"100,000? It's 10 million, okay...?"
Zhuang Rui rolled his eyes. You underestimate your taste as a man. A 100,000 yuan item can make you so nervous?
"It really is very valuable..."
Qin Xuanbing stuck out her tongue and remained silent. Although she came from a wealthy family, she rarely saw such an expensive gift. You know, for those rich young men in Hong Kong, keeping a celebrity only costs a few million.
"A guest has arrived..."
While Zhuang Rui and Qin Xuanbing were talking, the third brother standing outside the door shouted, but he stopped before he could finish. He was afraid that the third brother was a resident of the alley and that it would be embarrassing if he called the wrong person.
"Hey, Nobita, Monkey, you're here! We're over here..."
When Zhuang Rui saw the two people peeking out of the alley, along with the girl behind them, he couldn't help but laugh. He waved and greeted them. The people who came were Da Xiong, Hou Zi, and Xiao Jing. Zhuang Rui had called them yesterday and given them this address, but he hadn't mentioned his engagement.
Zhuang Rui was originally a true grassroots man. Although he later accepted his maternal grandfather's marriage, it was only for a little over half a year. He didn't have any sense of class distinctions. Da Xiong and Monkey were his friends, and they were the ones he had invited to Beijing. Of course, he had to invite them to his engagement.
"Brother Zhuang, we've been looking for you for ages! Oh, so this is where you live..."
When Monkey and Da Xiong heard Zhuang Rui's voice, they rushed over, but when they saw the brightly decorated gate with the character "囍" (double happiness) hanging in front of them, they were dumbfounded.
"Brother Zhuang, you...you're getting married? This...this..."
When the monkey saw the somewhat exaggerated front door of Zhuang Rui's house, and then saw the tall and beautiful Qin Xuanbing behind Zhuang Rui, its usually quick tongue suddenly became stammering, and it couldn't utter a single word.
"What is this? It's not a wedding, it's an engagement. We've invited you here for an engagement banquet. Oh, right, you two take Xiaojing inside. Dachuan is inside. Let Xiaojing stay with Dachuan's wife for a while. You two come out and help out..."
Seeing the two of them, Zhuang Rui knew that even if he let them stay inside, Da Xiong and Monkey would probably feel uncomfortable, so he decided to let them help out.
"Brother Zhuang, look... you didn't even say a word, we didn't even bring a red envelope..."
While speaking, Da Xiong frantically tried to take out money to give as a gift.
"Alright, we're all friends, let's skip the formalities and get Xiaojing inside quickly. We'll come out and help later..."
Zhuang Rui pulled Da Xiong aside and escorted the three of them through the gate, without telling them that he was getting engaged today, even though he didn't want them to spend any money.
"Good heavens, is this a place for humans to live?"
Upon entering the courtyard, the monkey looked at the blue bricks, red tiles, and large blue stone floor, as well as the exquisite and elegant hanging flower gate, and felt a bit like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden.
"What are you saying? If you can't speak properly, shut your mouth..."
Da Xiong patted the monkey on the head from behind and then said, "This really isn't a place for humans to live, ptooey, no, this isn't a place for ordinary people to live..."
"Alright, you two, stop talking nonsense..."
Xiao Jing, who was following behind, looked at her boyfriend and the monkey with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. Although she was also shocked by the scene before her, she was relatively calmer. From the grandeur of Zhuang Rui's house, she could tell the social class of the people he associated with. She didn't want her boyfriend to embarrass himself when he went in.
Upon entering the central courtyard, the artificial hill and pavilion dazzled the group. It was just like something out of a Qing Dynasty drama. Da Xiong and Monkey were secretly relieved, thinking that following Zhuang Rui to Beijing was the best decision they had ever made.
"Hey, Da Xiong, Monkey, you two are here too! Come over here..."
Liu Chuan, who was talking to Song Jun, saw Da Xiong and the others and greeted them immediately. Liu Chuan himself was a man who made friends with all sorts of people, so he didn't look down on Monkey and his friends. Meeting fellow townsmen in Beijing was always a happy thing.
"Brother Liu, we were just looking for you. Oh, by the way, this is my wife. Brother Zhuang said she should stay here for a while while we two brothers go out and help out..."
After Da Xiong walked over, he realized that the person sitting next to Liu Chuan was actually Song Jun. Although Song Jun didn't recognize the two of them, they recognized Song Jun and knew that he was a powerful figure. They were a little reserved. After introducing Xiao Jing to Liu Chuan, they prepared to leave.
"Okay, let's go to my wife's group..."
Because there were so many people today, all six main rooms in the central courtyard were cleared out to entertain guests. Elders like Uncle De were accompanied by Ouyang Wan herself, while Song Jun and others were accompanied by Ouyang Jun and his peers. The other women stayed in the side rooms chatting.
Liu Chuan had been slacking off here for half a day, so he stood up, led Xiao Jing to the side room, introduced her to Lei Lei, and then returned to the entrance of the courtyard with Da Xiong and the other two.
It was almost 10 a.m., and more and more guests were arriving. Among them were people Zhuang Rui knew, such as Bai Feng, the host Liu, and Li Jia, who had previously worked with him on a CCTV treasure appraisal program. He was the host of Zhuang Rui's engagement ceremony.
The story of Li Jia becoming the host started when Zhuang Rui called him that day. Li Jia volunteered himself, knowing that Zhuang Rui had a powerful background and that building a good relationship with such a person would definitely be beneficial to him.
Zheng Hua and the Bai siblings from Hong Kong also rushed over, along with several young people Zhuang Rui had met in Hong Kong. They all presented valuable gifts. As for Hu Rong, he was a member of the bride's family and had arrived at the courtyard house long ago.
In addition, Yang Bo, a famous young man from the capital, also came to the door, no one knew where he got the news. As the saying goes, guests are always welcome, so Zhuang Rui invited him in. His group of people had spent quite a bit at Qin Ruilin's place.
"Miao...Feifei...Officer, you're here too..."
As Zhuang Rui and Qin Xuanbing were whispering to each other at the door, a beautiful figure suddenly appeared before them.
Chapter 560 The two women met and felt like they were sitting on pins and needles.
Today, Miao Feifei wasn't wearing her police uniform. Instead, she was wearing a loose, bright red sweater, tight pants, and long black leather boots. Combined with her neat long hair and face that could easily lead to misunderstandings, she gave off a very refreshing vibe.
Although Miao Feifei is slightly shorter than Qin Xuanbing, standing in front of Qin Xuanbing now, she is in no way inferior to Qin Xuanbing in terms of appearance and temperament. The two girls each have their own advantages.
Qin Xuanbing looked noble and elegant, especially after being touched by Zhuang Rui, she exuded the charm of a mature woman. Miao Feifei, on the other hand, was as fresh and refined as a lotus after the rain. The two of them standing together were like plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, each with their own strengths. Moreover, they were both wearing red clothes and looked like brides.
The wolves behind Zhuang Rui were already dazzled. As the saying goes, one should not flirt with a friend's wife. They could not stare directly at Zhuang Rui's wife, but they had no such restraint when looking at Miao Feifei.
"Zhuang Rui, who is this young lady?"
Women's intuition is always extremely sharp. After Zhuang Rui called out Miao Feifei's name, Qin Xuanbing felt something was amiss. She had also greeted several girls at the door with Zhuang Rui earlier, but she had never seen Zhuang Rui show such a hesitant expression before.
"My name is Miao Feifei, and I'm Zhuang Rui's girlfriend!"
"Friend, Ms. Qin, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've often heard your name mentioned by Zhuang Rui before..."
Before Zhuang Rui could answer, Miao Feifei stepped forward and extended her right hand to Qin Xuanbing, but when she spoke, she deliberately emphasized the word "okay!"
The words were so heavy that even the newly arrived Nobita and the monkey could hear them.
"Damn it, you're a friend, that's true, but don't say 'good' through gritted teeth. Also, my buddy's been avoiding you lately. When have I ever mentioned Qin Xuanbing to you so often..."
Zhuang Rui was on the verge of tears. "I'm innocent!" he thought. He glanced at Qin Xuanbing, only to find that she was unmoved by Miao Feifei's words and her expression remained unchanged.
"Xuanbing, let me introduce you, this is..."
"No need, honey. Didn't you tell me before that this must be Officer Miao?"
Zhuang Rui was about to explain to Xuan Bing when Qin Xuan Bing interrupted him, extending her slender hand to shake hands with Miao Feifei. Although the scene looked incredibly harmonious, like two close friends having a conversation, Zhuang Rui always felt that something was off.
Moreover, it seems that Qin Xuanbing has never called him "husband" before, right? To Zhuang Rui, the way she called him "husband" didn't sound very affectionate; it sounded more like she was saying it through gritted teeth.
"Little Feifei is so pretty! Why didn't you come with your boyfriend?"
Qin Xuanbing's seemingly casual question caused Miao Feifei's smiling face to change, but she quickly smiled again and said, "No way, Sister Qin is the prettiest. Otherwise, how could she have Zhuang Rui tied down? Zhuang Rui is very popular with girls..."
"Officer Miao, you can't just say things like that..."
Zhuang Rui couldn't hold back any longer. "Dude, I've never had a girl like me since I was a kid. I dated one in college, but she went abroad right after we started holding hands. I didn't even get to kiss her. I'm more wronged than Dou E!"
"Of course, if Zhuang Rui weren't charming, I wouldn't be able to like him..."
Qin Xuanbing ignored Zhuang Rui, but her words became increasingly sharp, which made Zhuang Rui's face turn bitter. Today was his big day, Officer Miao wasn't such a clueless person, was she?
"Alright, congratulations on your engagement! But engagement isn't the same as marriage, Miss Qin. You need to hold onto Zhuang Rui. Men, sometimes, tsk tsk..."
Miao Feifei felt that her wit was far inferior to Qin Xuanbing's, and since Qin Xuanbing was playing on her home turf, she was at a disadvantage. After saying this, she smiled and greeted Qin Xuanbing and Zhuang Rui before walking through the door.
Of the guys behind Zhuang Rui, only Yue Jing knew that Miao Feifei was a feisty girl. The third brother and Wei Ge were already taken. The remaining fourth brother, a single bachelor, hurriedly followed them inside.
Less than a minute later, the fourth brother came back, limping and staggering.
"Fourth brother, what happened? Did you hurt your foot?"
Yue Jingxiong greeted him with a wicked grin. Knowing Officer Miao as he did, he knew that the fourth brother had definitely suffered a setback, and it seemed that he had also been physically injured.
"That girl... no, Miss Miao's high heels accidentally stepped on me..."
The fourth brother was telling the truth. When he tried to strike up a conversation with Miao Feifei, Officer Miao slowed down and "accidentally" stepped on him. Moreover, the high heel of her leather boot landed right on the fourth brother's foot.
"Ha ha……"
As soon as Lao Si finished speaking, Yue Jingxiong burst into laughter. In the small circle of Beijing, no one was unaware of Xiao Chili's name. Lao Si was simply asking for trouble. What was funniest was that he actually thought Officer Miao had stepped on it accidentally.
"Come here, come here, fourth brother, I have something to tell you..."
Yue Jing pulled Lao Si aside, and the two went to the gatehouse to whisper. Wei Ge was also laughing non-stop. He knew Miao Feifei in Zhonghai and naturally knew about the ambiguous relationship between her and Zhuang Rui. He had been watching with great interest.
"Xuanbing, Officer Miao and I really have nothing going on, we're just friends..."
Zhuang Rui pulled Qin Xuanbing a little further away from his group of friends and quietly explained to his future wife. Although Qin Xuanbing's expression remained unchanged, who knows what she was thinking?
"Of course I believe you. Okay, look at how anxious you are. You haven't done anything wrong, so why are you so worried..."
Qin Xuanbing gently took out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the sweat from Zhuang Rui's forehead. However, her words made Zhuang Rui sweat even more. She had said she believed him at first, but her later words just didn't sound right.
"Oh, how can I possibly convince you..."
Zhuang Rui grew increasingly anxious. This was truly unbearable. Just moments ago, Miao Feifei had been treating him with disdain, and now Qin Xuanbing's attitude had also become rather strange, making Zhuang Rui extremely uncomfortable.
"Damn it, is Miss Miao going to stage a scene from The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber where she tries to steal a husband?"
Although Zhuang Rui knew he hadn't had any real "communication" with Miao Feifei, given her personality, she might actually do something shocking. Thinking of this, sweat poured down Zhuang Rui's forehead.
"It's okay, honey. You've mentioned this girl to me before, I know..."
When Qin Xuanbing saw that Zhuang Rui was really anxious, she couldn't help but laugh. Although she had a little bit of a problem in her heart just now, after thinking about it again, she realized that Miao Feifei's words were sour. Even if Miao Feifei had feelings for Zhuang Rui, she was still the winner. There was no need for her to act like a jealous little woman and push her husband into someone else's arms.
It must be said that Qin Xuanbing is an extremely intelligent woman. If it were any other woman who heard Miao Feifei's last few words, she would inevitably have grabbed her husband's ear and pressed him for answers, which would have only backfired.
Although Hong Kong and Macau also practice monogamy, it is not uncommon for successful men to have multiple wives. For example, the Macau gambling tycoon had six or seven wives. Moreover, Hong Kong has inherited a great deal of traditional Chinese culture, especially in some large families, where it is not uncommon to see a teapot with several teacups.
Of course, these mostly happen to the older generation. The younger generation still finds it hard to accept sharing a husband with others. Qin Xuanbing is no exception, but she believes more in her own charm and is not inferior to that Miss Miao.
Miao Feifei's arrival was just a minor incident, but what Zhuang Rui and Qin Xuanbing were thinking was unknown to outsiders. To be honest, Zhuang Rui also had a good impression of Officer Miao, otherwise he wouldn't have envied Myanmar's marriage system.
However… Zhuang Rui could only think about this secretly. Given the backgrounds and personalities of those two girls, they probably wouldn't allow another woman to share their husbands.
By 11:30 a.m., almost all the guests had arrived. Although most of them were close friends and acquaintances, and no one had been notified of Mr. Ouyang's old subordinates and friends, there were still more than 200 people who came. The rooms in the central courtyard were already full, and many acquaintances were standing and chatting in the central courtyard.
At the entrance of the main building of the central courtyard, a simple shed had been erected. In the middle of the shed, there was a square table with many gifts from others on it. On either side of the table were two chairs, but they were currently empty.
Most notably, on one side of the shed, hung a calligraphy scroll, which was written by a master a few days ago for Zhuang Rui. The scroll read "Harmony between Qin and Se, Perfect Match," and Zhuang Rui took it back to Pengcheng to have it framed by Grandpa Fang.
The reason for hanging this calligraphy there is twofold: firstly, it is quite fitting for the occasion, and secondly, it is to show Zhuang Rui respect for the calligraphy master and Mr. Fang, both of whom hold significant positions in their respective fields.
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, welcome to the engagement ceremony of Mr. Zhuang Rui and Ms. Qin Xuanbing..."
At exactly 11:00 a.m., Li Jia's voice came from several speakers placed in the courtyard, attracting everyone's attention to the center of the courtyard. Zhuang Rui and Qin Xuanbing walked hand in hand to the center of the courtyard as the host spoke.
"Mr. Zhuang Rui is a renowned expert in antique appraisal, jade appraisal, and collector in China..."
The host began introducing Zhuang Rui and Qin Xuanbing to the guests, but Zhuang Rui was puzzled. When did so many expert titles appear after his name?