Once they were standing together, the Duke and Madam, who had heard the news, came out to greet them.
It was only at this moment that Guan Yingtang realized she didn’t even know the names of their hosts.
She took Meng Qinghuai’s arm, and as the hosts approached, he leaned over and quietly reminded her, “Carlos Duke and his Madam.”
Guan Yingtang didn’t miss a beat, maintaining a polite smile. When the hosts came close, she naturally greeted them.
She even used perfect Spanish.
This surprised the Duke and Madam, who hadn’t expected it. They smiled in delight, “Ethan, your father didn’t mention you’d be bringing such a beautiful lady.”
Carlos was a scion of a Spanish noble family, a super-wealthy man and hereditary Carlos Duke.
His family history traced back to the 17th century, with connections to Spain’s largest bank, making them one of the richest families in southern Europe.
Guan Yingtang’s confidence and poise also surprised Meng Qinghuai.
He hid his admiration, and after expressing thanks, introduced her in English, “This is Miss Yi.”
Using an alias was Guan Yingtang’s idea.
Carlos and Meng Songnian were in contact; though they might not mention this banquet, if it came up, with Meng Songnian’s knack for piecing things together, their flash marriage would be hard to keep secret.
Luckily, the Duke and Madam didn’t pay much attention to Guan Yingtang’s presence. Their guest tonight was the eldest son of Aowan Group; whoever he brought as a companion wasn’t their concern.
Still, this lady’s beauty and aura were remarkable. The Duke’s Madam couldn’t help but whisper to Guan Yingtang, “Yi, your dress is so special.”
Guan Yingtang was grateful that, by a twist of fate, she had worn this back-chain dress to the banquet.
Perhaps because it was a coming-of-age celebration, all the ladies present were dressed youthfully.
Some wore floor-length gowns, others mini dresses— even the Duke’s Madam wore a deep-V sequined mermaid dress, evoking the spirit of the sea— free and chill.
There were no stifling rules; everyone was free to showcase their unique charm.
If Guan Yingtang had worn that embroidered long-sleeved gown, she would have seemed overly formal— out of place, even.
Guan Yingtang responded with a cheerful hug, “Thank you.”
The Madam patted her, then looked at Meng Qinghuai with approval. “You two look so well-matched.”
Just then, more guests arrived, and the Duke and Madam excused themselves. Guan Yingtang watched their backs when suddenly Meng Qinghuai’s voice sounded beside her, “What did the Duke’s Madam say to you just now?”
Guan Yingtang pursed her lips, unsure how to repeat the compliment about them being well-matched.
In such a setting, it felt awkward and odd to repeat it herself.
“She said you looked very handsome,” Guan Yingtang blurted out.
Well, not exactly a lie.
Amidst a crowd of Western men, her husband did seem particularly attractive tonight.
Meng Qinghuai, whether he believed it or not, looked at her meaningfully and replied, “Thank you, Madam.”
Guan Yingtang thought he was quite polite— even after the Duke’s Madam had left, he still said thank you.
Guests mingled on the deck. Just then, a Western man approached, and Guan Yingtang immediately took Meng Qinghuai’s arm, flashing her signature social smile.
But in the next second, her smile froze.
The man was a Barcelona native, an executive at Spanish Airlines, here to greet Meng Qinghuai.
He spoke in Spanish.
And Meng Qinghuai replied—in Spanish as well.
Hearing this man’s fluent Spanish, Guan Yingtang nearly lost her composure.
She turned and stared at Meng Qinghuai until the man left with his wine, still in disbelief. “You speak Spanish?”
Meng Qinghuai: “Is that a problem?”
“Then why did you use English when talking to Carlos Duke earlier?”
“It’s my habit.”
“…”
So your habit is to pretend you don’t understand when the Duke’s Madam speaks, then ask what she said, and after she leaves, put on a show of saying ‘Thank you, Madam!’
Wait—
Guan Yingtang, who had been cursing him out in her mind, suddenly paused.
The ‘Madam’ in Meng Qinghuai’s thank you…
Was it her?
She’d said he was handsome, so he said thank you, Madam?
…What a seamless conversation.
That explained why, after the Duke’s Madam left, he still inexplicably said thank you.
After a subtle silence, Guan Yingtang looked away and fell quiet.
She even fanned her face with her clutch.
Damn it… Why was her face burning up!
……
At 8 p.m., the coming-of-age ceremony officially began.
The Duke’s daughter, Benita, stood at the center of the deck, surrounded by the crowd. The young lady smiled radiantly, clearly a beloved child raised with love.
She made a brief speech, expressing her loyalty and commitment to the family, vowing to uphold the family honor.
Then, the elders pinned the Family Badge to her.
After that, the Duke’s daughter donned a Crown, and the Madam fastened the Family Heirloom Gem Necklace around her neck.
“Is that it?” Guan Yingtang pretended to chat casually with Meng Qinghuai. @All the best stories are on Jinjiang Literature City.
Meng Qinghuai pointed in a direction. “There’s still a dance.”
Sure enough, as soon as he finished, a young man in noble attire stepped onto the stage and took the Duke’s daughter’s hand—this was the final part of the ceremony:
A dance with a member of the opposite sex.
And not just anyone could dance with the Duke’s daughter; the young man, also newly eighteen, was the family’s chosen fiancé.
No matter the country or place, the rules of inheriting wealth were always the same.
“Did Mr. Meng also dance with someone at your coming-of-age ceremony?” Guan Yingtang suddenly asked.
Meng Qinghuai’s gaze lingered on the young couple dancing, pausing for a moment. “No.”
At eighteen, he was studying abroad. Meng Songnian and Zhuang Jiayi brought his siblings to celebrate his birthday, gave him some gifts, and that was it.
But Meng Qinghuai never cared much for ceremony— he was practical, more focused on results.
“What about you, Miss Guan?” he asked in return.
Guan Yingtang’s thoughts drifted back to when she was eighteen.
She smiled softly, but before she could answer, a burst of applause and cheers erupted from the deck as the young couple finished their dance.
She joined in the applause, and the previous topic was lost amid the noise, never brought up again.
With the ceremony over, the banquet officially began— music, dancing, gourmet food, and various entertainment.
These mostly attracted the Duke’s daughter’s peers. For guests like Meng Qinghuai, the rest of the evening was a high-end business dinner.
Guests from all over the world, elites from every field, could strike deals over a few drinks that ordinary people could hardly imagine.
But for Meng Qinghuai, after greeting the hosts and delivering the gift, his business on this trip was done.
After politely chatting with a few new-money Europeans, Meng Qinghuai had two glasses of champagne, then led Guan Yingtang to the other side of the yacht deck.
This side was much livelier— live band, young people dancing, the coming-of-age party in full swing.
Her DNA was awakened. Though she still had to act like a lady with Meng Qinghuai nearby, being in such a relaxed atmosphere was a rare treat.
“Aren’t you supposed to be socializing?” Guan Yingtang leaned against the railing, listening to the music, and turned to ask Meng Qinghuai, “Those people just now seemed eager to talk to you.”
Meng Qinghuai looked at her quietly. “I don’t really feel like talking business tonight.”
A gentle breeze lifted Guan Yingtang’s hair. She smiled but said nothing.
At a banquet full of Western faces, she finally didn’t feel like a social machine cloaked in a false shell.
She didn’t have to memorize guest profiles, nor worry about maintaining the reputation of the Guan family’s Number One Heiress of Hong Kong Island.
For once, she could enjoy the lights and wine without any burden.
They stood side by side in tacit understanding. After a while, Guan Yingtang suddenly said:
“My coming-of-age ceremony was in Hong Kong.” She belatedly answered their earlier topic. “I didn’t dance with anyone.”
Before she went to Stanford, Guan Zhiheng and Huo Ling held a grand coming-of-age ceremony for her on Hong Kong Island.
She wore a gown handmade by a famous local designer— a pink qipao embroidered with crabapple blossoms— featured in the media as:
[Guan family’s daughter comes of age]
But Guan Yingtang didn’t like it at all.
“Later, though, I made up for it my own way while I was abroad.”
She smiled. “It was also on a yacht.”
Guan Yingtang still remembered clearly— the yacht was called the Nora.
Meng Qinghuai listened, then asked calmly, “A yacht?”
Guan Yingtang snapped out of her memories, realizing she was talking too much. She changed the subject, “Do you have a yacht?”
A few seconds of silence—
“Which port?”
“…”
Alright, alright, she got it—her husband wasn’t just rich, he was loaded.
Guan Yingtang clinked her glass against Meng Qinghuai’s. “Take me for a tour sometime.”
Meng Qinghuai watched her tip back her drink, wanting to say something, but perhaps the timing wasn’t right, so he kept silent.
The night breeze was cool. With only two chains covering her bare back, Guan Yingtang shivered.
Meng Qinghuai, ever the gentleman, took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
Guan Yingtang accepted it without fuss, but suddenly remembered something. “Wait.”
Guan Yingtang took out her phone from her clutch.
She was dressed so beautifully tonight but hadn’t taken a single photo as a memento.
But when she tried to turn on her phone, she realized— it was dead.
No self-respecting Chinese woman would let a dead phone stop her from getting a good picture. In just a few seconds, Guan Yingtang had a solution.
She reached out to Meng Qinghuai. “Can I borrow your phone? I want to take a picture.”
Without thinking, Meng Qinghuai unlocked his phone and handed it over.
He was about to ask if she needed help, but Guan Yingtang had already snagged a passing waiter.
He didn’t say anything, just stepped aside to give her some space.
The waiter raised the camera, and Guan Yingtang smiled by the railing.
She didn’t dare strike any bold poses, just a few ladylike smiles —click—
The photo was taken.
The waiter handed the phone back. Guan Yingtang checked the gallery. Despite the night, the ambient light made her look dazzling.
But what surprised her more was that the camera had caught Meng Qinghuai’s silhouette.
He was holding the suit jacket he’d just given her, body slightly turned. Under the night, his rational, restrained aura was even more pronounced.
Guan Yingtang walked over to Meng Qinghuai. “Your silhouette made it into the picture too.”
Meng Qinghuai thought he hadn’t stood far enough away and was about to move, but then heard Guan Yingtang say, “Looks like we haven’t taken a photo together yet.”
“…”
Whether or not that counted as a photo together depended on the definition.
Did the hundreds of pictures she took of him on their wedding night count?
For a moment, Meng Qinghuai didn’t know how to respond.
The waiter had just helped take several shots. As Guan Yingtang scrolled through them, she suddenly suggested, “Why don’t we—”
She was about to ask Meng Qinghuai if they should take a picture together right here, when suddenly a photo flashed by— a woman with drunkenly flushed cheeks, eyes half-closed, and a man beside her.
At first, Guan Yingtang thought she had accidentally swiped past one of Meng Qinghuai’s other photos.
But then she quickly scrolled back and suddenly realized—
That man was Meng Qinghuai.
But the woman… why did she look so much like… herself?
Guan Yingtang thought she must be seeing things. She hesitated for a few seconds, then, steeling herself, swiped back to check.
And in the next second, when she clearly saw the people in the photo—
Her world collapsed.