At this moment, He Changbai and Qi Yuming arrived as well.
Seeing them, both the Sun and Lin families stepped forward together to greet them. After all, these two held extraordinary statuses in the Capital, and naturally, everyone treated them with the utmost importance.
Sun Liyao had met He Changbai before. Seeing him again today, her face immediately flushed beneath her delicate makeup. Noticing her daughter's smitten expression, Xiang Rufang could only smile.
The He family, like the Feng family, was a top-tier household. He Changbai himself was exceptional in every regard, so the Sun family was more than happy to see Sun Liyao's interest in him.
With Lin Wu and Feng Tingshen already a likely pair, if Sun Liyao and He Changbai were to follow suit, the Sun family would practically be able to walk with their heads held high anywhere in the Capital.
At this thought, the Sun family became even more eager when facing He Changbai and Qi Yuming.
Lin Wu frowned upon seeing their attitude, finding them far too fawning. She was friends with He Changbai and the others, and they stood on equal footing; for the Sun family to act so subserviently as her relatives was unbecoming. However, she couldn't very well call them out in front of so many people, so she remained silent.
The Lin family had been wealthy for decades, while the Sun family had only transformed into a prominent household after aligning themselves with the Lins ten-odd years ago. In terms of heritage,
the Suns still couldn't compare to the Lins. Consequently, He Changbai and Qi Yuming actually looked down on the Sun family. But for Lin Wu's sake, they overlooked this and didn't pay it much mind.
After handing over their gifts, they asked Lin Wu, "Where is Tingshen? Hasn't he arrived yet?"
Lin Wu replied, "He's had some issues with his business abroad these past few days and has been working quite late. Things aren't fully resolved yet, so he'll be arriving late."
He Changbai and Qi Yuming nodded and didn't press further. Lin Wu, being familiar with them, personally led them to their seats.
By now, it was getting late, and it was time for the banquet to begin. However, since the guest of honor, Feng Tingshen, hadn't arrived, Sun Manshan was hesitant. He asked Lin Wu and Sun Yueqing for their opinions.
Lin Wu spoke directly. "Start the feast first. These guests were willing to come, so we shouldn't let them wait on an empty stomach. Even if they're willing to wait, we shouldn't make them."
"But... won't it be bad to not wait for Tingshen?"
"It's fine. He won't mind things like this."
Lin Wu was essentially speaking on Feng Tingshen's behalf. Her daring to do so proved just how close their relationship was. Seeing that the Lins dared to start without him and were certain he wouldn't mind, the other guests gained a deeper understanding of how much Feng Tingshen valued Lin Wu. Naturally, they became even more eager to get on the Lin family's good side.
On the other side, though many guests had left, Old Madam Rong didn't skip a single step of the proper procedures. Once she confirmed all remaining guests had arrived, she took the stage to give a speech. She thanked the guests for coming and gracefully apologized for the earlier incident that had dampened the mood, drawing a round of applause.
After the speech, with the time drawing near, Rong Changsheng instructed the hotel staff to prepare the service.
Yu Moxun spoke up, "Uncle Rong, can we wait a bit? There's one more person coming. He'll be here soon, within ten minutes."
Knowing Yu Moxun's relationship with Rong Ci and his usual care for her, the Old Madam and Rong Changsheng were quite grateful to him. Rong Changsheng replied, "Is it just one person? We have room at the head table. Would he mind sitting with us?"
Yu Moxun said, "He won't mind. He really won't."
"That's good." Rong Changsheng nodded. He let the other tables be served first, leaving their table for later.
A few dishes had just been served when Yu Moxun checked his phone. He pulled Rong Ci aside and said, "He's here. Come with me to the lobby to meet him."
Rong Ci nodded, but as she turned around, a familiar, cold voice spoke up. "No need. I'm already here."
Rong Ci froze, then looked back. "Te... Teacher?"
Nan Zhizhi gave a quiet grunt of affirmation.
The remaining guests were stunned when they saw Nan Zhizhi, doubting their own eyes. After all, this was Nan Zhizhia tech mogul who frequently appeared on the news. Who in the country didn't know him? Not to mention his outstanding abilities, his background was reportedly very deep. Why would such a high-level national figure attend Old Madam Rong's birthday banquet?
Old Madam Rong and Rong Changsheng were also momentarily dazed. Once they regained their senses, they hurried to greet him. Nan Zhizhi was cold by nature, but he maintained respect for elders who deserved it. He and Old Madam Rong had met before. He stepped forward quickly to support her back into her seat. "There is no need to get up. Please, sit."
Old Madam Rong sat and said, "Mr. Nan, your presence here is truly too much of an honor for this old woman."
"You're too kind, Madam," Nan Zhizhi sat beside her. "It was my oversight not to have visited you in all these years."
He gestured for Yu Moxun to hand him the gift, which he then personally presented to her. "I came in a rush and didn't have time for elaborate preparations. I hope you won't find it lacking."
The Old Madam smiled. "Mr. Nan, you're being modest. Being able to find time to come is the greatest gift of all."
After some small talk, Nan Zhizhi glanced at Rong Ci and Yu Moxun, who were standing behind him like scolded schoolchildren. The two exchanged a glance, and immediately sat beside him.
Old Madam Rong added, "In those earlier years, Xiao Ci was under your care."
"As it should be," Nan Zhizhi replied. "She's recently produced some research results, showing she hasn't wasted her potential. You can rest easy."
Neither Nan Zhizhi nor Old Madam Rong had done much to dissuade Rong Ci when she had previously abandoned her studies for Feng Tingshen. They both believed that a few setbacks weren't necessarily a bad thing for a young person. Moreover, only by choosing their own paths would they understand the taste of regret.
The only fear was that a person might sink completely after a setback, remaining trapped in the darkness. Fortunately, after wasting some time, Rong Ci hadn't continued to bury her own talents.
Given the example of Rong Yingsheng, Old Madam Rong had indeed been worried. But she knew that too much interference was detrimental in the long run, so she had let Rong Ci make her own choices. Now, hearing Nan Zhizhi's words, the old woman was finally at peace. "Good, good... That's wonderful."
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