Chapter 1803: Chapter 1800: Invitation
After a round of insincere pleasantries, Head of Cheng Family engaged in deeper discussion with other collaborators, while Guild President Dao Chengzi smiled and said, "Head of Cheng Family, isnāt it inappropriate to let your niece stay with us old folks? Young people have their own ways to have fun, so letās not have her mingling with us old folks!"
Head of Cheng Family smiled, then said to Cheng Minxue, "Xiaoxue, you go have fun, I have more to discuss with your uncles and elders!"
Cheng Minxue nodded, "Then Iāll head back to my room later!"
"Alright!"
...
Cheng Minxue is often dubbed the Iceberg Goddess of Canglan Commerce, largely due to her cool and aloof demeanor that makes her appear unapproachable.
She sat quietly on the side, watching the lively party, feeling as if she belonged to another world.
"Sigh, I should just go chat with Big Brother Feng!" Cheng Minxue thought to herself, "After all, Big Brother Feng is humorous and interesting, while the people here are just too boring. I wonder how that audacious monkey is doing!"
In their previous conversations, Ling Feng had told Cheng Minxue the story of Journey to the West, and although he only reached the part where the Great Sage Equalling Heaven established his stronghold at Huaguo Mountain and accepted Heavenās amnesty, it already captivated Cheng Minxue.
Moreover, what made Cheng Minxue feel comfortable was Ling Feng had no other intentions towards her; his gaze was merely appreciative, unlike other men of her age.
"Miss Cheng Minxue, why are you drinking alone here?" At this moment, a poised young man sat beside Cheng Minxue and said with a smile.
Cheng Minxue glanced lightly at the man, "Li Zhiyuan, do you need something?"
Li Zhiyuan swirled his wine glass and said, "I noticed the fair lady seems troubled, and I just wanted to help ease her worries..."
"Boring!" Before Li Zhiyuan could finish, Cheng Minxue said blandly, "Not disturbing me is the greatest help you can provide!"
Li Zhiyuanās mouth twitched; it turned out Cheng Minxue was indeed as cold as the rumors said.
"Xiaoxue, saying that makes me quite sad. After all, we are all from the Five Great Families of Canglan Commerce, and should be allies through thick and thin, shouldnāt we?" Li Zhiyuan said with a smile, "Being so cold wonāt be beneficial for the Cheng family in the future!"
Cheng Minxue felt a bit helpless; she didnāt like Li Zhiyuan because he was a notorious playboy. Even though Cheng Minxue paid little attention to him, rumors of his many affairs constantly reached her ears.
"Sorry, I donāt want to change my personality for others!" Cheng Minxue said flatly.
Li Zhiyuanās eyes lit up, "Youāre truly an independent girl. How about joining us for a chat? Besides me, there are other members from the other three families, and this would mark the first gathering of the younger generation of the Five Great Families!"
Cheng Minxue furrowed her brow, following Li Zhiyuanās gaze, she saw Zuo Yuqi from the Zuo Family, Xiao Yunteng from the Xiao Family, and Tian Qiyun from the Tian Clan. They were all direct lineage heirs of their respective families!
Cheng Minxue hesitated for a moment. Since Li Zhiyuan represented the young members of the other four families inviting her, refusing would make her seem out of place!
Although Cheng Minxue disliked these family scions, as a member of Canglan Commerce, Cheng Minxue was also willing to make some compromises.
"Alright, letās go over and chat!" Cheng Minxue said, "But I havenāt been feeling well lately, so I wonāt be drinking!"
"It doesnāt matter if you donāt drink, after all, as young members of the Five Great Families, itās good for us to communicate more!" Li Zhiyuan chuckled, then led Cheng Minxue over.
Zuo Yuqi observed as the two approached, and with a playful tone said, "Xiao Yunteng, your idea isnāt bad at all; Cheng Minxue actually came over."
"No matter how proud Cheng Minxue is, she is still part of the Five Great Families of Canglan Commerce. She might not care about any individual, but if all of us four familiesā young members invite her, holding herself aloof would be wrong!" Xiao Yunteng said with a smile as he twirled his wine glass.
"Walking in the martial world, weāre often compelled by circumstances!" Tian Qiyun chuckled, "Of course, Cheng Minxue canāt offend the masses, or her father wouldnāt let her off either!"
"We might as well take this opportunity to find out who that middle-aged man close to her is!" Zuo Yuqi licked his lips and said, "If he really is Cheng Minxueās lover, then she has quite an extraordinary taste, liking someone of her uncleās generation!"
These three whispered among themselves, and as Li Zhiyuan and Cheng Minxue arrived, they stopped talking, greeting Cheng Minxue with warm smiles.
"Miss Cheng Minxue, itās not easy getting an invitation to see you!" Xiao Yunteng smiled and said, "If I recall correctly, this is the first gathering of the direct lineage heirs of the Five Great Families, right?"
Zuo Yuqi laughed and said, "Indeed, this is quite rare. Shall we drink to our first gathering?"
As he spoke, Zuo Yuqi raised his glass, and the others followed suit.
Cheng Minxue frowned slightly; she really didnāt want to drink with these people.
Seeing that only Cheng Minxue hadnāt raised her glass, Tian Qiyun chuckled, "Does Miss Cheng have any objections to us?"
Before Cheng Minxue could speak, Li Zhiyuan quickly said, "Before coming, Miss Cheng mentioned to me that she hasnāt been feeling well and canāt drink!"
"Thatās a letdown!" Zuo Yuqi shrugged and said, "But this wine is full of Vital Energy; itās supposed to be good for the body."
Cheng Minxue smiled slightly, "Itās not that serious, Iāve just never really liked drinking."
"Then Miss Cheng, feel free, the rest of us will drink up!" Xiao Yunteng quickly said.
The four men drank heartily, and Cheng Minxue reluctantly took a sip before putting her glass down.
"By the way, have you heard? At the upcoming Purple Cloud Star auction, thereās supposedly an item called the Eternal Heart!" Xiao Yunteng said.
Tian Qiyun paused and asked, "Eternal Heart? The legendary Eternal Heart that, when worn by two people, makes them fall in eternal love?"
Zuo Yuqi said disdainfully, "Oh, come on, such things fool laymen. Thereās no real Eternal Heart in this world! Itās all just hype unless you guys didnāt know!"
"Our families are all in commerce, so weāre well aware of these little tricks. However, this Eternal Heart is said to be different, and thereās a high chance that itās real!" Xiao Yunteng said seriously.