Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Meeting
Night fell.
The entire Jiang Mansion was as bright as day.
Luxury cars were parked in rows in the garage, and attendants in tuxedos opened doors for the guests, welcoming them inside.
Socialites and nobles, typically seen only in news magazines, were all dressed to the nines, attending solely for a chance to exchange a few words with the Jiang family, who had just returned to the First District.
There was still some time before the banquet began. Several Princes and Princesses from the Imperial Family, along with some older nobles, gathered in the center of the hall, surrounding the Jiang Family Head, Jiang Yi, and her several Beast Husbands. They mingled, clinking glasses and chatting about recent trends.
The younger people were in another area.
Several young females walked into the luxurious banquet hall, exchanged glances, and asked in unison, "Where’s Jiang Youchen?"
An attendant nearby had lost count of how many people had asked that question. He answered respectfully, "Young Master..."
Suddenly, the attendant’s ears twitched.
Hushed gossip from afar reached his ears—
"Jiang Qingli is here too? Oh my god, I don’t want to sit with some country bumpkin who doesn’t even know how to eat caviar!"
"Hahaha, ever since she messed up eating caviar at her coming-of-age ceremony, the Jiang Family has never served the stuff again, right?"
"She hasn’t shown her face in years. She must be here because she knew Jiang Youchen was coming back, right? I heard Yu Chenglan was locked up a few days ago. She probably wants her brother to pull some strings and get him out so she can keep fawning over him..."
"The Jiang family is so unlucky. They can’t even shake someone like her—"
Before he could finish, the male who had just spoken watched wide-eyed as several bodyguards in black surrounded them, their presence intimidating.
Before they could even protest, the lead bodyguard waved his hand. Two others immediately rushed forward, clamping their hands over his mouth and that of the other gossiping male. No matter how they struggled, they were forcibly dragged away.
"Apologies. The Family Head has stated that tonight’s banquet has no place for guests with filthy mouths."
The bodyguard spoke coldly, then, under the shocked gazes of the onlookers, bowed respectfully and withdrew.
And so, the little gossip session came to a stunning conclusion.
The attendant in the distance retracted his gaze, smiled at the young females, and continued where he had left off, "...The Young Master is on the second floor. He will be coming down with Miss Jiang shortly."
「On the second floor, in the dressing room.」
"All done, Miss. What do you think?"
As the makeup artist finished speaking, Jiang Qingli opened her eyes.
The girl in the mirror had skin like snow and lips of red. Her dark hair was swept up, with some strands draping over her left shoulder while the rest cascaded like seaweed down to her waist. When she lifted her jet-black, curly lashes, her beauty was so stunning it was impossible to look away.
When she rose, the hem of her long, silver satin gown swayed, and the diamond necklace at her throat sparkled brilliantly under the lights.
The makeup artist and stylist stared, completely captivated.
But they noticed the girl was staring into the mirror, her mind elsewhere.
She had been like this ever since they’d arrived at the Jiang Mansion this evening to get her ready.
The stylist called her name softly, "Miss...?"
Jiang Qingli snapped back to reality. She looked at her reflection and nodded. "Yes, it’s perfect. Thank you."
Hearing this, all of them looked both surprised and flattered.
’It seems the rumors were true,’ they thought. ’The young miss really has mellowed out. She even thanked us.’
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. The reflection in the mirror showed the girl’s shoulders tensing, as if from a mix of nervousness and fear.
Jiang Qingli paused for a few seconds before calling out nonchalantly, "Who is it?"
"Miss, it’s me." Yi Nuo’s voice came through the door.
Jiang Qingli placed a hand over her heart, letting out a sigh of relief.
But along with the relief came a faint, indescribable tinge of disappointment.
’I thought it was Jiang Youchen...’
Yi Nuo opened the door and went over the evening’s schedule with her one more time.
Seeming to sense her anxiety, Yi Nuo said in a low voice, "Miss, the Princess is here. Young Master Youchen went downstairs ahead of you. He’s with the Family Head and the others right now."
’Are they all waiting for me to come down together...?’
’This is even more terrifying than facing Jiang Youchen alone...’
Jiang Qingli was so nervous she felt nauseous, but there was no turning back. She could only suppress her feelings, stand up, and head downstairs with Yi Nuo.
After descending a few steps, Jiang Qingli’s gaze swept over the scene below.
It was strange. In a banquet hall teeming with socialites, her eyes immediately found the tall woman in the crowd.
She had black hair and black eyes and wore a blue gown. Her eyes curved when she smiled, giving her a friendly air that didn’t diminish her authority.
Even among so many distinguished individuals, she stood out as a natural leader.
The moment she saw her, Jiang Qingli’s eyes suddenly stung.
Her lips parted, and an uncontrollable whisper escaped them. "Mom..."
As if sensing her gaze, Jiang Yi turned her head slightly.
Jiang Qingli’s heart leaped, and she dug her fingernails into her palm, the sharp sting grounding her.
But it seemed Jiang Yi had only shifted position incidentally, as she immediately turned back to chat with the red-haired female beside her.
Instead, it was the young man next to her who glanced in their direction.
Across the vast, crowded banquet hall, Jiang Qingli was caught off guard as her eyes met Jiang Youchen’s.
Her mind went blank for a second. She stood stunned for a few moments before hurriedly lowering her head.
Her steps faltered, and she nearly missed a stair, saved only by Yi Nuo, who was there to steady her.
Jiang Qingli pulled her hand away, took a few more steps with her head down, and then couldn’t resist looking up again.
This time, Jiang Youchen’s face was turned to the side as he spoke with someone else. She immediately noticed his tightly furrowed brow and clenched jaw, as if he were suppressing his anger.
An inappropriate mix of annoyance and indignation welled up inside her.
’What’s his problem?’ she thought. ’He just glanced at me. Does he have to furrow his brow hard enough to crush a fly?’
’I didn’t even do anything to him!’
Jiang Qingli stomped her foot a little harder on the step, as if to vent her frustration.
She had planned to slip away to a quieter spot, but the moment she reached the bottom of the stairs, someone noticed her. "Miss Jiang, it’s been a long time!"
Jiang Qingli had no idea who this man striking up a conversation was, but she put on a polite, practiced smile and exchanged a few pleasantries.
There was no small number of people who wanted to curry favor with the Jiang Family.
This was especially true now that Jiang Qingli was a rare S+ grade Healing System user, and with rumors circulating that Jiang Youchen would be staying in the First District, no one wanted to miss such a prime opportunity.
Before long, several males had gathered around Jiang Qingli, trying to cozy up to her in any way they could.
She responded to them absentmindedly, her eyes subtly scanning the room, searching for her Beast Husband and friends.
’If someone I knew was here, it would at least ease some of this tension.’
"What are you looking for, Miss Jiang?" someone noticed her discomfort and said with a smirk. "Surely we aren’t so beneath your notice? Perhaps you’ve forgotten, Miss Jiang, but we used to swim together as children. You even praised my excellent form..."
As he spoke, he reached out for Jiang Qingli’s arm—
However, before he could touch her skin, a cold, deep voice sounded from behind them. "Since Mr. Zhao is so keen on demonstrating his swimming form, the pond in the backyard seems like an excellent venue."
Mr. Zhao froze, staring in panic at Jiang Youchen, who had appeared as suddenly and silently as a ghost.
Before he could utter a single word to smooth things over, Yi Nuo seized him and forcibly dragged him away in the direction of the backyard.
Seeing Jiang Youchen, the other males who had been eagerly vying for her attention instantly sobered up, hastily excused themselves, and fled.
A large empty space cleared out around them.
Jiang Youchen was long accustomed to this.
He glanced sideways at the girl beside him.
From the moment he appeared, Jiang Qingli had kept her head down, staring at the tips of her shoes. Her whole body was tense, like an overinflated balloon ready to pop at the slightest touch.
The young man’s fingers twitched at his side, but he ultimately pulled his hand back.
He took a step back, his voice calm. "It’s about to start. Let’s go."
With that, he took the lead and began to walk.
Jiang Qingli followed him, her heart pounding so hard she thought it would leap out of her throat.
She didn’t know why she was so nervous.
She understood even less why, when Jiang Youchen had drawn near just now, her eyes had stung with tears and she’d felt an unconscious urge to move closer to him.
The patterns of light and shadow shifted underfoot as they walked.
After what felt like an eternity, the man in front of her suddenly stopped.
Jiang Qingli wasn’t paying attention and almost bumped into his back. Thankfully, there was still some distance between them, and she stopped just in time.
The surrounding lights suddenly dimmed.
The next moment, a bright spotlight fell from above, bathing her and the young man before her in a pool of brilliant white light.
Dust motes danced in the air.
Jiang Youchen turned to face her.
The young man executed a perfect, formal bow, then offered her his hand, palm up.
A gentle melody began to play, and all eyes in the hall turned to them.
In that instant, Jiang Qingli finally understood.
’He was inviting me.’
’Inviting me to share the first dance of the evening.’
