Chapter 657: 342 Grand Show (Explosive Update Notice)

At 4 PM Jiangzhou time, a large number of traffic police were dispatched near Zhongdu Hotel in the city center to control traffic.

Those who didn’t know any better would’ve thought some big shot was in the area.

Turns out Granny Zhu, Ming Jing’s maternal grandmother, was holding a birthday banquet at Zhongdu Hotel nearby. Almost all of Jiangzhou’s elite had gathered, so it was no wonder traffic control was necessary.

Online forums were discussing today’s banquet and the scale of it, speculating who would attend.

Plenty of journalists were staking out the area around the hotel for a live broadcast. The number of viewers continued to grow, making it quite lively.

—— May Granny Zhu be blessed with health and a long life of a hundred years!

—— Our Goddess Ming Jing’s maternal grandmother must be as kind-hearted and beautiful as her granddaughter. Wishing her a long and healthy life too!

—— In my entire life, I’ve never seen so many luxury cars. It’s eye-opening!

This occasion had completely taken over the discussion in the chat room and online forums, with heated debates everywhere.

Lin Qing and Zhu Wentao were standing at the hotel entrance greeting guests. Lin Qing wore a red cheongsam with a burgundy mink shawl draped over her shoulders. Her makeup was elegant, and she looked festive and highly dignified as hostess.

It was quite cold at the entrance, so Lin Qing couldn’t help but rub her hands together. Seeing her, Zhu Wentao took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

Lin Qing gave him a glare but didn’t say anything since it was too cold to care otherwise.

“Madam Ye.” Lin Qing greeted her with a warm smile.

The entire Ye family had arrived, with Ye Lan and Ye Cheng following their parents. Nowadays, the happiest person in Jiangzhou was Madam Ye, surrounded by a loving family and well-behaved children.

“Madam Zhu, it’s quite a grand event today. You should take care of yourself and not get too tired.”

“Thank you for your concern, Madam Ye. I’ll be sure to take it easy. Please have a seat.”

“Where is Granny Zhu? I’d like to offer her my birthday wishes first.”

“I’ll show you the way.” Lin Qing led Madam Ye and Ye Lan to the adjacent lounge.

Madam Ye asked, “Is Ms. Ming Jing here?”

Lin Qing replied with a smile, “Of course she is. It’s just that Granny Zhu forgot her favorite teacup at home, so Ming Jing went back to get it.”

“Sending someone else to fetch it would’ve been enough. But Ming Jing went personally. You won’t find another child as filial as her in all of Manjiangzhou.” Madam Ye praised her sincerely.

Lin Qing’s smile grew even warmer.

Inside the lounge, Granny Zhu was accompanied by a young girl instead of Zhu Xiangxiang. Madam Ye was taken aback, “Who is this…?”

Ye Lan exclaimed in surprise, “Lin Ya? What are you doing here?”

Both Madam Ye and Lin Qing looked at Ye Lan, “You two know each other?”

Lin Ya smiled and walked over, “Senior sister.”

Ye Lan explained, “Lin Ya is my junior sister from school. We know each other from the student council.”

Lin Qing’s smile grew wider, “I see. Xiao Ya is my niece, but she’s quite timid. Ye Lan, I’ll have to trouble you to look after her at school.”

Madam Ye suddenly understood, “No wonder she looks so much like Madam Zhu. They’re close relatives!”

Ye Lan’s gaze swept over Lin Ya’s face. Lin Ya had dressed up specially for today, wearing a Chanel-inspired dress and styled her hair to emphasize her natural purity. She looked every bit the picture of an elegant lady.

“It’s no trouble at all, Madam Zhu. Lin Ya is smart and sensible, very popular at school. If people knew she was Ming Jing’s cousin, no one would dare to bully her.”

Ever since the incident with Hu Guo’er half a month ago, the entire school had lost face, even the respectable Professor Hu. With any chance of promotion now slim, they could only blame Lin Ya – or more accurately, Ming Jing.

Who would’ve thought this seemingly quiet junior sister was hiding such a secret connection? Fortunately, Ye Lan hadn’t had any conflicts with her in the past, making it less awkward now.

“Senior sister, you’ve been a great help to me at school. When I first joined the student council, there was so much I didn’t know. You patiently taught me everything, bit by bit. Thank you, senior sister.”

Lin Qing smiled with satisfaction, “Ye Lan is kind-hearted and capable. You should learn from her.”

Ye Lan couldn’t help but feel awkward. Was Lin Ya mocking her on purpose?

It didn’t seem that way.

Ye Lan thought to herself that Lin Ya was quite tactful.

After Madam Ye offered her birthday wishes to Granny Zhu, she went to the adjacent room to rest. The room was stocked with fruits and snacks, and attendants frequently arrived to refill the teapot with hot water.

Madam Ye took a sip of tea, wiped her mouth, and finally said, “I find that young girl called Lin Ya quite impressive, and she even happens to be Ming Jing’s cousin. She’s more like a young lady than that fake rich girl. I can’t believe I’d never heard of her before.”