Chapter 115: Family Banquet and a Battlefield of Rivalries

In a taxi

Huiriyi leaned against the car window, gazing intently outside; Lu Mingfei felt her long hair soft and smooth, irresistibly pleasing to touch.

“Sir, we’ve arrived.”

The taxi stopped before a white French-style villa; beside it, a sign planted in the grass read chateaujoelrobuchon.

A waiter in black attire and white gloves respectfully opened the door; Huiriyi’s toes lightly touched the ground, her high heels clicking sharply.

Huiriyi stared at the restaurant’s sign, her face puzzled; Lu Mingfei felt embarrassed—there was nothing he could do, as this place was, to her, merely a cafeteria-level establishment.

But this time, his uncle and aunt probably wouldn’t have taken their seats; Lu Mingze wouldn’t pull another stunt like this.

“Mr. Lu, I’m sorry, but it seems you haven’t made a reservation.” The waiter spoke with a hint of apology.

“??? ” Lu Mingfei was baffled.

On the second floor of chateaujoelrobuchon, Lu Mingfei’s uncle’s family of three and Director Chen’s family of three were all dressed in formal attire.

Beneath the candlelight, crystal glasses clinked with a soft ding.

The uncle felt he’d met a benefactor—an elegant man who had chatted warmly with him in the airport lounge, and upon learning they were flying to Tokyo, had recommended this restaurant.

“We’re truly grateful to Mr. Zhong—he’s young, accomplished, handsome, and generously booked us a table.”

“The manager, upon hearing Mr. Zhong was a friend, charged us only half the price.”

The uncle smiled inwardly, his admiration for Mr. Zhong rising another notch.

This trip was originally meant to bring Lu Mingze and Director Chen’s daughter, Chen Jiajia, together; he’d found no suitable opportunity—until now. Booking this restaurant gave him immense face.

As the dinner atmosphere grew warm, a waiter led a man and a woman past their table.

Lu Mingfei, seeing the waiter didn’t stop, was startled—wasn’t this his uncle’s group? He’d just come upstairs thinking history was repeating itself, that Lu Mingze had arranged this again.

The uncle glanced beside him; the moment he did, he froze, exclaiming in shock: “Lu Mingfei?!”

Everyone froze.

The aunt hadn’t expected Lu Mingfei to be here: “Aren’t you in America?”

Little fat Lu Mingze’s gaze was glued to Huiriyi; Lu Mingfei subtly blocked the boy’s stare.

Huiriyi wore a blue-purple dress with black gauze, adorned with luxurious lace and ribbons, tall and cold as a Bourbon princess, yet timidly clinging to Lu Mingfei’s arm.

“Haha,” Lu Mingfei chuckled awkwardly, “Uncle, Aunt, what a coincidence.”

“Old Lu, is this your nephew?” Director Chen asked.

“Yes, my nephew Lu Mingfei—he’s studying in America,” the uncle replied. “Hey, wait—you’re in America! When did you get to Japan?!”

As he spoke, his eyes fixed on Huiriyi’s hand linked with Lu Mingfei’s, then on her beautiful face. He beamed: “Who’s this? Mingfei, don’t you want to introduce her?”

Huiriyi nodded politely to the uncle.

“I—” Lu Mingfei had meant to say she was his classmate, but his face flushed, his mind overheated—he wanted to say she was his girlfriend.

“Lu Mingfei!” A crisp voice rang out—in Chinese.

Lu Mingfei instinctively turned—good grief, wasn’t this his old classmate Su Xiaoxiang?

He stared blankly; Su Xiaoxiang wore a white gown, radiant as a white orchid, having just stepped out from behind an ornate screen, her seat right beside the uncle’s table.

“Su Xiaoxiang?” Why was she here? Lu Mingfei was confused; whether it was an illusion or not, he felt his old classmate had grown even more beautiful: “What a coincidence.”

Lu Mingze’s mouth hung open—he stared at the campus goddess he’d once idolized, never imagining he’d meet her abroad.

“Didn’t expect to see you here,” Su Xiaoxiang said, not merely greeting—when she saw Huiriyi’s arm linked with Lu Mingfei’s, her smile stiffened slightly, then returned to normal.

“I’ve been looking for you for ages~.”

“Looking for me?” Lu Mingfei was baffled—why was Su Xiaoxiang looking for him? Wait—was there even a scene like this in the original?

“I flew all the way from China to Japan to find you—I’ve been searching for nearly ten days!” Su Xiaoxiang’s tone was natural, but her words carried a hint of complaint, mostly concern—like a girlfriend scolding: “You didn’t answer calls, didn’t reply to messages—I nearly wore out my legs, thought you’d gotten into some danger.”

The uncle, aunt, and Director Chen’s family all widened their eyes—this couldn’t be some TV drama plot, could it?!

“Let’s all eat together—you can sit at my table.”

Director Chen suddenly remembered where he’d seen the girl: “You’re Su Xiaoxiang?”

“Yes, hello, Uncle Chen,” Su Xiaoxiang replied with a polite smile—her father had once brought her to an investment promotion meeting.

In Lu Mingfei’s dazed gaze, she walked to the uncle’s table and greeted warmly:

“Uncle, Aunt, hello. I’m Su Xiaoxiang, Lu Mingfei’s classmate. This is Mingze, right? Mingfei mentioned you—he shared a dorm with you.”

Su Xiaoxiang wanted to make a good first impression on Lu Mingfei’s uncle and aunt, greeting enthusiastically—she was about to exchange a few more pleasantries and then take Lu Mingfei to her own table—

“Forgive me for interrupting your reunion, but I need to borrow him for a moment.” A familiar, cool voice spoke; a slender arm, like jade, circled Lu Mingfei’s neck.

Why was the person he’d nearly forgotten here?

Senior sister?!

Lu Mingfei turned slightly and saw Nono, dressed in a purple dress, her expression calm as she swept her gaze over the others, a faint smile curling her lips as she looked at the stunned Lu Mingfei:

“I snuck away from my fiancé to find you—come with me now.”

Seeing Nono suddenly reach for Lu Mingfei, Huiriyi panicked—her grip shifted from linking to clinging tightly, her eyes turning icy as she stared at the girl who resembled her.

Crash—

Lu Mingze’s newly bought phone slipped from his hand, hitting the wooden floor with a heavy thud.

Director Chen’s gaze darted between the three girls—Su Xiaoxiang, of course, was top-tier in looks and family background, but the other two girls radiated unmistakable wealth and status, and one was someone else’s fiancée?!

He suddenly felt a flicker of admiration for Old Lu—then switched to wariness: if his nephew living under his roof was already like this, what about his own son?

“Lu Mingfei!” The aunt’s shrill voice rang out: “Are you trying to fly to heaven?! What’s the relationship between you and these girls?! Explain yourself!”

Her tone carried an air of command, but mostly panic: “How long have you been abroad? And you’ve turned into this?!”

“It’s not—” Lu Mingfei tried to defend himself, but his mind was a tangled mess.

The opposite side fell silent; the aunt’s eyes widened, her pupils trembling as if shaken by an earthquake, fixed on the side.

A girl in a black evening gown approached like a princess, unhurried—golden hair, sapphire eyes, an icy aura that repelled all, her exquisite face like a doll’s.

She simply walked over and took hold of Lu Mingfei’s other free arm.

“Come, my king.”

Lu Mingfei felt his breath catch—his mind overloaded at that moment.