Chapter 115: On the Eve of the Banquet

Values are something ethereal—invisible and untouchable, yet they subtly influence every person’s thoughts and actions.

Hearing Jiang Lele speak so naturally about the polygamous affairs of young socialites like Zhang Yang on campus, Lin Yu suddenly felt a sense of dissonance. It wasn't that he found it inherently wrong, but rather a simple, inexplicable feeling of unease. Unconsciously, two figures appeared in his mind: Qi Yue, the girl who treated him best, and Yang Zhilin, who was perfect to an extreme.

"If I could have them both, would it be exhilarating?" The corners of Lin Yu's mouth curled up slightly as he experienced a momentary mental thrill of infidelity.

But his thoughts were interrupted by Jiang Lele, who continued, "Even though I might seem open, I’m still a virgin!"

"I think you’ve misunderstood me. First, I am not the same kind of person as Zhang Yang. Second, I still believe monogamy suits me better," Lin Yu replied in the center of the hall, using indirect language to decline her.

With that, he walked slowly toward the three members of the Yang family who had just entered. He greeted them politely, "Uncle Yang, Aunt Yang."

Due to the harassment incident being cleared up, and with Yang Zhilin’s persistent explanations, Xia Ling’s attitude toward Lin Yu had softened slightly. Seeing him greet them, she didn’t say much, but she gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. Yang Xiong, as always, patted Lin Yu on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Your grades have been good lately; keep it up."

The couple then walked with formal steps toward the auditorium.

Only then did Lin Yu observe Yang Zhilin, who was wearing a black evening gown. He felt that the girl looked like a beautiful black swan. When her clear, water-like eyes met his gaze, she became slightly uneasy. After a heartbeat of silence, she said with apparent calm, "What are you looking at? It’s not like you haven’t seen me before."

"I was just thinking that brides are usually most beautiful in white wedding gowns. But for you, it’s obvious that you carry yourself with the most elegance and nobility when wearing black. So, what color gown will you wear to walk down the aisle with the one you love?" Lin Yu asked with a smile.

Hearing this, Yang Zhilin smiled faintly and replied calmly, "If I could walk hand-in-hand with my beloved, I think no matter what I’m wearing, and no matter if we’re heading to the most beautiful cathedral, I would be at my most beautiful."

"Heh. Then you must belong to the type of girl who believes that 'it is better to weep on a lover's shoulder than to be exhibited on a cliff for a thousand years'?" Lin Yu felt an invisible pressure whenever he was in front of Yang Zhilin, leading him to be cautious and use more refined language.

"I might be as elusive as your words, which seem to have an infinite depth of meaning beyond what is said. I could be as calm as water, or perhaps one day, I might suddenly become grand and passionate," Yang Zhilin responded. She felt that after this long period of contact, being with Lin Yu had become very natural.

At the edge of the hall, Jiang Lele sat on a sofa, watching them silently. Her eyes dimmed; she hadn't expected that even offering herself as a concubine would lead to rejection. However, true to her nature, she brushed away all her frustrations a moment later. She secretly encouraged herself, "Even if the Monkey King is powerful, he is destined never to escape the Buddha's palm. Though I’ve bumped into a wall today, I’m more like the Buddha now."

There was a brief silence. In this atmosphere, Lin Yu looked at the classic, heavy-set Forster August piano and praised, "I often feel that you are a genius—a genius capable of anything."

Following his gaze, Yang Zhilin seemed to see the scene where she had played "Blue Love." Smiling, she said with equanimity, "Actually, I’m no genius. I’m just more hardworking than some, and I’m just better at enduring loneliness than most."

Afterward, Lin Yu and Yang Zhilin stood by the piano and chatted about songwriting. Only when the topic turned to lyrics did Yang Zhilin’s eyes truly light up.

"Huh, who is that girl in black?"

As Lin Yu and Yang Zhilin were engrossed in conversation, a young man in a black suit, his eyes filled with covetousness, walked into the hall and was instantly stunned by the beauty of Yang Zhilin in her black gown.

"Isn't that Yang Zhilin, the one who was always bullied back in the neighborhood when we were kids?" a chubby young man beside him replied immediately.

"She’s really changed—the older she gets, the more beautiful she becomes. Tonight, she’s mine," the man in the black suit said playfully.

His name was Jia Qing, and his father was Jia Quan, the Secretary of the Bincheng Municipal Party Committee. Leveraging his father's influence, the twenty-four-year-old Jia Qing already owned seven or eight fishing vessels worth over a million each. Among the younger generation in Bincheng, he was undoubtedly the top gold-digger. Compared to Zhang Yang, who relied entirely on his parents, he was far more formidable.

Hearing Jia Qing say this, the chubby young man, Chen Shoulei, broke out in a cold sweat, thinking, "Her father is a Vice Mayor, after all; you shouldn't go too far." Thinking this, Chen Shoulei, who knew Yang Zhilin and had even spoken to her, turned his head and said, "Boss Jia, didn't you say you had two female stars from the Jinxiu Troupe accompanying you tonight?"

"Ah, right! I forgot about that. I've played with second and third-rate stars, but this is my first time with A-listers. As for this Yang Zhilin, we’ll arrange it for tomorrow night," Jia Qing said decisively, his tone revealing an arrogant indisputability.

Seeing Jia Qing’s firm attitude, Chen Shoulei dared not persuade him further and shifted the topic to the actresses. "Boss Jia, when you’re with those two actresses, could you record it so the brothers can feast their eyes later?"

"That’s easy to arrange; we’ll look into it later. I wonder when those two girls will arrive. It’s a pity I don’t know where that girl Jasmine ran off to, otherwise tonight would be truly spectacular," Jia Qing said with a hint of regret.

While the two socialites were crudely discussing scandalous matters, Zhang Yang, wearing a white suit and followed by his usual seven or eight lackeys, walked slowly into the hall. Seeing Jia Qing there, Zhang Yang quickened his pace, approached him, and softly greeted him as Boss Jia.

Zhang Yang’s father, Zhang Kailai, was the most capable right-hand man to Jia Qing’s father, Jia Quan; the two families were considered family friends. Consequently, the look in Jia Qing’s eyes when he saw Zhang Yang was notably different, softened by a trace of warmth.

He glanced at Zhang Yang and asked, "I heard that a while ago, you had a run-in with a kid named Lin Yu and didn't manage to get the upper hand?"