"Jing Ning," her mother called softly.
"Yes, Mom?"
Mrs. Jing's voice was firm yet gentle. "Today is my friend's daughter's engagement party, and you will escort me. I've already called the makeup artist for you, and you are going to wear this silver dress."
Jing Ning turned her head, a protest forming on her lips. "Mom..." But before she could finish, Mrs. Jing interrupted, "This is a command, not advice."
In the car, Jing Ning sat beside her mother, looking radiant like the morning sun. Her phone buzzed with a message from Mu Chen. **"Ning, why haven't you come yet?"**
She quickly replied, **"I'm sorry, my mother asked me to escort her to an engagement party."**
**"Okay, no problem. Where is the place?"**
**"I don't know, but let me ask my mom."**
She smiled and held her mother's hand. "Mom, where is the venue? Meng Xian is coming too."
Mrs. Jing thought to herself, **"Does she understand it's her engagement party? That's why she even invited her best friend."** She then said aloud, "It's at Crystal Hotel, Hall 002."
Jing Ning typed a message to Mu Chen. **"Dear, what a coincidence. The engagement party I'm attending is your brother's engagement. Oh, we are already in front of Crystal Hotel."**
He replied, **"Okay, wait for me in the hall. I went to bring the bride's ring."**
**"Okay, see you,"** she responded, her heart fluttering with anticipation.
---
The car ride was filled with a quiet tension, the kind that precedes a significant revelation. Jing Ning's mind raced with thoughts, her heart a mix of curiosity and unease. As they arrived at the Crystal Hotel, the grandeur of the venue only heightened her sense of foreboding.
Inside the hall, the ambiance was one of opulence and celebration. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow over elegantly set tables, and the air was filled with the soft murmur of guests mingling. Jing Ning's silver dress shimmered under the lights, making her look ethereal.
She stood at the entrance, waiting for Mu Chen, her thoughts a whirlwind. **"What does he want to tell me? Why does this feel so significant?"**
As she waited, the doors opened, and Mu Chen walked in, his presence commanding and reassuring. He approached her with a smile, his eyes reflecting the same mix of emotions she felt.
"Jing Ning," he said softly, taking her hand. "Let's go inside."
Together, they stepped into the hall, unaware of the surprise that awaited them. The night was about to unfold in ways neither of them could have anticipated, their fates intertwined in a dance of love and destiny.
As Mrs. Jing watched her daughter, Jing Ning, enter the venue, a complex mix of emotions washed over her. Pride was the first to surface; Jing Ning looked stunning in her silver dress, her beauty and grace undeniable. Mrs. Jing felt a swell of maternal pride, seeing her daughter poised and elegant, ready to face the world.
However, this pride was tinged with a deep sense of worry and guilt. She knew the true purpose of the evening, and the weight of that secret pressed heavily on her heart. **"Is this the right decision?"** she questioned herself, torn between her duty to the family and her love for her daughter.
There was also a flicker of hope. Mrs. Jing believed that this arranged marriage could secure a stable future for Jing Ning, especially given the company's precarious situation. She hoped that Jing Ning would come to understand and accept the necessity of this union.
Yet, beneath all these emotions lay a profound sadness. Mrs. Jing was acutely aware of Jing Ning's independent spirit and her desire to choose her own path. She feared that this decision might drive a wedge between them, causing her daughter to resent her.
As Jing Ning walked into the hall, Mrs. Jing's eyes followed her every step, a silent prayer on her lips. **"Please, let her find happiness in this, even if she doesn't see it now."** The evening was a delicate balance of celebration and unspoken tension, with Mrs. Jing's heart caught in the middle, hoping for the best but bracing for the challenges ahead.