Chapter 233
When the birthday banquet began, Ji Wanmei realized that the guests from the Lu family had filled more than a dozen tables.
This was just a low-key celebration for a minor birthday, without a large banquet. If it were a full birthday celebration, I wonder how many tables would be needed.
Chinese people have always liked to show off and save face.
Grandma Song's original intention was just for her family and friends to have a meal together, but when the news spread to those business and political circles, everyone who could come came.
These were all important people. Ji Wanmei originally wanted to find a table to sit at, but Grandma Song pulled her to her main table.
The main table was a large round mahogany table that could seat twenty people. As the birthday celebrant, Grandma Song naturally sat at the head of the table.
Next to Grandma Song were her closest relatives, all of whom held important positions in the Lu family, followed by some prominent families in Huadong City.
Ji Wanmei felt that it was inappropriate for her to sit at this table, so she whispered to Grandma Song, "Grandma Song, I'd better go and sit with Master Zhao and the others."
Grandma Song patted her hand and said, "I told you to sit here, so sit here. You are my personally accepted last disciple. If you sit with me, no one will dare to gossip."
Ji Wanmei had no choice but to sit down, enduring the questioning and scrutinizing gazes of the entire table of people, and try her best to eat without changing her expression.
Sitting at the table, Ji Wanmei listened to the conversation of those prominent figures and gleaned some rather inside information.
The Lu family patriarch was involved in politics back then, and Lu Zhuoxuan's parents also worked in Beijing, so there are quite a few people in the political circle within the Lu family.
Ji Wanmei tried to keep a low profile and listened quietly to the conversations of those political figures. Some of the so-called inside information was that the organization had already begun discussing the possibility of implementation, but it had not yet been officially announced to the public.
However, these kinds of topics are sometimes quite sensitive, so they are quickly glossed over and the conversation moves on to other things.
Among the upper class, conversations at meals are very particular.
The discussion mainly revolved around celebrating Grandma Song's birthday, or perhaps around Lu Zhuoxuan, the pride of the Lu family in this generation.
Compliments are given subtly, and praise is given without fanfare.
Ji Wanmei's heart had already flown away.
Lei Tingjun was supposed to pick her up at 2 o'clock, but now it was 12:30, and she couldn't wait to say goodbye.
After dinner, Grandma Song invited everyone to go to the front yard to watch a play.
Today is Grandma Song's birthday, and the Lu family specially invited a Peking Opera troupe to perform.
Ji Wanmei said to Grandma Song, "Grandma Song, I have something to do, so I won't be going to the opera."
Grandma Song repeatedly tried to persuade Ji Wanmei to stay and play a little longer, but Ji Wanmei was determined to leave.
Finally, having no other choice, Grandma Song had her grandson Lu Zhuoxuan escort Ji Wanmei out.
Lu Zhuoxuan asked Ji Wanmei where she was going, and Ji Wanmei said she was going back to school.
Lu Zhuoxuan said, "There shouldn't be many people at school these days. You'll be alone if you go back anyway. Why don't you stay for dinner and I'll take you home?"
Ji Wanmei shook her head and said with a smile, "My boyfriend is coming to pick me up later."
Lu Zhuoxuan paused, and remained silent for a long while.
After a while, he said, "Before the New Year, I called your house, and your father answered the phone. Did he misunderstand anything?"
Ji Wanmei said, "No, I've explained everything to my dad. He knows you're the grandson of Grandma Song, the woman I apprenticed to."
"Oh, I see. That's good then." Lu Zhuoxuan nodded, put his hands in his pockets, and walked side by side with Ji Wanmei.
Ji Wanmei's words clearly expressed her refusal, which made Lu Zhuoxuan feel very frustrated and defeated.
The two walked in silence for a while, neither of them speaking again.
After getting into the car, Lu Zhuoxuan drove Ji Wanmei back to the gate of East China University. Before closing the door, Ji Wanmei smiled frankly at Lu Zhuoxuan and said, "Senior Brother Lu, you are a very good and outstanding person. I believe that you will find a girl who is just as outstanding as you in the future. Thank you for bringing me here, goodbye."
Sitting in the car, Lu Zhuoxuan watched Ji Wanmei smile at him, close the car door, and turn away. He felt an overwhelming sense of loss and melancholy.
How could she possibly know that he had met girls who were better than her, or girls who were more suitable for him?
But if you don't like something, you don't like it; if you don't feel anything, you don't feel anything.
Liking someone isn't determined by how outstanding they are.
If we only consider suitability and excellence, there are several girls in the Lu family who are his equals, and they have known Lu Zhuoxuan since childhood.
But he didn't like any of them. In his early twenties, he fell for a girl for the first time, but she already had someone she liked.
Is there anything more regrettable or worse in the world? Perhaps not.
Lu Zhuoxuan sat in the car, watching Ji Wanmei's figure walk further and further away. He raised his hand to pinch his forehead and remained silent for a long time.
A moment later, a gray pickup truck drove up on the road in the distance.
The pickup truck stopped in front of Ji Wanmei, and a man got out of the vehicle.
The man was dressed in a black leather jacket, his rough, wild appearance as cold and harsh as the wind blowing through the air.
Lu Zhuoxuan saw that after the man got out of the car, he strode towards Ji Wanmei, cupped her cheeks in his hands, and leaned down to kiss her fiercely.
Ji Wanmei, who had just maintained a distant relationship with Lu Zhuoxuan, wrapped her arms around the man's neck and stood on tiptoe.
The joy and happiness were so unreserved.
The two stood on the street, passionately kissing, almost becoming one.
This scene deeply stung Lu Zhuoxuan's eyes.
He couldn't bear to watch any longer. He pursed his lips, started the car, turned around, and drove away.
Lei Tingjun hugged Ji Wanmei tightly, so tightly that he almost pulled her into his chest.
He held her hair close, closed his eyes, and sighed, "A month is such a long time."
Ji Wanmei looked up at him, touched his cheeks, and said, "Why are you all stubble growing? Haven't you been resting properly these past few days?"
Lei Tingjun touched his chin and indeed saw short, neat stubble. He had been so engrossed in his work these past few days that he hadn't had time to shave.
He finished his work early this morning and drove to East China immediately, having completely forgotten about this matter.
"Is it ugly?" Lei Tingjun knew that she was always very clean.
She probably wouldn't like his unkempt appearance.
Ji Wanmei smiled sweetly, tiptoed and gave him a quick kiss on his stubble-covered chin, saying, "Not bad-looking. It's just that..."
Lei Tingjun instantly tensed up and stared at her.
Ji Wanmei covered her lips, which he had kissed red, with her fingers and blinked her eyelashes: "It's a little too prickly."
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