Chapter 84 -

Chapter 84: Chapter

As the last of the rival family carriages clattered through the main gates, a quiet stillness settled over the Bai courtyard.

Zhengyu sat in his wheelchair near the stone archway, watching the cloud of dust fade into the distance. His dark, sharp eyes narrowed. Something wasn’t right. He turned his head slowly, his gaze landing on Qinqin, who was standing a few steps behind him, fidgeting with the hem of her apron.

"Where on earth is Yimei?" Zhengyu asked, his deep voice smooth, quiet, and laced with immediate suspicion.

Qinqin stiffened, taking a small step back. She swallowed hard, forcing a polite, carefully practiced smile onto her face. "Young Master... Young Madame left a message for you. She said you should go ahead to the banquet first in the carriage, and that she will meet you directly at the Minister’s mansion."

Zhengyu didn’t buy it for a single second. His dark eyes locked onto her, reading every trace of panic flickering across her face. "She left before dawn. Where did she go?"

"I... I truly don’t know where she went, Young Master," Qinqin stammered, lowering her head to hide her nervous eyes.

She was lying through her teeth, following Yimei’s strict instructions to keep the grand tea reveal a complete secret until the entire capital was watching.

Zhengyu stared at her for a long, silent moment, reading her like an open book. Seeing through her feeble lie instantly, he let out a low, annoyed sigh and rolled his eyes. That woman was up to something massive, and she was deliberately keeping him in the dark.

"Unbelievable," Zhengyu muttered under his breath. He flicked his wrist toward his loyal guard, Liu Feng, who was standing silently near the grand carriage. "Liu Feng, carry me into the carriage so we can make our leave."

"Yes, Young Master," Liu Feng answered with a crisp bow.

With effortless strength, Liu Feng stepped forward and carefully lifted Zhengyu from his wheelchair into the cushioned interior of the luxurious carriage, while Xiao Yu and Qinqin quickly loaded the wheelchair onto the back.

Once everyone was settled inside, Liu Feng snapped the reins. The horses let out a low whinny, and the First Branch’s carriage smoothly rolled out of the estate, following the trail left by the rival branches.

Sitting inside the quiet carriage, Zhengyu leaned his head back against the silk headrest, looking out the window as the bustling streets flew past. A faint, dark smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

An Yimei, he thought, his eyes glinting with anticipation. You had better make this show worth my time.

...

Inside the Prime Minister’s estate, the grand hall was beautifully decorated. Bright lanterns hung from the high ceilings, and colorful silk banners lined the walls. Different young nobles from all over the capital had already started arriving, chatting and laughing as they waited for the banquet to begin.

It was just a short time before the banquet officially started when the Bai family carriages finally pulled up outside.

Madame Zhang, Madame Liu, Madame Chen, and An Yulan stepped out first, wearing their finest silks and gold jewelry. They held their heads high, trying to look grand and important as they walked inside the decorated hall.

Right behind them, Liu Feng carefully unloaded Zhengyu’s wheelchair from the carriage. Once Zhengyu was seated comfortably, Liu Feng rolled him through the wide entrance.

The moment Zhengyu stepped into the hall, a sudden silence washed over the room. The young nobles stopped talking and turned to stare. Rumors had spread for years that the First Young Master of the Bai family was a weak, dying cripple who never left his room. Yet here he was, sitting straight, looking calm, sharp, and strikingly handsome in his dark silver robes.

Madame Zhang’s face turned red with embarrassment when she saw everyone looking at Zhengyu instead of her branch. She quickly pulled Xiuying along and headed toward their assigned seats.

An Yulan looked around nervously, her eyes darting through the crowd. "Where is Wenjiang?" she muttered under her breath, her hands clenching her sleeves.

She turned around just in time to see her husband stumbling through the door with Bai Kang and Bai Ruizhe. Wenjiang’s face was bright red, his eyes were glossy, and he was laughing way too loudly at a silly joke, reeking of alcohol.

An Yulan gasped in utter horror, her heart dropping to her stomach. "That bastard.. he’s already drunk.. how on earth did he get drunk?!"

Meanwhile, Zhengyu sat calmly near his table, his sharp eyes scanning the grand hall. He didn’t see Yimei anywhere yet, but a cool, knowing smile touched his lips.

Not long after they sat down, a noble family dressed in fine silks walked over to greet them. It was the Xu family, one of the most respected households in the capital.

Madame Xu smiled warmly at Madame Bai. "Madame Bai! It has been too long. It is so good to see your family here today."

"Madame Xu, welcome! It is a joy to see you as well," Madame Bai replied, bowing her head politely with a gentle smile.

Madame Xu’s eyes then drifted past Madame Bai and landed on Zhengyu, who was sitting straight and proud in his wheelchair. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

"My goodness... is this your eldest son, Zhengyu?" Madame Xu asked, her voice full of genuine wonder. "This is our very first time meeting the First Young Master of the Bai family! He looks so handsome, dignified, and sharp. The rumors in the capital really do not do him justice at all."

Madame Bai felt a surge of pride in her heart. She looked at her son with soft eyes and smiled. "Yes, this is my Zhengyu. He decided to join us for the banquet today."

Zhengyu inclined his head slightly toward Madame Xu, his face calm and noble. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Madame Xu."

Standing nearby, Madame Zhang and Madame Liu gripped their silk handkerchiefs so tightly their knuckles turned white. They had spent years telling everyone that Zhengyu was a weak, dying recluse. Seeing him praised so openly by a high-ranking family made their skin crawl with jealousy.

Before Madame Zhang could interrupt with a nasty comment, a loud commotion broke out near the front of the hall.

An Yulan gasped in deep embarrassment. Wenjiang was standing with Bai Kang and Bai Ruizhe, swaying on his feet, laughing loudly, and nearly knocking over a flower vase on a side table.

Madame Xu turned her head, frowning slightly at the noisy display. "Oh dear... who is that young man? He seems to have had far too much to drink before the banquet has even properly started."

Madame Chen’s face flushed bright red.. at this point she already felt like strangling An Yulan for not being able to complete such a simple task.

Madame Zhao quickly looked at her own son, Bai Kang who was standing right beside the drunk fool.

"Stay away from him." She said with her eyes but her fool of a son couldn’t even understand.