This banquet, which could have been rather mundane, was transformed into a grand affair by the immensely wealthy Su family.
To be precise, it was a party, a grand gathering filled with champagne, flowers, and a variety of specialty foods. The entire Su family united harmoniously, even inviting close friends from esteemed families to join in the celebration.
The recent misfortunes that had plagued the Su family were finally behind them, freeing them from the constant shadow of potential bad luck.
The melodious rhythm of violins flowed through the banquet hall. Ye Tiancheng, after a fragrant bath, had also dressed up, donning the high-end suit prepared for him by Su Muxian.
As the saying goes, clothes make the man. Wearing a specially tailored, expensive suit worth tens of thousands of yuan, Ye Tiancheng looked remarkably handsome. He even spent a considerable time admiring himself in the mirror.
"Brother Ye, stop admiring yourself. A grown man shouldn't be so vain. Come down quickly. There's so much delicious food downstairs. I've already eaten one round and I'm almost full, yet there's still so much I haven't tried. It's unbelievable."
Ye Tiancheng had already taken a brief tour downstairs before changing. Su Muxian had sent someone to fetch him, which was why he was brought to change. He was naturally aware of the splendid scene below.
"Indeed, there's a lot of food. I saw that fortune teller was quite drunk and seemed very happy. It's fine if she has a few more drinks."
Everyone was raising their champagne glasses, appearing happier than one another. Their eyes sparkled with the excitement of finally escaping a dire situation.
"Let's go down for a few drinks too. Everyone has been under a lot of pressure lately. I don't think this is sustainable. It's not good for anyone to be constantly on edge. People need time to relax and adjust their moods. I think drinking is a good way to do that."
Fatty rubbed his hands together, eager to start. He had been very restrained for a long time, not having had a few drinks. In the past, when there was nothing going on, he would enjoy a few drinks. A state of mild intoxication was the best. However, recently, he hadn't had the opportunity or the mood, living a life filled with hardship. He longed to let loose and not live such a tiring life.
After a few seconds of thought, Ye Tiancheng also felt that life was a process and there was no need to make oneself miserable. He realized he was being too hard on himself and that sometimes, self-indulgence was necessary for relaxation.
"Alright, the situation is special today. All the suffering should perhaps come to an end. Let's have a few drinks and eat more good food later. The most important thing is to take care of our health. We will undoubtedly face challenges in the future, so we can't let our guard down, but we also shouldn't worry unnecessarily."
Ye Tiancheng had always been open-minded and clear-thinking. Fatty understood this very well and was willing to follow Ye Tiancheng's lead, as Ye Tiancheng's vision was broader, and he always liked to look ahead.
Fatty nodded and, without further ado, went downstairs with Ye Tiancheng. The atmosphere downstairs remained lively. To enhance the mood, many provocatively dressed beautiful women had been invited. Fatty's eyes immediately widened.
"Oh my god, who arranged this? It's incredible! I'm about to get a nosebleed. These women have such long, straight, and slender legs. Their skin is so fair, and they're all curvy. They're making my nose bleed."
Fatty wasn't exaggerating. These women were indeed model-caliber, and Su Muxian had specifically invited them to liven up the atmosphere. Each of them commanded a fee of several thousand yuan, comparable to that of a minor internet celebrity. With the money spent, the spectacle was impressive, naturally catching everyone's eye.
Ye Tiancheng glanced disdainfully at his胖 companion beside him, finding Fatty's directness a bit much. While he also enjoyed looking at beautiful women, as it was human nature, he could feign indifference. Unlike Fatty, who didn't even bother to pretend, openly revealing his admiration for beautiful women.
"Alright, Fatty, wipe your drool. You really let yourself go when you see beautiful women. It looks like your eyeballs are about to pop out."
Fatty made no attempt to hide his joy at seeing the women and patted his good brother on the shoulder.
"Brother Ye, you should understand me. If I had settled down, I might have had a good marriage. Perhaps I would be married by now. But because I've been following you around, I've missed many opportunities with women. I haven't had much contact with women for a long time. If you don't let me look at beautiful women, I'm afraid my male hormones will degenerate, and I'll turn into a woman. Then you'll have something to worry about."
Ye Tiancheng squeezed Fatty's tiger's mouth. "Alright, you can look at the beautiful women as much as you want. Su Muxian hired them at a high price precisely for you to see. So, you must make sure the money is well spent. You should look."
Upon hearing Ye Tiancheng's words, Fatty couldn't wait any longer. He quickly took a glass of champagne from a waiter's tray and ran off to drink with the beautiful women.
Ye Tiancheng, however, wasn't as proactive. He merely admired them from afar, finding a single glance sufficient. There was no need to interact with those women. Ye Tiancheng noticed the enticing aroma of the roasted meat and decided to go and eat something to fill his stomach. He had put a lot of effort into preparing for this冥婚 ceremony. Although he hadn't personally participated in much, his anxiety had affected his eating and sleeping, leaving him feeling weak. He needed to replenish his energy to avoid becoming too frail.
"Why aren't you going to drink with those beautiful women? Fatty seems quite happy. It makes the tens of thousands of yuan spent worthwhile."
Ye Tiancheng had just eaten a few pieces of pork belly and was marveling at how fragrant it was. Even the fatty parts had a charred aroma and weren't greasy at all. He wondered if premium pork had such advantages. Just then, Su Muxian approached, holding a glass of champagne, wanting to have a drink with Ye Tiancheng and chat with him.
"Those beautiful women are not in my league. People who are blessed by heaven like them will surely find wealthy patrons. Someone like me, a fallen man, is only fit to admire them from afar. Besides, I'm not as interested in interacting with those women as Fatty is. Let him have his fun. He's been suppressed for a long time and needs to release his emotions. You can't hold everything in all the time; it can lead to illness if you do it for too long."
They each took a sip of wine and then started eating together. For them, such relaxed moments of companionship felt like a lifetime ago. Fortunately, fate had been kind to them, giving them the opportunity to converse and laugh together again. When reminiscing about the past, they often felt a bit childish and would share knowing smiles. They would burst into laughter at amusing anecdotes.
Su Muxian couldn't have imagined that she would one day be so close to Ye Tiancheng. She had thought their relationship had reached an irreconcilable point, and they wouldn't be able to have such calm conversations. It seemed to be fate's arrangement that had brought them back together.
However, Su Muxian knew very well that they were like two intersecting lines. After their intersection, they would gradually drift apart, perhaps never to meet again. A hint of sadness touched her heart at this thought.
The host on stage was conducting a lucky draw, and the atmosphere was incredibly enthusiastic. The first prize was the latest high-end mobile phone, worth over ten thousand yuan. Even though the guests present were mostly wealthy and influential, there were also many ordinary people. This phone was a grand prize for them, and they naturally looked forward to it with great anticipation.
"Please, please, I hope it's me!"
"I want to use up all my accumulated good luck from these years today. No matter what, please let me win the grand prize!"
Ye Tiancheng and Su Muxian were also a bit tired and sat down on a soft sofa to rest. They overheard two girls nearby whispering their prayers. Su Muxian found their innocent demeanor quite endearing, reminding her of her past self. She nudged Ye Tiancheng's waist with her finger. Ye Tiancheng also perked up his ears to listen to the girls' conversation and then exchanged a knowing smile with Su Muxian. Although they didn't exchange any words, their intentions were clearly understood.
When the first prize was announced, everyone was astonished. It turned out to be the fortune teller. It seemed that when luck is on your side, nothing can stop you; even a lucky draw brought her the biggest prize.
"Guest with handband number 26, are you present? Please come on stage to claim your prize."
All eyes turned towards the fortune teller. It was inevitable that those who had hoped to win the grand prize felt a pang of jealousy. They had expected a handsome young man or a distinguished person, only to find an old woman. Although her attire and grooming were meticulous, the wrinkles on her face betrayed the fortune teller. Her life had not been easy over the years. If not for the clothes making the man, she would have been unworthy of appearing in such a setting and should have found a hole to hide in.
The murmurs of disappointment on the scene quickly subsided. After all, she had won the prize, and everyone had to abide by the rules of the game. No matter how dissatisfied they were, they couldn't show it. Under the host's efforts to liven up the atmosphere, they joined in the applause and congratulations.
"I really struck it rich."
The fortune teller was overjoyed. Little Fox, who had been accompanying her, helped her onto the stage. Once on stage, the fortune teller walked towards the host.
The grand prize was within reach, and the fortune teller beamed with delight. She hadn't expected her good fortune to arrive so quickly. It was one joyous occasion after another, almost overwhelming.
"Congratulations to the lady with handband number 26. You have won the first prize of this lucky draw, a high-end mobile phone. Please take your prize."
The host handed the prize to the fortune teller, who quickly accepted it, her face splitting into a wide grin. However, just as everyone thought it was a happy occasion, the smile on the fortune teller's face suddenly froze. Then, with a thud, she fell straight to the ground and began to convulse.
This sudden turn of events startled everyone. A wave of terrified screams erupted from the guests. At this critical moment, Ye Tiancheng stepped forward to take charge, quickly shielding Su Muxian behind him. He then called for security guards to quickly carry the woman to a car.
Ye Tiancheng also hurried into the car. He couldn't use his true qi in front of others, so he could only do so after getting into the car, intending to protect the fortune teller's vital points. However, his true qi had little effect. The fortune teller seemed to be controlled by a mysterious force, convulsing and rolling her eyes, appearing as if she would die at any moment.