The invited guests came in one by one. In addition to those big guests, there were also many newspaper employees and big stars who came to show their support. At this time, he really looked like the grandson of a media tycoon.
An Yinong’s head spun as he tried to memorize their faces and identities.
“Now you know how hard it is for your dad, right? Do you think I’m just going out to have fun? I’m here for socializing.” Seeing An Yinong looking exhausted, He Chengjue took the opportunity to complain, “You only care about your mom and don’t even consider my pain.”
“…Yeah, you’ve worked hard.”
An Yinong drank some water to replenish his hydration levels. He felt his feet were going to go numb from standing. “Is this how they all spend their time?”
“No, because you don’t know them, so I want to introduce you to them. I will also take you to toast them later, but there will only be a few of them, and you can just show your appreciation for the others. Today is not too many, because when your brother Tianheng got married, the scene was much grander.”
An Yinong was still lucky. Those second and third generation children who were raised as heirs had a hard time. They had so much to learn and the requirements were very strict.
He Chengjue patted An Yinong’s shoulder and said, “Are you tired? There’s nothing you can do. You’re a boy. If you were a girl, you could just sit in your room and wait for everyone’s attention.”
An Yinong thought to himself that it was better to forget it. He didn’t want to do restricted and could only sit in the room like a little princess.
After the important guests had entered and the banquet was about to begin, An Yinong went to the side hall to fix his messed up hair, and then adjusted the wrinkled silk scarf on his chest.
The suit he was wearing was a custom-made outfit. The cashmere-lined fabric had a great drape and a nice sheen. The pattern of the suit was a modified oriental style from later times. It fitted the shoulders and waistline very well without being restrictive.
An Yinong adjusted his crooked bow tie while looking in the mirror, and he saw a pair of sapphires on his sleeves. They were not big, but they were very brightly colored which matched his outfit very well. Touching the pair of gems, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Li Yufeng gave An Yinong a watch. It was said to be custom-made and the gemstones inlaid in it are all his birthstone, moonstone.
“System, you said that when the couple customized a table for their son to hold a banquet, why didn’t they spend more time with him?” An Yinong didn’t understand.
“I don’t understand either.” said the system.
“Forget it, why think about these things?” An Yinong took out the ‘greeting gift’ that Xie Jiu had given him before, which was a small palm-sized box.
He guessed it was some kind of jewelry or a watch, but what appeared after the call was a roll of paper and a photo of a brown pony.
“Are you interested in horse riding? This is your gift. I wonder if I have the chance to be your temporary teacher? -X”
“…He must still be concerned about the ‘sir’ teaching me swordsmanship. He actually wants to teach me horse riding and tempt me to lose my ambition?”
System: Then don’t smile so hard.
When the singing and dancing on the stage paused, the birthday party officially began, so An Yinong walked onto the stage in the spotlight.
The tables near the stage were either occupied by close relatives or people of high social status, while those further away were occupied by employees, colleagues, classmates, etc. An Yinong looked at the crowd and felt that he was not the protagonist of the birthday party, but rather the master of ceremonies at a wedding.
“Thank you all for taking the time to take the time to…” An Yinong on the stage welcomed the arrival of the guests in a calm tone. He had a generous attitude and was humorous with a gentle voice. He also had a good appearance, as tall and straight as a young poplar tree.
Even if one didn’t get along with He Chengjue off stage, they had to admit now: “His son doesn’t take after his father, and he looks pretty good.”
“Don’t you mean intelligence?”
“It’s just a rumor. I heard that he took over Liyi Publishing House two years ago. It’s the comic magazine publishing house that was quite famous some time ago. It’s doing very well and even has branches abroad.”
With money, ability, and a good image, people were tempted to arrange a marriage: “If he is a good character, he would be a suitable son-in-law.”
After An Yinong had given his thanks, the food could be served. Cantonese opera actors were invited in stage, playing various instruments and singing, while waiters arrived with golden copper basins and hot towels. Chrysanthemum petals were sprinkled in each copper basin, and the whole house was filled with a faint floral scent. These were used for washing. After washing, the party really began.
“This is a proper Chinese banquet. It’s boring to walk around with an empty stomach and a plate in hand.” Older people still preferred to sit down and comfortably eat a hot meal.
The younger ones may have some opinions, but they were soon attracted by the food. The chef today was one of the most famous chefs in Hong Kong, and the assistants were all his disciples. The best ingredients and the best chefs would produce a meal that was most in line with Hong Kong style.
“Little brother, your clothes are very nice. Which tailor made them? I want to make one for myself.” His second uncle’s youngest son He Tianxi (third cousin) praised An Yinong’s clothes.
“Why, do you want to dress up nicely and date a pretty girl?” His fourth cousin complained, “Wake up, you don’t have our brother’s face, so it doesn’t matter what you wear.”
“Hey, aren’t you my sister?”
“Yeah, although I don’t really want a brother like you. …Ah, Brother Tianhong, he hit me!”
There was constant fighting and noise at the table, and An Yinong was watching with great joy. He doesn’t have any disputes with the wives and concubines, and he was very clear-headed. The relationship between them was relatively harmonious.
The three tables near An Yinong’s side were occupied by his cousins and their spouses. His eldest cousin, who was divorced, was also there. After her divorce, she joined the He family’s student aid foundation and raised money for out-of-school children. After the cousin improved their career, their whole situation improved.
“You are eighteen years old now. Do you want me to take you out to play?” An Yinong’s eldest aunt’s cousin came over, put his arm around his shoulders, and made eye contact.
His eldest uncle was a noble scholar, and he was a researcher, but his cousin was different, a nightclub prince. He was so famous that no one of his status was suitable for him, which made his eldest aunt and her husband’s hair turn white.
“Don’t mess around. If your aunt finds out that you are leading my younger brother astray, she will definitely come after you.” The eldest uncle’s second cousin warned him, holding the one-year-old fourth cousin in her arms. The child was dressed festively and looked chubby.
“Ah! Handsome uncle!” The child stretched out his hand and kept reaching towards An Yinong, ignoring anyone else’s teasing.
“You’re so young, but you know who’s the prettiest?” Second uncle’s fourth cousin pinched the baby’s face, “Isn’t your aunt pretty? Your aunt even bought you a car.”
Just then, An Yinong didn’t want to eat anymore, so he reached out to hug the child: “Uncle, hold the child for a while.”
As soon as the child was in An Yinong’s arms, he calmed down and lay there obediently without twisting and turning. The second cousin was very surprised: “Hey, he really likes his little brother. He won’t let anyone else hold him except me and his dad. Many of the aunts we invited were persuaded to leave. It makes me feel uneasy at work.”
The second brother-in-law also laughed beside him: “The older child is holding a younger child.”
Children cannot be praised. As soon as I said “good boy”, my nephew started twisting his body, as if he wanted An Yinong to stand up.
“Hahaha, little brother, you’re being relied on. He wants you to carry him everywhere.” The second cousin gloated, “Anyway, I won’t bring him back again.”
An Yinong looked at the ‘little four-toothed boy’ in his arms, then looked at his second cousin who looked like he had thrown off a huge burden, and stood up indifferently: “Then I’ll carry him for a walk.”
The little nephew had a milky scent, soft and warm, yet not heavy. An Yinong himself was quite happy to take him for a stroll.
The brothers and sisters at the table just watched the birthday boy take the baby away. The second cousin, who was just joking at first, asked the nanny to chase after him and drank soup to calm herself down: “Is our little brother too good-tempered?”
“The purpose of a coming-of-age party is to meet a lot of friends of the same age. It would be inconvenient for him to bring a child with him, right?” others said.
“It doesn’t matter. He’ll bring the baby back when he gets tired of holding him.”
An Yinong carried his little nephew around everywhere. When he saw elders, he would call them uncle and aunt affectionately. If they were curious about where the child came from, he would stop and explain. The guests all had a good impression of him. Although he sometimes looked immature, he was very polite and sincere. The older ones liked young people like him, who had pure eyes.
“Uncle Jiu.” An Yinong had already walked to Xie Jiu’s table, and he greeted the elders at the table one by one.
It was said that all the people at this table were wealthy businessmen with famous names. They all looked greasy, with big bellies or premature baldness. There were two rare ones with decent looks, and their eyes were very cloudy. The young and handsome Xie Jiu did not fit in among them.
Xie Jiu had been keeping an eye on him. He was wearing a well-fitting suit that made his waist look slim and his legs long. After his hair was styled, his delicate facial features were revealed, and he was now a likable and handsome young man. Today was his eighteenth birthday. He will be grown up and can make his own decisions and be responsible for the consequences.
“Tiantong, this is… your cousin’s?” Children of this age must be close to each other. Xie Jiu could draw the conclusion immediately.
“Uncle Jiu guessed it?” An Yinong held his nephew’s flesh and greeted Xie Jiu, “Hello, Grandpa Xie.”
Xie Jiu frowned: “Grandpa?”
“He calls me uncle and I call you Uncle Jiu, so you are grandpa, right?” An Yinong smiled with curved eyes, the light from the crystal chandelier flickering in his eyes.
This smile wiped out all the maturity in him, and he seemed like just a kid who had not yet left school.
Xie Jiu couldn’t help laughing: “Naughty.”
The interaction between the older and the younger was so intimate, and it was obvious that they had a very good relationship. When his desk mates thought of the previous rumors, the smile on his face seemed to become even gentler.
Afterwards, An Yinong went to his classmates’ table again. Zhang Wei pulled him aside and said, “You bastard, you want to scare us after graduation. Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“You didn’t ask either.”
An Yinong, holding his little nephew, chatted and laughed with his classmates. The classmates and teachers on this side seemed to see the familiar him again. Regardless of the halo of being a rich young master, he was still their classmate, who drew exquisite desktop paintings, felt bitter and resentful when he saw books, but worked harder than anyone else.
Halfway through the banquet, as the protagonist, he had to come over under the guidance of his parents to toast the elders, even if there was only one drink at the table.
He had just finished toasting to the grandfather’s table and the table of “government” officials, and received many gifts from the elders. Now he went to Xie Jiu’s table. An Yinong was holding the wine glass. Although he had eaten something beforehand, he still felt uncomfortable after drinking the cold wine. Of course, he didn’t show it on his face.
“My throat has been uncomfortable recently and the doctor told me to drink less alcohol. Besides, Tiantong is still a student and alcohol is harmful to the brain. Why don’t we all drink tea?” Xie Jiu said as he coughed.
The waiter immediately replaced the wine glass with a tea cup.
The others at the table saw this and felt that they had to give face, so they also changed their glasses. In this way, An Yinong’s cup was also changed. And because it was changed here, it was natural to drink tea for the rest.
He Chengjue immediately changed his opinion of Xie Jiu and thought that this was a very good person, acting like an elder. He also didn’t want his son to toast with so much wine, but as the host, it was not appropriate for him to say this. Now that Xie Jiu had suggested serving tea, that was the best thing to do.
After the tea, it was time to eat and drink, nothing more to do. However, Xie Jiu felt uncomfortable in the stomach halfway through the meal, so he went to the small reception on the side while his assistant went to get hot water for preparing the medicine.
This was a small open space with several sofas for guests to rest.
“Guess who I am?” A hand covered Xie Jiu’s eyes and a mock mature voice echoed in his ear.
WhiteMoon x BlackSun 