Chapter 16: The Banquet at Hongmen

The female sales assistant was shocked too! She was just there to look at his face, but how did he end up showing off? That was the special prize, only one of its kind! But she had to put away her surprise and smiled to congratulate Ruan Xingwen. "Sir, you are really lucky, this is the grand prize prepared by our company. Please proceed to the office area to claim your reward." Ruan Xingwen was also shocked, somewhat not reacting just yet. He merely followed her instructions, turned around, and went to the office area. After they left, the crowd immediately returned to its noisy state. "That guy won the special prize! So lucky!" "Isn't it? Out of thousands of cards, it was that one and he got it!" "Ahhh, that lucky guy is so handsome! It proves that good-looking people also have good luck." But there were some envious people in the crowd; they were jealous of his luck but refused to admit it. "Tsk, so many people didn't get it, yet he did. Maybe it's a trick by the mall!" "Exactly, why is he so lucky? I've been shopping at this mall every day since the event started. How many days have passed? I haven't seen him once, and he comes for the first time and gets it? I find it hard to believe!" "Come on, don't be sour." "It's just because he looks handsome and has good luck. You're jealous! Hahaha!" People around the speaker echoed this. Many were gathered just to join the fun; they were purely curious about who would win the villa. Someone took a picture of Ruan Xingwen and posted it online along with the story, intending to tease the netizens. Now that the special prize had been claimed, the liveliness faded, and people gradually dispersed and went home. Some who didn't win felt unwilling but had no choice, leaving in a huff. The lottery area suddenly emptied by more than half, leaving quite a bit of space. Ruan Xingwen had no idea that his departure had caused a small commotion. He still felt a bit unreal about it. At the staff area, they needed to verify his identity and occupation, which he explained one by one. He was now waiting for the staff to verify the information. He sat on the office sofa, waiting, while the previous female sales assistant brought him a cup of plain water. Originally, she should have left and returned to her post, but with a bit of selfishness, she carefully chose her words and spoke up. "Um, Mr. Ruan, could you do me a favor?" Before she could continue, Ruan Xingwen had already guessed what she was going to say next, so he directly declined. "Sorry, my profession is somewhat special, and my company has rules. I can't add friends casually, sorry." His clear eyes looked straight at her, the end of his almond eyes slightly drooping, always giving an innocent impression. The female sales assistant was stunned, then turned and ran away, red-faced, stubbornly saying, "Mr. Ruan, you're really handsome!" Ruan Xingwen smiled and shook his head, then picked up the cup and took a sip. At this time, Yun Jing had long returned to Little Qilin's Divine Sense. After all, his Spiritual Energy was not sufficient to remain in soul form for long; otherwise, last night's slumber would occur again. And Little Qilin was sleeping sweetly on the toys bought during their shopping earlier. Today, not only did he buy it some essential food for the Mountain and Sea Realm, but he also got some new toys. Ruan Xingwen hadn't planned on buying these, but seeing Little Qilin unable to move past the toys, he softened and bought them. To this, Yun Jing snorted disdainfully, "Just spoil it. Next time, we'll see if you need them or not. I won't remind them either!" For now, no one knows that Yun Jing's hidden trait is actually tsundere... After about half an hour, a staff member came over to inform him that his verification had been approved. To gain the usage rights, he needed to visit [Zerui Real Estate] for further formalities. Completing all procedures would take about a month, and they suggested he could go now because the leader handling these matters just happened to be in the company. Thinking about the evening gathering, he declined the suggestion and instead asked, "Can I go tomorrow? I have some things to do later today, it's a bit inconvenient for me to go now." Upon receiving an affirmative response, they helped him schedule a time for tomorrow, and taking the documents handed over by the staff, he picked up the bag containing Little Qilin and left the mall to take a taxi home. Just getting home, Yun Jing was eager to take Little Qilin back to the Mountain and Sea Realm. However, Little Qilin knew there was something off about the evening gathering Li Li planned for Xingxing, not wanting to leave as it might be able to help. Yet Yun Jing helplessly told it that if it left now, the evening would only have issues. But if it stayed, the evening might turn into a disaster. Little Qilin had nothing to say this time and could only nod obediently, agreeing to leave. It had seen its "strength" during the lottery event. It could no longer be sure if the next bout of luck might bring disaster to Xingxing, so it had to leave. Helping Little Qilin pack a small bundle with its favorite toys and canned meat. Watching Little Qilin and Yun Jing disappear from view instantly, Ruan Xingwen couldn't help but marvel at the magic. Despite these days of experiences, the events he encountered still seemed wondrous. Though his wallet got slimmer once again, it didn't matter since it was for Little Qilin. Besides, he had won the Binhu Bay villa; although it's only for five years, any opportunity during those years could lead to great success. Those were things for him to consider tomorrow; for now, he only had to think about the evening's gathering. Standing up, he stretched long, feeling the fatigue hit him instantly. He had been tired for a good half day. It was now two o'clock, and he planned to rest a bit more to recharge for the evening gathering. Unfortunately, as soon as he lay on the sofa, the phone left on the shoe cabinet rang. Picking it up and glancing at it, it was unsurprisingly Sister Li. He answered the call. "Xingwen, how are your preparations going? I just received notice that not only will the director attend tonight's gathering, but the producer will be there too, and this producer has significant clout." Sister Li didn't wait for Ruan Xingwen to respond and continued excitedly, "You must prepare well and not miss this opportunity. How about I come to your place and help you match things up?" "No need, Sister Li. I'm a bit tired now, and I want to rest well. I will go to the gathering tonight. Just send me the address later." Listening to Ruan Xingwen's lukewarm tone, Sister Li hesitated slightly. At that moment, Shi Mu beside her noticed her hesitation and held her hand. Sister Li bit her lip hard, resolutely deciding again, "Alright, I'll send the address to you. Make sure to tidy up and don't be late." Watching her hang up the phone, Shi Mu raised his hand to gently touch Li Li's recently bitten lip, leaned down close to her, and murmured by her lips, "Lili, I love you. We will definitely succeed."