If we swapped lives, I'd be the CEO and you'd take care of the kids.

As night fell, Zhu Tingyue, arm in arm with her mother and accompanied by her father, arrived at the Shen family home.

A red carpet stretched from the entrance into the depths of the banquet hall, flanked by vibrant, blooming flowers. Guests, dressed in evening gowns, entered the reception room with elegance and poise.

Zhu Mingchuan acted like a persuader the whole way, enthusiastically introducing the visitors to his daughter.

“Tingyue, this is your Uncle Li, someone you met when you were a child.”

Zhu Tingyue gave a perfectly timed smile and greeted him sweetly, "Hello, Uncle."

The portly man opposite immediately smiled broadly: "Good, good, my niece is just like Brother Mingchuan, her demeanor is no less than yours back then!"

After the two men finished their boasting, Zhu Tingyue grew impatient. Everyone who passed by said the same thing: "elegant and graceful," "bright and generous," "like father, like daughter," and other such flattering words. She was tired of hearing them.

Finally arriving at the venue, the hall was brightly lit, with exquisite crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, making it particularly dazzling.

A long dining table stood in the center of the hall, with snow-white plates and gleaming cutlery arranged neatly. A red table centerpiece and a transparent crystal sculpture added a touch of solemnity to the table.

In one corner of the hall, there was a small white stage, decorated with delicate light-colored floral branches, which cleverly separated the stage from the surrounding environment. This way, the volume of the music was not affected, and the musicians on stage were perfectly hidden.

Several musicians were sitting on this secluded platform, playing light and melodious music; their figures were hard to spot without careful observation.

"Mingchuan, it's been a long time!"

Another person stepped forward, with the same beer belly and a receding hairline, which he insisted on combing smooth and shiny, gleaming oily under the light, making him inexplicably disgusting.

Although he tried his best to open his small eyes wide, they were still squinting, and his face wore the same fake smile.

Zhu Tingyue didn't recognize this man. Judging from his familiar tone, could he be her father's new business partner? She looked at her mother beside her questioningly.

"This is the CEO of Huantai Technology. He's been pestering your dad to cooperate lately. You should know his daughter, the girl named Xu Jie. Didn't you hang out together before?"

After hearing her mother's explanation, Zhu Tingyue finally realized his identity. No wonder Xu Jie was so eager to curry favor with her; it turned out to be a task given to her by her family!

Speak of the devil, and he appears. Xu Jie smiled brightly at Zhu's parents: "Uncle and Aunt, it's been a long time! Uncle is still so energetic, and Aunt is as radiant as ever."

Her gaze fell on Zhu Tingyue, and she was first struck by the beauty of her long dress. She sighed inwardly at Zhu Tingyue's good fortune, but her expression remained unchanged as she continued to smile, though her smile lacked sincerity.

"Tingyue, you look stunning today! You're the center of attention, everyone who sees you loves you!"

Her tone was unmistakably exaggerated; it would have been even better if her gaze had been a little more restrained.

Zhu Tingyue saw through her inner monologue but didn't care. She raised her glass to her with a polite smile and said, "Miss Xu, you look beautiful today too."

The two took a symbolic sip of wine, smiled at each other, and then looked away.

Qin Rouan smiled and replied, "Miss Xu, you are one too. You are such a beautiful woman, I like you very much!"

Xu Jie blushed at the compliment, and in a coquettish manner, she carefully tugged at a corner of Qin Rouan's clothes, replying shyly, "No, Auntie, you flatter me."

"You're too modest. In my opinion, even the fairies from the heavens can't compare to you!"

Qin Rouan spoke even more eloquently, while carefully pulling out the hem of her dress that she was clutching. Such expensive fabric! Although her family wasn't short of money, it would be a shame to waste it on this person.

Zhu Tingyue noticed her mother's subtle actions, and her contempt for Xu Jie intensified. Looking at her petty and stingy manner, she thought, "She doesn't even deserve to carry my shoes!"

She was getting impatient listening and was about to go check if Jiang Wanjun had arrived when she heard Madam Shen's enthusiastic voice.

"Rou'an, Tingyue, when did you arrive? Why are you standing here? Come inside and sit down!"

"Hey, I just got here and was about to go in when you showed up!"

Zhu's mother was equally enthusiastic, and anyone who didn't know better would think the two had a deep relationship. In reality, apart from banquets like this, the two rarely met.

Qin Rouan knew her daughter didn't like these kinds of occasions and had wanted to slip away earlier, but since they had already run into each other, she still had to say hello, so she took Zhu Tingyue's arm and walked forward.

Zhu Tingyue maintained her obedient demeanor: "Auntie, good evening! You look so young! I'm so envious."

There's no harm in saying nice things. Zhu Tingyue considers herself a social butterfly, having seen a lot with her parents, so handling such parties is no problem for her.

"Haha, Tingyue is so good with words! I'm so happy to hear her talk every day!"

Qin Rouan stopped speaking. What did he mean? Something they rarely mentioned before, now that the illegitimate child was back, he wanted to drag her precious daughter into the Shen family's fire pit? She and her husband would never agree to that, no matter the cost!

Her hesitation was masked by Zhu Tingyue, who gently shook Madam Shen's hand while coaxing her, "Auntie, if you like, I'll come often, as long as you don't mind my talkativeness."

"How could that be? I wish you could come every day! You can put your mind at ease. Auntie's affection for you is so great that I could talk about it for three days and three nights."

Madam Shen grew increasingly fond of Zhu Tingyue. Her good looks were the least significant of her advantages; her family background was the most crucial factor. The Zhu family only had one daughter, pampered like a precious jewel by her parents. If she were to marry Yan Zhen in the future…

His mind raced, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He said kindly to Zhu Tingyue, "You young people probably don't like such lively things. Why don't you go upstairs? That little girl from the Jiang family is here too. Why don't you go and have a chat?"

As she said this, she turned around and grabbed a young man, Yan Zhen.

He wore a dark blue pinstripe suit, the silky fabric clinging to his body like flowing water, each stripe exuding the exquisite feel of haute couture.

The navy blue suit trousers, made of a crisp wool blend, are paired with a white shirt. The shirt's silky texture is smooth and elegant, giving the wearer a noble and refined look.

He was clearly a little confused when he was suddenly pulled over, but in just a moment, he regained his usual gentle demeanor.

"Good evening, Aunt Qin!"

His voice was clear and crisp, like a spring, flowing quietly and touching everyone's heart.

Qin Rouan was extremely satisfied with him; otherwise, she wouldn't have arranged this marriage for her daughter. Even with the scandal of the illegitimate child in the Shen family, he was still highly regarded by the outside world. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was the ideal son-in-law in the eyes of many parents.

Qin Rouan smiled kindly at Shen Yanzhen with a heart full of regret: "Well, Yanzhen has been busy with work again lately, hasn't he? Look, you've lost weight."

"I'm not very busy, thank you for your concern, Auntie. Is this Tingyue? She's getting prettier and prettier!"

He made it sound so serious, like a compliment, that it left everyone speechless. Should they continue to flatter him? Or should they be as formal and earnest as him? How boring!

Zhu Tingyue raised her face, which was almost frozen from smiling, and replied with her hands behind her back, "Yan Zhen... that's true, he's getting more and more handsome!" She couldn't bring herself to say "brother," so she simply skipped it, since no one cared anyway.

"Look at them, all these polite formalities. Go and have some fun! Yan Zhen, lead the way for your sister Tingyue." Madam Shen teased the two of them, taking the opportunity to create a chance for them to be alone.

Qin Rouan glanced at her daughter to make sure she was willing before letting the two of them leave.