Chapter 31: Who is the Host, Who is the Guest?

On the day of the banquet.

Lu Ning, dressed in a small evening gown, came downstairs but didn’t see Qiao Wu. She wandered around the house for a while and couldn’t help but ask a servant, “Where’s Qiao Wu?”

“Little Qiao Butler has gone to the banquet hall.”

Lu Ning: “Oh.”

After a pause, she added, “Thank you.”

The servant who answered the question was immediately flattered. It was the first time the Young Miss had said thank you to them!

In the past, not only would she not say it, but she rarely showed a pleasant expression. However, since Little Qiao Butler took office, everyone in the house seemed to be in a much better state of mind.

Lu Ning waited downstairs for a while, but no one else came down, so she had to walk out the door by herself.

Actually, she was a bit nervous because this was her first time attending a banquet.

The Lu Family didn’t have much of a concept of “home” and didn’t care about holidays or anniversaries. Even on New Year’s Eve, they were scattered around the world in unknown places. Usually, she wouldn’t be invited to any business banquets.

So she wanted to find someone to go with her, but since Qiao Wu was so busy today, she decided to let it go.

She could go by herself. She had gone to school by herself before.

Eat, drink, and leave when it’s time.

The guests’ cars were parked in the guest parking lot, and they walked to the banquet hall. There were people along the way, but she didn’t know any of them, so she walked alone by the roadside.

“Lu Ning?”

Hearing the voice, Lu Ning turned around and saw the person who had accompanied her in the Repository of Books to do homework last time.

She stopped.

Guo Liyan quickly caught up with her: “Why are you alone? Where’s your family?”

“I don’t know.”

Guo Liyan thought for a moment: “Are you going to the banquet hall? Shall we go together?”

Previously, Lu Ning had heard Qiao Wu reasoning with Lu Yingchi at the dinner table, so she didn’t dislike this person too much and nodded.

Guo Liyan breathed a sigh of relief and handed her something: “Last time, there was an accident, and I couldn’t give it to you. I bought a new one. This is a gift specifically for you.”

Lu Ning’s mouth was quicker: “You came to see the Monkey and brought me a gift?”

Guo Liyan: “Huh?”

“…Never mind.”

She had been brainwashed by Lu Yingchi.

Fortunately, Lu Jinzhi wasn’t here.

But this time, Lu Ning didn’t refuse and accepted the gift from him.

Seeing this, Guo Liyan felt a weight lift off his chest.

Actually, being able to attend the Lu Family’s banquet today was already an accident. He hadn’t really planned to do anything.

He had entered the Guo Family with his mother relatively recently, and Guo Yangzhou would never distribute the company’s authority to a mere illegitimate child like him. His only value was to appease the past Lu Yingchi or to curry favor with those who could bring benefits to the Guo Family.

If he had really seized the opportunity last time, the one attending this gathering with the top-tier people wouldn’t have been him, but Guo Yangzhou.

He knew his own limitations. His knowledge and experience were insufficient to step into the top-tier circle, so the more he spoke, the more mistakes he would make. If there was a suitable opportunity, fine. If not, he would just stay quietly and not cause any trouble in such a setting.

So he simply did what he could. This time, he genuinely wanted to make up for his mistake and give Lu Ning a pure gift.

The two walked into the banquet hall, and Guo Liyan was stunned by the scene before him.

The Lu Family owns hotels and often hosts various banquets, but their private dinners do not allow journalists to enter and are usually held at the Lu Residence.

Compared to the hotels, this place is even more impressive. There are four floors in total, with the first-floor lobby and the second-floor tea room serving as activity areas. The space is vast, with an adjoining garden and swimming pool, so even with many guests, it never feels crowded.

The third and fourth floors are reserved as restrooms prepared in advance for each guest, and every painting on the walls is a masterpiece by renowned artists.

All the decorations are not overly luxurious, yet they exude a subtle and refined elegance in the details.

No wonder so many people are eager to associate themselves with the Lu Family.

Guo Liyan was dressed in a custom-tailored suit, but standing in the crowd, he still felt a sense of inadequacy, as if he were wearing ill-fitting clothes and putting on a facade.

At this moment, the banquet had not officially started, and Lu Jinzhi had yet to make an appearance.

Guo Liyan just wanted to find a place to hide, so he asked Lu Ning, “Where are you going?”

Lu Ning had little interest in these social gatherings, and since no one knew her, she hung the gift bag on her elbow, picked up two cakes, and walked towards the garden swing, taking a bite from each cake as she walked. “Nowhere.”

Guo Liyan had nowhere to go either, so he followed her. Seeing her sit on the swing, he took a seat on a chair behind her and softly asked, “Should I hold that for you while you eat?”

Once the gift was handed over, it wouldn’t make sense to return it. Lu Ning shook her head. “No need.”

As they spoke, a few people emerged from the depths of the garden. One of them stopped upon seeing Guo Liyan and raised an eyebrow. “Guo Liyan?”

Guo Liyan looked up, and upon recognizing the person, his indifferent expression turned into a smile as he stood up to greet him. “Young Master Qin.”

Someone beside him asked, “Who is this?”

Qin Tianrui chuckled. “Entertainment.”

Guo Liyan’s expression shifted slightly.

“Given your family’s situation, you shouldn’t be here,” Qin Tianrui said, looking down at him. “Did you come alone?”

“Yes.”

“I heard that some time ago, you and Wang Ziming and his group came to the Lu Residence. Those guys were blacklisted by Lu Yingchi and sent to the police station. Recently, their families have been disciplining them. But you…” Qin Tianrui sneered, “You’ve managed to come out unscathed. Seems like you did a good job buttering up Lu Yingchi that day. Now you’re even here.”

Guo Liyan maintained a superficial smile and said nothing.

He couldn’t argue, after all, he was just a dog sent out by the Guo Family to fawn over others.

Anyone he needed to please had the right to step on him, and he couldn’t fight back. This was also why he didn’t want to stay in the main hall.

Qin Tianrui’s family background was excellent. His father had a personal relationship with Lu Jiang in the past, and now that his eldest brother had taken over the family business, they had maintained close ties with the Lu Family.

It could be said that during the two years Lu Jinzhi abandoned everything in the country to develop abroad, among their peers, only Qin Tianrui’s eldest brother, Qin Lian, stood at the pinnacle of the pyramid.

Seeing Guo Liyan remain silent, Qin Tianrui, who had been feeling frustrated all day, finally felt a sense of relief.

Those who were invited to the Lu Family’s banquet were no ordinary people. Aside from a few brainless fools like Wang Ziming, no one dared to cause trouble at the Lu Residence.

But Qin Tianrui didn’t like the Lu Family at all—in fact, he even despised them.

He felt that the Qin family’s status was not low, and he had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. How could he be inferior to those two good-for-nothings, Lu Yingchi and Lu Xuan?

And then there was that Lu Jinzhi, who had been abroad for two years, yet everyone acted as if he were some extraordinary figure. Whenever someone mentioned his brother, they would always bring up Lu Jinzhi as well.

Every time he encountered the Lu brothers, he always ended up being overshadowed.

So, whatever the Lu brothers had, he wanted it too; and whatever they didn’t have, he went out of his way to obtain it. This had almost become a thorn in his heart.

Guo Liyan was famously known as the “waiter” in their circle—wherever there were people, he would be there. But whenever Lu Yingchi was present, Guo Liyan would only revolve around him.

Today, Qin Tianrui had been pressured by his eldest brother to come to the Lu Residence. Knowing he couldn’t cause any trouble here, he had been holding in his frustration. It hadn’t been long, but he had already found a spot to smoke several cigarettes.

Now, he couldn’t provoke others, but someone would surely come along to entertain him.

“How did you manage to please Lu Yingchi?” Qin Tianrui asked. “Come and try to please me too. Next time my family hosts a banquet, I’ll send you an invitation.”

The group of young men and women accompanying Qin Tianrui were regular companions, and they all knew about his resentment toward the Lu brothers. From Qin Tianrui’s attitude, they could also gauge the status of the person before them.

They all burst into laughter, egging him on: “Come on, my family often hosts evening parties too.”

Guo Liyan clenched his fist lightly, then relaxed it.

He had no standing to refuse or offend anyone. Every person present could easily crush him, and the Guo family would abandon him without a second thought.

“The banquet hasn’t started yet, and we’re just idling around. Why not have some fun together?” Qin Tianrui suggested.

Guo Liyan lowered his eyes. “Alright.”

He glanced at Lu Ning, but she was still engrossed in eating her cake, seemingly oblivious to the conversation.

That was for the best. She was just a child and probably wouldn’t understand. It wouldn’t be good to involve her.

So, he didn’t say anything to Lu Ning and instead followed Qin Tianrui and the others.

After he left, Lu Ning quickly finished her cake and, carrying her gift bag, trailed behind them.

There were many guests today, and quite a few had brought their children. No one recognized Lu Ning, so no one paid her any attention.

The first floor was a public space with a lot of people, so Qin Tianrui and his group went up to the second floor, where there were fewer people drinking tea. They planned to find a spot where no one was around.

As they walked toward the far end, they suddenly noticed someone sitting behind a screen.

Through the gaps in the screen, they could only see half of the person’s face—a young woman with strikingly fair skin. Just the half of her face that was visible was breathtakingly beautiful.

Her silhouette behind the screen was faintly discernible, sitting with perfect posture, her movements while drinking tea exuding an effortless elegance.

People are visual creatures, so they couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.

Only Guo Liyan’s body suddenly stiffened.

How could he not recognize who that was? She was someone he didn’t dare to even look at.

But now…

Qin Tianrui had already averted his gaze and sat down in a tea room separated from her by a screen.

“Does anyone know her?” he asked.

The others shook their heads. “She looks unfamiliar, like she came alone.”

“They seem to be around the same age,” Qin Tianrui was still lingering on the stunning glance from earlier. “There’s such a figure in our circle?”

“If you’re interested, find an opportunity to get to know them,” the person beside him laughed. “Who wouldn’t give Young Master Qin some face?”

Qin Tianrui raised an eyebrow—that was indeed true.

Guo Liyan, who was listening nearby, stumbled, his knee hitting the table, causing him to turn pale from the pain.

“If you can’t sit, then stand,” Qin Tianrui raised his hand to block him, mocking, “Do you even know where you should stand?”

Each tea room had a servant assigned to brew tea for the guests, but Qin Tianrui dismissed the approaching servant, “We don’t need you here.”

At that moment, Lu Ning, carrying a gift, passed by their tea room. She was about to sit in the vacant seat when she noticed the person in the far corner.

“!!!”

So she’s here, no wonder I couldn’t find her!

She hurried forward and plopped down in front of Qiao Wu, placing her gift on the table.

Qiao Wu, who had been reviewing some documents, looked up in surprise as her view was replaced by a pink gift box. “Why are you here?”

Tonight’s banquet was Lu Jinzhi’s event, so she didn’t need to attend. She had chosen a corner seat to stay out of sight but remain available if any issues arose. The fixed location also made it easier for the servants to find her.

“Open the gift,” Lu Ning pointed at the box.

Qiao Wu asked, “Who sent it?”

“Guo Liyan.”

Qiao Wu had some impression of this person. She nodded, not particularly surprised by this gesture. She thought he handled things decently. He had already achieved his goal—his main target at the banquet was Lu Jinzhi—yet he hadn’t forgotten Lu Ning, even after being rejected by her before.

Whatever his intentions were, it was still considerate of him to do this.

“He’s over there,” Lu Ning added.

Only then did Qiao Wu notice the group of people sitting in the tea room next to them.

But Lu Ning was speaking word by word, clearly indicating something was on her mind.

So Qiao Wu set aside what she was doing and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I think they’re acting strange,” Lu Ning couldn’t quite figure it out. “They know each other, and those people are making Guo Liyan fawn over them the way he does with Lu Yingchi.”

Lu Ning didn’t fully understand the complexities of adult interactions. She was just trying to make sense of it.

The way Guo Liyan fawned over Lu Yingchi was by visiting their home, playing with her, and giving her gifts.

These things were within Lu Ning’s tolerance because Qiao Wu had explained that it was Guo Liyan’s way of trying to gain something.

So when Guo Liyan agreed to leave with these people, she didn’t stop him.

She just felt uncomfortable with the way they spoke, so she followed them.

“But they’re not like Lu Yingchi,” she said.

At least Lu Yingchi wouldn’t talk to people in that tone.

After hearing this, Qiao Wu immediately understood what was happening. Those people were clearly there to cause trouble for Guo Liyan—of course, they were different.

But in reality, she had many things to deal with daily. She wasn’t some Bodhisattva saving all beings. She didn’t know Guo Liyan personally, and as long as it didn’t cross her bottom line, she wouldn’t go out of her way to interfere in others’ fates.

Just like with Liao Liao back then—if she hadn’t mustered the courage to approach Qiao Wu, Qiao Wu wouldn’t have gone out of her way to warn her.

If it weren’t for Zhong Hejing’s inquiry, Qiao Wu wouldn’t have bothered with Zhong Min’s messy affairs.

It’s better to change one’s own fate.

Last time, she had already spoken up to help him because of Guo Liyan’s protection of Lu Ning, and that should have settled the score.

“Do you want to intervene?” Qiao Wu asked.

“So I wasn’t wrong, was I?” Lu Ning looked at the gifts on the table.

“My gifts,” she said. “Since he gave me what I wanted, can I also give him a sweet reward?”

It seems that not only did Lu Yingchi take in the words from that dinner table, but Lu Ning did as well.

Qiao Wu smiled and stood up: “Then let’s go and unwrap the gifts.”

Lu Ning was puzzled.

But she still carried the items and followed Qiao Wu. This time, they sat just a screen away from Guo Liyan and the others.

Qiao Wu said, “If you like it, go ahead and open it to play.”

Lu Ning lowered her head and opened her gift box. Inside, besides a doll, there were several cute plush toys, which she indeed liked very much.

The servant in charge of the tea room came forward and saw that the Young Miss and Little Qiao Butler had switched places, so she asked, “Shall I make tea for you?”

Lu Ning looked up at Qiao Wu, who just nodded slightly at her.

Although she didn’t quite understand the motive, she knew that Qiao Wu was signaling her to maintain a normal demeanor.

“I want juice,” Lu Ning said. “And bring some pretty little cakes too, thank you.”

“Alright.”

The servant went downstairs.

Qin Tianrui heard the child’s voice from behind and glanced back. Through the gap in the screen, he saw only a little girl playing with a doll and didn’t pay much attention.

But when his gaze shifted, he saw the woman from earlier.

The woman was sitting facing them, this time closer, so close that he could even see the expression on her face clearly.

She wore a faint smile, and as if sensing his gaze, she lightly lifted her eyes to look at him.

Qin Tianrui was momentarily stunned by those beautiful eyes.

Why did she move here?

He instinctively wanted to speak, but realized there was a screen between them, and she had already averted her gaze and was no longer looking at him.

At this moment, Qin Tianrui felt an inexplicable lightness in his heart and impatiently urged Guo Liyan, “What, can’t even make tea?”

Just a moment ago, Guo Liyan had recognized the voices of Lu Ning and Qiao Wu. He couldn’t help but want to look over a few more times, but ultimately held back.

Forget it, they had already seen his previous embarrassment.

Guo Liyan: “Sorry.”

He knew his place, so he stood in the position where the servant had been earlier. He had performed every step of making tea a thousand times and had long memorized it.

But of course, the person who deliberately asked him to make tea didn’t just want to drink tea; they wanted to see him make a fool of himself.

Qin Tianrui saw him pick up the boiling water and deliberately kicked the table, pleased to see the water spill out, and said displeasedly, “Is this how you please others? Can’t even make tea properly.”

Guo Liyan apologized, ignoring the redness on the back of his hand, and continued his actions.

But when he finished making the tea, these people didn’t want to drink it anymore.

Qin Tianrui said, “I suddenly feel like drinking wine. Go downstairs and bring some up.”

The others also requested: “Bring some fruit too, and some ice.”

“I also want pretty cakes.”

“What are you dawdling for?”

Over there, they were talking in a few words, and Qiao Wu couldn’t hear very clearly, as no one would make a big fuss here.

Upon noticing the other party’s reaction to being scalded by the water and confirming that something unpleasant had indeed occurred, she tapped Lu Ning’s arm and said, “Go invite your guest over here for some tea.”

Lu Ning immediately understood and called out loudly to the person behind her, “Guo Liyan, would you like to have some cake with me?”

Guo Liyan, who had just stood up, suddenly paused and looked over at the tea room in surprise.

However, the person sitting there continued to sip her tea as if Lu Ning’s words had nothing to do with her.

Meanwhile, Qin Tianrui and the others, who had been paying attention to the commotion next door, abruptly stopped talking and turned their heads to look.

Lu Ning peeked out from behind the screen, “I’ve asked the servants to bring over a lot of cake. I can’t finish it all by myself, so why don’t you join me?”

“I…”

Before Guo Liyan could respond, Qin Tianrui interrupted, “He’s my guest right now.”

Although Qin Tianrui didn’t know who the other party was, the sudden change in seating and the appearance of a child at this moment made it all too obvious that they were trying to help Guo Liyan out of the situation.

Qin Tianrui felt uneasy because it also meant that his earlier actions had been clearly observed by the other side.

“There should be a sense of order,” Qin Tianrui said, “If you want to invite him for tea, why not join us instead?”

Lu Ning didn’t know how to respond to this and could only look back at Qiao Wu for guidance.

At this moment, Qiao Wu finally looked up and stood, extending her hand towards Lu Ning.

Lu Ning took her hand and stood up.

Qiao Wu smiled lightly, “Didn’t I tell you to be polite when inviting guests? How can you speak to someone while sitting down?”

Qin Tianrui, who had been sitting while Guo Liyan stood, turned pale with anger.

He stared at the slender figure next door until she walked around the screen and emerged.

Everyone present was momentarily stunned.

Compared to the hazy glimpse through the screen, facing her directly was even more visually striking.

The woman was exceptionally tall, dressed in a beige handmade three-piece suit. The blazer was not entirely conventional, with a slightly looser cut, and she wasn’t wearing a shirt underneath, only a vest.

Her earrings and necklace were part of the same diamond jewelry set, with the necklace hanging over the V-neck of her vest, accentuating her slender neck and collarbone, adding an air of restraint and mystery.

Her smiling eyes were slightly lowered, her light irises exuding a captivating charm.

The voice inquiring of the girl beside him was closer than before, clearer and more audible, gentle yet tinged with a hint of nonchalance.

“What were you going to say just now?”

Lu Ning immediately replied, “I invited Guo Liyan to have some cake.”

Qin Tianrui asked, “Who are you?”

Though he was asking Lu Ning, the end of his gaze was fixed on Qiao Wu.

Qiao Wu met his gaze and said unhurriedly, “She is the only granddaughter of Old Mr. Lu, the only niece of the Lu Family’s several young masters.”

Qin Tianrui stared in shock at the little girl.

It was true that the Lu Family had a granddaughter, but she had always been rather inconspicuous. After all, the Lu brothers often made appearances, but this granddaughter had never been seen by anyone.

Qin Tianrui cursed inwardly.

He really did clash with the Lu Family!

This only made him even more unwilling to let her go, so he stood up.

For some reason, he felt that the little girl’s words lacked any real force, and she seemed to be speaking under the woman’s guidance. So he asked again, “And who are you?”

As far as he knew, the Lu Family had no daughters.

Qiao Wu replied, “The Housekeeper of the Lu Family.”

Housekeeper?!

Everyone froze in place.

Qin Tianrui was so angered by the absurdity of it all that he laughed.

What was even more absurd was that such a young housekeeper had managed to intimidate him with her presence.

But after all, this was the Lu Family. No matter how displeased he was, he had to consider his own family’s reputation. So he said, “In that case, let’s all have tea together.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Qiao Wu said, her fingertips pressing against Guo Liyan’s elbow, lifting his scalded hand slightly as she spoke calmly, “Mr. Qin’s way of treating guests is rather unique.”

Qin Tianrui couldn’t possibly miss the sarcasm in her words.

“You seem quite daring,” he said, his expression darkening. “Is this how the Lu Family’s housekeeper behaves, with such lack of manners, even going so far as to snatch someone else’s guest?”

Qiao Wu chuckled.

“Mr. Qin, every guest here today was personally invited by me,” she said gently. “So now, are you planning to sit at the Lu Family’s tea table, after injuring one of our guests, and clarify with the Lu Family who is the host and who is the guest?”