Chapter 231: The Birthday Banquet of the Century! A Married Woman's Suspicion!
"Look! Just look at this magnificence!"
Standing at the entrance of the venue, He Xuemei clutched her husband's arm, her voice trembling with a mixture of greed and awe that she couldn't suppress. Her eyes, usually sharp and calculating, were now wide with the gluttonous light of someone seeing a mountain of gold.
"This is the Red Moon Club! One of the top private dining restaurants in Magic City (Modu). A place where ordinary billionaires have to book months in advance. And now... it has been directly booked by Young Master Shen!"
She gestured wildly at the scene before them, her jewelry clinking.
"Such an extravagant and luxurious setup... all for Liu Mi alone! Just because she was born on this day!"
The entrance hall was transformed into a dreamscape. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings like frozen waterfalls, casting a prismatic glow over the imported marble floors. The air was thick with the scent of fresh Ecuadorian roses—thousands of them—and the subtle, expensive aroma of aged agarwood.
"Just this one birthday banquet... the venue fee, the decorations, the staff... it will probably cost over a hundred million Yuan! That's enough to buy our factory ten times over!"
Speaking of this, He Xuemei looked at the beautifully decorated and illuminated birthday banquet hall. Her face twisted with deep envy and jealousy. Why wasn't her daughter the one enjoying this? Why was it that distant relative Liu Mi?
Inside, waiters in white tuxedos moved with the grace of palace butlers. They carried silver trays laden with Romanée-Conti and Lafite red wines from the finest vintages—bottles that cost as much as a car. Delicacies like Almas caviar, white truffles, and A5 Wagyu beef were laid out on long tables as if they were mere snacks.
A professional team of over a hundred people was solely dedicated to serving Liu Mi's birthday banquet.
There were also music Great Masters from home and abroad—pianists, violinists, and even rumor of a superstar diva—performing live in the corners, providing a soundtrack of pure opulence.
This cost must be far more than one hundred million. A certain big star's "Wedding of the Century" cost over one hundred million, but in He Xuemei's eyes, that was just flashy trash compared to the tasteful, old-money dominance displayed by Shen Anyu here.
Liu Xingsheng, usually a man of few words, lowered his voice, his expression grave with shock.
"That's not all. I asked around just now. I found out that this Red Moon Club... was actually bought by Young Master Shen yesterday."
"Bought?!" He Xuemei gasped.
"Yes. And the name on the title deed... is said to be Liu Mi."
"Heavens..."
"This is the city center of Magic City! The land alone is worth several hundred million! He gave her a commercial empire as a birthday gift?!"
Liu Xingsheng turned to his daughter, gripping her shoulder tightly.
"Daughter! Do you understand now? This is the power of the Shen Family! This is what it means to soar into the heavens!"
"You must build a good relationship with Young Master Shen! You must seize this enormous wealth! If Liu Mi can do it, why can't you? You are the 'White Moonlight' of the Liu Family!"
A hint of helplessness and deep exhaustion flashed in Liu Qingyue's beautiful eyes.
She stood there in her simple, elegant white dress, feeling like a commodity on a shelf. She didn't want to say more to her parents who were pushing her to cling to power like leeches. Their naked greed made her stomach churn.
But looking at the scene before her... she also felt a little envious.
Every woman dreams of being a princess. Every woman dreams of being cherished to the point where a man would burn money just to see her smile.
In her lifetime... she probably wouldn't have such a romantic and grand scene. Her husband, Han Qi, couldn't even afford a decent anniversary dinner. He only knew how to wash feet and smile apologetically.
'Comparison is truly the thief of joy.'
Fortunately, Liu Qingyue had a peaceful and serene personality, indifferent to fame and fortune, like a chrysanthemum blooming quietly in autumn. She took a deep breath, suppressing the ripples in her heart, and quickly calmed the shock and envy.
It's just... the debt.
'How should I repay Young Master Shen's kindness for the one hundred million loan?'
Liu Qingyue had a splitting headache. The weight of that money was heavier than any mountain.
"Daughter, we'll wait for you outside in the lobby. We don't have an invitation to the inner hall. You go in alone."
He Xuemei gave Liu Qingyue one last instruction, fixing her collar aggressively and pinching her cheek to bring out some color.
"You must interact well with Young Master Shen! Don't be cold! Don't be stubborn! Remember the factory!"
Then, she pulled Liu Xingsheng away. Since Shen Anyu hadn't invited them personally, they didn't dare to stay there shamelessly and risk offending the Young Master. They knew their place as ants.
Left alone at the entrance of the grand hall, Liu Qingyue sighed softly.
She felt small. She felt vulnerable.
She bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, took a deep breath to steady her trembling hands, gathered her courage, and stepped into the banquet hall.
Click-clack.
Her high heels echoed on the floor as she entered the world of the ultra-rich.
"Eh? Sister Qingyue? You're here?"
At this moment, a melodious, slightly surprised voice came from the center of the room.
Liu Qingyue looked up.
A look of genuine astonishment flashed in her beautiful eyes.
Standing under the central crystal chandelier was Liu Mi.
But this was not the Liu Mi she remembered.
In a delicate, light purple evening gown that shimmered like starlight woven into silk, with her dark hair pinned up in an intricate, elegant style, Liu Mi seemed like a different person.
She was no longer the naive, slightly wild girl from the branch family. She had undergone a metamorphosis. She had become elegant, noble, charming, and incomparably beautiful. She radiated the confidence of a woman who was loved and spoiled by the most powerful man in the city.
As Liu Mi swayed with her steps to greet her, the master hand-tailored evening gown hugged her body perfectly. It highlighted her graceful and exquisite figure, tracing the curve of her waist and the swell of her hips with perfect lines like the golden curves naturally created by heaven and earth.
A hint of snowy white at her chest glistened under the crystal chandelier, drawing the eye and holding it captive.
'She is breathtaking.'
Liu Qingyue suddenly had a thought. 'If there were a diamond necklace hanging on that swan-like neck... it would surely be even more beautiful. And knowing Young Master Shen... he has probably already prepared one.'
With a polite, somewhat stiff smile on her face, Liu Qingyue presented her gift—a modest box containing a vintage brooch.
"Mi Mi, Happy Birthday. You look... absolutely stunning."
"Mmm! Thank you, Sister Qingyue!"
Liu Mi nodded with a beaming smile and accepted the gift graciously.
But her long, charming foxy eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced at Liu Qingyue.
Internally, her thoughts were not as sweet as her smile.
'Brother Shen... you big bad guy! You scoundrel!'
'You even invited Liu Qingyue?!'
'Liu Qingyue is a married woman! She is Han Qi's wife! Have you no bottom line?'
Liu Mi remembered clearly. She had told Shen Anyu before that her birthday banquet didn't need to be extravagant. She hadn't even invited her own parents, who she had already had lunch with earlier in the day to avoid the "elder pressure."
This birthday banquet was supposed to be intimate. It was only meant to invite Su Hongmian, Jiang Linlin, and Lin Shutong—her "sisters" in the harem alliance.
Yet, Liu Qingyue had come. And the security guards bowed to her and let her in. So she must have a specific VIP invitation.
This wasn't Liu Mi's doing. So it must have been Shen Anyu's.
As for the reason?
Liu Mi didn't even need to ask; she could guess with her eyes closed.
She looked at Liu Qingyue critically, her gaze sweeping over her cousin.
Liu Qingyue, in front of her, was wearing a light blue evening gown with a long train that trailed behind her ink-jade-like high heels. The dress was conservative but perfectly cut, outlining an excellent, mature figure. Her slender branches bore abundant fruit, and her graceful curves evoked countless fantasies of a dignified, virtuous wife.
Her figure was already excellent, but her face was even more exquisite. It was a face that embodied "National Prosperity and Peace"—stunningly beautiful, dignified, serene, and untouchable.
Especially that unique temperament... like a cup of fine pre-rain green tea. It was refreshing, cool, and left a lingering fragrance. It made one want to savor it slowly, to break that surface of calm and see the ripples underneath.
This was an exceptionally beautiful woman. Even Liu Mi, who was very confident in herself and currently glowing with the aura of a protagonist, couldn't claim to definitively outshine her. They were different types of beauty—the Fox and the Moon.
But Liu Mi knew the facts.
Liu Qingyue, this distant cousin from beyond five generations, was a famous beauty in the Family. But she had already been a married woman for several years.
Although it was a matrilocal marriage (live-in son-in-law), and she heard that the son-in-law, Han Qi, was a useless good-for-nothing who was often scolded by Liu Xingsheng and He Xuemei and became a laughingstock... the fact remained.
She was married.
However, Liu Qingyue, as of now, should still not be divorced.
'Does Brother Shen have a hobby for... married women?'
Liu Mi felt a mix of resignation and possessiveness.
She had already deeply experienced Shen Anyu's philandering nature. She knew she couldn't stop it. She couldn't make Shen Anyu loyal to one woman; Liu Mi felt she didn't have that weight. No woman did.
Nor could she leave Shen Anyu.
Besides being a philanderer, Shen Anyu was her dream Prince Charming. Handsome, from a prominent Family, capable, gentle, and considerate—especially during those times in bed, he was quite gentle and considerate, bringing her to heights she never imagined.
This birthday banquet alone cost him several hundred million for her. He bought a club just to make her smile.
From both emotional and practical standpoints, she couldn't leave Shen Anyu. She was bound to him, body and soul.
Now, Liu Mi's biggest wish was to secure her position. To become the "Main Wife" (or at least the head of the harem). She wanted to be like the Empress in palace dramas, spending her days managing the harem and dealing with little troublemakers like Su Hongmian. That was the life she greatly looked forward to.
As for greater ambitions, Liu Mi had none. She just wanted to be his favorite pet.
However... Liu Qingyue is a married woman. Does Shen Anyu also have intentions?
Or is it that this distant cousin, Liu Qingyue, who has always had an impeccable reputation in the Family as a virtuous woman, actually wants to cling to her Brother Shen? Does she want to use her beauty to save her family?
Liu Mi's gaze towards Liu Qingyue couldn't help but become a little strange. Scrutinizing. Guarded.
Under Liu Mi's peculiar, penetrating gaze, Liu Qingyue felt as if she was sitting on pins and needles.
Her back felt hot. The guilt of her parents' instructions weighed on her.
She felt restless.
She quickly got up, smoothing her dress nervously.
"Mi Mi... I... I'm going to the restroom to fix my makeup."
Liu Qingyue found it hard to speak. She fled the scene.
Walking down the opulent corridor, away from the music and the judgmental eyes, she tried to breathe.
She certainly couldn't steal Liu Mi's man. That would be immoral. Nor did she have any such intention.
But her parents' urging... and the kindness of the one hundred million loan... made it difficult for her to explain her presence here.
Now, walking in the silence of the hallway, Liu Qingyue was vaguely realizing a terrifying truth.
'Shen Anyu lending me one hundred million... might not have been because of Liu Mi's face.'
'It might have been... because of me.'
Because if he lent her one hundred million to solve the crisis of her Family's lamp factory just because she was Liu Mi's cousin... then why didn't Liu Mi contact her? Why did Shen Anyu handle it directly through his people?
That was one hundred million! Not a small favor! You don't give that kind of money to a girlfriend's distant cousin without a reason.
This realization made Liu Qingyue feel a bit annoyed at being targeted. But at the same time... complex emotions arose in her heart.
A mix of panic, joy, vanity, and a little pride.
'He sees me. Even though I am married... he sees me.'
She entered the luxurious restroom.
She looked at her own blushing face in the mirror. The mist lingering in her eyes, the flush on her cheeks... she looked like a woman who was anticipating something.
Liu Qingyue was stunned by her own reflection.
"Hoo..."
She splashed cold water on her face, trying to cool the heat in her skin.
She patted her hot cheeks vigorously.
"No. I can't. Wake up, Liu Qingyue!"
"I'm already married. Even if Han Qi is useless, I have a husband. Liu Qingyue, don't be shameless."
"Liu Mi is your younger sister; how can you get involved with her man? That is immoral. That is depraved."
She stared at herself, hardening her resolve.
"This time, it's settled. That one hundred million loan... I will treat it as a business transaction. Principal and interest, everything will be repaid. Even if I have to pay high interest, I will absolutely not get involved in an inappropriate relationship."
"I will not sell myself."
She dried her face with a plush towel, fixed her makeup, and walked out of the restroom, determined to maintain her distance.
However.
Fate—or rather, Shen Anyu—had other plans.
"What's that sound?"
As she walked down the quiet, carpeted corridor back to the banquet hall, passing a secluded VIP room near the end... she heard something.
It was faint, but in the silence of the hallway, it was unmistakable.
Thump... thump...
"Mmph... nngh..."
It was a strange, rhythmic sound. The sound of heavy impact. And the muffled, high-pitched gasp of a woman trying to suppress her voice.
Liu Qingyue froze. Her beautiful eyes immediately widened in shock.
She recognized the man's low, guttural growl.
"Young Master Shen?"
"And... Mi Mi?"
She pressed closer to the door instinctively, her heart pounding.
"No... wait."
"It's not Mi Mi's voice."
Liu Mi's voice was sweet and crisp. This voice... was huskier. More mature. It sounded somewhat like the fiery girl she saw earlier... Su Hongmian?
"It's... it's another woman?"
Liu Qingyue stood there, her face burning, her mind reeling.
In the middle of his girlfriend's birthday party... Shen Anyu was in a room with another woman? And from the sounds of it... they were doing something incredibly intense.
'He... he really is a scoundrel!'
But for some reason, her legs wouldn't move.
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