The phone number is from the Imperial Capital, and there were only two words on it—Murong.
Yin Shaoyuan stared at the two words, the smile on his face fading slowly, and it took a long while before he swiped on the green button to receive the call.
The sixth of July was a big day in the aristocratic circle of N City, it was a day where the Yin family, a family which rarely held banquets, would hold a grand banquet for the celebration of acknowledging a new family member.
The Yin manor was located in the innermost part of the Shanhe Manor Area. On normal days, people who looked from afar wouldn’t even be able to catch a glimpse of the building. The guards who stood outside provided iron-clad security, not letting even a fly come in, what more the people. Being able to attend the banquet today would be something to boast about in the long future.
But since it’s the Yin family, those who were invited would definitely only be those big, prestigious families of N City, and those from the smaller households…
For example, the Gu family, they wouldn’t even have the chance to touch an invitation card!
The atmosphere in Gu Manor was miserable. When Gu Xijin was sent away, Su Wan’er’s family had made a fuss once, straight out claiming that they needed to teach Gu Xiqiao a lesson. Once the news of the Yin family taking in Gu Xiqiao came out, the Su family never brought up the matter again. Gu Zuhui sank deeper into depression by the days, and Su Wan’er returned to her parent’s house in a tantrum and had yet to return.
“Do you think the wrongs I have committed are too deep?” Just a few days of not seeing him, Master Gu had a gaunt look in his eyes, as though he had aged years.
The butler stood by his side, his gaze on the TV in front of them, his brows furrowed at the words, but he remained stoically silent.
On the screen of the TV, a reporter was talking about the banquet that was being held today. It stands to reason that a big family like the Yin hated to be on the news, and information regarding their family was well hidden from the internet. It wasn’t only the Yin family, all of the prominent families were the same.
However, the Yin family had initiated an interview themselves, and although the reporter could only stay outside the area of the Shanhe Manor Area, completely out of sight of Yin Manor, they were still making the headlines, weren’t they?
In any case, the Yin family was announcing to the world at large: Gu Xiqiao was really important to them!
***
“Mrs. Yin, you have a gorgeous daughter.” A lady with heavy makeup spared no effort in her flattering of Tang Yanling. “It really is such a joyous and wondrous occasion, I see your complexion has also improved a lot!”
Initially, they had thought that Gu Xiqiao was someone who managed to make it to the top by luck, but when the ladies entered the doors, they were in for a shock.
Many people had come bearing gifts, such as the Wu family, who were involved in both law enforcement and underworld dealings, the Xiao family, who were low profile but have been around for more than a hundred years…and many more other distinguished families. The message that was delivered with their presence was simple, they were here for Gu Xiqiao. This led to a lot of shock and surprise to the others who were here, what was so special about Gu Xiqiao?
Hearing someone praise Gu Xiqiao, Tang Yanling’s smile naturally got wider. With a radiant smile on her face, she gently touched the earrings on her ear. “Of course, do you see this pair of earrings? It was a gift from her. After I started wearing them, my complexion has improved a lot, I don’t even have any powder on my face today!”
This further gave the impression to the lady that Tang Yanling really adored the child from the Gu family. It looked like she would have to find a way to get close to Gu Xiqiao. That’s right, how old was the child again…
She was almost eighteen right? Such a good match for her own son!
The lady’s eyes lit up as soon as she recalled the fact. And she also remembered that when the child was first taken in by the Gu family, she was known as a wallflower. Her appearance was good, but what about the inside? It wasn’t important, the fact that she managed to cultivate a relationship with the Yin family was already great, who cared about the other things? Even if Gu Xiqiao had an ugly face, she would still accept it!
But speaking of which, wasn’t the Gu family facing a big loss for chasing the girl out of their family? And they were also still within the social circles in N City, they would never be able to escape the Yin family’s influence.
The more she thought about it, the more excited the lady became.
Tang Yangling was not aware what the lady was thinking, she was only listening to the praises of Gu Xiqiao. She was feeling extremely happy on the inside, while holding a polite and courteous expression on the outside.
However, she wasn’t really boasting. Ever since she wore the earrings that Gu Xiqiao had given her, she felt more refreshed over the days, even the migraines she usually had had disappeared. Not only that, her skin had a more healthy glow to it compared to the more pale tone it used to be, and it was an obvious change. She had insisted that Yin Jinian wore the ring on his finger.
She suspected that Gu Xiqiao had a direct hand in this, and it looks like she had somewhat of a mysterious skill. She had initially worried that the child would be bullied when she entered the Imperial Capital in the future, and it looks like she wouldn’t need to worry about it now.
Back in the days when she was in the Imperial Capital, those capable people didn’t have these kinds of incredible and bizarre skills. She could tell that her daughter was indeed amazing, not bad at all!
Yin Shaoyuan, who was entertaining some guests not far away from her, saw from her eyes that she was lost in her own world again. He had never seen her as radiant and proud before, and with those thoughts in his head, he couldn’t help but start to reflect on his own person. Was it because he wasn’t good enough as a son, and that led to his mother not wanting to admit that she had such a son?
Yin Shaoyuan was unwilling to accept such thoughts, and he reluctantly forced himself to find a reason. It must be because Gu Xiqiao was better looking than him, he would concede on this point!
While he was pondering the matter, his phone started ringing again. Yin Shaoyuan gave a look of someone with constipation on his face once he saw the name ‘Murong’ on the screen again. It was like a deadly reminder, the person on the other side was someone he didn’t dare to offend, so he could only swallow his annoyance and frustration as he headed to the car to retrieve the person.
***
At the intersection of the Shanhe Manor Area, a tall, beautiful woman had caught the attention of the many car owners who drove past her. She was wearing a flaming red dress, with a perfectly curved figure, and a gorgeous face. However, her gaze was arrogant, and turned up her nose at the people who were looking at her.
In the past, Yin Shaoyuan had been fascinated by this flaming hot woman for a short period, unfortunately, she had no interest in him at all. That was also the first time the Young Master Yin had faced failure in his playboy career.
Before coming, Yin Shaoyuan was afraid that he wouldn’t have the resolve to look into that face without faltering. However, now that he faced her, he realized that his heart was calm. The face that had made his heart beat rise and his face flush, held not a single attraction to him right now. There was another face, slightly younger and inexperienced, that floated to the front of his mind.
Yin Shaoyuan stopped the car, waving to her. “Miss Murong, please get in the car. I need to hurry back, or my mother will have my head!”
There was a slight astonishment in Murong Miaoxue’s eyes as she looked at him. There were many people who had pursued her, and Yin Shaoyuan’s ability to attract people was undeniably strong. She had mulled over a lot before deciding to come, afraid that he would be hopelessly muddled when he saw her. But now, she felt a little uncomfortable seeing how calm he looked.
Had he really given up, or was he loosening the reins just to lure her in?
Sitting in the passenger seat, Murong Miaoxue continued to ponder. From the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of a packet of potato chips that was on the dashboard, and her expression froze. They had known each other for many years, and he had never touched this kind of thing. And although he fooled around a lot, he had never brought anyone inside his car before.
So, who was it who had left it behind? She was never one to hold back when she was curious, so she picked up the bag of chips. “Yin Shaoyuan, whose is this?”
Glancing at the bag in her hands, Yin Shaoyuan’s gaze softened slightly. “A beauty’s.”
That was something he had specifically bought for Gu Xiqiao previously. She had left it in the car, not able to finish it. She had also told him not to buy it again for her, as the taste was horrible.
Murong Miaoxue narrowed her eyes when she saw the soft gaze, and brushed her hair back with the other hand. “Oh, so it’s just another one of those interests.”
“Miss Murong is such a joker.” The insulting undertone from her made Yin Shaoyuan stiffen up again, and he replied to her flatly, his mouth turning downward.
This was the first time Yin Shaoyuan had spoken to her in such a cold tone. Murong Miaoxue rolled her eyes as her expression also turned cold. “You think I wouldn’t know if you didn’t say it? She’s just an illegitimate daughter. I’m dying to see what kind of charms she has, to the point that the person with the name Jiang has not returned to the Imperial Capital for two months!”
Screech!
The sharp sound of the car stopping rang out.
Yin Shaoyuan stepped out of the car with an unsightly expression, throwing the car keys into the hands of the housekeeper who was standing outside the door.
Standing under the light of the sun, Murong Miaoxue looked even more eye-catching and gorgeous when she stepped out.
Although the both of them didn’t say anything, they both knew that Murong Miaoxue was here for Jiang Shuxuan, and just to have a look at Gu Xiqiao at the same time.
Yin Shaoyuan knew that for Murong Miaoxue to come to N City, she had already sent people to investigate the ongoings here. It can be said that apart from Jiang Shuxuan, the whereabouts and doings of everyone else was within the palm of her hands. Thinking about it made Yin Shaoyuan frustrated. Murong Miaoxue had a high status, and if she wanted to, even the entire Yin family was not enough for her to play around with.
However, Gu Xiqiao was now his family. Naturally, he wouldn’t allow anyone to bully her.
If you, Murong Miaoxue want to bully his family, then bring it on! Even a powerful dragon could not crush a snake in its old haunts. They were in their own home territory, why would they be afraid of her for? If push came to shove, it wasn’t impossible for the Yin family to hold their own. Not to mention there was still the presence of Jiang Shuxuan. With his temperamental attitude, Murong Miaoxue might be killed before she could make a move!
“Miss Murong, welcome to our Yin residence.” After clearing away his thoughts, Yin Shaoyuan politely spoke, his hands adjusting his collar with an air of boredom. The corner of his mouth lifted up slightly into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes at all, a gleam returning to his eyes.
Yes, he had reverted to his usual persona, walking leisurely on the path, casting a wink at the beautiful celebrities that he passed, which left Murong Miaoxue seething in anger.
***
Tang Yanling was chatting with a group of ladies, but when Yin Shaoyuan walked in with a captivating lady by his side, she made her excuse to them and proceeded to head in his direction.
Last night, Yin Shaoyuan had thrown a tantrum with Tang Yanling, so she knew that this was the lady of the Murong family. Naturally, she also knew what the Murong name represented. She was afraid that other people would clamber all over themselves to reach Murong Miaoxue, so she was prepared to personally receive her.
“You rascal, why did you bring her all the way here?” Tang Yanling said under her breath when they were close enough. Weren’t there enough things to do without adding on anymore annoying matters?
Yin Shaoyuan was also feeling reluctant and helpless at the situation. “It’s not like I could do anything, she is a Murong after all, I couldn’t just ignore her!”
“Alright, alright. Go and check if Grandpa is ready or not,” Tang Yanling said, shooing Yin Shaoyuan away with a disgruntled look.
Murong Miaoxue didn’t know Tang Yanling personally, but seeing that she was Yin Shoayuan’s mother, she was slightly more modest, but there was still a hint of arrogance underneath it all.
She was the most outstanding child in the Murong family, and she was also a one of a kind existence in the Imperial Capital. This kind of arrogance was something that had ingrained and accumulated for a long time now. When she talked to people, it was always in a commanding tone. “Aunt Tang, I heard that you were accepting an unknown person as a goddaughter. The people in the Imperial Capital have never been known for choosing anyone lightly, if you are unwilling or coerced into it in any way, please tell us. We will definitely stand on your side.”
Murong Miaoxue had spoken the words after some consideration. Even the people in the Imperial Capital were not interested in acknowledging any further relations, and they were very particular about it, the aristocrats here were even more so. So why would they decide to randomly recognize an unknown girl? And it was an illegitimate child that had been chased out of her own family to boot, something that would leave a bitter taste in your mouth when talking about it. So she felt that it was possible that Jiang Shuxuan had pressured the Yin family into doing so.
“Your concern is appreciated but unnecessary, Miss Murong.” Tang Yanling’s smile had gradually slipped off her face when the words had been spoken, “Uncle Zhang, go and see if Qiao Qiao has arrived.”
Tang Yanling is not a stupid person either, she obviously knew what kind of person Murong Miaoxue was.
When other people saw Murong Miaoxue, they became meek and cautious around her, but Tang Yanling was not one of those people. The three reclusive prestigious families in the Imperial Capital…Murong? Did they really think she was afraid of them? What a joke!
***
Murong Miaxue was just tossed to the side of the corridor like that by Tang Yanling. The smile on her face vanished, and her eyes narrowed dangerously.
This was the first time that someone had dared to not give her any face like this!
There was one thing that Yin Shaoyuan had not gotten wrong, this was N City, not the Imperial Capital. The Yin family still held the largest authority in the national base here. If Murong Miaoxue wanted to make a move in this city, she would need to consider a lot of things before doing so, hence she waited patiently for this ‘Gu Xiqiao’ to make an appearance. After all, she hadn’t met this girl in person yet, and she couldn’t determine what the person was like just based on the information that she had gathered.