The car door opened.
Ling Yuchen, with his long legs, stepped out of the car, still holding the sleeping Ling Leyou in his arms.
A commotion arose around them.
Countless paparazzi, hidden in the shadows, pulled out their cameras and began to snap photos.
Gong Zhijing, holding up the hem of her long dress, carefully stepped out.
She wore a pair of bright gold high heels, her exposed lower legs fair and well-proportioned.
Her makeup was exquisite, her hair styled back, revealing a long and perfect neck.
After getting out of the car, Gong Zhijing adjusted her dress and then linked her arm with Ling Yuchen's as they entered the hotel.
Due to being in the postpartum period, her cleavage was particularly full.
Her fitted dress accentuated her perfect waistline, flowing down to a tightly wrapped, ample posterior, making her movements graceful and captivating with every step.
The entire banquet hall today was the venue for the full moon celebration, with the top floor being the main event.
The top floor offered an expansive view, with floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides, providing a panorama of half of the capital.
Ling Junye held a wine glass in one hand, the red wine within as crimson as blood.
He stood by the window, gazing down at the various industry magnates and political figures entering the hotel.
Today, everyone was celebrating the treasured daughter of the Ling family.
Behind him.
The entire top floor was exquisitely decorated with pink balloons and ribbons, along with large clusters of baby's breath.
It was dreamy and beautiful.
Waiters bustled about with trays laden with red wine and fruit juice.
Small cakes and snacks were arranged on the tables.
Zhu Yunfei was mingling with a group of women, navigating the conversations with grace and poise.
She showed no hint of pride in the face of everyone's flattery, instead appearing increasingly low-key and serene.
The higher the Ling family's status, the more eyes were upon them.
Not far away, a group of elegant elderly ladies surrounded Old Mrs. Ling.
Since Gong Zhijing's identity was revealed, everyone seemed to have changed their demeanor.
Before, there was only respect; now, it was all about sycophancy and fawning.
Someone in the crowd suddenly called out.
"Young Master Ling and Miss Gong have arrived."
All eyes turned towards the entrance.
Gong Zhijing and Ling Yuchen entered hand-in-hand, with Ling Yuchen still cradling their daughter.
One dazzling, the other composed and reserved, they made a strikingly attractive family of three.
"Oh my, these two look so well-matched, talent and beauty, a perfect pair."
"Indeed, it's wonderful. Look at the child in his arms, that must be the Ling family's little lady! She's so beautiful."
"The child is truly gorgeous, her skin as fair as her mother's, her features as delicate as her father's."
Amidst the murmurs, Ling Yuchen and Gong Zhijing entered the hall.
They first placed the baby in a stroller and then proceeded towards Old Mrs. Ling.
The banquet had not officially begun; this was the reception, a more relaxed affair.
The full moon banquet at noon would be the main event, held downstairs.
Old Mrs. Ling was proudly showing off to the crowd.
"This is my great-granddaughter, look at her, isn't she beautiful?"
The elderly ladies craned their necks to see.
"This little darling has such beautiful eyes. What do the young people say? Her eyes hold... the stars and the sea."
"Her features are delicate too, she'll grow up to be a stunner."
"So beautiful. I wish I had such a lovely great-granddaughter. My great-grandson is only six months old..."
Each woman had her own thoughts and a calculating glint in her eyes.
Ling Leyou was the little princess of both the business and political worlds; whoever married her in the future would achieve great success.
At this moment, they were all considering if they had any suitable descendants.
Facing everyone's praise, Old Mrs. Ling smiled but her eyes clearly held a glint of pride.
In her heart, her little darling was the most beautiful!
After these pleasantries, Gong Zhijing took Ling Leyou to Zhu Yunfei.
Ling Yuchen, meanwhile, had to go and socialize with the group of influential figures accompanying Ling Junye.
And the group of political bigwigs surrounding Gong Ye, each one of them needed to be toasted and engaged with.
After parting ways with Ling Yuchen, Gong Zhijing felt a sense of unease.
No matter how many times she attended, she never quite got used to these banquets.
Before her identity was revealed, everyone offered fake smiles and spoke with hidden intentions. While they wouldn't openly offend her, their words often contained subtle bragging or mockery.
Bragging about their wealth, mocking her for being a sparrow that had flown onto a branch to become a phoenix.
Now, everyone was fawning over her and trying to curry favor, which was truly unpleasant.
Conversations with the group of women friendly with Zhu Yunfei were particularly uncomfortable.
This age group was the most ambitious; the mother-in-law was aging, the husband held power, and their thoughts became more complex.
As soon as Gong Zhijing brought the baby over, they all smiled and gathered around.
"This little princess is so adorable, Mrs. Ling is truly blessed!"
"Yes, look at her little face, she looks so much like her mother! Doesn't she!"
After praising the child, they turned to compliment Gong Zhijing.
"Your figure has recovered so well, you're already so slender just a month after giving birth."
"That's because she's naturally beautiful and has a good constitution. Unlike us, who lost our figures after childbirth, and only get worse with age."
"That's true, that's true."
Gong Zhijing smiled and remained silent throughout.
Suddenly, she understood a saying.
When you are successful, people around you radiate kindness.
Although she couldn't claim much success, only benefiting from Gong Ye's influence, she was now deeply experiencing this feeling.
Zhu Yunfei, knowing she wouldn't be comfortable in such a setting, said to her, "You go entertain yourself. I'll stay here with the baby."
"Okay, thank you, Mom."
Gong Zhijing immediately felt a sense of relief. Thankfully, her mother-in-law treated her like a daughter and understood her dislike for such occasions.
She could avoid it if possible, though she knew that in the future, she would need to live like Zhu Yunfei.
Glancing around, Gong Zhijing's gaze settled on the sofa in the corner.
Qiao Xinyue and Wen Xuanyuan were sitting there.
Navigating through the crowd, responding to greetings from everyone she passed, Gong Zhijing felt her face was about to freeze from smiling.
Wen Xuanyuan had been secretly smiling as she watched her. When Gong Zhijing finally reached them, she couldn't help but tease, "It's not easy being the young mistress of the Ling family, is it? Hahaha..."
Gong Zhijing shot her a look, and as soon as she sat down, she felt like she was alive again.
She truly wasn't suited for these high-society banquets, having rarely attended any growing up.
When she passed Xia Wanfu earlier, compared to her effortless grace, Gong Zhijing felt somewhat out of her depth.
Teasing aside, Wen Xuanyuan generously offered her a glass of juice and a small cream cake.
Gong Zhijing glanced at it and said, "Don't tempt me. I'm breastfeeding, I can't eat cream."
She could actually eat a little, but the baby was too young, and she feared it would cause an upset stomach.
Wen Xuanyuan raised an eyebrow and said helplessly, "You only consider the baby, why don't you consider yourself? Xinyue and I are graduating next month. Aren't you planning to finish your studies?"