On the day of the banquet, the upper echelon of City A was abuzz with activity. Many had already trooped to the venue to honor the patriarch of the Luo family, Luo Bojing.
The venue for the birthday banquet was the mansion where the Luo family lived. Their grand, opulent ballroom was adorned with crystal chandeliers and other exquisite decorations. The many antiques that decorated the ballroom illustrated the wealth and power of the Luo family.
Luo Hai could be found finely dressed and mingling among the guests at ease. He was playing his role as the host very well. From time to time, compliments would arise, praising him for his meticulousness and capability.
The same couldn't be said for Luo Chun. He tried to integrate with the guests, but their responses weren't as enthusiastic. In anger, he left to sulk elsewhere. The guests clicked their tongues in disapproval. The second son of the Luo family was very impatient. With this attitude, there was no hope for him in competing against his elder brother.
Luo Chun's mother, He Lin, stood there with a nearly stiff smile but still pretended like nothing had happened.
Aside from the disparity between the Luo family's sons, there was another topic of discussion that the guests found even more interesting. That is the arrival of Patriarch Huo and his wife. They had all heard of her, but very few knew what she looked like. They were all curious about the woman who had captured Huo Wei.
They whispered among themselves, sharing their speculations. Somewhere in the room was a small circle of ladies discussing. This circle was filled with the daughters of the most influential family in City A.
At the center of the circle were Qin Huifen and Luo Meili. Because of their interest in Huo Wei, the two disliked one another, but in public, they had to restrain themselves. Otherwise, they would become a laughing stock. Although everyone already knew, as long as they weren't blatant about their dislike for each other, everyone would look the other way.
Right now, the group was discussing the highly anticipated couple.
"I still feel a shock when I think about it."
"Me too," another echoed. "I'd always thought he would remain a golden bachelor for life."
"Even if he was going to get married, we all expected that it would be—"
The lady beside the one who just spoke discreetly pulled her hand before she went further. Even if there was some dissatisfaction, there was no need to offend anyone, especially here.
The speaker was dissatisfied, but she shut up. She glanced at Qin Huifen, but Qin Huifen still had a slight smile on her face, like she hadn't heard a thing she said. Her dissatisfaction increased. She had always been jealous of Qin Huifen's position in the Huo Company. Hence, she couldn't help but throw a jab at Qin Huifen, who had been a thorn in her eyes for so long. Who knew the person involved would be unaffected?
Qin Huifen recognized the person who had spoken. She was the daughter of one of the Qin family's competitors. She relied on her family's power to act important. So, she wasn't worth a fuss.
Seeing that things had become awkward, one of them tried to diffuse the atmosphere. She turned to Luo Meili. "Luo Meili, you went with your brother to visit his friends, didn't you? Did you see Huo Wei's wife? What does she look like?"
An unpleasant expression grew on Luo Meili's face when she recalled what had happened at the resort. She snapped, "What's the point of asking me? You'll find out very soon."
With that, she walked away. The atmosphere plummeted even faster, and no one knew what to say.
Qin Huifen, who had remained silent all this while, finally spoke magnanimously, "Don't be offended by her attitude. She probably has something on her mind."
Everyone quickly echoed their lack of anger, and Qin Huifen directed the topic somewhere else.
At this moment, a black Maybach pulled over in front of the mansion. A stunning man alighted the car and walked to the other side to pull the door open.
Yu Yuan grasped Huo Wei's hand and got out of the car. With arms linked, they slowly walked to the entrance of the mansion.
Yu Yuan glanced at the building in front of her. The Luo family lived up to their reputation. The solemn and magnificent design spoke of the many years of history they had.
Before they stepped into the mansion, a staff arrived to welcome them. The man bowed lowly, but Yu Yuan could tell he wasn't an ordinary staff.
"We have been anticipating your arrival. This way, please." The staff led them to the ballroom.
As soon as they appeared, there was a moment of silence in the hall.
A couple of minutes earlier, the guests saw Luo Hai, who had been entertaining guests, suddenly walk to his father's side. They couldn't tell what was said, but the patriarch suddenly looked more serious.
A few smart people could already guess what had happened. The esteemed guests had arrived. Their eyes discreetly floated to the entrance while pretending to engage in conversations. Not long after, the couple showed up.
A wave of silence washed over the room.
Huo Wei looked as handsome and unapproachable as always. He wore a meticulously tailored black tuxedo that accentuated his imposing figure. His strong jawline and penetrating gaze exuded an aura of confidence that commanded the attention of those nearby. His eyes were indifferent, but it didn't stop ladies from swooning. After all, his temperament couldn't cover up his looks.
Without fail, their eyes turned to the woman beside him. The lady was wearing a gorgeous silvery-white gown made from silk. She wasn't outrageously beautiful, but she had this special aura that made it difficult for them to detract their eyes from her. Her eyes were calm and confident, not showing a hint of timidity in the room filled with influential people staring at her. A slight smile danced on her lips, displaying her grace and elegance.
She stood next to the most powerful man in Country A, but she wasn't overshadowed. If anything, she perfectly complemented him and cut down that cold atmosphere always around Huo Wei to something more welcoming.
Even if most didn't want to admit it, at first sight, the couple suited each other perfectly.
Luo Bojing, who was already before the couple, was the first to speak. With a slight smile on his face, he said, "Huo Wei, welcome. I'm glad you are here today to celebrate this old bones' birthday."
"Patriarch Luo must be joking. You look so healthy I don't think it'll be a problem for you to spend 30 more years with us."
Patriarch Luo laughed out loud. "You flatter me." Then he turned to look at Yu Yuan. "This must be your lovely wife."
A small smile tugged his lips as he introduced her. "Yes. This is my wife, Yu Yuan."
Patriarch Huo gave a warm smile, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Yu Yuan. You are welcome to our humble home."
What part of this mansion was humble? Yu Yuan gave a slight smile and replied in a harmonious voice, "The pleasure is mine, and your home is magnificent. Happy birthday to you, Patriarch Luo."
The smile on his face grew wider like a pleased elder. "Thank you. It's inappropriate to keep you at the entrance. Please come in."
The couple walked into the banquet hall, and the party continued. People were clustered in groups. They seemed to be having meaningful conversations, but in truth, their conversations revolved around one topic.
"Huo Wei's wife wasn't like her expected, but I can't seem to picture any other person beside him now that I've seen her."
"I understand what you mean. I honestly thought she would be a big beauty. She is not, but there's something about her that makes her so attractive."
"It has to be her temperament. She looks refined and graceful. Her presence is powerful, too. She was standing beside Huo Wei, but we couldn't ignore her.
"Someone that Huo Wei chose couldn't be ordinary. I bet she's from a big family."
"But which one? I've never seen her before. Perhaps they are not from City A."
Not far from them, Luo Meili stood with an unpleasant expression. She just left a group where they were praising Yu Yuan to the nines as if there was a reward for who could give the most compliments.
She had walked quite a distance, but who knew she would hear a similar conversation? She felt sour, and the flames of jealousy burnt her heart. Irritated, she left the banquet hall for somewhere with fewer people.
Luo Meili walked to the garden and sat on one of the benches. The garden was quiet, but her mind was not. She couldn't help but replay the scene where Huo Wei and Yu Yuan arrived.
She compared herself to Yu Yuan, and she couldn't lie to herself that she would look as radiant as Yu Yuan standing beside Huo Wei. But Luo Meili was unreconciled. If only she had been able to marry Huo Wei earlier, then Yu Yuan wouldn't have had the chance.
While Luo Meili's thoughts were spiraling irrationally, she heard a hushed voice coming from behind her. Her brows furrowed slightly. She wondered who was so untactful. She stood up and was about to leave when she heard the words "Yu Yuan."
She turned around. There were tall plants that served as a background cover for the bench. Hence, the person on the other side didn't notice someone else was present. Luo Meili crept up to the plants and lightly pulled them apart. She saw a man she didn't recognize, but he was dressed in a server's uniform. He had a phone to his ear and was still speaking.
"Don't worry. I recognize Yu Yuan now. I won't mistake the target for someone else."
"Yes, I'll make sure to administer the drug properly."
The person on the other side said some words, and he nodded. "I know."
After saying a few words, the server ended the call. He looked around furtively before quickly returning to the hall.
Luo Meili stood there frozen, with her heart beating loudly. If she heard correctly, someone planned to drug Yu Yuan. Whatever the drug was, it wouldn't be anything good.
She had to quickly warn her brother!
Luo Meili thought this way, but her feet wouldn't move. Her mind was turning quickly. She thought of the many dirty tricks of the high society.
What if the results of their plan would be in her favor? What if...what if the result would put an end to Huo Wei's marriage? Wouldn't that mean she had another chance? Her heart pounded with the audacity of the idea.
Even if the plan didn't go that far, Yu Yuan would undoubtedly face some misfortune today. That alone didn't seem too bad.
Her brother warned her not to do anything, but that didn't mean she had to stop others. Yes! She didn't have that responsibility.
Luo Meili's eyes glowed with devious light. At this moment, she bore a resemblance to a resentful spirit driven by her motivations and not a pampered young lady from a wealthy home.