Two months had passed since she started her internship at the company.
After finishing this week’s work, the weekend arrived, but the girl couldn’t relax as she had hoped; instead, she grew even more nervous. It was simply because today was a special day—
At 3:00 PM, the black Audi pulled up precisely at the Zunhao Hotel in the city center.
This was one of the top-tier hotels in Tianbei City, and tonight it had been reserved by the Qin family to host the engagement dinner.
As soon as they got out of the car, the two saw the hotel staff setting up decorations at the main entrance, with a long red carpet already laid out in anticipation of the evening’s invited guests…
Qin Nanfeng took the girl’s small hand and walked straight into the hotel, heading directly to the elevator to go up to the temporary dressing room on the third floor.
The Qin mother and daughter had been waiting there. As soon as they saw the girl, they came over.
“Finally here, Xiaoyuan. Hurry up and get ready!”
After a brief exchange, Qin Qingge took Lin Xinyuan to start getting her makeup done.
After all, as the protagonist of tonight’s event, Lin Xinyuan’s appearance was undoubtedly the most important.
This so-called engagement dinner, aside from its basic purpose, also carried a certain commercial networking nature.
In addition to close friends and relatives, many local business partners had been invited.
Even though the Qin family didn’t really care about such things, maintaining basic face was still necessary.
“Alright, sister…” Lin Xinyuan responded, turning her head instinctively.
She glanced at the youth and received a gentle smile, which steadied her heart.
The entire makeup process was extremely tedious and boring.
Under the busy hands of the makeup artist arranged by Qin Qingge, it took a full three hours to finish.
During that time, Lin Xinyuan herself had almost fallen asleep, but she forced herself to hold on until it was finally over.
Now she was wearing a blue strapless gown that perfectly outlined her slender waist, showcasing her graceful figure.
Under the light, the sequins on the dress reflected a faint shimmer.
Her smooth, fair back was bare, with delicate shoulder blades accenting her frame, making her look even more soft and lovely, with a hint of ethereal beauty.
Above her fair neck was an exquisitely defined collarbone, and her slender neck was held high like a white swan, adorned with a sparkling green silk crystal that exposed her full forehead.
Her small face still retained the pure innocence unique to a young girl, but it was more ethereal than usual.
A pair of tassel earrings hung from her small earlobes, and her features were clear and otherworldly.
The girl simply stood there, a picture of grace—yet no matter how beautiful she was, there was not a single blush on her cheeks at that moment, which only added a touch of adorable shyness.
Multiple qualities blended together, yet they didn’t seem mismatched at all; instead, they drew even more attention…
When Lin Xinyuan came out of the dressing room, the two people—Jiang Ningyue and the others—saw this breathtaking scene, and their eyes lit up.
“Oh my, Xiaoyuan is really beautiful today! She’s definitely going to catch everyone’s eyes!” Jiang Ningyue came over first, took the girl’s small hand, and kept exclaiming, “No wonder she’s the daughter-in-law of our Qin family—so outstanding!”
Beside her, Qin Qingge also felt proud and raised her delicate brows triumphantly. “Little sister looks like a fairy!”
After all, the design of the girl’s dress today had been personally handled by her, and seeing the results, she was very satisfied.
“Auntie… sister… don’t flatter me…” Lin Xinyuan replied with a shy red face.
She wasn’t being insincere. The Qin mother and daughter, who had already changed into their evening gowns, each had their own charm.
Unlike her own soft and elegant outfit, Qin Mother’s black dress was dignified and grand, while Qin Qingge’s red dress was more flamboyant and stunning—both showcasing their characteristics.
Hearing Lin Xinyuan’s words, Jiang Ningyue rolled her eyes and pretended to scold, “What are you calling ‘Auntie’? Call me ‘Mom’!”
Hearing this, the girl was startled, then blushed and bit her lip. But thinking of her carefully applied makeup, she quickly stopped the motion and murmured shyly, “Mom…”
“That’s right!” Qin Mother covered her mouth and smiled elegantly, her face full of satisfied joy, which made the girl even more bashful.
“But… it’s really a pity that your mother couldn’t come…” Jiang Ningyue thought of something and shook her head regretfully.
“Mm…” Hearing this, Lin Xinyuan’s mood also sank a little.
She and Qin Mother hadn’t hidden the matter from her own mother, but fortunately, her mother had said that since she was coming to the dinner, she was afraid of embarrassing herself or something, so she chose not to come…
After a while, she managed to console herself, lifted her head again, and scanned the surroundings.
She discreetly looked left and right but didn’t find the person she was looking for.
Seeing her anxious expression, Qin Mother couldn’t help teasing, “Xiaoyuan really can’t be without Feng’er. He just went outside to greet the guests! You haven’t seen him for just a moment, and you’re already missing him, huh?”
Teased until her face turned red, Lin Xinyuan wanted to say something but stopped. In the end, she didn’t refute and just gave a soft “mm” in response.
But in her heart, she grumbled.
‘I’m not dependent on him at all! I… I’m very independent! I just want to be with that Yellow-Haired Brat… that’s not clingy at all… right?’
With nervousness and unease, Lin Xinyuan was gently held by Jiang Ningyue’s arm.
The three of them went downstairs together and soon arrived at the main hall.
Inside the hall, the scene was extraordinary.
People were coming and going, all dressed in business attire—either corporate elites or company bosses and their family members.
Men and women, all glamorous, clinked red wine glasses and chatted cheerfully.
The moment Lin Xinyuan, Jiang Ningyue, and Qin Qingge appeared at the hall entrance, almost all the nearby gazes converged on them.
Especially when they saw the girl beside Jiang Ningyue, a flash of amazement passed through their eyes, and they began whispering to one another.
Many keen observers immediately recognized the pure-looking girl at the side of the Qin mother and daughter.
After all, there had long been rumors about the never-seen-before young mistress of the Qin family—also the heroine of today’s engagement dinner!
In an instant, many people came up to greet them.
A bunch of company presidents, daughters of wealthy families—Lin Xinyuan couldn’t remember anyone anyway.
She barely managed to maintain her expression as she followed Qin Mother in greeting them one by one.
By the end, Lin Xinyuan felt like her mouth was numb from smiling, and her ankles were sore and weak.
She really wasn’t used to wearing high heels, and several times she almost stumbled.
Fortunately, Qin Qingge caught her in time, so she didn’t embarrass herself too much.
But even so, feeling the strange gazes of these glamorous people, she still found it hard to bear and desperately wanted to leave the venue quickly…
Fortunately, those people knew their limits.
When they saw that enough time had passed, they tactfully said their goodbyes and left.
After all, although they also wanted to build a good relationship with the Qin family, as respectable people, they wouldn’t linger too long, as that would only be annoying.
It could be said that those at this level knew how to read the room and handle social niceties—such was the norm.
After staying in the hall for a while, taking her daughter to introduce her to various wealthy wives and young ladies, Jiang Ningyue finally turned her attention back to the girl beside her.
Seeing Lin Xinyuan’s slightly furrowed brows and noticing her daughter-in-law’s awkward stance, Jiang Ningyue understood the situation and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
“Alright, Xiaoyuan, if you’re uncomfortable, you can go to the lounge and rest for a while,” Jiang Ningyue said gently. Turning to her daughter, she instructed, “Xiao’ge, take your little sister there first!”
She didn’t insist that the girl stay with her in the hall to entertain the guests.
In her view, the little girl was still so young—there was no need for her to be exposed to such complicated interpersonal matters, or even the darkness and filth, so early.
Even if she never got involved, Jiang Ningyue wouldn’t say anything.
After all, she had no high demands for the younger generation.
The Qin family had already earned enough money, had a huge business, and stood upright and proper—they weren’t afraid of anyone in Tianbei City!
As long as her children were happy, that was her wish.
Qin Qingge nodded and smiled at Lin Xinyuan. “Come on, little sister?”
“Mom… I’ll go rest then…” Lin Xinyuan wanted to stay, but the swelling pain in her feet made her very uncomfortable, so she finally didn’t force herself.
“Go ahead, go ahead!” Qin Mother waved her hand gracefully and elegantly.
So Qin Qingge led the girl away. But neither of them knew that two figures quietly followed behind them…