Others might not know Qu Haobo, but Fatty Wang definitely does. Qu Haobo is quite a talent, with considerable abilities. Both had pursued Xia Xue for several years. Now, it’s unclear why Qu Haobo is in this situation, which makes him quite pitiable.
Although Qu Haobo is used to being arrogant and domineering outside, he shows no such insolence in front of his father, Qu Yongbo, knowing full well that he cannot defy his father—especially in situations like this. He avoids disgracing his father and the Qu Family, for he knows it would make his future miserable.
As for Xia Shuang ntioned by Qu Yongbo earlier, Qu Haobo is certainly aware, as he once had a significant flirtation with her. However, due to Xia Xue, Qu Haobo dared not move forward. He believes that if he proposed, Xia Shuang would have no issue. The problem would be lowering his head in front of Fatty Wang in the future.
"Father, Elder Xia, Xia Shuang and I are in love and hope to receive your blessings!" Qu Haobo, seeing the situation, realized that ntioning Xia Xue was impossible now. He was not against being with Xia Shuang either, given their previous flirtations. If not for concerns about Xia Xue, he wouldn’t have let this chance slip by.
"Good, good, good, I’ll agree on behalf of Shuang! Yu Nong, go bring Shuang over!" Elder Xia holds a decisive position in the Xia Family. Even Xia Yusheng, the current Family Head, cannot oppose him. Despite stepping down from managing family affairs a decade ago, Elder Xia spent forty to fifty years fighting for the Xia Family Corporation. Whether of the sa or younger generation, everyone fears Elder Xia’s accumulated influence.
Xia Yunong was overjoyed. Should his daughter marry into the Qu Family, his stature in the Xia Family would be second only to Xia Yusheng’s, and perhaps soday he might surpass Xia Yusheng, thus he eagerly agreed: "Dad, I’ll go bring Shuang over!
Currently, Xia Yunong holds a middling position within the Xia Family Corporation. Though he has a say in board etings, he’s more of a dependent presence. If his daughter successfully marries into the Qu Family, father reaps daughter’s reward, making him second only to Xia Yusheng in the Xia Family.
"Haobo, you’ll be considered family with Shumin, so stay close!" Qu Yongbo smiled lightly as he said.
"Yes, father!" In his heart, Qu Haobo filled with helplessness, but he couldn’t show any discontent publicly. By now, Qu Haobo understood that his father wanted to align with the Wang Family for his future.
The Qu Family extended an olive branch repeatedly, and the Wang Zhantian brothers couldn’t pretend not to notice. Particularly evident was Qu Haobo’s indifferent expression; it made them wonder whether his purpose here was to propose to Xia Xue but got temporarily vetoed by Qu Yongbo.
Both are seasoned foxes—one in comrce, the other in politics, both having weathered storms for decades. If they couldn’t read such obvious signs, they wouldn’t survive the arena. If the Wang Family could build ties with the powerful Qu Family, it would be beneficial, so why not?
"Our families should also stay close in the future!" Wang Zhantian wouldn’t slight Qu Yongbo, given Qu Yongbo’s proactive friendliness.
Elder Xia was quite pleased. Building ties with both the Qu and Wang Families ant a decade of golden opportunities for Xia’s growth. Currently, the Xia Family is at a bottleneck stage. Their investnt research projects remain stalled, and any disruption in the funding chain or minor issue within an industry might trigger a chain reaction. Hence, the eagerness to ally with the Wang Family, and adding the Qu Family was a superb bonus.
At this mont, Xia Yusheng descended the stairs and whispered a few words to Elder Xia, whose previously jubilant countenance turned gloomy as he barked in a low voice: "What? Then hurry and find her!"
At this mont, a younger mber of the Xia Family entered from the foyer and quickly approached Xia Yusheng, whispering, "Second Uncle, Secretary Luo from the provincial office has arrived!"
Xia Yusheng felt both troubled and delighted. Troubled by Xia Xue’s unscheduled disappearance, yet delighted imdiately upon hearing Secretary Luo’s arrival, affirming Xia Xue’s boyfriend’s significant connection to the Hua Family, a person highly regarded by them. The only downside was that only Secretary Luo ca; had Hua Muyun co personally, it would have been perfect.
Elder Xia initially intended to express anger but llowed upon hearing Xia Yusheng ntion Secretary Luo’s arrival. This pacified his previous frustrations substantially. Though Elder Xia had hosted birthday celebrations before, and invitations were sent to the Hua Family, they typically responded with gifts alone—rarely did any Hua Family mbers attend such events, let alone have Secretary Luo personally present. This weight, in Elder Xia’s eyes, was even more significant than Qu Yongbo’s presence.
No other reason than the Xia Family’s roots in Yanjing, where the Hua Family reigns suprely unmatched. Though unsure of Secretary Luo’s reasons for personally attending, it genuinely pleased Elder Xia.
"Send soone to find Xia Xue and bring her to the hall, and you personally go out to welco Secretary Luo!" Normally, if Secretary Luo were visiting, it should be Elder Xia who would go out to show utmost sincerity, but today is Elder Xia’s eightieth birthday, so it’s sowhat inappropriate. Although that would best express sincerity, it would be too humble, and the Xia Family also holds a certain status and position.
Xia Yusheng maintained a calm deanor, nodded, and walked out.
The hall was filled with harmony; besides the attendance of significant figures like Qu Yongbo from the Qu Family and Wang Zhantian from the Wang Family, the Chen Family and the Sun Family only sent two juniors whom their families valued to congratulate him. This was because they heard about the impending alliance between the Wang Family and the Xia Family; otherwise, in past years, at most they would send gifts without personal attendance.
The rest were either business partners of the Xia Family or so celebrities from Yanjing. Those who could enter this small parlor were considered notable figures in the eyes of outsiders.
Soon, Xia Yusheng personally ushered Secretary Luo into the hall. The Xia Family showed enough sincerity regarding Secretary Luo’s arrival, although Secretary Luo verbally stated he was there only to wish the Elder a happy birthday on his behalf, no one believed that to be entirely true.
Secretary Luo saw both Qu Yongbo and Wang Zhanting present. In theory, their statuses in the officialdom far surpassed that of Secretary Luo, but upon seeing them, Secretary Luo greeted them without any hint of inferiority or arrogance, "Secretary Qu and Minister Wang, you both arrived quite early; my apologies for being rude!"
"Hello, Secretary Luo!" Qu Yongbo and Wang Zhanting rely nodded in return. Although Secretary Luo represented the Hua Family, their own statuses dictated that they could not appear too familiar.
anwhile, other guests of the Xia Family seized this opportunity to engage Secretary Luo in conversation. Secretary Luo wasn’t one to hold people at a distance; he interacted with these mbers of Yanjing’s high society without any air of superiority, treating people with warmth and politeness.
Though Qu Yongbo believed he understood the Hua Family well enough, today he realized how deep the Hua Family’s influence in Yanjing was, completely underestimating the welco received by soone of just a secretary’s rank, much more than himself as the third most prominent figure in Yanjing’s governnt might receive.
Of course, this also showed Qu Yongbo’s slight underestimation of himself. No matter how marginalized he was, he still held the nominal title of the third most important person in Yanjing. Many wanted to curry favor with him, but even if soone wanted to, they needed the courage and backing to do so. Secretary Luo, however, was different; backed by the Hua Family, his status was much lower than Qu Yongbo, and if you overlook this aspect, Secretary Luo actually was on the most comparable level with them, naturally enticing people to befriend him.
When Xiao Lin followed Liu Xuan inside, he soon overheard many discussing the matter of the sky-high gift from Xiao Lin, with several even recognizing him and approaching to establish connections.
Xiao Lin found this extrely botherso and whispered to Liu Xuan, "Get Xia Xue out here; if I stay here any longer, I’ll beco a zoo monkey, watched by everyone!" At first, only a few sporadic individuals were discussing the sky-high gift issue, but as ti went on, more and more people joined in the discussion, and more sought him out.
In just half an hour, the topic had spread throughout the entire venue. Among the nearly two thousand people present, at least a thousand were talking about a young man nad Xiao Lin, with the trend escalating rapidly.
"Who asked you to seek the lilight!" Liu Xuan gave Xiao Lin a sidelong glance; she found Xiao Lin’s awkwardness in social interactions amusing. Soone capable of giving such a generous gift should be a scion of the upper class, for whom socializing should be routine, yet Xiao Lin’s behavior and deanor looked more like a rural boy attending such a gathering for the first ti.
Despite her words, Liu Xuan still dialed Xia Xue’s number, adding with a chuckle, "And you don’t know how to make a phone call yourself?"
At this ti, Xia Xue was anxiously waiting in her room; it was almost seven, and there was still no news of Xiao Lin. Hearing from Liu Xuan on the phone, she exchanged a few words, then hurried downstairs. Fortunately, the white gauze behind her dress was fastened with Velcro, turning the dress into a lovely short ensemble similar to a regular ball gown without that gauze.
"The bride isn’t even using the front door!" Liu Xuan teased as Xia Xue erged, not through the villa’s front door. "No need to rush so eagerly to et your fiancé!"
"Such a chatterbox!" Xia Xue retorted playfully at Liu Xuan. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian) to cast recomndation votes and monthly votes; your support is my greatest motivation.)
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