Chapter 76 A Marriage of Convenience
The Zhang family's party was held in a private estate on the outskirts of the city. The lawn was brightly lit, and the guests were all young men and women from the Beijing social circle.
After Qin Feng parked the car, he dutifully escorted Ruan Yao to the door.
"Miss Ruan, please feel free to call the master if you need anything."
"Understood, thank you Assistant Qin." Ruan Yao smiled at him.
Watching the black Bentley merge into the traffic, she took a deep breath before stepping towards the dazzling halo.
After verifying the invitation, the waiter respectfully led the way for her.
However, upon entering the banquet hall, the waiter bowed and withdrew.
Ruan Yao stood at the bustling entrance and waited for a while.
According to etiquette, the host should send someone to receive important guests.
She waited for a full five minutes, but apart from a few passing guests casting admiring and inquisitive glances, no one came forward.
In the center of the hall, a young girl in a strapless dress was surrounded by a crowd of people, laughing heartily. That must be the star of the evening, Zhang Yutong, the daughter of the Zhang family.
She seemed completely oblivious to Ruan Yao at the entrance.
If it were the sensitive and frustrated Ruan Yao from her previous life, she probably wouldn't be able to stay any longer and would have fled in panic.
Ruan Yao looked around, then simply lifted her skirt and found a quiet corner to sit down.
The long table was laden with exquisite desserts and fruits. She took a small piece of matcha mousse for herself and slowly ate it with a silver spoon.
Her calm and composed demeanor, however, made those who were waiting to see her make a fool of herself a little impatient.
"Yutong, is that Huo Yanzhi's fiancée? She looks... just so-so." A girl with delicate cat-eye eyeliner curled her lips, her tone full of sourness.
"Besides having a more innocent face and a better figure, what else do you have? In terms of family background and charm, in what way can you compare?"
Zhang Yutong held a glass of champagne, her gaze falling on the girl quietly eating cake in the corner, a hint of jealousy flashing in her eyes.
She went to great lengths to find out Huo Yanzhi's schedule and staged a "chance encounter".
But that man never even glanced at her, as if she were invisible.
Why is it that this Ruan Yao, who appeared out of nowhere, can become his fiancée?
"Don't say that." Zhang Yutong smiled magnanimously. "President Huo's judgment is certainly good."
The woman next to him immediately chimed in, "What's so great about her! I don't think President Huo cares about her at all. Look, he lets her come to parties like this all by herself. It's obvious he doesn't want to bring her into the industry. It's just a marriage of convenience."
"Exactly, she was sitting there all alone, looking like a pitiful abandoned little thing, and she was pretending to be calm and composed."
The group's murmurs were neither too loud nor too soft, accompanied by faint snickers, as they pointed and whispered about Ruan Yao not far away.
Ruan Yao paused for a moment, her hand holding the spoon still.
She finished her third slice of tiramisu and felt a bit too full.
She didn't know anyone in the room. She thought, why not take the initiative to go over and say hello to Miss Zhang, and then make an excuse to slip away? That way, she wouldn't let Ye Mei's kindness go to waste.
Just as she was about to get up, she saw Zhang Yutong carrying a wine glass and leading her group of girlfriends toward her.
"Oh my, isn't this Miss Ruan?" Zhang Yutong seemed to have just noticed her, her face full of surprise and apology. "I'm so sorry, there were too many people earlier, and I didn't have a chance to come over and say hello. Please don't mind."
Ruan Yao stood up, a sincere and sweet smile spreading across her face.
"Ms. Zhang, you're too kind. The party was so well organized, you must have been very busy."
Her composed and gentle demeanor surprised the few people who were expecting a good show.
This reaction is wrong.
Having been neglected by her host family for so long, shouldn't she feel awkward and uncomfortable?
"So you're the one who was arranged for Old Master Huo to have a marriage of convenience?" The girl next to her, with cat-eye eyeliner, glanced around at her. "Why are you eating here all by yourself?"
Another round-faced girl feigned curiosity and asked, "Where's President Huo? He didn't come with you, did he?"
A suppressed chuckle rose from the surrounding area.
Ruan Yao's smile remained unchanged.
"Yanzhi had a very important international meeting at the last minute. He had already canceled everything, but the other party was a long-term partner, so there was really no other way."
"Mr. Huo would rather go to a meeting than come with you?" another person said exaggeratedly. "That's how men are, career is the most important thing. Our Yutong is different, her boyfriend canceled two appointments tonight just to come with her."
Zhang Yutong was flattered and felt quite pleased with herself, a reserved smile on her face.
She playfully patted the girl on the shoulder, feigning to help Ruan Yao out of the awkward situation, "What nonsense are you talking about! Miss Ruan, don't take it to heart. President Huo is extremely busy."
Every word and phrase hints at Ruan Yao's "marriage of convenience" status and suggests that Huo Yanzhi doesn't value her at all.
Ruan Yao's smile faded slightly.
Just as she was about to say something, another voice interrupted.
“Miss Ruan, please don’t mind them. They’re just being blunt.” A girl in a champagne-colored dress looked Ruan Yao up and down. “But speaking of which, Mr. Huo really trusts you, letting you come alone. Unlike my husband, who wants eight bodyguards with me whenever I go out, as if he’s afraid I’ll be kidnapped.”
Their back-and-forth singing was aimed at Ruan Yao's heart with every word.
They were convinced that Ruan Yao was an unloved bride used as a tool for bringing good luck in marriage, and Huo Yanzhi's absence today only confirmed their suspicions.
Ruan Yao watched them sing and dance, and found it amusing.
She didn't want to get into a conflict with a bunch of clowns in this setting and bring shame to the Huo family.
But she has never been a pushover.
Ruan Yao's smile remained unchanged, and her clear, doe-like eyes blinked, looking innocent and harmless.
"Yes, my husband is great in every way, but he's just too busy. Before I left, he kept apologizing to me, saying he couldn't come with me and that I should have fun here. He told me to call him when I was done and he would come to pick me up right away."
"But the entire Huo Group needs him. He can't be like other men who only need to revolve around their girlfriends."
She touched the blue diamond necklace around her neck with a hint of shyness, her tone carrying a touch of sweet annoyance.
“Look, this necklace is the one he insisted I wear. He said I look especially good in this light blue dress, and it goes perfectly with it.”
The girls around Zhang Yutong all froze.
They originally wanted to make a fool of Ruan Yao and embarrass her, but to their surprise, she not only didn't get angry, but instead showed off her affection with a happy expression.
It felt like punching a piece of cotton, but one that was sweet—frustrating and infuriating.
Ruan Yao seemed completely oblivious to their unusual behavior.
"And my mother-in-law, she's so good to me! Knowing I was coming to the party, she had a whole row of dresses delivered to my house in the afternoon for me to choose from."
She tilted her head, like an innocent little girl in love, and earnestly asked Zhang Yutong and the others who looked on in astonishment.
"And you guys, your boyfriends are so good to you, they must have given you such beautiful necklaces too, right?"
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