"Mum?" Cheng Xiang was at a loss for words, feeling the urge to just storm out.
"Mum, what are you and Second Brother talking about?"
Cheng's mother, seeing her beloved daughter return, urgently pulled Cheng Qingqing to sit beside her, hoping she could also persuade her second brother. After all, there was no one in the family who didn't dote on this little daughter. With the mother-daughter duo teamed up, they didn't believe they couldn't win over the second son.
Upon hearing her mother saying that her second brother had someone he liked, Cheng Qingqing felt frustrated and didn't know what to do. She anxiously asked, "Second Brother, do you really have someone you like?"
"Second Brother doesn't have time for a girlfriend. Mother just heard someone say that Second Brother has a girlfriend and insists on having him accompany her to a banquet tomorrow," Cheng Xiang said, his face darkening again.
Cheng Qingqing noticed that her second brother didn't seem to be lying, and her heart settled. Giving him a different look, she began to persuade her mother that her brother's feelings should be left for him to decide. No one could guarantee that they could be as fortunate as Big Brother Liu and Sister Kong, who, despite being a political union, were still deeply in love after marriage.
And she didn't want her carefully laid plans to be ruined by her mother. Cheng Xiang's sharp police instincts made him wonder what his little sister was plotting today. What was she up to?
By now, Cheng's mother also realized that she had guessed wrong; her second son hadn't really fallen for someone. "Mum, you don't need to worry," Cheng Qingqing whispered in her mother's ear, and after a while, her mother's brows relaxed, pleased with what Cheng Qingqing had done.
"Second Brother, you haven't found a companion for tomorrow's event yet?"
"I plan to go alone and leave after showing face."
"Well, remember to bring your phone. I'll call you when I'm at the banquet."
"You're going to be Lady Shangguan Ning's companion, aren't you? Why do you need to inform me?"
Cheng Qingqing smiled mysteriously and said, "It's a secret, but Second Brother, remember to dress up tomorrow. I'll go upstairs and take a nap."
The next day, Hua Yan was only woken up by Hua Fu at noon. After freshening up, she had lunch with her father.
"Which family is hosting tonight's banquet?"
"I didn't ask about that. It seems to be a birthday banquet."
"You, child, accepted without asking anything... But from what I know, there's a family in Seaside City surnamed Cheng. They've stood firm for a hundred years amidst the country's turmoil. Besides having a presence in military and political spheres, they seem to have influence in other areas as well. Until now, no one knows the extent of their power."
"However, judging by Cheng Qingqing's usually casual demeanor, she doesn't seem to come from a prestigious family. At most, they're just well-off."
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"The Cheng family has always kept a low profile and avoids stirring up trouble. Otherwise, how do you think these big families survive to this day? But we're not expecting anything from them. Just continue doing things as you've always done. I'm telling you this because there are some things you've forgotten, but it's necessary to know them."
"Dad, you know a lot," although Hua Fu had a few companies of his own before, he couldn't have known these things without the right connections.
"Of course, you forget who I am," Hua Fu replied. He hadn't come across this information before; the rules of the world are such that people of different levels know different things. Knowing too much without the appropriate status could lead to a swift demise. It was actually an old man he met while exercising the morning after Hua Yan met Cheng Qingqing who told him these things. It turned out to be useful now.
Hua Fu was becoming more and more like a mischievous old child, which amused Hua Yan. After lunch, Hua Yan took a taxi to the dress shop. When she arrived, Cheng Qingqing was already waiting there.
"Hua Yan, you finally came," Cheng Qingqing said, pulling Hua Yan into the shop. The shop was decorated in a style reminiscent of 18th-century European fashion, suggesting that the owner had some skill.
"Miss Cheng, this is the person you've been waiting for, and she's quite pretty," a stylish short-haired woman greeted them. She nodded at Hua Yan in greeting, albeit with a hint of disdain upon seeing her ordinary clothes.
"Of course, Hua Yan is a beauty. You didn't accept any other clients today, did you? Then, let's pick out dresses," Cheng Qingqing said.
"I didn't dare accept any other clients when I heard Miss Cheng was coming. Please come this way. These are the dresses that arrived this month," the shop assistant said, leading them carefully. Hua Yan observed everything and thought that Cheng Qingqing's family was not as simple as she had initially thought. It was likely that they were the Cheng family her father had mentioned.
"For the banquet tonight, I want to wear these pieces of jewelry. Help me choose dresses that suit me," Hua Yan showed the jewelry she brought to the shop owner, leaving both Cheng Qingqing and the owner astonished.
"Hua Yan, these are yours? They're beautiful."
"This is high-quality ice jade. May I take a look?" the shop owner, feeling remorseful for underestimating Hua Yan earlier, prayed not to offend the powerful young lady.
"You may," ignoring the shop owner's flustered appearance, Hua Yan handed the gifts she had brought for Cheng Qingqing. "This is a jade hairpin I'm giving you."
"Wow, Hua Yan, you also got something for me. It's gorgeous. I won't refuse," Cheng Qingqing exclaimed.
"It's just a little something. I'm glad you like it."
---
At the mansion of the Shangguan family, a luxury car pulled up, and two elegant young ladies stepped out, drawing the attention of other guests. One of them, a charming girl, made a phone call as if notifying someone. The other, under the light, had a greenish sheen on her body, and with her cold gaze, she seemed like a fairy from the moon palace.
Inside the mansion, a handsome man sitting on a white leather sofa finished his call and said to the two extraordinary-looking men beside him, "Elder brother, Ning's little sister has arrived. I'll go and greet her."
"It seems like our little brother has ulterior motives," Cheng Cheng joked with Cheng Xiang. Early in the morning, their mother had urged him to help his brother choose a dress and even mentioned that their little sister wanted to introduce a girlfriend to this emotionally clueless brother of his. He wondered what his little brother would look like in a while. He was really looking forward to it.
On the other side, Shangguan Ning didn't understand what the two brothers were talking about, but since Cheng Qingqing was her companion tonight, she stood up and said to Cheng Xiang, "I'll go along too."
"Then I'll go too," Cheng Cheng said with a smile, looking at his brother who was as black as coal.
When the three of them saw the two people standing outside, especially Hua Yan, their expressions changed drastically. Shangguan Ning's eyes carried a warm, inexplicable feeling, while Cheng Cheng suddenly stared coldly at Hua Yan.
And Cheng Xiang, surprised and stuttering, said, "What are you doing here?" Wasn't this the woman who didn't even know where her own home was? And that somewhat mysterious woman? He had just remembered her a few days ago, and now he saw her.