sbdcsierra Chapter 87 The banquet also provided a good opportunity for Jiang Zhenbang to meet his biological da
Chapter 87 The banquet also provided a good opportunity for Jiang Zhenbang to meet his biological da
Jiang Xinlan is a ticking time bomb. As long as she appears in Beijing and in front of Jiang Zhenbang, her stolen twenty-plus years of wealthy life could vanish at any moment.
"What are you yelling about!" Liu Wanhua strode in, shouting sternly, and bent down to pick up the broken pieces from the ground.
"Are you afraid others won't know? So what if Jiang Xinlan is here? This is Beijing, our territory. With your uncle here, she can't cause any trouble!"
"But Mom!" Jiang Manli's eyes were red, and her voice was trembling with tears.
"She looks exactly like Shen Jiao! What if Dad sees her? He misses Shen Jiao so much, he'll definitely suspect something! Then we're all finished! No, I can't let her stay in Beijing, I have to find someone to kick her out! I'll ruin her face!"
"Shut up!" Liu Wanhua glared at her fiercely, her tone stern.
"You are not allowed to make any rash moves! Your uncle has already made arrangements to deal with Jiang Xinlan and Shen Yu. If you act recklessly now, alert them, and ruin your uncle's plan, then no one can save you!"
Seeing her daughter's panicked expression, she felt flustered herself, but she still tried to appear calm.
"You better behave yourself. Stay home as much as possible lately, and don't mention Jiang Xinlan's name in front of your dad. Once your uncle takes care of them, everything will be back to normal, understand?"
Jiang Manli bit her lip and nodded reluctantly, but the resentment and fear in her eyes did not diminish at all.
In the study, Jiang Zhenbang was sitting at his desk, holding a yellowed old photograph in his hand.
The young woman in the photo, wearing a white dress, with curved eyebrows and a radiant smile, is none other than his untimely death as his first wife, Shen Jiao.
He gently traced the woman's face in the photo with his fingertips, sighed, and his eyes were filled with an overwhelming longing.
"Jiaojiao, in the blink of an eye, you've been gone for over twenty years. If only you were still here... Manli is all grown up now, and I'm getting older too... Jiaojiao, I miss you so much..."
He muttered to himself, his voice filled with endless loneliness.
"And, I don't know why, my mind is all jumbled up, I have this feeling that something is about to happen..."
At that moment, the secretary gently knocked on the door and came in to report.
"Mr. Jiang, the invitation to the Zheng family's charity gala in three days has been sent. The second wife and young lady have confirmed their attendance. Would you like to attend?"
"The Zheng family's dinner party?" Jiang Zhenbang snapped out of his reverie, carefully placed the photo into the drawer, and nodded. "Yes, of course I'll go."
He had a feeling that something different would happen at this dinner party.
*
the next day.
In the living room of the Xishan Villa.
Holding a gold-embossed invitation, Lu Zongming strode up to Shen Yu, his face beaming with excitement.
"Mr. Shen, good news! The invitation to the Zheng family's charity gala has arrived! It will be held in two days at a hotel in Beijing. Half of Beijing's elites and celebrities will be attending, and the entire Jiang family is on the invitation list. Liu Qingxuan will also be attending as a distinguished guest of the Jiang family, and even Wang Yuanhe is among the invitees!"
He handed the invitation to Shen Yu and continued:
"The Zheng family is a top-tier wealthy family in Beijing, with strength comparable to the Jiang family. The head of the Zheng family, Zheng Zangfeng, has an extremely high reputation in Beijing and is well-connected in both the legitimate and underworld circles. They specifically sent us an invitation this time, probably because they want to befriend you."
Jiang Xinlan leaned closer to look at the invitation, a hint of surprise in her eyes:
"We don't know the Zheng family at all, why would they specifically invite us?"
"Our Lu family and the Zheng family have cooperated in the past and have some relationship. The head of the Zheng family is getting old and his health is not very good. He probably knows that you saved me, Mr. Shen, and that you are a very skilled doctor. He wants to befriend you."
Shen Yu accepted the invitation, his fingertips gently tracing the gold-embossed patterns, a cold smile playing on his lips.
This dinner came at just the right time.
Everyone he is looking for will gather here.
He no longer needs to search for them one by one; this is a good opportunity to see their true colors all at once, and it also allows Jiang Zhenbang to meet his biological daughter, whom he has been separated from for over twenty years.
"Mr. Shen, what do you think of this dinner party? Should we go?"
Lu Zongming looked at Shen Yu and asked cautiously.
"Go." Shen Yu raised his eyes, his tone resolute, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Why not go? They've already sent us invitations; we might as well go and meet them."
Jiang Xinlan saw the coldness in Shen Yu's eyes, reached out and grasped his hand, her gaze resolute:
"Okay, let's go together. I also want to see with my own eyes what the people who have harmed me time and time again over the years really look like."
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Soon, the charity gala arrived.
That evening, luxury cars lined up in front of hotels in Beijing, and flashes of light created a sea of stars.
The city's elites, dressed in glamorous attire, walked into the hotel in groups, while reporters on both sides of the red carpet frantically pressed their shutters, capturing every exciting moment.
At 7 p.m., a black Maybach slowly pulled up at the end of the red carpet.
The car door opened, and Shen Yu got out first.
He wore a bespoke black suit, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, a tall and straight figure, and handsome, deep-set features. He exuded an innate air of nobility and aloofness.
Despite it being his first time appearing in Beijing's world of fame and fortune, he showed no sign of nervousness, as if he was born to stand at such a height and take charge of the entire scene.
He then turned around, reached out, and pulled Jiang Xinlan out of the car.
Jiang Xinlan wore a simple, moon-white haute couture fishtail gown that accentuated her graceful figure.
Her long hair was loosely tied up, revealing her slender swan neck and delicate collarbone. A pair of diamond stud earrings dangled from her ears, making her skin look as white as snow.
She wore no heavy makeup, just a touch of powder, and her eyes and brows exuded a cool yet gentle temperament. Every smile and frown was breathtakingly beautiful.
The two walked side by side on the red carpet, with Shen Yu holding her hand the whole time, shielding her from the overly crowded cameras.
Jiang Xinlan wore a polite smile, her back straight, neither humble nor arrogant, composed and generous.
"My God! Who is this?! They're incredibly good-looking!"
"It looks like Jiang Xinlan! She's the female lead in the unreleased film 'Wind from Chang'an'! She's even more beautiful in person than on screen!"
"Who's that man next to her? He has such a powerful aura. No wonder the Zheng family invited them. Could he be some kind of reclusive big shot...?"
The surrounding chatter rose and fell, and reporters kept snapping photos, their flashes illuminating the two figures as if it were daytime.
Upon entering the banquet hall, one is greeted by elegantly dressed women and clinking glasses.
The melodious sound of a violin flowed through the air as the powerful and wealthy of Beijing gathered in twos and threes, holding wine glasses and talking in hushed tones.
The appearance of Shen Yu and Jiang Xinlan instantly attracted everyone's attention. Everyone stopped talking and turned to look at the door, their eyes filled with curiosity and inquiry.
The Jiang family was sitting in the innermost booth of the banquet hall.
Jiang Manli was holding a wine glass, chatting and laughing with several socialites from Beijing's elite circles, when she caught sight of the two people at the door out of the corner of her eye. Her smile froze instantly, and she slammed the wine glass on the table with a clatter, spilling red wine all over herself.