Chapter 86: The Birthday Banquet (1)

The soft lavender hue highlighted the young girl’s noble elegance. The dress was cinched at the waist, so slender it seemed it could be held in one hand. Her skin was as smooth and radiant as polished jade, her brows like verdant feathers, lips like delicate shells. Her ash-blonde curls tumbled down, forming a striking contrast with the misty purple hibiscus, yet there was no discord—only a quiet freshness, rustic in its beauty and breathtaking in its grace.

“Do I look good, Mr. Huangpu?”

Huangpu, with tender affection, stroked her slender waist and gazed into her lovely face. “My little girl, you are truly stunning. I can’t bear to let you go now—what should I do?”

“If you keep this up, we’ll run out of time. I still need to get my hair done!” Shangguan Ranyi was in high spirits, loving the dress as much as everyone else, though she simply brushed off his words, gently pushing him aside and carrying her gown out to show Wanqing and the others.

“Ranyi, where did you find that dress? It’s absolutely gorgeous!”

“I thought so too,” she replied.

Xia Wanqing and Ouyang Muya were already getting their makeup done. Shangguan Ranyi found an empty spot and let the stylist work on her.

“Second sister-in-law, did Second Brother hide the dress for himself?” Ouyang Mufeng, getting his hair styled, asked Shangguan Ranyi.

“Ask him yourself,” she retorted, passing the blame.

Huangpu, who had just stepped out, heard this and silently cursed her lack of loyalty.

He sat to the side, watching the stylist’s hands with growing annoyance.

The stylist thought: Mr. CEO, I’m a woman, a woman!

“Second Brother, did you hide the dress on purpose?” Gong Yi inwardly gave Ouyang Mufeng a thumbs up—you really dare to ask!

Huangpu’s cool gaze swept over, “Do you have a problem with that?”

Ouyang Mufeng instantly caved. “No, not at all.”

Shang Mingcheng burst out laughing. He finally understood how these people interacted.

Ouyang Muya and the others smiled, except for the man sitting in the corner. Ye Zuo didn’t need any styling—he simply changed into a different outfit. If not for Shangguan Ranyi’s insistence, he might not have changed at all.

He watched as Shangguan Ranyi had her makeup done, a pang of pain passing through his heart. He knew she didn’t belong to him, knew they could never be together, yet he still held on to a flicker of hope.

It took them quite a while to get ready. Huangpu arranged for the shopping mall to be emptied, so when they left, no one would see them.

From the mall, they went straight to the underground parking lot, then boarded the cars to the private airfield.

The whole group was to travel on Huangpu’s private jet.

Huangpu carried his little girl onto the plane, and then—well, there was no “then.” He simply shut the cabin door, and before anyone could react, the plane was airborne, flying away.

“Damn,” Ouyang Mufeng cursed. That was a pretty underhanded move.

“Isn’t that a bit too domineering?” Xia Wanqing was stunned.

“All right, let’s get going,” Gong Yi pulled everyone back to reality. There were dozens of other planes—they could just take one.

Ouyang Muya, Xia Wanqing, and Zhen Mi boarded one; Gong Yi, Ouyang Mufeng, and the others took another.

“Mr. Huangpu, isn’t it a bit inappropriate for us to just leave like this?”

“Not at all. The private jet is small; too many people would be uncomfortable.”

Ouyang Mufeng thought: I don’t buy that. You think I haven’t flown before? That huge luxury cabin, with just a single sofa, and the rest tables, chairs, and drinks—it’s obviously deliberate.

Gong Yi added: And don’t forget the several rooms.

On board, they ate a little to fill their stomachs.

Xia Wanqing finally marveled at the cunning of the wealthy.

“Now I know why Gong Yi wanted us to fly separately.”

Such a massive plane with only a few luxury sofas; the rest of the space taken up by everything else.

And there was a wine cellar, lounge, dining area, kitchen, even a theater, computer room, gym, advanced gaming room, washroom—the Xia family was wealthy, but they’d never seen such extravagance. It was sheer decadence!

Zhen Mi smiled. Previously, whenever she went abroad, her assistant would simply buy a ticket; this was her first time traveling like this.

They arrived at the island as night was falling.

Autumn had already set in, quietly edging toward winter. It was easy to catch a chill if one wasn’t careful. Huangpu wrapped her in a blanket, and Shangguan Ranyi was so embarrassed she buried her face.

He carried her into the banquet hall before letting someone take the blanket away.

Xia Wanqing arrived a step behind. It was already six in the evening; the banquet was about to begin.

The entire island glittered with gold, every corner aglow. It was vast, so grand one couldn’t see its end.

Apart from the large, developed central area, there were jungles, trees, and rivers all around.

Such dark, thorny places were perfect not only for underground dealings, but also… for murder.

The time shifted back to morning.

Imperial Capital, M Country, the Di Family Estate.

The Di family mansion was built in the ancient European style, appearing as a magnificent castle.

It was both solemn and unpretentious, elegant yet noble.

A finely crafted round table, sumptuous and luxurious sofas, meticulously made, uniquely designed—the crowns of the sofas were set with real diamonds, understated yet distinctive. The decor was exquisite, exuding a strong sense of aristocracy.

The floor was covered with pure white carpets, made from Persian tail hair and silk. The entire hall was spotless, immaculate, not a speck of dust in sight.

In the most spacious area stood a black, classic Zat Winkelmann piano. A man in a black shirt was playing it; his profile barely visible, his complexion fair, lips crimson as blood, his long neck revealing faint veins, and his nimble fingers danced swiftly across the keys.

The music was melodious, brief, the tempo fast yet measured—like droplets of pure sound, or turbulent waves. Yet his body showed no sign of agitation or movement; only those slender arms reached for the ivory keys.

Beside him, a butler in traditional attire stood waiting. When the man finished playing, he took out a handkerchief to wipe his slender fingers, then spoke softly.

“Sir, the General from Country G has sent an invitation.”