Around five o'clock, the Tan family entered the villa. Duan Yiheng personally greeted them, exchanged pleasantries, and led the Tan family patriarch into the house.
Duan Yiheng didn't disturb the two elders while they talked, and naturally didn't see the admiring look the old man gave him. Tan Qi sat down in the garden and saw Duan Yiheng beckoning to him. Just as Duan Yiheng was about to walk over, several more cars arrived.
Tan Qi turned around and said, "The Zhou family is here?" Duan Yiheng suppressed his doubts and looked over. A dignified couple got out of the car, followed closely by Zhou Zheng, a tall and refined man in a dark gray suit. He was Zhou Li's second brother.
Duan Yiheng frowned. Why was he here? Chen Baiwei and Duan Zheng greeted them with smiles, while Duan Mingxuan stood by with a cold face, seemingly about to explode. "Your younger brother is really something else."
Tan Qi's tone was sarcastic. "He said he didn't like Lin Xi, but now that her blind date has come over, he's changed his mind." "What did you say?" Duan Yiheng thought he'd misheard. "What the hell?"
Tan Qi was speechless. "What kind of life do you live in this house? Don't you know your stepmother is arranging a blind date for Lin Xi?" Duan Yiheng's face was cold as he watched the lively conversation not far away. Since the guests had already come over, Grandpa must know.
No wonder Duan Mingxuan was so sullen when the guests arrived. And just then, the heavens seemed to be cooperating by starting to rain. Sister Mei didn't even need to give any instructions; she immediately moved the guests to the inner hall. They had already prepared a Plan B to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.
The weather had been predicted, and the inner hall was well-prepared just in case. The rain wasn't heavy; falling on Duan Yiheng's black velvet suit, it looked like thin morning dew, transparent and fragile. Lin Xi descended the stairs gracefully, just in time to bump into them hurrying into the house.
Looking up, she saw Duan Yiheng and Tan Qi in the foyer. She nodded slightly to Tan Qi as a greeting, but subtly avoided glancing at Duan Yiheng. Tan Qi turned to look at Duan Yiheng: "You two are the ones dressed like the stars of a blind date."
Duan Yiheng, without batting an eye, said, "Sister Mei prepared them." Tan Qi said, "Oh," then added, "Sibling outfits, huh?" Duan Yiheng: "..." Lin Xi reached the bottom of the stairs, and Chen Baiwei smiled as she led her over, introducing her to Zhou Zheng.
Zhou Zheng possessed an exceptional air about him, his eyes particularly beautiful, like the clear waters of a lake under the spring moon. Upon learning he taught at a university, Lin Xi was taken aback; she had assumed he was another cunning businessman. Little did she know he was genuinely refined and cultured.
She wasn't familiar with the Zhou family, only having seen Zhou Li at Duan Yiheng's manor before. "Don't stand, please take your seats," Chen Baiwei said with a smile, secretly tugging at Duan Mingxuan.
The two elders were naturally seated together. Duan Yiheng and Tan Qi sat opposite Zhou Zheng and Lin Xi, while Duan Mingxuan sat on Lin Xi's other side. Chen Baiwei and Duan Zheng were naturally accompanying Zhou Zheng's parents. "I heard the Tan and Zhou families are related," Chen Baiwei began, "I had afternoon tea with Madam Tan and Madam Zhou a few days ago, so we arranged to meet today. Thank you all for this." Madam Zhou added a few polite words.
With the two elders as the dividing line, the two sides were clearly separated but shared the same goal. He was very satisfied with Tan Qi, but as for Zhou Zheng, he didn't know him well, so he asked a few more questions. He knew about his family background; the old man was concerned about his character and values.
After chatting for a while, he found that the other man was well-mannered and knowledgeable. He was a bit older, a year older than Yi Heng. But a seven-year age difference wasn't much. Duan Mingxuan asked Zhou Zheng expressionlessly, "How many relationships has Mr. Zhou been through?"
This was actually rather impolite; even if he wanted to know, he should have waited until after the meal, when they were alone, to subtly inquire. Zhou Zheng, however, didn't seem to care, replying gently, "Two. I've been single for three years now." He then turned to Lin Xi and asked, "Do you mind?"
Lin Xi shook her head. Duan Mingxuan's face darkened further. Madam Zhou smiled, "I met Miss Lin two or three times when she was little. Now that she's grown up, she's become even more beautiful. It seems the Duan family's resources are truly nourishing." Chen Baiwei added,
"Xiao Xi's personality is also quite good; everyone who meets her praises her." "I can tell." Madam Zhou was increasingly pleased with her appearance. "Quiet and well-behaved, I quite like her." Zhou Zheng turned his head and spoke softly to Lin Xi. Duan Yi Heng's gaze was distant and unreadable. Duan Mingxuan couldn't lash out, but he was puzzled. Had Duan Yiheng given up on Xiao Xi? Of course, a marriage alliance with the Tan family was entirely beneficial; even a fool would know which to choose. Duan Mingxuan scoffed inwardly, thinking Duan Yiheng was nothing special.
Chen Baiwei was unhappy with the old man's favoritism, but she didn't dare to cause trouble for Duan Yiheng at the dinner table. She couldn't ruin Duan Yiheng's marriage alliance; at the very least, she had to marry Lin Xi off.
It would prevent her from constantly thinking about Mingxuan. What if the old man suddenly changed his mind and insisted that Mingxuan marry Lin Xi? That would be a huge loss. Zhou Zheng picked up his wine glass, wanting to clink glasses with Lin Xi, when Duan Yiheng abruptly said, "She can't drink."
Everyone at the table was stunned, and Lin Xi was also on edge. "She just recovered from a fever and is still in the recovery period," Zhou Zheng awkwardly put down his glass and apologized to Lin Xi. Lin Xi shook her head: "It's alright."
She casually looked up, her gaze meeting Duan Yiheng's. Tan Qi followed Lin Xi's gaze to Duan Yiheng's chest. She smiled and said, "I was just about to ask, your clasp is quite unique, the matching gemstones look like women's accessories."
The old man frowned, following her gaze. Duan Yiheng didn't hide anything, openly displaying it, saying, "A birthday gift from a friend." Lin Xi's heart jumped again, fearing Duan Yiheng might say something inappropriate in this situation.
Chen Baiwei seemed to seize the opportunity, smiling as she asked, "Your friend has good taste, but this yellow diamond looks like a gift from a female friend." Duan Yiheng smiled slightly: "Auntie has a discerning eye."
The old man's brows furrowed even deeper. Today was his blind date with Tan Qi, and he was wearing jewelry given by a female friend—what did that mean? Was she afraid others wouldn't misunderstand? But she couldn't really lash out; she could only explain privately.
Of everyone at the table, only Duan Mingxuan had a dark expression. He recognized the yellow diamond; he had accompanied Lin Xi to the auction. He remembered she had liked it very much, but unexpectedly, it had been given to Duan Yiheng.
As the banquet gradually ended, the old man, intending to give the young people some alone time, waved his hand, letting them talk amongst themselves. Zhou Zheng was very satisfied with Lin Xi and immediately invited her over; Duan Yiheng saw her nod. He got up and left, heading towards the restroom.
But he turned into an empty room halfway there. Lin Xi left the restroom and headed towards the backyard. But as she passed the second-to-last room, she was suddenly pulled inside. Before Lin Xi could even cry out, her lips were covered. "Don't move, it's me."