Tianyi put down the evening gown and gathered her hair, saying, "It's better to tie it up. Don't dress too ostentatiously. A charity gala is mainly about charity, why dress so beautifully?"
Susu sensed a distinct hint of jealousy in his words and teased him, "Are you still this jealous, even though I'm a mother of four?"
Tianyi denied it, saying, "I'm afraid you'll embarrass yourself. Pick your own dress, I'm going to take a shower."
Susu made a face at his retreating back, thinking he was just being stubborn.
...
The next evening at seven o'clock, at a top hotel in Lancheng.
As Susu signed in at the entrance of the banquet hall, she saw that many guests had already arrived, and there were several media outlets inside and outside the venue.
The charity gala was grander than she had imagined.
In the banquet hall, the luxurious crystal chandeliers cast a dreamlike glow, illuminating the glamorous guests.
As Susu was looking for Mengqi, she felt someone pat her shoulder from behind.
She quickly turned around and saw that it was Mengqi behind her. She smiled and said, "I was just looking for you."
"I just arrived," Mengqi said, looking at her with admiration. "You look stunning, and you fit in perfectly with the atmosphere of the venue. Fashion designers really know how to dress."
Susu felt a bit nervous and said, "It's been a while since I've been to an event like this, I don't even know how to greet people anymore."
Mengqi winked at her and said, "It's okay, come with me."
Susu noticed that Mengqi was also alone, without Yao Feili. Looking around the hall, she saw mostly elegant figures, consisting of wealthy wives, young ladies, and socialites, with very few men.
She now understood why Tianyi had been reluctant to come with her last night. This kind of charity gala was a gathering for wealthy wives and socialites to show off and compete.
She watched Mengqi walk with grace and an air of pride, only nodding slightly to those who greeted them, realizing that Mengqi held prestige and status among these women.
Mengqi led her to a corner filled with various food items and said, "Let's have some appetizers first. Don't eat too much, just enough to tide you over."
Susu smiled and nodded. In fact, she used to do the same when attending such events, always afraid of not being able to eat during the socializing and suffering from low blood sugar.
While they were having appetizers, Mengqi gestured for Susu to look at the middle-aged woman in the blue dress and said, "That woman's surname is Zhou, and she's the founder of the Le Shan Foundation. Her husband's surname is Yu, so everyone calls her Mrs. Yu."
Susu had heard of the Le Shan Foundation, which provided a lot of financial support for critically ill children, and she couldn't help but look at Mrs. Yu a few more times.
"The one in the white dress is Mrs. Huang, the initiator of tonight's environmental charity gala. Her husband is in the financial industry, just like our Huangfu Group. She's very passionate about charity," Mengqi said after taking another bite of an appetizer. "I'll introduce you to them later. If you have any specific ideas, you can discuss them with them."
"Okay," Susu still had a question. "Can environmental protection also be considered charity?"
Mengqi explained, "Of course. Environmental issues are taken very seriously all over the world now. Some people in poor and underdeveloped regions know that their land and water are polluted, but they don't have the money for treatment, so they still have to drink polluted water and eat polluted food, which naturally leads to many people getting sick. So, tonight's fundraising is to help those impoverished areas from the source, which is very meaningful."
Susu nodded in understanding. Less environmental pollution meant fewer people suffering from serious illnesses. She would also donate to the best of her ability tonight.
Mengqi continued, "As you can see, the people attending tonight's charity gala are all sorts of individuals. Some want to gain fame and attention, while others are genuine philanthropists and scientists who care about environmental causes. But it doesn't matter. As long as the required charitable funds can be raised and effectively used to improve the environment, it is a good deed. So, if you want to establish a fund for the orphanage, you need to learn how to socialize with all sorts of wealthy people and not be too low-key."
"Alright," Susu accepted her words wholeheartedly.
Before Mengqi could take her to find Mrs. Huang and Mrs. Yu, several socialites proactively came over to chat with them.
One of these socialites remembered that she was Qin Tianyi's wife, while the others did not recognize her yet.
Susu introduced herself and exchanged pleasantries with them.
Mengqi clearly didn't think much of these socialites and found an excuse to pull Susu away.
"Those few just now are mere socialites with some minor fame but no real background. You'll see them often in the future. They just want to gain some fame and make money through live streaming online, so be careful not to appear too familiar with them, or they'll use you for publicity."
Susu hummed in response. It seemed she wasn't very familiar with the people in the current socialite circles. Attending such events could easily lead to falling into traps. Fortunately, she had Mengqi to guide her.
She decided to speak less and observe more tonight, and to get acquainted with these people first under Mengqi's guidance.
During the donation segment of the charity gala, Susu didn't try to steal the spotlight with extravagant donations. Instead, she followed Mengqi's lead and contributed to the reforestation of a mountain forest.
After the gala, they each held a complimentary green cartoon plush toy.
As they walked out of the banquet hall, they saw Tianyi, dressed in low-key casual wear, walking through the crowd towards her.
Mengqi, standing beside her, smiled and said, "President Qin is here to pick you up. He's really good to you."
Susu smiled shyly at her and murmured, "He said he wasn't coming."
Mengqi patted her and said, "Mrs. Yu and Mrs. Huang were quite impressed with you tonight. We'll arrange another meeting with them in a couple of days. I'm leaving now."
After saying that, she smiled at Tianyi, who had already reached Susu's side, and walked off in another direction.
When Susu saw that no one else was around, she playfully chided him, "You said you weren't coming, so why are you here?"
"I said I wouldn't attend the gala, but I didn't say I wouldn't pick you up," Tianyi extended an arm, indicating that she could link it.
Susu unceremoniously linked her arm with his and leaned into him, saying, "I haven't walked in seven-inch heels for a long time. My feet are killing me."
"Take off your shoes, and I'll carry you," Tianyi made a move as if to carry her.
Susu quickly grabbed him and said, "Don't be silly. Carry me back home. There might still be media reporters around. Besides, if people know I'm this delicate, who would be willing to cooperate with me to raise charitable funds?"
Hearing her say that, Tianyi relented.
As soon as they got into the car, Susu couldn't wait to take off her high heels. She bent down to rub her ankle, but Tianyi quickly grabbed her foot and placed it in his lap.
"What are you doing?" Susu tried to pull her foot back, glancing at Xiao Lin, who was driving, for fear of being laughed at by him.
Tianyi said indifferently, "Xiao Lin is not an outsider. He often massages Xiao Mei at home, isn't that right, Xiao Lin?"
Susu reached out and playfully hit Tianyi, telling him to stop talking.
Xiao Lin smiled and proactively said, "Yes, yes, I'm also learning from the young master to spoil my wife."
Tianyi chuckled and told Xiao Lin to drive. He massaged her ankle and asked, "How was tonight? Do you know how to raise funds?"
"Mengqi introduced me to two wealthy wives who are very experienced in charity events, and I've come up with some ideas. This should work out," Susu felt she had gained a lot and would soon be able to help the orphanage overcome its medical expense difficulties.