The girl stood in the crowd, with delicate eyebrows and indifferent expression.
That fair and slightly juvenile face overlapped with the gentle and virtuous appearance of the woman in his memory, with her every frown and smile.
Su Zhan was in a daze when his daughter forcibly pulled him away, "Forget about cutting the cake, Second Uncle and the others have left already."
If they don't leave now, they would be embarrassing themselves soon as well. Thinking about Lord Huo's fierce scolding, Su Qingyu pulled her father out with even more effort.
The Xu brothers came to Qiao Ying's side and voiced their concern.
Huo Chengdong stepped forward to block Qiao Ying behind him, with an irritating tone, "She's fine, no need to be concerned, mind your own business."
Seeing the hostility from Huo Chengdong towards him, Xu Zhiyi mistakenly assumed that Huo Chengdong liked Qiao Ying and saw him as a love rival. Little did he know it was because of Qiao Yi.
Huo Chengdong had wanted to meet the little brother Qiao Ying mentioned, but Xu Zhiyi managed to get to her first. Since then, he had started to dislike Xu Zhiyi.
Xu Zhilǐ: "We were just talking to Miss Qiao, what's that got to do with you?"
Huo Chengdong: "It's got everything to do with me."
Zhang Chengyong: “Miss Qiao, are you alright? I’m truly sorry for my inadequate hospitality as the host.”
Qiao Ying: “I’m fine.”
She inwardly ridiculed, does she look that easy to bully?
Zhang Chengyong’s attitude towards Qiao Ying made Lord Huo curious, "Old fellow, this young lady is...?"
Zhang Chengyong smiled at Lord Huo and said, "Old brother, you came personally to celebrate my birthday?”
Lord Huo: “Of course, us few old folks don't have many years left, how could I not come?”
Zhang Chengyong guffawed, "Let me introduce you, this is Miss Qiao Ying. Youngster here saved me last time when my old illnes acted up and I almost died in the streets."
Huo Chengdong sidled over, "Sis Ying, I didn't know you’ve done such good deeds as well!"
Seeing his roguish grandson, Lord Huo was displeased, "What do you call her, you little rascal?"
"Grandpa, she's the top student in our school, even better at math than Xu Zhiyi." Great at racing, fighting, and even knows Cheng Jinyan, but of course Huo Chengdong didn't dare say any of those. "I'm taking her as my academic role model, there's nothing wrong with calling her Sis right?"
Lord Huo harrumphed, "As long as you don’t corrupt this young lady, that’s good enough. Who knows what crooked ideas you have about her.”
Zhang Chengyong added, “She’s not someone so easily corrupted, Miss Qiao is very capable." Just then, he noticed his old symptoms acting up again, "Oh, here it comes again."
Right at that moment, Older Ming arrived.
Although the Ming family was not a prominent one, Older Ming’s prestige in the entire nation, especially in the capital, was no less than Zhang Chengyong’s.
Everyone has some health issues, and those of advanced age especially have difficult and miscellaneous illnesses. The richer one was, the more afraid of death, the more they cherished life.
Older Ming never looked at one's status when treating illnesses, helping those in urgent need or poverty without fear of the rich and powerful. Everyone held Older Ming in higher respect.
The guests swarmed forward to greet him, but Older Ming casually brushed them off with a few words. Without managing a couple sentences, he rushed towards Qiao Ying, "Miss Qiao."
"Oh you did come! Chengyong told me he invited you but I didn't believe it. Didn't expect you to really come." Older Ming's gaze was ardent. "It seems I have to plan my birthday celebration properly next year as well. Just not sure if Miss Qiao would honor us with your presence then."
As the guests watched several prominent characters fawn over Qiao Ying even more eagerly than if she was their own daughter, they began to guess at Qiao Ying's background.
"Just what is this young lady's background? Are there any prominent Qiao families in the capital or imperial capital?"
"I was just saying this girl is lucky to have Lord Huo backing her, but now it seems..."
Seeing Older Ming's enthusiastic attitude towards Qiao Ying, Huo Chengdong gave her a thumbs up, "Sis Ying, awesome!"
After Cheng Jinyan, they were already more receptive to Qiao Ying knowing Older Ming, and Older Ming treating her this way.
But soon, Huo Chengdong would no longer be able to keep up...
The Zhang and Xu families came up one after another to thank Qiao Ying for saving Zhang Chengyong. A blood vessel throbbed on Qiao Ying's temple from seeing all those flapping mouths.
Fortunately Zhang Chengyong and his two grandsons knew Qiao Ying disliked such occasions, and helped put a stop to it.
Huo Chengdong suggested, "Sis Ying, let's go over there and sit down."
Qiao Ying nodded slightly, following the Huo siblings and taking a few steps. She felt an item in her pocket and took it out to pass to Zhang Chengyong, "A gift for your birthday."
It was an exquisitely carved piece of white jade, threaded through with a lucky red string. It was casually taken straight from her pocket without any box or wrapping, looking shabby compared to the other guests' lavish gifts.
It did originally have a box, and quite a big one at that, but Qiao Ying found it troublesome so she threw the box away.
Yet Zhang Chengyong received it delightedly, seeing at first glance this was no ordinary piece of jade at all.
Realizing the item's value, he quickly tried to return it, "This is too valuable, I don't dare accept it. For you to even show up is a gift to this old man."
Qiao Ying remarked, "Wearing this helps with sleep."
"Oh?" Zhang Chengyong pulled his hand back upon hearing that. Due to the persistent headaches, he did have poor sleep.
"It has this wondrous effect as well? Let me take a look." Older Ming reached out to grab it.
Zhang Chengyong tucked it into his pocket.
Qiao Ying followed the Huo siblings to find a less crowded spot to sit.
Huo Jingyue seized the opportunity to ask Qiao Ying, "Miss Qiao, what does Lawyer Cheng like or have as hobbies?"
Qiao Ying: "He likes challenge, in anything."
People, events, objects, lawsuits.
Huo Jingyue immediately suggested, "Rock climbing? Paragliding?"
Qiao Ying seriously questioned, "Where's the challenge in those?"
Hearing that, Huo Jingyue deflated, "So those aren't challenging enough?"
Huo Chengdong scoffed, “Sis, you’re too fantasized. If even gangsters don’t play those for entertainment, then what’s left for us ordinary folks?”
Huo Jingyue glared at him, “Shut up.”
Seeing Huo Jingyue’s lovelorn expression, Qiao Ying asked, “Did the chat with him not go well?”
Huo Jingyue sighed, “On the contrary, too well.”
Qiao Ying was baffled, “???”
On the verge of tears, Huo Jingyue explained, “Just like when I saw him in class, he was a gentleman and amiable, occasionally even funny. But there’s an intangible distance. I feel Lawyer Cheng only indulged me with his full attention out of consideration for you, Miss Qiao. Otherwise he wouldn’t have given me the time of day. I’m not as professionally capable as him, we’re not on the same level. And I can’t keep consulting him, because I think he wouldn’t like girls much weaker than him.”
Qiao Ying was at a loss over how to help.
Huo Chengdong suggested, “Sis, why don’t you just join his gang? Wouldn’t that give you common topics?”
Huo Jingyue stomped viciously on Huo Chengdong’s foot. “Go die.”
Huo Chengdong yelped in pain, “Wouldn’t that work?”
Qiao Ying countered, “Wouldn’t joining his firm be better?”
Huo Chengdong had an epiphany, “That makes more sense, safer too.”
After venting some frustration, Huo Jingyue saw some friends arrive and went off to chat with them.
Huo Chengdong took out two photos from his phone to admire for a bit before showing Qiao Ying, "Sis Ying, did you see that Koenigsegg One:1 parked at the entrance?"
"Look at the bodywork design, the doors, the hood, and here... It's the car of my dreams, and it's parked right at the entrance! I saw it as soon as I got out of my car."
Qiao Ying looked at the photos, Huo Chengdong's selfies with the car. He even posed ridiculously.
"I just got close to it, even the petrol smells heavenly! So hot! Just wondering whose car it is." As he spoke, Huo Chengdong glanced around the hall at the guests.
Just as he was speculating, Qiao Ying tossed something in front of him.
Huo Chengdong lowered his head for a look, "F*ck—!“
He immediately whipped his head back at Qiao Ying, then to the keys on the table, then back at Qiao Ying again.
"Sis Ying, you’re not kidding me right? It’s a lighter right?”
Seeing Qiao Ying's silence, Huo Chengdong gasped. He hastily tossed his phone aside and stood up straight, wiping his sweaty palms on his clothes.
Gingerly picking up the car keys, he lightly pressed on the remote.
"Holy sh*t, real deal!" Huo Chengdong yelled out in excitement, feeling his heart race as he glanced towards the entrance, wanting badly to rush out right now with the keys and test them on the car.
Huo Chengdong suppressed his elation with effort, "Sis Ying, where did you get this? Borrowed or...?”
Qiao Ying: “Bought it.”
Huo Chengdong stared with wide eyes: “Bought? When did you buy it? This was released in 2014, you were still playing with mud back then, right? How did you get it? There are only six of these cars in the world, money alone can’t buy it.”
Qiao Ying: “Like it?”
When Huo Chengdong heard Qiao Ying ask this, he clenched the car key in his hand, looking at Qiao Ying full of expectation, and nodded.
Qiao Ying: “Since you like it, take another good look.”
This sudden turn nearly made Huo Chengdong choke.
“Oh come on Sister Ying, take me out for a spin, just one lap. In the future if you need little brother to help you with anything, even through fire or boiling water, little brother will be there for you.”
“Sister Ying, let's go, just one lap... one lap...”
Huo Chengdong grabbed Qiao Ying's arm, shamelessly begging and making a scene for Qiao Ying to take the car out for a drive.
As he was begging, he suddenly caught sight of a tall and straight figure walking through the door, and Huo Chengdong blurted out a swear word in fright.
“Damn! How did he get here.” His expression changed in a second.
“Sister Ying, look at that person, the tallest one, Qin Hanyue. The current head of the Qin family. The one Su Qingyu was bragging about getting engaged to his cousin last time. You know his name right, that’s him.”
Qiao Ying looked over, her gaze colliding straight with Qin Hanyue's.
“Sister Ying he's looking over here - don't look at him, or you won't be able to sleep tonight.” As soon as Huo Chengdong saw Qin Hanyue he became fidgety all over.
Qiao Ying: “That serious?”
Huo Chengdong: “You just arrived in the capital so you don’t know. Here in the capital he might as well be the Son of Heaven. On the surface he seems law-abiding, but in reality he’s as shady as Cheng Jinyan. His methods are ruthless. Anyway he’s not a good person. Those women are blinded by his looks and status.”
“Oh Sister Ying, it looks like he's walking over here.”
“He really is coming over. Sister Ying let's go, let's go somewhere else and leave this place to him.”
Huo Chengdong stood up straight, wanting to pull Qiao Ying away.
Qiao Ying: “What's there to be scared of.”
Having recalled that Qiao Ying was bold, Huo Chengdong suddenly had an idea: “Sister Ying, how about we make a bet?”
Qiao Ying looked at him.
Huo Chengdong: “If you can get him to voluntarily talk to you three sentences, I’ll grant you one request.”
Qiao Ying: “Boring.”
