Chapter 128: The Center of Attention

Jin Yunchu wore a formal gown, a sapphire necklace resting against her slender, beautiful neck, which made her skin appear as smooth as congealed fat; elegant and dignified, she walked from the long corridor to the door of Jin Bei's room and knocked with her fingers.

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

She said, "Brother, Father says to come down quickly once you've finished changing."

There was silence in the room for a long time; no one responded.

"Brother?"

"Are you inside?"

"Brother..."

Inside the room, Xiao Yu and Jin Bei exchanged a glance. After a moment, Xiao Yu stood up, walked to the door, and opened it. The champagne-colored long dress made her look radiant, beautiful, and moving.

Jin Yunchu was stunned for a moment: "Mother... why are you in Brother's room?"

"Why do you care about that?" Xiao Yu's expression was natural, her tone a bit cold: "Your brother is ready. I am going back to my room to change into a different set of jewelry. You just go to the banquet hall and wait for us; don't just stand here."

She left after saying this.

Only Jin Yunchu remained where she was, watching Xiao Yu's graceful back. She lowered her head and blinked; her eyelashes, like thin cicada wings, traced a beautiful arc.

Although Jin Yunchu was clever, outstanding in appearance, well-read and sensible, and proficient in all the arts, Xiao Yu still did not favor her.

Jin Yunchu understood the reason.

Noble families only needed sons who could fight for power and influence; they did not need a daughter who was merely a tool for marriage, drifting like duckweed. In the eyes of her mother, Xiao Yu, she was probably just a burden...

Jin Yunchu stood alone in the corridor. The beautiful golden mirror walls on both sides reflected her tranquil profile. Her clear eyes held firmness and gentleness, flickering with a hint of barely perceptible ambition.

But what if she was a daughter?

She might not be inferior to a son.

She understood her mother and brother; they would never understand what it meant to be forgiving when possible, or that taking a step back opens up a vast sky. They handled matters in a flashy and high-profile way, only concerned with what was right in front of them.

Jin Yunchu turned, her high heels clicking on the marble floor as she walked toward the banquet hall.

Jin Liangjin saw his daughter walking down the spiral staircase, her temperament elegant and dignified, having grown into a graceful young woman. His eyes held a hint of satisfied approval. He glanced at her briefly, then asked, "Where are they?"

Jin Yunchu said truthfully, "I urged them. Brother will be down immediately, and Mother went back to her room to change her jewelry."

"Mm."

Jin Liangjin beckoned to Butler He, who was wearing a butler's uniform, and asked him in a low voice, "Where is Ling Wu?"

Butler He looked toward the garden: "The banquet hasn't started yet; the Eldest Young Master was just in the garden."

Jin Liangjin didn't ask further.

Many guests submitted their invitations and entered the Jin Family's banquet hall.

In the European-style garden, Ling Wu was far from the noise, sitting alone on a swing. Before him were beautiful fountains and clusters of flowers. He wore a formal suit, with a white collared tailcoat shirt underneath, and a tailored black slim-fit suit jacket on the outside, embroidered with totems in silver thread. He wore a bow tie, and the atmosphere was quiet; the environment was as beautiful as an oil painting...

"Brother!"

Ling Wu turned his head on the swing and saw Jin Shaoyu sitting in a wheelchair, being pushed by Gu Xin along the path. His complexion was rosy, and he was wearing a proper, neat formal suit.

He asked Jin Shaoyu, "Why did you come?"

Jin Shaoyu was slightly languid, his thin lips parting: "Brother, happy 22nd birthday!"

"I had someone send your birthday gift to your room."

Ling Wu noticed Davis walking over from the flower gallery and just responded indifferently: "Mm."

"Once we enter the banquet hall, don't talk to me."

Jin Shaoyu knew in his heart that Ling Wu could not possibly leave him to his own devices. Ling Wu must have had his own hidden reasons for the things said at the hospital. Jin Shaoyu had taken many wrong turns; he could not push his brother away again.

The person in this world who cared about him the most was not himself, but Ling Wu.

But even knowing the truth, facing such a disparity, Jin Shaoyu couldn't help but feel a sourness in his heart. He couldn't stop himself from following Ling Wu with his gaze.

That little boy who once worshipped his brother had simply grown older.

Davis reached Ling Wu's ear and said, "Eldest Young Master, it is time to enter the banquet hall."

Ling Wu: "Let's go."

Jin Shaoyu watched the two figures disappear quickly.

Inside the banquet hall, glasses clinked, and celebrities and nobles gathered.

The heads of various media outlets held cameras and microphones aimed at this grand feast of the wealthy. The protagonist of the banquet, Ling Wu, walked side-by-side with Jin Liangjin. The two stepped onto the red carpet, walking toward the gazes upon them with noble and steady composure.

Present were students from Sike Academy who had accompanied their fathers to the banquet, and the young masters and misses of the nobility were all gathered.

It was inevitable that those who didn't know Ling Wu would exclaim: "So this is the Eldest Young Master... so handsome, even more handsome than Young Master Jin."

"I told you Ling Wu and Young Master Jin have very similar features; one look and you can tell they came from the same womb. Those who were spreading rumors in the Academy that he was an illegitimate child have nothing to say now, right?"

"The Eldest Young Master must have taken his mother's surname."

Jin Liangjin stood on the stage, his every gesture carrying the calm and unhurried demeanor of a person in a high position. He adjusted the microphone and then declared Ling Wu's identity to the media. Ling Wu gave a brief yet graceful speech; he was clearly adept at social occasions among the elite, his behavior and demeanor as if he carried his own halo, the center of everyone's attention.