Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Birthday Banquet
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“What Zhou Wang? Didn’t you say he wasn’t coming?”
Yu Peipei heard her boyfriend’s exclamation and turned her head in surprise.
A few classmates nearby looked over as well. They were all from the same class and had been puzzled that Zhou Wang hadn’t shown up today. Hearing his name naturally piqued their interest.
“Peipei, quickly, look, is that Zhou Wang?”
Because they were a little far away, and the person sitting in the car didn’t resemble the Zhou Wang they knew, from hairstyle to demeanor. If it weren’t for the very familiar T-shirt he was wearing, Li Cheng almost dared not to recognize him.
Yu Peipei and a few classmates looked in the direction Li Cheng pointed, seeing the black Alphard. But by the time they looked, the car door was already closed, and they couldn’t see the people inside.
“Where, where?”
“I didn’t see Zhou Wang, but that lady coming in is gorgeous!”
“This lady looks just like a celebrity, don’t you think?”
“She does a bit, like the popular actress lately, but her aura is much colder. Their styles are pretty different…”
Li Cheng was speechless, weren’t they talking about Zhou Wang? How had the topic shifted like that?
But to be fair, that young lady was indeed beautiful… From this point, Li Cheng thought he probably had the wrong person.
He knew Zhou Wang very well, and that Alphard couldn’t possibly have any connection with Brother Dog, let alone this high-fashion young lady.
“Ding Yi messaged, the private room is on the fifth floor. Let’s go up!”
Just then, Yu Peipei glanced at her phone and called out to everyone.
They had been waiting in the lobby for quite some time, and Ding Yi hadn’t replied until just now. Growing impatient, they quickly followed Yu Peipei to the elevator.
Li Cheng didn’t dwell on it anymore but still took out his phone and sent Zhou Wang a message,
“Zhou Wang, I just saw your long-lost brother. Only, he was in an Alphard, little brother, you gotta step up! (dog head)”
…
Meanwhile, Jiang Mo, a bit bewildered, was guided by the welcoming staff into the exclusive elevator on the executive floor. When she reached the fifth floor, another earpiece-wearing attendant was already waiting for her.
“Hello, ma’am. Which room would you like to go to?”
“…Mountain and River Hall.”
Jiang Mo realized the exclusive treatment she was receiving was all thanks to Zhou Wang.
Otherwise, not even a five-star hotel would have dedicated staff guiding her from the entrance and certainly wouldn’t have let her use the VIP elevator.
But Zhou Wang said he was just staying at this hotel. Jiang Mo was puzzled by the situation. Just staying over shouldn’t grant him such privileges, right?
Lost in thought, Jiang Mo arrived at Mountain and River Hall. When she pushed open the door, a small banquet hall divided into two rooms came into view, along with the noise of a bustling crowd.
So many people?
Jiang Mo instinctively frowned. She despised such gatherings lately, but a pleasant, surprised voice called out, easing her expression.
“Senior Sister Jiang, you finally made it!”
Looking at the girl who dashed toward her and hugged her tightly, Jiang Mo smiled slightly.
“There was some traffic on the way, so I came a bit late… You look beautiful today.”
“Really?”
Hearing the usually cool Senior Sister Jiang compliment her, Ding Yi grinned happily. After releasing Jiang Mo, she spun around, her mischievous face showing a bit of pride.
“I think so too!”
Ding Yi wore a white spaghetti strap gown today, with a layer of tulle adorned with green patterns underneath, perfectly complementing her fair skin and tall figure, making her look like a princess straight out of a fairy tale.
She had a perfect oval face and strikingly bright features that resembled those of a mixed-race beauty. The lighting made Jiang Mo, whose appearance was not inferior, admit that Ding Yi was undeniably more radiant.
This outward beauty, matched with her inherently lively personality, created a powerful visual impact.
Jiang Mo recognized the dress Ding Yi wore as Chanel’s haute couture. She seemed to remember something, her gaze dimming slightly.
“Senior Sister, come sit over here with me. You might not know many others here, so sit next to me later!”
Ding Yi didn’t notice Jiang Mo’s change in mood, happily dragging her to the inner table.
“I didn’t expect your birthday party to be such a grand affair. If I’d known, I might not have come.”
Jiang Mo playfully chided, a bit helplessly.
“Actually, I already had a party at home. For this birthday on the Gregorian calendar, I just wanted to invite a few good friends for a small gathering, so I didn’t put much thought into it. But then, I realized I couldn’t leave someone out after inviting another, and oh, in our class group chat, I just mentioned it, and then unexpectedly, so many classmates wanted to come…”
Ding Yi seemed a bit troubled herself, “Originally, I only planned to book one table, but with so many coming, I had to add another. See, that’s what the other table outside is for!”
“You’ve always been good with people, that’s no surprise.”
Jiang Mo nodded, speaking softly.
“Of course, even the usually distant Senior Sister Jiang is my bestie, so I feel like I can conquer the world!”
Ding Yi boasted immediately, her tone full of flair.
Jiang Mo smiled, ready to say something when an unfamiliar male voice suddenly interrupted.
“Little Ding, if everything’s settled, I’ll head to the kitchen to greet Head Chef Luo Wenle… Oh, who is this beautiful woman here?”
The tall young man walking over paused mid-sentence, spotting Jiang Mo with surprise.
“This is Jiang Mo, my senior from Caiyun University. We have the same graduate advisor.”
Ding Yi introduced briefly and then turned to Jiang Mo, “Senior Sister Jiang, this is Lu Jin, a friend of my family… He helped book the private room for today!”
“Oh, Senior Sister Jiang, nice to meet you!”
Lu Jin reached out his hand with a friendly smile.
But since his arrival, Jiang Mo’s face turned back to its usual cool expression. She didn’t extend her hand, just nodded slightly as a greeting.
Lu Jin’s smile froze briefly, but he quickly regained composure, saying, “Then you two chat, I’ll go check in at the kitchen.”
After Lu Jin left, Jiang Mo glanced at Ding Yi, “You and him…”
“It’s really just family friends!”
Ding Yi understood why Jiang Mo had the question, so she explained voluntarily, “When he offered to book the restaurant for me, I initially wanted to refuse, but I’ve heard so much about this Chef Luo. He’s won numerous ‘Chef’s Championships,’ and since you know I’m a foodie, well…”
…
At the same time, when Zhou Wang returned to the Presidential Suite’s entrance, Bella was already there waiting.
“Mr. Zhou, welcome home. About your dinner tonight, I’d like to discuss it with you.”
“Just send it to the room as usual…”
Zhou Wang spoke casually.
But Bella didn’t immediately respond this time, carefully choosing her words. “Mr. Zhou, actually, I suggest you dine at the restaurant tonight. Do you recall I mentioned Head Chef Luo Wenle to you before?”
“I remember a bit, why?”
Zhou Wang recalled that this name had been mentioned when he checked in, his curiosity piqued.
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