"It's alright, Lao Lu is here." Zhou Xiaoqi shook his head indifferently. "Besides, today we've invited some good friends, and we have a good relationship, so it's not awkward. They can come here as if they're at home, so there's no need to be too welcoming."
"Seventh Sister, this little garden is so beautiful," Xia Yuwen said in a very formal manner.
The garden was indeed beautiful. Although the peach blossoms that were supposed to bloom hadn't even formed buds due to the unusual climate, the tulips that Zhou Xiaoqi had planted were blooming profusely. The tulips of various colors adorned this small garden like a beautiful painting.
"Thank you! It's just that the peach blossoms haven't been blooming this year. I think the weather has become very unusual." Zhou Xiaoqi was very casual and didn't say too many polite words. She really liked this little guy, and by extension, she liked the quiet and pretty Xia Yuwen.
"By the way, Seventh Sister." Lin Yao was even more casual. Although this villa couldn't have been bought for less than ten million, Lin Yao didn't feel anything special. He just liked the tranquility of the small garden. "With your family being so rich, why do you still work at Hongyuan? Do you even care about that little salary?"
“I didn’t want to either.” Zhou Xiaoqi showed no dissatisfaction, but her words were full of emotion. “It’s because Lao Lu won’t let me do business. Otherwise, I could have bought two villas like this. He said it’s because he’s a construction worker and he has to be careful about his image, so I can only work for someone else.”
“Then you could manage the market or something, the income would be much higher.” Lin Yao was surprised by Zhou Xiaoqi’s words. He didn’t expect that she had earned the huge villa by working. He really didn’t expect this older sister to be so capable.
“Managing business still requires showing your face and dealing with people, so I might as well do it myself to avoid ruining the Lu family’s reputation. That’s why I decided to do finance work; you don’t see me except when I’m commuting to and from get off work.” Zhou Xiaoqi sighed. “These women, marrying too well isn’t good either. Others marry into wealth and luxury, but I have to lower my status when I marry. There’s nothing I can do, sigh…”
"Come on, you have 'luck' written on your right cheek and 'blessing' on your left. You're so happy you're practically bursting with joy. What more could you want?" Lin Yao saw through Zhou Xiaoqi's exclamation and was genuinely pleased with this older sister's happy life.
"Seventh Sister is so great! She actually gave up her career for love." Xia Yuwen gave a perfectly appropriate expression of admiration, making Zhou Xiaoqi feel even happier and that all her sacrifices were worthwhile.
"Wenwen is amazing too, she actually found a poor and powerless guy like me. Don't tell Seventh Sister that your family isn't well-off, okay?"
Zhou Xiaoqi immediately responded with praise. In her opinion, although Lin Yao could work casually at the company and earn more than 10,000 yuan a month, he didn't seem like a spoiled brat at all. His usual words and actions were so stingy that he wished he could exchange his earwax for money. He didn't seem like a rich kid at all.
As for showing off, she simply didn't believe it. What kid could show off to such a convincing degree?
On the other hand, although they had only just met, Zhou Xiaoqi, with her keen eyes, immediately judged that Xia Yuwen came from a noble family and that her demeanor and manners were not something that ordinary girls could imitate.
Therefore, Zhou Xiaoqi concluded that this was a girl with similar aspirations as herself, and thus admired her even more.
"Seventh Sister speaks too highly of me. I'm not as great as Seventh Sister."
Xia Yuwen lowered her head shyly and secretly glanced at Lin Yao beside her. She thought to herself that this guy was really rich and might become the richest man in the country. But even if he didn't have money and even if he looked like a hoodlum, maybe she would be willing if he took the initiative. Back then, he was often on her mind.
Ever since learning that the hoodlum Lin Yao was the heir of the Minhong family, Xia Yuwen had been following Minhong's news constantly. Now, they had opened more than a thousand hospitals and clinics. Just the amount of fixed assets they had was unimaginable. Moreover, Xia Yuwen was a business administration major, so she was even more familiar with these figures.
At this moment, Lin Yao also felt quite moved. Giving up what one loves most for love can be considered a noble act.
Back then, his parents gave up their most beloved careers for him, which was just as noble as Zhou Xiaoqi's sacrifice now. This was the first time Lin Yao had experienced such behavior from an outsider, and it deeply moved him.
“Come on, don’t just sit in the garden all the time. If you like the tulips here, Xiao Lin, pick as many as you want and give them to Wenwen when you leave. I won’t mind.” Zhou Xiaoqi took Xia Yuwen’s hand and walked towards the back door of the living room. “Come in with me and let those uncles and aunts see the beauty. Let them know that I have a handsome younger brother and a beautiful sister-in-law.”
When Zhou Xiaoqi so openly declared that Xia Yuwen was Lin Yao's other half, Xia Yuwen's face instantly turned red again. Her shy and girlish demeanor made Zhou Xiaoqi unable to resist reaching out and gently stroking her cheek, which made Lin Yao, who was following behind, jealous. He thought to himself, "I haven't even touched her yet."
Upon entering the hall, one finds a dozen or so guests already seated in the approximately 150-square-meter space. They are mostly middle-aged men and women, gathered in small groups, chatting animatedly, with bursts of hearty laughter frequently heard.
After scanning the area, Lin Yao's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he involuntarily froze.
I saw someone I know!
Beijing boasts a population of over 20 million, with rumors suggesting a staggering 100 million. In such a vast sea of people, bumping into an acquaintance is an incredibly low probability event!
Even less likely than a low-probability event is encountering two acquaintances at the same time, one of whom should never be in Beijing. How could Lin Yao not be surprised?
Situ Hao, the person Lin Yao first met under the public identity of a divine doctor, appeared in Zhou Xiaoqi's living room. Of course, this public identity was only something Situ Hao himself guessed, and had nothing to do with Lin Yao's honesty. At that time, Lin Yao was hiding his identity and couldn't be seen by others.
How did Zhang Zheng, a former military lieutenant colonel who should be working in the Chongqing public security system, end up here?
Lin Yao had a premonition that his identity was about to be exposed. He thought to himself that he had achieved remarkable success in his work in the world, but it was not enough. If Zhou Xiaoqi found out his identity, wouldn't he be out of luck? He wouldn't be able to properly observe the lives, behaviors, and thoughts of ordinary people anymore.
The expected exposure did not occur. Everyone only glanced at the three people who entered the hall before turning back to their own group's conversation. At most, they lingered on Xia Yuwen for a little longer because of her graceful figure.
Fortunately, the hall was large enough, and the back door leading to the garden was at the other end, far enough away from the party venue, so there weren't too many men's burning gazes bothering Xia Yuwen, thus avoiding arousing Lin Yao's jealousy.
There are many women with good figures. Nowadays, in order to maintain their figures, some girls even starve themselves into anorexia. But a good figure alone is not enough. So the men, who are used to seeing all kinds of things, didn't pay much attention to it until the three approached.
"Happy birthday, Seven Fairy Girls!" A man greeted Zhou Xiaoqi, which Lin Yao found very annoying.
What Lin Yao disliked wasn't what the middle-aged man said, but the burning gaze he gave Xia Yuwen. That intense look made Lin Yao want to give him a good beating.
"Thank you, Mr. Liu!" Zhou Xiaoqi replied politely. "I am truly flattered that you could take time out of your busy schedule to attend my birthday banquet. As I am just a humble man, I didn't want to bother you and delay your business, but I was very honored that you still came!"
"Not at all, not at all. Although the old master of the Lu family forbids the Seventh Fairy from doing business, we've always admired your talent in the business world. How could I miss such a great day? No matter how busy I am, I have to come, haha." The man called General Manager Liu laughed heartily, puffing out his chest in a grand gesture. "And this is..."
"Oh, this is my sister-in-law, this is my brother, and this is President Liu." Zhou Xiaoqi gave a perfunctory introduction to the three of them, and then continued, "President Liu, you can go and attend to your friend first. I'll go and arrange for my brother and sister-in-law to sit down."
The three passed each other, leaving Mr. Liu puzzled. "When did this Seventh Fairy have a younger brother? And a sister-in-law? That must be a lie!"
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Chapter 305 Acquaintances Gather
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The considerate Zhou Xiaoqi arranged a quiet corner for Lin Yao and Xia Yuwen, a bit far from the group of chatting men, and then excused herself to attend to the guests.
Xia Yuwen was a little reserved. She was used to these kinds of occasions, but this time she felt very different. She felt uneasy, sweet, and had a faint desire to be recognized.
"Want to watch the show?" Lin Yao noticed Xia Yuwen's expression and thought to himself that it was time to let Situ Hao know his true colors. It was really not right to keep such a good brother hidden from him.
"Okay, what kind of show?" Xia Yuwen became interested, feeling that anything Lin Yao said was good.
"etc."