Chapter 33

The two of them entered the hotel elevator, and Zhao Pingjin handed her the coat.

Xi Tang didn’t want to wear it. “Ah, there will be heating soon.”

Zhao Pingjin was firm. “Put it on.”

Stepping out of the elevator, the waiter bowed and led them toward the banquet hall. Xi Tang lifted her skirt while still trying to discard the coat. “Hey, look, which female celebrity wears this much?”

Zhao Pingjin spoke disdainfully, “Do you have no shame? Do you really think you’re such a big star?”

Just then, Lu Xiaojiang walked toward them, looking happy. “Hey, Third Brother, you two are here too?”

Zhao Pingjin immediately grew impatient at the sight of him and responded curtly, “What, are you here for this too?”

Lu Xiaojiang smiled. “Grandpa Qian received an invitation, so I’m attending on his behalf. Mr. Hua has many connections in Beijing.”

He glanced at Xi Tang, who was about to take off her coat. Zhao Pingjin wouldn’t let her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Lu Xiaojiang adjusted his glasses and said sincerely, “Xi Tang, leave it on. It actually looks quite good.”

Xi Tang immediately stopped moving. “Really?”

Turning her head, she saw Ni Kailun waving at her in the banquet hall. She decisively put the coat on, adjusted her dress, waved at them, and made her way toward Ni Kailun.

Zhao Pingjin stood still, his face dark, staring at Lu Xiaojiang.

Lu Xiaojiang, still at the door, looked at him cheerfully. “Third Brother, where are you sitting?”

Zhao Pingjin lowered his voice and growled, “Move aside!”

Xi Tang sat with her colleagues from the company, with Ni Kailun on her left and Lin Xinhui on her right. In the center sat General Manager Wang and a few senior company executives, to whom Xi Tang greeted one by one.

The wedding banquet was naturally grand and lavish, with flowers everywhere, laughter, and tears. When the groom slid the expensive diamond ring onto Wu Zhenzhen’s finger, everyone applauded enthusiastically.

Lin Xinhui smiled faintly. “Ah, they really mean it.”

She felt a bit envious—she was nearing forty and still hadn’t found her soulmate.

Once the ceremony was complete, and while the bride was changing, Wu Zhenzhen’s female assistant came over. “Xi Tang, Zhenzhen wants you to come over.”

Xi Tang entered the bride’s dressing room.

The hairstylist was redoing her hair, and Xi Tang stepped forward. “Congratulations.”

Wu Zhenzhen, with her peach-blossom complexion and sparkling jewelry, looked somewhat melancholic. “Thank you.”

Xi Tang continued to compliment her. “The wedding banquet is wonderfully done.”

Wu Zhenzhen gazed at herself in the mirror. “Are you going to catch the bouquet later? I’ll throw it to you.”

Xi Tang smiled. “I’ll pass. You can throw it to Xinhui.”

Wu Zhenzhen hesitated and asked, “You’re that open-minded?”

Xi Tang kept her smile. “I just haven’t met the right person yet.”

Wu Zhenzhen said, “Xi Tang, when I retire from acting, you’re responsible for bringing down Zhang Zhiyin.”

Look at that—being a female star isn’t as glamorous as it seems. Even after stepping away from the industry, there’s still lingering resentment.

Xi Tang laughed. “I’ll try my best.”

Wu Zhenzhen absentmindedly fiddled with a ruby ring on her finger. After a moment of silence, she suddenly spoke lightly, “I’ve been with Zhao Pingjin for more than two months now. Every time, after social events, his assistant sends me to my hotel room. In fact, I don’t even know which room he stays in.”

Xi Tang’s smile froze for a moment.

Wu Zhenzhen continued, “To be honest, they’re just looking for a glamorous social companion. Mr. Zhao is very generous with women—money, jewelry, film investments, he gives it all. To use his words, he uses us to decorate his image, and that’s how it should be. But that’s all it is. I don’t know what he’s like elsewhere, but at least, to my knowledge, Miss Wu has never discussed him behind his back.”

Xi Tang’s heart was filled with mixed emotions—shame, confusion, sorrow, and a faint, indescribable feeling of joy.

Wu Zhenzhen let out a long sigh. “I didn’t want to tell you before, but now that I’m married, I’ll do it as a bit of good karma.”

Xi Tang truly admired the makeup artist who was helping Wu Zhenzhen with her hair and makeup. The entire time, her eyebrows hadn’t moved.

Xi Tang thought about her own situation and sighed lightly. “Zhenzhen, I’m just another decoration too.”

Wu Zhenzhen didn’t believe her at all. “Really?”

Xi Tang innocently nodded.

Wu Zhenzhen finally said, “Xi Tang, don’t beat around the bush. I’ll give you a tip—check his wallet.”

Xi Tang pushed back her chair and gently leaned over to Wu Zhenzhen, touching her cheek lightly. “I wish you happiness.”

She got up and returned to the banquet.

Two hours had passed since the banquet began, and the invited singer was performing on stage. The guests began to leave their seats, mingling and socializing.

Xi Tang was invited to take photos with the newlyweds. With the rise of social media, celebrities in the industry were addicted to taking photos with each other. Xi Tang had never participated in this kind of trend before, but now, with Wu Zhenzhen retiring, the company was pushing her as the successor. She had been focused on filming recently and wasn’t entirely aware of how much public relations the company had arranged for her. She just cooperated by shaking hands, smiling, and having photo after photo taken.

Lu Xiaojiang was sitting at the table, glancing over at the group of female celebrities on stage. “From here, she kind of looks like Yang Yang.”

Lu Xiaojiang’s fiancée was the granddaughter of the Qian family, younger than them by several years. She didn’t grow up in the same circles, and they didn’t have much contact. But now that the Qian family’s patriarch had retired and lived in a house just across from Zhao Pingjin’s grandparents’ house, the two families exchanged gifts during festivals. Old Mr. Qian had an adopted son who held a high position in the Energy Bureau’s power department, so the Qian family’s household was always lively. They had gotten engaged in the U.S., and Zhao Pingjin had never met the girl, or if he had, he didn’t remember. According to Lu Xiaojiang’s own bragging, the girl was beautiful and talented, working at a research institute at St. Louis University in Washington, D.C.

Zhao Pingjin glanced at him warily. “Are you looking for a wife who resembles Huang Xitang?”

Lu Xiaojiang quickly shook his head. “No, no.”

Lu Xiaojiang had always been intimidated by him, and his strong denial made him seem a bit guilty. Zhao Pingjin coldly replied, “Then you must be mistaken.”

Zhao Pingjin waved his hand and spoke to the waiter.

A moment later, Xi Tang walked over.

Zhao Pingjin stood up and said, “Let’s go.”

Xi Tang nodded. “I’ll let Kailun know.”

She returned to the table, picked up her coat, said goodbye to Ni Kailun, and went back to Zhao Pingjin’s side.

Zhao Pingjin took her arm, and Lu Xiaojiang followed them as they made their way to the banquet hall’s entrance. They encountered an elderly gentleman walking toward them, accompanied by a secretary in a suit.

Zhao Pingjin stopped in his tracks and released Xi Tang’s arm.

He stepped forward, distancing himself from Xi Tang, and respectfully greeted the elderly man, “Uncle Yu.”

The elderly man smiled warmly. “Zhou’er, you’re here too.”

Zhao Pingjin replied, “Yes, I’m here for Mr. Hua’s wedding.”

The elderly man answered, “Yes, I’m hosting a few leaders in the embassy district tonight, so I couldn’t attend, but I came over to say hello.”

Zhao Pingjin accompanied the elderly man inside. As they passed Xi Tang and Lu Xiaojiang, the elderly man’s sharp gaze swept over them, glancing at Xi Tang without giving any sign of emotion.

Lu Xiaojiang immediately reached out, linking his arm with hers. He whispered, “Let’s go.”

Xi Tang followed Lu Xiaojiang as they walked outside. Lu Xiaojiang lowered his voice and explained, “That’s the father of Yu Xiaoying, Zhouzhou’s future father-in-law.”

Xi Tang’s face turned slightly pale.

The two of them remained silent all the way to the garage. Lu Xiaojiang opened the car door. “Let me drive you home.”

Lu Xiaojiang’s car left the Kempinski Hotel, and as they turned onto Liangma Bridge, Zhao Pingjin’s car pulled up behind them.

Lu Xiaojiang glanced in the rearview mirror. “He’s behind us, I’ll pull over.”

Xi Tang said, “Don’t mind him, just keep going.”

Lu Xiaojiang pressed the accelerator and quickly sped up, easily shaking off the car behind them.

A minute later, Zhao Pingjin called. His voice, filled with suppressed anger, came through. “Lu Xiaojiang, pull over.”

Lu Xiaojiang responded nervously. “Hey, Third Brother, are you done with your business...”

Zhao Pingjin slammed his foot on the gas pedal, lowering his voice as he shouted, “Pull over!”

Lu Xiaojiang checked the road conditions ahead, turned the steering wheel, and slammed on the brakes.

Xi Tang lurched forward, then was restrained by the seatbelt as the car stopped on a service road beside a greenbelt.

Zhao Pingjin got out of his car, slammed the door shut, and walked over to open the door of Lu Xiaojiang’s car. He looked at Xi Tang, his handsome, fair face clouded with anger. His voice, strained and low, was chilling as he said, “Get out. We’re going home.”

Xi Tang had no choice but to get out of the car.