Chapter 75: A Dazzling Display Among High Society

—Dress beautifully for the banquet that evening.

Recalling Mo Zhicheng’s words, Ye Linglan glanced at herself. She smiled, “Alright!” Taking the phone from Jiang Min’s hand, she added, “I’ll go change my clothes first.”

“Yes, go on,” Jiang Min encouraged her with a smile. “You still have a few hours to prepare.”

Linglan turned away, the smile on her lips gradually fading. While appearances were important, Jiang Min’s insistence on keeping her from making calls made her even more uneasy about what might happen.

So, outwardly, she followed Jiang Min’s lead. But once she’d left the banquet hall, Linglan found a quiet corner and dialed the supplier. “Hello, this is Xiao Ye from ‘Tiancheng’. I purchased some lily-of-the-valley ‘flowers’ from you last time. Yes, that’s right. The hyacinths originally decorating the area have been replaced; I’d like to confirm that.”

The supplier confirmed that there had indeed been a shortage. Only then did Linglan feel a little more at ease, but she didn’t press further to ask what type of pink ‘flowers’ had replaced them.

Afterward, Ye Linglan returned to the dressing room. She sat in an inconspicuous spot and took a delicate brocade box from her bag. As she opened it, the woman seemed lost in thought, her fingers tracing the cold gleam of the gemstone.

—Wear it to the banquet that night.

The man’s words echoed faintly in her ears. Linglan hesitated. Mo Zhicheng was a figure the media watched closely, and Tang Pei had also mentioned that many government officials and prominent families from Nanjiang would be in attendance tonight. The gemstone necklace had been won at auction, worth a king’s ransom, and had once made headlines.

If she wore this necklace, what would it mean? She would become the focus of attention, the subject of speculation. She couldn’t expose herself under the flash of cameras, inviting gossip and rumor. Linglan closed the brocade box and hid it back in her bag.

She specially chose a pure white cocktail dress, simple in design, with bare shoulders and a wrapped bodice. Delicate, graceful pleats rose gently at the chest, the hem just brushing her ankles. Paired with slender high heels, it accentuated her lithe, elegant figure.

Her jet-black hair shone under the white lights, its smooth strands sliding through her slender fingers. Pinned up with a rhinestone-studded clip, a few locks framed her temples, while her bangs softly veiled her long brows. Foundation masked the shadows beneath her eyes; though she was clearly exhausted, she looked tense and ready, like a bow drawn taut. Linglan gazed at her faintly weary reflection, dusted her cheeks with a touch of blush, and finished with a sweep of rose lip color—the final, enlivening touch.

She brushed her hand across the bare skin of her neck, weighing her decision, and once again chose not to wear the necklace.

When she returned to the banquet hall, guests were already arriving. Nobility and socialites, each impeccably poised, moved with practiced grace. Their gowns shimmered beneath the radiant crystals, each dress a different hue, dazzling the eyes—a veritable contest of beauty. As Linglan passed by, she caught snatches of conversation—bragging, comparisons, and empty ostentation.

Elegant light music flowed like water, masking the vanity and rivalry that thrived among the upper crust.

“Waiter!” a woman’s delicate voice called from behind her. Ye Linglan paid no mind and continued walking. “Hey! Girl.” The woman called again, prompting Linglan to finally turn. Unsure what had happened, she turned and saw a beautiful, well-dressed woman, arms crossed, one hand holding a wine glass. She glanced at Linglan and thrust the empty glass towards her. “Refill my Lafite.”

Linglan paused in surprise, glancing around to realize that her simple cocktail dress resembled the uniforms of the banquet servers. A wave of embarrassment washed over her.