When the clock struck eight, Huangfu Weixia's birthday banquet had not yet begun.
This was because Huangfu Weixia was not present at the banquet.
This left all the guests attending Huangfu Weixia's birthday banquet bewildered.
Especially when they recalled Huangfu Weixia previously cursing her brother Huangfu Yingjun and then leaping from the second floor barefoot, out of the villa's garden, their confusion deepened.
Just as the guests were scratching their heads in bewilderment, Huangfu Yingjun returned to the villa garden with a gloomy expression.
Although he never dreamed that Jiang Wuming would appear here tonight, Huangfu Weixia's warning made him give up his intention to stop him.
This was because he understood Huangfu Weixia, knowing her resolute nature and that she always kept her word.
Under such circumstances, if he continued to prevent Jiang Wuming from appearing here, Huangfu Weixia would definitely drive Ye Rui and Wang Zhisheng out in front of everyone!
That would have far more severe consequences than Jiang Wuming appearing in the villa garden!
Seeing Huangfu Yingjun step into the garden, the guests stopped their conversations.
Under everyone's gaze, Huangfu Yingjun adjusted his emotions and, with a smile, walked towards the center of the garden.
That was where most of the guests were gathered.
Among them, Ye Rui, the young master of the Ye family, stood in the very center, surrounded by everyone as if he were the moon and they were the stars.
Standing next to Ye Rui was a young man wearing black-rimmed glasses.
The young man wore a light blue short-sleeved shirt, paired with black trousers and leather shoes, a typical attire for a government official.
Not only that, but he also exuded a strong aura of a government official, possessing a maturity and steadiness beyond his years, along with a subtle hint of power.
He was Wei Qianyuan, the eldest young master of the Wei family in Donghai.
The Wei family, like the Huangfu family, was also a top-tier family in Donghai, possessing energy no less than that of the Huangfu family.
This was because the Wei family had served in the government for four generations. Before his retirement, the Wei family's elder statesman had narrowly missed entering the Politburo.
Wei Qianyuan's grandfather was no less accomplished; his position before retirement was the same as the Wei family's elder statesman, although the authority of his position was slightly less.
Wei Qianyuan's father and uncles had perfectly inherited the Wei family's legacy, and they currently held important positions in the government.
Especially Wei Qianyuan's father, who was a popular figure in the government, hailed as a leader in a certain circle.
As for Wei Qianyuan, he showed great promise, appearing to surpass his predecessors.
Now, in his early thirties, he was already in charge of a district in Donghai, setting a record for advancement in Donghai and even the Southern Hemisphere.
However—
Even so, he was still willing to act as a foil to highlight Ye Rui, the true star.
On one hand, Ye Rui had the Ye family standing behind him!
As one of the top elite families in Longguo, the Ye family was absolutely incomparable to families like the Wei family, who were far from the capital.
On the other hand, Wei Qianyuan had been nurtured since childhood and was very low-key in his conduct, serving as a model of restrained ambition among the younger generation.
"Yingjun, what happened? Where is Weixia?"
As Huangfu Yingjun approached, Wei Qianyuan broke the silence in the garden, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
He, who always maintained a low profile, was the first to speak publicly because he had learned from his father that his grandfather was considering arranging a marriage between him and Huangfu Weixia.
"Weixia invited a guest I don't like, and I didn't want that guest to be here. As a result, she ran off and had a big argument with me."
Huangfu Yingjun offered the excuse he had already prepared.
Since he couldn't prevent Jiang Wuming from appearing here, he could only settle for the next best thing, stating that he and the Huangfu family did not want Jiang Wuming to attend Huangfu Weixia's birthday banquet, and it was solely Huangfu Weixia's personal wish.
This way, he could avoid Ye Rui and the father-son duo Wang Lin and Wang Zhisheng developing resentment towards the Huangfu family.
Upon hearing this, a peculiar glint flashed in Wei Qianyuan's eyes.
Although he was very curious about which guest could make Huangfu Weixia so concerned that she would even quarrel with Huangfu Yingjun, he did not ask his question.
Which guest?
At the same time, including Ye Rui and Wang Zhisheng, the other guests were also filled with curiosity, but they did not ask aloud in public, instead glancing towards the garden entrance.
The next moment.
Before Huangfu Yingjun could say anything further, Huangfu Weixia arrived at the villa garden entrance with Jiang Wuming.
At this moment, she had tidied her messy bangs, but her feet were still bare, with dust on the tops of her feet and dirt on the soles.
Huangfu Weixia's appearance caused great astonishment among the guests.
However—
When the guests saw Jiang Wuming behind Huangfu Weixia, their astonishment instantly turned into shock!
This was because the news of Jiang Wuming crippling Wang Zhisheng's hand and disrespecting Ye Rui and Wang Lin had spread like wildfire, placing him at the center of public attention in Longguo's elite circles.
The guests present today had all heard of Jiang Wuming's deeds and seen his photos online, and they recognized him at a glance.
Just now, when they heard Huangfu Yingjun's words, they had all speculated about what kind of guest it was that would make Huangfu Weixia act that way, but no one had expected the person to be Jiang Wuming!
"Teacher Wuming, please wait a moment. I'll go up, put on shoes, and tidy myself up before coming down."
Seeing everyone's shocked expressions, Huangfu Weixia first smiled and said to Jiang Wuming, then addressed the crowd, "I apologize for keeping you all waiting. I'll be down shortly."
As she finished speaking, Huangfu Weixia flashed and went directly to the entrance of the main villa building, stepping inside without waiting for anyone's reply.
Swish, swish, swish...
As Huangfu Weixia left, all eyes, from Huangfu Yingjun to the guests present, fell upon Jiang Wuming!
Among them, the gazes of most guests were filled with confusion: why would Huangfu Weixia invite Jiang Wuming to her birthday banquet?
Ye Rui and Wang Zhisheng, on the other hand, stared at Jiang Wuming with gloomy expressions, their faces filled with resentment!
The events of the past few days were a great humiliation for Ye Rui and Wang Zhisheng!
Now, Jiang Wuming's appearance here was like rubbing salt into their wounds, how could they not hate him?
Wei Qianyuan's eyes flickered with a sharp light, and no one knew what he was thinking.
For a moment, the villa garden, which had been bustling with conversation, fell silent again, the atmosphere feeling somewhat eerie and oppressive!
"Everyone, this is the guest I mentioned earlier."
Huangfu Yingjun, observing everything, took in the reactions of Ye Rui, Wang Zhisheng, and Wei Qianyuan, and quickly spoke to break the silence, "I'm sure everyone knows him. His name is Jiang Wuming, he currently works at the Donghai Martial Arts Academy, is my sister's teacher, and also Li Lianyi's fiancé!"
Hmm?
Upon hearing Huangfu Yingjun's words, the guests snapped back to reality, and most of them looked at Jiang Wuming with peculiar expressions.
Li Lianyi, known as the "Little Medical Immortal," possessed extraordinary medical skills and was designated as the future successor of the Li family.
All of this made her a goddess in Longguo's high society and martial arts circles, and almost all wealthy scions and martial arts prodigies wanted to marry her!
Meanwhile, Jiang Wuming was an orphan, and the Ye family had disassociated themselves from him, leaving him with no background.
Compared to each other, there was a world of difference!
In such a situation, Huangfu Yingjun specifically pointing out that Jiang Wuming was Li Lianyi's fiancé was tantamount to publicly mocking Jiang Wuming as a toad wanting to eat swan meat!
At the same time, the resentment in Ye Rui and Wang Zhisheng's eyes disappeared, replaced by mocking smiles.
Wei Qianyuan also ceased his thoughtful expression and adopted a look of watching a play.
Seeing this, Huangfu Yingjun secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He had specifically introduced Jiang Wuming in that manner earlier to allay the dissatisfaction of Ye Rui and Wang Zhisheng, and to prevent Wei Qianyuan from misunderstanding.
Now, the reactions of the three made him realize that his remedial measures had worked.
Jiang Wuming saw all this but said nothing, walking towards an empty corner.
Throughout the entire process, no one greeted Jiang Wuming; they merely looked at him as if he were a clown.
At this moment, he seemed like a blade of grass in the desert, out of place with his surroundings.
"Teacher Wuming!"
Just as Jiang Wuming was isolated by everyone and standing in an inconspicuous corner of the garden, a voice suddenly rang out.
Chu Feng and his sister Chu Weiyang emerged from the main villa building and quickly walked towards Jiang Wuming!