Taking this opportunity to speak while everyone was still reeling from shock, Yuan Ye cheerfully volunteered. “Brother, give us some face. We’re blood relatives and yet you don’t even greet us.”
Yang Chen pointed at the goose on his plate with his knife. “I’m busy eating. You don’t pay me to greet you. And look at you, Tang Tang has been having her exams and you’re not there encouraging her.”
Yuan Ye smiled coyly. “I want to go but my mother said to only bring her out after she’s finished with her exams or she might get distracted.”
“Hmmph, useless son. You’re not even married yet but you’re always thinking about her,” scolded Yuan Hewei, laughing.
Yuan Ye retracted in embarrassment.
Lin Ruoxi couldn’t help but smile at this warm yet hilarious scene. Her smile was as sweet as a blooming flower in spring, causing the rest of the people to stare.
Yuan Hewei was exceptional kindly to Lin Ruoxi too. “Ruoxi, I know you’re a quiet person but you should talk to your aunt more often. She really has taken a liking to you. Plus, you’re about to be the future Mistress of the Yang clan. You should learn more of the rules earlier so you wouldn’t panic when the time comes.”
Mistress of the Yang clan?!
This status was yet another bomb! Everyone in the crowd was boiling their seats!
In reality, Yuan Hewei had his motives too. How could a man so experienced in this industry not see that Li Jianhe and Shen Yaxin were deliberately walking all over Yang Chen and his wife? He had to say a few words not only to reveal Yang Chen’s identity but also to lift his name up.
While Yang Chen hadn’t returned to the Yang clan yet, Yuan Hewei believed that it would happen sooner or later.
Lin Ruoxi was surprised that Yuan Hewei would say such a thing. She was not so well versed with what to do in situations like that one. Hence, she nodded gracefully.
Yuan Hewei didn’t mind. He apologetically turned to the crowd. “Apologies. I’ve been busy with work lately so I haven’t been able to meet the younger ones in my family much. That’s why I had to talk to them.”
The crowd immediately shook their head to wave it off. Why would they resent him? They were only worried that Yang Chen would take revenge on them for their treatment before!
Chris asked in confusion, “I‘ve always felt that Mr Yang was not ordinary. But I truly did not expect him to be the future master of the Yang clan.” Chris might be an American but even he was aware of the four dominant clans in China. He was very well-read after all.
Yuan Hewei looked at Yang Chen. When he saw that Yang Chen had not stopped him, he continued, “Yang Chen is my biological nephew. He’s the eldest grandchild of the Yang clan and was separated from us since young. We’ve only been reunited about a year ago. He’s still the flesh and bone of the Yang clan, though he hasn’t exactly been open about it lately.”
Li Jianhe and Shen Yaxin had been hit the hardest so far. Upon hearing this, their legs almost gave out under them!
There were millions of people with the Yang surname, but why did he have to be the eldest grandson of the Yang clan? And even the future head at that?!
No wonder he could casually gift a priceless pocket watch this easily. No wonder Lin Ruoxi would suddenly marry someone ‘without status’!
When they finally understood everything, they felt like they were being conned!
Li Jianhe’s back was drenched in cold sweat. He looked like he was about to cry. A shaky glass of wine was raised with both his hands. He looked at Yang Chen with an ugly, forced smile. “Oh my… I’ll raise a glass to you, to the young master of the Yang’s!”
Then, he forced a huge glass of red wine down his throat!
Shen Yaxin decided to follow in suit. She pursed her lips at Lin Ruoxi. “Ruoxi, we’ve been mates for many years. I’m so happy for you, marrying into such a magnificent clan. I’ll raise a glass to you too!”
As the husband and wife spoke, they’d already drunk all of their wine while doing their best to smile.
Li Jianhe was ridden with guilt. If Yang Chen really was the young master of the Yang clan, all he had to do was speak a few words to shake his clan to its very core. Even his wife’s clan would not be able to do anything!
The Yang clan was one of the few who held the controlling power in China. Ruining a small regional officer’s clan would be child’s play.
However, even after they’ve finished their wine, Yang Chen didn’t buy their act at all.
Yang Chen only glanced at their empty glasses. Pressing his lips together, he said, “Why are you all in such a hurry? I didn’t even ask to drink.”
He ignored them, sat down, and continued cutting his goose with a knife.
Although Lin Ruoxi felt like he was a little too unreasonable, she still wanted to support her husband there. She silently took a seat, ignoring the stunned couple.
The room froze.
The showiest, most glamorous couple there was now the butt of the joke!
After being humiliated, the couple dared not fight back either. They could only stare and smile like idiots.
Yuan Hewei and Yuan Ye gave each other a look, smiling bitterly at Yang Chen’s brutal comeback. Although they didn’t like the couple much, humiliating them was also not the way to go in a situation like this one. To the elite class people, it was a fate worse than death!
Surveying the situation, Yuan Hewei and his son said their goodbyes, not forgetting to invite Yang Chen and his wife for a meal.
When they left, the atmosphere in the cabin grew even more awkward for all the focus that went to Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi. Li Jianhe and his wife were already sitting silently in their seats. If it weren’t for keeping their final shred of dignity, they would’ve left immediately!
Since the beginning of this gathering, both of them had planned to humiliate Lin Ruoxi, who’d hurt them many years ago.
No one could’ve predicted their initial delight of showing off their status would end up with them risking their family’s reputation!
Everyone stared at Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi. They’d forgotten about their wine, their food, and their brags.
They sat in silence for a long time. Yang Chen had finally finished cutting his goose. He shoved a piece into his mouth, then lifted his head to look at everyone else. He lamented, “What’s going on? Why aren’t you all eating? These dishes are expensive, you should eat more.”
This brought them back to reality. They started to pick up their chopsticks.
It was as if the host of this meal wasn’t Chris, but Yang Chen.
Huang Lele was the most naive of the bunch. After the initial shock, she asked Lin Ruoxi cautiously, “Ruoxi, it seems like you have truly married into the most prestigious family in all of China. Are there any rules to being their daughter-in-law? Or do you have any special privileges?”
Wang Haitao immediately pulled his wife back. How could she ask questions like that?
Lin Ruoxi was still not used to being looked at like this. She smiled shyly. “It isn’t anything special. I didn’t know he was from the Yang clan either, I only got to know recently.”
Everyone felt like it was very odd but immediately started to shine her shoes by complimenting that she had a good eye for a partner. They even praised how Yang Chen could seduce the former prettiest girl in university.
Yang Chen grew annoyed listening to them speak. He patted her legs secretly, then whispered, “Honey, when I was selling mutton skewers, did you really see the ‘quiet elegance and maturity’ in me then?”
Lin Ruoxi almost shoved her chopsticks up his nose!
Lips quivering, she quietly hissed, “Just eat. Don’t mention your mutton skewers…”
He muttered something under his breath then continued eating.
For the rest of the gathering, everyone was looking for opportunities to praise them both. Too bad Yang Chen was too busy eating to talk to them.
Lin Ruoxi only attended the gathering as a form of respect to Chris anyway. She grunted a few responses but didn’t care enough for conversation.
In the past, she would still make an effort to form good relationships for convenience in business even if she hated these fence-sitters. These days, it didn’t matter to her anymore.
When the meal was over, everyone stood up to send them off.
No one dared to ask for Yang Chen’s contact number but they had hope that their relationship with Lin Ruoxi might serve as an excuse to meet him in the future. It was the biggest opportunity to talk to the future head of the Yang clan!
As for Li Jianhe and Shen Yaxin, they were long forgotten. They’d already slipped away quietly.
When both of them got into their car, they said a simple goodbye and left the hotel.
On the way home, traffic had eased tremendously. The two of them sat in the car in silence. The car was filled with hints of alcohol, making them both sleepy.
They didn’t speak. The noise of the gathering felt like a dream.
She looked at the mesmerizing night scene outside, then turned to the man focused on driving them home. She reached into her bag to take out her Henry Graves watch, examining it once again under the street lights.