sbdcsierra Chapter 85 was a bit too high-profile.
Chapter 85 was a bit too high-profile.
Saturday, June 9, 2012, sunny.
[Suitable for] marriage, marriage compatibility analysis, engagement, praying for blessings, burial, offering sacrifices, encoffining, breaking ground.
【Taboo】Opening a business or holding a consecration ceremony.
The small banquet hall on the east side of the third floor of the Swan Hotel.
A dazzling crystal chandelier hangs high above the dome of the hall.
Thousands of crystals twinkled like stars, their cascading light illuminating the entire space as bright as day, adding a touch of dreamlike quality.
The light, refracted through the crystal, creates a dreamlike interplay of light and shadow on the floor and walls, as if time itself has stood still.
A T-shaped stage was set up in the center of the venue, covered with a huge red carpet and decorated with various flowers. The circular stage in the center was made of tempered glass, with LED light strips embedded below. When turned on, the light diffused through the glass, as if stepping on a dreamy galaxy.
On the tables on both sides of the runway, flowers were clustered together. Tall crystal vases were filled with white roses and pink lilies, the flowers were delicate and fragrant, and sparkling crystal bead chains were adorning the bouquets, tinkling in the breeze.
The tableware was selected from a European royal warrant holder, with gold rims outlining delicate patterns, and the exquisite tableware shone brightly under the light.
The surrounding European-style classic chairs have intricately carved backs covered with elegant vine patterns, and the seats are covered with soft velvet cushions, creating a strong sense of ceremony.
"Well enough."
Accompanied by the hotel manager, Ye Kai inspected the venue and nodded in satisfaction.
He chose this location for Shen Jiayi's coming-of-age ceremony mainly because there were no more upscale hotels in Xinghua City, and he had been to the Swan Hotel quite often recently, so he was quite familiar with it.
"Mr. Ye."
"If the number of guests doesn't change much, the spending can probably be kept under 16."
After reviewing the number of diners and the types of dishes, the manager gave Ye Kai a rough estimate of the bill.
"Okay, I'll transfer 16 to you first, and then I'll make up the difference later."
"However, we must ensure that the whole process goes smoothly. As you know, today's leading lady is Mayor Shen's daughter. Although this coming-of-age ceremony is just a small-scale celebration, the sense of ritual is the most important thing."
Ye Kai didn't waste any words, directly transferred the money to the manager, and then gave him further instructions.
"clear."
"Our service staff are all selected from experienced senior employees to ensure there will be no problems."
"However, is it certain that Mayor Shen will attend in person?"
The manager asked with some concern.
Shen Mingsun was very busy with official duties, so finding time to attend his daughter's coming-of-age ceremony was not an easy thing for him.
"If Mayor Shen has time, he will take the position."
"If Mayor Shen doesn't have time, I'll take over."
Ye Kai answered the question without any hesitation.
"hiss--"
The manager was shocked when he heard this. He thought to himself that he never expected that this guest, who was so young and looked like a high school student, could be the mayor’s son-in-law.
Otherwise, who would dare to make Mayor Shen's daughter call him "Dad"?
He quickly shook his head, trying to banish these wild guesses from his mind.
Although the Swan Hotel had never held a coming-of-age ceremony for girls before, it had learned about it before, so it was quite familiar with the whole process. From the preparation of clothing and makeup, the preparation of ceremony props, the various stages of the process, and the gifts prepared for the guests, everything was handled very well.
After looking around, Ye Kai couldn't find any fault with it.
"Let's add two more champagne towers."
"Although there's nothing particularly new about it, it at least helps to create a low-key yet luxurious atmosphere, making it a bit more Westernized."
Finally, Ye Kai offered one more suggestion.
"no problem."
The manager immediately found someone to handle it, and soon two champagne towers were piled up on either side of the runway.
This structure has a very ceremonial feel to it. It is made up of hundreds of champagne glasses stacked in a certain pattern and layer. As the champagne is slowly poured from the top of the tower, the liquid flows down to the glasses below, forming a crystal champagne waterfall.
Champagne towers can be seen in many films and television shows as well as at large banquets and events.
But it's really rare to see someone like Ye Kai directly requesting that the hotel provide two champagne towers.
The manager had no objection to this, since it was all for the sake of Mayor Shen's daughter, and Ye Kai was a wealthy lay Buddhist who spent money without batting an eye.
……
"This is way too luxurious!"
After seeing the decorations at the Swan Hotel, Director Jiang remained stunned for a long time.
While crystal chandeliers may seem flashy and impractical, they look fantastic on camera, their dazzling brilliance easily captivating viewers.
Not to mention the champagne towers erected on both sides of the runway, with hundreds of crystal champagne glasses stacked up, which in itself gives people a very impressive feeling.
"Ye Kai, this must cost a lot of money, right?"
Director Jiang turned to look at Ye Kai, her eyes filled with complex emotions as she asked.
She truly hadn't expected that Ye Kai would go to such lengths just to hold a coming-of-age ceremony for his daughter.
Even when Li Chengtong, the richest man in Xinghua City, married off his daughter, he didn't make such a big scene.
Director Jiang then became somewhat worried. If such an event were to be leaked by someone with ulterior motives, would it have a very negative impact on Shen Mingsun?
"What does this have to do with Mayor Shen?"
Ye Kai remained completely calm and looked directly into Director Jiang's eyes, asking her a question in return.
"All of this... if we put all of this together, we still wouldn't be able to afford it even with our combined annual salaries."
"If people found out, they'd probably say that my husband, Old Shen, started being corrupt as soon as he took office..."
Director Jiang reminded Ye Kai that Shen Mingsun was the mayor of Xinghua City.
If such a grand event were held in the capital, there would be no problem. However, since it is being held in Xinghua City, everyone's attention will be focused on Shen Mingsun, who serves as the mayor.
Although Jiang Xin also wanted to give her daughter Shen Jiayi an unforgettable coming-of-age ceremony, the scale of the event Ye Kai had created was too astonishing and directly frightened Director Jiang.
"Director Jiang is right. It was my fault for not considering things carefully; it seems I was being a bit too high-profile."
Ye Kai pinched his chin, thought about it seriously for a moment, and finally nodded in agreement.
"It's not your fault, how could it be your fault?"
"We parents are so grateful to you for all the things you've prepared for Jiajia."
"But considering Lao Shen's special status, doing this is indeed somewhat inappropriate."
How could Jiang Xin blame Ye Kai for meddling? In fact, she was also shocked after seeing the hotel's decor, and she liked Ye Kai, her daughter's boyfriend, even more.
It's just that Lao Shen has been too conspicuous since becoming mayor, making him a target of criticism and attracting public attention at any time.
It's such a pity that Ye Kai put in so much effort.
"Tsk, I can't return it anyway."
"Then let's call all the students in our class over and have a collective coming-of-age ceremony."
"I'll pay the bill."
Ye Kai quickly came up with a solution after a moment's thought.