business card
The newcomer appeared to be a young boy, with a clean and bright appearance, a small oval face, and fair skin with a hint of pink. His nose was small and pert, slightly reddened by the evening breeze. His lips were soft-rimmed, a vibrant peach-pink color, and as he spoke, he inadvertently revealed a small, hidden canine tooth...
The boy's deer-like eyes were veiled with tears of anxiety. When he looked at Wen Xubai, his bright eyes widened in surprise, revealing a hint of doubt.
"Who are you?" The boy blinked. "Are you also a guest of the Wen family?"
"Xiao Yun!" Ruan Xing reprimanded in a deep voice, startling the boy. "Don't be rude! This is the third young master of the Wen family."
After saying that, he nodded apologetically to Wen Xubai and said, "I'm sorry, this is my son Ruan Yun. He's always been spoiled by his family and doesn't know his manners very well."
He bent down slightly, his tall figure uttering apologies, but his eyes did not truly show any remorse.
Wen Xubai didn't care. He nodded slightly and replied calmly, "It's nothing. I'm the one who should apologize for scaring the young master."
As they spoke, the boy's watery eyes kept darting around Wen Xubai. When Wen Xubai noticed his gaze and met his eyes, the boy coughed awkwardly and asked, "Are you also Brother Yuan's younger brother?"
Brother Yuan?
Among those present, the only person who could be addressed as "Brother Yuan" was probably Wen Xuyuan.
Wen Xubai was unsure of the relationship between the young man in front of him and Wen Xuyuan, so he simply nodded politely, "Yes."
"Third Young Master...?" Upon hearing this, the young man tapped his chin with his slender finger, as if pondering something. After a long while, he seemed to suddenly realize something and said, "Oh—you're my aunt's...wait, no, you're my former uncle's adopted son?"
I wonder what Wen Tingyi would think of being called "former uncle-in-law"...
"Xiaoyun!" Ruan Xing scolded again in a low voice.
"What... I didn't say anything wrong..." The boy pouted unconvinced, but finally relented, "Okay, okay, I won't say it again..."
The next second, his previously dim eyes lit up again, and he extended his hand to Wen Xubai, saying, "Hello, my name is Ruan Yun, and I should... be considered your cousin! Although we're not related by blood, you took my aunt's place as her son, so I guess you could be considered cousin too." Then, the boy added, "Yuan-ge and I are... friends!"
Looking at the boy's crescent-shaped smile, with dimples on his cheeks that made him even sweeter, Wen Xubai really didn't expect that this seemingly naive and innocent boy could become friends with Wen Xuyuan, who was known for his seriousness. It seemed that they had a pretty good relationship.
Not wanting to be impolite, Wen Xubai reached out and took the other person's hand, responding with a slight smile, "Hello, my name is Wen Xubai."
"Hey, do you know where Brother Yuan is? I've been looking for him for ages!" As soon as she let go, Ruan Yun asked impatiently.
Wen Xubai shook his head honestly.
He has not seen Wen Xuyuan since he returned to the Wen family today.
As soon as he finished speaking, the other person's expression visibly darkened, and his face was filled with undisguised disappointment.
"What's the rush? This banquet hall isn't that big. Knowing he's here, how can we not find him?" Ruan Xing frowned slightly, a little annoyed by his son's eagerness to "pay the price." "He'll naturally show up once the banquet officially begins."
“That’s true…” Ruan Yun nodded thoughtfully, clearly agreeing with the other party’s statement. However, after a brief moment of silence, her expression changed again.
"No, I still have to go find him!" Ruan Yun stomped her foot, her leather shoe hitting the stone floor with a dull thud.
Without waiting for Ruan Xing's response, he immediately released Ruan Xing's arm, turned around and walked quickly towards the crowd in the distance, waving to them as he went, "I'm leaving, Dad, don't drink too much, you hear me!"
Ruan Xing's face darkened further, a hint of helplessness in his eyes, but he still waved his hand, indicating that he understood.
Ruan Yun was relieved and plunged into the dancing crowd.
Wen Xubai lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought.
Ruan Xing touched his glass again and said with a smile, "I'm sorry, my son is a bit willful, I'm sorry you had to see this. Consider this apologetic."
Wen Xubai was about to refuse, but before he could even open his mouth, he saw the other person tilt his head back, his beautiful Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and he had already downed a glass of wine.
She completely forgot that she had just promised her son that she wouldn't drink too much.
Wen Xubai: "·······"
In terms of seniority, the other party is an elder. How can an elder "punish" a junior by making them drink a penalty drink? Etiquette must not be disregarded.
So he looked up and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.
Unfortunately, the liquor was too strong. He wasn't prepared and choked as soon as he took a sip, so he couldn't help but cover his mouth and cough lightly!
"Cough cough... cough..."
I coughed so hard that my vision became fogged up and blurry.
A strong hand covered his back, gently patting him for a moment, and the burning sensation of the liquor in his chest finally subsided considerably.
He struggled to straighten up, only to see Ruan Xing's ambiguous smile.
Wen Xubai: "?"
Ruan Xing smiled and asked him, "Are you feeling better?"
Wen Xubai nodded silently.
He couldn't figure out what the man in front of him wanted to do.
If you can't figure it out, then just get straight to the point.
"Mr. Ruan, you came all this way to find me, you didn't just come here to chat, did you?" Wen Xubai said calmly.
Upon hearing this, the man's smile widened.
Just as Wen Xubai was puzzled, Ruan Xing suddenly stepped to the side and lunged forward, startling Wen Xubai so much that he immediately retreated. However, before he could take a few steps back, he was blocked by the platform behind him.
Wen Xubai was startled and was about to push the person in front of him away when he saw a sneaky black shadow behind the man and suddenly realized what was happening.
Seeing that he had stopped struggling, Ruan Xing chuckled softly, his warm breath brushing against his ear as he whispered playfully, "Very clever."
A double entendre.
Wen Xubai calmed his turbulent emotions and knew that the other party had something to say to him, so he took a step toward the man and used the man's tall body to block his mouth.
He also said in a low voice, "Speak your mind."
A cold, emotionless sentence.
Seeing that he had been exposed, Ruan Xing's eyes became even more amused. "It seems... Wen Tingyi's judgment is indeed quite good."
Wen Xubai: "?"
"Want to know who killed Zhang Xiu?"
A seemingly casual remark, yet it resonated in his mind like a thunderclap!
Wen Xubai suddenly looked at the person in front of him and asked in a low voice, "What do you want?"
“What do I want? Well, that depends on what you can give me…” Ruan Xing tilted his head to look at him, his eyes reflecting the dancing crowd behind him.
Wen Xubai abruptly turned around, searching the crowd with his eyes, but there were simply too many people, their figures blurring and indistinct; soon, he became dizzy and disoriented…
Wen Xubai bit his lower lip, forcing himself to concentrate, and felt a faint panic in his heart.
Who is it?
Who is it?
Who is that person in the banquet hall?
Just as he was getting anxious, a pair of large hands suddenly patted his shoulder.
Turning her head, she met Ruan Xing's unfathomable gaze. Just as she was about to speak, she saw him make a "quiet" gesture.
A moment later, a huge "gathering bell" rang out in the center of the banquet hall.
The crowd chatting, drinking, and dancing in the banquet hall suddenly fell silent.
The bell rang again, this time with a much clearer sound, and then a soothing and melodious piano piece flowed gently from the high platform not far away...
This is a sign that the dinner is about to officially begin.
The crowd slowly began to gather, and men and women dressed in various gorgeous gowns and dresses slowly lifted their skirts and moved toward the platform.
"The dinner has begun." Ruan Xing released him, then made a gentlemanly gesture, but the outstretched hand was not to invite his "partner," but rather to hand him a business card.
After seeing Wen Xubai take it, she said, "Excuse me." Without giving him any chance to react, she turned around and strode away, leaving Wen Xubai standing there with a black line on his face.
The card felt smooth to the touch, and Wen Xubai couldn't help but tighten his fingers little by little, crumpling the card into tiny wrinkles.
After a long while, he suddenly looked up at the horizon. The night was shrouded in darkness, and there seemed to be a faint sign of rain.
Lowering his head to suppress the emotions flickering in his eyes, Wen Xubai put the card into his suit pocket and then walked towards the platform as if nothing had happened.
The guests took their seats in an orderly manner.
Wen Xubai, as the so-called "host," smiled and responded to the guests' greetings, occasionally pointing out directions to guests who couldn't find their seats.
As they exchanged pleasantries, he looked up and saw Wen Xuyuan sitting upright not far away.
His dark black suit matched his solemn expression, making the surrounding atmosphere even more oppressive.
With just one glance, Wen Xubai understood why everyone said that Wen Xuyuan was the son who most resembled Wen Tingyi.
They share the same imposing presence, the same volatile temper, and the same arrogant, cold, and decisive style of doing things, making them awe-inspiring to all who behold them.
In the empty space, only two people were sitting. Everyone who passed by Wen Xuyuan broke out in a cold sweat. After giving a polite greeting, they quickly avoided him, afraid of offending this capricious young master.
But one person, seemingly oblivious, kept chattering away in the other's ear, having a great time.
It is Ruan Yun.
At this distance, Wen Xubai could only see the other person's mouth opening and closing, but he couldn't hear what they were saying.
The two were extremely close, almost touching.
Ruan Yun seemed particularly excited; her bright, doe-like eyes were many times brighter than before, and her smile was almost overflowing. Holding Wen Xuyuan's hand, she completely ignored his silence and kept talking non-stop.
Wen Xuyuan seemed somewhat impatient, but ultimately did not interrupt. He simply kept his eyes closed, and it was unclear whether he had actually listened.
Ruan Yun didn't care about any of that, and was completely oblivious to the strange looks coming from all around her.
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