Due to maintenance at Cloudtop Garden, Jiang Muyun’s birthday banquet was eventually set at the equally prestigious Tiannanxing Garden.
It was one of the most mysterious and luxurious private clubs in Jiangcheng, famous for its stunning sky garden and glass-domed banquet hall.
It never accepted public reservations and usually only hosted the top political and business elites and illustrious families.
To secure this banquet, Su Qinghan used some of the Su Family’s connections to book the entire top floor. Her grand gesture once again became a hot topic within their circle.
On the night of the birthday banquet, the sky darkened and the lights began to shine.
Tiannanxing Garden was resplendent with flowing lights.
At the entrance of the exclusive elevator to the top floor, uniformed attendants stood respectfully, carefully checking the identity of each invited guest.
The fragrance of perfume and the silhouettes of well-dressed guests mingled; celebrities gathered.
Men in suits and leather shoes, exuding extraordinary grace.
Women adorned with jewels and pearls, their gowns swaying gracefully.
The air was filled with the rich fragrance of fine champagne, perfume, and flowers.
The venue was like a fairy-tale world, with countless crystal chandeliers and candlelight complementing each other, as melodious live string music flowed through the air.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows was the breathtakingly brilliant nightscape of Jiangcheng, as if the entire city was lighting up blessings for tonight’s birthday girl.
Su Qinghan, as the organizer and nominal hostess of the banquet, arrived early.
At that moment, she was standing on the terrace outside the side door of the banquet hall, her back to the indoor noise, adjusting the cuffs of her evening gown for the last time.
Dressed in a midnight blue velvet mermaid gown, she appeared tall and elegant, with a cold aura.
However, her brows were slightly furrowed, and her gaze was distant, not fully immersed in the upcoming feast atmosphere.
“Qinghan.”
A crisp voice came from beside her.
Dai Feng walked over. Tonight, she rarely wore a stylish black pantsuit, with a clean high ponytail, looking exceptionally dashing.
She walked up to Su Qinghan, not looking at the night scene outside the window but directly meeting her friend’s eyes, her sharp gaze seemingly able to pierce through any disguise.
“You have something on your mind today.”
Dai Feng used a statement, not a question.
Su Qinghan’s movement paused, then returned to normal.
“What worries? Nothing. Today is Muyun’s birthday party. I’ve put so much effort into preparing, I should be happy.”
“Don’t lie to me, I’ve seen it long ago,” Dai Feng said with her hands in her pockets, her tone flat but hitting the mark. “If you were truly as you appear, wholeheartedly looking forward to holding this birthday party for Jiang Muyun, you wouldn’t have that expression on your face right now.”
Su Qinghan was silent for a few seconds, then turned to look at Dai Feng, the light casting dark shadows in her deep eyes. “It’s nothing, really nothing. I’m devoted to Muyun, and Muyun… she also treasures my feelings.”
The last half sentence came out a bit slowly, as if she was convincing herself.
“Did she spend a lot of your money again?”
Dai Feng spoke suddenly, her tone carrying a barely detectable sarcasm.
Su Qinghan, hit at her sore spot, did not immediately refute.
Yes, she was indeed willing to spend money on Jiang Muyun, from picking her up at the airport after returning from abroad to daily expenses, from luxury goods to this extravagant birthday banquet—she had never been stingy.
But this spending seemed to have gradually changed in nature.
Jiang Muyun became more and more picky about prices, and her standards for things that were ‘worthy’ of Su Qinghan and this occasion became higher and higher, to the point that sometimes even Su Qinghan felt… it had gotten out of control, becoming an invisible burden and an ostentation.
What made her even more uneasy was that by Jiang Muyun’s side, the money, time, and effort she invested did not seem to have bought her an equal, reassuring emotional return.
Jiang Muyun’s ‘treasure’ seemed more like an enjoyment of being cherished, a smooth control, rather than mutual sincerity.
And Yan Yu…
That name uncontrollably intruded into her mind.
That Yan Yu, whom she had ‘dismissed’ with money, rejected with cold words, and even publicly drawn a line with, seemed to treasure even the tiniest, most insignificant things she had given.
Those three years of vague companionship, the details she had long forgotten.
In Yan Yu’s eyes, they seemed to have been gilded with a stubborn light.
‘Did Yan Yu… really love her as much as she showed?’
‘Was it really… not just for the money?’
This doubt had been haunting her like a ghost lately, from time to time.
“I’ll go inside and check how the preparations are going.”
Su Qinghan avoided Dai Feng’s gaze that seemed to see through everything and turned to go back into the banquet hall.
In the moment of turning, her gaze quickly swept around.
On the terrace, there were only the two of them for now; a nearby attendant was arranging drinks with his back to them.
Dai Feng’s attention also seemed to be drawn for a moment by the rising noise inside the hall.
As if possessed, Su Qinghan’s hand reached into the inner pocket of her suit and took out her phone.
Her fingers quickly slid, entered the password, and opened the encrypted photo album folder named ‘Work Materials’.
Inside it was empty, except for one photo.
It was that profile photo of Yan Yu under the dim bedside lamp.
Skin cold and pale, eyelashes lowered, quiet and fragile, yet breathtakingly beautiful.
Her gaze lingered on the photo for less than two seconds, but her heart inexplicably tightened and skipped a beat.
Yan Yu had become much prettier.
A surge of palpitation and irritation rose up.
As if scalded, she quickly turned off the screen and shoved the phone back into her pocket, so fast that it stirred a faint sound of wind.
‘What the hell.’
‘Everything’s a mess.’
On the day of celebrating the birthday of the object of her affections, whom she was pursuing and spending a fortune on, right at the door before the banquet started, secretly looking at another woman’s photo…
Su Qinghan felt that she was very disgraceful, even somewhat despicable.
But why, in that fleeting glimpse just now, when she saw Yan Yu’s clear eyes, did the subtle suffocation in her heart caused by Jiang Muyun and this banquet strangely get replaced by another, more chaotic, more unfamiliar emotion?
‘My heart is a little confused.’
‘I’m starting to involuntarily think about some strange things.’
‘For example, will Yan Yu… come tonight?’
‘If she comes, what will she look like?’
“Qinghan?”
Dai Feng’s voice pulled her back from her brief daze.
“Hmm?”
Su Qinghan immediately collected all her emotions, her face returning to calm composure, as if that moment of wavering had never happened.
“Time to go in, the star of the show should be arriving soon.” Dai Feng looked at her and didn’t press further.
“Alright.”
Su Qinghan took a deep breath, adjusted her gown, forcefully suppressed the churning thoughts brought by the phone deep into her heart, straightened her back, and walked toward the center of that dazzling light.
However, just before stepping into the banquet hall, the corner of her eye still uncontrollably darted a very quick glance toward the direction of the entrance elevator.