Back to the teenage years

Chapter 585 Night Banquet
The rain keeps falling.

A thin mist enveloped Moon Heart Lake Villa.

As evening approached, the streetlights came on, and the air was filled with a cool scent of earth, grass, and rain. The villas of Moon Heart Lake, nestled behind meticulously manicured greenery, were brightly lit, exuding a warmth and extravagance completely different from the outside world.

Li Jilin's new house is a magnificent European-style detached villa. The huge floor-to-ceiling windows reflect the figures of people inside, clinking glasses and chatting. Faint sounds of laughter can be heard coming from inside. At this moment, a Mercedes-Benz drove through the drizzling rain outside the window and finally stopped in the driveway outside the villa.

Xiao Wu opened the door of the Mercedes-Benz.

Zhang Yunqi came out, and the rain immediately soaked his shoulders.

He glanced at the brightly lit Li family villa. It was his first time here, but he knew that the developer of Yuexin Lake Villa was Yaxing Real Estate Company, and the boss behind it was Wang Yonghe, one of the top 50 richest people in Hunan.

In the mid-90s, villa complexes were very scarce in Lijin City. Apart from the Yuelu South Gate Villa Complex, where land was extremely valuable, Yuexin Lake Villa was the most well-known.

Yuexin Lake is a newly opened villa development in Lijin. Wang Yonghe is promoting it as "the best villa development in southern Hunan," with each unit selling for millions of yuan. These days, anyone who can afford a villa here is naturally considered a prominent figure, such as celebrities in the entertainment industry, corporate executives, business owners, and so on.

Thinking about these things, Zhang Yunqi stepped into the front yard of the Li family villa, with Wang Guibing holding an umbrella and following half a step behind him.

As the group entered the villa, they were greeted by warmth and the aroma of food. In the spacious living room, a crystal chandelier cast a dazzling light, and the marble floor gleamed. There weren't many people there; they were gathered in small groups, chatting.

Actually, the Li family's formal housewarming banquet was held at the restaurant at noon today, and tonight's meal was mainly for closer relatives to gather at home. This is an old custom here; weddings, funerals, and housewarmings are not just about hosting a single meal for guests. Some banquets can last for several days and involve a lot of fuss. This may be related to the widespread poverty of people in those days.

Zhang Yunqi didn't know who Xie Yun was. He came here partly because Li Jilin had invited him three times; given their relationship, it wouldn't be right to refuse. Secondly, he wanted to meet Xie Yun, as he was certain Xie Yun and Lu Yuanzhou had reached a series of private deals. For Xie Yun, this was extremely dangerous! These private deals would severely disrupt his plan to take over Qingwu Commercial Pedestrian Street.

Zhang Yunqi didn't know if Xie Yun would realize this. If not, he would definitely take the initiative to attack, and then he wouldn't be so ruthless.

Li Jilin, dressed in a brand-new suit and beaming with joy, was warmly greeting the guests. When he saw Zhang Yunqi enter, he immediately left everyone else to greet him: "Mr. Zhang, you've arrived. Please come in."

Although Li Jilin is Zhang Yunqi's subordinate, perhaps because of his relationship with Li Yufei, Li Jilin usually calls Zhang Yunqi by his name in non-formal work settings. However, today's housewarming party is a family gathering and has nothing to do with work.

Zhang Yunqi sensed this subtle change, but aside from that, Li Jilin was still very enthusiastic. He smiled, took out a red envelope from his pocket, handed it to Li Jilin, and said, "Congratulations, President Li."

Li Jilin accepted the red envelope. It was small and thin, but also very stiff, clearly not RMB, but a bank card.

Li Jilin didn't say anything, but gestured for Zhang Yunqi to come inside.

As the group entered the living room, Zhang Yunqi looked around and scanned the crowd. He quickly spotted Xie Yun, the deputy director of the Health Department, who was standing with his wife, Liu Huihui.

Liu Huihui, pulling Li Jilin's wife Xie Jing along, incessantly praised the villa's decor and scenery. From the exquisite marble floors to the complete set of foreign brand kitchen and bathroom appliances, and the unobstructed view of the lake and mountains outside the window, her tone was filled with undisguised envy, even bordering on exaggerated: "Sister, your house is so beautiful! I never imagined I'd live in such a wonderful place! Look at this marble, so bright and shiny, and the lake view outside is like a painting!"

Xie Jing wore a reserved smile and spoke humbly, "Huihui, you're too kind. It's just that the place is a bit too big, and it's troublesome to clean up..."

Xie Yun appeared preoccupied, his face showing signs of fatigue and detachment under the warm yellow light. His gaze drifted aimlessly to the fine rain outside the window, seemingly oblivious to his wife and sister's lively conversation. The cigarette between his fingers was half-burned, and he had forgotten to flick off the ash.

Zhang Yunqi walked over and greeted him, "Director Xie, it's been a long time."

Xie Yun seemed to snap out of his daze. Seeing Zhang Yunqi, he forced a smile, which looked somewhat stiff: "Mr. Zhang, you're here. Please sit down, don't stand."

His gaze lingered on Zhang Yunqi's face for a moment, carrying a hint of subtle complexity, before he subconsciously scanned the living room as if searching for something.

Zhang Yunqi sat down on the leather sofa and said, "Director Xie, I was a little neglectful last time at the Chuncheng Hotel in Jiangchuan. It was unintentional, and I hope you won't mind."

Xie Yunting waved his hand, the stiff smile on his face seeming to ease a little: "I can understand, I can understand. President Zhang is a straightforward person. Besides, you weren't targeting me personally, were you? It's about the issue, not the person, so why are you holding a grudge?"

Xie Yun took out another cigarette and lit it, the smoke blurring his somewhat weary expression: "Of course, even if it's directed at me, Xie Yun, personal gains and losses are insignificant compared to the interests of the people. To be honest, I don't care what you said, but I personally saw you take out five million to buy praziquantel and distribute it to farmers, which significantly reduced the incidence rate in Jiangchuan area and saved countless lives. For that, I thank you."

These words were quite noble and virtuous. Zhang Yunqi smiled and said, "Director Xie, you flatter me. I am also from Jiangchuan. In terms of schistosomiasis prevention, as long as it is within my capabilities, I am very willing to cooperate with the Provincial Department and contribute my modest efforts. I wonder if Director Xie is aware of the 4350 Project in Dongting Lake?"

Xie Yun's hand, holding a cigarette, froze in mid-air, a questioning glint in his eyes: "Project 4350?"

Zhang Yunqi explained, “This project was proposed by General Manager Zhu and personally led by Secretary Xianxun. I was fortunate to join the project’s funding and land operation leadership group. Currently, we are in the exploration and planning stage. After the Jiangchuan incident, I felt it was necessary to include schistosomiasis prevention and control in the overall framework. After all, Dongting Lake is a region where snails are widely distributed, and the local people in the lake area are also suffering from schistosomiasis.”

Xie Yun was visibly taken aback.

In fact, Zhang Yunqi's remarks were mainly aimed at the flood disaster in the Dongting area in 98, which only he knew about. In addition to the huge destructive power of the flood itself, what was more serious was that there were a lot of secondary disasters. Because the flood would lead to the deterioration of environmental sanitation, a large number of snails would be carried to farmland and roads, which would then cause a large-scale schistosomiasis infection.

Xie Yun stubbed out his cigarette, his expression becoming somewhat serious. Zhang Yunqi's sudden revelation had clearly aroused his high alert and attention. This was a suggestion made from a very high level, concerning the national economy and people's livelihood.

Xie Yun thought for a moment and said, "This is a major matter, Mr. Zhang. It concerns the lives and health of millions of people in the lake area. What do you think? I will immediately organize experts at the provincial department to develop a detailed schistosomiasis prevention and control plan for the lake area as soon as possible. I'm also currently working on a project on systematically controlling infected water to block the spread of the disease, 'Research on the Interaction Mechanism and Regulation of Schistosomiasis-Infected Water with Humans,' which is very helpful for schistosomiasis prevention and control. I hope it can be included in the overall 4350 Project plan. At that time, I may need Mr. Zhang to coordinate and promote it further with the leading group."

Upon hearing Xie Yun's enthusiastic words, Zhang Yunqi suddenly thought of Director Wang of the Health Department, who was nearing retirement and about to get off the train.

Xie Yun's words had a deeper meaning. Zhang Yunqi smiled. After all, Xie Yun was a deputy director-level figure. He wondered if Xie Yun would change his mind about Lu Yuanzhou's matter. Just as he was about to speak, Li Yufei, wearing a light blue dress, walked out from the side hall.

She seemed to have dressed up carefully; her beautiful face was clear and captivating under the light, her long, straight hair cascaded over her shoulders, her neck was slender and fair, and her eyebrows and eyes were like a painting.

When she saw Zhang Yunqi, her eyes lit up noticeably: "Yunqi, you're here."

Zhang Yunqi smiled and nodded: "Nobody cooks for me, so I'm coming to your new place for a big meal."

Li Yufei smiled, then took two bottles of Aussieland pure milk from the cupboard, walked over and sat down on the sofa next to Zhang Yunqi, handing one bottle to Zhang Yunqi: "There's no big meal, have some of this first, it tastes good."

Just as Zhang Yunqi was about to reach out to take it, Xie Jing's voice rang out: "Yufei."

Li Yufei turned her head to look at her mother.

Xie Jing carried over a fruit platter and placed it on the coffee table in front of Zhang Yunqi, a polite smile on her face. She then looked at Li Yufei beside her and said, "Yufei, don't just talk, go help your mother cut some fruit to serve the guests."

Her tone was gentle, yet it carried an invisible pull.

Li Yufei nodded and said okay.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunqi looked up and saw the newly hired nanny from the Li family carrying out several plates of fruit. He reached out, inserted a straw into the bottle of Ausilan pure milk, and began to drink.

Just then, a warm voice chimed in: "Miss Yufei looks absolutely radiant today! Your outfit perfectly complements this villa."

Lu Yuanzhou appeared at the door with a polite smile on his face, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

He wore a well-tailored dark suit, which accentuated his tall and handsome figure. He waved to Li Jilin, Xie Jing, Xie Yun, and others, and finally looked at Zhang Yunqi with his usual smile: "Mr. Zhang, it's been a long time. I didn't expect to run into you here. What a coincidence."

Zhang Yunqi nodded. He had to admit that this guy's mental fortitude was truly remarkable. After what happened at the Chuncheng Hotel, he could still greet him so calmly. He smiled and said, "Good evening, Mr. Lu."

"Yuanzhou is here! Come in, come in quickly. It's raining and windy outside, don't get wet." Xie Jing greeted him warmly.

"It's just a light drizzle, it's alright, Auntie," Lu Yuanzhou replied politely. He had brought many gifts, and the driver was carrying them into the living room in large and small bags. The packaging was all in English letters, so he didn't know what was inside, but the boxes were very exquisite and obviously quite expensive.

"It's just a meal, it's good that you're here, but why did you bring so many gifts? That's too much of a waste..." Xie Jing complained slightly, but her face was full of smiles. She personally took Lu Yuanzhou's coat and handed it to the maid next to her, saying, "It's getting late, are you hungry? The food is ready, come in and have a meal."

Xie Yun sighed inwardly upon seeing this scene.

In fact, Zhang Yunqi guessed wrong. Lu Yuanzhou was not invited by Xie Yun at all, but by Li Yufei's biological mother, Xie Jing.

Xie Jing had met Lu Yuanzhou a few times, thanks to Xie Yun's matchmaking. Her older sister had a strong liking for this young, promising, and polite man. But now, Xie Yun didn't know if what he did back then was right or wrong.

Xie Yun knew very well that Lu Yuanzhou's presence here was no coincidence, nor was it simply due to her sister Xie Jing's hospitality. As for Zhang Yunqi, her sister Xie Jing should already know he had a girlfriend. Given that, how could she possibly still be willing to let her precious daughter get entangled with him as before?
Inviting Zhang Yunqi to the family dinner was definitely at the insistence of my brother-in-law, Li Jilin! My brother-in-law's success today is inseparable from Zhang Yunqi.

Xie Yun's gaze lingered between Zhang Yunqi and Lu Yuanzhou for a moment, his mind racing with these thoughts, but in the end he simply smoked silently without saying a word.

Lu Yuanzhou timed it perfectly; he arrived right at lunchtime. At the invitation of Li Jilin and his wife, everyone sat down at the restaurant's huge round table.

Lu Yuanzhou sat to Xie Yun's right, directly across the table from Zhang Yunqi, who had been invited to sit to his right by Li Jilin.

The seat to Zhang Yunqi's left was originally intended for Wang Guibing, but for some reason, Wang Guibing gestured to Li Yufei with his eyes, then smiled and took half a step back, leaving the seat empty.

Li Yufei, however, was poised and graceful. She smiled at her father and Zhang Yunqi and was about to go over and sit down when Xie Jing's voice rang out: "Yufei."

Li Yufei hummed in agreement and looked up.

Her mother, Xie Jing, was sitting at the opposite table with Liu Huihui. There was an empty seat to her left, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, that empty seat was right between her and Lu Yuanzhou.

Xie Jing pointed to the empty seat, her expression carrying the unyielding smile of a strict mother: "Yufei, there's an empty seat here, why don't you sit with me?"

Li Yufei's body stiffened slightly, and she stopped walking. Her gaze subconsciously turned to Zhang Yunqi, then to her mother's smiling yet uncompromising expression. After a moment, she finally lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes seeming to tremble slightly, casting a small shadow under her eyelids.

Then, she silently walked to the empty seat next to Zhang Yunqi and sat down.

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.

The restaurant was silent. The light reflected from the crystal chandelier onto the wine glasses was a little dazzling. The air was filled with the aroma of a sumptuous meal. Outside the French windows, the rain was still falling softly, tapping on the glass and striking a chord in everyone's heart.

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