CHAPTER 595: CHAPTER 595: LITTLE HEDGEHOG

Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao came out of the room during dinner. Perhaps love had nourished her, as Lin Mengyao’s face turned rosy, her waist swayed gracefully as she walked, and the springtime glint at the corners of her eyes and eyebrows made her seem like a walking hormone. It was Tang Zhongwei’s first time seeing Lin Mengyao like this, and she was somewhat transfixed.

By Lin Mengyao’s side, Xu Ke looked like a well-fed big cat, appearing lazy yet wild, which left Tang Zhongwei startled once more.

"Have you been doing well at home these days when Yaoyao and I were not around?" Xu Ke glanced up at Yu Xia and asked.

"I’m doing well, I’ve been getting along happily with my classmates at school, and at home, Grandpa Zhao is taking care of me. Overall, I’m very satisfied," Yu Xia tilted her head and answered earnestly.

"That’s good to hear. I was worried you’d have a hard time adjusting with me and your Sister Yaoyao not around. Now that I see you’re fine, we can rest easy." Xu Ke said with a smile and placed some food he found tasty onto Lin Mengyao’s plate.

For a moment, the atmosphere at the dining table was quite harmonious.

Because of being caught red-handed before, Tang Zhongwei didn’t dare openly stare at Xu Ke this time, instead secretly glancing at him from the corner of her eyes, which were filled with envy and jealousy that she herself didn’t notice.

Why can’t I meet such an outstanding, wealthy, faithful, and gentle man? Why can’t he belong to me? Tang Zhongwei heard her heart questioning.

She lowered her eyes, lost in thought.

"You’re back just in time. I received an invitation from Madam Feng a few days ago. I plan to go. Would you like to join me?" Lin Mengyao asked, setting aside the food on her plate.

"Madam Feng?" Xu Ke furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, realizing there was no recollection of this family in his mind, and looked at Lin Mengyao with a hint of confusion.

"It’s normal you don’t know. Madam Feng’s family has risen from the local area, reportedly with impressive achievements there, so they’ve been transferred to Shangjing. This is their first banquet in Shangjing, and they’ve sent the invitations to us. I thought it might not be good to refuse, so I asked Grandpa Zhao to prepare some outfits for us to attend," Lin Mengyao explained softly.

"What’s their position upon arriving in Shangjing?" Xu Ke put down his food and inquired.

"I think they’ve entered the Industrial and Commercial Bureau," Lin Mengyao replied after a moment of thought.

"It seems the former director of the Industrial and Commercial Bureau is about to step down. Since they’re coming up at this time, the position might not be too low. Since they’ve already sent us invitations, let’s make a trip. We don’t know what they like, but I still have a painting set in my room, let’s bring it along as a gift," Xu Ke said after thinking for a moment.

"But they are new to Shangjing, and they might not accept such things, plus their position isn’t settled yet. If we send gifts too early, would that be improper?" Lin Mengyao hesitated.

"Whether they accept it or not isn’t important; what’s important is our gesture. Offering help in a time of need is far better than adding flowers to a brocade. Even if they don’t reach the position we anticipate, it doesn’t matter; it can serve as an act of goodwill. Besides, it’s just a painting; it doesn’t cost much, don’t overthink it," Xu Ke said, patting Lin Mengyao’s head.

"You’re right, I was overthinking it," Lin Mengyao said, rubbing her forehead.

With a clear pause in their conversation, Tang Zhongwei thought for a moment before tentatively asking, "Can I go to the banquet you mentioned with you?"

Lin Mengyao and Xu Ke turned their attention to Tang Zhongwei’s face.

Tang Zhongwei felt a bit nervous, but the thought of the kinds of people she might encounter at such an event quickly dispelled her nervousness.

"I’ve never been to such occasions, I’d love to go to broaden my horizons, okay, cousin? Besides, Xiaxia would go to such events too, right? If you all go, I’ll be left alone at home, and that would be really boring. Please let me go with you, I promise I won’t make trouble or cause any issues, alright?" Tang Zhongwei pledged with three fingers up.

Lin Mengyao frowned, feeling that Tang Zhongwei’s request was a bit excessive.

Yu Xia glanced at Lin Mengyao, then turned to Tang Zhongwei and said, "You’re mistaken, I’m not going with my sister and brother-in-law. They’re going for business, and since I don’t understand any of that, there’s no point in me going. So I never attend such banquets, and I’ll stay with you at home, so you won’t be bored."

Yu Xia’s smiling face looked exceedingly annoying to Tang Zhongwei, who couldn’t help but grit her back teeth, trying her best to suppress the urge to bite down.

"But I’ve never attended such a grand banquet. I want to go to see and gain insights. I could just hide in a corner once there and be content just to see it," Tang Zhongwei pleaded with Lin Mengyao.

"Cousin, after all, I’m your cousin. Wouldn’t it be bad if people found out I’m just an uninformed bumpkin? It could reflect poorly on you too. Just consider it letting me exercise, alright?" Tang Zhongwei said, looking somewhat pitiable.

"You know it’s a grand banquet, and those attending are affluent or influential. Do you understand the etiquette of such events? Do you know whom you can disregard, whom you should respect, and whom you can interact with as equals? Do you understand the network of relationships behind everyone? If you don’t know these things and attend, do you realize how much trouble you might bring to your sister and brother-in-law? Best case, you might directly lose a project because of you; worse case, you might become a constant target, leading to diminished assets in the end. Have you considered these consequences? Can you bear them?" Yu Xia said, looking directly into Tang Zhongwei’s eyes.

This time, it was Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao who turned surprised looks toward Yu Xia, seeing for the first time this sharp side of her. She appeared like a little porcupine with its spike raised, ready to prick anyone who got too close.

Xu Ke and Lin Mengyao both chose not to interrupt Yu Xia’s words, as they were grounded in truth.

A banquet isn’t somewhere you can attend just because you wish, nor is it a place where hiding in a corner means you’re safe. It’s another kind of battlefield; winning could yield rich returns, while losing, though not catastrophic, could cause considerable harm.

Yu Xia continued, "Until you’ve learned and understood these things, it’s best not to attend such events. I’ve been studying them lately, and once you learn, sister and brother-in-law will naturally take you to a banquet. If you’re keen on going, you can join me in learning this stuff. Once you’ve mastered it, we can showcase ourselves together; how does that sound?" Yu Xia said sweetly, holding Tang Zhongwei’s hand, as if oblivious to the anger in her eyes.