Back to 1984: Earning Money, Raising Kids, and Keeping the Household Busy

Chapter 233 Rising Stars – The Chen Family

When Chen Xinyue came out after changing her dress, Lin Qin's eyes lit up and she smiled, "Oh my, I must say! This black velvet dress is quite elegant, but it doesn't really match your jewelry."

Chen Xinyue decisively took off that set of jewelry and put on another set of pearl and gemstone jewelry.

Wearing a black, form-fitting velvet gown, pearl jewelry, and elegant long, wavy black hair, she exudes a refined and understated charm.

Most importantly, Lin Qin wore a beige dress and pearl and jade jewelry, though it was more glamorous and heavy than Chen Xinyue's.

The mother and daughter stood together, one in black and one in white, and they looked quite harmonious.

Lin Yi finally shut up after seeing the final combination.

The mother and daughter walked out of the room, where Chen Wenjun and Chen Ruiyu were already waiting downstairs.

The father and son were both amazed by the mother and daughter, and kept praising them.

Before leaving, Lin Qin turned to look at her youngest son and Xu Xinyi, "Are you two sure you're not going?"

They both shook their heads.

Chen Ruiming complained, "Mom, have you forgotten about the party I went to with you last time? What if we have another fight?"

He was referring to an incident at the end of last year when Lin Qin took her two children to a cocktail party. As a result, Xu Xinyi was bullied by two girls. Chen Ruiming stood up for Xu Xinyi and fought back against them. The two girls even called for backup.

The two sides started fighting, and the small conflict escalated into a big one. The two children were fine, but the four or five people were injured and went to their parents crying and complaining.

After understanding what had happened, Lin Qin told them to go home and stayed behind to handle the situation.

Lin Qin was speechless, then glared angrily, "So you're not going out anymore? That's so pathetic!"

Chen Ruiming chuckled, "Mom, it's not that I won't go out in the future, it's just that I'm young and impetuous, so I won't go out for the time being. Besides, today's occasion is definitely not fun."

Chen Xinyue patted her younger brother on the shoulder, "You're right, today wasn't fun. It's definitely better to stay at home. I'll bring you some snacks later, okay?"

"Thank you, sister! I'd like a matcha cake."

"I want a strawberry cake!"

The two children ordered without any hesitation.

Chen Xinyue smiled and agreed, then left with her parents and brother.

The family got into the car, and Lin Qin looked at her daughter curiously, "Why were you so sure that today wouldn't be fun? I was originally going to persuade them to go out and join in the fun."

Chen Xinyue smiled and said, "Mom, tonight is destined to be turbulent. Why did you bring them here? When we have the banquet later, we should sit further away and not go near them unless necessary."

"What are you saying, kid! What's wrong? Is someone trying to cause trouble?" Lin Qin asked, amused.

He didn't take Chen Xinyue's words to heart.

Chen Xinyue offered no explanation.

Chen Ruiyu was a little worried, but because her parents were present, she didn't dare to ask too many questions.

The car quickly arrived at the Anshi Grand Hotel. The entire hotel had been booked by the Zhang family that day, and it was frequented by luxury cars and celebrities.

Following the attendant's directions, Chen Wenjun parked the car and slowly walked towards the gate with his wife and daughter.

Mr. and Mrs. Xue and Mr. and Mrs. Zhang each stood on one side, greeting the arriving guests.

Zhang Jingxuan and Xue Lingxue stood respectfully to the side, smiling obsequiously. If they weren't dressed as the bride and groom, they would have been completely ignored.

While Xue Lingxue was idly daydreaming, she saw Chen Xinyue walking towards her with a smile. She thought she was seeing things, so she blinked hard and exclaimed, "Xinyue!"

Her reaction caught the attention of the Xue and Zhang families, and everyone looked in the direction she was looking.

Zhang Jingxuan's face instantly darkened, and he couldn't even maintain his fake smile. "How come it's her? Isn't she a poor international student?"

Chen Xinyue was dressed up specially today; the clothes and accessories she wore were not ordinary items. Moreover, she was not alone, which means she was very likely from an upper-class family.

Upon realizing this possibility, Zhang Jingxuan's expression tightened, and he quickly looked at his father.

But then Zhang's father stepped forward with a smile and shook hands with Chen Wenjun, "Mr. Chen, welcome, welcome! These two must be your children! They are so good-looking, you are so lucky!"

"Not at all, Mr. Zhang's son is truly an outstanding person with extraordinary temperament." Chen Wenjun readily complimented Mr. Zhang's father.

With a beaming smile, Xue's mother took Lin Qin's hand and said, "I was wondering why you weren't with Cai Feng's family when they came over. It turns out you've all come. This must be your son and daughter! They're both so good-looking! Look how close these two girls are. Ling Xue, do you know your Aunt Lin's daughter?"

Xue Lingxue hadn't yet reacted to her mother's question.

Chen Xinyue linked arms with Xue Lingxue and introduced herself warmly, "Auntie, I'm Lingxue's best friend. We were together in junior high and high school, and we were together again when we studied in England. Has Xinyue never mentioned me to you?"

After a moment of stunned silence, Xue's mother glanced at Zhang Jingxuan, whose face was tense, and understood what was going on. She smiled lovingly at Chen Xinyue and said, "Lingxue went abroad after graduating from high school. We live in different places, so we don't really know each other very well. If I had known she had such a good friend, I should have asked her to invite you to be her bridesmaid."

The bridesmaid next to Xue Lingxue pouted unhappily.

Lin Qin quickly said, "Oh, that's really unfortunate. This child hasn't had a moment's rest since she came back from abroad. She's been busy these past few days. Even if we invited her over, she probably wouldn't be able to do a good job. This is the best arrangement."

Chen Xinyue held Xue Lingxue's hand tightly and winked at her playfully.

Then he followed Lin Qin inside.

As soon as they left, everyone looked at Xue Lingxue. Xue's mother pressed her, "Why didn't you say before that you and President Lin's daughter were best friends?"

Xue Lingxue felt extremely wronged. "When we were in school, you wouldn't let me reveal my family background, and the same goes for other people. I only found out today that Xinyue's family is extraordinary. You're asking me, but who am I supposed to ask?"

Speechless after being rebuked, Xue's mother then looked at Zhang Jingxuan, frowned, and asked, "Is she the girl you said approached Lingxue with ulterior motives?"

Zhang Jingxuan's face flushed and paled in turns. He chuckled awkwardly and said dryly, "Perhaps I misunderstood."

Damn it! How could Chen Xinyue have such a powerful background? What if she tells her family about the threats he made against her?
Thinking of this, Zhang Jingxuan's palms involuntarily broke out in a cold sweat. He pretended to be calm and looked at his father, "Dad, what's the background of that Chen family? I've never heard of them before?"

Mr. Zhang chuckled and said, "The Chen family is also in business. They made their fortune in seafood and now they're involved in food and real estate. They're a rising star in Anshi and shouldn't be underestimated!"

Mother Xue then said, "Not only that! Chen Wenjun is impressive, but his wife Lin Qin is no less so. You've all seen the popular E-Society magazine, right? E-Society was founded by Lin Qin, who is also the department head of the TV station. She has extensive connections in the online media field and controls the direction of public opinion. We must be on good terms with her."