Chapter 267 - SNEAKING GLANCES

When Hu Lei and Zhong Feng stepped into the ballroom where the ċȯċktail and meet-and-greet session of the party was taking place, the guests were surprised. However, most of the attendees were seasoned businessmen or from aristocratic families, so they could hide their shock.

The first ones to approach the prestigious couple were Furukawa Shun and Wang Che because they could be considered close friends. ​​

"I did not know you were debuting your relationship today. I just heard the hopeful hearts of the ladies in the room breaking." Shun commented immediately with shining eyes.

Zhong Feng looked at him with a rare smile. "It is important for people to know my wife. Otherwise, she will be surrounded by wolves."

Hu Lei felt embarrassed by the statement while Shun nodded in understanding.

"Congratulations on the successful event, and thank you for the invitation." Wang Che spoke in his usual old-world charming manner.

Zhong Feng shook his hand, and they exchanged small business talk.

"You are so embarrassing." Hu Lei smacked Zhong Feng's arm lightly as they walked away.

"What do you mean? There are indeed a lot of people eyeing you." He looked at her with penetrating eyes.

"You are one to talk." Hu Lei looked around the room. "So many people are eyeing you, hoping that I will vanish. Even my former evil stepsisters. It is hard to be the beautiful princess."

"You are the empress." Zhong Feng teased with a smile.

Hu Lei thought about it and nodded. She was indeed the empress.

The two people walked around the party, greeting the masses. Zhong Feng introduced his wife with so much pride that people realised that their chance for business cooperation was in flattering the little woman beside the big man.

When the meet-and-greet session of the party was coming to an end, a person who had been trying to gain the courage for a while stepped forward. He was followed by two women.

"Mr Zhong, how have you been? It has been a while." Murong Cheng spoke in a flattering tone.

This man had been hoping to gain a connection to Zhong Feng because he was struggling with keeping up with the business. If he did not do something big, Murong Ming would get a chance to steal everything from him.

The reason he had managed to gain traction before was because of Lu Liang. Without her calculations and advice, he felt like he was drowning and gasping for air. But he refused to admit that his success was tied to her.

"Do I know you?" Zhong Feng asked with a cold gaze.

Murong Cheng knew that Zhong Feng was embarrassing him intentionally. However, he did not have the guts to act without consideration. It was already good that he could get an invitation to the Zhong Industries event.

"We worked on a project together, and you took care of Murong Fai." The man responded.

"His name is Hu Fai, Mr Murong." Hu Lei responded with a cold glance at the man.

Murong Cheng turned his eyes to the woman who he had always thought of as an embarrassing product of his ex-wife's past.

He remembered that she had even visited them some years ago. He had looked down on her and even ȧssumed that she was interested in their money. Though she had not asked for anything, he had thought that she was playing a long con.

Now, he realised that she was more than a doctor's daughter. He had tried to estimate her net worth after he heard about her identity and realised that she would not have come begging for scraps.

For a moment, he fantasised about what would have happened if he had handled things differently. Perhaps, he could have been Zhong Feng's father-in-law. At the very least, they would have been acquaintances.

"Don't go too far, Hu Lei. Treat my father we respect. After all, we raised that unrelated child for years." The person who spoke rashly was Murong Yan.

Hu Lei was surprised. She would have expected Murong Yue to be less level-minded. However, after a moment, she realised the reason that the Murong Yan who usually looked composed would speak out in this situation.

The woman had a slightly reddened gaze and was sneaking glances at Zhong Feng like a teenage girl with a crush.

Hu Lei's face darkened as she looked at Ah-Feng's flower-like face which attracted all creatures. Her gaze turned back to the woman.

"Whatever do you mean, Ms Murong? I merely informed him about my brother's name change." She smiled with a chill.

Murong Yan turned her amorous eyes and stared directly at Zhong Feng, looking aggrieved. No one could figure out what she hoped to accomplish with that pathetic look. Pouting and tears only worked when one was favoured.

"Enough, Yan." Murong Yue spoke out with a weary voice. "Thank you for the invitation, Mr Zhong. We will be heading inside."

She said it out of politeness even though she knew that Zhong Feng did not invite them personally. It was probably an oversight, considering the relationship between Hu Lei and the Murong family.

She no longer had good resources, so she might as well have been banned.

If her sister offended Zhong Feng, she would have no chance of survival whatsoever.

"Why did you do that?" Murong Yan broke free from her sister's hold.

"Do you think everyone cannot see your transparent intentions? You are not experienced enough to play with men, Yan. And even if you were, Zhong Feng is out of your league." Murong Yue said with a hint of cruelty.

"I am doing this for our family. You do not even know the state of our company. We are going to fall down a class if we do not get more contracts this year." Murong Yan spoke out with frustration.

"It is better to fall three classes and become a middle-class family instead of losing everything. And that is what will happen if you keep attempting to seduce that man." Murong Yue did not mince her words.

Murong Yan looked wronged once again, but her expression was just not right. After all, not everyone could pull off some things.

"Seriously, stop." Murong Yue felt like she could not handle it. "In any case, if it hadn't been for you and your dėsɨrė to protect your inheritance, Lu Liang would not have left, and we would not be in this situation."

Murong Yan knew that it was true. She had overestimated her abilities. She had thought she could replace Lu Liang in devising strategies. Now, their family was on the edge of losing their reputation.