Chapter 4 Young and Beautiful!

When Ye Li got out of the car, Fu Garden was already brightly lit.

Melodious light music wafted from the banquet hall, filled with laughter and joyful voices everywhere.

Old Mrs. Fu had personally sent out the invitations, and almost all the eligible ladies from the Imperial Capital's rich families were present.

At first glance, all were familiar faces.

Upon seeing Ye Li, the banquet hall suddenly quieted.

Her champagne-colored, ankle-length evening gown was elegantly graceful.

The shimmering satin highlighted the girl's delicate figure, her slender waist almost too slight to grasp.

Under the dazzling lights, her cold and solitary face seemed extraordinarily captivating.

Before she arrived, all the well-groomed ladies were having their moments.

But as soon as Ye Li made her appearance, the others seemed to instantly fade into dullness.

"Didn't Ye Li get engaged to Mr. Zhou? Why is she here?"

"Have you not heard about the Ye Family? The Zhou Family's attitude has been quite clear; they must have broken off the engagement!"

"It might not be that simple... I heard the Ye Family has a debt of a billion, maybe she's here just for that billion."

"Tsk tsk tsk… Wooing both the nephew and the uncle, only she would have the nerve to do such shameless acts! No wonder the Ye Family went bankrupt; it seems even the heavens can't stand it and decided to intervene!"

"Old Mrs. Fu is here!"

Someone shouted, and the banquet hall instantly quieted down.

Old Mrs. Fu, with her silver hair, walked out from beside a folding screen, her spirits high, her face all smiles.

The elderly enjoy bustling scenes, not to mention being surrounded by beautiful young ladies.

She asked one about her age, whether she preferred skiing or going to concerts.

Then she inquired another about her plans for Christmas.

The atmosphere in the banquet hall was lively.

Yet from Old Mrs. Fu to the ladies present, everyone seemed distracted, occasionally glancing back towards the entrance.

The main guest of the matchmaking banquet had yet to appear.

When Qin Chu arrived breathlessly, he immediately saw Ye Li standing by the window, looking at the snow.

He picked up a glass of champagne and approached her, complaining, "We didn't come all this way for nothing, did we?"

Ye Li shook her head.

She didn't know.

Before coming, she felt extremely embarrassed, as if she were a bag of chips on a shelf, or a big cabbage, waiting to be chosen.

And the stocker who placed her on the shelf was none other than herself.

Now that the moment had come, and Fu Yanci hadn't shown up, Ye Li felt more at ease.

However, that billion and her mother's illness loomed over her like two mountains.

Just thinking about them made it difficult for her to breathe.

"Xiao Li Zi…"

When a calling voice came from afar, Ye Li instinctively turned around and saw Old Mrs. Fu beckoning her.

A path automatically cleared in front of her.

Picking up her dress, Ye Li moved forward with a sweet smile, calling out, "Grandma Fu…"

"Ah!"

Old Mrs. Fu smiled and patted her hand, gesturing for Ye Li to sit beside her.

Meanwhile, in the president's office of the Fu Group, Xiang Yang placed a thick stack of documents in front of Fu Yanci, then reminded, "Boss, the old lady has requested—please be sure to arrive at Fu Garden by four."

"I'm not going."

Fu Yanci coldly refused, already aware of his grandmother's arrangements.

He looked up at Xiang Yang, his gaze icy, signaling: You can leave!

"…"

Xiang Yang spoke again, "Ms. Ye is also there."

Screech!

The signing pen scratched a long mark across the document.

With a dark expression, Fu Yanci looked up, "What's going on?"

Ye Li was supposed to be engaged.

Fu Garden's banquet, ostensibly a lively event hosted by Old Mrs. Fu, was in reality a matchmaking feast, and all the guests were well aware of it.

Why would Ye Li go?

Outside the window, heavy snow swirled around, blanketing everything in white.

Yet Xiang Yang felt he saw a glimmer of light amidst the vastness, "I've asked around. Ms. Ye proposed to break off the engagement, and Mr. Zhou... remained noncommittal."

Noncommittal.

That meant he either didn't care,

or he tacitly consented.

Before Xiang Yang could figure out how to persuade the Boss, or how to handle a possible call from Old Mrs. Fu,

he looked up and saw the Boss's pen dancing across the paper.

The office was serene, only the sound of the signing pen scratching on paper.

A stack of documents was signed in no time.

After closing the last one, Fu Yanci stood up, grabbed his coat, and left.

Xiang Yang remembered how just a moment ago he had coldly stated he wouldn't go.

Xiang Yang stepped up and followed.

Ah, the fickleness of men!

...

"Old Mrs., the young master has returned!"

During a lazy afternoon, as a group leisurely ate, drank, and chatted, and were about on the verge of dozing off,

the butler's words briefly stirred the gathering.

Everyone turned their heads toward the door as if on cue.

A man in a black suit, tall and stern with a cold demeanor, entered.

He seemed to dislike the occasion, his face clouded with anger, yet he restrained himself since his beloved grandmother had arranged it.

And as he walked in, a distinct scent of sandalwood filled the air.

This was a man who stood atop the pyramid of Imperial City.

The banquet hall fell utterly silent.

As if subdued by his imposing aura, no one dared to make a noise as he walked from the door,

afraid that his next words might be "show the guests out".

With his height and long legs, the man quickly disappeared behind a screen.

Fu Yanci sat down beside his grandmother with a frown still on his face.

The mixture of over a hundred perfumes was giving him a headache.

Thinking about the purpose of this banquet only intensified the fierceness in his eyes.

The next moment, his gaze faltered.

Without any apparent change in expression, Fu Yanci reluctantly turned to Old Mrs. Fu, "Grandmother, why trouble yourself with this?"

"The dust is almost burying me..."

Old Mrs. Fu, with a look of vexation, replied, "If you're not worried, it's only natural that I must be!"

"You're here now, why not give it a good look? I'm not asking you to decide today, but if someone catches your eye, you could exchange contact details, have coffee, or dine out sometime. At any rate, I've invited them, and whether it works out or not, you need to show your willingness! Otherwise, I might just die..."

"Grandmother!"

Fu Yanci cut her off, "You will live a long and healthy life!"

"Alright..."

His beloved grandson could say no wrong.

Old Mrs. Fu nodded, patting his hand and asking, "Tell me, what kind of girl do you like?"

Leaning lazily back in his chair, Fu Yanci slightly lifted his eyelids.

Until now, he hadn't really noticed any face.

From behind the screen, he could only see vague silhouettes.

Meeting his grandmother's expectant gaze, Fu Yanci said gravely, "Young, beautiful."

???

People say to marry a woman older than oneself, someone who knows how to care.

But his preference was for someone younger?

Regardless, it was good that he had spoken at all.

Old Mrs. Fu mentally reviewed all the girls present today, a smile spreading across her face, "I knew it, there's a bit of an understanding between us, grandson and grandmother!"