The Heiress's Game

Wang Manyun had taken Gu Yunjin to so many parties that she couldn't count them on two hands.

Starting from the second week after Gu Yunjin returned to China, Wang Manyun, with the attitude that "this child has been abroad for too long and should get out more," led her into the most respectable social circle in Dahai City.

Charity galas, brand openings, art salons hosted by private collectors, tea parties hosted by certain ladies—I attended each one at just the right time, neither too many to seem deliberate nor too few to seem perfunctory.

However, the wives in the circle still have a vague impression of Gu Yunjin.

It's not that they have bad memories; it's just that Gu Yunjin has been away from Dahai City for too long.

She was sent abroad at the age of fourteen and spent eleven years in New York and London. During that time, she returned only a handful of times, and each time she came and went in a hurry. She might not even be seen at the Gu family's old house during the Chinese New Year.

The socialite circle in Da Hai Cheng changes rapidly; eleven years is enough time for several new faces to emerge.

So every time Wang Manyun introduced "This is our Yunjin brocade," the wives' reactions were all pretty much the same—first, they were bewildered.

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, they say, "You've grown so much," as if recognizing a distant relative who only exists in rumors.

The city of the sea has its own unique order.

Established families reside in detached villas at the foot of Daping Mountain, while newly rich families vie for high-rise apartments along both sides of the coastal boulevard.

The Gu family belongs to the former category, and so does the Pei family.

The two companies' cooperation in mining and real estate can be traced back to Gu Zhenxing's father's generation. Although business dealings have decreased in recent years, the annual family visits for ancestral worship and important festivals have never stopped.

This is why Wang Manyun deliberately pushed Gu Yunjin in front of Madam Pei at today's charity gala.

The dinner was held in the banquet hall of a long-established hotel, hosted by the Dahaicheng Charity Federation, with the theme of a charity auction for rural education.

The sign-in wall at the entrance was packed with people, and flashes of light were going off everywhere. The attendees were either business tycoons or political celebrities, making it at least two levels higher than the brand events Gu Yunjin had attended before.

Even Gu Mingyue wasn't sitting very close to the front today—she was in the third row by the aisle, and she couldn't join in the conversations of the ladies next to her.

Gu Mingyue wore a light pink strapless dress, her hair was meticulously styled, and her makeup was still exquisite, but her signature gentle smile looked somewhat forced.

In this hall, her title of "first socialite" is not quite enough.

Gu Yunjin's outfit tonight was the same as every time she accompanied Wang Manyun out—well-behaved, proper, and non-aggressive.

She wore a pearl-white knee-length dress with a small pearl brooch at the neckline, her hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, and her makeup was so light it was almost bare.

She sat next to Wang Manyun, her hands folded on her knees. When someone came over to greet her, she would stand up and bow slightly, her smile revealing just the right amount of shyness.

She didn't say much, and every sentence she uttered focused on the safe words "yes," "okay," and "thank you, Auntie."

"This is my daughter Yun Jin. She just returned from abroad with a double master's degree in finance and law."

This child has always been easy to take care of since he was little. He spent eleven years abroad and has finally come back now.

Yun Jin, this is Aunt Li. Aunt Li's husband and your father have been old friends for many years.

"Hello, Aunt Li."

"This child is so well-behaved and pretty. Does she have a boyfriend yet?"

Gu Yunjin lowered her head slightly, a perfectly light blush rising to her cheeks. She pursed her lips, shook her head, and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum:

"Not yet." The ladies next to her exchanged knowing glances.

Before the auction began, Madam Pei arrived.

Mrs. Pei holds a very stable position among the wives of wealthy men in Dahai City. She has been doing charity work for over twenty years and has an excellent reputation.

Today she wore a navy blue cheongsam and a necklace of round South Sea pearls around her neck.

Standing under the crystal chandelier, she looked like a wealthy woman who had stepped out of an old-school Hong Kong movie.

"Manyun, it's been a long time since I've seen you out." Madam Pei smiled and took Wang Manyun's hand, her posture intimate but not excessive.

"That's right, I've been busy with Yunxuan's affairs lately. Today I brought Yunjin out for some fresh air."

After Wang Manyun finished speaking, she turned to the side and gently pushed Gu Yunjin forward half a step, "Yunjin, this is Madam Pei."

Gu Yunjin stood up and bowed slightly, her smile gentle and courteous: "Greetings, Madam Pei."

Madam Pei looked at her, her gaze sweeping over her from head to toe, lingering noticeably longer on certain key details—the pearl earrings on her earlobes, the understated watch on her wrist, and her clean, unmanicured nails.

Then she nodded with satisfaction: "This child is good-looking and has a good temperament. Your Aunt Wang has praised you to me many times."

After chatting for a few more minutes, Wang Manyun winked at Gu Yunjin, meaning "Go and wander around over there for a bit."

Gu Yunjin, understanding the unspoken message, took a glass of juice and walked to the edge of the terrace, leaving the main stage to the two ladies.

The wind on the terrace ruffled her skirt as she pretended to look at the night view of Victoria Harbour, but her peripheral vision kept lingering on that corner of the hall.

Wang Manyun and Madam Pei stood about ten meters away from her, leaning slightly forward. Madam Pei said something, and Wang Manyun turned her head to listen, then smiled tactfully.

The two maintained just the right amount of intimacy and distance in their body language from beginning to end—not the casualness of best friends.

It wasn't just polite conversation between strangers; it was the kind of tacit understanding cultivated within a circle, somewhere between mutual benefit and friendship.

Gu Yunjin held her juice glass, her mind already turning over the documents.

The Pei family has three sons; the eldest son is already married and is not considered.

The third son is still studying at Cambridge, and with an age difference of at least six or seven years, he is not under consideration.

Then it's highly likely to be the Second Young Master Pei—Pei Yan, who is twenty-eight years old this year and works in investment. She had vaguely heard some things about him before, and he was probably more composed than sharp.

His reputation among second-generation investors is decent, but not outstanding either; he's the kind of safe bet that "won't bring shame to the family, but also won't bring them glory."

She could roughly guess some of Wang Manyun's intentions.

The fact that the Pei and Gu families are a good match saves a lot of explanation costs.

Pei Yan is a reliable person with no scandals in the industry, so no one can find fault with him as a son-in-law.

Once Gu Yunjin marries into the Pei family, she will become their daughter-in-law and will no longer be able to cause trouble for the Gu family or pose any real threat to the inheritance.

At the same time, Wang Manyun could indirectly utilize the Pei family's resources at the right time.

—When Gu Mingxuan graduates from university and joins the group, having a brother-in-law from the Pei family will be a great help.

Killing two birds with one stone, and doing it flawlessly.

When the banquet ended, Wang Manyun and Madam Pei stood at the door and chatted for another ten minutes or so.

The two made an appointment to have tea together next week. Before parting, Madam Pei glanced at Gu Yunjin again and said with a smile, "Come to my house to play another day."

Gu Yunjin followed Wang Manyun toward the parking lot, having already planned out the timeline in her mind.

Next week it'll be tea, the week after that a dinner party, and within a month she'll most likely be sitting in a high-end restaurant, politely exchanging pleasantries with that Second Young Master Pei.

"Madam Pei is a very nice person," Wang Manyun said casually after getting into the car, her tone as relaxed as if she were discussing tonight's dishes.

"Her second son is named Pei Yan. He works in investment. You should get along well with him. Let's meet up another day."

"Okay, Mom." Gu Yunjin's voice was gentle and obedient.