A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Arriving at the banquet hall, guests were seen inside, dressed in gorgeous attire, chatting and laughing. The hall was elegantly decorated with flowers, and several famous paintings and calligraphy added a touch of elegance to the banquet.

Jinbao has been following Guier closely, with no intention of leaving. Guier had already said it once, and she was embarrassed to repeat it, so she could only bite the bullet and walk in with her.

As we were about to enter, a waiter-dressed staff member came forward and politely asked, "Excuse me, ladies, what are your names? We need to register here."

Gui'er said, "My name is Sha Gui'er."

The staff member opened a list and checked each name one by one. Finally, he found Gui'er's name, then took a pen and ticked it. He smiled and said, "Your name is on it. Please come in."

Just as Jin Bao was about to take Gui Er's hand and go in together, the waiter suddenly reached out and stopped them, asking, "What is this lady's name? Please tell me your name."

Jinbao smiled awkwardly, and as if he suddenly remembered something, he said to Guier: "Oh, I remember now. I still have to meet a friend. See you later." Then he turned around and walked away without waiting for Guier to say anything.

Gui'er stood there in a daze, not knowing how to say anything to the staff.

"Gui'er, you're here, welcome!"

It was Zhou Huifang's voice. Gui'er quickly handed over a beautifully wrapped gift and said, "Congratulations! This is your engagement gift."

When Zhou Huifang saw the exquisite packaging, she said, "We're so familiar with each other, why are you being so formal? Thank you so much."

At this time, Zhou Huifang's parents also came up, and Guier said, "Actually, my mother helped me choose this. She said that since my uncle and my eldest brother are colleagues, this gift cannot be sloppy."

Zhou Huifang's parents said politely, "Thank you very much, Deputy Director Sha."

It was not until this time that Gui'er found out that Sha Yanyao was actually going to be Director Tian's deputy.

After Zhou Huifang arranged Gui'er to sit at the table, she exchanged a few words and went to entertain other guests. Gui'er looked around and seemed to not see the man's family, which made her feel strange.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the door. Young Master Han entered the hall, accompanied by his parents and a group of relatives and friends. Zhou Huifang's parents, beaming with joy, personally came out to greet them, displaying their deepest respect. After exchanging pleasantries, everyone took their seats.

Next, the betrothal gifts were displayed. Exquisite mahogany trays were presented one after another, the betrothal gifts neatly stacked. The precious silver, a symbol of one in a million, shone coldly under the light, a testament to sincerity. The three gold jewelry items shone brilliantly: the delicate texture of the gold necklace, the rounded texture of the gold bracelet, and the intricate inlay of the gold ring, all captivated the audience. Furthermore, there were four other gifts: fine tobacco and alcohol exuded a mellow aroma, while delicate pastries and a plump roasted pig's head were meticulously displayed.

Witnessed by the crowd, the Han family formally handed the betrothal gifts to the Zhou family. Zhou Huifang's father accepted the gifts with a slight nod, his face brimming with satisfaction. Zhou's mother, holding Mr. Han's hand, spoke affectionately, her eyes filled with satisfaction for her future son-in-law. Mr. Han, smiling and gracefully behaved, greeted each guest, displaying a distinguished demeanor.

Zhou Huifang stood aside, her cheeks slightly red, her shyness unable to conceal her happiness. She and Mr. Han occasionally looked at each other, and when their eyes met, they were filled with longing for their future life.

Gui'er took a look at this Mr. Han. He had a tall and slender figure, with a face that was both hard and soft. His sword-like eyebrows slanted into his temples, his eyes were deep and bright, his nose was high and straight, his lips were slightly pursed, and his features were clear. He was indeed a handsome man. If Jinbao had sneaked in and saw this noble young man, his eyes would probably light up and he would be extremely envious.

The banquet lasted for two or three hours. Gui'er ate something casually and prepared to leave when she saw that it was almost time.

She stood up and wanted to talk to Zhou Huifang before leaving, but unexpectedly, she and Master Han were surrounded by a group of people, all of whom came to greet them, so she had to wait on the side.

After standing for a while, Gui'er discovered something. These people spoke politely to Mr. Han and his parents, and they didn't seem to be very familiar with them. Some of them even said that they were very happy to meet them and hoped that they could take care of them in the future business. They didn't seem like familiar friends at all, but more like business partners with whom they had business dealings, but not very familiar with each other.

Guier knew that the Zhou family was very low-key and did not even invite the colleagues of Zhou Huifang's father. At the banquet, he also saw some of Zhou Huifang's relatives. When he greeted them in the past, they were relatively familiar because Zhou Huifang would call them aunt, uncle, and other titles. But on the other hand, the Han family did not seem to have such relatives, and all who came were business partners.

She felt something was a little strange, but couldn't put her finger on it. After the crowd thinned out a bit, she walked over to Zhou Huifang and said, "Huifang, I'm leaving now. Thank you so much for inviting me here today. The food was delicious, and your fiancé is such a handsome man. I'm so happy for you."

Zhou Huifang seemed immersed in happiness. She smiled brightly but also said shyly, "Thank you for coming. Take care on your journey."

When they returned to the Sha Mansion and entered the living room, Jin Bao immediately came up to them and asked, "Guier, you're back. How was the party? It must have been grand, with lots of important people."

Gui'er said vaguely, "There are a lot of people here, and the food is delicious..."

Sha Yanyao was sitting aside reading a newspaper. When he heard her say that, he looked up and said, "What's wrong? Is there anything unusual?"

Gui'er sat on the sofa and sighed, "I can't really explain it, I just feel weird."

Sha Yanyao put down the newspaper and asked with a smile, "Who went?"

Gui'er said, "I don't know many people, but it seems none of the people who attended Sister Yulan's full moon banquet showed up at the banquet. Those guests looked wealthy, but they didn't seem to work in the government. They looked like wealthy businessmen or something."

Sha Yanyao smiled and said, "That's normal. The Song family is originally a business family, so the people they know are all businessmen. It's not surprising. Old Zhou didn't invite any colleagues, so naturally he didn't see any government officials."

Gui Er frowned and said, "But there's something very strange. Those people don't seem to be very familiar with the Han family. From their tone, it seems like they're trying to promote some kind of cooperation, so they came to show their support."

"If that's the case, your classmate might have run into a gang of thieves."

Gui Er was stunned and said, "These guys are really too bold, aren't they? They actually dared to provoke people from the secret service."