Chapter 5

Several high-end hotels in Jiangcheng are concentrated in the city center. Wei Lai’s small apartment is located in the bustling central area, which is considered prime real estate. It’s not very spacious, less than seventy square meters. Her father bought this apartment twenty years ago when it was very cheap. With a history of over twenty-five years, her father renovated the apartment after she graduated from university, so she could conveniently commute to work.

The hotel for tonight’s dinner is less than two kilometers away from the apartment, giving her enough time to do her makeup.

Half of the wardrobe is empty. She got rid of all the dresses and clothes that Zhang Yanxin had recently given her. She sold what needed to be sold and threw away the rest.

Now there’s not a single formal dress in the wardrobe, just a brown long dress suitable for tonight’s occasion. She bought this dress at the expense of her own comfort to celebrate Zhang Yanxin’s birthday.

After some hesitation, Wei Lai finally reached for the long dress.

After changing into the dress and putting on suitable makeup, she called for a car before heading out. Given that she would undoubtedly have to drink at tonight’s event, taking a taxi would be more economical than hiring a designated driver.

“I’m on my way. How about you?” Zhao Yihan sent a message.

Wei Lai: “Just leaving. I should arrive before you.”

Tonight, Zhao Yihan was accompanying her boss to a business dinner, and she brought Wei Lai along for her personal reasons. She had previously consulted her boss to see if she could bring an extra person, and he had no objections when he heard it was Wei Lai.

Wei Lai is outstanding and versatile. With her around, things always get done more efficiently. Her boss was happy to have someone like her accompany them to the dinner.

“There are quite a few people tonight,” said the boss as they entered the hotel elevator.

He then asked, “Why hasn’t your sister arrived yet?”

“She should’ve arrived before me. Let me check.” Zhao Yihan messaged Wei Lai, but she didn’t reply even when Zhao Yihan got off the elevator.

The boss said, “Let’s go in first and send her the private room number.”

Zhao Yihan had already told Wei Lai the specific address.

As they spoke, they arrived at the door of the private room. The waiter opened the door and led them in.

This was the largest private room in the hotel, easily accommodating twenty-five to thirty people for dining. Zhao Yihan hadn’t expected that almost everyone had already arrived, and the large dining table was almost full.

There were too many people, and she couldn’t take it all in at once.

He greeted the boss and her to take their seats. Their company had been collaborating with He Wancheng on a project, and they had been meeting frequently lately, so He Wancheng invited them over.

Arriving last, the boss apologized to He Wancheng and said, “Someone else will be here soon.”

He Wancheng didn’t mind and smiled gently, “No problem. I know you had a meeting this afternoon, and the project is important. Tonight is just a gathering to have dinner, not to discuss business.”

Having dinner in the big shots’ world might really just be about eating and chatting, but for them, it was an opportunity that must be seized. Zhao Yihan dared not slack off.

She put her bag behind her, feeling as if someone’s eyes were fixed on her. Following her intuition, she glanced over and was stunned for a few seconds when she made eye contact with the person.

She hadn’t expected Zhang Yanxin to be there too.

And the woman sitting next to him was none other than Mu Di, Wei Lai’s former boss.

Zhao Yihan calmed herself and quickly took out her phone to inform Wei Lai: “Where are you? Zhang Yanxin and Mu Di are here. Don’t come.”

Wei Lai was waiting for the elevator in the hotel lobby: “I’m almost there.”

Zhao Yihan blamed herself: “It’s my fault. I just saw them, didn’t know before. They’re sitting together. Are you sure you still want to come?”

Wei Lai: “Does He Wancheng know that your boss brought another person?”

Zhao Yihan replied truthfully: “Yes.”

Wei Lai: “Then it’s settled. I’ll come anyway.”

For Wei Lai’s sake, Zhao Yihan had fought hard to secure this opportunity with her boss. If Wei Lai backed out at the last minute, Zhao Yihan’s boss wouldn’t be able to save face in front of He Wancheng. She couldn’t afford to be ungrateful.

Wei Lai looked down at the dress she was wearing, feeling bitterly ironic.

But it was too late to go back and change now. She comforted herself, “Since I’m here, I might as well make the best of it.”

When she entered the private room, Wei Lai realized she was the last one to arrive. Dozens of pairs of eyes turned to her, making it evident that many people had been waiting for her. Among them were business tycoons, making it arguably the most glorious moment of her twenty-five years of life.

Luckily, she had been accustomed to being the center of attention since she was a child; otherwise, it would have been difficult for an ordinary person to cope with such a situation.

The boss waved to her, “Xiaowei, come here. We’ve been waiting for you.”

Wei Lai walked calmly to the empty seat next to Zhao Yihan. She had seen He Wancheng once at a financial gathering in Jiangcheng before. He was in his fifties, elegant, and refined.

The table was full of people, and she looked towards the main seat, preparing to greet He Wancheng, the host of the dinner.

However, as her gaze fell upon the main seat, she saw a young man with a powerful presence sitting there. The man had sharp features and was slightly looking down at his phone, replying to messages.

Without much thought, Wei Lai discreetly withdrew her gaze and smiled at He Wancheng, saying, “Mr. He, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for being late; I’ll punish myself with three drinks later.”

“You’re not late. You must be Xiao Wei, right?” He Wancheng politely replied. “Please, have a seat.”

For someone like her, a minor figure, the richest man in the room wouldn’t bother to trouble her. Wei Lai sat down calmly.

From entering the private room to sitting down, she hadn’t glanced around randomly. She wasn’t curious about where Zhang Yanxin and Mu Di were sitting. She was grateful that the table was large enough and there were enough people so that she didn’t need to greet each person individually.

At that moment, the focus of the table shifted to the main seat. Zhao Yihan leaned over and whispered, “Do you have a new boyfriend?”

Wei Lai looked puzzled, “Huh?”

Zhao Yihan knew that rumors were unreliable, so she continued whispering to her, “Before you entered the room, someone asked me about your new rich boyfriend.”

Wei Lai spoke in a low voice to Zhao Yihan, “What did they say? What were their exact words?”

The exact words were too long, so Zhao Yihan typed on her phone to convey the message: “They said everyone in their circle is gossiping that you’ve hooked up with a big shot from the Beijing circle. They say there were witnesses to your dates.”

The more she talked, the more absurd it sounded.

Since finishing her job handover, Wei Lai has almost stayed home every day, except for a few outings during the time she sold the house. Tonight was the first time she had dressed up so grandly for a date.

“Who spread this rumor? I don’t even know any big shots from the Beijing circle. I didn’t even have the mood to think about… dating.” 

As she said this, she suddenly realized that during her work with clients, there were some from Beijing Circle, with investments in Jiangcheng’s industrial park. She had driven around in Beijing-registered cars a few times, drawing some attention. Someone must have investigated but couldn’t find out who the real owner of the license plate was.

The fact that they couldn’t find out indicated the significance of the owner, hence the increasingly intense rumors about her dating a big shot from the Beijing circle.

Zhang Yanxin had believed the rumors quite a bit. After being together for over two years, he still found Wei Lai’s face attractive. He thought that with her looks, dating a big shot from the Beijing circle wouldn’t be difficult.

From the moment Wei Lai entered the room until she sat down, Zhang Yanxin only glanced at her once, noticing the dress she was wearing, the one she wore on the night he celebrated his birthday. When breaking up with his previous girlfriends, he never felt like he owed anyone anything, except Wei Lai. Even if he compensated her a lot, he still felt indebted to her.

She was the only one he had ever cared about and the only one he still thought about after the breakup.

The table began a round of toasts. Zhang Yanxin toasted the people at the main seat, “Mr. Zhou, let’s play basketball together when you’re free.”

Zhou Sujin nodded, giving him a face, and downed the drink in his cup.

Zhang Yanxin once again noticed the watch on Zhou Sujin’s wrist. He had been puzzled when he shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with Zhou Sujin as they entered the private room. The price of this watch didn’t match Zhou Sujin’s status.

It was said that Zhou Sujin liked collecting watches, so there was no reason for him to wear a watch without any collectible value.

After toasting Zhou Sujin, Zhang Yanxin then toasted He Wancheng. His parents were good friends with He Wancheng, so he was here to show support. There was no need to curry favor with He Wancheng after toasting the two most important people at the table. Because of Wei Lai’s sudden appearance, he lost interest in everything and didn’t feel like socializing with anyone.

“Wei Lai, let’s have a drink together. What have you been busy with lately?” Mu Di’s tone was familiar as she filled up Wei Lai’s glass and raised it.

In this situation, no one could ignore a toast.

Wei Lai reciprocated, her lips barely touching the edge of the glass, not even touching the wine. She made a swallowing motion before casually responding to Mu Di’s previous question, “Busy with trivial matters every day.”

Zhang Yanxin hadn’t expected Mu Di to propose a toast to Wei Lai. Given their past relationships, it was best to remain silent and pretend not to know each other.

At least five or six people at the table knew about their past relationships and were waiting to see some drama unfold.

And he hated being the subject of gossip.

He picked up his chopsticks and casually added a piece of meat to Mu Di’s plate, saying, “Have some vegetables.” At the same time, he glanced at her, reminding her to stop talking to Wei Lai.

Mu Di smiled and said nothing, picking up the piece of meat with her chopsticks and putting it in her mouth without tasting it. Her heart still leaned towards Wei Lai, worrying that she would be embarrassed in front of everyone.

Zhang Yanxin lifted his own glass. Now he could openly look at Wei Lai. When they broke up, he didn’t give her any explanation, not a single word of apology was said face to face.

Today, he took the initiative to toast her, saying, “I heard you’re in love. Congratulations.”

His thoughts were simple; he was already engaged to Mu Di and would soon be married. And she had a new relationship. They would each go their separate ways.

However, when these words reached Wei Lai’s ears, due to their differing perspectives, they were interpreted differently.

Wei Lai couldn’t understand it. They had already broken up, she had already resigned, and she hadn’t been clinging onto anyone. Yet, they wouldn’t let her be and insisted on publicly provoking her, not letting her live in peace.

Why couldn’t they just treat each other as if they were dead to one another?

She seriously began to doubt her ability to judge people. How had she ended up dating such a narrow-minded man for two years?

The ring finger of the hand holding the wine glass was adorned with a ring.

Before they broke up, she had been naive. When looking at jewelry, she had specifically looked at engagement rings, thinking she would marry him and even thinking about which matching rings they would wear.

Wei Lai forcibly halted her thoughts, and raised her glass with a fake smile.

“What are you guys talking about?” He Wancheng had just finished speaking to someone nearby when he heard the word “love.” “Who’s in love?”

Zhao Yihan’s boss stepped in to help Wei Lai, “It’s our Wei Lai.”

He Wancheng didn’t know Wei Lai’s name. As the host of the dinner, he tactfully said, “Here, Wei Lai, let me toast you. Congratulations.” Then, he casually added, “Next time, bring your boyfriend along for dinner.”

“Thank you, Mr. He.” Wei Lai downed the entire glass of wine in one gulp.

She thought the matter of her love life was settled, but there were people at the table who loved to stir up trouble. Just now, he had inquired Zhao Yihan about Wei Lai’s new boyfriend, but got nothing. Driven by curiosity, he decided to ask the person involved directly, “Which big shot from the capital circle is Miss Wei’s boyfriend? Many friends have asked me about it. How could I possibly know? I’m just asking on their behalf.”

Wei Lai: “…”

It seemed that no matter what, she couldn’t escape this situation.

Just now, He Wancheng had toasted her and congratulated her on having a boyfriend, and she had tacitly accepted being in a relationship. Now, she couldn’t deny it. But if she said her boyfriend wasn’t the so-called big shot from the Beijing circle, people would mock her, saying she could never find a boyfriend better than Zhang Yanxin.

It was only when she was doing better than before that they would feel uncomfortable.

She admitted her vanity and didn’t want to lose to Zhang Yanxin and Mu Di. At least tonight, she didn’t want to lose in front of them. She wanted to stand up for herself.

But a big shot from the Beijing circle? She didn’t know anyone like that.

Just as she was at a loss on how to continue this charade, a name flashed in her mind—the person who bought her watch.

She remembered clearly; the store manager had said that person was unmarried and didn’t have a girlfriend.

She didn’t have time to weigh her options. Wei Lai smiled and, without considering the consequences, said, “It’s Zhou Sujin.”

As soon as she said this, the silence in the private room was palpable.

Everyone at the table, including He Wancheng, looked at the man sitting in the main seat in astonishment. Meanwhile, Zhang Yanxin, who wasn’t paying attention, almost knocked over the wine glass beside him. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and caught it, instinctively tightening his grip.

Wei Lai was stunned, also looking towards the main seat, meeting the man’s chilly and intriguing gaze. Finally, she saw his face clearly. Leaning back in his chair, the man exuded an air of nobility and indifference, relaxed yet compelling, and he was staring directly at her the entire time.

The fact that He Wancheng, the host of the dinner, gave up the main seat for him spoke volumes about his identity.

Tonight, everyone’s attention had been diverted by Zhang Yanxin’s engagement ring and Mu Di’s toast, so she hadn’t had a chance to inquire about the identity of the man in the main seat. This was a social taboo, and she had violated it. She began to reflect on why she had come here.

To seize the opportunity Zhao Yihan had fought for her.

To network for herself.

But what about herself?

The man was still looking at her. Wei Lai had a bad feeling; was he a friend of Zhou Sujin? A family member? Or…

She didn’t dare to think further.

Beside her, Zhao Yihan took a deep breath. Tonight’s mess had gotten out of hand.

She regretted it deeply; she shouldn’t have let Wei Lai attend this dinner. Not only had she lost face in front of Zhang Yanxin, but she had also offended Zhou Sujin. Flaunting her identity as someone’s girlfriend, she had touched upon his biggest taboo.

“He’s the one.” Covering her mouth with her hand, Zhao Yihan whispered to Wei Lai.

The president of Kunchen Group was Zhou Sujin. Just now, someone mentioned Kunchen at the table, but Wei Lai might not have noticed. Zhao Yihan had just discovered that Zhou Sujin was wearing the watch Wei Lai had sold, but Wei Lai probably hadn’t paid attention.

At this moment, He Wancheng saw that Zhou Sujin didn’t deny it, and Wei Lai, who wasn’t on his guest list but suddenly appeared at the dinner, turned out to be Zhou Sujin’s girlfriend. This made sense.

He smiled and congratulated, “Come on, you must have a drink. I heard that all the projects in Jiangcheng have been handed over to Lu Yu. I was wondering why you suddenly came to Jiangcheng. So, it turns out you’re here to see your girlfriend.”

Zhou Sujin smiled faintly, offering no explanation.

He had come to Jiangcheng this time to deal with matters related to the project. Although the project had been handed over to Lu Yu, Lu Yu lacked experience, and some things were not handled properly. He had come to handle the aftermath.

As for seeing his girlfriend?

He himself didn’t know when he had acquired a girlfriend in Jiangcheng.

He raised his glass in response to He Wancheng’s gesture, lightly clinking glasses. As he tilted his head slightly to drink, he cast a glance at Wei Lai out of the corner of his eye.

Wei Lai had never experienced such embarrassment, nor had she ever done anything so absurd. For a moment, she didn’t know how to handle herself. She had initially wanted to show off a bit, to vent her frustrations in front of Zhang Yanxin and Mu Di. However, she ended up embarrassing herself in front of Zhou Sujin.

She looked at Zhou Sujin again, unable to discern any emotion from his face. All she could do was wait quietly for his judgment.

Zhou Sujin turned to the person beside him and said, “Please switch seats.” Then, he looked at Wei Lai and said to her, “Since it’s already public knowledge, come sit beside me.”