"It's such an important event. How could we miss it?" Jiang Peizhi had always considered Lu Jinhai's parents as his own and often referred to them as father and mother.
"Let's go meet father. He will be ecstatic to see you," Lu Jinhai said after greeting the rest of the family.
They headed towards the elderly couple, who were surrounded by guests. When they were close enough, Jiang Peizhi raised his voice a little and greeted them properly.
"Happy Anniversary, father, mother," he said respectfully.
"Jiang Peizhi! Finally, you are here," the older man said, going forward to hug this junior of his. He affectionately patted the other's back.
"I am glad to see you here, son," Zhao Shuang chimed in, happiness evident on her face.
"We were eager to see you again. You have been missed the years you were away," said Elder Lu. Consequently, he shifted his eyes to the three people who had followed Jiang Peizhi to congratulate him.
"How have you been, Ruolan?" Zhao Shuang asked with a smile.
"Still coping with your son," she joked and greeted, smiling pleasantly. "Wish you both a happy wedding anniversary."
"This must be my Yuyan," Grandpa Lu suddenly spoke up.
"Happy anniversary," she congratulated with a light bow.
"Just like that?" There was a slight disappointment in the elder's tone. "Won't you give us a hug?" He was excited to see her.
Since Jiang Yuyan was a kid, he had doted on her more than the other children, and she had seemed to reciprocate the care. But so much time had passed, and she felt distant and awkward in the situation, but the casual behavior of elder Lu made her feel at ease.
Stepped forward without hesitation, she hugged him with a beautiful smile on her face.
"You have grown up to be such a beautiful lady. I am so glad to see you here." Elder Lu patted her head gently. She thanked him shyly and then went to hug grandma Lu.
Jiang Yang took the opportunity to congratulate the couple.
"Thank you so much! You are the junior Jiang Peizhi. You are just as handsome as him." There was admiration in elder Lu's voice.
The kids had spent eight years away from the roots and needed some time to readjust with these people they had previously known. Jiang Peizhi took the opportunity to familiarize them with the other members of the Lu family.
While they were busy conversing, a black Maybach arrived at the entrance of the venue. A handsome man in a stylish black suit stepped out of it, and the reporters rushed to capture a glimpse of him.
The tall and incredibly handsome man with well-defined features and a strong build, his hair arranged fashionably, his thin and pointy nose made for a captivating image, his pitch-black eyes fixed on the path in front of him, the thin lips carrying a light smile to greet back the people.
He found the crowd parting to make way for him as he stepped inside the hall. The people in the room turned to stare at him as silence filled the place.
The Jiang siblings, who were quietly conversing among themselves, realized the hushed atmosphere and turned to look in the direction everyone was staring at. Surprise gripped them as they saw the source of awe.
"What is he doing here?" Jiang Yuyan asked her brother in a low voice that only he could hear. Her sight had still fixed on the man.
"I told you he looks wealthy. So he must be familiar with Lu Family and came here to attend the party just like us," Jiang Yang replied equally quietly.
The guests greeted Lu Qiang when he entered the hall as he made his way towards his grandparents. He mesmerized everyone with his excellent looks, and the girls vied for his attention.
Lu Qiang caught sight of the girl in the pink dress who was looking at him, standing a few meters away from his grandfather. He smiled gently and walked towards his grandparents even though his sight was fixed on Jiang Yuyan.
"Why do I feel like he is staring at you?" Jiang Yang noticed the man's gaze and continued the conversation in a low voice.
"He must be surprised to see us here, as well. After all, he knows us. We shared a flight with him," she replied, not affected by the man's gaze. She didn't mention her encounter with the man in the restaurant.
"Dear, it's not an I-know-you sight. It's an I-am-interested-in-you sight. Look carefully," Jiang Yang said.
"Rubbish." She frowned.
"Trust me. See the way he is looking at you." Jiang Yang was still observing the man.
"How should I know? He is too far for me to see, and I am not interested in finding out," she said arrogantly.
"But I know what I see. Trust your brother." He paused, looked at his sister, who too was staring at the man. "It looks like I am going to be blessed with a rich brother-in-law soon."
Jiang Yuyan ignored her brother's words. While these two conversed about Lu Qiang, another pair of siblings was doing the same.
"Look at all those girls drooling over our handsome brother," said Lu Bao as she suddenly remembered something and looked around herself frantically. 'Thank god, mom is not here,' she thought.
"I can see that, but he seems uninterested." Lu Lian knew her brother well.
"I know. But think about it… if brother Lu Feng enters, the women will go crazy over the two men."
Lu Lian burst into laughter, "You, your imagination, and your dangerous words, but… where is brother Lu Feng?" Lu Lian looked around to make sure she hadn't missed him.
Lu Bao mentioned that she hadn't seen him since they arrived and must be alone somewhere else. She knew how he didn't like crowded places to begin with.
"At least one packet of cigarettes will get sacrificed today," Lu Lian commented offhandedly.
"I sometimes wonder why we are their sisters. We can't even hit on two of the most handsome guys in the city." Lu Bao pouted.
"We should be thankful that we are part of the group that is not drooling over our brother."
"You're right!" Lu Bao said happily.
"Aunt Su Hui," Lu Lian hissed as she looked past Lu Bao with wide eyes and panic in her eyes.
Lu Bao jolted, cursing in her head as she mutely turned to face the wrath of her mother. Her throat dried, and her palms were clammy as she shook in fear.
"Where is she?" Lu Bao asked, searching for her mother in the crowd.
"I was kidding," Lu Lian chuckled.
The other sighed in relief. "I almost had a heart attack. Please don't do it again. I don't want to die a virgin."
Lu Qiang finally reached his grandparents after getting interrupted by the guests in his way. "Happy wedding anniversary, Grandpa and Grandma."
The grandparents thanked him, "Thank you, Lu Qiang."
The Jiang siblings heard his name and exchanged a look.
"I told you he looks familiar." Jiang Yang elbowed his sister.
"I'm not as smart as you. Look at him. He looks very…" She trailed off, her eyes fixed on Lu Qiang.
"Very handsome?" Her brother completed her sentence.
Jiang Yuyan coughed heavily. "Different. I meant he looks different," Jiang Yuyan protested as she awkwardly shifted her sight to another direction.
Of course, she knew that the man in front of her was incredibly handsome, and it could make women lose their minds, but she didn't want to be one of them.
"Why are you so late? We were waiting for you," Grandam Zhao Shuang asked.
"I am sorry, Grandma. I was busy with some urgent business," Lu Qiang replied apologetically.
"Were you busy preparing a gift for me? You know what I want." Elder Lu winked at him
"It will take some time, but sooner or later you will get it, grandpa."
'Liar,' Jiang Yuyan thought. 'What kind of business?' She remembered Lu Qiang talking to a woman in front of the hotel.
"Let me introduce you to my best friend's family. You know them, but you might have forgotten them now as they didn't come here for so many years," Lu Jinhai called his friend. "Jiang Peizhi. Meet my elder son, Lu Qiang."
"He is one of the most influential businessmen in our country. Who wouldn't know him?" Jiang Peizhi said with a smile. "Not only that, but he is also one handsome young man, too."
"After all, he took after me," his father said proudly as Jiang Peizhi laughed along with his friend, agreeing to his words.
"Good evening, uncle and aunt." Lu Qiang shook hands with the man and gave the woman nod.
"You remember these two, right?" Lu Jinhai pointed at his kids, and Lu Qiang hummed.
Lu Qiang's eyes still snuck to Jiang Yuyan's face between the conversation. She was well aware of it but avoided looking back at him as her heart beat faster every time their eyes met. She didn't know what overcame her, but she didn't know what his gaze meant and preferred not to meet his eyes.
Lu Qiang was already expecting to see Jiang Yuyan at the party as she was someone he never forgot. When he was at the center of the party hall, he saw her standing amongst a crowd of guests and couldn't move his sight from her. Despite talking to others, his eyes were only on her.
As he moved forward, he observed her carefully. She looked simple, beautiful, and innocent. She was different from all the other girls who had put on thick layers of makeup and wore expensive jewelry and clothes.
She remained herself without paying attention to others.
She was wearing a pink ruffle; short sleeves dress long up to her knees. Her golden-brown locks were parted at the center and fell gently to her elbows. Just the front of her hair was brushed back and pinned up with diamond-studded hairpins, making her look like a cute highschool girl. Her earrings peeked through her hair, and one could see that they matched her bracelet.