A rooster crowed, and the eastern sky began to show streaks of fish belly white.
Jianghai City was not close to Yanjing.
Even with the driver speeding, it still took more than four hours to reach Yanjing.
Ying Chen sat in the back seat with his eyes closed, meditating, appearing as unperturbed as ever.
“Sir, we are about to reach the Hu family’s residence. However, there’s some traffic ahead. It’s only six in the morning; even a big city shouldn't have traffic jams this early!”
The driver glanced ahead, unable to suppress a complaint.
Was this a characteristic of big cities?
Everyone had seen the sunrise at six in the morning, so they could develop into big cities?
“Drive slower, no rush,” Ying Chen reassured the driver.
Half an hour later, the driver finally pulled up to the main gate of the Hu family’s residence.
A mere few kilometers had taken so long to traverse due to the traffic.
Even more bizarrely, it was as if these people were deliberately obstructing the driver, blocking him wherever he went.
Finally, they were stuck until they reached the Hu family’s gate!
“Damn it, no wonder there’s so much traffic!” After stopping the car, the driver looked up and saw the “囍” (double happiness) characters pasted on the Hu family’s gate and the large red lanterns hanging from the eaves.
“So, the Hu family is holding a wedding today!”
“It seems you’re here to attend the wedding too, sir?”
The driver asked Ying Chen obsequiously.
Firstly, Ying Chen was a guest specifically requested by Young Master Min Ziqing to be picked up and driven; secondly, anyone attending a wedding at the Hu family’s residence, even if not as influential as the Hu family, would certainly be of considerable standing.
Given these two points, the driver had every reason to be polite and attentive to Ying Chen.
What the driver did not expect, however, was that Ying Chen seemed completely unaware of this.
He opened his eyes in surprise and asked, “A wedding? Whose wedding?”
“This… I don’t know either… I thought you were here specifically for the wedding! But then again, you didn’t bring any wedding gifts, so how could you be here for the wedding!” the driver replied sheepishly.
Ying Chen looked at the unending stream of guests and the lanterns hanging outside, a flicker of realization crossing his eyes.
“That’s right, I am here for the wedding! As for the gifts, it’s not too late to buy one now,” Ying Chen said.
He then directly ordered the driver to turn back, intending to make a last-minute effort and buy a gift nearby!
While inwardly grumbling that Ying Chen’s gesture was too perfunctory and would surely lead to him being kicked out by the Hu family if they knew, the driver turned the car around and headed towards the nearest handicraft market.
Meanwhile, at the Hu family residence.
Despite the wedding being hastily organized by Hu Quanan, many people had still arrived.
After all, Old Master Hu was a highly respected figure in Yanjing. Even though he was critically ill, no one dared to neglect him.
What if Old Master Hu’s condition improved miraculously due to this wedding intended for good fortune?
Those who hadn’t attended would be in an awkward position.
Even if Old Master Hu didn’t recover, it was still an opportunity to assess his condition.
Once this influential figure, Old Master Hu, was gone, the Hu family would become a coveted prize. Seizing an opportunity early would mean getting a piece of the pie sooner.
Waiting too long would mean not even catching a whiff of it!
The competition among aristocratic families was always this realistic and cruel.
“Young Master Hu, congratulations! This is our Zhao family’s wedding gift, a small token of our appreciation. It’s a Zitan screen from the previous dynasty, an item from the palace.”
“Brother Hu, when we first met, we were just kids. Who knew that you’d be getting married so soon. We must have a good drink later! Someone, bring my gift! It’s nothing much, just a pair of old-mine emerald jade Ruyi scepters, pure green.”
“Congratulations, Young Master Hu, happy tidings, Young Master Hu… This is a gift from my father. A luminous pearl with eyes like a lion! It will save you the trouble of lighting candles on your wedding night! Hahaha!”
…
One guest after another presented their wedding gifts.
Each gift was undoubtedly valuable.
Even if someone looked down on Young Master Hu, they wouldn’t deliberately choose an inexpensive gift.
This was because a wedding gift not only represented the face of the recipient but also the face of the giver.
“Hmph, a bunch of snobs! They speak so affectionately, but in their hearts, they look down on me! Just you wait, I’ll show you all that Hu Quanan is no insignificant nobody as you imagine! You’ll all be fawning over me later!”
Hu Quanan cursed inwardly.
At least half of these guests looked down on him!
The reason was simple: he was only Old Master Hu’s grandnephew, not a direct descendant!
Rumble…
At this moment, a loud whirring sound of rotating propellers suddenly came from above.
Accompanying it were gusts of strong wind.
The wind was so fierce that it forced all the guests to squint their eyes and shield their faces, stumbling backward!
“Damn it, what’s going on?”
“Who’s so reckless, flying a helicopter here? Don’t they know I can get them locked up for two years with a single phone call!”
“This is a critical area of the capital, and helicopters can fly around freely without any control? This is preposterous! Xiao Li, find out immediately which department this helicopter belongs to! Arrest their department head as soon as you find out!”
The guests at the scene were all furious, cursing loudly.
In contrast, Hu Quanan, the groom, showed no sign of displeasure but an expression of excitement.
As if this were a wonderful thing.
“Hu Quanan!”
At this moment, a voice suddenly came from the helicopter.
Upon hearing this voice, the guests who had been cursing earlier instantly changed their expressions and immediately fell silent!
A few guests who were still indignant, before they could utter a word, had their mouths covered by their friends.
“Are you tired of living? Can’t you tell whose voice that is?”
“Who is it?”
“Who else could it be! The First Young Master of Yanjing!”
Whoosh!
A few indignant guests were instantly filled with terror and dared not speak again.
Silence fell over the entire venue, with only the sound of the helicopter filling the air.
All the guests looked at the helicopter in disbelief, unable to comprehend that the First Young Master would come to Hu Quanan’s wedding!
After all, the First Young Master hadn't even attended the wedding of a son of a high-ranking official years ago!
How much face did Hu Quanan have?
“Quanan pays his respects to the Young Master,” Hu Quanan said with a smug look, walking to the helicopter and bowing as he called out.
“No need to be so polite. I am tied up with my own affairs and cannot be there in person, I am merely speaking to you through remote equipment.”
The First Young Master’s voice came from the helicopter again.
Everyone understood with sudden realization.
It made sense, how could Hu Quanan possibly have the First Young Master attend in person?
However, even without his physical presence, Hu Quanan’s prestige was already through the roof!
It was enough for Hu Quanan to boast about for a lifetime!
“In Quanan’s heart, hearing the Young Master’s voice is as good as seeing the Young Master in person. Quanan still feels immensely honored!” Hu Quanan said.
This statement immediately drew many muttered criticisms, with some calling Hu Quanan shameless.
“This is my wedding gift for you. It’s not worth much, just a small token of my regard.”
As the First Young Master’s voice faded, something suddenly dropped from the helicopter.
It didn’t look particularly eye-catching, nor did it seem very valuable.
This also relieved many people.
Since the gift wasn't valuable, it meant the First Young Master was likely just going through the motions out of respect for Old Master Hu, not truly valuing Hu Quanan.
But when the gift landed and Hu Quanan opened it, all the guests at the scene were instantly dumbfounded, frozen in place!