It Started With a Kiss: Leng Shao's Beloved Wife

Blooming Heart

The light from the crystal chandelier poured down, illuminating the banquet hall with a golden splendor. Wu Xinyan, dressed in a champagne-colored gown, walked into the banquet hall gracefully.

Her delicate makeup masked the bitterness within her heart, leaving only her clear eyes shrouded in a lingering sadness. Despite a polite smile, the aloofness she exuded was hard to ignore.

Luo Yichen stood not far away, his deep gaze following her figure. He naturally understood Wu Xinyan's feelings at the moment. The decision made three days ago was like an invisible wall between the two of them, isolating them in two different worlds.

"Yi Chen, is this the wife you have chosen?" Mr. Luo sat in the main seat, looking at Wu Xinyan with sharp eyes, with a hint of contempt in his tone.

Luo Yichen was about to speak when Wu Xinyan gently took his hand, signaling him to be at ease. She walked gracefully to Mr. Luo Er and smiled slightly, "Hello, Mr. Luo, I am Wu Xinyan."

"Miss Wu," Mr. Luo snorted, "I heard you come from a family of scholars. I wonder how much you know about our Luo family's motto?"

As soon as Mr. Luo Erye said this, a burst of whispers suddenly broke out around him. Everyone knew that the Luo family's family precepts totaled over 300 items, with complex content covering every aspect of life. It was no easy task to remember them all.

Mr. Luo is deliberately making things difficult for Wu Xinyan.

Wu Xinyan, however, remained unfazed. She replied calmly, "Second Master, you're joking. The Luo family motto is profound and extensive. Although I've heard a little about it, I've only scratched the surface. However, I believe that as long as I study diligently, I will be able to grasp its essence."

"Oh?" Mr. Luo raised an eyebrow. "Then tell me, what is the most important rule in the Luo family motto?"

Wu Xinyan pondered for a moment and then slowly said, "I believe the most important principle of the Luo family motto is 'treat others with sincerity and establish oneself in the world with trust.' Only by treating others with sincerity can one earn the respect of others; only by keeping promises can one establish long-term cooperative relationships. This is also the fundamental reason why the Luo Group has been able to stand firm for a century."

Wu Xinyan's answer was neither humble nor arrogant. She cleverly avoided Mr. Luo's trap and secretly praised the Luo family's family style, which attracted the approval of the surrounding guests.

Mr. Luo had originally intended to use this opportunity to intimidate Wu Xinyan, but she easily deflected his attack, leaving him feeling a bit embarrassed. He snorted coldly and was about to say something else when a woman dressed in glamorous clothes suddenly approached...

"Oh, isn't this Sister Xinyan? I haven't seen you for a few days, and you've become even more beautiful." The woman walked to Wu Xinyan with a sweet smile, but a hint of barely perceptible jealousy flashed in her eyes.

Her name is Zhou Manli, a daughter of a branch of the Luo family. She has always had a crush on Luo Yichen, but unfortunately Luo Yichen has always been cold to her. Now that she sees Wu Xinyan, this "Cinderella", is about to become her "aunt", she is naturally indignant.

"Miss Zhou, you're joking." Wu Xinyan responded politely, but she clearly felt that the other party had bad intentions.

As expected, Zhou Manli covered her mouth with her hands and smiled, pretending to be surprised and said, "Oh, look at my memory. I almost forgot that Sister Xinyan was just brought back by the Wu family. She hasn't learned all the etiquette of wealthy families yet! But it's no wonder. After all, before..."

She deliberately stretched out the last syllable, her eyes sweeping over Wu Xinyan's plain clothing, her words filled with innuendo. The guests present were all shrewd, and naturally understood her hidden meaning—Wu Xinyan was just an orphan abandoned by her family, not even worthy of being on the stage.

Luo Yichen's face darkened instantly. Just as he was about to speak, Wu Xinyan stopped him. She took a deep breath, looked Zhou Manli in the eye, and spoke calmly, yet with an undeniable strength: "Miss Zhou is right. I did have a hard time before. But I always believe that one's background doesn't determine one's worth. What matters is one's inner kindness and strength."

"Having a humble background isn't scary; what's scary is not having a desire to improve yourself." Wu Xinyan paused, her eyes sweeping over the crowd. "Although I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I will study hard to make myself worthy of the Luo family and Yi Chen."

Her words were neither humble nor arrogant, but resounding. She wasn't angered by Zhou Manli's provocation, but instead displayed an extraordinary composure that impressed everyone present. Luo Yichen looked at this strong woman in front of him, a flicker of admiration in his eyes.

However, before the turmoil in the banquet hall subsided, an unexpected incident shattered the already delicate atmosphere. Chef Wang ran to Mr. Luo's side in a panic and whispered something in his ear.

Mr. Luo's face changed, he stood up suddenly and shouted angrily: "What did you say? There's something wrong with the main course? Don't you know what day it is today?!"

Chef Wang, sweating profusely, explained in a trembling voice, "Second Master, calm down. Today's main course is top-quality Wagyu beef flown in from Australia, but just now..."

Before he could finish his words, Mr. Luo interrupted him impatiently: "What's the point of saying this now? The banquet is about to begin. Do you want to let the guests go hungry?!"

Seeing that Second Master Luo was about to explode, Wu Xinyan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up: "Second Master, maybe I can give it a try."

Luo Yichen frowned slightly and was about to stop her, but was stopped by Wu Xinyan's firm look.

"You?" Mr. Luo looked at Wu Xinyan suspiciously, clearly not believing a girl who had lived under someone else's roof since childhood could possibly do anything. Zhou Manli even covered her mouth with her hands and chuckled softly, her eyes full of disdain.

"Second Master, let's try our best. It's better than letting the guests starve." Mrs. Luo spoke from the side, her tone unable to tell whether she was happy or angry.

Luo Yichen held Wu Xinyan's hand and whispered, "Don't force it. If it doesn't work, just change the dishes." He was worried that Wu Xinyan would be troubled by this. After all, this group of wealthy nobles were the most picky.

Wu Xinyan gave him a reassuring look, then turned to Mr. Luo and said, "Mr. Luo, please ask the kitchen to prepare some ingredients and tools for me. Give me half an hour."

Seeing that things had come to this, Mr. Luo could only nod in agreement. Chef Wang quickly took Wu Xinyan to the kitchen.

Half an hour later, plates of exquisite dishes were brought out from the kitchen, and the originally anxious guests were immediately attracted by the scene before them.

"What kind of dish is this? It smells so good!"

"This plating is so exquisite, it can be called a work of art!"

"Did that girl really do this? It's unbelievable!"

The originally empty table was soon filled with a variety of dishes. The original main course was Australian Wagyu beef, but Wu Xinyan used simple ingredients to create several dishes that blended Chinese and Western styles. Not only were they delicious, but they were also uniquely presented and eye-catching.

Luo Yichen looked at the woman in front of him who was so comfortable in the kitchen, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He had always known that Wu Xinyan was special, but he had never thought that she had such good cooking skills.

"Xinyan, I didn't expect you to have this skill. It really surprises me." Mrs. Luo tasted the dish and said with appreciation.

"Thank you for the compliment, Auntie. I just like to study some recipes in my daily life, and today I am cramming for an exam. I hope you all like it." Wu Xinyan smiled modestly.

"I like it, of course I like it! It's much better than that Australian Wagyu beef!" a guest said loudly, and everyone echoed him.

Mr. Luo's expression also eased a lot. Although he didn't say it, he was still quite satisfied with Wu Xinyan's performance.

The dinner was held in laughter and joy. Wu Xinyan's outstanding performance won the favor of some family members, but some people, such as Zhou Manli, had grudges against her.

After the banquet, Mrs. Luo called Wu Xinyan aside and said softly, "Xinyan, you performed very well today, and I'm very pleased. But you must remember that the rich are like the deep sea, and people's hearts are unpredictable. You must always be careful..."

Before Mrs. Luo could finish her words, she was interrupted by a burst of hurried footsteps...

"Madam, something happened!" Chef Wang ran over, sweating profusely, speaking in a panic, interrupting the conversation between Mrs. Luo and Wu Xinyan.

"What's the rush?" Mrs. Luo frowned slightly, with a hint of dissatisfaction in her tone.

"Just now, when I was checking the kitchen, I found out..." Chef Wang took a deep breath, as if trying to calm down, "The Wagyu beef that was originally intended for the main course... is gone!"

"What?!" Mrs. Luo's expression changed, and her tone became sharp. "How could it be gone? How could a good piece of Wagyu beef suddenly disappear?"

Chef Wang wiped the sweat from his forehead and said tremblingly, "I, I don't know either. It was just in the freezer, but now..."

Wu Xinyan stood aside, taking in their entire conversation. The once bustling banquet hall was now empty, with only a few servants cleaning up the mess. She looked around, feeling a sense of unease.

"Yichen, come with me to the kitchen." Wu Xinyan took the initiative to propose to Luo Yichen. Luo Yichen nodded, took her hand and went to the kitchen together.

In the kitchen, Chef Wang was searching frantically, but the priceless Wagyu beef seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

"Chef Wang, don't be anxious. Think about it slowly. When was the last time you saw Wagyu beef?" Wu Xinyan asked softly, trying to calm Chef Wang.

Chef Wang thought carefully and said, "Just when my wife sent someone to inform me that the main course was cancelled, I took a last look and it was still there..."

"That means someone tampered with the food between the time you received the notice and the time I went to the kitchen?" Wu Xinyan keenly grasped the key information.

"This..." Chef Wang was suddenly speechless. He looked around, his eyes filled with anxiety. "What should I do? If I can't find Wagyu beef, I, I can't afford it!"

Luo Yichen patted his shoulder, signaling him to calm down, then turned to Wu Xinyan and said, "Xinyan, who do you think did this?"

Wu Xinyan pondered for a moment, several faces flashing through her mind, but she didn't say anything. She walked to the freezer and checked it carefully, and found that the freezer door lock had been damaged.

"It seems that someone is deliberately trying to ruin this dinner, and I seem to have become a tool they are using..." Wu Xinyan murmured in a low voice, her eyes gradually becoming sharper.

"Xinyan, what do you mean by this?" Luo Yichen noticed that her tone was wrong and asked.

Wu Xinyan did not answer, but took out a handkerchief from her pocket and carefully wiped the handle of the freezer, as if there was some secret hidden on it.

"I want to see who's stirring up trouble behind the scenes..." Her tone was icy, and her gaze was like a sharp blade, as if she wanted to tear apart all the conspiracies and tricks in the darkness...