spring bite mark

Chapter 14 The Sparrow
With his beloved in his arms, Yan Changye freed one hand to lift his coat, partially obscuring her face, before turning to look at Chen Mohan:
"Take me to the private entrance."

Chen Mohan gave the hotel manager a wink, and the two of them, with great tact, walked half a step behind Yan Changye, intentionally or unintentionally blocking the gazes from all around, and led Yan Changye to the business hall of the banquet.

In the highly private business hall, top-quality fragrances and soothing soft music intertwine, while understated luxury wall lamps and exquisite murals complement each other. Representatives from various wealthy families relax, chatting and laughing, where wealth and power reach their peak in this low-key business hall.

Xie Yuheng sat in the main seat, listening to the conversation of the capital's celebrities with an inscrutable expression. He occasionally responded with a few words, which were distant but not impolite.

Outside the business hall, a loud commotion suddenly broke out, and everyone in the banquet hall turned their heads slightly. Yan Changye, holding a beautiful woman in his arms, had already come into view.

A handsome man and a beautiful woman, their shirts and dresses of the same color intertwined. The woman's curly hair cascaded down the man's chest, with a few strands inadvertently slipping inside his shirt... Although not a single bit was exposed, it created an extremely ambiguous and intimate atmosphere.

Xie Yuheng's hand, which had been casually holding the wine glass, suddenly tensed, and his knuckles turned pale.

The others had already stood up and were greeting them with smiles.

Yan Changye stopped at the door.

Then, he lowered his head slightly and whispered in Jiang Manman's ear, "The people in the banquet hall are all people you've met before. Do you want to go in and have some fun?"

"No, they're all men, it would be too awkward for me to go in." Jiang Manman only glanced at them out of the corner of her eye and didn't see who exactly they were, but she was certain that they were all men.

Yan Changye didn't insist: "Then shall I take you to see the gift I prepared for you?"

"Put me down, I'll go by myself." Jiang Manman's voice was very low. She felt a lot of eyes on her and was slightly uncomfortable. "Just tell me the exact location."

"Okay, it's at the end of the corridor on the left." Yan Changye put her down and squatted down to straighten her skirt. "Call me if you need anything."

Jiang Manman nodded: "Don't treat me like a child, go play by yourself."

After speaking, she nodded lightly to the group of prominent families who had gathered around her, then lifted her skirt and headed towards the hotel corridor.

Amidst the crowd, she didn't see Xie Yuheng sitting on the sofa, but Yan Changye did.

He casually picked up a glass of wine and walked over to Xie Yuheng, sitting down opposite him. He raised his glass slightly to Xie Yuheng, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

"It's late and the dew is heavy. Mr. Xie looks quite lonely and desolate. Why don't I keep you company for a drink?"

On the business hall side, unseen undercurrents began to surge after Yan Changye's arrival. On the other side, Jiang Manman followed the corridor all the way to the end, only to arrive at the bustling outer hall of the banquet.

The outer hall was very large, and elites from all walks of life moved about amidst the elegant attire and swaying hair. Top celebrities who could only be seen on television were now a common sight in the banquet hall, and socialites from the capital's major families were also present, each vying for attention and showing off their beauty.

Following Yan Changye's instructions, Jiang Manman went to the left at the end of the corridor, where a magnificent glass greenhouse stood. Colorful lights and dazzling chandeliers intertwined, and among the vibrant flowers, beautiful women vied for attention...

Those beauties were young and pretty, dressed sexily, with expressions that were either innocent or charming; each one was a rare gem.

Jiang Manman was stunned for a moment, then looked down and sent a message to Yan Changye:
Jiang Manman: [You invited so many people, is it to provide me with artistic inspiration?]

Y: [Hmm]

Y: [Madam, are you surprised? Unexpected, aren't you?]

Jiang Manman: […surprise, unexpected.]

Y: [Then, madam, please enjoy yourself.]

Jiang Manman put away her phone, looking somewhat bewildered at the dozen or so stunningly beautiful women in the glass room. Enjoy? What else could she enjoy besides looking?
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Manman went to the service desk to borrow paper and pen, then took a deep breath, adjusted her expression, and stepped into the glass greenhouse. Inside the greenhouse, the beauties who had been chatting quietly sensed someone entering and fell silent, then looked at Jiang Manman.

Jiang Manman braced herself, nodded politely to the pairs of beautiful, expressive eyes, and found a seat.

Then, I picked up a pen and paper and started drawing their clothing styles, planning to take them home and study them in detail after I finished.

Whether it was her imagination or not, she sensed a hint of scrutiny and hostility in those subtle glances directed at her. But as soon as she looked up from her sketches, the women casually looked away.

Jiang Manman sensed something was wrong.

But I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong.

She simply stopped paying attention to these women and focused solely on her drawings.

The women stared at her for a while, and seeing her aloofness and indifference, they gradually gave up their probing intentions and started chatting amongst themselves.

Flower arranging, fragrance, bags and jewelry, art, bartending, photography, piano...

The conversation was quite harmonious, yet there was a mutual wariness between them. Jiang Manman was completely confused, feeling that although the people arranged by Yan Changye were charming and sophisticated, they were also a bit too affected and pretentious...

At this point, a woman nearby finally couldn't resist stepping forward to probe: "We were just chatting, and you seemed uninterested in any topic. Do you have any hobbies or special skills? Perhaps we could exchange ideas?"

Jiang Manman glanced at the delicate woman who had come closer, and blinked her almond-shaped eyes slightly: "I like sewing."

“Sewing? That’s a rather niche skill, and wealthy families like the Yan and Xie families don’t appreciate such low-class talents.” Another woman smiled charmingly, with a hint of mockery. “Of course, you might be confident in your looks, so you don’t really care.”

Jiang Manman: "..."

What nonsense are these women talking about?

She didn't respond and went back to drawing.

An hour later, the high-end, private internal exchange meeting in the business hall came to an end.

Everyone stood up, except for Yan Changye, who remained seated on the sofa playing on his phone.

Chen Mohan extended an invitation: "Your Highness, would you like to take a stroll in the outer hall?"

"I'm not going. I'll stay here and wait for my wife to finish her work." Yan Changye waved his hand lazily. "You all go out."

The group of people politely bid farewell to Yan Changye and accompanied Xie Yuheng as they walked out.

"Chairman Xie, we've prepared a 'Beautiful Women' gathering' for you, following the banquet customs of Hong Kong." One of the heads of prominent families smiled meaningfully. "They are all beauties quite famous in the capital. Would you like to choose a few?"

The "Graceful Sparrow Game" is popular at high-society banquets in Hong Kong. The banquet organizers will search for beautiful women and then offer them to wealthy and powerful clients to choose from. They can either keep them as kept women or openly become their concubines, which is considered a beautiful story.

This trend, thanks to Xie Yuheng's arrival, eventually reached the business banquets in the capital...

Beside Xie Yuheng, his special assistant Li Ke's expression changed slightly: "My boss doesn't need this."

(End of this chapter)