Lin Wu didn't panic when she heard that Feng Tingshen had gone to the Rong residence.
Old Madame Feng and the matriarch of the Rong family shared a very close relationship. Given that it was Old Madame Rong's seventieth birthday and Old Madame Feng couldn't attend in person, she would naturally order Feng Tingshen to go in her stead.
Lin Wu had known this for a long time.
However, even though she knew he was there on Old Madame Feng's orders, she was still quite unhappy.
Noticing the guests beginning to whisper, assuming her relationship with Feng Tingshen was on the rocks because he hadn't shown up here, she said coldly, "Old Madame Feng and Old Madame Rong are quite close. Tingshen is only visiting the Rong family on behalf of his elders."
There had indeed been rumors that the Rong and Feng families were on good terms. However, since no one had seen the two families interact for years, most had dismissed it as gossip. Hearing Lin Wu's explanation now, it seemed the rumors were actually true.
Just then, someone walked in from outside.
Carrying a gift box, the man approached Lin Wu and the members of the Sun family. "Hello, Miss Lin. President Feng has an urgent matter and might be late for the banquet. Worried he wouldn't make it in time, he specifically asked me to bring this generous gift over first..."
Lin Wu reached out to take it, her voice softening. "I understand. Thank you."
Since Old Madame Rong was a friend of Old Madame Feng, it was only reasonable for Feng Tingshen to sit with the Rongs for a while before coming over.
The guests noted that Feng Tingshen must have anticipated people questioning his relationship with Lin Wu. Even while physically at the Rong residence, he had the foresight to send a gift first, proving his thoughtfulness and concern for her. Given his status, the fact that he was this attentive and gentle toward Lin Wu made it impossible to say he didn't value her.
At this realization, the guests offered sycophantic smiles. Although the Sun family was still annoyed that Feng Tingshen had gone to the Rong family first, they didn't let it show. Seeing that the stagnant atmosphere had passed, Sun Manshan smiled and raised his glass, thanking the guests for coming.
With Sun Manshan taking the lead, the atmosphere quickly became lively again.
Seeing how thoughtful Feng Tingshen had been, Lin Wu felt a warmth in her heart, and her slight irritation vanished. Noticing that He Changbai hadn't returned, she walked over to Qi Yuming and asked, "Why hasn't Changbai come back yet?"
Qi Yuming replied, "I'll give him a call and ask."
After a short conversation, Qi Yuming lowered his phone and said, "Changbai said something urgent came up and he had to leave. He asked me to apologize to you."
"Since it's urgent, it's understandable," Lin Wu said with concern. "Did he say what it was?"
"I didn't ask." Qi Yuming hadn't thought much of it at first, but then a thought struck him. "Could it have something to do with that person he likes?"
Lin Wu's smile faltered slightly, and her tone cooled. "He hasn't mentioned that matter since. I wouldn't know how to guess."
"Fair enough." Qi Yuming rubbed his chin and laughed. "I guess we'll just have to ask him next time, won't we?"
Lin Wu lowered her eyes and gave a quiet "Mhm."
Meanwhile, at the Rong family's main table, Feng Tingshen took his seat and glanced at Rong Ci.
Rong Ci had indeed been surprised when he first appeared, but she quickly regained her composure. Seeing him look over, her face remained expressionless as she asked coldly, "Is there something you need?"
Feng Tingshen retracted his gaze. "Nothing," he replied quietly.
After that, neither of them spoke again.
Rong Ci's younger cousins had never really met Feng Tingshen before. Seeing him in the flesh now, they looked over with curiosity. Having been a man of power for many years, Feng Tingshen carried an inherent aura of authority in his every movement, even without trying. When he noticed them staring, he spared them a brief glance.
Terrified by his gaze, they instinctively looked away, not daring to meet his eyes again. Feng Tingshen didn't react, nor did he have any intention of making small talk; he simply looked back toward the table.
Feng Tingshen was the man Rong Ci loved. She had plunged into that love headfirst and hadn't been able to find her way out for years. Over those years, seeing how Feng Tingshen treated his niece, it was impossible for Rong Changsheng not to harbor resentment.
And yet, what could he do, regardless of how much resentment he held? The Rong family was powerless against Feng Tingshen.
Now that he was here, Rong Changsheng, as the host, had to treat him with the etiquette reserved for an ordinary guest. He stood up and raised his glass. "I wasn't aware that President Feng would be joining us. If our hospitality is lacking in any way, I hope you can overlook it."
Upon hearing this, Feng Tingshen also picked up his glass and stood, clinking it against Rong Changsheng's. "President Rong is too polite."
He called him "President Rong," not "Uncle."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone noticed. He had no intention of acknowledging the Rongs as family. This was something Rong Ci had known for a long time. Now, she no longer wantednor neededhim to accept her family.
She knew his presence was purely the result of Old Madame Feng's wishes. She told him coldly, "We have received Grandmother's well-wishes. If you have other things to attend to, you should head out."
His presence would only stifle the atmosphere.
Feng Tingshen replied calmly, "No rush."
Rong Ci frowned, unsure of his intentions.
However, Feng Tingshen didn't continue speaking to her. Instead, he looked toward Nan Zhizhi and said, "Recently, our company developed a new segment that can achieve 100% stealth and radar-evasion technology. I wonder if Mr. Nan would be interested in learning about it?"
"Any radar?" Nan Zhizhi paused, his expression turning serious as he looked over. "Go on."
Feng Tingshen didn't seem concerned about leaking trade secrets and began to chat with Nan Zhizhi in detail.
Rong Ci hadn't expected Feng Tingshen to discuss such topics with her mentor. Listening to their conversation, it was clear that Feng Tingshen possessed an incredibly deep understanding of the AI field. Since it was something even Nan Zhizhi was interested in, how could Rong Ci and Yu Moxun not be intrigued?
At first, they just listened casually. But as the conversation went on, they even forgot to eat. Rong Changsheng had initially wanted to remind them to eat while they listened, but seeing how focused they wereas if afraid they might miss a single detailhe decided to remain silent.
At this table, other than Rong Ci, no one was particularly close to Feng Tingshen. In fact, most weren't even happy about his arrival. Under normal circumstances, he should have been the one feeling awkward, yet he had somehow managed to turn the setting into his own home turf.
Of course, the protagonist of the evening was Old Madame Rong. Feng Tingshen was careful not to overstep his bounds too much.
After chatting for a few minutes, he said, "If Mr. Nan wants to continue this, perhaps we could schedule a time to talk more deeply another day?"
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