A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1005 The Banquet's Turmoil

Gui'er had attended many such grand occasions in Jiangcheng before, so she remained calm and composed. After politely greeting the host, she found a corner to hide in, as she always did, planning to make her escape when the time was right.

Lin Peishan immediately drew everyone's attention upon her appearance. She wore a light pink georgette cheongsam, with silver thread embroidery of lotus scrolls at the neckline and cuffs. A slit in the skirt revealed a glimpse of her jade-colored calves, and she wore silver satin sandals embroidered with beads, the toes adorned with tiny pearls that shimmered with light as she walked. Her black hair was loosely styled into a bun, adorned with a ruby ​​hairpin that swayed gently with her movements, echoing the matching gemstone pendants on her earlobes. Her fingertips were painted with rose-colored nail polish, and she held an ivory-handled round fan with a landscape painting in light red hues. A delicate platinum necklace encircled her neck, dangling a pigeon-blood ruby ​​that made her neck appear even more radiant. Her aura was a blend of the quiet elegance of a traditional lady and a sophisticated, modern flair, a stark contrast to her usual humble and understated school attire.

Gui'er noticed that many eligible young men at the scene were secretly glancing at her. That made sense; as long as she could get married into the Lin family, she would definitely receive sponsorship from Lin's father in her career, which could save her decades of hard work. Who wouldn't want that?

"Gui'er."

Gui'er turned around and saw that it was Chen Zhongyu. He was also dressed up carefully today, wearing a charcoal gray striped suit that looked like a custom-made piece. The shoulder line was so crisp it looked like it had been measured with a ruler, and a corner of a silk handkerchief peeked out from his breast pocket, subtly echoing the dark pattern of his tie. He stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, wearing a Patek Philippe watch on his left wrist, looking like a debonair rich young master.

"Brother Chen, you really went all out today, you look so smart!" Gui'er teased.

“These are all what Pei-shan asked me to wear. She told me about what you reminded her of. Thank you for helping us avoid an unnecessary disaster. When I get busy, I don’t pay attention to anything else. Fortunately, she listened to you this time.”

Gui'er could tell that he really liked Lin Peishan, and she was genuinely happy for them. Smiling, she said, "That's wonderful! True love prevails. With your handsome looks, your future in-laws will definitely love you."

Chen Zhongyu said with rare embarrassment, "Although Peishan is innocent and naive, she shares my ideals and fully supports my revolutionary cause. We can be said to be like-minded, and it is my blessing to be with her."

At this moment, Lin Peishan saw Chen Zhongyu and quickly waved for him to come over. Gui'er smiled and said, "Brother Chen, you should go quickly."

After Chen Zhongyu left, Gui'er took some more food and snacks, intending to find a place to sit down and eat, and then make an excuse to slip away.

"Gui'er, it's been so long, my dear sister. Why haven't you come to visit lately?" A familiar, sweet voice sounded from behind.

Gui'er turned her head and saw that it was actually Sha Lili.

Sha Lili was wearing a rather new style of cheongsam, which is popular in Hong Kong, but the fabric wasn't particularly fine; the only downside was the craftsmanship.

She smiled and stepped forward to take Gui'er's hand, saying, "Gui'er, my dear sister, why haven't you visited me in so long? We're sisters, both of us in Hong Kong and all alone. Please don't be so distant."

Gui'er actually admired her thick skin, as if all her previous sharp-tongued and scheming behavior had never existed.

"I'm quite busy with my studies. I only came today because my classmate, the daughter of this family, asked me to join in the fun."

"Oh my, so you and Mr. Lin's daughter are classmates! No wonder you're at such an upscale banquet. But speaking of which, I really envy you. You always manage to turn any trouble into a safe one, and you always seem to know some impressive people. Unlike me, I had to go to great lengths to get into an event like this. Your brother-in-law even had to treat others to two meals to barely get a ticket. Hey, do you know anyone here? Please introduce me to them."

"How could that be? Lily, don't you know a lot of amazing friends? That Mrs. Ouyang is quite good, rich and powerful." Gui'er couldn't stand her shamelessly pretending to have amnesia, so she reminded her.

"Don't even mention it. I didn't get any benefits from being around her, and I had to put up with a lot of attitudes. As a dignified young lady of the Marshal's Mansion, I had to fawn over these fat pigs of a couple all day long. I suffered a lot of humiliation. On the other hand, it's a good thing that Ouyang died before he forced you to marry into the family. Otherwise, you would have lost both your money and your wife. So I say you are really lucky. I can't even be envious of you."

Gui'er used to think that the Fourth Concubine was the kind of person who was insidious, vicious, cunning, and ruthless. At least Sha Lili still had some girlish innocence. Now it seems that she is becoming more and more like the Fourth Concubine.

"You're right. Oh, by the way, aren't you going to get something to eat? I'll go back and do my homework after I finish this." Gui'er didn't want to fall out with her here, as that would only make a spectacle of it for outsiders, so she just made up an excuse to ask her to leave.

"By the way, I heard that Wu Mingqiang, who works under you, has sided with the newly appointed police chief. Is that true? He's really capable. How could someone like that be willing to work under you? We're like sisters, after all. You should ask him to look after us sometimes. That way, I can save face in my husband's family and not be looked down upon."

"What can he possibly take care of? He's just doing some side work to help the police station deal with some troublemakers. It's quite dangerous. If I introduce you to him, and then your family gets dragged into it, that would be too much of a shame."

"Stop lying to me. Rumors are circulating that your men couldn't stand Ouyang Bao trying to take over your position, so they killed him. It just so happens that Long Xing was competing with Ouyang Bao for the position of police chief, so it indirectly helped Long Xing. That's why Long Xing took him under his command."

Gui'er had no idea that such rumors existed. It seemed she needed to hurry up and write the gossip article about Ouyang Bao.

She was too lazy to chat with Shalili anymore, so she quickly finished the food she had taken, ran over to tell Lin Peishan, and then said goodbye.

She arrived at the gate and had just gotten into Acheng's car when Acheng pointed ahead and said to her, "Miss, look, Brother Qiang is here too."

Gui'er quickly looked in the direction he pointed and saw that it really was Wu Mingqiang. He was following behind Long Xing, dressed in a suit and tie like a handsome young nobleman.

Long Xing walked in front, followed by Wu Mingqiang and several of his usual subordinates. However, he would occasionally turn back to talk to Wu Mingqiang with a smile.