"Shall we go now?" Ning Qianyu smiled and turned to Mu Shengchen. Glancing at her casual clothes, an embarrassed flush coated her cheeks. "I should probably change to a more formal dress. Maybe we should go back–"
"There's no need." She didn't like to wear dresses, so he wouldn't force her to do anything.
Besides, it was freezing right now. If she were to change into formal wear, then that would make her feel even colder. Besides, it's not like they needed to dress up anyway.
It was an annual affair, and nobody really knew his identity. Because of this, being in formal attire was completely necessary. He removed his coat to look more casual with her.
The corners of her lips inched upwards. No matter where he needed to go, he never pressured her to do anything she didn't want to do. And that was why she loved him.
It took them around half an hour to reach the headquarters of the Shengxiang Group. Luckily, they didn't run on any traffic, otherwise, they would've already been late.
As they reached closer and closer to the headquarters, they were immediately overwhelmed with the joyful atmosphere. There were people dancing, guests chatting, and paparazzi waiting outside the bars.
The anniversary celebration of the Shengxiang Group was an extremely important event in the B City. The main roads were all closed to allow all their important guests to pass through without difficulty. The police even participated in blocking all the intersections to make way for them.
As soon as their car entered the vicinity, the policemen guided them to the main streets, where they were met with Shengxiang's security guards.
They immediately slowed to a stop as they listened to their commands. They entered the designated parking lot, where they were held in a traffic lock with the other guests.
Mu Shengchen had been sleeping in the backseat this entire time. When the car halted, he looked around. "What's going on?"
"There's been a traffic jam," the driver replied.
"All right." He closed his eyes again.
Ning Qianyu gazed out the window curiously. Everywhere she looked, she'd see Lincoln limousines, Rolls-Royce, Maseratis. All of the cars she had seen were worth a hundred bucks. Among them, their long Mercedes looked like a poor man's truck.
The owner of the Maserati behind them must've felt the same way. Snorting, he pointed a finger at the Mercedes. "Why the hell is there a Mercedes here?" He sneered.
If you don't drive a luxury car to such a major event, then you'll surely be the talk of the town.
"He must be driving the wrong lane, right? I mean, who drives a Mercedes and attends our anniversary celebration?" The person driving the Lincoln rolled his eyes in disgust. His hair was proudly combed back, and his suit fitted him quite well. It was obviously custom-made. "Is he trying to embarrass himself?"
Ning Qianyu glanced at the two people before looking away. She leaned back against her seat and bowed her head in embarrassment. People were truly too judgmental.
"What's wrong?" He glanced at her. However, just as he was about to look out the window, she pulled him back.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to look at the traffic," she said smoothly.
Not wanting to expose her, he nodded. "If you're in a hurry, we can go in."
As if getting the double meaning behind Mu Shengchen's words, the driver nodded in response. He turned the wheel and drove to the side gate of Shengxiang Group.
The security guard had been blocking the roads and gates surrounding Shengxiang Group. However, as soon as he saw the Mercedes-Benz driving in, he immediately opened the gate and even bowed his head at the driver.
As soon as they saw the blank license plate, they knew that the car came directly from the Vice President's abode. Who would dare turn him away? It was ridiculous!
As soon as the luxury car owners saw the Mercedes-Benz being welcomed in, they scowled at the sight.
"They could go in but we can't?" the others demanded.
The security guards stared blankly at the luxury car owners as if they had just grown two heads. "The car belongs to Vice President Yan's family," they responded casually.
As soon as they heard 'Vice President Yan', they immediately quieted down. How could they compare to him?
Their sneers fell from their faces as they stared at the Mercedes-Benz in awe. They had initially mocked the driver for owning such an ordinary car, but who would've known that the passengers there were keeping a low profile?
No one seemed as arrogant as they had been a few minutes ago.
This was the Shengxiang Group. They really shouldn't judge anyone at face value, like earlier. Anyone who had the chance to be invited to such a praised occasion had an identity that they couldn't dare offend.
As soon as they arrived at the entrance, Assistant Wei was there to greet them.
"Young Master Chen," he greeted as he opened the back door in respect. "President Yan has asked me to wait for you and Young Madame."
"All right." They followed him into the elevator.
Soon enough, they arrived in a well-decorated lounge.
On the right side of the lounge was a round marble table. It had a bouquet of fresh flowers sitting right on top, with beautiful diamond water droplets scattered across the surface. There was a small wine cabinet placed on the left side, holding different kinds of expensive wines and champagnes.
There was a coffee table at the center of the room with fruits, desserts, and even cocktails. Surrounding the tables were genuine leather sofas. It was quite a sight to take in.
"Young Master Chen, the venue is on the first floor. You and Young Mistress can rest in the lounge," he started, waving his hand at all the amenities.
"When the time comes, the deputy can come and–"
"Tell Yan Rui to not bother us," Mu Shengchen interrupted. It held a double meaning to it–that he only came here to attend the celebration. As for the host, he'd still be the one in charge of all the festivities.
Although stunned, Assistant Wei quickly nodded. "Understood."
When he finally left, Mu Shengchen waved her over. "Sit for a while," he invited.
Ning Qianyu sat on the sofa before she picked up a strawberry from the fruit platter. "Here, try this," she said as she placed one into his mouth.
"Do you want a cherry?" she asked.
Mu Shengchen shook his head. Ning Qianyu immediately dug in. Once she tasted all the other fruits, she analyzed the rest, poking a few of them with her fork.
Seeing her childish behavior, he smiled. "Do you want to go look around?"
"I...Would that be okay?" Ning Qianyu looked around. It might cause more trouble for Yan Rui if they did.
He shook his head. "It won't."
After all, Mu Shengchen was the director of the Shengxiang Group. If visiting here would cause them trouble, then why the hell did he even bother building this company from the ground up?
"Then let's go for a walk." Flashing a smile, she buttoned up his open collar and pushed him out of the lounge.
It would be a lie if Ning Qianyu wasn't the slightest bit curious about the place they were in. After all, Shengxiang Group was the number one corporation in China.
They walked around the second floor, before they headed down to the first floor.
The first floor was the celebration venue. With beautiful statues looming over the area and exclusively exhibited paintings, everything was decorated quite tastefully. More and more guests started to arrive, and soon enough, they found themselves completely surrounded by people.
They soon found a remote area to sit down. Ning Qianyu saw one of the waiters walk past them. He was holding a tray of red wine, but just as she was about to grab two glasses, he stopped her. "You don't have to drink with that."
"But I want to drink with you."
"Bring me two glasses of warm milk," he instructed the waiter before whispering in her ear. "Then let me adjust for you."