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墨書 Inktalez
The banquet was held at the Jingcheng Mountain Water International Hotel, which is owned by Li Hao's family. Bai Yujing arrived early, but the guest list surprised her; it seemed to be filled with big names. Bai Yujing had anticipated a gathering of notable figures, but she did not expect so many celebrities to attend, one after another.
While Bai Yujing might not be very familiar with the wealthy attendees, the celebrities she recognized from television were different. Sun Nan, Tang Guoqiang, Xia Yu, Yuan Quan, and the couple Xiao Shenyang were among those who walked in. There were also many others whom Bai Yujing couldn't name but felt familiar, some of whom she often saw on CCTV but did not know their names.
Since Bai Yujing was a friend of Li Hao, she was seated toward the front at a table in the second row. Lin Ruoqiao seemed a bit excited as someone entered from outside, and she stood up, exclaiming, "Uncle Benshan!"
Bai Yujing immediately looked over and saw Zhao Benshan walking in, followed by a bald man, Ge You. These two were quite big names, and Bai Yujing did not expect to see them here.
She noticed many guests standing up to request photos with the two men. Lin Ruoqiao also squeezed her way over; it was surprising that someone her age would admire these two instead of being infatuated with Korean oppas or young idols from China.
The last person to enter was a chubby man who bore some resemblance to Li Hao. Although he had gained some weight, his prominent features were still noticeable. He must be Li Hao's father. He walked in while chatting and laughing with a few friends beside him. Although these friends were not particularly handsome, they exuded an impressive aura and appeared to be elite figures from the business world. As they walked down the aisle, they instantly attracted everyone's attention, prompting all the guests to stand up.
Li Hao's father said loudly, "Please sit down! Everyone can relax today; just have fun and enjoy yourselves!"
The entire venue felt less like a birthday party and more like a press conference. On stage was a screen that lit up as Li Hao's father stepped up. The lights brightened the hall even more, and the screen displayed both English and Chinese characters: "Happy Birthday" and "生日快乐."
Li Hao's father took the microphone while two attendants in suits followed him. "This year marks my 47th birthday," he said. "A few days ago, my secretary reminded me that my birthday was approaching! I asked him how old I was turning this year, and he said I would be 47!"
He smiled and continued, "I was quite surprised. What? I'm already 47? I always feel like I'm 18!"
At that moment, applause erupted from the audience. Li Baolin raised his hand to quiet everyone down: "Although I'm already 47, I feel just as young as I did at 18! Here’s wishing all my friends present remain forever young and happy!"
Bai Yujing joined in the applause with everyone else as various performances began on stage—many of them small acts prepared by the attending celebrities—creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a Spring Festival Gala.
The food and drinks were served; Bai Yujing picked up a bottle of red wine and discovered it was Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon. Screaming Eagle Winery is located in Napa Valley, California, known as the king of American cult wines. The price is steep but manageable for those present; however, it is notoriously difficult to obtain since it does not accept reservations and is typically reserved for winery members upon release. She did not expect it to be served directly on tables for ordinary guests here.
Not all attendees were dressed formally; some came in casual attire. Bai Yujing even noticed someone wearing just a sweater shirt—oh wait, that person was Ma Yun, sitting diagonally in front of her.
Bai Yujing shared a table with Lin Dan and his wife. She never expected Super Dan would one day dine at the same table as her. She chatted briefly with Lin Dan but found him rather reserved and polite; their conversation ended quickly after just a few exchanges.
On the other side, there was a couple, a boy and a girl. The girl looked very pure, resembling the ideal image of a school beauty, while the boy was tall and handsome, making them a good-looking pair. Bai Yujing was not familiar with them, so he did not initiate a conversation, but unexpectedly, the girl spoke first.
"You are that friend of Li Hao, right? I've seen you online, Bai Yujing!" the girl said with a smile.
Bai Yujing curiously asked, "Are you also a friend of Li Hao?"
The girl nodded, "I am in the same class as Li Hao in university. We got to know each other because our families were quite familiar when we were kids!"
Bai Yujing nodded, realizing this. However, after thinking for a moment, he felt something was off: "Wait, you wouldn't be the one who caused Li Hao's relationship troubles and went to Scotland to heal from it, would you?"
"......!" The girl's expression suddenly became complicated, unsure of how to respond!
Bai Yujing felt that her image had suddenly become more imposing: "So it's you! I've heard so much about you!"
"It's nothing; I just feel a bit melancholic!" The corners of the girl's eyes seemed to glisten with tears, but it felt somewhat fake and pretentious.
Lin Ruoqiao bit her fork and said, "Hmph, green tea bitch!"
The girl's face immediately turned pale as she stood up: "What did you say?"
Her boyfriend quickly turned to Lin Ruoqiao with a frown and comforted his girlfriend: "Forget it; don't argue with this little girl!"
"Tch, if you're going to pretend, at least do it convincingly!" Lin Ruoqiao was not one to back down easily. She then said something that instantly made the girl furious. The girl raised her hand and slapped Lin Ruoqiao across the face. Bai Yujing couldn't stand it anymore and grabbed the girl's arm. Her boyfriend immediately stood up and swatted Bai Yujing's hand away.
"What are you doing?"
"Miss, this is Li Hao's sister; that's why she has some opinions about you. Besides, this is Mr. Li's birthday banquet; you wouldn't want to become the topic of conversation!" Bai Yujing glanced around and noticed that people were starting to look over. The girl immediately sat down angrily.
At that moment, Li Hao rushed over. He had been mingling around earlier, helping his father toast or blocking drinks for him. Seeing the situation here, he hurried over: "What's going on? Ah! Jiayin, what are you doing here?"
The girl named Jiayin immediately said with a hint of grievance, "What? Can't I come over? And what about these two? Why are they bullying me? Is this how your friends see me?"
Li Hao glanced at Lin Ruoqiao, who was making a face with a fork, and quickly understood the situation. "This is my sister; she's a bit mischievous. Jiayin, don't take it to heart. I apologize on her behalf!"
Lin Ruoqiao immediately stood up. "Who’s your sister? You spineless coward! You want to apologize to this woman? If it were me..."
Li Hao quickly pulled Lin Ruoqiao up and pushed her toward the aisle. "Alright, little lady, it's my dad's birthday banquet today; just give it a rest!"
Bai Yujing also stood up and said to Jiayin and her boyfriend, "I'm really sorry about this; I apologize!"
"Hmph!"
Jiayin snorted coldly. Her boyfriend was more reasonable and nodded at Bai Yujing. "It's fine; no need to worry about it!"
Bai Yujing then followed Li Hao over to a large table where they met Li Hao's father, Li Baolin. Li Baolin immediately looked at Li Hao as he pushed Lin Ruoqiao down to sit and asked, "Is this the daughter of that person?"
Li Hao nodded. Li Baolin's expression became somewhat complex as he looked at Lin Ruoqiao, who was as fiery as a little pepper. They exchanged a few words, and Lin Ruoqiao was quite straightforward in her responses. However, Li Baolin didn't mind at all; in fact, he liked Lin Ruoqiao's forthright nature.
Afterward, he chatted with Bai Yujing for a bit and expressed his happiness that Li Hao could know Bai Yujing and Lin Ruoqiao. He also thanked Bai Yujing for helping resolve some of Li Hao's health issues. Although he didn't say it outright, both Li Hao and Bai Yujing understood what he meant.
The grand banquet held in the capital's top-tier elite venue ended before midnight. For Bai Yujing, being able to see so many stars and big shots from the business world made the trip worthwhile.
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