Chapter 9

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On September 28th, the coming-of-age ceremony for Ji Yuezhi, the only son of the Ji family, took place. Most of the high-ranking officials in the Federation's military were present, and other attendees were from affluent or prestigious families, including the Zuo family.

At exactly 8 p.m, Zuo Luohuan accompanied her parents as they left for the event. Upon arriving at the Ji residence and seeing the numerous cars outside, she casually remarked, "Quite the spectacle."

As they stepped out of the car, Zuo Dihong glanced at her. "Your coming-of-age ceremony wasn't much different."

Yi Tong was somewhat displeased, recalling, "You didn't even attend your own ceremony. Just sent a perfunctory recorded message. Have you even opened the gift I prepared for you?"

"I was wrong," Zuo Luohuan replied, raising her hand in a gesture of surrender. "I'll look at it when I get back."

Yi Tong advised, "You should also spend more time socializing with your peers instead of disappearing all the time."

Despite the crowd and numerous cars, everything was orderly. Observing closely, one could see people patrolling the corners, ready to subdue any troublemakers, given the high status of all the attendees.

At the entrance, Ji Xixiu and his wife, Yan Jinqiu, personally greeted the guests, each standing on one side with impeccable manners. Behind them was a long table for the guests' gifts.

Yi Tong handed over her prepared gift and exchanged a few words of congratulations with Yan Jinqiu. Meanwhile, the heads of the two families engaged in polite conversation laced with underlying tension. During this, Ji Xixiu's eyes briefly flicked to the empty-handed Zuo Luohuan, showing a fleeting coldness, too quick for most to notice.

After entering, Zuo Dihong turned to his daughter. "Didn't you say you prepared a separate gift?"

Zuo Luohuan glanced at the time. "The gift isn't ready yet. I'll pick it up shortly."

The gift was prepared, but she wasn't satisfied with the store's wrapping and had asked the manager to redo it, which would take another hour.

Hearing this, Zuo Dihong said no more and went upstairs with Yi Tong, leaving Zuo Luohuan alone.

She scanned the first floor, where most guests were mingling, but she didn't see Ji Yuezhi.

"Luohuan, over here." Jiang Hong called out, spotting her as she entered.

"Will he come out today?" Zuo Luohuan asked as she walked over, getting straight to the point.

Jiang Hong, who had something to tell her, was momentarily taken aback. "He'll come down for the coming-of-age speech. He might still be feeling unwell due to the differentiation period."

Zuo Luohuan nodded absentmindedly, twirling her wine glass, unclear if she had fully registered his words.

"...The guards might be less vigilant during the shift change later tonight," Jiang Hong whispered, leaning against a column and pretending to sip his drink.

The hall was divided into two groups: the high-ranking officials on the second floor, and the younger generation on the first. Zuo Luohuan was often solitary, but she wasn't unknown, and several people began to greet her.

"I thought you wouldn't attend Ji Yuezhi's coming-of-age ceremony since you missed your own," Guan Yuan remarked, raising his glass to them.

Guan Yuan, the son of the Twenty-Sixth Army's General, was an S-class Alpha and a third-year student at the First Military Academy.

Zuo Luohuan tapped her glass, smiling faintly. "I didn't want to miss his ceremony."

Guan Yuan, recalling the recent rumors about Ji Yuezhi and Zuo Luohuan, laughed as well. "Indeed, you wouldn't want to miss it."

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