The Heiress's Game

Gu Mingyue's banquet was held in the French-style villa in the east of the city.

The villa was specially renovated by the Zhao family after her marriage, transforming the original English manor into a lighter Louis XVI style. The front yard was planted with two rows of European holly pruned into conical shapes, and the driveway was paved with beige limestone imported from Provence.

Everyone in the industry knows that Gu Mingyue's invitations are not easy to obtain.

Her banquets are never large, only inviting twenty or thirty people each time, but her choice of who to invite and who not to invite is more credible than any list of socialites.

Moreover, Gu Mingyue's personal assistant personally delivered each invitation to the invited guests.

Today's event was a warm-up for the newly established art foundation of the Zhao family, and invited people from the art collecting world, the fashion industry, and a group of prominent ladies.

The living room was filled with the ambiance of elegantly dressed women, who stood in twos and threes, holding champagne glasses, while jewelry shimmered under the chandelier.

The conversation ranged from the recent auction price of a painting by Chang Yu to whose daughter had just won an equestrian championship, and then to who got the front-row seats at next month's Paris Haute Couture Week.

"If you ask us about all of us, Sister Mingyue has always been the best."

A young woman in a champagne-colored dress held up her index finger, speaking to a group of girls nearby, but her voice was loud enough to be heard by the people on the surrounding sofas.

"She was already the undisputed top socialite before she got married, and her fame only grew after marriage. She even drafted the charter for the Zhao family's art foundation."

"Back in the day, Ningville from Qingshui Bay thought he was a princess just because he drove a Cullinan."

Another person chimed in, their tone laced with undisguised contempt.

"She's a nouveau riche, Mingyue is a true socialite. One was cultivated by her family for over twenty years, the other relied on her mother working for someone else—"

She didn't finish speaking, only covering her mouth with her champagne glass, and the people around her laughed.

"Speaking of which, why has Ningweier been so quiet lately? I heard he was cyberbullied and shut down his alternate accounts," someone asked.

"How dare she show her face? Those screenshots of her cursing are all over the place, I'm ashamed for her."

"She used to show off her Cullinan, but now she's probably even carpooling for ride-hailing services."

"In the end, Uncle Gu values ​​Mingyue the most. Think about it, of the three Gu children, Mingcheng is the heir, Mingyue is the apple of his eye, and that Jin—what's her name again?"

The girl in the champagne-colored dress tilted her head and thought for a moment, but couldn't remember her name.

"Gu Yunjin," someone reminded her from the side.

"Yes, that's the name. Has anyone seen it before? I certainly haven't."

As they were talking, Gu Mingyue came down the spiral staircase. Today she was wearing a champagne gold silk satin dress, her hair was up, revealing her slender neck and a pair of teardrop-shaped yellow diamond earrings.

The young woman she was arm in arm with was half a head taller than her and was wearing a very simple black halter dress.

Her face was quietly hidden in the simplicity of her black dress, but it was the first thing everyone saw.

"Mingyue looks so beautiful today. Who's that next to her? A new face?" A girl lowered her champagne glass and asked in a low voice.

Someone paused, stunned. Another person nearby lowered their voice: "You don't know? This is the second young lady of the Gu family—the daughter of Uncle Gu's second wife, Su Wanning."

"Su Wanning's daughter? Wasn't she sent abroad in her teens? When did she come back?"

"I just came back this year. I'm 25 now, and I said I finished my studies and graduated with a master's degree. I heard I did very well studying abroad, majoring in finance and law, and I graduated from a prestigious university."

"So what if you're good at studying?" A girl named Meng Zhen held a champagne glass, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"In our circle, family background and connections matter. Who cares about your education?"

Her mother, Su Wanning, was quite famous back then, but unfortunately, she didn't get anything when she got divorced. This second young lady has been living abroad for more than ten years, and nobody in the industry knows her.

"Look, if it weren't for Sister Mingyue bringing her in today, she wouldn't even have been able to find the door."

Several people around her laughed, their eyes sweeping over Gu Yunjin with a mixture of curiosity, scrutiny, and disdain.

Someone chimed in, "She's quite good-looking, just like her mother."

"What's the use of being good-looking? The Gu family pours all their resources into Sister Mingyue and Brother Gu. What does she get? Just pocket money."

Meng Zhen brought the champagne glass to her lips, looking up at Gu Yunjin from above the rim.

"I heard that Mrs. Gu has been arranging blind dates for her recently, but none of them have worked out. I guess she'll end up marrying into an average family to maintain a semblance of respectability."

Gu Mingyue is the main character today.

From the moment she stepped down the spiral staircase, the entire flow of movement in the banquet hall revolved around her.

First, she gave a speech at the charity auction. She stood on the stage for only three minutes and received five rounds of applause from the audience.

Then came the unveiling of the foundation. She stood side by side with several elders of the Zhao family in front of the logo wall, and the flashes of light illuminated the entire front hall as if it were daytime.

Then, the ladies took turns taking photos with her. She didn't rush them and chatted with everyone—asking Mrs. Zhou about her daughter's application results for school in Switzerland, praising Mrs. Sun's new hairstylist for his good taste, and confirming with Mrs. Li the time to visit Zhang Mingyuan in the hospital next Wednesday.

She attended every single one of the dozens of people in the banquet hall.

Gu Yunjin was very tactful. From the moment Gu Mingyue released her arm to greet the guests, she quietly retreated to the side and sat down in the corner of the sofa by the window. Gu Mingyue was very pleased with her tact.

The group photo session was scheduled after the unveiling ceremony.

The banquet hall was cleared in just two minutes. Staff moved two sofas and laid out a light gold carpet, while the photographer squatted in front to adjust the lighting.

Gu Mingyue was surrounded and placed in the center, with Mrs. Zhou, who was wearing a champagne-colored dress, standing to her left.

Mrs. Sun, dressed in a navy blue suit, stood to her right, with a dozen or so socialites and noblewomen lined up behind her.

Adorned with jewels, their champagne glasses were discreetly replaced with handbags by their assistants.

"Come on, three, two, one—"

The flashbulbs went off several times. Gu Mingyue held the charity gala's agenda board to her chest, her chin slightly tucked in, the curve of her lips as precise as if it had been measured with a ruler.

This center position is a matter of course—in terms of background, she is the eldest daughter of the Gu family;

In terms of family background, the Zhao family's foundation in the business world is even deeper than that of the Zhang family.

Personally, she single-handedly established the arts foundation, and even the vice chairman of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles came to support her.

After taking the group photo, she chatted and laughed with the other ladies for a few more minutes. Her assistant leaned over and whispered something in her ear. She nodded to indicate that she would go over right away, but suddenly paused as she turned around.

"Wait a minute." Gu Mingyue raised her head, her gaze sweeping across the gradually dispersing crowd before finally settling on the floor-to-ceiling window in the corner.

Gu Yunjin was still sitting on that single sofa, holding a glass of sparkling water in her hand, with a plate of untouched fruit on the coffee table next to her.

"Jin'er! Come here, come here."

Gu Mingyue smiled and waved, her voice carrying just the right amount of concern, one that she wasn't afraid of being overheard by everyone.

"I was so busy just now I almost forgot—and my assistant too, why didn't she remind me sooner? My sister and I haven't even started filming yet."

Upon hearing this, several socialites nearby quickly made way for him.

Gu Yunjin placed the sparkling water on the coffee table, walked over, and her skirt swept across the light gold carpet.

Gu Mingyue reached out and pulled her to her side, her hand naturally resting on Gu Yunjin's waist.

The force wasn't heavy, but the position was precise—just within the photographer's viewfinder and within the reach of everyone around.

"This is my sister, she just came back from England."

Gu Mingyue explained to a media friend who was still taking pictures, her tone full of undisguised pride.

"He's much more successful than me. He was young and spent a lot of time away from home. Now that he's back, I hope you'll all take good care of him."

When the flash went off, Gu Mingyue tilted her head slightly toward Gu Yunjin, and their hair almost touched.

If someone records a video on their phone nearby, the caption posted on social media would be the perfect expression of sisterly affection.

Gu Yunjin squinted slightly under the flash, matching Gu Mingyue's rhythm, from the corner of her lips to the slight curve of her eyes.

It's as if the angles were measured precisely—not too sweet, or it would steal Gu Mingyue's thunder; not too bland, or it would seem like she wasn't the younger sister who was doted on by her older sister.

After the photo was taken, Gu Mingyue patted her on the shoulder and said, "I'll send you the photos later," before turning to greet a lady who had just entered.

The whole process was efficient, warm, and highly effective, like completing a temporarily forgotten task on a to-do list.

Gu Yunjin turned around, her gaze passing over the crowd and landing on the young woman standing next to the side door of the banquet hall.

Chen Cui. One of Gu Mingyue's personal assistants.

Today, Chen Cui wore a light gray business dress, her hair was tied in a low ponytail, and she was holding a tablet computer, looking down at the dinner program schedule.

She was accompanied by several other girls who also appeared to be assistants—some were Gu Mingyue's, some were from the Zhao family, and some were there to help out.

—But Chen Cui stood at the very edge. When the others huddled together and whispered among themselves, she didn’t interrupt. After checking the process sheet, she stood quietly to the side, and no one took the initiative to joke with her.

Gu Yunjin picked up the sparkling water, took a sip, and kept her gaze fixed on Chen Cui.

This was the first time Gu Mingyue had seen all of her personal assistants—two personal assistants and two work assistants—and they were all there for such a big occasion.

While the group stood waiting by the side door, Gu Yunjin had already made the comparisons without making a sound.

The work assistant has a capable and professional appearance, with exquisite makeup but not a strong sense of aggression. She doesn't steal the spotlight when standing behind Gu Mingyue to supplement information.

One of the personal assistants had a pretty face, while the other had an average appearance but was quick and efficient, making almost no sound when adding tea or changing plates.

Chen Cui was the last to arrive; she was a few minutes late and jogged in with her tablet in hand.

She was publicly reprimanded in a low voice by one of the work assistants. She lowered her head, said "I'm sorry," and then stood at the very edge of the assistant team.

Chen Cui is the most beautiful among them. Not the delicate, refined kind of beauty, but a striking, undeniable beauty that would draw attention in any setting.

Her facial features are very delicate, and the distance between her eyebrows and eyes is slightly narrow, giving her an unconsciously aloof and elegant look when she is focused.

Her long hair was tied into a low ponytail, revealing the entire contour of her face, which was more striking than when her hair was loose.

The skirts were issued uniformly, but the fabric at the chest and back had been re-tucked and altered to fit perfectly.

She could easily make even the most ordinary business dress look stunning, but she deliberately kept her posture modest and spoke in a very low voice, as if afraid that no one would notice what she still had left.

Chen Cui seemed to be used to this situation. After being scolded, she stood quietly in the corner checking the flowchart. Several different colored sticky notes were pasted on her tablet, and her handwriting as she made marks was very neat.

Later, a waiter brought two glasses of wine by mistake. She took the initiative to go over and quietly coordinate the matter. After handling it, she returned to the waiter. She was so quick that the other ladies around her didn't even notice the little incident.

Later, Gu Mingyue's shawl slipped off the back of the chair. Another assistant was on the phone and didn't see it. Chen Cui walked over from two steps away, picked it up, and put it back on.

She did these things very naturally, but after each action, she would return to that corner, as if nailed to an invisible, fixed position.

After the group photo, the assistants started packing up the materials separately.

Chen Cui squatted on the ground and arranged the handbags piled in the corner according to their numbers.

Gu Yunjin looked away and placed the sparkling water on the coffee table.

She's beautiful, has a hot body, and is also quite intelligent.

—Just now, I was squatting on the ground in high heels to organize materials. After several rounds, I didn't complain at all. Even when I was scolded, I didn't show any grievances on my face. When dealing with the conflict with the waiter, my tone was not loud, but the other party listened immediately.

It's such a waste to have someone as a personal assistant to Gu Mingyue, someone who can only carry her bags.