The Sweetest Marriage Ch.230

Chapter 230 – A Banquet Like No Other

A commotion erupted at the entrance. Chen Yunzeng, who was in the midst of a conversation with guests, heard the name whispered by a hotel staff member. He quickly handed over the chubby little boy he was holding to his wife and rushed out.

Almost everyone’s attention was now fixed on the entrance. When they finally saw the young man entering, their gazes couldn’t help but freeze, and their thoughts immediately became active.

“Young Master.” Chen Yunzeng went to meet him, standing respectfully in front of the newcomer, even though he appeared a few years older than this “young master.”

The newcomer was none other than the young master of the Chen family, Chen Yunqi. The Chen family’s status in the capital went without saying, and although Chen Yunzeng had known in advance that Chen Yunqi would come to his son’s hundredth-day banquet, when Chen Yunqi actually arrived, Chen Yunzeng was ecstatic.

Chen Yunqi’s presence was a confirmation of Chen Yunzeng’s status. It was a way of telling the world that Chen Yunzeng was valued by the Chen family, which was a great honor and made him feel highly regarded, leaving him pleasantly surprised.

Even though Chen Yunzeng knew that Chen Yunqi’s purpose for coming today wasn’t to bless his son’s hundredth day but rather because of Wei Chen.

Chen Yunqi nodded in his direction as a form of greeting. Chen Yunzeng quickly escorted Chen Yunqi to the seat of honor. On the way, Chen Yunzeng could see many eager faces, all of them wanting to make their presence felt in front of Chen Yunqi.

Chen Yunqi was accustomed to these glances and, ignoring them, followed Chen Yunzeng to the main table.

The main table was not where Chen Yunzeng and his wife’s relatives sat; it was reserved for prominent figures. Sheng Jiaqi, not only the chairman of the Changfeng Group but also representing the Sheng family, naturally had the qualifications to sit at the main table.

Xu Hanzhen, the president of the Beijing Business Association, and Zhuge Feng was also seated at this table. Although the Zhuge family’s influence had waned since the passing of their patriarch two years ago, their status was still relatively high due to the family’s legacy.

Now that the other people at the table saw Chen Yunqi had arrived, they all stood up, except for Sheng Jiaqi and Zhuge Feng, who remained seated. After all, in the same context, Chen Yunqi was a generation younger than them.

Chen Yunqi understood this dynamic. As he arrived at the main table, he smiled and greeted Sheng Jiaqi and Zhuge Feng.

“Uncle Sheng, Uncle Zhuge.”

Sheng Jiaqi, with a benevolent smile, looked at Chen Yunqi and waved his hand, “Yunqi has come too? Come on, sit here.”

One of the people beside Sheng Jiaqi immediately vacated a seat when he heard this, retreating gracefully.

Chen Yunqi didn’t hesitate and took the seat next to Sheng Jiaqi. With Chen Yunqi’s arrival, the hundredth-day banquet for Chen Yunzeng’s son officially began. While the proceedings followed tradition, the grandeur of this particular hundredth-day banquet was unparalleled.

A waiter carrying an appetizer tray passed by Wei Chen, casually slipping a small note into his lap. Wei Chen calmly opened the note, which was from Chen Yunzeng.

“The young master wants to see you, Room 6011 on the sixth floor. – Chen Yunzeng”

Wei Chen discreetly tossed the note aside and directed his gaze towards the main table. At that moment, Chen Yunqi had excused himself under the pretense of having some work to attend to. Their eyes met, and Chen Yunqi nodded in a friendly manner. Before Wei Chen could respond, Chen Yunqi turned and left.

Sheng Jiaqi and Zhuge Feng acted as if they hadn’t seen this exchange, continuing to enjoy their meal and drinks. However, they couldn’t help but speculate. It was clear to them that Chen Yunqi had come today for Wei Chen.

The guests seated at the banquet saw Chen Yunqi leave early, and disappointment showed in their eyes. They had finally encountered the young master, but he didn’t stay for long. Nonetheless, no one approached him. Those who held their positions and statuses knew better. They understood that Chen Yunqi had come to give Chen Yunzeng face, and now that he had done so, he naturally wished to leave. If they approached him at this point, it would only be bothersome.

Soon after, Wei Chen rose from his seat. In this gathering of influential figures, his presence wasn’t particularly notable, so his departure didn’t cause much of a stir. Except for the gaze of Xu Ruru, who continued to follow his every move until he left, the other guests paid no attention to Wei Chen.

Wei Chen took the elevator to the sixth floor as indicated on the note. He quickly found Room 6011, a small conference room. When he entered, the room was empty, and there was no sign of Chen Yunqi.

Shortly afterward, a waiter entered with a beverage and some snacks, the same waiter who had handed Wei Chen the note earlier. He placed the refreshments in front of Wei Chen and said, “Mr. Wei, please wait a moment. The young master will be here shortly.”

Wei Chen nodded and took out his phone to check the stock market. He didn’t touch the snacks and drinks on the table, exercising caution just in case they were tampered with. The waiter stood behind Wei Chen, thinking that Wei Chen was focused on the stock market and didn’t pay him any attention, allowing a degree of relaxation, a habit cultivated over time.

The waiter, though standing, maintained a straight posture with a strong stance, appearing very upright. He seemed like a highly trained military individual.

Wei Chen took note of the waiter’s current state reflected on his phone’s screen. In his mind, he defined it and understood that he couldn’t leave this place until Chen Yunqi arrived.

However, Wei Chen wasn’t in a hurry to depart. He exited the stock market page, opened a food delivery app, and ordered a highly-rated meal. After confirming the payment, a WeChat message came in.

[Li Li: Achen, I’m home. Is the banquet over? When will you be back?]

[Achen: It will be quite some time. I’ve ordered food for you. Eat and rest early tonight; you don’t have to wait up for me. Be a good boy~]

[Li Li: Alright, I’ll wait for you at home.]

Wei Chen knew that if he didn’t return home, Chen Li wouldn’t sleep at night. He didn’t try to persuade Chen Li and typed his response somewhat resignedly.

[Achen: While waiting for me in the living room, get a blanket from the room and cover yourself, be careful not to catch a cold.]

Although it was the season of late summer, the evenings still had a cool breeze, and Chen Li was naturally frail. Wei Chen was concerned that he might catch a cold.

[Li Li: Okay, I’ll be good and wait for you to come home.]

[Li Li: Achen, lots of love!]

Wei Chen’s gaze softened, and he replied,

[Achen: Lots of love~]

The waiter accidentally caught a glimpse of Wei Chen’s final message, his eyes showing a hint of disbelief. How could this seemingly stern and authoritative man have such a side?

Until the banquet downstairs concluded and Chen Yunqi still hadn’t arrived, Wei Chen remained calm and continued to read the news on his phone. In the banquet hall, Sheng Jiaqi and Zhuge Feng were searching for Wei Chen, planning to leave together.

A business owner who had sat at the same table as Wei Chen approached them and inquired, “Mr. Sheng, Vice Chairman Zhuge, are you waiting for Deputy General Manager Wei? I saw him leaving with Young Master Chen earlier when I went to the restroom. Perhaps there was some urgent matter.”

After expressing their gratitude, Sheng Jiaqi and Zhuge Feng left. The businessman watched their departing figures with a faint smile.

At that moment, Chen Yunzeng walked over, and the businessman quickly approached him, saying, “Mr. Chen, I’ve informed them just as you requested, not leaving out a word.”

“Very well,” Chen Yunzeng said with a graceful smile.

Sheng Jiaqi and Zhuge Feng left the hotel, exchanging a knowing glance. They realized that the Chen family might not employ any drastic measures but instead choose to sow discord.

…

In the small meeting room upstairs, they finally received the grand entrance of Chen Yunqi. As he entered the room, he immediately apologized, “Deputy General Manager Wei, I apologize for the delay. I had a minor matter to attend to.” He sat across from Wei Chen with a hint of pride, appearing entirely at ease.

“No worries, I didn’t wait long,” Wei Chen replied, showing no signs of annoyance despite being deliberately kept waiting by Chen Yunqi, who was either trying to assert his authority or had genuine business to attend to. Wei Chen had prepared himself for various scenarios when he chose to meet with Chen Yunqi.

“It’s quite late now, and I won’t beat around the bush, Deputy General Manager Wei. I simply wanted to apologize to you,” Chen Yunqi said, his tone carrying a faint sense of regret.

Wei Chen was puzzled. “I don’t know why would Young Master Chen apologize to me?”

Chen Yunqi lit a cigarette, and in the flickering firelight, something seemed to flash in his eyes. “This apology is actually meant for your father, Mr. Wei,” he said, with an inquisitive look on Wei Chen.

Wei Chen remained composed. “I don’t have a close relationship with my father. We hardly speak to each other throughout the year. If you want to apologize to my father, I can give you his phone number so you can speak to him directly.”

He gave no indication that he knew what had transpired between the Chen family and Wei Zhenxiong.

Chen Yunqi smiled, and he didn’t pursue the topic further. “I’ve heard from Yunzeng that you’ve been doing an excellent job at Changfeng Group.”

Wei Chen deflected the praise, “I’m honored by Mr. Chen’s generous words.”

“Yunzeng also mentioned that shortly, Changfeng Group will have a board member stepping down. I wonder if Deputy General Manager Wei has any interest in this position?” Chen Yunqi extinguished his cigarette and casually dangled an enticing offer.

<< _ >>