Chapter 306 - Lan Miao's Banquet

Today, all the celebrities in Jingcheng City would go to Lan’s house. Lan Lixiao wrote the invitations personally to show how much he valued his granddaughter, Lan Miao.

“Are you ready?” Lan Qin asked, standing at the door of A Miao’s room.

A Miao looked into her eyes, feeling that she was very satisfied with her appearance.

“A little bit nervous,” A Miao said with a smile. “I have never attended an event like this.”

Lan Qin looked at her. She wore a pale-gold, one-shoulder evening dress, luxurious but not swanky. It was not designed in an extravagant way, just decorated with a large number of diamonds from the skirt’s hemline, and each one was genuine.

Her hair fell naturally behind her head. The only unique color on her whole body was the jade necklace around her neck. Lan Qin recognized it. It was the favorite of her grandmother while she was alive.

“Take your best shot! Don’t waste our grandfather’s efforts,” she said with a meaningful smile, then turned to leave.

A Miao took a deep breath in front of the mirror. Actually, she was very nervous. Those people who came to see her before also said that it was because of the surroundings of A Miao’s childhood and current experience that her temperament was very contradictory.

She was very suitable for the present role.

“Okay, I can do this!” she said to herself, clenching her fists, then she stepped out.

Lan Lixiao was waiting for her at the stairs.

“Grandpa.”

“Very nice!” Lan Lixiao said, watching her coming over with satisfaction. “The necklace suits you well.”

A Miao reached out, feeling comfortable when she touched it. “Thank you! It is very beautiful.”

“The necklace is just an ornament. It depends on who wears it.” Lan Lixiao said proudly, “My granddaughter looks pretty wearing it!”

A Miao held his arm and said, “Okay, let’s go!”

The house was well-decorated. There were ladies and gentlemen coming and going. When Lan Lixiao and A Miao went downstairs, the house became quiet at once and everyone’s eyes were concentrated on them.

“Thank you all for attending. I must make an apology for the oversight,” Lan Lixiao said to the people and then took two steps back, pushing A Miao to the front.

“This is my granddaughter, Lan Miao, who has just come back. Please don’t push her around. At such an old age, I am able to do nothing but look after my granddaughter. Hahaha!”

Lan Lixiao spoke with a smile, but his tone was not like he was joking at all. He just announced to the upper class in Jingcheng City that no one could bully his granddaughter and that he was ready for those who dared to do that.

“A Miao, come here!” Lan Qin waved to her.

A Miao turned to look at Lan Lixiao.

“Go, your aunt will introduce some people to you.” Lan Lixiao patted A Miao’s shoulder and said, “Don’t be frightened. You are Miss Elder in our Lan family. People should be afraid of you.”

Lan Qin gave A Miao a glass of champagne, watched her just touch it to her lips, and nodded.

“The first principle I am going to tell you is that you should never drink beverages that others hand to you.”

A Miao was ready to take a sip with her arm stopping halfway, then said, “But… you are my aunt.”

“Including me,” Lan Qin clinked her glass and said, “including someone you do not trust, and anyone you treat as your friend.”

A Miao blinked and said, “I don’t understand.”

“Your best friends may become your fiercest enemies,” Lan Qin said, with her beautiful face approaching A Miao. “Do you understand?”

“Yes…”

Some people came here to strike up a conversion with them. Lan Qin introduced them to A Miao. Then followed endless greetings, smiling, and others praises. Occasionally, A Miao saw the cousins of Lan Lixiao, who had earlier come here.

They talked with other guests as if they were the hosts, but the fleeting contempt in people’s eyes proved that although they shared the same name with Lan Family, there was no comparison between them.

“You look amazing today!” Ouyang Jin said, coming from where nobody knew. After praising A Miao, he made a gentleman’s salute to Lan Qin and said, “Nice to meet you, Third Young Lady. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Lan Qin answered with a smile, covering her mouth, “I should say the same, Mr. Gambling God.”

“Eh?” Lan Wenxuan behind them curiously asked, “Aunt, did you meet each other before?”

Ouyang Jin pretended profundity, frowning, and said, “Impossible. If I had met such a beauty like the Third Young Lady, I would not forget it.”

“Well, actually, we have met before.” Lan Qin touched her hair and said, “Several years ago, you joined a competition in the UK. I was there as well.”

Raising his glass, Ouyang Jin said, “That is my fault for missing the Third Young Lady. I would like to invite you to dinner as an apology.”

“You honor me.” Lan Qin clinked his glass and said, “You can go on talking. A Miao and I will leave for a while.”

“Don’t be afraid, I believe you can do it,” Ouyang Jin clinked A Miao’s glass and said, in a deliberately flirtatious tone.

When Lan Qin and A Miao went away, Lan Wenxuan was suspicious and asked, “You are not really interested in A Miao, are you?”

“Guess.” Ouyang Jin blinked and answered.

Finally, A Miao had a break for a while. Lan Qin and some ladies who were her close friends were talking about the auction. After greeting them, A Miao went to the lounge to have a seat.

“Miss Lan,” a man walked past her then returned, asking, “do you mind if I sit here?”

“Not at all,” A Miao said and smiled politely.

After the man sat down, he did not talk to her, but just kept looking at his watch.

“Sir,” A Miao couldn’t help saying, “if you are in a hurry, you can leave early.”

This man seemed to be a little surprised that she would talk to him first. He said with a shy smile, “It is not polite. Your banquet is being held today. If I early leave so early…”

“But you have something important to do!” A Miao shook her head and said. “Then go. If someone asks me, I will say that you have already told me.”

The man’s eyes shone. A Miao found that this common-looking man had beautiful eyes and they were even more appealing when he smiled.

“Thank you so much,” the man said, looking at her with gratitude. Then he stood up and left.

Ouyang Jin always kept an eye on them. After that man had left, he went over there instantly and sat down, asking, “Did you meet him before?”

“No,” A Miao answered, shaking her head. “He seemed to be in a hurry.”

“You think that he looks like an honest man? So you want to do him a favor?” Ouyang Jin said with a meaningful smile, “That guy is Qi Ze, the boss of Huayi Entertainment.”

A Miao was surprised and said, “Him? But…”

“He doesn’t look like a boss.” Ouyang Jin grinned and said, “He looks like an honest man, but he is very tactful, especially at the negotiating table. I heard that his IQ is very high. Huayi Entertainment is one of the three largest entertainment companies in Jingcheng City.

“By the way, did Lan Wenxuan pick up a phone call that day? One of his relatives entered the entertainment circle and belongs to the company of Zize. That relative is the daughter of Lan Lixiao’s cousin, named Nie Shuangshuang.”

When he finished, he saw A Miao’s expression as if she had known that before, then he asked, “What? You knew that?”

“No, I just met Nie Shuangshuang before,” she answered and told him what basically had happened at the restaurant.

After hearing that, Ouyang Jin said with a look of schadenfreude, “She is so unlucky. Fortunately, she didn’t come here today, otherwise, she might be sleepless tonight.”

An unpopular relative had bullied Miss Elder. The follow-up would be very interesting.

“It is really troublesome having so many relatives. A Miao rubbed her forehead and said when something came to mind. “I heard Elder Master quarrelling with somebody on the phone this morning. It seemed to be his youngest son.”

Ouyang Jin looked around and said, “I guess Elder Master was not satisfied because he did not come back to attend the banquet.”

“I heard he was still abroad.”

“If he didn’t come back, that is not a bad thing for us,” Ouyang Jin said and his eyes became bright suddenly.

A Miao looked at him, feeling weird, then asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing!” Ouyang shook his red hair and said, “I remembered something that I need to talk with Shen Xinglan about.”

There came sounds of commotion from the door. A Miao saw Lan Wenxuan coming over in a hurry.

“Come on, Grandpa is looking for you!”

A Miao had no time to speak. Lan Wenxuan pulled him away and said, “The Jin family and the Li family are here.”

These two families were as famous as the Lan family. Some information flashed through A Miao’s mind.

“Don’t do anything embarrassing!” Lan Wenxuan glanced at her and said, “If someone in the Li family says something harsh, don’t be impulsive. Take actions with my hint.”

A Miao was in a daze for a while, not understanding his words. Unfortunately, she had already walked into the small living room. A group of people were sitting there.

“A Miao, come here!” Lan Lixiao said, and beckoned her to come once he saw her.

A Miao went to sit beside him and said, “Grandpa.”

He pointed to a stout white elder man and said, “This is Mr. Jin.”

A Miao stood up, bent slightly, and said, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Jin.”

“Haha!” The old man looked at her secretly, slanted his chin a little and said, “I have a gift for our first meeting.”

A woman beside who stared at A Miao gave her a red envelope and said, “You are so pretty! Uncle Lan, you are so lucky to have such a beautiful granddaughter.”

“Of course!” Lan Lixiao said proudly, “This is the daughter of Mr. Jin.”

A Miao called her auntie.

The woman patted her hands and said with a smile, “Sweetie.”

“She just has a familiar appearance. Nobody knows where she comes from.” There came a sound nearby. The atmosphere became tense.

Lan Hua gave Shen Qing a hint, then Shen Qing said with a smile, “Li Rong, you are so quick to say. You can’t mistake a stranger for your own granddaughter.”

“You…” A stylish woman shot her a glare.

Shen Qing ignored her and continued to say, “I remember that several years ago there was a child in your family coming from outside… You sister or your brother? I think you’ve got it right.”

A thin old man sitting beside Li Rong snorted, but then and gave her a glance as a warning.

“Today is my granddaughter’s banquet. We should be happy on such a big day,” Lan Lixiao said and gave Li Peng, the thin old man, a glimpse.

Li Peng grinned with dissatisfaction, and said, “Don’t say something to imply that we have bad intentions. Right, A Miao?”

“…Yes.” Although A Miao knew who he was, Lan Lixiao had not introduced him to her. She could only pretend to know nothing.

“His name is Li,” Lan Lixiao said and glanced at Li Rong, not going to introduce her.

A Miao quickly said, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Li.”

“This is my gift,” Li Peng said, taking his checkbook from his pocket, then wrote her a check.

“…” A Miao’s heart was twitching and she thought, “Do not give me a gift if you did not prepare it beforehand. What is this?”

Seeing her there frozen, Li Peng furrowed his eyebrows and said, “What’s the matter? Do you think it is too little?”