From rejecting the beautiful female CEO to becoming extremely powerful

The lobby manager bowed and led the way. The three of them passed through the hotel lobby and turned into the rear area along a long corridor covered with a dark red carpet.

Unlike the brightly lit business hall in front, this place is much quieter.

On both sides are neatly trimmed landscape bamboo groves, and at the end of the stone path sits a three-story independent banquet hall with upturned eaves and two copper lanterns shining warmly in front of the door.

As the three of them stepped onto the stairs, the double doors of the lobby on the first floor were pushed open from the inside.

A man in his early fifties walked out with a dark face. His suit jacket was buttoned up to the top, his hair was combed perfectly, and his jaw was taut like an iron plate.

His gaze swept over Feng Qianyi and landed directly on her, his tone blunt and undisguised: "Qianyi, today is your grandmother's welcome banquet. The whole family is here, but you're the last one to arrive."

"Uncle, we were delayed on the way..." Qi Yufei subconsciously leaned forward, wanting to help explain.

Did I ask you?

Fengshan glared at him, raising his voice by half a beat, "Go find your mother in the back, stop getting in my way."

Qi Yufei shrank his neck, glanced at Lu Yunzhou and Feng Qianyi with a wronged look, and turned into the side door with his tail between his legs.

Feng Qianyi's face showed no extra expression as she calmly said, "Uncle, I was helping Grandma prepare a congratulatory gift today and made an extra trip outside, so I'm late."

"Alright, alright, come in. The guests are all seated. Go and offer your toasts to each table. Don't let people think the Feng family is unruly."

After finishing his sentence, Feng Shan turned and left without even giving Lu Yunzhou a proper look.

Lu Yunzhou followed Feng Qianyi into the hall, lowering his voice: "Does your uncle always do this?"

Feng Qianyi didn't stop walking, her voice so soft that only the two of them could hear: "I am not a biological daughter of the Feng family."

"My grandmother brought me home when I was little, hoping that Fengshan or Fenghe would adopt me as their daughter, but neither of them would agree."

"Although I am surnamed Feng in this family, I am not considered a member of the Feng family."

He spoke calmly, as if he were talking about someone else's affairs.

Lu Yunzhou didn't respond, but nodded.

After Feng Qianyi greeted the elders around her, Lu Yunzhou leaned close to her ear and whispered that she was going to the restroom.

"Go and come back quickly, the banquet is about to begin." Feng Qianyi glanced at him.

Lu Yunzhou walked down the corridor, turned a corner, and found the restroom sign.

A yellow sign that read "Temporarily Closed" hung at the entrance to the men's restroom. He looked around; the corridor was empty.

After hesitating for two seconds, I pushed the door open and went in.

The lights were on inside, the sink was spotless, and the floor tiles were polished to a shine; there was no sign of construction whatsoever.

Lu Yunzhou didn't think much of it and went to the urinal to relieve himself.

Under the cover of the sound of water, a muffled groan suddenly came from behind the innermost partition.

He paused, his ears perking up.

Another sound, a suppressed gasp mixed with the rustling of fabric.

Lu Yunzhou subconsciously bent down, his gaze sweeping along the gap at the bottom of the partition.

Two pairs of shoes.

On the left is a pair of men's black Oxford shoes, and on the right is a pair of red-soled stilettos; the patent leather uppers are dazzlingly shiny under the lights.

Red-soled high heels.

Lu Yunzhou withdrew his gaze, his expression changing from confusion to speechlessness.

No wonder there was a sign at the entrance; apparently, someone was here on business.

He had no interest in being an audience member, and he didn't want to get into trouble.

Tonight, everyone here is a member of the Feng family. If we happen to stumble upon something we shouldn't see, we'll just get ourselves into trouble for no reason.

After zipping up his pants, washing his hands, and drying them, Lu Yunzhou quickly left the restroom.

When we returned to the banquet hall, it had already quieted down.

All eyes were focused on the entrance.

Grandma Feng sat in a dark brown wheelchair and was slowly pushed in by Feng He.

The old lady looked rosy-cheeked, a stark contrast to her half-dead appearance in the hospital room last time. Her eyes were bright, and she smiled and nodded when she saw acquaintances.

The wheelchair stopped in front of the main table, and the old lady's gaze swept around the hall before landing on Feng Qianyi.

"Qianyi, where's Yunzhou?"

Just as Feng Qianyi was about to turn around to look for someone, Lu Yunzhou had already walked quickly over from the side.

She winked at him, and Lu Yunzhou understood. He quickly walked to the wheelchair, smiled, and bent down, saying, "Grandma, you look so energetic! You look several years younger than last time."

The old lady smiled so hard her eyes crinkled, and she reached out and grabbed his wrist with a surprisingly strong grip: "Yunzhou's here! Alright, you'll have to sit next to me today."

"That's right, it's your welcome banquet, I definitely have to stay by your side."

The old lady patted the back of his hand, looked up and glanced around, then raised her voice: "Quiet down, everyone."

The talking in the hall stopped abruptly, and dozens of eyes turned to look at them.

"This is Lu Yunzhou, Qianyi's husband."

The old lady held Lu Yunzhou's hand, her voice strong and clear, "I was able to save my life from the hospital thanks to him. If it weren't for Yunzhou, you wouldn't be here for a welcome feast today, you'd be here to burn paper money for me."

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of agreement arose around him. Many people cast curious glances at Lu Yunzhou, some were polite, and a few smiled and nodded, saying, "Young and promising."

Fengshan stood on the other side of the main table, his hand holding the teacup remaining still, a forced smile on his face.

Feng He stood behind the wheelchair handle, his eyelids drooping and the corners of his mouth turned down.

The two brothers exchanged a glance but remained silent.

Feng He's wife, Bai Min, sat beside him, pursed her lips, and muttered sarcastically in a low voice, "Alright, Mom, everyone's hungry, let's eat first."

The old lady glanced at Bai Min, ignored her, and patted Lu Yunzhou's hand with a smile: "Sit next to me, it's easier for us to talk."

Lu Yunzhou agreed and walked towards the main table with his wheelchair.

Just then, the sound of hurried high heels came from the entrance of the hall.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm late!"

A pretentious female voice drifted in from the doorway.

Everyone turned to look, and a woman in her early thirties jogged in, wearing a tight-fitting dress with a deep V-neck and a slit that went all the way up to her thigh. The dress was barely covered, and everything below her collarbone was on full display.

Her makeup was heavy, her curly hair was draped over her shoulders, and her whole being screamed "ostentatious."

This outfit would be fine for a nightclub, but for a family dinner to welcome an 80-year-old lady, it's outrageously eye-catching.

Several elderly people present frowned, some shook their heads, and some looked away.

A hint of unease flashed across Feng He's face, and he said in a low voice, "Rui, why are you dressed like this..."

"What's wrong? I had to take a call, so I was held up for a bit."

The woman casually took Fenghe's arm and gave the old lady a sweet smile, "Mom, I'm here. You look great."

Lu Yunzhou hadn't planned to look any longer.

But when he glanced at the woman's feet out of the corner of his eye, he froze for a moment.

Red patent leather stiletto heels.

The curve of the shoe upper, the height of the heel, the sheen of the paint under the light—it was exactly the same as the pair he had seen under the bathroom partition ten minutes earlier.