QT: Against My Will (Volume 1)

2.66 - Elders - Mr. and Mrs. Jelly

As they entered the yacht, Bing Shi took in the ocean air while putting on a delicate smile. "This is going to be tiring," she remarked.

Xuan Mu chuckled. "I'll accompany you for a while."

A crew member in uniform opened the door to a luxurious ballroom, complete with glossy hardwood floors and hanging chandeliers. Crew members attended to the guests while waiters carried trays of gourmet food and beverages.

The young couple went unnoticed upon their arrival, as all eyes were fixated on a beautiful woman in a white dress playing the violin on stage. She looked like an angel who had graced the earth with her presence.

Bing Shi and Xuan Mu made their way towards one of the dining tables at the back, settling into cushioned chairs.

"Isn't that Guan Lin's daughter, Guan Fei?" Bing Shi asked, her curiosity piqued. "It seems like she's dropped the 'good-for-nothing daughter' stigma that people had of her. It's always nice to see people change for the better." Her body swayed ever so slightly in sync with the melody as if lost in the enchanting sound of the violin.

"It's unclear what caused the change in her," Xuan Mu, without much interest, began to play with Bing Shi's hand under the table, his attention diverted from the beautiful violin music to the business matters at hand. "She's here to attend the business meeting on behalf of her father."

Bing Shi's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Interesting. Oh, Mia! Guan Fei is going to have a competitor," she remarked, observing the gathering.

Mia's arrival caused a stir, and the spotlight shifted from Guan Fei to the newly-arrived guest. The room was now abuzz with whispers and glances in Mia's direction.

Xuan Mu chuckled, his gaze fixed on Bing Shi, "All I see is some people trying their best to ignore you," he commented. Some guests had already greeted Bing Shi with short nods of recognition.

Bing Shi curtsied slightly as a show of acknowledgement towards the guests who greeted her, "I'm not fresh meat, everyone already knows me," she said with a small laugh. "Besides," she continued to study the interactions between the guests on the stage with a collected expression. "Silent respect tastes better than attention," she added thoughtfully.

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As the guests mingled, one of the elders whispered to his friend, "Isn't she Mia, the P.A.?" While all the young men's eyes were on Mia and Guan Fei, the older men scanned the crowd, searching for a specific person. And when they saw the girl next to the man in black, their eyes brightened with recognition. "She's here too!"

As Xuan Mu and Bing Shi settled into their seats, the older men approached them with their wives in tow. "You brat, you finally brought her along!" they exclaimed to Xuan Mu, not waiting for him to introduce them before introducing themselves to Bing Shi.

"Let her breathe. Stop bombarding her with questions," scolded Xuan Mu in irritation. Standing up, he walked to a nearby waiter and took a glass of cold water.

*Silence.*

Nobody spoke a word. Though they had been joking with Xuan Mu, no one was foolish enough to provoke a genius like him.

Bing Shi watched Xuan Mu in amusement. "He's a bit worried. I think my voice became hoarse from too much talking," she commented, coughing lightly to prove her point.

Noticing her discomfort, all the older men called for waiters to bring her various beverages.

A few moments later, Bing Shi scanned the table filled with various drinks and grabbed a glass of ice water from Xuan Mu. "Thank you," she said, taking a sip. "How sweet," she added with a genuine laugh. "Your spouses are fortunate to have such caring husbands."

The women at the table scoffed. "Those workaholics? Ha! He doesn't even remember our anniversary!" one of them replied, rolling her eyes.

"Seriously?" Bing Shi asked in surprise, turning to the woman.

The conversation turned into a venting session, and the women began to pour out their troubles to Bing Shi. She listened patiently, nodding and comforting them while sipping on her glass of water. Soon, the table was cleared of all the drinks as the women held their own glasses.

Xuan Mu had even given up his seat to one of the women. He stood next to the men, letting out a helpless sigh. "This is why I never bring her along," he muttered.

The men all nodded knowingly, "It's no surprise that everyone wants Bing Shi as a daughter-in-law," they said, casting glances at their own children. "Young people nowadays only care about looks."

Xuan Mu spoke up, "My Bing Shi is the most beautiful to me."

"But when you compare her to Mia..." they trailed off, unsure how to continue.

"What's there to compare?" Xuan Mu shrugged, "Don't put your sense of beauty into me."

The awkward silence was interrupted by Lu Wuhan, who suddenly exclaimed, "Where is our son? It's his birthday, for God's sake! Who goes on a business trip on their own birthday?" He stomped his foot in frustration and immediately called his son to inquire about his whereabouts.

Lu Wuhan's expression became increasingly disgruntled as the phone conversation progressed. He eventually hung up with a huff and turned to the group, "He's too busy with work to come to his own birthday party," he grumbled.

"Well, maybe he has his priorities in order," Xuan Mu offered with a shrug, "After all, he's following in his father's footsteps, right?"

Lu Wuhan snorted, "Don't get smart with me, Xuan Mu. You know as well as I do that there's more to life than just work."

After an hour, a man in a black tuxedo, who looked to be in his late twenties, arrived at the ceremony. As he walked up to the stage, he gave a short speech in his deep voice. The ballroom was filled with the sound of clapping and women's squeals of excitement. It was no surprise - the man was exceptionally handsome.

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