Xia Baozhu came out after changing her clothes. The imperial dress she was wearing incorporated modern elements while still retaining the classic puff sleeves and high-waisted skirt.
The dress is made of a high-gloss beige fabric, with symmetrical gold embroidery on the skirt and shoulders. The intricate and tight patterns give the overall impression of lightness and luxury.
Sun Xingyan looked at the slightly low neckline and was not very satisfied.
Xia Baozhu was different. Looking at herself in the mirror, she smiled sweetly. She liked this beige retro dress, which made her look very energetic, like a girl in her early twenties.
"Let's go." Xia Baozhu took Sun Xingyan's arm and walked out as he hesitated to speak.
The music outside was even more cheerful, and a large circle of chatting guests surrounded the center of the banquet hall, where several couples were already dancing gracefully.
Lev Ivanov came up to greet her, and upon seeing Xia Baozhu, he exclaimed in amazement, "This dress suits Mrs. Xia perfectly; she looks absolutely stunning!"
Xia Baozhu felt that Mr. Ivanov's abilities were a good match for his ambitions. She had rarely encountered a host who was so considerate of his guests at banquets before.
This also demonstrates that Ivanov's strength is considerable.
Ma Zhaoshi came over and asked Sun Xingyan if he wanted to take Xia Baozhu dancing. Sun Xingyan refused. Baozhu had only danced disco with him a few times at the dance hall, and he didn't want his wife to go dancing dressed like that.
In Sun Xingyan's eyes, his wife is the most beautiful woman, and anyone who looks at her more than a few times is considered to have improper thoughts about her.
What just happened—if his wife hadn't been so strong, she might have been taken advantage of by that disgusting man.
Speak of the devil, and he appears; Lev Ivanov walks over with the man who had just been acting like a thug. Sun Xingyan inwardly shunned him, thinking, "Don't introduce him to anyone, don't introduce him to anyone, I don't want to meet this guy."
"Yan, this is Mr. Nicola Feodor of the Feodor family."
The Feodor family is one of the most famous families in the Great Bear Kingdom, and this Nikolai Feodor was personally invited by Lev Ivanov.
Having learned that Nikolai would be staying in the city for some time, he catered to his tastes and invited the nobleman's son to a banquet.
The goal, of course, is to gain more benefits. The Feodor family has great influence in the government and the military, and if they can get in touch with them, they will gain even more.
Sun Xingyan pinched his nose and smiled as he shook hands with Nikolai, only to be met with a cold smile in return. Nikolai glanced at Xia Baozhu, then turned and left.
"Is there some misunderstanding?" Lev asked.
"We ran into this gentleman in the locker room just now, and something unpleasant happened." Sun Xingyan didn't say much, letting Lev investigate on his own.
Seeing Lev Ivanov rush to question the waiter, Xia Baozhu said apologetically, "I acted impulsively just now and shouldn't have touched him."
That's why she didn't want to come; it would easily complicate things.
“Honey, you’re perfectly fine. There’s no need to blame yourself for someone else’s mistake,” Sun Xingyan comforted her, patting her back.
Even without Nicola Fyodor, there were other collaborators.
Moreover, this Nikolai looks like a womanizer, so he probably doesn't have much say in the family.
"Alright, honey, don't think so much. Let's go get something to eat." Sun Xingyan put his arm around Baozhu's shoulder and walked towards the buffet table.
The two of them started eating and chatting and laughing again very quickly.
Sun Xingyan told everyone about what happened tonight, and told them to keep an eye on Nikolai in the future.
It is unknown how Lev Ivanov persuaded Nikolai Fyodor, but Sun Xingyan met him in Lev Ivanov's office.
This time his attitude softened considerably; he stopped bringing up the past and started talking to them seriously about work.
The cooperation between the two sides went very smoothly. Leveraging the influence of the Feodor family, they made the biggest deal since arriving in the Great Bear Kingdom.
This deal lasted for half a year, and before we knew it, autumn had arrived, or rather, winter.
Xia Baozhu wore a beige coat and dark brown high-heeled boots. Tonight, she and Sun Xingyan went out to dinner alone.
Ma Zhaoshi had an appointment and left after work, while Du Guofeng and Chen Lu went to the shooting range.
Sun Xingyan drove his car, looking at the long lines of people buying bread on the roadside: "The Soviet currency has become worthless because of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Not long ago, we were jubilant and celebrating the arrival of freedom, but now it feels desolate."
"It might be chaotic for a while, so be careful when you go out in the future."
Xia Baozhu had heard of the Wild Ten Years, during which the lives of the lower classes were difficult, the polarization between rich and poor was extremely severe, and there were too many factors of social instability, resulting in many heinous robbery and murder incidents.
“Yes, we’ll try to go home in another month. The house in our hometown is well-ventilated and ready to live in.” Sun Xingyan took one hand off the wheel and squeezed Xia Baozhu’s hand tightly.
Although they live a decent life here, it doesn't feel as relaxing as home, since this isn't their own country.
“Mr. Fedor, I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
Sun Xingyan never expected to run into Nikolai at the restaurant. He had never liked Nikolai. Although they had worked well together, they rarely met. Most of the time, Nikolai would send people over to make handovers.
"It's a pleasure to meet you here, Mr. Yan." Nikolai shook hands with Sun Xingyan, and the two seemed to have reconciled their differences with a smile, appearing to be on good terms.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. Xia.” Nikolai smiled at Xia Baozhu but did not extend his hand.
Nikolai and his female companion invited them to dinner, as a way of making up for the unpleasantness of their first meeting.
Sun Xingyan had no choice but to give him face and agree, but during the meal, he made him feel uncomfortable all over.
What should have been a romantic date for two was marred by a sharp-eyed observation from Sun Xingyan that Nikolai's female companion across from them also showed a momentary displeasure.
Xia Baozhu handled the situation appropriately, displaying impeccable manners and making every move pleasing to the eye.
Sun Xingyan quickly forgot the unpleasantness, turned his attention to his wife, cut the steak, and naturally fed it to her.
Xia Baozhu ate it in one bite, and the two looked at each other and smiled.
Nikolai's female companion turned her head to look at him. Nikolai lowered his head and coldly cut a piece of steak. When he looked up, he smiled and handed it to his female companion.
His female companion happily kissed him hard on the cheek, and Nikolai hugged her and kissed her back.
Xia Baozhu and the other person lowered their heads and ate, pretending not to see.
After finally finishing a grueling meal, Sun Xingyan hurriedly left with Xia Baozhu.
“From now on, we’ll avoid this Nikolai whenever we see him. He messes around at the dinner table, it’s so unappetizing,” Sun Xingyan complained as he walked down the stairs, his arm around Xia Baozhu’s waist.
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