Chapter 86: A Fortunate Encounter (Part 2)

"I’m not so sure," Hang Yishao also said, looking with admiration for a moment. "A woman like Wen Maixue, who’s absolutely perfect, is great to admire, but to marry her would bring no small pressure." Fei Qing took a glass of champagne and chimed in: "That’s true. We both agree, marrying a perfect woman is less preferable than having ten women who are each ten percent perfect." The two men exchanged a smile, their views on women surprisingly aligned given their youth and wealth. After Chang Chi and Su Qingzhang greeted each other, they also helped to receive the guests. She had intended to invite Hang Yishao to greet the guests with her, but he had flatly refused. Disappointed, she had to fake a smile while secretly keeping an eye on Hang Yishao chatting up the ladies. While Maixue was discussing next month’s charity sale with the mayor, she spotted a flash of red in the corner of her eye. Today at the event, except for Chang Mei, almost no one wore red. During such ceremonies, guests are expected to follow the host family’s lead. If Su Qingzhang’s wife were still alive, she would be the hostess wearing bright red. Since Qiao Chu had passed away, Chang Mei, now playing the role of the usurper, wore pale red. But there was a crimson red, even more striking than Chang Mei’s, which burst onto the scene and immediately dashed towards a corner of the room without greeting anyone. "What is Ziceng doing?" Su Qingzhang noticed Su Ziceng’s actions. She arrived late and didn’t greet the guests, which was forgivable, but why was she bothering an ordinary guest without any reason? The guests standing in that corner were mostly those who had been forgotten, certainly not the celebrities of the city like the mayor or Wen Maixue, who were prominently positioned at the center. People like Hang Yishao and Chang Chi, the city’s elites, also had their own circles. "Who is that person? I don’t remember inviting such a guest," Su Qingzhang asked Chang Mei, who was standing next to him. Chang Mei searched her memory as well but had little recollection of the guests in the corner. She was responsible for inviting the significant guests, and she would usually remember anyone she invited. The remaining ordinary guests were invited by Secretary Wang. "I have no recollection of him. Dressed so bizarrely at a ceremony like this, he can’t be someone of good caliber." Chang Mei looked disdainfully at the corner, where a man blended into the darkness. Wearing black sunglasses, his face marked with a scar, and dressed in a tight black suit, for some reason, Chang Mei felt that despite his sunglasses, the man kept scrutinizing everyone around him. "Shang Yin," Su Ziceng felt unexpectedly delighted; it came effortlessly. She recalled the inauguration ceremony of "Shengshi Huasha," which surely invited people from all walks of life in the city. Although low-profile, Shang Yin would attend. "Miss Su," Shang Yin raised his glass, still full of champagne, "the perfume you’re wearing today is really special." He suddenly stepped forward, his nose nearly touching Su Ziceng’s cheek. Black and red standing closely together created a sort of enchanting beauty, and temporarily, everyone’s gaze was drawn to them. Wen Maixue also looked over, her eyes filled with a curious tint. She frowned, surprised that Shang Yin, someone who usually avoided crowds, took an interest in such an event. It baffled her what could attract him to the Su family’s ceremony. She took a light sip of her champagne, which was quite ordinary, and the other ladies around were just average; possibly the most intriguing person left was... "Ziceng, don’t you know how to be a little more reserved?" Hang Yishao moved closer to the two, creating a barrier between them. "Perfume," Su Ziceng's face suspiciously flushed, not because of the preceding inappropriate behavior, but because she understood the underlying meaning in Shang Yin's words, pointing to the alcohol scent on her. "Ziceng, who is this?" Su Qingzhang also stepped forward sternly. Today, with Hang’s father and Hang’s mother present, she showed no avoidance, still acting recklessly. "Isn’t it he who invited him? Yet he comes and asks me, " Su Ziceng couldn’t help but find it amusing but also couldn’t blame Su Qingzhang. The invitation for Shang Yin was indeed written by him personally and sent out by Chang Mei, but neither Su Qingzhang nor Chang Mei anticipated that Shang Yin would actually attend. And since nobody else in the room recognized Shang Yin, this famous nouveau riche little brother of Mo City was so coldly placed aside that even the servers only offered him champagne as bland as water. "Shang Yin, Mr. Shang," "My father, Su Qingzhang," "Hang Yishao, young master of Hang family," Su Ziceng introduced them one after the other, then looked at the three men together, varying greatly in age and appearance. The four of them stood together, forming a square pattern. Su Qingzhang was the oldest and shortest, showing deep lines on his forehead due to his relentless efforts in managing the building’s construction. Shang Yin was of medium height and, despite his notorious reputation, showed no signs of indulgent living, with his cold eyes hidden behind sunglasses, their depth inscrutable. Hang Yishao was the most eye-catching among them, possessing less fortitude but displaying the light-heartedness typical of young men. Upon learning about Su Ziceng’s introduction, each had a different reaction. Hearing that this low-profile man was Shang Yin, Su Qingzhang immediately changed his stern tone to a more carefully polite one. Hang Yishao looked at Su Ziceng, somewhat displeased with her perfunctory introduction, as it was clear to anyone that her interactions with Shang Yin were quite intimate. Upon hearing the identities of the other two, Shang Yin’s eyes behind the sunglasses flashed with excitement, though it was not apparent just from appearance. "I was thinking of discussing a collaboration with Miss Su," Shang Yin said calmly.