My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Dinner Party. “History Maker”

“In the beginning, I was just a pawn she placed on a huge business chessboard. She used every means for profit, involving the innocent, and ruined my future, but I didn’t hate her at all. I just blamed my own bad luck…”

“She only visited once while I was serving my sentence in prison—the only time. She scolded me for why I had hit Zhao Tai’an, but never asked if I was hurt or in pain…”

“After I was released, the ‘surprise’ she gave me was having a child with Jo Ann. I still didn’t blame her, and I even loved and cared for Qing Fan as if she were my own flesh and blood…”

“When Jo Ann threatened me with a bomb, I wasn’t afraid at all. All I could think about was that if she and the child were safe, my death would be worth it…”

“So, even when I was burned beyond recognition, I didn’t feel despair. I even comforted myself that this skin was much better looking than before. But no one knew how helpless I felt looking at my strange, distorted face in the mirror…”

“I love Lan Feiyi. I gave her everything I could, even my life. But she was never willing to slow down and wait for me. After all these years, I’ve begun to doubt if she ever loved me at all. Did all this effort and sacrifice on my part become a moral obligation that made her unhappy?”

“I never felt despair through all those struggles, but today is different. Seeing someone better effortlessly step into my role, I realized that she doesn’t actually need me…”

“Not being unique—that is the most desperate feeling.”

I clutched the wine bottle tightly, tears blurring my eyes. I fell down, curled up, and mumbled to myself. Someone tried to pick me up, but I pushed them away, struggling to stand up and staggering away from the MA bar. I walked down the empty street, ignoring my friends’ shouts behind me. I was lonelier than I thought. I had learned how to love someone properly, but I had forgotten how to love myself.

…

After a night of heavy drinking, I woke up back in the villa. Soso must have carried me home. Following the series of complications with Phoebe, my life had become an incredibly desolate existence, keeping an empty house alone. This love affair existed in name only.

One day, I was taking a walk in the garden.

“Hello, are you Miss You?”

A man in a suit stood on the other side of the gate’s iron railings and handed me an invitation sealed with wax. The enormous character for ‘Guan’ on it was conspicuous. He politely explained: “My employer cordially invites you to a dinner party this weekend. My employer asked me to inform you that General Manager Lan will also be attending, and she hopes you will honor her by attending with her. Please be sure to wear formal attire.”

“My relationship with her is merely average. What kind of dinner party is this?”

I tore open the invitation and stared at the date: Saturday… two days away… The man answered with a smile: “My employer occasionally hosts a dinner party or themed salon to entertain friends. Please rest assured, it won’t be overly complicated socially.”

“Alright, I understand.”

Hmph. If this isn’t a Hongmen banquet, I don’t go by You…

I had no intention of attending some stuffy gathering of hypocritical rich people that absolutely required formal attire. However, on Friday evening, the housekeeper from the Lan family ancestral home suddenly arrived. Not having seen the old man for a long time, we sat chatting in the garden chairs. Staring at the exquisite white gift box in the housekeeper’s hands, it wasn’t hard to guess what was inside.

The housekeeper patted the box and chuckled: “Don’t think that Miss San (Third Miss) is always busy. She personally picked out this gown for you. She said you’ve lost weight recently and even had someone specifically alter the size. Hurry up and try it on to see if it fits.”

How bizarre. Was it necessary to make such a fuss over one dinner party? I impatiently opened the box. Quality cuff links embellished the white shirt, and the accompanying belted woolen dress coat did indeed fit well. I casually compared the waist of the trousers and hastily dismissed the housekeeper: “It fits…”

The housekeeper checked the time on his pocket watch: “It’s getting late. I need to get back.”

“I’ll walk you out.”

“Please don’t bother.”

I still walked the housekeeper to the gate. The old man said with some regret: “It’s a pity I didn’t get to see Qing Fan. When you have time, please bring the little princess to stay at the ancestral home.”

“I will.”

Just before getting into the car, the housekeeper turned back and added: “Miss San works so hard that she often forgets to eat and sleep. I worry she’ll wear herself out. I’ll have to trouble you to take care of her daily life.”

“Don’t worry.”

Watching him leave, I turned back to the empty villa. What could I do besides feel helpless? Rush to that apartment building or the office building and make a huge scene until I was satisfied? Forget it. An empty house occupied by one person isn’t a home…

…

The mysterious Guan family dinner party arrived as scheduled. Phoebe drove up and honked the horn outside the villa. I put on the gown but chose not to open her car door, opting instead to drive my own car. Walking to the gate, Phoebe gave her usual cold instruction: “Follow me.”

“Okay.”

As we drove through the traffic, I kept my eyes on her car. Our distance felt like this pursuit we were engaged in for this dinner. I used to walk side-by-side with her, but her pace was too fast, and I eventually fell behind her.

General Manager Guan’s background had been made clear by Jian Yumeng, so I wasn’t surprised by the European-style garden, which was even more exaggerated in scale than the Lan family ancestral home. However, she had definitely tricked me on one point: what did “won’t be overly complicated socially” mean? The red carpet started from the towering iron gate outside the garden and stretched all the way to the hall of the high-rise villa.

Guests entered based solely on that white invitation card. My car was drowned out in the line of astonishing luxury vehicles, looking completely out of place. Inside and out, the venue was packed with guests. These dignitaries of high society, holding their airs, clinked glasses and chatted, acting haughtily like European aristocracy. The sense of superiority brought by wealth looked like a joke to me. Conversations about investment, comparing assets, and discussing the economy were everywhere.

I was extremely puzzled. What was the point of talking about such superficial things? If they had the guts to discuss who paid the most taxes, then I’d be impressed. Phoebe was wearing a floor-length velvet evening gown, with her long hair pinned up and minimal makeup. Overall, she looked simple and elegant, outshining a crowd of heavily made-up, surgically-enhanced ‘monsters.’

As we walked, people occasionally popped up to greet Phoebe, and others offered toasts with champagne. I followed behind her like a personal assistant, lacking both grace and presence. Sometimes I reflected on what the years had stolen from me, but tonight, I was gradually beginning to understand what I had lost.

“Isn’t this General Manager Lan? Oh my, I’ve heard so much about you. I finally get to see you in person today!”

“General Manager Qu, I see you set your sights on General Manager Lan the moment she stepped into the garden. You won’t accept a toast from anyone else, insisting on coming over to drink with General Manager Lan. Why don’t you have a drink with me?”

At this moment, Guan Shuyun held a wine glass, positioning herself slightly in front of Phoebe. Her opening words were a slick, diplomatic speech. Hearing Guan Shuyun’s comment, the short, stout man with a receding hairline naturally forced a smile: “General Manager Guan, you love to joke. Everyone loves beauty, and it’s rare to encounter the real estate magnate. If I don’t hurry up and introduce myself to get familiar, wouldn’t I miss this opportunity?”

“General Manager Qu, you flatter me. My grandfather often mentioned your accomplishments when he was alive. How could a junior like me bear the title of real estate magnate? You are the true magnate. Since we are destined to meet, one drink is far too little.”

“General Manager Guan, see that? This is what you call seeing true character over one glass of wine. General Manager Lan’s boldness is impressive!”