Sweet Temptation! The Beauty in President Pei's Palm is Too Alluring

Shu Hua wore an apple-green strapless gown, a color that was both refreshing and elegant. The skirt was light and flowing, with a beautiful drape, swaying gently with her steps. Exquisite diamond embellishments adorned the waist and sides of the skirt, highlighting her slender waistline and perfect figure.

She was tall and slender with skin as white as snow. Her delicate oval face was made up with light and natural makeup, her eyebrows and eyes were like paintings, and her lips were a bright red.

The emerald and diamond necklace she wore around her neck instantly caught everyone's attention. Her earrings were also from the same collection, featuring teardrop-shaped emeralds surrounded by tiny diamonds that swayed gently with her movements.

It possesses the beauty of a flower of worldly riches, elegant and luxurious, yet without a trace of vulgarity, instead carrying a touch of otherworldly grace.

Beside her, Pei Yanzhou wore a perfectly tailored black velvet suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. He paired it with a simple white shirt and a black bow tie, which softened his seriousness and added a touch of languid sexiness.

His striking features were striking, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses that framed his deep, sharp eyes. He exuded a powerful aura that kept strangers at bay and a natural air of nobility.

The man is the best of men, and the woman is the most beautiful of women.

The two of them standing together are a most pleasing picture, so well-matched that it's hard to look away.

After a brief silence, the suppressed murmurs began.

"That's President Pei? He truly lives up to his reputation..."

"Who's the woman with him? I've never seen him bring a woman to these kinds of events before!"

"So beautiful... her aura, her looks, absolutely stunning..."

"She looks familiar... isn't she the eldest daughter of the Shu family in Huacheng?"

"The Shu family? The one that's allied with the Pei family through marriage? No wonder..."

Many people who were eager to go up and offer a toast and chat were deterred by Pei Yanzhou's cold and aloof aura and only dared to watch from afar.

At this moment, a young man in a dark blue suit, with a refined and composed demeanor, walked over with a smile.

He is Ji Tingchen, the current head of the Ji family, the president of the Jiangcheng Chamber of Commerce, and the eldest grandson of Old Master Ji. His abilities and shrewdness are not to be underestimated. He is one year older than Pei Yanzhou and they have been friends for many years.

"Yanzhou!" Ji Tingchen came over with a smile. "You've finally brought your sister-in-law out. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were going to hide your wife at home forever!"

He turned to Shu Hua, his attitude gentle and polite: "Miss Shu Hua, it's a pleasure to meet you. Unfortunately, I was abroad on some business when you got married and couldn't return to China to attend your wedding with Yan Zhou, which I've always regretted. Today I'm finally able to meet you in person."

Shu Hua, after all, was a young lady from a prominent family, and she was quite at ease in this setting. She smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Ji, you're too kind. It's my honor to have you and Yan Zhou attend tonight's banquet."

Ji Tingchen's eyes held undisguised admiration.

He turned to Pei Yanzhou and teased, "Now I understand why you settled down so quickly. Your wife is so outstanding, Yanzhou, you'd better cherish her."

Pei Yanzhou tightened his arms around Shu Hua's waist, accepting his friend's teasing with ease, his gaze towards Shu Hua filled with undisguised pride and tenderness: "Of course."

Ji Tingchen led them to the VIP area, where they conversed with several distinguished guests. As Mrs. Pei, Shu Hua displayed the refinement and poise of a noblewoman in this setting, earning her many admiring glances.

Halfway through the banquet, Pei Yanzhou needed to go to a private room on the second floor of the cruise ship with several bigwigs to discuss some deeper cooperation intentions.

"I'm going over there to chat with some ladies. I'll wait for you," Shu Hua said considerately in a low voice.

Pei Yanzhou nodded and squeezed her hand: "Yes, if you're tired, go back to your room and rest."

"Okay," Shu Hua smiled at him. "Go ahead and get busy."

After Pei Yanzhou left, Shu Hua sat on the sofa in the lounge area with several like-minded ladies and socialites, chatting casually. The topics were nothing more than fashion, art, recent exhibitions, or some trivial anecdotes.

Shu Hua handled the situation with ease, but she didn't really like this overly polite and superficial social interaction. After sitting for about twenty minutes, she felt a bit stuffy, and since she had just drunk some champagne, she wanted to go out for some fresh air.

The exit on the side of the banquet hall leads to the observation deck outside. As she walked down the corridor, she first went to the restroom to touch up her lipstick.

Suddenly, a few whispers drifted over from outside.

"I don't know why the Ji family would invite someone like that."

"Who says otherwise? She's just an actress who's there to entertain people, yet she really thinks she's some kind of rich lady."

"To put it nicely, she's a movie queen. These days, there are more movie queens than homeless people. What decent family would want her?"

A sarcastic taunt drifted through the door, and Shu Hua frowned. She put away her lipstick, preparing to push the door open and leave, when a cold, clear voice rang out—

"Excuse me, could you please move aside?"

That voice... it's Wen Jiani.

Wen Jiani's face remained expressionless; he simply repeated, "Please move aside."

"Let her in?" Shu Hua recognized the girl in the pink dress; she was Lin Yi, the daughter of the Lin family, a nouveau riche family in Jiangcheng who made their fortune in mining.

Lin Yi scoffed, not only refusing to give way but also stepping forward, getting even closer to Wen Jiani: "Why should we give way? Do you own this road? We can stand wherever we want."

The other girls laughed and pushed forward, surrounding Wen Jiani even more tightly.

Wen Jianian took a deep breath, clearly not wanting to get into a fight: "What do you want?"

"I don't want to do anything," Lin Yi said, arms crossed, looking her up and down with disdain. "I just don't like certain people. She's just an actress, what's with the arrogance? Does she really think that by wearing the Wen family's skin, she can rise to the top and become a phoenix?"

Wen Jiani looked up at her, her voice calm: "Acting is my profession. I earn a living through my own hard work and acting skills, and I don't see anything wrong with it. Please show some respect."

"Hard work? Acting skills?" Lin Yi seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. She turned to her companion and said, "Listen to this! A movie queen is so arrogant! Who doesn't know how you got that award? If it weren't for the Wen family's background and resources, throwing money at you, with your mediocre acting skills, you think you could win an award? Dream on!"

She paused, her tone becoming even more vicious, filled with blatant insult: "Or... is the identity of the Wen family's daughter something you planned all along? A family using two lives to pull off a honey trap, in exchange for your chance to transcend social classes and rise to the top? That's a pretty good script."

That's incredibly malicious!

Wen Jiani's expression, which she had been trying so hard to maintain, also turned cold.

Her parents perished in the fire while saving Wen Che; it was the deepest, most painful, and most untouchable scar in her heart! And now, it was being slandered and distorted as a means of climbing the social ladder!

"Please show some respect," Wen Jiani said, his voice rising and falling.

Lin Yi, however, went even further: "Respect? Sure, kneel down and beg me! Maybe if I'm in a good mood, I'll show you some respect."

Wen Jiani knew she couldn't get too agitated, so she tried to calm herself down and force herself to leave.

"Did I let you leave?" Lin Yi raised her chin.

"Let go." Wen Jiani struggled.

"No way!"

During the argument, Lin Yi suddenly raised her hand and slapped Wen Jiani hard across the face.

Wen Jiani's head was turned to the side by the blow, her cheek quickly swelling and burning with pain. She covered her face, her eyes reddening with pain and humiliation, but she bit her lip tightly to keep the tears from falling.