Chapter 55: The Ou Family Banquet  

Lin Zhenzhu and Ou Zichen exchanged glances. In the end, it was Ou Zichen who responded: “Since this is Yingbao’s own choice, as her father, I will naturally respect her decision. I have no objections.”  

Lin Zhenzhu smiled and said: “Since both father and daughter have agreed, I certainly have no objections either. Haha…”  

“Alright! Since everyone is in agreement, this engagement is settled.”  

Liu Lianzhi took out a fine Hetian jade pendant necklace from her bag and placed it around Zhao Jiaying’s neck.  

“Yingbao, this is an heirloom of our Shen family. Today, Auntie is giving it to you as a token of your engagement. You must take good care of it, understand?”  

Zhao Jiaying looked at the pendant around her neck, clearly delighted. She smiled sweetly and said: “Yes, Auntie! Yingbao understands. I will take good care of it and never lose it!”

　

“What a sensible child!”  

Liu Lianzhi patted Zhao Jiaying’s head. The more she looked at this future daughter-in-law, the more she liked her. Fortunately, they had settled the engagement today—now she could finally rest assured.  

Seeing that everything was settled, Shen Linghao took Zhao Jiaying’s hand and led her outside.  

“Brother will take you outside to play, alright?”  

“Okay!”  

Meanwhile, the elders continued chatting in the living room.  

By around ten o’clock, all the invited guests had arrived. At an event hosted by the Ou family, no one dared to act arrogantly—everyone would arrive early, never late.  

Additionally, Ou Zichen had invited reporters from various news media. His intention was to publicly reveal Zhao Jiaying’s identity, ensuring that everyone in Bincheng knew that she was his biological daughter.  

From early in the morning, journalists had been stationed outside the Ou Family Estate, armed with cameras and recording equipment, determined not to miss any major news.  

Yang Dapeng’s family arrived at the Ou Family Estate around 10:15 AM.  

As their car pulled into the parking lot, the entire Yang family was stunned. The lot was filled with all kinds of luxury cars, making their Mercedes SUV look embarrassingly modest by comparison.  

Yang Dapeng sighed in admiration—this was truly the grandeur of a top-tier family in Bincheng. Everyone attending the banquet today was either rich or powerful. It seemed he should take advantage of this opportunity to establish connections with these wealthy elites.  

But then a thought crossed his mind—wait! Once Ou Zichen officially announced his daughter Yang Xiaoyun’s engagement at the banquet, he would become the father-in-law of the Ou Corporation’s president. By then, it would be others who would try to curry favor with him.  

Thinking of this, Yang Dapeng felt a surge of pride. His time to shine had finally arrived.  

After parking the car, the Yang family followed the signs toward the Ou Family Estate’s garden, where the banquet was being held.  

Just walking from the parking lot to the garden took them ten minutes, and they had yet to see the rest of the estate. This alone left the Yang family—except for Yang Xiaoyun—completely awestruck.  

Yang Xiaolin, in particular, was filled with jealousy and resentment. The mere thought that Yang Xiaoyun might one day become the mistress of this grand estate made her clench her teeth in frustration.  

How on earth did Yang Xiaoyun get so lucky to have caught the attention of Ou Zichen?  

Upon arriving at the garden, a server led them to their designated seats. By this time, many guests had already taken their places.  

Their seats were arranged relatively close to the front, which made them believe that Ou Zichen valued Yang Xiaoyun highly and, by extension, respected their entire family.  

Feeling pleased with herself, Yang Xiaoyun stood up and said to Yang Dapeng: “Dad, you all sit here first. I’m going inside to greet Grandmother Zichen.”  

There were many guests at today’s banquet, and the villa wouldn’t allow too many people inside. Only those with a special relationship with the Ou family were granted entry.  

By going inside, Yang Xiaoyun was clearly trying to flaunt her close ties with the Ou family in front of Yang Xiaolin and her mother.  

She stepped into the villa’s living room, where Lin Zhenzhu, Ou Zichen, and several close friends were engaged in conversation with Shen Changfeng and Liu Lianzhi.

Yang Xiaoyun saw the situation and did not shy away. She walked straight toward them, carrying the demeanor of the Ou family’s mistress.  

“Grandmother, Zichen, so this is where you are! I didn’t see you outside just now, so I thought you must be here and came in to greet you!”  

When the others saw Yang Xiaoyun arrive, they all stood up. They had heard rumors about her and Ou Zichen and assumed she had come to see him, so they tactfully took their leave.  

“Madam, President Ou, the banquet is about to begin. We will step out first!”  

Shen Changfeng and his wife, though unaware of what was going on between Yang Xiaoyun and Ou Zichen, had never asked, and Ou Zichen had never explained. However, given the current situation, staying would be awkward for them, so they sensibly left for the garden.  

“It’s Xiaoyun! Come, sit down!”  

Lin Zhenzhu waved her over, and Yang Xiaoyun quickly walked to her side. However, just as she sat down, Ou Zichen stood up and said to Ou Zilong,  

“Zilong, the banquet is about to start. Come with me and check if all the guests have arrived.”  

“Alright, Brother!”  

The two brothers quickly left the villa.  

Yang Xiaoyun was momentarily stunned before breaking into a knowing smile. She believed Ou Zichen was too embarrassed to face her because he was about to announce their engagement.  

“Grandmother, do you think Zichen is nervous?”  

Nervous? Lin Zhenzhu was puzzled. What was there to be nervous about on her daughter’s birthday? But she misunderstood Yang Xiaoyun’s meaning.  

She replied: “Perhaps. Today’s banquet is important. It’s normal for him to be a little nervous.”  

Hearing Lin Zhenzhu’s words, Yang Xiaoyun was overjoyed. As she had expected, today was indeed the day they would announce her marriage to Ou Zichen!  

She looked at Lin Zhenzhu and, blushing, said: “Grandmother, I’m nervous too!”  

Zhao Jiaying’s birthday banquet was a big event. It made sense for Ou Zichen, as her father, to be nervous. But what reason did Yang Xiaoyun have to feel nervous?  

Lin Zhenzhu thought for a moment. Perhaps it was because Yang Xiaoyun had never attended such a banquet before, and since it was her first time, she was feeling uneasy.  

So she reassured her: “There’s nothing to be nervous about. Just treat it like an ordinary family gathering!”  

Hearing this, Yang Xiaoyun was completely at ease. She believed everything was unfolding just as she had imagined. She was ecstatic—soon, she would become the admired mistress of the Ou family, Ou Zichen’s wife.  

Unfortunately, her joy would soon turn to sorrow. When she found out things were not as she had imagined, would she be so furious that she’d want to jump into the river?  

Lin Zhenzhu stood up. The guests had almost arrived, and Ou Zichen and Ou Zilong had gone out. As the Madam of the Ou family, she couldn’t remain inside the house. She needed to go out and greet the guests, displaying the presence of the family matriarch.  

“Xiaoyun, let’s go outside. The banquet is about to begin!”

“Alright, Grandmother!”  

Yang Xiaoyun attentively stepped forward to support her, helping Lin Zhenzhu walk out. Without needing any explanation, others would naturally recognize the extraordinary relationship between Yang Xiaoyun and the Ou family.  

—