As the ornate iron gate of the Su family mansion slowly opened in the night, Yu Jiuyuan was sitting in Rong Shenghan's car, reapplying her lipstick.
The rosy-brown lipstick spread across her lips, making her already fair skin appear even more translucent. Her eyes, which always seemed innocent, shimmered with a delicate light in the rearview mirror.
"Old Master Su hates being late the most," Rong Shenghan's voice came from the driver's seat, a casual reminder.
Today he wore a dark gray suit with a tie tied meticulously. His usual unpredictable temperament was toned down by the well-tailored cut, revealing a touch of the noble bearing of a scion of a prominent family.
Yu Jiuyuan put down her lipstick and gently pressed her fingertip to the corner of her lips: "Don't worry, the timing was perfect."
She turned her head to look out the window. The courtyard of the Su family's old house stretched out under the car lights. A thin layer of snow covered the neatly trimmed holly bushes, and the European-style fountain sculpture stood silently in the night, like a group of old-fashioned onlookers.
As soon as the car came to a stop, Xie Zhecheng was seen standing at the bottom of the steps.
He wore a black suit, which made him look even taller and more upright, and the white bow tie at his collar was tied perfectly, consistent with his usual perfectionist style.
Seeing Yu Jiuyuan get out of the car, he glanced at her and nodded as a greeting.
“Young Master Xie was here before us.” Rong Shenghan stepped forward, his tone warm, and shook hands with Xie Zhecheng. The moment their fingertips touched, it felt like an electric current passed through them, carrying a silent contest.
Xie Zhecheng nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the microscope pendant around Yu Jiuyuan's neck. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He recognized the design of the pendant; it was almost identical to the old microscope in Yuan Xu's laboratory.
"Where is Yuan Xu?" Yu Jiuyuan asked at the right moment, breaking the subtle tension between the two.
“He’s inside.” Xie Zhecheng stepped aside to make way. “I was just pulled by the old man of the Su family to see his orchids, and we were having a very pleasant chat.”
Just as Rong Shenghan had predicted.
Yu Jiuyuan smiled, lifted her skirt and stepped onto the stairs. Her high heels clicked crisply on the marble floor, like the prelude to the banquet.
The banquet hall was already filled with elegantly dressed women.
Crystal chandeliers refracted dazzling light, melodious violin music flowed in the air, and waiters moved among the crowd carrying trays, the champagne glasses on the trays clinking softly.
As soon as Yu Jiuyuan stepped through the door, she was surrounded by several socialites she knew. She wore a perfectly appropriate smile and handled the situation with ease, but her peripheral vision precisely swept across the entire room.
Sure enough, Yuan Xu was talking to an elderly man with gray hair by the flower stand in the corner.
The boy was wearing a light gray suit today, with his tie hanging crookedly around his neck, clearly not used to this kind of attire.
He held a small notebook in his hand, occasionally bending down to write something, his serious expression making the old man of the Su family laugh heartily.
Lin Yanran stood by the bar, a glass of whiskey in her hand, her brows furrowed as she stared at the center of the dance floor.
He wore a burgundy suit today, which made his skin look even whiter, but he still couldn't hide his arrogance.
Upon seeing Yu Jiuyuan, his eyes flickered, and he turned his face away as if he hadn't seen her, but his fingers unconsciously tightened around the wine glass.
The system panel flickered gently in my mind:
Xie Zhecheng: Favorability 77, Emotional fluctuations (Negative 0/Neutral 3/Positive 107) - It seems he cares a bit about Yuan Xu's "exclusive mark".
Lin Yanran: Favorability +1, Emotional fluctuations (negative 0/neutral 8/positive 22) - Awkward attention still counts as attention.
Yuan Xu: 100% favorability, consistently positive emotions.
Rong Shenghan: 100% favorability rating. His emotions are stable, yet he is like a reef hidden beneath the surface of the water, unfathomable.
Yu Jiuyuan picked up a glass of champagne, her fingertips gently swirling the golden liquid inside.
She knew that the real highlight of the dinner was hidden beneath the surface of clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.
"Miss Yu." A gentle voice came from behind.
Yu Jiuyuan turned around and saw Su Mingche standing in front of her.
He wore a beige suit, his smile gentle and refined, but his eyes held a shrewd calculation: "I've wanted to meet Miss Yu for a long time. My father often says that Miss Yu is the most outstanding among the younger generation."
"Mr. Su, you flatter me." Yu Jiuyuan smiled back, her tone light. "I heard that the Su family recently acquired a piece of land in the east of the city. Congratulations."
Mentioning the land, Su Mingche's smile deepened: "It was just good luck. The Yu family was also interested in that land before. I wonder what Miss Yu's opinion is on this?"
This was a test. Yu Jiuyuan understood, but her face remained calm: "That's how business competition is; everyone relies on their own abilities."
She paused, then changed the subject, "But I heard the Su family's funds come from overseas? In the current international situation, cross-border fund supervision is very strict."
Su Mingche's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal: "Miss Yu is well-informed. It's just a normal business investment, nothing complicated."
As they were talking, Xie Zhecheng suddenly walked over and stood naturally beside Yu Jiuyuan: "Mr. Su, the Xie family has an artificial intelligence project recently, which might be able to cooperate with the Su family's East City project. I wonder if you are interested?"
His tone was calm, yet it seemed to have opened a small gap in Su Mingche's defenses.
Su Mingche was clearly taken aback by Xie Zhecheng's sudden interruption. He paused for a moment before saying, "Young Master Xie's project is certainly good. We can discuss it in detail another day."
Watching Su Mingche's somewhat hurried departure, Yu Jiuyuan turned to Xie Zhecheng and said, "You certainly know how to pick your time."
“He shouldn’t have pried into the Yu family’s affairs.” Xie Zhecheng’s voice was low, with a barely perceptible hint of protectiveness. “Besides, I’m serious about the cooperation I’m talking about.”
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
