Chapter 29
“Yes, yes, I’ll get lost right away.” Tian Long nodded repeatedly without daring to meet his second uncle’s eyes, hurriedly leading his people out. The ones who came with Tian Long looked shocked as they left the private room.
No one at Tian Long’s birthday party was from an ordinary family; the difference was only in the size of their family background. Thus, they instantly recognized the people sitting inside the private room—almost half of the top industry figures in Luocheng. No one laughed at Tian Long’s retreat because there were more pressing matters at hand.
“Brother Long, is Tian Li, General Manager Tian, your second uncle? Why haven’t you mentioned this before?” A bespectacled boy slid up to Tian Long, smiling inquisitively.
“Are you nuts? Why would I talk about my second uncle for no reason?” Tian Long snapped back harshly.
Since Tian Long was preoccupied, his tone wasn’t the friendliest. The boy who asked was still somewhat immature, and being rebuked in front of everyone made his face instantly flush red like a ripe persimmon. He muttered to himself and was pushed aside.
Despite Tian Long’s poor attitude, none could deny Tian Li was his second uncle. Everyone present grew up in prominent families; they might not excel academically, but their sharpness in business was trained from a young age. Everyone knew the people in the private room just now, except for one man. Judging from the respectful manner in which Tian Li and the others treated him, it was easy to deduce that his identity was unusual, and perhaps the forces in Luocheng’s business world were about to be reshuffled. This thought occurred simultaneously to everyone present.
Thus, even though Tian Long’s attitude wasn’t great, people continuously flocked towards him, asking all sorts of questions, pushing Lin Mengchen to the outskirts of the crowd.
On any other occasion, Lin Mengchen would have been unhappy and tried to push back, but now she was absent-mindedly lingering at the tail end of the crowd, pondering the identity of the man she just saw and how to win him over; she even abstained from the games afterward.
Meanwhile, Xu Ke did have a meal with those people and only returned to the Lin Family after finishing everything in another private room.
Xu Ke wasn’t a welcomed presence at the Lin Family, so nobody knew or cared when he went out or returned home. Days passed slowly and peacefully as Xu Ke gradually became familiar with the Xu businesses in Luocheng. The messages Xu Ke sent to Lin Mengyao seldom got replies, and their relationship seemed to have reverted to how it was at the start.
Once, when Xu Ke was staring at his phone waiting for Lin Mengyao’s reply, Xu Jie knocked and entered.
“Is something up?” Xu Ke put away his phone composedly, asking calmly.
“Mr. Xu, you mentioned attending Mr. Jin’s 80th birthday last week, and now it’s time for you to change and head out,” Xu Jie replied respectfully, placing the gift on Xu Ke’s desk.
The Jin family was a top-class family in Luocheng. This time, Mr. Jin’s birthday party invited many people from elite families, his business partners, and those who depended on the Jin family for support. The Lin family didn’t fit into any of these categories, hence why Xu Ke agreed so readily. Reminded by Xu Jie, Xu Ke recalled the matter and noticed the suit Xu Jie had prepared on the table. After changing in the rest area, he followed Xu Jie to the Jin family villa.
Everyone present glanced at Xu Ke before refocusing on Xu Jie.
Seeing someone approach Xu Jie intending to talk, Xu Ke, wanting to avoid attention, released her hand and whispered, “Go ahead. I’ll find somewhere else to sit.” He then turned and walked into a discreet corner, planning to leave after meeting Mr. Jin.
Xu Ke wanted to sit quietly, waiting for the host’s appearance, but some people just love causing trouble. While Xu Ke was eating cake on the sofa in the corner, a burly man wearing overly strong perfume, his fat fingers adorned with numerous gold and gemstone rings as if afraid others wouldn’t know he’s wealthy, sat down next to him. Xu Ke even felt the sofa shake as the man sat down.
Xu Ke sneezed from the man’s overwhelming scent and rubbed his nose, feeling like the entire air around was polluted by his cologne. Just as Xu Ke was about to leave, the man began to speak, “What’s your name, and which company are you from?” His eyes, as small as soybeans, evaluated Xu Ke from head to toe like he was appraising merchandise, making him intensely uncomfortable.
Xu Ke had chosen the hall’s most secluded corner, backed against the wall on two sides, with a long table stocked with food at the front, leaving only the right side as an exit. Originally, there was ample space between the sofa and the table, enough for someone to pass by even with someone seated. However, the man’s enormous bulk reduced the space significantly, making any exit risk contact with his body.
Xu Ke, nauseated by the man’s gaze, almost felt the cake he just ate coming back up. For his well-being, he decided not to stay any longer. “Move!” Xu Ke stood up, brows knit tightly in cold disgust.
“I can guess you’re from some entertainment company. Though I don’t recognize you, you probably haven’t debuted yet. Which path are you aiming for? Singer or actor? I’m not as well-connected as Xu Jie, but I’m generous. Whatever you like, I’ll invest in it. I don’t mind you being with Xu Jie and me at the same time. If you’re worried she’ll be mad, we can keep it a secret; it’s more exciting that way,” the fat man said, licking his lips as if entertaining a thought, his eyes slivered like a thin line of flesh, his face like one massive doughy bun, thoroughly revolting.
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