Mu Jiu Chen watched as the retreating figure closely resembled Jiang Nuan.
Mu Jiu Chen's face immediately darkened, his voice dropping to an icy tone, "Who is the man beside her?"
Assistant An glanced over, his eyes flickering. The figure was so familiar.
Very familiar indeed!
Just then, Nan Zhou turned his head to look at Jiang Nuan, his smile as warm as the spring breeze. Assistant An was startled. Seeing Mu Jiu Chen's somber expression, he swallowed hard. "Ninth Master, that is our Third Young Master."
Mu Jiu Chen stared at him intently, signaling him to continue.
Assistant An: "..."
He looked at Mu Jiu Chen's grim face, feeling as if he were being led to the guillotine.
Still, he gathered his courage and said, "Ninth Master, that is our Third Young Master. The woman beside him should be his companion. Our Chairman looked for a companion for him, but he refused, saying he has his own."
Assistant An was a smart man. He knew Mu Jiu Chen was interested in the woman beside the Third Young Master. However, people tended to favor their own. Their Third Young Master was the most doted upon.
Mu Jiu Chen's face remained dark, a faint, cold, and alluring smile playing on his lips. "Companion?!"
Those two simple words sent a chill down Assistant An's spine.
Xiao Fan cowered, lowering his head. This Assistant An was definitely doing this on purpose. If he wanted to die, why drag him along?
He really shouldn't have opened his mouth.
Therefore, when one is young, one absolutely must not encounter someone too stunning, otherwise, no one else will ever catch their eye.
The white moonlight, the cinnabar mole in their hearts, the unattainable, the unforgettable, forever blinding them to all other affections.
Such a life is truly too difficult.
Too difficult!
Mu Jiu Chen's face was stern, but his steps quickened.
Assistant An clearly sensed that Mu Jiu Chen was angry, very angry!
He swallowed hard, looking at Xiao Fan, who was shrinking his neck as if wishing he could vanish. He finally realized he had spoken too much.
Nan Zhou led Jiang Nuan into the banquet hall. The magnificent hall was grand and impressive. The wealthy tended to flock together for mutual benefit. Although it was a welcoming banquet for Nan Zhou, it was essentially a large social gathering.
However, none of this mattered to Nan Zhou. He took Jiang Nuan directly to the food area and got her favorite ginger shrimp with shelled prawns, as well as sweet shrimp sashimi.
Jiang Nuan looked at the sweet shrimp sashimi, then at Nan Zhou. Although she liked eating it, she was reluctant to indulge in such a setting.
Nan Zhou said, "This was specially prepared for you by my people. These sweet shrimp were air-freighted and are very fresh. Come on, open your mouth, I'll feed you."
Jiang Nuan pursed her lips but couldn't resist the temptation of the delicious food. She lowered her head and opened her mouth to eat a shrimp.
The wasabi was just right, not too pungent. The shrimp was tender, fresh, and sweet. "Mmm! Nan Zhou, this is delicious."
"Heh heh… tastes good, doesn't it? Come, have another one." Nan Zhou picked up another piece and offered it to Jiang Nuan.
This time, Jiang Nuan ate five shrimp in one go.
"Wow, wow, wow, this is so satisfying." Jiang Nuan looked at Nan Zhou, her eyes sparkling with joy.
Nan Zhou also smiled like the bright moon and picked up a small cake to give to Jiang Nuan.
From a distance, Mu Jiu Chen watched the two interacting with such默契 (mò qì - unspoken understanding/chemistry), his face a mask of darkness. So, she wasn't incapable of smiling, but rather she didn't smile so radiantly in his presence.
She and Nan Zhou seemed to have a deep understanding, each move and gesture indicating they knew what the other was thinking.
When Nan Zhou fed her the shrimp, she lowered her head, smiling as she accepted it, looking content and happy.
Everything else around them seemed to disappear. Mu Jiu Chen couldn't hear any of the surrounding sounds. In his eyes, as deep as the sea, a unique scene was unfolding.
His body tensed, and his envious gaze gradually turned fierce.
For the first time, Mu Jiu Chen felt that things were slipping out of his control.
He had always been the one in control of others, but only Jiang Nuan, was eluding his grasp.
Indeed, limitless indulgence had led to betrayal.
It's human nature, isn't it? When something you believe is yours is taken away, the feeling of resentment is agonizing.
"Xiao Jiu, what are you doing?" He Mingrun looked at Mu Jiu Chen, who was emanating a cold, hostile aura, and found it strange. Who had offended him?
The chill emanating from Mu Jiu Chen's body gradually lessened.
He slowly withdrew his gaze and looked at He Mingrun. "Weren't you waiting for me? Where did you go?" If he had entered with He Mingrun, he wouldn't have witnessed this heart-wrenching scene.
"I went to the restroom and didn't see you. Let's go inside. I saw some bosses earlier and wanted to greet them."
"Mm!" Mu Jiu Chen replied with a faint hum and followed him.
Mu Yun Xiao, accompanied by his family, also saw Mu Jiu Chen and He Mingrun. However, he paid them no mind, frequently looking down at his phone.
Tan Xue glanced at Mu Jiu Chen's retreating back, narrowing her eyes slightly. Then, she turned and saw Jiang Nuan walking with a young man.
Tan Xue's face instantly turned ashen upon seeing Jiang Nuan. Recalling Jiang Nuan's vicious words and the incident with the spilled water, she felt a wave of humiliation wash over her.
The humiliation Jiang Nuan had inflicted upon her was unlike anything she had ever experienced in her life.
"Mom, what are you looking at? Let's go." Mu Yun Yun, seeing the hatred in her mother's eyes, was curious. She hadn't seen her mother display such an expression in a long time.
Following her mother's gaze, she saw a very beautiful girl smiling softly, occasionally speaking to the handsome man beside her.
Tan Xue shook her head slightly. "It's nothing, let's go."
"Okay!" Mu Yun Yun didn't press further.
Tan Xue watched as Mu Yun Xiao ahead of them lowered his head to look at his phone. She knew without a doubt who he was texting.
Lu Qiaoyi and Mu Xue also arrived. As soon as they entered, they were busy searching for Mu Jiu Chen.
Mu Xue said to her, "Yiyi, you must seize the opportunity tonight. Do you understand? Xiao Jiu is right here."
Lu Qiaoyi nodded and smiled, her eyes full of confidence. "Aunt Mu, don't worry, I won't mistake him this time."
Hearing this, Mu Xue's emotions were indescribable.
She never dreamed that Lu Qiaoyi would mistake someone.
How could someone as dazzling as Mu Jiu Chen be mistaken for someone else?
Mu Xue also thought Lu Qiaoyi was quite foolish, and she worried she had backed the wrong person.
"Mm!" Mu Xue nodded and suddenly spotted two men standing out from the crowd. Mu Xue pointed excitedly in Mu Jiu Chen's direction and said, "Yiyi, Xiao Jiu is with Young Master He. Hurry over and find a way to approach him."
Lu Qiaoyi smiled and nodded, walking towards Mu Jiu Chen and He Mingrun.
Nan Yang also arrived at the venue after finishing his business. He first greeted Mu Jiu Chen and He Mingrun, then asked Assistant An to find Nan Zhou.
Few people in Jin City knew of Nan Zhou's existence. Tonight was intended to allow his son to meet the prominent figures of Jin City.
Assistant An glanced at Mu Jiu Chen's expression. At this moment, he wished their Third Young Master hadn't appeared.
"Chairman, the banquet hasn't started yet. The Third Young Master might be here shortly." Assistant An looked around. Xiao Fan had already disappeared. He understood everything now.
"Oh! Look, everyone, isn't that the Nan family's Third Young Master? Who is that beautiful woman beside him?"