"But wearing such wealth might not be a good idea, might it? It'll easily steal the spotlight, especially since I'm so beautiful."
Xia Weiliang said with mock seriousness, and Yan Zhi chuckled, "The second half is the real point, isn't it?"
Xiao Yi reached out and pinched her cheek. "For tonight's occasion, I'm not afraid of you stealing the spotlight."
"Really?" Xia Weiliang blinked her eyes. "Well, it is quite difficult to hide my uncontainable charm."
He let out a soft laugh. "Then don't hide it."
Sixth Master's birthday banquet was held at the Purple Gold Villa.
As a celebrity in the entertainment industry, she was no stranger to luxurious venues, and there were even some, like the Xiao family's old residence, that were low-key yet comparable to top-tier gardens.
However, the Purple Gold Villa still exceeded Xia Weiliang's imagination.
After a private jet flight of about two hours, they arrived in D City, where the Purple Gold Villa was located. Looking down from the plane, the mountains were shrouded in mist, a place fit for immortals.
Xia Weiliang found it difficult to reconcile the image of the old man who carried a small bucket to paint with the Sixth Master before her.
She finally understood why Xiao Yi had asked her to dress up. In a place like this, even a phoenix robe wouldn't feel out of place.
The plane landed on the tarmac.
As she stepped off the plane, a red carpet stretched out before her, lined with imposing black-clad bodyguards. Upon seeing her, they called out in unison, "Young Madam!!"
Xia Weiliang stumbled, but luckily Xiao Yi was there to steady her.
"...The pace of entering prosperity is a bit too fast."
Xiao Yi smiled and tucked her arm into his. "Just follow me."
These were Sixth Master's personal arrangements to welcome Xia Weiliang. They walked down the tarmac along the red carpet and entered the mountain villa, then took an internal elevator to the first floor.
The moment the door opened, Xia Weiliang was almost blinded by the glare!
Good heavens, while other houses had crystal chandeliers, Sixth Master had a night-blooming pearl hanging from his ceiling!
Such a large one, she had no idea where he found it!
Xia Weiliang quietly asked Xiao Yi, "Is this a prop from a film crew?"
He replied with mock seriousness, "Well, we can't rule out that possibility."
Seeing him play along with her nonsense so earnestly, Xia Weiliang couldn't help but burst into laughter.
As they entered, the first-floor hall was even larger than a typical hotel ballroom. The guests attending the banquet were all dressed in formal wear and exquisite attire.
Xia Weiliang no longer felt that her outfit was too grand, nor did she mind the weight of the diamonds. Even if she had to carry another two pounds of gold, she wouldn't have batted an eye.
"Xiao Yi!"
Someone called him from across the hall. Xia Weiliang looked up and saw Xiao Yi's grandfather, Xiao Deye.
Xiao Deye was accompanied by his butler, Lin Guanyan, and his eldest daughter, Lin Suixiang. Upon seeing Xiao Yi and Xia Weiliang together, his expression immediately soured.
Lin Suixiang also eyed Xia Weiliang coldly. Seeing how beautiful her gown was, she reluctantly averted her gaze.
Xia Weiliang was undeniably beautiful, and even more so when dressed up like this, her charm captivating. The gap in their appearances was impossible to bridge, so she desperately wished to avoid being in the same frame as Xia Weiliang.
"You go ahead, I'll wander around for a bit."
Xia Weiliang didn't want to cause conflict between him and his grandfather because of her.
But Xiao Yi instead took her hand. "Together."
"But..."
She didn't want to!
Was she the only one who disliked this old man?
She disliked the old man too!
She certainly didn't want to go and grovel.
But she also didn't want to make things difficult for Xiao Yi, so she simply followed him to Xiao Deye. Without regard for whether he was looking at her, she greeted him, "Mr. Xiao," and stood there silently.
Xiao Deye glared at her and spoke to Xiao Yi, "What is this occasion? Why did you bring a little starlet? Don't you think it's beneath you?"
I—damn it!!
Xia Weiliang's temper flared. A little starlet? Even if you'd called me a minor actress, I'd have thought you had some class!
Xiao Yi looked up at his grandfather and said, word by word, "She is my girlfriend."
"Heh, girlfriend? Did I give my consent? If I haven't consented, then she is not," he retorted.
Xia Weiliang truly couldn't stand it anymore. She smiled charmingly and blurted out, "Are you perhaps, Mr. Xiao, also pursuing me?"
"You, what did you say!"
Xiao Deye was greatly alarmed, never expecting her to be so unrestrained with her words!
"Or perhaps not? If you don't want to pursue me, Mr. Xiao, then why should you have to consent to me dating someone else?"
"Xiao Yi is my grandson!"
"Yes, and he is only your grandson."
Xia Weiliang had a personality where the more agitated you became, the more delighted she felt. Seeing Xiao Deye so infuriated, she was overjoyed. "So, please don't say things like dating requires your consent in the future. Logically speaking, it's incorrect and will make others laugh."
"You..."
Lin Suixiang immediately interjected, "Miss Xia, this is a family matter for the Xiao family. Can you please not interfere?"
Xiao Yi glanced at her, his eyes holding a hint of coldness.
Xia Weiliang smiled. "And who might this be... Oh, right, I remember now. It's Miss Lin, the daughter of Uncle Lin, the Xiao family's butler. My memory is so bad, how could I have forgotten Miss Lin?"
Compared to her, the actual girlfriend, Lin Suixiang's words were truly laughable.
Xiao Yi watched her indulge in her verbal sparring, a doting smile on his face, allowing her to speak her mind without intervening.
Just then, someone called out:
"Has my dear granddaughter arrived? Where is she?"
Sixth Master's voice carried through the crowd. The guests then parted like the Red Sea, creating a wide open space in the middle. Xia Weiliang was suddenly exposed to everyone. Fortunately, her years of experience as a celebrity helped her maintain her composure, preventing her legs from giving way, and she stood steadily in place.
Sixth Master, dressed in a simple yet flowing white Tang suit, smiled and walked towards Xia Weiliang. "It's good that you've come!"
Unlike his perfunctory greetings and distant demeanor towards other guests, his attitude towards Xia Weiliang clearly showed genuine warmth and sincerity.