Chapter 021

Chapter 021

In order to dismiss Wang Zhongzhao and Wang Xiuyi as quickly as possible, Liao Wanru called Mrs. Ming (He Xuan) right in front of them, bluntly requesting an additional invitation.

He Xuan's Mandarin wasn't very good, so straightforwardness was necessary.

"No problem, I’ll send it over shortly," He Xuan agreed readily. She didn’t mind sending out one more invitation, regardless of who attended. She reminded Liao Wanru, "Please make sure you and Mingzhu arrive on time this evening."

Liao Wanru smiled gently, "Mrs. Ming, please rest assured, we'll be there tonight."

She knew that the person Mrs. Ming wanted to invite the most was Lu Mingzhu.

Half an hour after hanging up the phone, He Xuan sent someone to deliver the invitation.

The Wang family lived on Pok Fu Lam Road, while the Ming family resided on Austin Road at the Peak. Although one family lived on the mountain and the other below, both belonged to the wealthy district of Hong Kong Island, and the distance between them was quite short.

The two families often collaborated and kept in regular touch.

Actually, the mansion Wang Xingcai bought for Wang Zhongzhao and his wife wasn’t far from there. The original plan was for the four brothers to support each other, but because the second house was jointly owned by Wang Zhongzhao and Zhen Zhen, even though Zhen Zhen wasn’t in Hong Kong, Mo Shuxian still refused to step inside. This forced Wang Zhongzhao to spend a significant amount to buy another house in a different area.

When he saw his name on the invitation, Wang Zhongzhao smiled broadly and left.

As he was about to step out of the main house, Wang Xiuyi looked back at Lu Mingzhu with a hint of smugness in her eyes, then lifted her chin and left briskly with Wang Zhongzhao.

Lu Mingzhu blinked, "Why did she look at me like that? I haven’t done anything to offend her."

Liao Wanru, while carefully soothing her mother-in-law who was fuming and feeling nauseous from anger, casually said, "From what I understand, just being prettier than her is enough to offend her."

Lu Mingzhu said speechlessly, "Half the world is prettier than her; how can she possibly be jealous of everyone?"

Still, she understood Wang Xiuyi's smugness.

She probably thought that she, as a legitimate daughter of the Lu family, couldn’t attend the Ming family's banquet, while she could.

It was utterly ridiculous!

Was a legitimate daughter of the prestigious Lu family really inferior to someone born to a concubine?

In Shanghai, no matter how hard Wang Xiuyi tried, she couldn’t break into the social circle of the original body, even though she was a close friend of Lu Feifei, the seventh Miss of the Lu family.

As a result, Lu Mingzhu lost interest in trying on clothes and jewelry. Instead, like Liao Wanru, she tried to comfort Wang Tai-tai with words, making her laugh and playing mahjong with her.

Since they were one player short, they called over Mrs. Zhao, who was originally Wang Tai-tai’s dowry maid and now served as the Wang family’s housekeeper in Hong Kong.

With the strategy of continuously feeding tiles to Wang Tai-tai, Lu Mingzhu won a few more dozen dollars.

Her luck was too good, there was no helping it.

By late afternoon, the sun was setting.

Liao Wanru looked at the hanging clock and pushed away the mahjong tiles in front of her, "No more playing, time is running out. Mingzhu, let's quickly change and put on makeup. Your elder brother will come back at six to pick me up for the event."

The Ming family's banquet was scheduled to start at seven.

Xie Junyao arrived twenty minutes before Wang Bohui, still carrying a bouquet of flowers for Lu Mingzhu.

Today, it wasn’t red roses, but white lilies. The pure lilies, paired with roses and balloon flowers, made for an elegant mix.

Lu Mingzhu immediately asked a maid to find a beautiful vase, filled it with water, arranged the flowers inside, and placed it in her room on the desk before leaving with Xie Junyao.

Xie Junyao suggested, "We're the youngest, so we should head over early."

Lu Mingzhu wholeheartedly agreed.

No matter what kind of banquet, dignitaries always make their grand entrance last.

When leaving the Wang family, Wang Bohui and Pingan had not yet returned.

The car drove uphill and arrived at the Ming family residence via Austin Avenue, stopping in front of a white colonial house.

The entrance was brightly lit by large lamps, as bright as day.

Before Lu Mingzhu could retrieve the invitation from her handbag, she saw He Xuan and a middle-aged man come out to personally welcome her and Xie Junyao. Perhaps they had someone watching the road and learned of their arrival in advance.

"Miss He, good evening." Lu Mingzhu did not call her Mrs. Ming.

In her view, He Xuan was first and foremost herself, then the daughter of He Yun, and only after that the wife of Ming Hui.

He Xuan immediately broke into a bright smile, "Mingzhu, welcome to my home for the first time."

Seeing the pearl necklace and white pearl earrings that Lu Mingzhu wore were gifts from her father, paired with a pomegranate red satin patterned cheongsam, her skin as fair as snow, exuding both elegance and gentleness, while the white leather handbag she held was a gift from He Xuan, it made He Xuan feel extremely comfortable, and her smile softened her critical expression.

In just a few days, He Xuan had come to deeply appreciate the security and stability that came with her father's presence.

Her husband, who used to stay out late, no longer did so, and invitations to high-society banquets poured in like snowflakes, with countless people trying to get a chance to meet her father, while flattering her as his daughter.

All thanks to Lu Mingzhu!

A debt of gratitude that can never be fully repaid.

He Xuan's gaze toward her became even gentler.

"Ah Xuan, aren't you going to make an introduction? Not for Young Mr. Xie, as he's already an acquaintance, but for this elegantly noble young lady." Looking at Lu Mingzhu, the middle-aged man couldn't help but reveal a look of astonishment, and he made no attempt to hide it. Yet his voice was gentle, like clear spring water striking beautiful jade, extremely pleasant to the ears and not off-putting.

He Xuan smiled lightly, "She is the one who saved my father's life. Mingzhu, this is my husband, Ming Hui."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Ming." Upon seeing Ming Hui's appearance, Lu Mingzhu instinctively smiled.

She finally understood why He Xuan hadn't kicked Ming Hui to the curb.

This man was breathtakingly handsome, with a presence that commanded attention—a beauty no less than Xie Junyao's, yet in a completely different style.

Was it the turbulent era of a century ago that produced such an abundance of extraordinary beauty?

The only thing about this man was that he was a bit older.

About forty or so, with slanted brows reaching into his temples, phoenix eyes full of emotion, thin lips that seemed to smile but not quite, an exquisitely handsome face, tall and straight figure, graceful demeanor, with a mature charm in his brow and eyes that could captivate the world, causing the moon to shyly hide behind the clouds, not daring to show itself.

Remarkably, his smile was free of any trace of sleaziness, "Miss Mingzhu, delighted to meet you."

"Alright, now that you're all acquainted. Mingzhu, please come in. My father is waiting for you upstairs. You and Young Mr. Xie can go up for a cup of tea, and come back down when the banquet is about to start, so you won't be disturbed." He Xuan said.

Ming Hui quickly added, "Yes, yes, Miss Mingzhu, please come in. My father-in-law will be very happy to see you."

The couple's warm reception drew the attention of those who had arrived earlier or were still getting out of their cars, all looking at the unfamiliar yet stunningly beautiful Lu Mingzhu, their eyes filled with contemplation.

Xie Junyao is a familiar face, and everyone knows him.

Who is that lady?

Judging by her appearance and dress, she clearly wasn’t just anyone.

Has another prominent family arrived in Hong Kong?

None of the guests were people Lu Mingzhu had met in Shanghai, but she didn’t mind their scrutiny. Xie Junyao, on the other hand, greeted a few acquaintances with occasional nods. Together with Lu Mingzhu, he followed the He couple through a flower-lined path into the mansion.

The interior was magnificent, with expensive furniture perfectly arranged.

The living room was enormous, connecting directly to the dining room and ballroom on either side. Under the splendid crystal chandeliers, guests were chatting and socializing, their exquisite attire radiating wealth and elegance.

Clearly, these were prominent figures in Hong Kong.

He Xuan whispered, “My father doesn’t like crowds.”

Lu Mingzhu smiled faintly, a bit puzzled, “Miss He, if Mr. He doesn’t like crowds, why hold such a gathering?”

He Xuan smiled, “This is a welcome dinner. My father is in Hong Kong, and it’s impossible for him to avoid public appearances. So, he might as well take this opportunity to make an appearance and prevent certain individuals from being ignorant. You know, the tycoons in Hong Kong come from all over the world, and there are inevitably a few who are arrogant and act recklessly because they have money.”

Lu Mingzhu agreed silently.

Whenever she went out alone or only with Lu Pingan, she always wore makeup to avoid trouble, as their family was quite isolated in Hong Kong.

The more money one had, the more cautious one needed to be. Wealthy people had been targeted for kidnapping before.

As they walked up the stairs, He Xuan suddenly asked, “Mingzhu, I heard you bought a small villa in the Peak District?”

“Your information is very up-to-date,” Lu Mingzhu admired.

He Xuan explained, “It’s not that my information is quick. My father sent people to buy a plot of land in the Peak District some time ago, and it took several years to build. He moved in just two days ago, and the butler mentioned you when introducing the neighbors. The previous owner was William, right?”

Lu Mingzhu nodded, “Yes, he will move out later, and I will move in afterward.”

“It’s nearby. We should drop by more often! My place is also close to your new home,” He Xuan led her and Xie Junyao to the third floor, while Ming Hui stayed downstairs to greet the newly arrived guests.

As Lu Mingzhu and Xie Junyao looked up, they saw He Yun leaning on the railing, looking down at them.

He was dressed in a simple yet comfortable and elegant light gray Tang suit made of cotton and linen. A string of agarwood beads hung on his left wrist, and his expression was calm and elegant. Both in appearance and presence, he surpassed his son-in-law Ming Hui, who was mingling below.

There was a trustworthy aura about him.

Lu Mingzhu attributed this to the wisdom that comes with age, something young people couldn’t compare to.

Hearing their footsteps, He Yun looked down from the staircase and immediately showed a faint smile, his eyes gentle, speaking Mandarin slowly, “Mingzhu, we meet again.”

Lu Mingzhu greeted him respectfully, then said, “Mr. He, please just call me by my name.”

She knew this was a valuable connection, and she needed to nurture it carefully.

In both ancient and modern times, having the guidance of a mentor could save one from many detours and surpass the hard work of countless ordinary people.

Lu Mingzhu had a deep understanding of this.

If it weren't for meeting Grandma Lin and her husband, as well as Grandma Zhang and her daughter, she and her mother wouldn't have found happiness later on, nor would they have had the opportunity to meet more influential people and develop their careers.

He Yun became even more amiable and quickly changed his words, "Alright, I'll call you Mingzhu. You don't have to keep calling me Mr. He. I've worked with your father and am a few years older than him, so I deserve to be called Uncle by you."

"Uncle He." Lu Mingzhu was very good at taking advantage of the situation and also called He Xuan, "Sister Xuan."

He Xuan responded particularly promptly, "Good sister!"

"It's too lively downstairs. Go and greet the guests first. We'll come down after finishing our tea." He Yun instructed his daughter.

He Xuan left obediently.

He Yun invited them into the room and personally made tea.

This time, he didn't ignore Xie Junyao and kindly offered him tea, "I heard that the company you're cooperating with has successfully acquired several plots of land. Do you have high hopes for the future of the real estate market?"

Xie Junyao and Lu Mingzhu exchanged a knowing smile and replied, "Yes."

Lu Mingzhu affirmed, "The conflict in the northeast won't last much longer, at most two years. Given its superior location, Hong Kong is a window connecting the mainland and the international world, and its economy will see significant growth."

"Many officials and wealthy merchants are leaving now." He Yun pointed out the most obvious fact.

Lu Mingzhu smiled, "But you've come here!"

If he didn't have high hopes for Hong Kong's development, why would he come here?

He Yun also smiled, "You're very smart."

Lu Mingzhu shook her head, "I'm not smart at all."

She was simply seeing history from a vantage point provided by others.

She was just an ordinary girl who liked pretty clothes, exquisite jewelry, delicious food, and traveling around, with a moderate amount of knowledge, neither particularly high nor low intelligence. Even with such an excellent learning environment before she time-traveled, and having a Shanghai household registration to take the college entrance exam in Shanghai, she still didn't get into a top-tier university.

Lu Mingzhu was particularly envious of sharp, capable, and assertive career women, but she wasn't one of them. She didn't even have the mind for business and could only earn some guaranteed money using her foresight or simple methods.

He Yun didn't think so.

He believed Lu Mingzhu was insightful, living a transparent, open, and self-centered life, without the timidity, weakness, and deference that many women of the time exhibited. She always exuded a free and easy demeanor, confident and uplifting, like sunlight, always present and warm.

Look, Xie Junyao's eyes always lingered on her face, filled with deep, unwavering affection.

The room fell silent for a while, with only the faint and elegant aroma of tea.

Soon after, He Xuan came to invite them downstairs.

All the guests had arrived.

As they went downstairs, Lu Mingzhu was the last, and just as she was about to reach the first floor, she suddenly squinted, and she almost blurted out "Damn!"

Father Lu!

She had only told Lu Pingan two days ago that he was in Hong Kong, and now she saw him here.