The charity gala was held as scheduled on Thursday evening.
The banquet was held at a five-star hotel owned by the Lu Group. Most of the attendees were prominent figures in Yucheng, and some business celebrities also came from other places to participate.
The hotel was booked by the organizers, and after the banquet, guests who needed it could get a free room key to rest and spend the night in their hotel rooms.
At 7:30 p.m., Qin Jia followed Qin Mo and Shen Yushu into the banquet hall.
The banquet hall is very large, with a stage at the front and seats below the stage. Each seat has a nameplate, and guests can check in according to their assigned number.
The donation event hadn't officially started yet; it was free time. People gathered on the outdoor lawn next to the banquet hall, which was beautifully decorated with flowers, balloons, and colorful lights, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
Despite practicing at home for two days, Qin Jia still wasn't used to walking in high heels. She linked arms with Qin Mo, walking slowly and cautiously forward. By the time they reached the entrance to the lawn, Shen Yushu was nowhere to be seen.
Qin Jia looked around and asked Qin Mo, "Xiao Mo, where did Mom go?"
Qin Mo had been told by Shen Yushu to keep it a secret, so he thought for a moment but didn't say anything. He said half-truthfully, "A lot of business tycoons came today. She went to make friends. Sis, you know, Mom is a workaholic."
Qin Jia seemed to understand something. "Oh."
Everywhere you look, there are strangers. Men and women, dressed in elegant formal attire, each with a glass of champagne, are chatting animatedly, their laughter filling the air.
Qin Jia hesitated a little. She pulled her shawl tighter and unconsciously tightened the hand that was gripping Qin Mo's arm.
"Then..." Qin Jia took a deep breath, looked up at Qin Mo, "What do we do next?"
Qin Mo smiled faintly, "If you'd like, you can socialize like everyone else here. If not, find a place to sit and eat something you like."
"Sis, which one do you choose?" he asked.
Qin Jia was dizzy, but she chose the second option without hesitation. Qin Mo smiled and led her to sit down on a sofa in the corner. Then, he went to the food section, picked up some pastries and small cakes, and placed them on two plates on the table in front of her.
After placing the porcelain plate, Qin Mo looked down at the table and felt that something was still missing.
He turned around, glanced at the food section, and then asked Qin Jia, "Would you like something to drink?"
Qin Jia looked at the champagne in people's hands and said with some eagerness, "I want to drink that."
The environment was noisy, and her voice was a little soft, so Qin Mo couldn't hear her clearly. He bent down and leaned forward to listen, "Which one do you want? Point it out to me."
Qin Jia pointed to the champagne piled up like a small mountain not far away, and Qin Mo immediately shook his head, "No."
"Sister, alcohol is bad for your health." Qin Mo looked at her and emphasized repeatedly, "You can't drink it."
Qin Jia blinked her almond-shaped eyes lightly, "Really not?"
Qin Mo said decisively, "Champagne is out of the question. Juice, coffee, or corn juice are all up to you."
Qin Jia sat up straight and said seriously, "Xiao Mo, I want to drink champagne, just one sip."
"Just one bite, is that okay?"
Helpless, Qin Mo sat down opposite her and started arguing with her, "Sis, you've always had a low alcohol tolerance. You could get drunk after just one glass of low-alcohol fruit beer."
"The banquet ends at ten o'clock. If you remain unconscious throughout the time," he said, raising his hand as if to slit his throat, "Ms. Shen will not let me off the hook."
Qin Jia still tried to argue, "I won't drink a whole glass, but a sip should be fine, right?"
Qin Mo: "Not even a single drop."
"Have you forgotten last night?"
Qin Jia was still shaken when she mentioned last night. She gave a dry laugh and said, "I'll just have orange juice. Could you please get it for me?"
Last night, the housekeeper made osmanthus-flavored rice wine. She tried a few sips, and as soon as she put down the spoon, she felt dizzy. Later, she ran to the yard by herself, hugged the locust tree, and called for her grandmother many times.
This morning when she woke up, Qin Mo showed her the video. In the video, she was hugging a locust tree and muttering to herself, pouring out her grievances and repeatedly saying that she wanted to go back to the forest.
The worst part was that a lot of people were surrounding her, and they heard everything she said.
Qin Jia's first reaction after watching the video was relief—relief that everyone thought she was just having a drunken fit. Otherwise, she would have ended up either in a mental hospital or a science lab.
Just like in the movies.
Qin Jia took a sip of the sweet and sour orange juice through the straw, then looked up at Qin Mo: "Xiao Mo, if you want to chat, go ahead and chat. Don't worry about me. Don't worry, I'll stay here and not go anywhere."
Qin Mo hesitated: "But Mom told me to stay with you every step of the way..."
Qin Jia smiled and said, "She's not here, and you don't have much free time. You should hurry up."
Qin Mo stood up. "Then I'll go."
Qin Jia nodded, slightly lowered her eyes, picked up a fork, took a small piece of rose and water chestnut rice cake, and slowly put it into her mouth.
The rice cake had a sweet and refreshing taste, mixed with the flavor of roses, leaving a delicate fragrance on the lips and teeth. After finishing the one in her mouth, Qin Jia forked another piece.
Qin Jia's seat offered a great view; looking up, she could see the stars twinkling, and a gentle breeze carried the fragrance of roses from the courtyard wall, a truly delightful experience.
She tasted another piece of mung bean cake, put down her fork, and rested her chin on her hand to admire the night view above.
Qin Jia lingered outside the crowd, contentedly enjoying the moment; everything seemed perfect.
However, what she didn't know was that a few meters away from her, several socialites from Yucheng were secretly gossiping about her.
"Do you guys know which family's daughter that Young Master Qin brought is? I have absolutely no recollection of her."
"I heard she's Zhen Yuan's jewelry designer, from a fairly ordinary family, and doesn't seem to have any special background."
"An ordinary white-collar worker who could get Qin Mo to bypass his terrible mother and spend millions on a dress must be someone no ordinary person."
"Several million? Shuangshuang, are you sure you didn't misread that?"
"You're absolutely right. The dress is a new haute couture design from V's, and there's only one in the entire city of Yucheng," Xu Shuang said. "I asked a sales assistant when I was shopping at the mall yesterday, and she said that Qin Mo's girlfriend bought the dress."
"But isn't this a charity gala? Is she crazy to dress so extravagantly? What if she can't even donate a fraction of the dress's value? Wouldn't that be a laughing stock?"
"Hey, just wait and see. Even Young Master Qin isn't in a hurry, so why are you?"
"That's true."
"..."
As the group got into their conversation, they noticed that Luo Shiqing was silent and couldn't help but ask her, "Shiqing, why do you seem so absent-minded? Are you feeling unwell?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Shiqing shook her head, gently swirled the stemmed glass in her hand, and tilted her head back to take a sip of champagne.
The refreshing fruity aroma filled her mouth. She pursed her lips and said, "No, I was just thinking about how I should face Lu Tingzhou when I see him later."
"Lu Tingzhou?" Xu Shuang snorted, standing up for Luo Shiqing. "Why do you care about him? Just treat him like he's not there, be aloof, and don't give him a second glance."
"A good horse doesn't turn back to eat the grass it already grazed. Since he rejected the arranged marriage, don't keep pursuing him. There are plenty of good men in the world. If all else fails, you can find a cute, obedient young man. Why hang yourself on an old man?"
Luo Shiqing coughed lightly and said weakly, "Speaking of which, twenty-seven isn't considered an old man, is it? I'm already twenty-five myself, not much younger than him."
When her age was mentioned, the people around her said in unison, "Qingqing will always be eighteen."
Luo Shiqing was amused, and the tension in her heart eased a little. "Thank you for comforting me. I'll just wander around and get some fresh air."
"Don't go too far. The voluntary donation will begin in about ten minutes."
Luo Shiqing: "I understand."
-
Qin Jia tried several different positions to look at the stars, but as she looked, her eyes started to sting, and she felt drowsy and suddenly lost her energy.
She slowly recalled the wake-up techniques she had recently learned on television, stood up from her seat, hooked her arms around each other, and slowly moved her shoulders.
As she moved, the vintage knitted shawl slipped off and fell onto the sofa chair.
A cool evening breeze swept in, and Qin Jia quickly sat down and put her shawl back on.
Looking up again, there was another person in front of her, a young woman. She was wearing a red strapless dress, the dress was well-tailored, and there was a rose at her waist. Combined with her makeup and long curly hair, she looked bright and beautiful.
The other person smiled at her and said gently, "Hello, may I sit across from you?"
Qin Jia gave a soft "hmm" and smiled in response, "Please sit down, there's no one across from you."
Qin Jia sat up straight, recalling the movements while stretching her neck. After completing the set, she noticed the young woman opposite her staring intently at her. After a moment's thought, she tentatively asked, "Does your neck hurt too?"
On the other side, Luo Shiqing was stunned.
She was stunned for a couple of seconds, then quickly realized what was happening and laughed, "My neck doesn't hurt."
"Are you hungry?" Qin Jia pointed to the pastries on the table. "Eat whatever you like, don't be shy."
Luo Shiqing looked at the person in front of her. Several friends said that she was scheming and not simple, but at this moment, she just stared straight at her, and she could not read a trace of complicated emotions in those beautiful eyes.
She is very simple, so simple that everything about her is transparent.
"May I have your name?"
"Are you asking me?" Qin Jia pointed to himself. "My name is Qin Jia, and Jia means commendation."
"And you?"
Qin Jia was not wary of girls, and she answered their questions naturally.
"My name is Luo Shiqing. Shi means poetry and painting, and Qing means sunshine after the rain."
Poetic and picturesque, the sky clears after the rain.
Beautiful words.
Qin Jia smiled and said to her, "Your name is very nice. It's a pleasure to meet you."
After she finished speaking, a string of information suddenly popped into her mind. She paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered that the important female supporting character in this story world seemed to be named Luo Shiqing.
Unfortunately, no matter how many scenes she has, she's just cannon fodder. Every time the plot requires her, she'll jump out and cause trouble for the female lead. At this time, the male lead will appear in time to save the damsel in distress and help the female lead solve the problem. Afterwards, the two will develop feelings for each other and become very affectionate.
Qin Jia slowly came back to her senses. Looking at the beautiful woman in front of her, she found it hard to imagine her turning bad.
This was their first meeting; they had no past grievances or animosity towards each other. She didn't need to develop any negative feelings towards her; they could simply interact normally.
Qin Jia put aside the plot, silently adjusted her mood, and didn't say anything unnecessary.
Luo Shiqing took the initiative to ask her, "Miss Qin, I'm a little curious, how did you manage to win over the young master of the Qin family? Did you have any secret tricks?"
Qin Jia was suddenly taken aback.
Her mind raced, trying to decipher the meaning of the word "chase" she had uttered.
A flood of information came in, and after careful consideration, Qin Jia asked her for confirmation: "Miss Luo, when you say 'pursue,' do you mean 'pursue'?"
Luo Shiqing nodded.
Qin Jia chuckled, "I think you've misunderstood. My relationship with Qin Mo isn't what you're thinking."
"He is my younger brother."
Luo Shiqing paused, a blank expression appearing on her face, before she suddenly realized what was going on.
"You mean, we should be friends first, call each other family, and then develop feelings for each other over time?"
Qin Jia: "Huh?"
"That's a good idea."
Qin Jia: "..."
Why doesn't anyone believe her when she tells the truth? Maybe the original owner of this body really didn't have much of a presence.
So much so that even when she revealed her identity, no one connected her with the eldest daughter of the Qin family.
Qin Jia sighed, channeling her frustration into her appetite, and picked up a fork to eat a piece of strawberry cake.
The strawberry cake here is pretty good, but it's still a bit inferior to the one from that night on the cruise.
Just then, Luo Shiqing spoke up again: "Qin Jia, the free donation session is coming up in a little while. How much are you planning to donate?"
Qin Jia looked up and asked, "Is there a rule about how much to donate? Like, a minimum amount or something?"
Luo Shiqing pointed to the dress she was wearing, "Your outfit costs almost five million. When you donate later, I advise you to keep a low profile and stay by Qin Mo's side so he can donate. That way, no one will gossip."
"Five million?" Qin Jia was both surprised and bewildered. She untied her shawl and looked at the dress she was wearing. "I bought this dress for fifty thousand. The high heels were a free gift. The bracelet and bag together cost no more than one hundred thousand."
"How come it's already five million?"
Luo Shiqing was stunned. She didn't expect Qin Mo to be so generous, quoting only 50,000 for a dress worth millions. It seemed that he really liked this girlfriend and went to great lengths to protect her self-esteem.
The words had already been spoken, and there was no reason to take them back. Luo Shiqing went along with it and asked, "Miss Qin, is your dress from the V brand?"
Qin Jia nodded in agreement, then suddenly recalled that the sales clerk's behavior on the day she bought the dress did seem a bit off. Qin Mo wasn't there when she bought the dress, which meant that Lu Tingzhou had paid for it for her.
Has Lu Tingzhou gone mad? Why would he give her a dress worth millions? Could it be to embarrass her at a charity gala?
But if he really wanted to humiliate her, he could just buy her a dress worth a few hundred thousand. After all, in his eyes, she was just an office worker, and being able to afford a dress worth a few hundred thousand was already a sign of respect for her.
Qin Jia racked her brains but couldn't come up with an answer. She gave up, wiped her lips with a tissue, shifted back, and lay down on the sofa to rest.
Luo Shiqing was startled by this. "Miss Qin, what's wrong? Did I scare you?"
Qin Jia waved his hand weakly and said, "My brain is about to short-circuit, I need to rest for a while."
"Do as you please, don't worry about me."
Luo Shiqing sat back down in a daze, looking at Qin Jia, a sense of guilt inexplicably rising in her heart.
If Qin Mo isn't here later and Qin Jia doesn't have money to donate, she can spare some for her. It's all money going to be donated anyway, so it doesn't matter whose name it is.
Qin Jia lay there for a while, then music started playing and the host called for everyone to gather, saying that the voluntary donation event was about to begin.
Qin Jia sat up, opened her handbag, took out her wallet, glanced at it, and confirmed that her bank cards were inside. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Yushu gave her eight million, and after donating five million, she still had three million left, which was more than enough for her.
Furthermore, spending five million to buy the Qin Group a reputation for being philanthropic is not a bad deal.