head slightly at the opportune moment, lifted her skirt and bowed to everyone. Her bright and sparkling eyes and sweet smile made people feel good about her.
Music drifted faintly from afar, and the crowd slowly dispersed, searching for their dance partners and beginning to dance gracefully.
Wenke's dance partner was naturally Shi Lan, which was an unwritten rule that the introducer was usually the one to dance the first dance.
After several months of intensive training, Shi Lan, while not a master of ballroom dancing, was able to handle it with ease.
Sliding onto the dance floor, Wenk leaned forward, put his mouth close to Shi Lan's ear, and whispered, "I don't know what you're up to, but it's not fair of you to drag me into this!"
A warm breath brushed against her ear, and Shi Lan turned her head away.
"How is this me dragging you into this? It was clearly Mother who asked you to help."
Wink chuckled softly and said, "My aunt is simple-minded; she believes you really just want to throw a party, but I certainly don't."
Shi Lan turned to stare at him and said, "If you don't believe me, then why are you helping me?"
Wenk raised an eyebrow. “Because I’m curious,” he winked, “I want to know what this heroine who dared to venture into the insect cave alone is really up to.”
Shi Lan stared at him unfriendly and said, "What do you want to say?"
Wenk laughed and said, "It's nothing. After my aunt asked me to do this, I inquired about it and the result really surprised me." He tilted his head and said jokingly, "The youngest colonels and lieutenant colonels in the alliance actually served as my cousin's bodyguards for three months, and they even lived and traveled with her."
Wink clicked his tongue softly.
That kind of behavior is incredibly annoying.
Shi Lan was so angry that her eyes turned green, and she wished she could pounce on him and bite his neck.
Seeing her grinding her teeth, Wenk was genuinely worried that she might bite him, so he quickly said, "Don't do anything rash, I'm here to help you."
Shi Lan snorted, "How are you going to help me?"
Wenk winked at someone nearby, "Look at that guy."
Shi Lan glanced at it, but there was nothing particularly special about it.
Wenk whispered, "This guy is best at spreading rumors, especially family secrets. He's the one who puts a lot of things on the StarNet."
"Why did you invite someone like this?"
Shi Lan glanced at the person with disdain; she hated people who would spread other people's privacy so casually.
Wenk chuckled. "I didn't invite him. It's rare for the Shi family to invite someone to the old house. Wouldn't a piece of scum like him be eager to get in?"
He pointed to another woman who was dancing energetically with a blond man and said, "Is she the one we found?"
Shi Lan looked her up and down. Her clothes were alright, but her demeanor was very vulgar. He wondered where she got them from.
“Meisi likes to show off her things. She takes pictures of all the places she goes and what she eats and posts them on the StarNet. This kind of rare high-society banquet is an opportunity she has been dreaming of to attract attention,” Wenk whispered in her ear. “Shimin asked me to pass on a message to you: don’t go too far, or it will be hard to get out of this situation.”
Shi Lan smiled at him, then turned her gaze back to the woman. (To be continued.)
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