LUO WEI TIAN watched the exchange between Shen Yi Mu and Jiang Yue. When the three of them had walked over with Bai Ze, he had felt his body go tense. He forced himself not to look directly at Shen Ji Yun. He was afraid the anger would co rushing back if he did. It wasn’t hard to keep his focus elsewhere, especially after Shen Yi Mu introduced the man standing beside him.
At first, Luo Wei Tian thought the man looked familiar. It took him a full minute to rember where he had seen Jiang Yue before. He was a counselor at Guizhu Academy. Luo Wei Tian had t him when he transferred Luo Yan there two years ago. How had he ended up acquainted with Shen Yi Mu?
But that question seed to answer itself when he saw how Shen Yi Mu treated Jiang Yue. It wasn’t just the way he introduced him. It was the way he looked at him, like Jiang Yue was the most important person in the room. Before, Luo Wei Tian wouldn’t have thought anything of it. But after discovering his son’s relationship with Shen Ji Yun, he couldn’t help but read more into these kinds of interactions between n.
Was Shen Yi Mu also batting for the sa team? Was that why Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan had found it so easy to tell him about their relationship? Because he would understand? Unlike him?
At that thought, the hurt and frustration from the night before threatened to resurface. Luo Wei Tian shut his eyes for a mont and took a slow, deep breath. When he opened them again, he had regained his composure.
He couldn’t afford to lose his temper now. Tonight was about Luo Yan and Luo Jin. He could let it all out tomorrow, when they finally had that talk.
Off to the side, Shen Ji Yun watched the different emotions cross Uncle Wei Tian’s face before it settled back into calm. It happened so quickly that no one else probably noticed. He only did because he had been staring.
He wanted to see what’s Uncle Wei Tian’s reaction would be seeing him here. But surprisingly, or probably not, the other didn’t look in his direction. He could only think of that as a sign that he was still angry at him. Which was understandable. Still, it sucked.
After a few more minutes of talking, they stepped away from the group gathered around Uncle Chen and Uncle Wei Tian. Bai Ze finally led him, his uncle, and Uncle Yue to their assigned table.
Bai Ze stopped in front of a round table near the center of the room. Shen Yi Mu pulled out a chair for Jiang Yue. Jiang Yue glanced at him, smiled, then sat down. Shen Ji Yun took the seat beside his uncle. Bai Ze was about to sit as well when he suddenly slapped his forehead.
"Ah, right! I forgot to tell you sothing," he said. "I only just found out earlier when we got here. I really don’t know what Mom was thinking, but she invited—"
His phone buzzed. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and a grin spread across his face.
"Sorry, my guest just arrived," he said, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "I need to go pick her up."
Before anyone could respond, he was already walking away, weaving through the crowd toward the entrance.
Shen Ji Yun watched Bai Ze hurry off. With how excited he looked, the guest he ntioned was probably that girl from Arcadia with the cat girl avatar. But he couldn’t help wondering what Bai Ze had been about to say before his phone rang. Sothing about Aunt Xiulan inviting... He didn’t get to finish the thought because a nearby guest said sothing that caught his attention.
"Aren’t those the young masters from the Shen family?"
Shen Ji Yun’s head turned toward the entrance before he could stop himself. And there they were. Shen Lin and Shen Xin, walking into the banquet hall.
***
Luo Yan read the ssage from Shen Ji Yun. The other said he had already arrived at the banquet hall, and that Uncle Yi Mu and Uncle Yue were with him. Luo Yan typed back quickly, telling him he would probably be down any minute.
"Mom, can’t I just go down with you?" Bai Ye whined. "I want to be at the party too."
"Xiao Ye, we talked about this," Sun Xiulan said gently, crouching down to his level. She didn’t mind if her dress got wrinkled. "The party is for adults tonight. But you won’t be alone. Aunt Zhou is here to stay with you. You can play video gas until nine, and then it’s bedti. That’s not too bad, is it? The night will go by faster than you think."
Bai Ye pouted. "Then can I have extra snacks while I play? At least two kinds. No, three." He held up three small fingers, his eyes hopeful.
As the mother and son were doing their little ’negotiation’, Luo Yan received another ssage from Shen Ji Yun.
[luckycloud]: My cousins are here.
Luo Yan’s eyes went wide when he read the ssage.
[yanyan1213]: Which cousins? Is Shen Xin one of them?
[luckycloud]: The sons of my eldest uncle. And yeah, Shen Xin is here.
Luo Yan turned to his aunt. "Aunt Xiulan, did you invite the Shen family?"
Aunt Xiulan had already stood up and was smoothing out her dress when she answered. "Yes. I sent invitations to all the influential families in B City. Why do you ask?"
"Brother Ji Yun just ssaged ," he said. "He said his cousins are here. The sons of his eldest uncle."
Luo Jin glanced at him when he said that.
"Ah, they must have sent them as their representatives," Aunt Xiulan said. "The older family mbers must be busy. And since they couldn’t exactly ignore our invitation, they sent the younger ones instead."
Luo Yan just nodded. He couldn’t exactly ask his aunt why she had invited them. He should have seen this coming, really. She had made it clear she was inviting every important family in B City. And the Shen family was one of the most influential families here.
He closed his eyes for a mont. He really hoped nothing would go wrong in this party.
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