Chapter 45 – Eve of the Banquet
Thorn Ball had been a little tyrant since birth. This time, it had suffered greatly at the hands of Lin Ganzhi and Yan Shengping. It couldn’t beat one of them, and it didn’t dare to fight the other at all. It had to play dead and act cute the whole way just to survive. This was the greatest humiliation of its cat life.
The Qin Family held a significant position in the city, so their family estate was naturally impressive. However, when Lin Ganzhi saw the full view, he couldn’t help but be surprised. It was a grand, European-style mansion. Looking past the large black iron gates, there was a huge fountain surrounded by meticulously trimmed flowers and plants. Near the main house was a sizable glass greenhouse where red roses climbed up white trellises, creating an overall elegant and classic atmosphere.
Uncle Yan drove the car in slowly, reducing his speed considerably.
Yan Shengping noticed Lin Ganzhi’s gaze and parted his lips to ask, “Do you like it?”
What era was this to be asking such a childish question? At this moment, Lin Ganzhi couldn’t hide his true feelings. “I don’t think any normal person would dislike this place.” The implication was clear: he liked it very much.
Yan Shengping silently committed this to memory. Watching Lin Ganzhi’s glowing expression, he secretly began to plan something.
For the Qin family’s daughter’s birthday, many socialites came uninvited. No businessman would want to miss such an important social occasion. Guests were dropped off at the entrance, and their drivers took the cars to the garage. The sky had not yet completely darkened, and many guests lingered outside to admire the flowers. Madam Qin was famous for her love of gardening, and for the wealthy, collecting flowers was a matter of passion, not cost.
The guests gathered in small groups while waiters weaved through the crowd, carrying trays of champagne and red wine. The air was thick with the atmosphere of high society.
Although Lin Ganzhi had been an actor in his past life, this was the first time he had seen such a scene in reality, outside of a movie set. However, he had a faint feeling that nothing good would come of his visit today.
“Let’s leave Thorn Ball in the car for now. This kind of situation might stress it out,” Lin Ganzhi said, reaching out to stroke Thorn Ball’s head. Thorn Ball shook its head impatiently but at least didn’t try to bite. It lay on the temporary mattress, feigning sleep.
Yan Shengping understood Lin Ganzhi’s reasoning and nodded. “Uncle Yan, I’ll have to trouble you to stay with the cat for a while. And please buy it some canned food and cat food.”
“Of course, sir,” Uncle Yan agreed with a smile.
To avoid provoking the cat lord, the two of them got out of the car from opposite sides. The first person the guests saw was Yan Shengping, and they were all stunned.
How was Yan Shengping qualified to attend the Qin family’s birthday banquet?
Also, had he fallen so far that he had to open his own car door?
Just then, a pink-haired boy walked around from the other side of the car to Yan Shengping’s side. One was composed and cold, the other young and cute. They looked like they were from completely different worlds, yet Yan Shengping calmly accepted him by his side.
Many people guessed Lin Ganzhi’s identity and knew about the recent news. But to the upper-class circle, these were just some squabbles in the entertainment industry. They still looked down on Lin Ganzhi. As for Yan Shengping, in their eyes, he was just a washed-up figure, completely incomparable to his former self.
Lin Ganzhi also felt the needle-like stares on him and Yan Shengping. It seemed the title of “Universally Disliked CP” wasn’t for nothing. He estimated that if it weren’t for basic etiquette, more than half of the people here would be rolling their eyes at them.
Young Master Liu, who was on good terms with Sang Xiangwen, was chatting with a few of his cronies. When he saw the once-lofty Yan Shengping looking sickly, his interest was instantly piqued. While everyone else was avoiding him, he thrust his champagne into his friend’s hand and swaggered over.
Yan Shengping and Lin Ganzhi didn’t notice him at all, walking in sync up the stairs toward the inside. But Young Master Liu saw his chance and prepared to slam hard into Lin Ganzhi.
Lin Ganzhi’s eyelids twitched. This kind of petty trick hadn’t worked on him since middle school. In that instant, he gently pushed Yan Shengping aside, then calmly watched Young Master Liu approach. At the last moment, he deftly sidestepped, relaxing his left shoulder. Young Master Liu, unable to retract the force concentrated on his left shoulder, stumbled back several steps before regaining his balance.
Some of the dandies couldn’t help but laugh.
Young Master Liu lost all face and pointed at Lin Ganzhi in a rage. “Hey, why did you push me?”
Shamelessness, it seemed, was proven by constantly pushing boundaries. Anyone who wasn’t blind could see that Young Master Liu was looking for trouble, but everyone just watched with amusement, with no intention of stepping in to help.
Yan Shengping turned around, and just as he was about to say something, Lin Ganzhi stepped forward. “Didn’t your mother teach you that staging an accident will bring you bad luck?” He spoke at a steady pace, saying things that no one else present would dare to say so directly.
Young Master Liu was defiant. “It was clearly you who pushed me!”
“Even crossing the road has rules like ‘stop at red, go at green.’ My husband and I were walking in a straight line after getting out of the car. You came at me from so far away at an angle. When your own skills aren’t enough, you blame me for pushing you? You’re truly shameless, a Master of Staged Accidents!” Lin Ganzhi stood with his hands on his hips, full of fire, a stark contrast to his sweet and agile appearance.
Young Master Liu’s face was flushed with shame, his fists clenched tightly, and his eyes were red.
Yan Shengping pulled Lin Ganzhi behind him, his gaze falling lightly on Young Master Liu, an oppressive aura emanating from him.
Even though Yan Shengping had fallen, his past deeds were enough to leave a lifelong shadow on the city’s rich second generation. He was the quintessential “other people’s child,” constantly being compared to them by their parents. In his presence, they could never hold their heads high. That’s why Young Master Liu only dared to target Lin Ganzhi, not Yan Shengping.
“Who pushed whom?” Yan Shengping asked just one question, his tone cold yet full of authority.
Young Master Liu cursed under his breath and left the scene in a huff.
The onlookers were stunned. They hadn’t expected that even in his downfall, Yan Shengping still carried the same pressure. The arrogance of some of the more presumptuous people immediately deflated.
Two girls stood not far away. One, a playful-looking girl, nudged the girl in a long white dress beside her with her shoulder. “Hey, Min Yunlu, weren’t you and Yan Shengping really close before? I heard he was almost your boyfriend.”
Min Yunlu glared at this casual friend, displeased. “Don’t talk nonsense. I’m Jingyi’s friend. There was never anything between us. It was all his unrequited love.”
Min Yunlu’s family was in the electronics manufacturing business and had many dealings with the Zhong family. Following her parents’ wishes, she had worked hard to become Zhong Jingyi’s friend. Zhong Jingyi was outwardly reasonable but secretly arrogant and incompetent, a master of self-promotion who hated his brother Yan Shengping most of all. She had had a crush on Yan Shengping before.
After all, there weren’t many men who were so perfect and only in their twenties. Even if he wasn’t a child of the Zhong family, the empire he had built was a hundred times stronger than the Zhong family’s. But she never expected him to end up like this. Even if her parents didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t get close to Yan Shengping again.
So what if he was handsome and capable? Money was what decided everything. Following the current Yan Shengping would only bring her tears.
But if anyone asked, she would just push all the blame onto Yan Shengping. It was Yan Shengping who had a crush on her; it had nothing to do with her. This way, she could save face.
“But you have to admit, Yan Shengping is really handsome. Even in his current state, if he were willing, I bet a lot of people would want to keep him,” her friend said with a look of longing.
Min Yunlu looked over. Indeed, even though Yan Shengping wasn’t dressed lavishly and had a sickly air about him, his exquisite features and tall, handsome figure made him a beautiful sight wherever he went.
“It’s a pity he just randomly married some obscure celebrity.” Min Yunlu’s eyes fell on Lin Ganzhi, finding him more and more displeasing.
“Really? I think his partner is quite good-looking too, in a cute way.” Her friend was a master of saying the wrong thing. Not a single word made Min Yunlu happy. Min Yunlu couldn’t show it on her face, so she could only roll her eyes frantically in her mind.
Walking with Yan Shengping, Lin Ganzhi paid no mind to the gossip. He classified all of it as coming from people he didn’t care about. If he cared about such things, life would be so tiring. It was more important to find Qin Taotao and eat something delicious!
Caviar, here I come!
Just then, an auntie who looked to be in her forties or fifties rushed out from inside with several waiters, her face panicked as she headed towards the garden.
Guests whispered among themselves. As the discussion grew louder, the version that reached Lin Ganzhi’s ears was that Miss Qin’s cat was missing.
To the upper class, this wasn’t just a missing cat; it was the perfect opportunity to get close to the Qin family. Some ladies, disregarding their long dresses, lifted their skirts and followed their male companions towards the garden. Although the group maintained a veneer of composure, a craze of cat-searching had already begun.
Min Yunlu’s phone vibrated. It was Zhong Jingyi.
Zhong Jingyi: [Are you here yet?]
Min Yunlu frowned, displeased, but she could only endure it: [Yes, I’m here, Jingyi. By the way, it seems Miss Qin’s cat is missing. I don’t know what breed it is, but a lot of people are helping to look for it. Why don’t you also check if it’s nearby?]
Zhong Jingyi read the message, slightly annoyed. It was just a cat, what was all the fuss about?
But the next second, he said, “Mom, it seems Taotao’s cat is missing. Didn’t you say last time that Taotao adopted a stray cat from our area? What does it look like? Do you remember?”
Madam Zhong looked at her freshly done manicure. Hearing this, she immediately straightened up. “Just a calico cat, probably two or three months old. It’s very fierce. I get angry just thinking about that cat. I was so close to convincing Madam Qin to have dinner at our house, but that cat ruined everything. And it even gave your Ungrateful Person of a brother a reason to attend this banquet. By the way, baby, you must not lose to him in terms of presence later!” Madam Zhong was still full of resentment towards Yan Shengping.
Zhong Jingyi nodded obediently. “Don’t worry, Mom. Don’t you know whose son I am~”
Madam Zhong smiled indulgently.
Just then, Zhong Jingyi inadvertently glanced out the window and saw Uncle Yan carrying something that looked like cans towards the garage.
“Mom, let’s go to the garage!” Zhong Jingyi had a strong premonition.