“Are the guests starting to arrive? Who’s here?”
The red-brown-haired young lady looked at the main entrance, then glanced at the servant beside her.
“There aren’t any guests yet, miss. Would you like to have breakfast first?”
The servant held out a tray with a sandwich on it.
Dian Xiaojie grabbed the sandwich from the tray. After trying, she found it wouldn’t fit in her mouth, so she obediently held it in her hand.
“Where are my parents? Have they arrived?”
“Not yet. I just called. It seems the master was sleeping in, and the mistress is beating him.”
“Can’t that couple wait until they get to the venue to fight?” Dian Xiaojie frowned.
She had also just called her good brother and Little Sister Zhu, but the only answer she got was that they were almost there.
Forty minutes ago it was almost there, twenty minutes ago it was almost there, and now she hadn’t called yet.
“Miss, I think you can relax a bit. You don’t need to be so nervous,” the servant said, but Dian Xiaojie waved her hand and sent her away.
Of course she knew this wasn’t her engagement banquet, so she didn’t need to be this nervous.
But just because it wasn’t her engagement banquet didn’t mean it wasn’t important.
She understood that for the two most important people, Gou Yu and Zhu Yuan, on the surface it all seemed like just putting on a show.
That was only for others to see; the two of them definitely treated this engagement banquet as the real thing.
In fact, both of them might even be treating this engagement banquet like a wedding.
That meant this engagement banquet could directly determine the course of their relationship.
She absolutely would not let anything go wrong with this banquet.
“Miss, someone has arrived.” The servant who had just withdrawn came back up.
“What?” Dian Xiaojie tucked a strand of her red-brown hair behind her ear and glanced at the time.
It was just past eight, not even half past eight.
It wasn’t even the earliest designated guest arrival time yet.
“Who’s here?”
Originally, according to the plan, Gou Yu and Zhu Yuan, the engaged couple, were supposed to arrive early to stand at the entrance, receiving gifts and greeting guests.
That way, the arriving guests could get to know them and recognize who the main characters were today.
Though there weren’t many guests—no more than ten—since it was an engagement banquet, not a wedding banquet, there was no need for a grand scene.
But now it seemed some guest had arrived early, before the two main characters of the engagement had even shown up.
She, as the host family member who had arrived first, had to entertain them.
Really, she was so invested that someone might think it was her own engagement banquet.
Her slender, crossed legs moved slightly, her steps light and graceful.
Poised and elegant, the true aura of a noble lady surrounded her.
That was also the only normal aura in the entire family.
Wearing a polite smile, she met a pair of sapphire-blue eyes.
“Why is it you?”
“Why can’t it be me?” Mai Che Xiaozi asked back, shaking the small gift box in his hand. “Where do I put the gift?”
“Wait until they arrive,” Dian Xiaojie paused. “Why are you here so early?”
“Your brother came to my place yesterday to pick up his clothes, and I saw the two of them.” Mai Che Xiaozi was wearing a dark blue suit today. “I was actually a bit skeptical about your brother’s taste, mainly because she really seemed like one of those vases we’ve encountered.”
“People often have stereotypes about ugly people, but I didn’t expect you to have stereotypes about pretty people too,” Dian Xiaojie laughed lightly.
“Then your brother gave me a live demonstration of what his taste really means.” Mai Che Xiaozi smiled bitterly. “Anyway, I’m convinced. That actually proves my own taste isn’t bad, since I can recognize someone like him as my big brother.”
“Regretting your doubts?”
“I had to doubt him. He went off the grid for a long time. I kept waiting for him to give up on that wild survival and come to me for help. But the less he came to me, the more I respected him. Then he finally contacted me after so long, and suddenly he pops out with a fiancée.” Mai Che Xiaozi spread his hands. “Anyone would have doubted that.”
“It’s been so long since he last contacted you. I’m surprised you still remember him.”
The red-brown-haired young lady crossed her arms.
“Men’s friendships aren’t maintained by constant contact.” Mai Che Xiaozi wagged his finger. “And not only do I remember your brother, I remember you too.”
“You still haven’t answered me. Why are you here so early?”
Dian Xiaojie brought the conversation back to the main topic.
“I know your brother. Precisely because I know him, I understand how rare this relationship is—one that anyone would envy. If he loses this chance, he might never get another one in his life.”
A faint glimmer lit up in Dian Xiaojie’s eyes.
“So, you’re here to…”
“I’m here to protect their relationship.”
A hint of resolve showed in Mai Che Xiaozi’s sapphire-blue eyes, as deep and rippling as the sea.
“This is probably one of the few things I can do for him as a brother, right? Besides, I’m really rooting for them.”
Just as he was about to add something, a hand wearing a lady’s watch reached out from the side.
“Happy cooperation.”
The red-brown-haired Store Manager Lady spoke: “It seems I didn’t make a wrong choice back when I had the servant spray your brother with the high-pressure water hose to wash off the mud.”
“Happy cooperation.”
The sapphire-eyed Mai Che Xiaozi shook her hand lightly. “I didn’t have any mud on me back then. You just wanted to mess with your brother and took me down too.”
“Don’t mention it.”
The Store Manager Lady held out her hand, as if asking for something.
Mai Che Xiaozi paused, then took out the invitation with his left hand.
“Go on in. Check the venue setup inside. I’ll stay here and watch them greet the guests.”
“Roger.”
The Store Manager Lady sat down behind the red table at the entrance and let out a small sigh.
Then two heads poked out from the main entrance.
“Is this the place?”
“How should I know? You’re hosting the banquet and you’re asking me? This isn’t like those other banquet halls where they hang a banner telling everyone which floor the wedding is on.”
Hearing their whispers, the Store Manager Lady shook her head helplessly and stood up.
“Over here.”
Gou Yu and Zhu Yuan, who had been in the corridor outside, finally saw a familiar face and hurried over.
“Am I late?” Gou Yu held Zhu Yuan’s hand and raised an eyebrow.
“You’re late. Now sit here with Little Sister Zhu and greet the guests.” The Store Manager Lady pointed at the red table. “And this is the gift from the first guest who arrived earlier.”