Banquet

About half a bottle of IV fluid later, Qin Qingyan stirred awake in a daze. The first thing she saw was the pale ceiling, lit by a single fluorescent light. Looking down, she saw three or four IV bottles of different sizes crowded together, then followed the thin tubing to the back of her hand where the needle was taped in place.

There was no one around. She closed her eyes weakly.

Then she heard the sound of water and quickly turned toward the door, her gaze carrying a tentative hope. Yan Yue had just finished washing the fruit and came out carrying the basket. Seeing that Qin Qingyan was awake, she finally relaxed.

She hurried over and asked, “Does your head still hurt?” Then she sat in the chair beside the bed and set the fruit on the bedside table.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” Qin Qingyan said, staring at her.

Yan Yue reached out to check her forehead. It was still burning hot; she didn’t seem to have fully broken the fever yet.

“There are still two bottles left. You should feel better after they’re done,” Yan Yue said. “Are you hungry?”

“Have you eaten?” Qin Qingyan asked back weakly.

“Not yet. I’m not hungry,” Yan Yue said gently.

Qin Qingyan understood at once. “I’m hungry. I want wontons; a large portion.”

When the delivery arrived, the wontons were still steaming hot.

After the bed was raised, Qin Qingyan glanced at the overflowing bowl and said, “That’s too much. You eat some first; I can’t finish all of that.”

Only then did Yan Yue understand what she meant. Smiling, she ate a few to indulge her. What she’d said about not being hungry had been true; at least for the moment, she didn’t feel hungry.

After eating five or six to take the edge off, she lifted more with a spoon, blew on them a little, and held them to Qin Qingyan’s lips.

Qin Qingyan gave her face and finished the rest in one breath. She also tried some of the fruit they had prepared.

By the time they were ready to leave, it was past eight in the evening. The streets were lit with brilliant colors; the people moving through them looked livelier than they had in daytime, carrying a rare sense of freedom and energy. They walked in twos and threes.

Qin Qingyan looked at everyone they passed and smiled at their smiles. Today hadn’t been much of a good day, but Yan Yue had made it a very good one.

When she looked back at Yan Yue, her grip tightened a little. Yan Yue tightened hers in return, smiling too.

After she recovered, Qin Qingyan went back to being busy with filming. Yan Yue accepted an invitation to attend a gala. The people coming and going there were all business elites; aside from work necessities, she usually rarely appeared at such events.

This time she came representing the Yan family. The moment she appeared with Yan Yicheng, it inevitably caused quite a stir and a round of discussion. Under the probing gazes of the crowd, Yan Yue leaned toward Yan Yicheng and said a few words in a low voice. He nodded, and then Yan Yue sat off alone in an unoccupied corner, waiting quietly for the event to end.

On the table in front of her were only alcohol and soft drinks, none of which she liked. She poured herself a cup of warm water and took small sips.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone walking toward her and looked over. It was Xu Changlan, the Xu Family’s eldest daughter. The man accompanying her took Yan Yue a moment to recognize; he was Zheng Chong’s nephew, Zheng Jingteng.

The two of them came over arm in arm and greeted her politely.

“President Yan, is anyone sitting here?” Xu Changlan asked.

Yan Yue smiled lightly. “Go ahead.” Her gaze flicked to their linked arms, then moved away without a trace.

Xu Changlan returned a smile. As she sat down, the long white legs half-hidden beneath her qipao were strikingly alluring. She settled lightly onto the soft sofa.

Zheng Jingteng was handsome and upright; standing beside the well-maintained Xu Changlan, the two of them looked almost like siblings.

He got up as if to pour wine, discreetly withdrawing his arm, and asked Yan Yue politely whether she would like anything to drink, with equal parts courtesy and private intent.

Naturally, Yan Yue declined.

“President Yan doesn’t drink?” Xu Changlan asked.

“I’ll have a few glasses in special circumstances,” Yan Yue said. “I just don’t like alcohol.”

“Jingteng.” Xu Changlan called him. Zheng Jingteng immediately understood and was about to stand again, but one sentence from Yan Yue made him sit back down with a trace of disappointment.

Yan Yue said, “Thank you for the thought. Warm water is enough for me.” There was still more than half a cup in front of her.

Seeing that Yan Yue clearly had no intention of chatting, Xu Changlan also dropped the pleasantries and got straight to why she had come.

“President Yan, I heard Yan Group keeps pouring money into the newly developed project in the suburbs of the capital. Would the Xu Family be able to get in on it too?” Xu Changlan asked.

Yan Group’s way of doing things was as steady as a rock. Following them meant less profit, but at least there would be something to eat.

“You want to invest?” Yan Yue’s interest was piqued. So that was what they were after.

“A starving camel is still bigger than a horse. The Xu Family is only a small family after all; being able to take a piece of the pie would already be lucky enough,” Xu Changlan said.

Yan Yue smiled. “The Xu Family’s foundation couldn’t possibly be reduced to misery just because Zheng Chong is in the middle of it. Madam Zheng’s joke is a little too much.”

Xu Changlan held onto her smile. Every word Yan Yue said was aimed at her, but she could not afford to show her displeasure.

“President Yan, with such a large family business and such deep roots, even the biggest storm would only knock off a fresh leaf or two; it’s hardly worth mentioning. Zheng Chong brought his troubles on himself and deserves what he gets. How could the Xu Family be shaken because of him? Still, I don’t think anyone dislikes having more money, do they?” Xu Changlan said.

Yan Yue listened, took a sip of water, and said, “If the Xu Family makes a move at this point, it will only end in a complete loss.”

“Why? If the risk is that great, why is Yan Group still throwing money into it?” Xu Changlan asked, confused. Her head was full of all the messy information surrounding the capital’s suburbs project.

“Think of it like throwing buns at a dog; only this one is a dog that’s starving badly. If you want to beat it to death, you’d better prepare a whole pile of buns. Yan Group doesn’t lack that many buns. The Xu Family’s foundation might be just enough to feed it, but not enough to keep throwing buns at it. In the end, you’d only end up handing it over to someone else,” Yan Yue said with a smile.

Her words sounded half true and half false; Xu Changlan had no way of telling which part was real. She had long had her eye on that tempting piece of meat in the suburbs of the capital. Asking her to give it up now, she felt unwilling no matter how she thought about it.

Was Yan Yue being kind enough to help her? But what if what she said was true... then wouldn’t the Xu Family be ruined by her own hand?

Xu Changlan was deep in thought by herself while Yan Yue calmly took another small sip of warm water.

Since their conversation began, Zheng Jingteng had kept glancing at Yan Yue from time to time. Every smile she gave, every time she lifted a hand, every single move she made tugged at his heart.

The moment he entered the banquet hall, his attention had been fixed on her. The white evening gown accentuated her figure beautifully; a very pale gradient gray line curved from her shoulder down to her waist, becoming almost white at the side of her waist and blending into the snow-white fabric of the dress.

He stole another look and noticed the necklace around her neck.

QQY...

What did that mean? Zheng Jingteng withdrew his gaze, maintaining proper decorum so as not to arouse Xu Changlan’s suspicion.

Xu Changlan, sharp as ever, noticed his thoughts. After the two of them said goodbye to Yan Yue and went off to greet the other directors, her smile remained unchanged, while her words became deeper and more inscrutable.

“I almost thought just now that you wouldn’t be able to take your eyes off her.”

Zheng Jingteng’s heart gave a jolt. He said coolly, “I remember Yan Yue doesn’t have a lover. I was only curious about what those three letters around her neck might mean.”

His tone was cold, carrying the displeasure of being misunderstood. Xu Changlan finally relaxed, and coaxed him softly, “All right, I was just saying it offhand. After all, Yan Yue would never choose someone who can do nothing for her.”

Zheng Jingteng clenched his teeth, staring straight ahead.

“Tell me what you saw,” Xu Changlan said.

So Zheng Jingteng told her. After hearing it, Xu Changlan was also completely baffled, but she had no interest in digging deeper. She only kept those three letters in mind.

For the rest of the time, Yan Yue felt bored beyond measure. In the distance, Yan Yicheng, dressed in a sharp black suit, was skillfully and calmly chatting with one company president after another. For a moment, she felt comforted, yet a hint of sadness also lingered in her heart.

Her phone lit up; Qin Qingyan had replied.

Yan Yue: “Done filming?”

Qin Qingyan replied immediately: “Mm. What about you? Still not finished?”

Yan Yue: “Not yet. I’ll have to trouble Teacher Qin to come pick me up.”

The other side immediately sent her a sticker of a figure standing at attention and saluting, which made Yan Yue unable to stop smiling.

Setting the phone down, Yan Yue picked up her cup and drank another mouthful of warm water.

About twenty minutes later, Qin Qingyan had already arrived outside the gala and sent Yan Yue a message. Yan Yue stood up only then realized she had not eaten a single thing, yet somehow felt full.

A large bottle of water on the table was now less than half gone.

She went over to explain a few things to Yan Yicheng. Yan Yicheng pressed his lips together, then after a long moment said, “Not coming home?”

“No,” Yan Yue said with a smile. “I’ve got plans tonight; my friends are waiting for me outside.”

Even without any plans, Yan Yicheng knew Yan Yue would not come. He longed for the family to be reunited, but he also did not want to make things difficult for her. After a moment, he only told her to be careful, then escorted her to the door and watched as she got into the car before turning back to the feast of vanity and flattery.

From inside the car, Yan Yue looked at her younger brother’s tall, steady back from afar. The loose hair of his childhood was now neatly styled; his leather shoes shone brightly, and his steps were calm and composed as he walked into a crowd full of fawning voices.

She looked away and took a deep breath, blinking quickly to steady herself.

There were quite a few people in the car; Bai Ruo and the others were there too.

“President Yan, your brother,” Bai Ruo said, beaming as she held up a thumbs-up she could barely restrain.

Su Yan nudged her. “You’re bold enough to praise another man right in front of your woman? That deserves this too.” She raised her own thumb.

“Oh, come on, I’m just appreciating him. You know what appreciating means? Humans have a natural admiration for beautiful things, but it’s only appreciation. My heart still belongs to my Arli.” Bai Ruo reacted quickly and hurriedly hugged Li Xian’s arm.

Listening to the teasing from the back seat, Qin Qingyan reached over and took Yan Yue’s hand. Smiling at her, she immediately understood what Yan Yue meant and smiled back. Not a word needed to be said; the two of them already had a tacit understanding that belonged only to them.

After dropping Su Yan, Bai Ruo, and the others off, only the two of them were left in the car. Qin Qingyan did not drive straight back to Jingsheng. Instead, she took Yan Yue along a detour route to the riverside. After parking, they got out and strolled hand in hand along the inner street.

The shops on both sides of the street were lit by either cool or warm-toned lights, making the several-meter-wide road bright and clear. Through the glass doors, men and women were eating late-night snacks, each face lit with smiles.

There were many pedestrians. Hand in hand, shoulder brushing shoulder, they walked leisurely and unhurriedly, close to one another, sometimes turning to smile at each other.