“Madam Zhang, did the Huo family come just now?” As soon as Mrs. Shang came back, she heard Yunlu complain about how Ji Yan seduced Shang Jinshen and how she had put her in a bad spot. Mrs. Shang was a little annoyed by her words, so she tried to change the topic.
Madam Zhang honestly replied, “Yes, Madam. Mrs. Huo and the young master Huo Qing came over.”
“To pick up Yunlu?”
“No. Young Master Huo Qing seemed to have bumped into Madam Ji Yan so Mrs. Huo brought Young Master to visit Madam Ji Yan. Look, the gifts on the table were all delivered by Mrs. Huo.”
Mrs. Shang glanced at them and nodded. She did not ask any further.
There were four families in North River City. The Shang family excelled in business but the Huo Family had power. The three generations were all powerful officials.
This was also the reason why she was so interested in Yunlu as her daughter-in-law. However, she didn’t expect Ji Yan to be on good terms with Huo Qing, the most valued son of the Huo family, because of some minor injury.
When Mrs. Shang thought of Ji Yan, she was so angry that she had a headache, so she decided not to think about it anymore.
She waved her hand and asked, “Mr. Xiao, bring me to my room to rest.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Ji Yan did not forget about Mrs. Shang’s birthday banquet after returning to the Shang family. Ji Yan was busy as it was only three days before Mrs. Shang’s birthday.
But at the same time, Yunlu appeared and picked on Ji Yan and started fights with her from time to time. Luckily, Ji Yan was good-tempered and was not bothered by it.
Even though she decided to stay in the Shang family, Ji Yan and Shang Jinshen both regarded her as transparent. It was just that she liked to do things that disgust people when she was bored.
As a result, the little affection Shang Jinshen had for her when he was young was completely worn out. It could be seen that Yunlu’s skill of pestering others was extraordinary.
Finally, three days went past in a blur. The Shang family manor was magnificently decorated. Multitudes of waiters, servants, and maids were busy arranging the venue in an orderly manner.
The Shang manor was filled with a strong sense of romance as well as an incomparable noble style, as if it were the banquet of the British royal family in the 80s.
Standing in the hall, Mrs. Shang, who was always noble and picky, could not help but nod her head with satisfaction. She liked this kind of banquet that could show off her status the most, especially since she was the protagonist of the occasion!
Even though she was no longer young, Mrs. Shang was still ambitious. Her eyebrows and eyes had been meticulously adorned with makeup today, making her look noble and dignified. She seemed to have become much younger in the blink of an eye.
Mrs. Shang swirled her wineglass and raised her lips in a smile. So what if Liu Lian had that old man, Shang Yunan, all to herself? The Shang family’s madam would always be her. Only she could hold a birthday banquet like that!
She wanted Liu Lian to recognize that only she was worthy of being the madam of the Shang family. Liu Lian had to know her place!
It was close to six o’clock, and there was no housekeeper in the Shang manor to welcome the guests. Handsome men and pretty women, upper-class couples, calmly walked into the manor in pairs with a smile, bringing with them various expensive gifts.
Mrs. Shang was extremely happy when receiving gifts. As she listened to the compliments between guests, she seemed to be welcoming spring, full of happiness.
She then thought of Ji Yan and asked the maid next to her, “Where is Ji Yan?”
The maid was stunned and hurriedly said, “Madam Ji Yan will be here soon.”
As the host of the banquet, Ji Yan hadn’t arrived yet, which obviously caused Mrs. Shang’s great dissatisfaction. If that wicked girl hadn’t come to greet the guests, where had she gone?
Mrs. Shang suppressed her anger and saw the adorable Yunlu among the crowd. She instantly forgot about Ji Yan.
Yunlu also caught sight of Mrs. Shang. She let go of her mother’s hand and walked towards Mrs. Shang happily. Mrs. Shang also looked at Yunlu as if she was looking at her future daughter-in-law. This made Yunlu’s mother, the second daughter-in-law of the Huo Family, very happy.
It was obvious that Yunlu and her mother had aimed for Shang mansion’s young madam position as something of their possession.
“Auntie, you look so beautiful today. You are the most outstanding among the crowd.” Yunlu had a sweet mouth and was very good at coaxing people. Her words made Mrs. Shang smile and love her even more.
Who did not like compliments? Even the elderly loved listening to compliments.
“You are so sweet.” Mrs. Shang affectionately pinched Yunlu’s nose. Their interaction was enough to make people think that they were mother and daughter-in-law.
Everyone was curious about who the young madam of the Shang family was. It was said that the banquet was arranged by her so it could be seen that she was very filial.
At every corner, they could see waiters and the arrangement was so meticulous. It could be seen that she was not only filial but also very detailed. This was not in accordance with the rumors of how she tried to trick her way into the Shang family.
For a moment, whether it was out of curiosity or malice, they all wanted to see Shang Jinshen’s wife. What kind of woman would be Shang Jinshen’s wife?
However, Ji Yan did not know that. She was looking at herself in the mirror with a frown and a confused expression on her face.
Should she keep a low profile or should she take advantage of this opportunity to secure her position as the young mistress of the Shang family?
She was in a dilemma. If she had thought about it in the past, she would’ve definitely hidden far away and not let others spy on her.
However, when she thought of those women who coveted Shang Jinshen, she felt very uncomfortable.
She didn’t want to admit that she was jealous. She just didn’t want those women to go too far and ignore her, a living person. They were always trying to please Shang Jinshen!
Once she thought it through, Ji Yan instantly relaxed her brows and revealed a confident smile that she had never revealed in front of others.
In the mirror, the girl’s soft temperament was instantly covered with a layer of toughness, and she looked more attractive than usual. However, Ji Yan could only hide her true self when living in the Shang family manor.
She picked up the cosmetics on the dressing table and quickly put on her makeup meticulously.
About ten minutes later, she looked at herself in the mirror with satisfaction. Then she got up and went to the big wardrobe to try out a few gowns but she was not satisfied with several of them.
Her eyes were fixated on a phoenix cheongsam and her clear eyes flashed. The word “phoenix” suddenly appeared in her mind. She smiled slightly and did not hesitate to pick up the exquisite cheongsam.
Half an hour later, Ji Yan took out her mobile phone and dialed a series of numbers. After a while, a familiar voice came from the phone.
“Hello?”
Ji Yan took a deep breath and said softly, “Jinshen, I’m still at home. Can you take me with you when you go to the manor?”
There was no answer from the other side. After a while, he said, “Okay.” Ji Yan hung up the phone and sat upstairs, waiting patiently for Shang Jinshen to pick her up.
It was unexpected that Shang Jinshen would agree to pick her up before she had even given him a reason and that made Ji Yan’s lips curl up.
Only when she showed up at the banquet with Shang Jinshen, then she wouldn’t be looked down upon!