Chapter 80

Shocking remarks rang out from inside the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, but the three people inside remained calm, as if they were discussing a trivial matter.

“Have you and Xixi done it?”

I shook my head and said, “No, Xixi is too young.”

“At least you still have a shred of conscience.”

“Auntie…”

“Um?”

I looked down and asked, “Does this mean you’re accepting my other women?”

My aunt smiled sadly and said, “What can I do if they don’t accept me?”

Thinking back to what my aunt said this afternoon—that I should push Chi Yeon down—I suddenly understood why she made those remarks.

The raindrops outside the window were like out-of-control musical notes, frantically pounding against the car window, creating a rapid symphony.

In the blink of an eye, a torrential downpour swept in.

The car’s windshield wipers swung rapidly, but Chi Yan’s speed increased, and her cool eyes held a hint of excitement and madness.

My aunt looked out at the rain and whispered, “Incest is like a poppy. Those who haven’t tasted it loathe it, while those who have are obsessed with it.”

I paused briefly, recalling the images on my aunt’s phone, and asked in a low voice, “Auntie, what’s on your phone…?”

My aunt raised her slender hand and stroked my cheek: “Don’t worry, female detective. Besides, she’s my friend, and I didn’t let her do anything excessive.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. It would be unbearable if my sexual encounters with Chen Xiao and Chu Ning were seen by others.

“What about the video of me and Xixi in the elevator?”

“My aunt’s phone has the only copy in the world.”

“Auntie… thank you.”

My aunt said softly with a smile, “I don’t need you to thank me. It’s enough that you love me.”

Yes, it will.

The car gradually slowed down and soon stopped in front of a manor.

A waiter braved the downpour to come to the car and open an umbrella to shield the three of us from the rain, completely disregarding that he himself was getting soaked.

Stepping onto the soaked red carpet, my aunt, Sister Chi Yeon, and I entered the manor and headed towards the banquet hall.

Almost everyone in the banquet hall stood at the door to greet them.

When the aunt, with her high ponytail, jeans, and cheongsam, appeared before the crowd, the two tall and beautiful women, without makeup, instantly attracted everyone’s attention.

A woman of similar age to my aunt took the umbrella from the waiter and walked over quickly, her face beaming: “Qiuqiu, Yanyan, you’ve finally arrived.”

The woman noticed a glint in my eyes and exclaimed in surprise, “You actually brought a handsome young man with you?”

My aunt’s gaze swept over everyone present, her brow furrowing slightly: “Why are these people here?”

The woman’s expression stiffened slightly, and she quickly said, “They’re all friends, let’s invite them to join in the fun.”

My aunt’s pretty face was slightly cold, and she stood still, unwilling to move.

Raindrops kept falling, and the woman, in order to take care of her aunt, almost covered her with the entire umbrella, leaving half of her own body soaked.

All eyes were on her, wondering why her aunt had stopped.

The woman quickly whispered, “Qiuqiu, so many people are watching, please give me some face?”

The aunt remained silent, while the woman turned her pleading gaze to Sister Chi Yeon, who also kept a cold and beautiful face and remained silent.

Looking at the woman in the rain, the aunt couldn’t bear it any longer and took a step towards the banquet hall.

The woman breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed, holding up her umbrella.

Stepping into the banquet hall, the dazzling crystal chandelier casts a soft yet radiant glow, illuminating the entire space in a dreamlike atmosphere.

The enormous dining table was covered with an exquisite silk tablecloth and set with sterling silver cutlery and crystal glasses.

On the table, a series of exquisite dishes were prepared: top-quality seafood, tender steaks, precious truffles… paired with fine, aged wines, making it undoubtedly a luxurious dinner.

Someone was playing the piano nearby, and elegant music flowed through the air.

I was surprised; today’s banquet was completely different from the almost party-like gatherings I had attended in the past.

Many people came over and surrounded the three of us, most of them saying to my aunt to welcome us back to China.

After struggling for a while, we pushed through the crowd and found a place to sit down.

The woman, now dressed in wet clothes, approached her aunt and asked with a light laugh, “What would Qiuqiu and Yanyan like to drink?”

My aunt’s expression was indifferent: “Whatever.”

Chi Yan didn’t answer. She glanced around and frowned, asking, “Do you have any beer?”

I glanced at Chi Yeon and thought to myself: Sister, how are we going to get back if you’ve been drinking?

“Hold on.”

The woman returned shortly after leaving, handing Chi Yeon a can of beer. She smiled apologetically, “That’s all we have left, canned beer.”

Ike Yeon didn’t mind. She pulled the tab, and with a sharp “hiss” as the gas was released, she was already enjoying her chilled beer.

Looking at Chi Yeon’s comfortable expression, I felt so strange.

I looked around at the “high-class” atmosphere. Was I really going to drink beer in a place like this?

Today, Ichi Yeon brought me a variety of contrasting feelings.

Horse riding, driving a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, drinking beer, high ponytail, jeans…

Ike Yeon really is different from others in every way.

I looked around at the crowd and couldn’t help but whisper in my aunt’s ear, “Auntie, you’re really charming. So many men are peeking at you.”

My aunt’s cheongsam was truly eye-catching, especially given her natural beauty; even without makeup, she still outshone everyone else.

My aunt was a little annoyed: “Get out of here.”

At this moment, someone stepped forward, picked up the microphone, and said, “Dear friends, tonight at this wonderful banquet, we welcome a very special person—Chi Qingqiu! Let us welcome her back to China! Your return fills us with joy. You must have experienced a lot during your time abroad…”

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted around us, and Chi Yeon and I struggled to suppress our laughter.

My aunt forced a smile and responded. After the applause subsided, the person invited her to speak on stage, but she politely declined.

Once everyone’s attention shifted, Auntie couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, “Where did you find this idiot? It’s so damn embarrassing! Anyone who didn’t know better would think I’d returned home with great success…”

I forced a smile and inadvertently made eye contact with Sister Chi Yeon. The next second, we both looked away in perfect unison.

After all the secrets were exposed, I’ve been trying to avoid being around Ji Yeon-nee.

Now that Chi Yeon knows about these things, I really don’t know how to face her.

The woman who had been holding the umbrella for my aunt came to my side and extended her fair hand to me: “Little brother, hello, what’s your name?”

The woman in front of me was about the same age as my aunt, around thirty years old, and a beautiful woman.

Although she was pretty, she was far less attractive than her aunt and Ji Yeon-nee. Moreover, her beauty was fading, and she already had fine lines around her eyes. In terms of maintaining her appearance, she was far inferior to her aunt, who was the same age as her.

The women of the Chi family are all ageless goddesses, forever young, but this woman already shows signs of being ravaged by the wind and rain.

“What are you doing?”

The aunt slapped the woman’s hand away: “How old is my nephew? How dare you lay a hand on him?”

“Nephew?”

A look of surprise flashed in the woman’s eyes, and the next second she asked in astonishment, “Is he Qinglan’s son?”

My aunt gave a soft “hmm” and didn’t respond further.

“So you’re Qinglan’s son. No wonder you’re so handsome. Let me introduce you. I’m Qi Ji, your aunt’s best friend.”

After saying that, the woman extended her delicate hand to me again.

Out of politeness, I shook her hand lightly: “Hello, sister, my name is Lin Yuan.”

Qi Ji chuckled to himself upon hearing this: “Sister?”

The aunt said disapprovingly, “Yuanyuan, from now on you have to call her ‘Auntie,’ understand? This old woman thinks she can be your older sister?”

“What? I’m not old at all!” Qi Ji huffed, her bright eyes scrutinizing me. “Would you like to dance with your older sister?”

I glanced at my aunt and smiled, declining, “I’d love to, but unfortunately I can’t dance.”

Actually, when I was very young, my aunt taught me to dance a duet.

Qi Ji winked at me: “I can teach you.”

I shook my head and said, “I’m afraid of stepping on my sister, so let’s forget it.”

Before Qi Ji could say anything more, his aunt finally couldn’t hold back and said coldly, “Qi Ji, if you harass my nephew again, don’t blame me for not giving you face.”

Qi Ji looked aggrieved: “All I did was invite Wei Yuan, why are you acting like this all the time? It’s like you’ve taken a bullet.”

My aunt scoffed, “So you do have some self-awareness after all?”

Qi Ji pleaded with her aunt in a coquettish manner, but her aunt ignored her. Qi Ji then turned her attention to me, taking out her phone and asking, “How old is your little brother? Can you add me on WeChat?”

I politely replied, “Sixteen.”

“Get lost.” Auntie pushed Qi Ji away: “Go get me some wine.”

Qi Ji knew that with my aunt present, there was no way she could add me on WeChat, so she asked irritably, “Lazy woman, what would you like to drink?”

“casual.”

Qi Ji turned and left, muttering to himself, “Why am I serving you and Yan Yan like a maid?”

The aunt watched her retreating figure and chuckled softly, “An old cow trying to eat tender grass?”

“Auntie, is she about your age?”

My aunt tilted her head and asked in a cute way, “Do you mean my aunt is old?”

I carefully examined my aunt’s bare face. At the age of thirty, she not only had more charm but also the allure of a beautiful young woman, and her appearance showed no signs of aging.

I answered earnestly, “Not old at all, very beautiful.”

Suddenly, my aunt gave me a wink, and I followed her gaze to see one man after another inviting Chi Yeon to dance.

At first, Chi Yeon was able to politely refuse, but as more and more people invited her, in the end she didn’t even bother to twitch her eyelids and completely ignored everyone present.

Seeing this, I couldn’t help but laugh and say, “Sister Chi Yeon’s charm is really great.”

…

My aunt and I were chatting quietly when suddenly a voice sounded from behind us:

“Lin Yuan, come dance with me.”

I turned around and saw Chi Yeon standing behind me with a blank expression, extending an invitation to me.

I never expected that the taciturn and aloof Ji Yeon would take the initiative to invite me to dance.

I glanced at the large group of men gathered around Sister Chi Yeon’s seat and realized that Sister Chi Yeon was probably annoyed by them, which was why she took the initiative to invite them.

I didn’t react for a moment and remained silent for a while. Chi Yan probably thought I was unwilling, and her thin eyebrows furrowed slightly.