Chapter 87 Birthday Banquet
Zhong Kaiwen wanted to talk back, but was glared at by the other members of the Zhong family, so much so that he dared not say anything. Everyone in the Zhong family knew about the ghost fox girl's affair. No one had expected Zhong Kaiwen to be so suicidal, even daring to abandon the ghost fox girl and finally trying to shift the blame to his own father.
Later, Hu Lijing came to see them and bluntly explained that Zhong Kaiwen was still alive because of the merits accumulated by the Zhong family's ancestors. However, ancestral merits were limited. It could be said that the Zhong family's success overseas over the years was due to the Zhong family's strength and hard work, as well as the merits of their ancestors. Since he had consumed so much of their ancestral merits, the amount of merits and blessings available to others was much less.
As she had said, the Zhong family's luck had indeed been getting worse since Zhong Kaiwen's accident. It couldn't be said to be very bad, but rather trending towards mediocrity. However, this was enough to cause the Zhong family's return to a state of flux, and it wasn't as smooth as expected. For businesspeople, every extra day of delay meant a significant loss of money.
Therefore, the other members of the Zhong family had a lot of complaints about Zhong Kaiwen.
Zhong Zhuoyu looked at the pale old man with concern and said, "I guess he has some misunderstanding about us. I'd better go find him and explain it to him in person." He knew the most about what happened back then, and he was Qi Yue's uncle with a blood relationship. It would be most appropriate for him to go find Qi Yue and explain it clearly.
The old lady held him back and sighed, "Forget it, let him be. Maybe he and I really aren't meant to be. You don't know, although Qi is incredibly annoying, he's often right. Since he said it's best for us not to recognize each other, then let's not recognize each other!"
Everyone else was silent. In the past, they would have treated these words as nonsense and even cursed feudal superstition. But now that they knew that ghosts and gods really existed in the world, Qi Yue was a heavenly master, and Old Man Qi was also a heavenly master, they had to listen to these words.
The eldest daughter-in-law comforted them: "Look at it in a positive way. Maybe he doesn't want to recognize us, but he is afraid that he will bring bad luck to us, so he has to keep his distance from us."
Everyone felt much better when they thought about it this way.
Zhong Kaiwen sneered and poured cold water on him: "He's just deceiving himself. Even if we have to keep our distance and not recognize each other, it won't stop him from attending grandma's birthday party."
“…”
Everyone glared at him. Boss Zhong angrily said, "Go back to your room and continue thinking about the past."
Zhong Kaiwen snorted coldly, stood up and walked slowly towards the stairs. When passing by Zhong Zhuoyu, he deliberately bumped into Zhong Zhuoyu's shoulder. Zhong Zhuoyu didn't take his boring trick seriously, and slightly turned sideways to avoid it in time. Unexpectedly, Zhong Kaiwen lost his balance, slipped and fell forward, hitting the antique shelf in front of him heavily. The vase on it fell and hit his head, causing him to bleed and faint on the ground.
The others screamed and rushed forward to check. Perhaps because they were in a hurry, they didn't know who tripped over whom first, and they all fell to the ground, with vase fragments flying on the ground. No one was spared and they all fell on the broken porcelain pieces. The least injured was Old Lady Zhong, who just pressed her hand on the porcelain pieces and was cut. The most seriously injured was Boss Zhong, who had several pieces stuck in his body, and one piece was actually standing up, almost piercing his throat.
Everyone was frightened and broke out in cold sweats. The servants heard the noise and came to check. Seeing what was happening, they hurriedly helped to call an ambulance.
At the hospital, the Zhong family gathered in perfect order. They glanced at each other and sighed silently, no one mentioning going to see Qi Yue again. Mrs. and Mr. Zhong had originally thought of going to see Qi Yue in person, but now they had to give up the idea. This grandson was indeed not meant for them.
A few days later, Mrs. Zhong's birthday banquet was held at the hotel as scheduled. The Zhong family was doing very well abroad, and most importantly, they had a considerable network of contacts abroad. In total, their influence was almost comparable to some of the old families in Kyoto.
This time, the Zhong family returned to China with a large amount of funds for investment. Many wealthy people who wanted to develop abroad were willing to give the Zhong family face and come to attend the birthday party.
As the main guest, Mrs. Zhong inevitably had to attend social events with Mr. Zhong. Mrs. Zhong was usually reserved, and today, at her birthday party, she offered only a faint smile. Mr. Zhong, always a cheerful and engaging person, seemed absent-minded today. While chatting with the guests, he kept glancing out the door, intentionally or unintentionally. Mrs. Zhong had to reply occasionally to avoid appearing rude.
The Sun family has recently been expanding into Kyoto, and the Sun and Zhong families have a lot of business opportunities for cooperation. So Sun Jiayuan also came. Seeing this, he did not feel neglected. Instead, he smiled and said, "I wonder which other distinguished guest will come today that the old man is so excited about. I wonder if I can take advantage of this honor?"
These words made both Mrs. Zhong and Mr. Zhong feel relieved. Isn't he an honored guest? With Qi Yue's ability, anyone who can get to know him is lucky. But when they thought that Qi Yue might not come, they couldn't help but feel bitter.
Mrs. Zhong forced a smile and said, "Miss Sun may be disappointed. It's not that any distinguished guests are coming, but my useless grandson hasn't arrived yet, and I can't help but worry. I'm sorry to make you laugh."
Sun Jiayuan understood that the Zhong family's grandchildren were indeed missing Zhong Kaiwen. She'd heard that Zhong Kaiwen loved to play, not only racing but also exploring the mountains and forests along rugged trails. He was a true second-generation rich kid, a ghost-fire boy. She was afraid that Sun Zhanyuan would fall in love with him and be led astray, so she didn't dare bring him here.
It was obvious that Mr. Zhong didn't want to mention this miserable grandson, so he changed the subject and asked about the condition of his grandson's father and mother.
At this moment, there was a cry of surprise from the door, and many people looked at the door in a daze. There, Qi Yue and Gu Yunshuang were walking slowly towards the door wearing the same well-tailored suits.
Gu Yunshuang had a gentle smile on his face, as if many spotlights were shining on him, making the place where he was much brighter, and making everyone's eyes linger on him.
There were plenty of his fans in the crowd, and even those who weren't fans knew him. They couldn't help but wonder, would Gu Yunshuang smile like this before? The answer was no. Even in front of the camera, Gu Yunshuang used to pull up the corners of his mouth slightly, a smile that was barely there, giving people a very aloof and unapproachable feeling.
At that time, everyone thought Gu Yunshuang was really aloof, but looking at Gu Yunshuang now, his smile is so warm and relaxed and happy, it makes people realize that Gu Yunshuang was not aloof before, but was weighed down by a heavy burden and could hardly smile. Now, not only is he free of heavy burdens, but he also has someone to accompany him and rely on, so he is so relaxed and happy, and even more dazzling.
The person he relied on was not overshadowed by his brilliance, but became even more mysterious. His dark eyes were like black holes without any light, as if they had absorbed all the darkness. Looking at him for a while would inexplicably make people feel a chill in their hearts. They dared not look at him anymore, and were even a little afraid of his sight.
Sun Jiayuan was very surprised. She didn't expect to see them here. However, what surprised her even more was the reactions of Mr. and Mrs. Zhong.
The two of them stared at Qi Yue with excitement. The old man's eyes were red and his expression was very complicated. He murmured softly: "Good! Good! Good! It's good that you're here! It's good that you're here!"
There was a gleam in the old lady's eyes, and her face looked relatively calm, but her trembling hands betrayed her. The wine in her glass was shaking and spilled out, but she didn't notice.
The expressions of the other members of the Zhong family were also very complicated at this time, and they subconsciously gathered around Mr. Wang Zhong and Mrs. Zhong.
The sharp-eyed people suddenly felt that Qi Yue, who had little expression, looked familiar. Then they looked at Old Mrs. Zhong, who also had little expression, and immediately realized that he was a little similar to Old Mrs. Zhong. Looking at the reactions of the Zhong family, who would believe that Qi Yue had no relationship with the Zhong family?
Wherever Qi Yue and Gu Yunshuang passed by, everyone subconsciously stepped aside, and those who wanted to step forward to say hello also subconsciously stopped.
Qi Yue stopped about two meters in front of Mrs. Zhong and Mr. Zhong. The two elders subconsciously wanted to take a step forward, but when they saw Qi Yue frowning slightly, they froze and withdrew their steps awkwardly. The atmosphere was a little awkward for a moment.
Gu Yunshuang greeted the two elders with a smile, and Qi Yue also greeted them with an indifferent tone.
The Zhong family immediately understood what he meant, and their emotions were extremely complicated. Even the usually diplomatic old man was speechless for a moment.
It is impossible to say that they had no complaints against Zhong Yingying back then. They did not blame her for provoking Xue Zhao, causing the Zhong family to be suppressed by the Wang and Xue families and forced to flee their homeland in a desperate situation and go to a foreign country where they had no one to rely on. They only resented her for giving up her family who loved her so much for a man who brought disaster to her family.
But resentment was not hatred, and Zhong Yingying had been gone for so many years, so the resentment turned into guilt. She began to blame themselves for spoiling her too much and not letting her see the dangers of the world. She also blamed themselves for not contacting her after they went abroad because they were angry with her, which made her mistakenly believe that she had nothing except Xue Zhao, so that she finally went to extremes.
If any of them had contacted Zhong Yingying and enlightened her in time, perhaps she would not have been so crazy and extreme in the end.
After learning of Zhong Yingying's death, they had been feeling guilty towards her, so when they learned that Zhong Yingying's child was still alive, they were really happy and felt sorry for this child who had been abandoned by his parents since childhood.
Now seeing that Qi Yue has grown into such a handsome man with extraordinary temperament in a place unknown to them, they feel relieved but also sad that they cannot recognize Qi Yue.
Gu Yunshuang took out a gift box and handed it to Mrs. Zhong with both hands. "This is the gift I prepared for you. My brother and I wish you a happy birthday and a long life. It's a small gift, but it's just a token of my appreciation. Please don't mind."
Mrs. Zhong didn't mind at all and happily accepted the gift box. She knew the relationship between Qi Yue and Gu Yunshuang. There was no reason why Gu Yunshuang would prepare a gift and Qi Yue would come without anything. So it was very likely that Qi Yue and Gu Yunshuang prepared it together, or perhaps it was Qi Yue who prepared it and just gave it to her through Gu Yunshuang. She also kindly asked Gu Yunshuang if she could open it now.
Gu Yunshuang turned his head slightly to glance at Qi Yue, and seeing that Qi Yue had no objection, he nodded and said, "Okay."
Old Mrs. Zhong saw his reaction and realized that the gift was really from Qi Yue. She felt even happier but also more sad. They were obviously blood relatives, but they could not recognize each other when they met. Even a birthday gift had to be delivered by someone else.
She opened the box and saw a peace locket lying quietly inside. As wealthy people who had seen all kinds of jewels, they could tell at a glance that the jade was not very valuable, but the old lady still liked it very much and wanted to take it out and put it on immediately. As soon as her fingers touched the peace locket, the jade locket emitted a faint golden light and then quickly disappeared, so fast that it seemed like an illusion, but no one present would be mistaken.
Everyone was stunned upon seeing this, quickly realizing Qi Yue's likely identity as a Celestial Master. Their eyes turned intensely towards the peace locket. How could this be ordinary white jade? It was clearly an amulet crafted by a genius angel, perhaps even a legendary magical instrument!
Mrs. Zhong smiled from ear to ear, feeling that all her fatigue had been swept away, and her body and mind felt much more relaxed. She also felt a little warm and comfortable. "That's thoughtful. This gift is very good. I like it very much."
Mr. Zhong was watching with envy and quickly said, "I'll help you put it on."
He lifted the peace locket by the chain, and only when he looked carefully under the light could he see tiny golden lights flowing in the white jade, which flashed away. At that moment, he felt a sense of relief as if all his fatigue was swept away, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart that it was worthy of being a magic weapon made by the Heavenly Master, and the effect was so good.
After Mrs. Zhong put on the peace locket, Sun Jiayuan smiled and praised: "It looks really good. The old lady looks much younger."
The old lady was even more beaming.
Seeing Qi Yue remained silent, Old Master Zhong pulled Gu Yunshuang aside to chat, looking as kind as if he were his own grandson. It suddenly dawned on him that even though Qi Yue didn't recognize them and was deliberately distancing himself from them, they could still get closer to Gu Yunshuang!
They had been abroad for so many years and had seen everything. They didn't mind that Gu Yunshuang was a man. On the contrary, they thought Qi Yue had good taste. Look at how good-looking Gu Yunshuang was, how sweet-mouthed, and how well-mannered he was. He took the initiative to tell them some interesting stories about Qi Yue's childhood.
Before Gu Yunshuang came, he had already heard Qi Yue talk about his relationship with the Zhong family, and he was very happy to get closer to Old Man Zhong. The two of them, one deliberately trying to get close to him, and the other deliberately flattering him, suddenly became as close as a real grandfather and grandson.
While everyone's attention was diverted to Old Lady Zhong and the peace locket, Qi Yue secretly winked at Boss Zhong and walked to an empty corner.
Boss Zhong immediately understood and followed.
Before Boss Zhong could speak, Qi Yue frowned and asked, "Didn't I tell you to report the case to the Special Management Bureau? You didn't go?"
Boss Zhong was stunned for a moment before he reacted. His expression changed immediately. "Do you really want me to report this to the Special Management Bureau? Is someone in our family really being haunted by a ghost?"
"What else?" Qi Yue said with a half-smile: "Do you think all the injuries on your bodies were caused by me?"
Boss Zhong: “…”
Qi Yue: "That's not wrong actually. Contact with me will indeed make your luck worse."
It's not that he is unlucky with his relatives, but any ordinary person who has anything to do with a ghost king like him will have bad luck. Gu Yunshuang and Gu's father and mother are fine because they are protected by his golden light of merit. There are too many people in the Zhong family, and he can't protect them all even if he wants to, so it's better to distance himself from them.
"This little bit of bad luck wouldn't be a big deal for an ordinary person, but you've been targeted by some filthy creature, and this has given it an opportunity. If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who's been hurt the most out of everyone in the Zhong family, right?"
Boss Zhong smiled bitterly. "Isn't it?" If he hadn't tilted his neck back just in time, this wouldn't be a birthday party, but his funeral.
Now he also came to the banquet with injuries. Unexpectedly, Qi Yue was so sharp-eyed that he could see at a glance that they all had injuries of varying degrees.
Boss Zhong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said quickly, "I can guarantee that no one in our Zhong family has done anything wrong this time. Just based on our relationship, you must save us!"
Qi Yue said in a gloomy tone, "Why do you think I asked you to report the case to the Special Management Bureau first? It's only after the Special Management Bureau takes over that they can naturally hand the case over to me."
Boss Zhong was very embarrassed and said quickly, "I will report to the Special Management Bureau as soon as the banquet is over."
Qi Yue: "That's not necessary. Since I bumped into you, it's only natural for me to take over your case."
The main reason was that he realized that even if he deliberately distanced himself from the Zhong family, the mastermind behind the incident wouldn't let them go. Otherwise, how could they be so hurt so quickly after just one contact with him? This was to plant the seeds of unfavorable relations in the minds of the Zhong family, and to gradually make them fear and resent him and stay away from him!
Blood Evils are naturally susceptible to the negative emotions and evil thoughts and resentments of those around them, especially the negative emotions and evil thoughts and resentments of their blood relatives.
Tsk, it turns out that you can’t guard against thieves for a thousand days. We should find the rat in the gutter as soon as possible.
At this time, there was another commotion in the banquet hall, as if an extremely important but unexpected guest had arrived.
When Boss Zhong looked over, he immediately turned into an angry bull, with fire almost spitting out of his eyes. If Qi Yue hadn't come to stop him and rushed forward to knock the person away, he would have been in trouble.
The other members of the Zhong family also looked unhappy when they saw the visitor.
A handsome and elegant middle-aged man came up to Mr. and Mrs. Zhong and said politely, "Dad, Mom, it's been years since we last met. How are you? Why didn't you let me know when you returned home?"
Old Master Zhong was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at Xue Zhao's nose and cursed: "Shut up, you beast! Who are your parents? You don't have any parents here! Stop claiming relatives randomly! Get out of here, you are not welcome here!"
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