Xu Ke and Lin ngyao ca out of the room during dinner. Perhaps love had nourished her, as Lin ngyao’s face turned rosy, her waist swayed gracefully as she walked, and the springti glint at the corners of her eyes and eyebrows made her seem like a walking hormone. It was Tang Zhongwei’s first ti seeing Lin ngyao like this, and she was sowhat transfixed.
By Lin ngyao’s side, Xu Ke looked like a well-fed big cat, appearing lazy yet wild, which left Tang Zhongwei startled once more.
"Have you been doing well at ho these days when Yaoyao and I were not around?" Xu Ke glanced up at Yu Xia and asked.
"I’m doing well, I’ve been getting along happily with my classmates at school, and at ho, Grandpa Zhao is taking care of . Overall, I’m very satisfied," Yu Xia tilted her head and answered earnestly.
"That’s good to hear. I was worried you’d have a hard ti adjusting with and your Sister Yaoyao not around. Now that I see you’re fine, we can rest easy." Xu Ke said with a smile and placed so food he found tasty onto Lin ngyao’s plate.
For a mont, the atmosphere at the dining table was quite harmonious.
Because of being caught red-handed before, Tang Zhongwei didn’t dare openly stare at Xu Ke this ti, instead secretly glancing at him from the corner of her eyes, which were filled with envy and jealousy that she herself didn’t notice.
Why can’t I et such an outstanding, wealthy, faithful, and gentle man? Why can’t he belong to ? Tang Zhongwei heard her heart questioning.
She lowered her eyes, lost in thought.
"You’re back just in ti. I received an invitation from Madam Feng a few days ago. I plan to go. Would you like to join ?" Lin ngyao asked, setting aside the food on her plate.
"Madam Feng?" Xu Ke furrowed his brow and thought for a mont, realizing there was no recollection of this family in his mind, and looked at Lin ngyao with a hint of confusion.
"It’s normal you don’t know. Madam Feng’s family has risen from the local area, reportedly with impressive achievents there, so they’ve been transferred to Shangjing. This is their first banquet in Shangjing, and they’ve sent the invitations to us. I thought it might not be good to refuse, so I asked Grandpa Zhao to prepare so outfits for us to attend," Lin ngyao explained softly.
"What’s their position upon arriving in Shangjing?" Xu Ke put down his food and inquired.
"I think they’ve entered the Industrial and Comrcial Bureau," Lin ngyao replied after a mont of thought.
"It seems the forr director of the Industrial and Comrcial Bureau is about to step down. Since they’re coming up at this ti, the position might not be too low. Since they’ve already sent us invitations, let’s make a trip. We don’t know what they like, but I still have a painting set in my room, let’s bring it along as a gift," Xu Ke said after thinking for a mont.
"But they are new to Shangjing, and they might not accept such things, plus their position isn’t settled yet. If we send gifts too early, would that be improper?" Lin ngyao hesitated.
"Whether they accept it or not isn’t important; what’s important is our gesture. Offering help in a ti of need is far better than adding flowers to a brocade. Even if they don’t reach the position we anticipate, it doesn’t matter; it can serve as an act of goodwill. Besides, it’s just a painting; it doesn’t cost much, don’t overthink it," Xu Ke said, patting Lin ngyao’s head.
"You’re right, I was overthinking it," Lin ngyao said, rubbing her forehead.
With a clear pause in their conversation, Tang Zhongwei thought for a mont before tentatively asking, "Can I go to the banquet you ntioned with you?"
Lin ngyao and Xu Ke turned their attention to Tang Zhongwei’s face.
Tang Zhongwei felt a bit nervous, but the thought of the kinds of people she might encounter at such an event quickly dispelled her nervousness.
"I’ve never been to such occasions, I’d love to go to broaden my horizons, okay, cousin? Besides, Xiaxia would go to such events too, right? If you all go, I’ll be left alone at ho, and that would be really boring. Please let go with you, I promise I won’t make trouble or cause any issues, alright?" Tang Zhongwei pledged with three fingers up.
Lin ngyao frowned, feeling that Tang Zhongwei’s request was a bit excessive.
Yu Xia glanced at Lin ngyao, then turned to Tang Zhongwei and said, "You’re mistaken, I’m not going with my sister and brother-in-law. They’re going for business, and since I don’t understand any of that, there’s no point in going. So I never attend such banquets, and I’ll stay with you at ho, so you won’t be bored."
Yu Xia’s smiling face looked exceedingly annoying to Tang Zhongwei, who couldn’t help but grit her back teeth, trying her best to suppress the urge to bite down.
"But I’ve never attended such a grand banquet. I want to go to see and gain insights. I could just hide in a corner once there and be content just to see it," Tang Zhongwei pleaded with Lin ngyao.
"Cousin, after all, I’m your cousin. Wouldn’t it be bad if people found out I’m just an uninford bumpkin? It could reflect poorly on you too. Just consider it letting exercise, alright?" Tang Zhongwei said, looking sowhat pitiable.
"You know it’s a grand banquet, and those attending are affluent or influential. Do you understand the etiquette of such events? Do you know whom you can disregard, whom you should respect, and whom you can interact with as equals? Do you understand the network of relationships behind everyone? If you don’t know these things and attend, do you realize how much trouble you might bring to your sister and brother-in-law? Best case, you might directly lose a project because of you; worse case, you might beco a constant target, leading to diminished assets in the end. Have you considered these consequences? Can you bear them?" Yu Xia said, looking directly into Tang Zhongwei’s eyes.
This ti, it was Xu Ke and Lin ngyao who turned surprised looks toward Yu Xia, seeing for the first ti this sharp side of her. She appeared like a little porcupine with its spike raised, ready to prick anyone who got too close.
Xu Ke and Lin ngyao both chose not to interrupt Yu Xia’s words, as they were grounded in truth.
A banquet isn’t sowhere you can attend just because you wish, nor is it a place where hiding in a corner ans you’re safe. It’s another kind of battlefield; winning could yield rich returns, while losing, though not catastrophic, could cause considerable harm.
Yu Xia continued, "Until you’ve learned and understood these things, it’s best not to attend such events. I’ve been studying them lately, and once you learn, sister and brother-in-law will naturally take you to a banquet. If you’re keen on going, you can join in learning this stuff. Once you’ve mastered it, we can showcase ourselves together; how does that sound?" Yu Xia said sweetly, holding Tang Zhongwei’s hand, as if oblivious to the anger in her eyes.
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