Victoria, a half-Italian beauty with golden hair and sea-green eyes, froze on the spot the moment she saw Luo Yunyan’s face—stunned by how breathtakingly beautiful she was. Snapping out of her daze, she immediately walked forward and gave her a warm hug.

“Oh my God! Darling, you are stunning! Just looking at your face is giving me so much inspiration—you’re my muse, my goddess!”

Before she could get too clingy, Luo Yunzhe stepped in and pried her off.
“Do your job. Keep your hands to yourself.”

Victoria pouted. Tch, overprotective brothers. Just wait till your sister falls in love—you’ll probably keel over from anger.

Luo Yunyan obediently took a seat in front of the vanity, letting Victoria do her thing while her ears were filled with nonstop chatter.

“Darling, your skin is just divine—there’s not a single blemish!”
“And this texture? Like silk!”
“Hmph, your brother clearly wants to ruin my reputation. Dream on! I’ll make sure you dazzle tonight!”
“This gown? Feels like it was tailor-made for you, honey. Perfection!”

…

An hour later, Victoria finally stepped back, arms folded across her chest as she admired her masterpiece.
“Darling, can I be your exclusive makeup artist? Free of charge—on call anytime. What do you say?”

Luo Yunyan laughed, a bit helpless. “But I don’t usually wear makeup.”

“That’s fine! I’ll be there anytime, anywhere—especially for your wedding day.” Victoria gave her a mischievous wink.

“…Let’s start with being friends.”

“Deal! That’s even better!”

They exchanged contact info before finally managing to usher Victoria out.

Luo Yunyan stepped out onto the second-floor balcony, her expression cooling instantly as her eyes fell on three all-too-familiar faces downstairs—faces filled with greed and false pleasantries.

The Song family.

In recent days, the Songs had been floundering. A string of contract terminations, compounded by their massive sunk cost into a nonexistent partnership with Elvis, had left Song Construction nothing but an empty shell. Their status plummeted from second-tier to third-tier overnight.

When they’d first received the Luo family’s invitation, Song Hao had still harbored dreams of leveraging Elvis to break into the elite circle. But now? He was just hoping to scrape together a few lifelines at the banquet.

Standing at the entrance with his wife Wang Manlin and daughter Song Huanhuan, Song Hao leaned in and whispered,
“Huanhuan, you must get close to the Luo heiress—and her brothers. Whether it’s Pluto or Luo Corporation, getting in with even one of them could turn everything around. You’ve always made me proud. Don’t let me down.”

Song Huanhuan’s eyes gleamed with ambition.
“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll make sure our family rises again.”

But from the moment they entered, they were greeted with sneers, whispers, and disdain.

Every former business partner Song Hao approached made excuses to avoid him. His face darkened, and the three of them shrank into a corner, trying to stay inconspicuous.

Song Huanhuan clutched her father’s arm, gently reassuring.
“This is nothing. Our real targets are the Luo children. Once we get them on our side, all these people will come crawling back.”

“You’re right,” Song Hao nodded. “Tonight, we make our move.”

Suddenly, murmurs rippled through the crowd. Everyone turned toward the entrance.

“No way… they’re all here?”
“Even the old man showed up. The entire Gu family… this really is the Luo family’s event.”
“If the Gu family’s pulling out all the stops for this girl, her status just shot through the roof.”
“Status? She’s got Pluto in one hand and the Luo name in the other. Who can compete?”

In the upper circles, the hierarchy among aristocratic families was strict. Even among those born into wealth, birthright and marriage ties dictated the inner circle.

The Luo and Gu families stood at the pinnacle. The only families they maintained close ties with were the Su, Chu, and Lin clans—thanks to their daughters marrying into the Gu family. Though not as wealthy, those families brought cultural, political, and military influence that solidified their place in the top tier.

Tonight, even the reclusive Gu Shilin had made an appearance. In a smoke-gray suit, hair slicked neatly back, and the signature black prayer beads on his wrist, he exuded a cold, ascetic charm.

His sharp gaze swept across the banquet hall, as if searching for someone. Not spotting his target, he looked down with a hint of disappointment and pulled out his phone.

…

At 7 p.m., the lights dimmed, and only the spotlight on the stage remained.

Luo Old Master and Old Madam stepped up in their traditional Tang suits. The old man picked up the mic.

“Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend my precious granddaughter’s homecoming banquet. We’ve searched for our little one for fifteen long years, and now—she’s finally back. Tonight, I want to formally introduce her to you all. She’s just returned to the country and doesn’t yet know many people. I hope this old face of mine still carries some weight—to ensure no one dares to bully my darling girl.”

The tone might’ve been gentle, but the message was unmistakably a warning.

Polite applause rippled through the crowd, mixed with murmured agreement.

Heh. Who would dare bully her? That girl could strangle someone with her bare hands before they even blinked.

The spotlight shifted to the staircase, revealing Luo Yunyan descending slowly between her parents. The rest of the family stood to the side, their expressions full of pride and joy.

She was stunning.

Pale skin like fresh snow, fox-like eyes slightly upturned, a high nose bridge, and lips like a rose in bloom. She wore a champagne-colored mermaid gown, understated yet elegant, perfectly accentuating her slender curves. Her hair was swept into a sleek bun, exposing the graceful curve of her neck.

It was like someone took the best features of both her parents and carved her from moonlight.

Even Gu Shilin, standing silently in the crowd, had a softness in his gaze he didn’t notice himself.

Luo Yunyan reached the stage, gently let go of her parents and took her grandparents’ hands. She lifted the mic.

“Good evening, everyone. I’m Luo Yunyan.”

The applause surged again. She wasn’t even done talking yet.

She glanced at her grandfather, half amused, half exasperated. Should she keep going or not?

The old man chuckled and patted her hand, signaling for her to continue.

Then, he stepped forward again.
“One more announcement. As many of you know, even after retiring, my wife and I still hold 15% of the Luo Corporation’s shares. Today, we’re officially transferring all of them to our granddaughter.”

Gasps swept through the hall. Some guests immediately began glancing toward the Luo family members, eager to catch their reactions.

(End of Chapter)