An Weiming finally emerged with his wife and daughter.
As soon as they appeared, they headed straight for Ye Jinghuai.
"Mr. Ye, I never expected you to come personally. It's truly an honor!" An Weiming's smile was excessively fawning.
"The young master is here too? This truly flatters me. And this must be the little lady! It's a shame I wasn't present at the Ye family's banquet back then. This is my first time meeting her today. I didn't prepare a gift, which is quite rude of me."
An Weiming was pleasantly surprised to see two people from the Ye family. Seeing Nuannuan in Ye Jinghuai's arms made him even more overjoyed, believing the Ye family still held the An family in high regard.
Ye Jingzhi, standing nearby, almost rolled his eyes. "We never invited you back then, why are you acting like a VIP!"
"Thank you, Mr. An, you're too kind." Ye Jinghuai nodded in thanks. Regardless of his true feelings, he maintained proper etiquette.
"Oh, please don't say that. This is my daughter, An Mi, and this is my wife, Yaxin."
"Aunt An," Ye Jinghuai and Ye Jingzhi greeted them politely.
"Mi'er, quickly greet them!" An Weiming urged An Mi, who remained still.
"Mr. Ye, Young Master Ye Wu," An Mi said, appearing particularly reserved.
"Nuannuan, quick, say hello. This is Grandma and Grandpa, and this is Big Sister," Ye Jinghuai nodded at An Mi and then spoke softly to the little ball of fluff in his arms.
"Hello Grandma and Grandpa, hello Big Sister," Nuannuan said obediently.
"The little lady is so sensible at such a young age! It's true what they say, daughters are like a warm little cotton-padded jacket, aren't they? Hahaha!" An Weiming, eager to ingratiate himself with Ye Jinghuai, praised Nuannuan incessantly.
"Mr. An, why don't we see the stars of the banquet?"
Ye Jingzhi, understanding An Weiming's intentions, directly changed the subject.
"Ah? Oh, Xiao Cheng is feeling a bit unwell and will be out shortly. Mr. Ye, we should prepare to go on stage. Please excuse our lack of hospitality!" An Weiming, not wanting to mention his rebellious daughter, quickly ushered An Yaxin and An Mi away.
"Second Brother, tonight's banquet is sure to have some excitement," Ye Jingzhi's eyes gleamed with gossip. This trip was worth it.
"Control your expression and stay away from me!" Ye Jinghuai said with a hint of distaste, shifting to the side.
The An family of three also began whispering amongst themselves.
"Mi'er! Many eligible young men have come today. You must bring honor to your father!" An Weiming patted her hand.
"Dad, don't worry! I'm not like that person. I know what's important," An Mi said with a smug smile.
"Mi'er, Xiao Cheng is also your older sister. Don't speak about her like that. She's just new to this circle and not used to it yet," An Yaxin said with a virtuous air.
"I'm just telling the truth!" An Mi pouted unhappily.
"Alright, Mi'er isn't wrong. That girl was born to bring me bad luck."
An Weiming's expression soured whenever An Cheng was mentioned. If it weren't for the fact that he had a daughter who could be used for an arranged marriage, he wouldn't have brought her to his side.
"Mi'er, the two young masters from the Ye family are here tonight. You must seize the opportunity. Although the second young master Ye is a bit older and has a child, the Ye Corporation is not to be underestimated. Besides, what man doesn't like a young girl? If all else fails, the young master Ye is also an option. You're around the same age," An Yaxin whispered into her ear.
"Oh, Mom! I know my own worth! I don't dare to have aspirations for the Ye family."
An Mi's face showed a hint of impatience. She was willful, not stupid. Why would she go out of her way to embarrass herself?
"Mi'er, don't underestimate yourself. daughters of the An family are just as good." An Weiming continued to encourage her.
"Dad, if there's an opportunity, I'd be willing. But I don't want to chase after anyone. Dad, don't worry, even if it's not the Ye family, I'll still choose a family that is beneficial to us."
"Hmm, you are indeed sensible." An Weiming nodded with satisfaction.
Just as the three were walking towards the stage, An Cheng entered. She was still wearing a hoodie and jeans, with white sneakers on her feet and earbuds in her ears.
"Who is this? Why are they dressed like that?"
"Isn't that too shabby?"
"Don't they understand etiquette? This is a formal banquet!"
"Could it be the daughter they brought back? Oh my heavens! Doesn't anyone in the An family teach her?"
An Cheng's entrance immediately drew whispers and scornful glances from the crowd.
"Second Brother, following this trope, even though she's dressed casually, she'll probably surprise everyone later." Ye Jingzhi again leaned in to whisper gossip to Ye Jinghuai.
Ye Jinghuai didn't reply, giving him a meaningful look.
"Why are you looking at me like that? It's just like in novels. First, they play the role of a pig to eat a tiger, and then they ruthlessly strike back at those who looked down on them. I don't understand, isn't it better to come out looking beautiful and strike back? Why do they have to suffer humiliation first before retaliating? Are they looking for trouble?"
Ye Jingzhi stroked his chin, analyzing with great conviction.
"Uncle, what is a novel?" Nuannuan asked curiously.
"It's nothing, Nuannuan. Don't listen to your uncle talk nonsense. That stuff isn't good to watch." Ye Jinghuai glared at Ye Jingzhi. What was he saying here?
"Okay, fine~"
"It's actually quite good," Ye Jingzhi mumbled softly.
"Don't talk too much. It's their private affair," Ye Jinghuai simply didn't want to gossip about people behind their backs.
"I was just saying it casually, hehe!" Ye Jingzhi knew where to draw the line and immediately fell silent.
"An Cheng, why did you come dressed like this?" An Weiming asked, furious.
"What's wrong with how I'm dressed?" An Cheng replied indifferently.
"Husband, don't be angry. Be careful of your blood pressure," An Yaxin said solicitously.
"My apologies, everyone. This is our An family's recently returned daughter, An Cheng. It's my fault too; the dress I prepared didn't fit, so Xiao Cheng had to come like this." An Yaxin, with feigned magnanimity, took the blame onto herself.
No one present was foolish. They were all in the same circle. When hosting a banquet, wouldn't one order dresses in advance? How could there be a problem with the fit?
An Yaxin, while appearing to take the blame, was subtly implying that An Cheng, the daughter of the former wife, was ill-behaved and disrespectful of her father's reputation.
"The clothes fit perfectly. It's just that I'm a country bumpkin and truly don't deserve such an elegant dress." An Cheng's words were laced with sarcasm. She looked at the family of three before her and found it ironic.
"An Cheng! What nonsense are you spouting? Quickly apologize to Aunt An," An Weiming sternly rebuked her.
"Mr. An, for Miss An to say that, has she been wronged at home?" Liu Mingxuan stepped forward with a glass of wine, standing beside An Cheng.
"This... Mr. Liu, Xiao Cheng just returned. How could she be wronged? She just has a bad temper and speaks impulsively. I apologize for letting you witness this." An Weiming's tone towards Liu Mingxuan was somewhat fawning.
This was the president of Chengguang, and Chengguang had a major project that he had been coveting. Having finally connected with them, he couldn't afford to leave a bad impression on Mr. Liu.
"It's alright. On the contrary, I find Miss An Cheng to be straightforward and genuine," Liu Mingxuan said, a warm smile directed at An Cheng.
An Cheng subtly gave Liu Mingxuan a look: "Why are you interfering?"
[Helping you!] Liu Mingxuan winked at An Cheng from behind the crowd.
Their exchange was brief, and others didn't notice it. However, the Ye family of three, standing opposite them, saw it all.
"Second Brother, these two definitely know each other. There's definitely something going on. I suspect this man likes that An family young lady," Ye Jingzhi couldn't help but whisper his gossip again.
"Mmm-hmm~" Nuannuan's eyes sparkled as she watched Ye Jingzhi, listening with great interest.
"Don't corrupt Nuannuan," Ye Jinghuai said, shifting further away.
"How could I? Let me tell you, according to the usual plot, this man will only be a supporting character, one who loves but cannot obtain," Ye Jingzhi, unable to contain his gossip-loving mouth, also moved closer to Ye Jinghuai's direction.
"What is the novel you're reading called?"
"《Master Fu's All-Around Little Sweet Wife》," Ye Jingzhi replied without realizing it. He suddenly noticed Ye Jinghuai's gaze was a bit strange.
"This is a new work by the great AC. He's a master of Xianxia novels, and many boys like him. Many of the currently popular Xianxia dramas are adapted from his novels. This book is his only romance novel for women, so I got curious and read it," Ye Jingzhi quickly explained.
"Thank you, sir. However, my dad is right, I do have a bad temper." An Cheng was too familiar with Liu Mingxuan and habitually retorted to him.
"An Cheng! How are you speaking to Mr. Liu? He just helped you. You are the protagonist today, the hostess of the banquet. Can't you be more sensible?" An Weiming feared that Liu Mingxuan might get angry because of this.
"The protagonist? It wouldn't be right if only I were the protagonist today."
An Cheng's face suddenly broke into a smile.