Chapter 23: Get-Together

The Ji family had a history spanning a hundred years. Its descendants had achieved great success in various fields, and Mr. Ji himself held a highly respected position. For his 80th birthday, countless people wished to attend the celebration, but only a select few families received invitations.  

The Wen family was among those fortunate enough to receive an invitation. Normally, all three members would attend together, but Wen Qihua was bedridden, and his wife had only recently begun to recover. This left Wen Ya as the only one able to go to the banquet.  

“The dress is ready. Take a look—do you like it?” Early in the morning, Mom Wen woke Wen Ya. Attending a party wasn’t as simple as it seemed. Looking beautiful required time and effort.  

“Keep it simple and elegant,” Wen Ya replied. She had just ended her engagement, and showing up too glamorously might invite gossip behind her back.  

She wanted to keep things simple, but Wen’s mother had other plans. She knew Ji Ming was interested in her daughter and had already checked him out thoroughly. She found him to be a good match. Since Xiao Ya wasn’t getting any younger, it would be nice if they could be together.

“Hurry up and try this on. Let me see how it looks.” Wen’s mother picked up a pink long skirt, held it up to Xiao Ya, then shook her head and put it down. Next, she grabbed a black evening dress, thought it looked good, and urged Xiao Ya to try it on.

When Xiao Ya stepped out in the black dress, Wen’s mother nodded in approval but then asked her to change into a white one. Reluctantly, Xiao Ya put on the white dress, walked around, and then tried on a light blue one. After changing five or six times, both Wen’s mother and the stylist agreed that the black dress she wore first suited her best.

“If you thought the black one was perfect, why did you make me try on so many?” Xiao Ya asked, exhausted.

Wen’s mother glanced at her and called the beautician to start a full-body skincare routine, focusing on her face. By the time they finished, it was already one in the afternoon. Hungry and feeling lightheaded, Xiao Ya asked, “Mom, can we have lunch now?”

“You have a party tonight. How can you eat lunch? Just have some fruit to fill your stomach.” Wen’s mother then asked the stylist to start on Xiao Ya’s makeup.

Xiao Ya couldn’t believe it. She’d only had porridge in the morning and now just fruit for lunch. She wondered how anyone could survive like this. Unable to bear the hunger, she asked the stylist to wait and went to eat a bowl of noodles first.

“You’re impossible,” Wen’s mother said, shaking her head but not stopping her. After all, as a mother, she wanted her child to be well-fed.

For the rest of the afternoon, Xiao Ya sat like a mannequin as the stylist worked on her face and hair. She’d had stylists come to her home before, but this was on another level. She never knew makeup and hair could be so complicated.

“Mom,” Xiao Ya called out after finally finishing her makeup. She stood before Wen’s mother, looking stunningly beautiful.

Wen’s mother was momentarily stunned. She then took out a box and gently stroked it. “When you returned to China, your father wanted to hold a grand banquet to introduce you to everyone. But before the date was set, he passed away. This is the gift he prepared for you. He said he’d give it to you on that day, but it’s not too late to give it to you now.”

Inside the box was a set of diamond jewelry, designed by Xiao Ya’s father himself, making it incredibly precious. She put it on, and it surprisingly matched the dress she was wearing.

Wen’s mother had also prepared a gift for Grandpa Ji—an ancient painting, simple yet elegant. Xiao Ya took the gift and the invitation and headed to the Ji family’s house.

By the time she arrived, the Ji residence was brightly lit. Xiao Ya hadn’t brought a male companion. Honestly, she couldn’t find a suitable one, so she decided to go alone.

As soon as she stepped out of the car, she saw Ji Ming standing at the door, dressed in a black suit, looking serious. He wasn’t inside greeting guests but waiting outside, likely for someone important. Xiao Ya planned to nod at him and go in, not wanting to delay him, but Ji Ming walked straight toward her.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” Ji Ming said, extending his hand. “Let me take you inside.”

Xiao Ya glanced at his hand. “Were you waiting for me?”

“Of course,” Ji Ming replied, raising an eyebrow. “May I have the honor of escorting the beautiful Miss Wen Xiao Ya inside?”

Xiao Ya tilted her head and took his arm. “You’re impossible.”

As they entered the Ji residence together, many eyes turned toward them. Everyone knew Ji Ming, and Xiao Ya was no stranger either, thanks to her handling of the Wen family affairs and her canceled engagement with Gu Chengze.

The rumors about her and Ji Ming had been circulating for a while. What seemed like gossip before now appeared to hold some truth. Many families had brought their daughters, hoping Ji Ming might take an interest in them. But seeing Xiao Ya, they couldn’t help but feel their daughters paled in comparison.

Xiao Ya remained calm under everyone’s gaze. She scanned the room and recognized several faces from her memories. One of them was Wang Chenxi, a high school classmate. She hadn’t expected to see her here. The man beside her? Xiao Ya had no memory of him.

“That’s Zhang Sheng, the youngest son of the Zhang family. He just got engaged to Wang Chenxi two days ago,” Ji Ming explained, following her gaze.

“Zhang Sheng? The lawyer?” Xiao Ya asked.

“Yes, he runs a law firm. It’s doing quite well,” Ji Ming replied.

This was unexpected. In the original story, Zhang Sheng was the third male lead, devoted to the female lead and single until the end. Now he was engaged to Wang Chenxi, the story’s antagonist. It seemed her presence had caused a butterfly effect.

Lost in thought, Xiao Ya followed Ji Ming unconsciously. When she snapped back to reality, they were standing before the Ji family elders.

Grandpa Ji, with his rosy cheeks and youthful appearance, looked at her with satisfaction. “So this is Xiao Ya?” He then glanced at his grandson. “Treat her well.”

Xiao Ya stepped forward to wish Grandpa Ji a happy birthday, but the Ji family’s enthusiasm caught her off guard. They bombarded her with questions.

“Are you all free?” Ji Ming asked, raising an eyebrow with a slight smile.

Everyone shook their heads, indicating they were far from idle—they were extremely busy.

“Don’t mind them. I’ll take you there,” Ji Ming said, leading Wen Ya away.

As Wen Ya had discovered, Ji Ming had never dated anyone—man or woman. His family, worried about his single status, had arranged several blind dates for him, but he turned them all down. Just when everyone thought he might stay single forever, the news about him and Wen Ya broke out, causing quite a stir in the Ji family.

While others couldn’t figure it out, Old Master Ji knew the truth. Ji Ming had exposed Gu Chengze’s misdeeds for Wen Ya. Why would his grandson, who usually avoided meddling in others’ affairs, suddenly step in? Clearly, something was going on.

In their eyes, the man who seemed destined to marry for business had suddenly changed his focus to a living, breathing woman. The family couldn’t be happier.

Mr. Ji’s warm attitude toward Wen Ya didn’t go unnoticed. Gu Chengze, who was already upset over not being able to find Xu Qingqing, noticed it too. Seeing Wen Ya glowing and chatting happily with Ji Ming, he thought of Qingqing, who was likely suffering somewhere. Anger simmered in his heart, though he managed to suppress it.

Another person who couldn’t stand seeing Wen Ya thrive was Wang Chenxi. The Wang and Wen families had been close, and she and Wen Ya had grown up together. But over time, Wang Chenxi grew resentful. Wen Ya, the only daughter of the Wen family, was doted on by everyone. Wang Chenxi began comparing herself to Wen Ya in everything, eventually turning it into a competition.

As they grew older, Wen Ya only became more beautiful. People called her the most beautiful woman in South City. Wang Chenxi scoffed at the idea. How could someone so foolish, with nothing but looks, compete with her? She had even managed to drive Wen Ya abroad with a little scheming. But then, to her dismay, Wen Ya and Gu Chengze got engaged. Wang Chenxi had planned to ruin their engagement party, but her mother found out and sent her abroad. She had been pretending to be well-behaved ever since, and her family finally allowed her to return.

Before she could even make a move, Wen Ya and Gu Chengze had already broken off their engagement, and even that vixen Xu Qingqing had disappeared. It was infuriating.

Perhaps her family feared she’d cause trouble again, so they arranged a marriage for her. Wang Chenxi had always known she’d have an arranged marriage and didn’t object. She even invited Wen Ya to her engagement party, planning a surprise, but Wen Ya didn’t show up.

Wang Chenxi had expected to see Wen Ya looking disheveled and thin. Instead, Wen Ya appeared more radiant and beautiful than ever, capturing everyone’s attention the moment she stepped in. She even walked in with Ji Ming, and Old Man Ji and the Ji family were all smiles around her. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

Wang Chenxi seized an opportunity to approach Ji Ming.

“Boss Ji, I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Who are you?” Ji Ming asked bluntly.

Wang Chenxi kept her composure and smiled faintly. “Are you dating Wen Ya?”

“What’s it to you?” Ji Ming prepared to leave.

Wang Chenxi’s smile stiffened. Was this man even human? She, a lively and charming woman, was standing right in front of him, and he was brushing her off.

“Mr. Ji, Wen Ya and I were high school classmates. I know her character. She was obsessed with Gu Chengze back then. She even warned all the girls who liked him. Once, when Gu Chengze was seen walking with a senior girl, Wen Ya hired someone to scratch the girl’s face. That girl was our school’s beauty, and she was disfigured just like that. It caused a huge scandal, and Wen Ya was sent abroad by her father because of it. Don’t be fooled by her,” Wang Chenxi said earnestly.

“Ms. Wang, I know Wen Ya well. You don’t need to worry about it,” Ji Ming replied, glancing at Zhang Sheng, who was chatting with several women nearby. “If you have time, maybe you should focus on your own fiancé.”

Wang Chenxi followed his gaze and saw Zhang Sheng laughing with a group of women. One of them nearly fell into his arms. The sight infuriated her. She nodded at Ji Ming and stormed over to Zhang Sheng.