Chapter 26: The Banquet

After lunch, Ye Feng followed Gu Ran into the private elevator, which went straight to the top floor office.

In the elevator, Gu Ran lowered her head to flip through the documents in her hands with a focused expression, while Ye Feng stood behind her, his gaze inadvertently falling on her slightly furrowed brows.

When the elevator doors opened, Gu Ran suddenly spoke: "Ye Feng, there is an important meeting this afternoon; go prepare the materials."

Ye Feng nodded slightly.

Gu Ran gave a faint "Mm," and walked quickly into the office.

Ye Feng followed closely behind and began a busy afternoon of work.

While organizing documents, he kept an eye on Gu Ran's movements.

Her work efficiency was extremely high, but she would occasionally stop to rub her temples, appearing somewhat exhausted.

By evening, the afterglow of the setting sun spilled into the office through the floor-to-ceiling windows, plating the entire room in a layer of golden halo.

Gu Ran closed the document in her hand and looked up at Ye Feng: "There is a business banquet tonight; accompany me."

Ye Feng was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "Very well, President Gu, is there anything I need to prepare?"

Gu Ran stood up, walked to the window, and with her back to Ye Feng, said: "You need to dress more formally; go find Li Feng later to get a suit. The banquet starts at seven, and we will leave at six-thirty."

Ye Feng checked the time; it was already nearly six o'clock.

He quickly organized the documents on the desk, stood up, and said: "Then I will go change clothes first, and wait for you downstairs at six-thirty."

Gu Ran did not turn around, only giving a soft "Mm."

As Ye Feng walked out of the office, he couldn't help but look back.

Gu Ran stood before the window, her figure stretched long by the setting sun, appearing somewhat lonely.

At six-thirty, Ye Feng appeared downstairs at the company on time.

He had changed into a dark suit, and his whole person appeared exceptionally tall and straight.

Not long after, Gu Ran also walked out.

She was wearing a black evening gown, simple yet elegant, with her long hair pinned up, revealing her slender neck.

Ye Feng watched in a daze, only coming back to his senses when Gu Ran walked up to him.

"Let's go."

Gu Ran glanced at Ye Feng, a flash of amazement crossing her eyes.

Ye Feng opened the car door for her, and after she was seated securely, he walked around to the driver's seat to start the car.

The car slowly drove out of the company and headed toward the banquet location.

On the way, Gu Ran remained silent, and Ye Feng did not ask any questions, simply focusing on driving.

After arriving at the banquet location, Ye Feng parked the car and followed Gu Ran into the venue.

Just as they reached the entrance and were about to go in, they were stopped by the Security Guard at the door.

The Security Guard said expressionlessly: "Assistants are not allowed in!"

Ye Feng furrowed his brows, and before he could speak, Gu Ran stood out indignantly: "On what grounds are we not allowed in? We were invited to attend this banquet."

The Security Guard replied stubbornly: "These are the rules; I only act according to the rules."

Gu Ran became agitated: "What kind of rule is that? It's completely unreasonable!"

The Security Guard did not back down: "No means no, don't loiter here."

In a fit of anger, Gu Ran turned to leave, muttering: "What a lousy banquet, not worth attending anyway."

Ye Feng also felt some irritation in his heart, but he tried his best to restrain his emotions.

Just then, a dashing young man walked out from inside.

Seeing this scene, the young man's face darkened, and he scolded the Security Guard: "What is the matter with you? These are guests I invited, apologize at once!"

The Security Guard was flustered and quickly lowered his head: "I am sorry, I did not know they were your guests."

The young man looked at Ye Feng and Gu Ran and said with a smile: "My apologies for the grievance you have suffered; please, come in."

Ye Feng and Gu Ran exchanged a glance, then followed the young man into the banquet.

Inside the banquet hall, the lights were brilliant and celebrities from all walks of life were gathered; amidst the clinking of glasses, the atmosphere was lively and luxurious.

As soon as Gu Ran entered the venue, many people came up to greet her, and she handled it with ease, wearing a proper smile on her face.

Ye Feng followed behind Gu Ran, maintaining an appropriate distance.

His gaze never left Gu Ran, and he remained constantly aware of the movements around them.

When the banquet was halfway through, Gu Ran suddenly stopped and said to Ye Feng in a low voice: "I am going to the restroom; wait for me here."

Ye Feng nodded: "Very well, President Gu."

After Gu Ran left, Ye Feng stood in a corner, his gaze scanning the surroundings.

Suddenly, he noticed a familiar figure—Li Feng.

At this moment, Li Feng was looking at him with that dashing young man, whispering about something.

Seeing Ye Feng spot him, a trace of malice flashed in Li Feng's eyes, while the young man looked Ye Feng up and down with a playful expression.

Ye Feng frowned, feeling a faint sense of unease in his heart.

Immediately after, the two walked toward Ye Feng.

Li Feng said with a stern face: "Ye Feng, you had better be sensible and leave right now."

Ye Feng stood there with a calm expression and said indifferently: "Why should I leave? I was invited here."

Li Feng gave a cold snort: "Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."

At this time, the young man spoke, his tone unkind: "If you know what's good for you, leave quickly and don't go looking for trouble."

Ye Feng still ignored them, as if they did not exist.

Seeing Ye Feng's attitude, the young man was very dissatisfied.

He furrowed his brows and was just about to lose his temper when Gu Ran walked out from the restroom.

She saw the stalemate at a glance, a look of confusion appearing on her face as she asked, "What is going on here?"

The young man immediately resumed his suave demeanor and said to Gu Ran, "It's nothing, just playing a little joke on this little brother here."

After saying this, he smiled and left the area.

Gu Ran turned her gaze toward Ye Feng, and seeing Ye Feng shake his head, Gu Ran knitted her pretty brows, her eyes filled with disbelief.

In the end, Gu Ran did not press the matter further, and she then led Ye Feng through the crowd to the very front of the banquet.

Ye Feng's expression remained somewhat gloomy, but Gu Ran gently patted his arm, signaling him to relax.

After the two stood still, the banquet host walked onto the stage and announced with a smile, "Next, let us invite our host for tonight—Mr. Lin Chen, young master of the Lin Family, to give a speech for everyone!"

Applause broke out as Lin Chen walked slowly onto the stage.

He was wearing a well-tailored black suit, his face was handsome, his eyes were deep, and every gesture he made exuded an air of composure.

Ye Feng narrowed his eyes; wasn't this exactly the same young man who had come to cause trouble for him earlier with Li Feng!

"First of all, welcome everyone to the business banquet hosted by my Lin Clan. On behalf of my father, I, Lin, would like to thank you all for coming!"

Lin Chen wore a smile, looking just like a refined young gentleman, his voice low and magnetic.

Afterward, he briefly introduced the recent development of the Lin Family, his words both humble and confident.

As Gu Ran listened, she felt a faint sense that something was wrong.

Especially when she noticed Lin Chen's gaze landing on her from time to time, that feeling of unease grew even stronger.

As the speech neared its end, Lin Chen smiled slightly and said, "To thank everyone for your support, we have prepared a little surprise for tonight!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the banquet hall lights suddenly went out, and the entire space plunged into darkness.

The guests let out a low gasp, and immediately after, a blinding spotlight shone down from the ceiling, landing steadily on Gu Ran.

Lin Chen stood on the stage, his gaze locked onto Gu Ran, the corners of his mouth curling into a meaningful smile.