CHAPTER 368: CHAPTER 381: COULD THERE REALLY BE A CONNECTION?

As he said this, he stepped forward to greet them. When his peripheral vision caught sight of An Ran beside Mu Xingfeng, Old Mr. Shen suddenly paused. A look of astonishment flashed in his deep eyes, and he even started to tremble slightly.

Shen Zheng was the first to react, reaching out to support his father and noticing that his father’s eyes were already red.

Old Mr. Mu was taken aback by Old Mr. Shen’s reaction. Following Old Mr. Shen’s gaze, he saw An Ran behind him and looked back in confusion.

Shen Zheng quickly spoke up, "Father, this is the young lady who saved Ya last time. Xingfeng’s girlfriend, I’ve mentioned her to you."

Only then did Old Mr. Shen realize he had lost his composure. He quickly adjusted his emotions and nodded repeatedly, "Good, good child."

He walked up to An Ran and asked softly, "What’s your name? Where are you from?"

An Ran felt somewhat uneasy being stared at so gently by the elderly man, but it was better than being glared at by Old Mr. Lin. Seeing Shen Zheng call him father, she knew this must be the legendary Old Mr. Shen. She politely replied, "Hello, Grandpa Shen. My name is An Ran, I’m from C Province."

"C Province, huh. Do you have any family?" Old Mr. Shen continued to ask, seeming unsatisfied.

Noticing the unnatural look on An Ran’s face, Shen Zheng quickly interjected, "Father, An Ran is an orphan. Alright, Father, let’s get back to your seat."

"Oh, okay. Look at me, always thinking about Ya and forgetting today’s occasion." Saying this, he allowed Shen Zheng to escort him back to his seat. Even after sitting down, his gaze remained fixed on An Ran.

Mu Xingfeng glanced thoughtfully at Old Mr. Shen and found a place to sit down with An Ran.

"Sister Ran, you finally came. I missed you so much!" As soon as An Ran sat down, Shen Mengya rushed forward.

An Ran caught Shen Mengya and tapped her small nose, "Really? You missed Sister Ran after just one day?"

"Of course, Ya never liked anyone as much as she likes you. She’s always talking about you at home."

Xia Huiling also sat down, looking at her kindly.

She had watched Old Mr. Shen’s reaction to this girl intently. Although she had expected Old Mr. Shen to be emotional seeing An Ran’s face, she hadn’t anticipated him losing his composure to this extent.

It was evident how much she resembled that person. But, could they really be connected?

Lin Ruonan watched this scene from a distance, her nails digging deeply into her flesh. Mu Xingfeng’s words still echoed in her ears: "I, Mu Xingfeng, do not need a woman to assist me, and my woman certainly will not hold me back."

She couldn’t understand how a girl with no status could be treated differently by the Mu Family and the Shen Family.

While she was lost in thought, a warm hand rested on her shoulder, and she turned to see Gu Haoyu standing behind her.

"The ceremony is about to start. Go and prepare."

Old Mr. Lin’s birthday banquet was a traditional longevity celebration in which guests approached him one by one to offer birthday gifts, and he distributed red envelopes in return.

The Shen Family, represented by Shen Wenxuan, presented a painting, while the Mu Family, represented by Mu Xingfeng, gifted a set of fine jade chess pieces — both tailored to his tastes.

After the formalities, the guests began to entertain themselves while waiting for the evening banquet.

Old Mr. Lin, Old Mr. Mu, and Old Mr. Shen naturally started conversing together. Many guests, who were business or political figures, seized this opportunity to talk with Shen Zheng, Mu Zhenzong, Lin Weidong, and others.