After Trying To Pursue The Cold, Elegant Beauty. I Ended Up Being Flirted With Instead - Chapter 4

“You really take the cake!”

Wen Zhu took a taxi to the Zhuang family’s manor where the banquet was being held.

Stepping out of the car, she looked into the distance. The fiery sunset shone upon the manor nestled halfway up the mountain, its crystal lamps brilliantly dazzling, and its dome soaring into the clouds an unashamed display of extravagance.

As she reached the entrance, a waiter spotted Wen Zhu immediately.

She was wearing a strikingly simple red long dress, her naturally wavy hair seemed to have its own soft glow, revealing her beautiful and delicate collarbone. A necklace of glistening pearls adorned her neck, making her skin appear even fairer and smoother.

It was not a complicated outfit, but on her, it was exceptionally prominent and beautiful.

Like a beauty who had stepped out of a painting.

The waiter quickly hurried over, bowed, and said, “Miss Wen, you arrived a step too late. President Pei’s car just drove off. I will take you to another car.”

Hearing that she didn’t have to share a car with Pei Xiubai, Wen Zhu let out a soft sigh of relief and smiled, “Thank you for the trouble.”

When they arrived at the manor entrance, Pei Xiubai was standing by the fountain, for some reason, not yet having gone inside.

Wen Zhu saw Pei Xiubai almost the moment she stepped out of the car.

Heaven was very partial to Pei Xiubai even with a crowd surrounding her, it was as if a spotlight was shining on Pei Xiubai, completely unable to obscure her radiance.

Contrary to her expectation, Pei Xiubai hadn’t brought Jiang Xinxin to the event today, but instead, she brought a director from the Public Relations Department.

Wen Zhu was about to look away when Pei Xiubai, not far away, suddenly raised her hand and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Under the bloody residual glow of the sunset, the tiny diamonds on her cufflink glittered brightly.

After clearly seeing what was on Pei Xiubai’s wrist, Wen Zhu’s eyelashes suddenly fluttered violently.

That was…

That was the cufflink she had bought for Pei Xiubai with her very first part-time job salary after starting university.

Because she was mindful of Pei Xiubai’s status, she hadn’t dared to buy a cheap one. That small cufflink had cost her three months’ worth of salary.

She remembered Pei Xiubai being very happy when she received it, admiring it repeatedly and saying, “Anything Qingqing buys for me is beautiful! I’ll definitely wear it every day!”

Yet, Pei Xiubai had never worn it once afterward.

Wen Zhu had felt a little sad at the time, but she gradually forgot about it later.

So many years had passed, what did it mean for Pei Xiubai to suddenly wear it now?

Wen Zhu certainly wouldn’t flatter herself by thinking Pei Xiubai was doing it to please her. She just assumed Pei Xiubai had forgotten the cufflink was a gift from her and had picked it up randomly to wear.

She quickly retracted her gaze, bit her lower lip, and forced herself to suppress those inappropriate thoughts, walking towards the registration desk to check in the gift sent by the Pei Corporation.

Seeing that Wen Zhu clearly saw her but deliberately pretended not to, and didn’t even show any intention of explaining that resignation letter, Pei Xiubai’s face instantly chilled, and a thin layer of suppressed anger slowly rose in her eyes.

Wen Zhu, you really take the cake!

Her slender fingertips clenched tighter and tighter. Finally, she let out a cold laugh, took off the cufflink, and walked into the banquet hall, putting her arm around the Public Relations director next to her.

Over the years, sensing Pei Xiubai’s emotions had practically become Wen Zhu’s instinct.

She didn’t even need to look back to feel Pei Xiubai’s anger.

Wen Zhu stared blankly at the red tablecloth in front of her, her rosy outer eye corners trembling slightly from the turmoil of her thoughts.

Ultimately, she stood still and did not follow them in.

It wasn’t until the banquet was about to begin that Wen Zhu finally walked into the hall.

Inside, glasses clinked and conversation buzzed it was as lively as a grand carnival.

The gigantic crystal chandelier cascaded down like a brilliant galaxy, and the dome of the hall was painted with a magnificent mythological fresco. The colorful murals were lifelike under the light, as if the gods were looking down upon this earthly feast.

The Zhuang family’s extravagant touch was evident everywhere in the hall.

The Zhuang family was an aristocratic house from Hong Kong, their family name was the most influential calling card in Hong Kong, and their influence was like ripples, with astonishingly deep financial reserves.

In recent years, the Zhuang family showed a subtle trend of expanding into Yancheng. Wen Zhu had heard some rumors that this was done for the Zhuang family’s youngest daughter.

Rumors are just rumors. As an outsider, Wen Zhu wasn’t very clear about the specifics.

However, the Zhuang family’s move to develop in Yancheng still attracted many prominent figures in Yancheng. Many families and companies wanted to cooperate with a century-old powerful family like the Zhuang family.

This was why the entire upper circle of Yancheng almost turned out for the Zhuang family matriarch’s birthday banquet.

Most people came to gauge the Zhuang family’s intentions.

The dinner was about to start, and members of the Zhuang family began to appear one by one.

When it was time to take their seats, the spot next to Pei Xiubai was already occupied by Director Zhen from the Public Relations Department.

Director Zhen was a very sharp and beautiful woman.

Although she had never admitted it, everyone at Yu Pei knew she liked Pei Xiubai. Consequently, Director Zhen had often given Wen Zhu a hard time in the past.

Meeting Director Zhen’s guarded and hateful gaze, Wen Zhu tactfully found a corner seat and sat down.

The banquet proceeded smoothly, and soon, it was time for the guests to line up for the toast.

The Zhuang family matriarch was old, and after showing her face, she went up to rest early, leaving the younger generation to propose the toasts on her behalf.

No one dared to complain, as in everyone’s eyes, being able to meet and exchange a few words with a member of the Zhuang family even if they were a child was something they’d happily call them “ancestor” for.

The Zhuang family selected four younger members, each responsible for toasting guests in one of the four directions.

The Pei family held a distinguished status in Yancheng, and Pei Xiubai was seated at the first table in the east.

Seeing that Pei Xiubai had already stood up, Wen Zhu quickly put down her chopsticks and walked over.

The person in charge of the east side was a tall, young woman wearing gold rimmed glasses.

Wen Zhu remembered her. This woman was Wu Lanyin, a renowned investment new star in Yancheng in recent years.

But more memorable than this identity was the story of her marrying into the Zhuang family as a live-in son-in-law, marrying the Zhuang family’s eldest daughter, Zhuang Zhishu.

Rumors claimed Wu Lanyin was not well-liked in the Zhuang family, but seeing her today in charge of toasting the most distinguished guests on the east side, Wen Zhu felt that perhaps the truth was not as the rumors suggested.

“President Pei,” Wu Lanyin’s indifferent face softened into a smile upon seeing Pei Xiubai, and she proactively raised her wine glass, “I’ve heard much about you. It’s an honor to meet you today.”

Pei Xiubai also shed her previous gloomy demeanor, curved her lips, and very engagingly raised her glass to clink with Wu Lanyin’s, “Not at all. It’s my honor to be able to attend the Old Madam’s birthday banquet. I didn’t realize Director Wu was so young. Had I known, we should have invited Director Wu to join our usual activities.”

Wu Lanyin deliberately lowered her glass and chuckled, “President Pei can just call me Lanyin. Since you’ve said so, I’ll take you up on it. I just arrived in Yancheng not long ago, so you can’t leave me out of any future activities.”

The two old foxes of the business world exchanged veiled pleasantries and had a seemingly harmonious conversation.

After a while, Pei Xiubai seemed to suddenly remember something and sighed, “I almost forgot. Today is the Old Madam’s birthday. I specially bought a Jade Buddha from the South China Sea as a gift for the Old Madam. I hope she likes it.”

With that, she lightly raised her hand, signaling for Wen Zhu to step forward with the gift.

Wen Zhu carefully took the gift box containing the Jade Buddha from the waiter with both hands.

Just as she was about to reach Wu Lanyin, Wen Zhu suddenly felt something abruptly stick out under her feet, harshly tripping her ankle!

Her vision was blocked by the gift box, and having lost her balance, she instantly stumbled forward!

Caught completely off guard, she felt the world spin, and her heart immediately leaped into her throat!

Yet, her first reaction was not to protect herself, but instinctively to clutch the Jade Buddha tightly in her arms!

She had personally traveled to the South China Sea and spent half a month to purchase this Jade Buddha, so she naturally knew how difficult the process was and that the Jade Buddha’s price was well into the eight figures.

She could fall, but this Jade Buddha absolutely could not be harmed!

If it broke, even selling her life wouldn’t be enough to compensate!

The pull of gravity caused her body to plummet rapidly, the whooshing wind in her ears magnified her heartbeat to the extreme. Seeing the ground mere inches away, Wen Zhu fiercely bit her teeth and simply closed her eyes.

But the expected sharp impact and pain did not come.

Wen Zhu’s heart hammered violently, and her breathing almost stopped.

A scorching warmth pressed against her waist through the thin fabric of her dress. She abruptly opened her eyes and turned back in astonishment.

A pair of deep, ink-like black eyes met hers, clear as autumn water, yet cool as winter snow.

With just one look, it inexplicably reminded Wen Zhu of a pear blossom blooming against the wind before the first snow had fully melted.