Not far away, Quan Jingwu's tall figure leaned against the sofa, his intriguing purple eyes resting on the lotus-like woman, the depths of his gaze revealing a hint of an unreadable dark light.
There were many old friends present, and the patriarch of the An Family couldn't just leave abruptly. He had to politely persuade Jian Qing to stay a bit longer.
While Jian Qing had not yet achieved her purpose for coming here, she wouldn't leave so soon. After all, taking pleasure in the frustrated expressions of the members of the An Family seemed to be a fine affair.
Upon receiving Jian Qing's assurance that she wouldn't leave prematurely, the An Family patriarch breathed a small sigh of relief and settled down in his wheelchair to chat among his group of old friends.
Before departing, he didn't forget to warn An Rong and the others not to disturb Jian Qing. He could see that this young woman was different from the person she was seventeen years ago. So, if they genuinely provoked her, he had a feeling that the losers would end up being An Rong and the others.
Having received the warning from the An Family patriarch, An Rong and the others dared not seek trouble with Jian Qing. Moreover, if they made a ruckus at the banquet, it wouldn't be beneficial to them, and could potentially ruin their reputation and image.
Since no one was causing her any trouble, Jian Qing found a moment of peace and walked over to the rest area. She found an unoccupied sofa and sat down, and quietly played with her mobile phone, as if everything around her was irrelevant.
"Hi, nice to see you again." Quan Yifei approached, leading Quan Mingxuan towards her. Her lively eyes flashed with amusement, and her perky voice was hard to dislike.
Jian Qing glanced at them for a moment, then, less than two seconds later, her eyes returned to her phone.
Despite being snubbed, Quan Yifei wasn't irked. She plopped down in front of Jian Qing, and even pulled Quan Mingxuan to sit with her.
"So, your name is Jian Qing. That's a nice name." Quan Yifei cheerily commented, behaving casually around them, which left Quan Mingxuan somewhat vexed.
Jian Qing remained silent, gifting the pair a sidelong glance.
If it were someone else, they might have thought Jian Qing was being haughty and difficult to approach. However, living with a walking iceberg like Quan Jingwu, Quan Yifei had long become used to such behavior, and seemed unconcerned with Jian Qing's cold demeanor.
"Hey, I really like you. Why don't we be friends?" Quan Yifei's eyes gleamed brightly as she looked at Jian Qing. The intensity of her gaze became a challenge for Jian Qing to ignore.
"Didn't we agree? I return your hat, and we act as strangers." Jian Qing responded in a neutral tone.
Quan Yifei tilted her head, her voice ringing with a touch of delight, "Oh, you're finally talking to me."
This is a good sign. She needs to keep up the momentum.
Jian Qing was speechless.
To avoid drawing attention due to her loud voice, Quan Yifei instantly reined in her exuberant behavior and tried to maintain her ladylike image.
"Jian Qing, I never thought you were part of the An Family. Why haven't I seen you before?" She knew that the eldest grandson of the An Family, An Zhe, wasn't married, and the second grandson, An Chong, had only two children, An Yun and An Yu. So, whose child was Jian Qing?
With narrowed eyes, Jian Qing replied indifferently, "I'm not part of the An Family. My last name is Jian."
Quan Mingxuan, who was highly observant, sensed Jian Qing's dislike when referring to the An Family. He tugged at Quan Yifei, wondering if her intellect could show up for this conversation.
Quan Yifei glanced at Quan Mingxuan, then looked back at Jian Qing, realizing the imprudence of her words. She quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Jian Qing, I didn't mean any harm."
Jian Qing gave a slight shake of her head. Just as her phone vibrated, she looked at the caller ID, stood up and said, "Excuse me, I need to take this call."
Ignoring the surreptitious glances thrown her way, Jian Qing walked towards the balcony by the French windows.
Watching Jian Qing's receding figure, Quan Yifei scratched her head, "Second Brother, what do you think is the real relationship between Jian Qing and the An Family?"
Gazing at the patriarch of the An Family, it was clear that he liked Jian Qing and publicly acknowledged her as his great-granddaughter. But she felt that Jian Qing didn't seem too thrilled, and the other members of the An Family regarded Jian Qing with some hostility.
Quan Mingxuan crossed his arms and chuckled, "It's obvious that Jian Qing and the An Family are at odds. However, the reason for it is something we must ask our grandpa when we go home."
Quan Yifei listened, a myriad of questions popping up in her heart.
On the balcony, Jian Qing noticed her mood lift slightly at the incoming call from Jian Luo. Her eyes softened, turning a few degrees warmer as she smiled at the conversation.
"Alright, I understand."
On the other end of the call, Jian Luo kept urging Jian Qing to take care of herself. This mirth melted into her smile and became more genuine, as opposed to the forced one she put on in front of the others.
"Ok, just don't let those two sell you out while vacationing, or I won't come to bail you out." Listening to her brother talk about his upcoming vacation with Black Jack and Bai Jue, Jian Qing joked playfully.
After chatting for a while, Jian Qing ended the call, and was about to return to the banquet hall. As she turned to leave, she bumped into a sturdy chest.
A faint, frigid scent wafted from the figure, causing Jian Qing to pause momentarily. She reflexively tried to retreat, steadied herself and looked up into a pair of deep purple eyes.
Having lived abroad for many years, she had met individuals with different eye colors, but she had never encountered such captivating purple hues before. Like crystalline amethyst, the luster of his gaze was akin to a universe of its own, which one could unintentionally drown in.
Including Black Jack and Bai Jue, and even her own brother, there were countless good-looking guys around her. However, this man stood out amongst them. With just one look, Jian Qing felt that this man was dangerous.
Rarely did anyone elicit this level of disquiet and urgency in her, especially when she locked eyes with those purple orbs. It was as if she was entirely exposed to him and the vulnerability was akin to being stripped bare under the sunlight, making her slightly irritated.