Chapter 76: Attending a Birthday Banquet in Gang Cheng

"What are you doing?" an impatient female voice snapped over the phone, opening with a reproach: "Even answering a call is so fussy, no wonder you can't get anything right."

"……" Pei Muyin listened, accustomed to it.

Song Yunqiu didn't care about Pei Muyin's mood, just as she didn't care how she would fare after transferring to the unfamiliar An Shi; she simply ordered: "This weekend, return to Jing Shi; the elderly Mr. Xu of the Gang Cheng Xu Family will hold a 90th birthday banquet, and you will go with me."

Gang Cheng Xu Family, who are they?

Pei Muyin had never been exposed to the social graces of aristocratic circles since childhood, and usually had no contact with them; upon hearing this unfamiliar name from Song Yunqiu, she was completely bewildered, and she slowly replied: "……Grandma, I don't know them; can I not go?"

"Of course not." Upon hearing Pei Muyin's refusal, Song Yunqiu's tone grew harsh: "Do you intend to stay holed up at home for life, never going out to meet people? Look at other families' children younger than you—each sweet-talking and outstanding, they've already earned who knows how much prestige for their families, and look at you?"

Pei Muyin remained silent; she simply did not want to go.

After a moment, Song Yunqiu's voice turned lightly haughty, and she suddenly softened her stance: "Forget it, do as you wish about going; anyway, your father will be there that day."

"Father? Father will go?" Pei Muyin's eyes lit up almost instantly.

"Yes."

Pei Muyin hesitated not: "Then Grandma, I'll go."

…

After hanging up, she came out of the bedroom; the meal was already prepared.

Shu Shu and Shu Lingchen sat at the dining table, three bowls of untouched white rice before them; hearing the movement, Shu Shu turned her head and called: "Muyin, come eat quickly."

"Okay."

Pei Muyin hurried over and sat down.

Shu Lingchen picked up a chicken foot with his first chopstick and placed it in Pei Muyin's bowl; she whispered: "Thank you, brother."

"Don't mention it." Shu Lingchen also took one for himself; the steamed chicken feet were soft and tender, soaked through with the flavor of bean juice, he happily gnawed while asking vaguely:

"Muyin, have you decided—this weekend do you want to watch 'Stubborn Rabbit' or 'I Am a Race Car Driver', or both? If you want both, we'll split them, Saturday and Sunday."

A few days earlier, Pei Muyin had mentioned that she had never been to a public cinema to watch a film; before, she always watched in the home audiovisual room, which was empty and pitch dark, just her alone.

Upon hearing that, Shu Lingchen immediately said they would all three go to the cinema on the pedestrian street this weekend.

Pei Muyin had happily agreed then, but just now she received the phone call…

The girl clenched her chopsticks, apologetic expression: "Sister, I can't go to the movies with you this weekend; I need to go to Jing Shi."

Shu Shu and Shu Lingchen stopped eating.

Pei Muyin said that the call just now was from her grandmother; her grandmother wanted to take her somewhere to attend the 90th birthday banquet of a certain Mr. Xu, which was a very important birthday celebration.

"Mr. Xu?" Shu Shu raised her eyebrows, saying: "The Gang Cheng Xu Family?"

Pei Muyin blinked in surprise: "Exactly, sister, how do you know?"

"……Oh, I saw that name in a news report on TV." Shu Shu fabricated it straight-faced in front of her daughter.

Anyone who had dealt with them would know that the Gang Cheng Xu Family always keeps a low profile and would not easily appear in the public eye.

Shu Shu said gently: "No problem, if we can't see the movie this weekend we can watch it next weekend; no need to feel sorry."

Shu Lingchen chimed in: "Right."

"Mm-hmm."

Pei Muyin exhaled in relief, but still seemed somewhat absent-minded.

Shu Shu noticed: "What's wrong?"

"I just feel really surprised and also unbelievable." After a pause, Pei Muyin voiced her doubt: "In the past, for occasions or banquets like this, Grandma never voluntarily said she would take me along; this time is still the first."

Shu Shu recalled that when her daughter first transferred to San Zhong, she had said that nobody at home cared about her; she pondered and asked: "Muyin, and… what is your relationship with your grandmother?"

Pei Muyin lowered her eyes and fell silent.

The answer was self-evident.

Shu Shu was not at all surprised.

Song Yunqiu, the former matriarch of the Pei Family, is the type who loves to see you live and hates to see you die; from the daughter's reaction, one can tell her attitude toward her daughter.

She dislikes her, or more frankly—she hates her.

Why does she hate her?

Shu Shu's gaze fell on her daughter's peach-blossom eyes.

Even Shu Lingchen, before realizing Pei Muyin was his sister, had once said, "Hey Mom, actually if you look closely, your brows and eyes resemble Pei Muyin's a lot; no wonder you two get along so well—isn't that what people call fate?"

A hint of mockery flickered in Shu Shu's eyes; this woman, now the Pei Family's elderly matriarch, the second daughter of the Song Family, is competitive and eager to win, and after marrying into the Pei Family she practically wants to tilt her chin up to the sky.

Back then, in front of all the servants, she pressed her head into the toilet, destroying the dignity a matriarch should uphold completely; she was so furious she resembled a madwoman, practically wanting to rush up and kill her.

Song Yunqiu dislikes her, even hates her, and thus also dislikes her daughter who resembles her.

In other words, does Song Yunqiu know that Muyin is her daughter?

Then, Song Yunqiu is very likely to be an insider who knows how her daughter ended up in the Pei Family.

…

She withdrew from her brief contemplation.

Shu Shu saw her daughter's dilemma: "Muyin, you actually don't want to attend this birthday banquet, do you?"

Pei Muyin nodded.

Shu Shu added: "But there are also reasons you cannot avoid attending the banquet?"

Pei Muyin nodded again, only feeling that her sister understood her so well.

Shu Shu curled her lips, then said: "If Muyin is willing, this weekend I can accompany you to Gang Cheng."

Pei Muyin was first startled, then the next second her expression visibly lit up with joy, unable to believe it: "Really? Sister, can you really accompany me?"

Pei Muyin fundamentally dislikes such banquet settings, and she will surely be unaccustomed; one can imagine how ill at ease she will feel at the banquet.

This will cause her to lose her sense of security severely.

The weekend is still two days away, but she has been anxious since the moment she hung up the phone.

Upon hearing Shu Shu say she would accompany her to Gang Cheng, Pei Muyin's earlier anxiety vanished instantly.

Shu Shu: "Yes, I'll accompany you."

"Good." Pei Muyin smiled, her eyes crinkling.

"Ah, then you're both going, leaving me alone at home on the weekend? How pitiful, I also want to go play." Shu Lingchen protested, mainly wanting to go play.

Shu Shu glanced at him: "Someone clearly promised me they'd study hard, but recently their review progress has been stuck, and this month's monthly exam is coming up soon—looks like they're going to break their promise, huh?"

Shu Lingchen changed his mind in a second: "I'll stay home this weekend to study!"