Chapter 45: The Banquet

Ming Can maintained her posture of looking up at him, feeling as if the weight of Chi Xiao’s gaze was almost too much to bear.

She had been confessed to countless times since she was young, so in theory, she should have been able to handle such situations with ease and composure.

However, the context of their conversation was too unusual—

This was her home, and she was in the middle of discussing letting him stay here. Under these circumstances, he suddenly closed in with an overwhelming presence and dropped a line like, “It’s not in the past…”

Ming Can couldn’t help but think: Then maybe you shouldn’t stay here.

Chi Xiao shifted his gaze away. Having said what he wanted to say, his expression relaxed. “This room is quite nice.”

Ming Can: “I suddenly think it might not be a bad idea for Miaomiao to stay at your place after all…”

“Not really,” Chi Xiao said. “My place doesn’t have such a good children’s room.”

Ming Can remembered that it was him who had initially suggested having Miaomiao move to his place.

How long had it been since then? And now he’s changed his mind?

The hearts of men are truly unpredictable.

Ming Can didn’t want to dwell on why he had changed his mind. She simply nodded calmly and turned to leave.

Her steps were a bit hurried, and she couldn’t help but think that if Rui Yiqing found out she had let a guy who had liked her for a long time—and might still like her—stay in her home, oh my, Rui Yiqing would probably hang her upside down and whip her with peach branches, demanding to know if she had been possessed by a ghost.

Ming Can touched her warm forehead and slowly calmed down.

Letting Chi Xiao stay here was only for the convenience of taking care of Miaomiao.

That was all.

She walked into the living room, and behind her, Chi Xiao also strolled out leisurely.

He passed her, went to the pile of luggage they had brought back from the ski resort, grabbed the handle of his suitcase, and casually pushed it toward the living area.

Ming Can suddenly called out to him, “Wait.”

Chi Xiao: “What’s wrong?”

“You…” Ming Can looked at him suspiciously and reminded him, “I’m not leaving until the day after tomorrow.”

“I know,” Chi Xiao said, looking at her with a faint smile. “I’m just putting away my luggage.”

After a pause, he added, “Or should I wait until the day after tomorrow to bring it in?”

Ming Can choked slightly: “Ahem, go ahead.”

The sound of wheels rolling on the floor faded into the distance. Ming Can touched her forehead with the back of her hand and let out a soft sigh, feeling a tightness in her chest.

Why did it feel like…

After Chi Xiao had laid everything out, it was as if he had become a different person—shedding his gentlemanly facade and boldly making himself at home, no longer acting like an outsider.

Chi Xiao didn’t stay in the room for long and soon came out to play with Miaomiao.

Miaomiao had built a bare volcano on the floor, with a large hole in the middle. Chi Xiao helped him add baking soda, vinegar, and red food coloring into the hole. With a whooshing sound, the volcano erupted, spewing bright red “lava,” which made Miaomiao scream in excitement.

“Wow, the volcano erupted! How amazing,” Ming Can exclaimed dramatically as she watched from the side.

[Heh, puny humans, prepare for the end of the world!]

Mom’s inner thoughts were so dark!

Miaomiao clenched his fists. He had to protect humanity and prevent the apocalypse!

Miaomiao turned around and began searching through the toy pile for something to put out the fire.

“This one,” Chi Xiao said, seeing how flustered Miaomiao was, giving him a subtle hint.

Miaomiao suddenly had an idea. He pulled out a few tracks and two cool red toy cars from the pile. He arranged the tracks in a circle around the volcano, and the red toy cars sped along the tracks, emitting sharp siren sounds.

“The fire brigade is here!” Miaomiao pointed at the two fire trucks on the tracks and commanded, “I’ll drive this one, and Dad will drive that one. Together, we’ll put out Mom… I mean, this volcano!”

Chi Xiao sat on the floor beside him, his long legs casually bent, one hand resting on his forehead, covering half his face. His head was lowered, and his shoulders shook slightly as he tried to suppress his laughter.

Ming Can said dryly, “How wonderful!”

Ming Can’s inner thoughts: [Goodbye, you two can go on without me!]

She stomped away in her slippers, secretly thinking that Ming Miao’s name had three “water” radicals, and Chi Xiao’s name had eight! These two water-made men were naturally her kryptonite!

–

On the day of the banquet, Ming Can packed her things and prepared to leave home at 4 p.m.

The sky outside was still bright, with the sun hanging halfway in the sky. Miaomiao was reluctant to see his mom go and followed her closely, step by step: “Mom, are you leaving so early?”

Ming Can: “Yes, I need to go back to Grandpa’s house to try on my dress and do my makeup, so I have to leave early.”

She bent down and pinched Miaomiao’s cheek, smiling as she said, “I’ll just be staying away at night for a while. I’ll still come over during the day.”

Miaomiao nodded understandingly.

But there was another reason he was reluctant to see her go—

Dad was currently cooking in the kitchen. After Mom left, he would be left alone to face Dad’s cooking, and he was a little scared…

The sound of the front door closing echoed outside as Ming Can left.

Chi Xiao refocused his attention and seriously tackled the ingredients in front of him. Half an hour later, he brought two bowls of noodles to the dining table and called Miaomiao to eat.

Miaomiao slowly climbed into his child seat and took a bite of the noodles. They were mushy, almost like porridge.

It was hard to describe.

Miaomiao didn’t say anything, and Chi Xiao wasn’t sure what to say either. He had a small bowl in front of him and silently peeled shrimp for Miaomiao.

It had only been ten days since Ming Can told him that Miaomiao was his son.

If someone asked Chi Xiao whether he had fully embraced the role of a father now, he wouldn’t be sure. All he could say was that he was trying his best.

After all, not long ago, to be honest, Chi Xiao didn’t particularly like children. In fact, due to some family issues, he often found these young, willful creatures annoying.

But Miaomiao was different.

At first, because of Ming Can, Chi Xiao naturally viewed Miaomiao through a filter, separating him from the typical “naughty kid.”

As time went on, this filter didn’t wear off—it only grew thicker. Miaomiao seemed to possess an incredibly powerful charm that made him likable. Even when he did things that only a naughty kid would do, Chi Xiao didn’t feel the slightest bit of annoyance. For example, right now—

Miaomiao was using his chopsticks to stir the noodles in his bowl into a clump, then sticking the shrimp Chi Xiao had peeled for him into the noodle clump, shouting, “The Black Tiger Shrimp Army is trapped in quicksand! Requesting backup!”

Chi Xiao: “Received.”

He picked up a portion of the noodles from Miaomiao’s bowl and asked, “Can you handle the rest on your own?”

Miaomiao: “Yes, sir!”

At that moment, a message popped up in the group chat titled 【Has Chi Xiao Learned to Cook Yet?】

Sun Moon Volcano: 【What did you guys eat tonight? Send me a picture.】

cx: 【Noodles. Just finished eating.】

Miaomiao craned his neck to see the message on Chi Xiao’s phone and pouted, “Dad’s lying.”

The noodles were so bad that it would take them at least another twenty minutes to finish them.

Sun Moon Volcano: 【So fast?】

cx: 【Yeah.】

cx: 【Have you arrived?】

Sun Moon Volcano: 【I’m getting my makeup done.】

Chi Xiao put down his phone, quickly finished the food in his bowl, and then sat calmly across from Miaomiao, supervising him as he ate.

Before Ming Can left, she had sent Chi Xiao a detailed schedule of Miaomiao’s daily routine, outlining what he should be doing at each time of the day. After dinner tonight, Miaomiao was supposed to do some math problems after digesting for a while.

“Let’s skip the math problems today,” Chi Xiao said, negotiating with Miaomiao. “I have something to do tonight and need to go out for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”

Miaomiao: “Can I come with you?”

“No, you need to stay home and be good,” Chi Xiao said, ruffling his hair. “But I can take you out to play now. How about the little park by the lake?”

Miaomiao jumped up excitedly: “Yay! Dad’s the best!”

When Miaomiao lunged at him, Chi Xiao suddenly felt a surge of spontaneity. He bent down, picked him up, and lifted him high into the air.

For many years, even though he had always done his best and stood out among his peers, he had never received a single word of praise from his parents.

But now, even though he didn’t feel like he had done anything particularly remarkable, there was a little person whose eyes were full of admiration, enthusiastically throwing himself at him and calling him the best.

–

The banquet was held at a French-style estate in the outskirts of the capital, and the banquet hall was extravagantly luxurious. The host was the honorary president of the Beicheng Chamber of Commerce, a figure of high status. Prominent figures from various fields gathered together, and the event also invited dozens of A-list and B-list celebrities to add glamour. In addition to cultural performances, there was reportedly a dance session, creating an overall relaxed and joyful atmosphere.

Ming Can wore a silver-white strapless gown tonight, a high-end custom piece from a luxury brand for the current season. The square neckline and cinched waist were adorned with intricate beadwork, and the skirt was layered with satin and chiffon, with her slender, fair calves peeking through the low slit. The moment she made her entrance, she captured countless admiring gazes.

Ming Can followed her father to greet her grandparents, remaining quiet, gentle, and well-behaved throughout, her sharp edges completely hidden. Anyone who saw her would praise her as a true lady of noble upbringing.

Her grandfather, Ming Yuzhang, exchanged a few pleasantries with his youngest son and asked about Ming Can’s studies, praising her intelligence. After that, he left the banquet hall with his hands behind his back and headed to the restroom.

Only her uncle’s family followed him to the restroom, leaving even her grandmother outside.

Ming Can was used to her grandfather’s favoritism. If her uncle hadn’t been so mediocre in ability, the “throne” of the Ming family would have long been passed to him, the eldest son.

After meeting the elders of the family, the next people to meet were naturally the Chi family.

This time, Ming Can not only saw Chi Yao’s family but also met the man behind the glory of Xingchi Group—Chi Xiao’s father, Chi Yanpeng.

He was a stern-looking middle-aged man, exuding an imposing presence that commanded respect without anger. He bore a slight resemblance to Chi Xiao, but his powerful aura overshadowed his handsomeness, leaving only a sense of seriousness and gloom.

By Chi Yanpeng’s side was his current wife, Duan Hanyan, a beautiful woman in her early thirties who, at first glance, seemed gentle in nature.

While Chi Yanpeng was speaking to Ming Zheng, he casually glanced at Ming Can, who was standing behind her father.

The conversation didn’t last long before Chi Yanpeng was called away by a waiter.

Ming Can’s gaze followed him as he approached a middle-aged couple, his face showing a rare sense of relaxation.

The middle-aged couple was also accompanied by a young woman, who greeted him warmly with a smile, calling him “Uncle Chi.”

It was Chu Zhiyu.

“What are you looking at?” Chi Yao took out his phone and waved it in front of Ming Can’s eyes. “Class rep, want to play a game today?”

It was now 7:15 p.m., and Chi Xiao had already taken Miaomiao out to play and returned. After giving Miaomiao a bath, he carefully applied baby lotion all over his body, dressed him in new pajamas, and took a photo of the little one in his pajamas, which he posted in the group chat.

For a long time, there was no reply.

Ming Can didn’t have her phone with her.

She noticed the faint dark circles under Chi Yao’s eyes and his lazy, drowsy expression. It didn’t take much guessing to figure out that this guy had been living the high life during the winter break—sleeping during the day and gaming at night. It must have been a real struggle for him to attend the banquet at this hour.

Ming Can: “Not playing.”

Chi Yao: “Then what do you want to do?”

Ming Can said indifferently, “Whatever everyone else is doing, I’ll do the same.”

The only thing she needed to do tonight was to blend in and get through the banquet peacefully.

To forge iron, one must be strong oneself. Right now, she was just the youngest daughter with no real power. Falling out with anyone would do her no good at this stage.

Ever since she had met Guan Ling Si a few days ago, the two had hit it off. As a senior in the industry, Guan Ling Si had access to promising new technologies and had some entrepreneurial ideas. However, the industry she was in wasn’t something one could dabble in casually. The startup costs were beyond the reach of ordinary families, and even most wealthy families couldn’t afford it. Ming Can was well aware of this. Rather than clashing with her family and showcasing her sharp edges, she now had more important things to focus on.

Finally, after parting ways with the Chi family, Ming Can and her father found themselves momentarily alone. Ming Can picked up a low-alcohol cocktail and clinked glasses with her father: “Dad, I want to buy a house.”

In their family, there was no need to explain why they wanted to buy something. Ming Zheng thought it was perfectly normal for Ming Can, now an adult, to want to buy a house, so he asked, “Which one have you got your eye on?”

Ming Can: “I really like Lanyuan.”

“Lanyuan probably doesn’t have any available units right now,” Ming Zheng said. “I have one under my name. If you like it, I can transfer it to you.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Ming Can said with a genuine smile.

If the transfer happened now, she could sell it shortly after graduation and pocket several million.

Ming Zheng also smiled: “Everything I have will eventually be yours anyway.”

Ming Can’s smile deepened, but inside, she felt nothing.

Her grandmother had been arranging blind dates for her father. Right now, she was his only child, but that might not always be the case.

Of course, Ming Can hoped he would honor the promise he made when her mother passed away—never to remarry without her consent.

But what could Ming Can do if he insisted on remarrying? She neither had the power to oppose her father nor could she abandon the wealth and privilege of the Ming family.

Rather than relying on a man’s promises, it was better to seize as much benefit as she could while he still cherished her.

Ming Can did a quick mental calculation. If she played her cards right, she could squeeze at least 100 million out of him before graduation.

Thinking this, her smile grew even more genuine.

Ming Zheng was called away by a business associate, and since Ming Can had achieved her goal for the day, she stopped following him and wandered alone to the most secluded row of cold buffet tables to grab some food.

Coincidentally, her cousins were also there.

Ming Can had three male cousins and one female cousin. The eldest and fourth brothers were the children of her first uncle, while the second brother and third sister were the children of her second uncle. She was the youngest and the only, only child.

Ming Can had been pretty and smart since childhood, well-liked by everyone. Her relationship with her brothers and sister was good, but today only the second brother and third sister actively spoke to her. The eldest brother was already married and had his wife with him, so it was normal for him not to join them. However, the fourth brother, Ming Yu, was sitting right next to Ming Can, his face dark and refusing to greet her, which was a bit strange.

Ming Yu lowered his head and speared a piece of Parma ham, tossing it into his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ming Can sitting beside him and couldn’t help but think about earlier when he had followed his parents and brother to the restroom to listen to their grandfather’s reprimands. His grandfather had harshly criticized his father for incompetence, and he himself had been scolded—

“…As her older brother, your sister Ming Can is already a sophomore in college, while you’ve just finished your foundation year and are only a freshman. If you were half as smart as Cancan, I’d give you a subsidiary to manage!”

Ming Can casually sipped her cocktail and enjoyed the seafood platter. With her intelligence, it wasn’t hard to guess what kind of setback Ming Yu had suffered from their grandfather.