Upon entering the hall, it was hard to recognize who was who with the number of people present. That was why the rich never failed to attend any banquet or strove to attend them, because everyone here, every single person, was a household name with accomplishments to their credit. Whether they worked in different or the same fields, connections still proved to be beneficial in one way or another.
What set the rich and the wealthy apart was that the rich only had their money. The wealthy, however, could go broke and still stand on their feet like nothing happened, because they knew people who would help them out, people who believed in them enough to invest in their ideas.
The couple went to greet the host, Old Master Lu and the First Elder Master, who flanked the Prime Minister between them.
"How have you been, Old Master Lu?"
The old master glanced at them, a smile on his face. "Thank you, I've been well. And you?"
They exchanged pleasantries, as if the underground rivalry between the two families didn't exist.
Yes, the Lu and Jian families weren't really close. In fact, there was a faint undercurrent between them.
Despite that, the two families who were equals in status, with both claiming the title of one of the Four Overlords of Water City believed in maintaining a calm surface. After all, each side knew what the other was truly capable of, and they wouldn't hurt each other in order to maintain the power balance.
After wishing the three men good health with a perfect smile, the couple could finally start networking.
Su Nian glanced at her husband. "Let's go greet Old Madam Lu. After that, you can go chat with your brothers and let them introduce you to people. They wouldn't ignore you in this kind of setting."
The Jian brothers were all actively competing for the Heir position. Inside the clan, they were like fire and water, but outside, they maintained a united front. Though the First Master, Jian Yizhen, might be grumpy about it, he would have no choice but to introduce Jian Mingzhen to others.
It was a shameless tactic to force the latter to compromise.
Jian Mingzhen found nothing wrong with it and nodded.
His gaze swept past Little Jian Yue, who was holding her mother's hand. Then he beckoned to a waitress.
"May I ask, is there a children's playground here?"
The waitress bowed and nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Okay. Please help me take my little daughter there."
He signaled to Jian Yue. "Yue'er, you can go play with your mates."
Jian Yue nodded obediently and followed the waitress.
Once their daughter was out of sight, the couple communicated with their eyes and linked their arms together. "Let's go."
At Old Madam Lu's side, the atmosphere was warm and serene, with the faint scent of osmanthus lingering in the air.
Young ladies and madams dressed intricately surrounded the Old Madam, their manners impeccable, their faces rosy, and perfect smiles lingering on their lips. They were all here to flatter the old woman. After all, her son was the Prime Minister of the country, and even without that, her connections alone rivaled anyone else's.
One of the young madams couldn't help but ask, thinking the beautiful girl she couldn't help but stared at was a 'girl.'
"Old Ma, who is this cute young girl?"
There was a hushed silence as everyone stilled. Their gazes fell on the woman who had just spoken, filled with both pity and ridicule. That's what you get for being so nosy. How could you ask such a question here?
The young 'girl' in question was a little one with a frail stature, and a He. However, his androgynous appearance made it difficult to tell his gender, with his long hair making one defaulted to him being a girl. His skin was sickly pale, and his features were pleasing to the eyes, he looked so much like a doll. His dark, bright eyes however held nothing—an expression you wouldn't expect from a little one. It was an empty gaze.
The woman could feel the others' gazes on her but had no idea what she had said or done wrong. She could only clamp her mouth shut and try to reduce her presence.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, the old woman's expression softened even more, the corners of her eyes crinkling with a smile. "This is Lu Jianchen, my little grandson. He will turn six this year." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Say hi to them, would you?"
"...Hi." It was hoarse to the ear, emotionless and cold.
The young madams present, however, showed none of their thoughts.
The woman who had asked the question earlier instantly realized her mistake and corrected herself. "The young master is so cute."
"Yes, already so charming at such a young age."
"The Lu family genes are indeed strong."
The women wagged their tongues and offered endless praise, and Old Madam Lu's expression could only be described as proud and smug.
The little boy being praised remained stoic. Unlike other young masters whose cheeks would have turned red from the attention, his eyes were still cold. Those dark eyes, like black holes, made people uncomfortable to look at.
In fact, this little boy was no stranger to the upper-class circle. Five years ago, there was a rumor that the Prime Minister—who hadn't yet been appointed then—was caught in bed with a maid. Though the Lu family had quickly dismissed the rumor, people never forgot.
Now, a child identical to the Prime Minister had appeared. He was not one the ladies had seen or heard of before, yet the Old Madam claimed he was her grandson.
They all knew that this young boy was probably the result of that maid's scandalous night with her master.
Seeing how gentle the Old Madam was with him, they could already understand that he was favored, despite his unclean background. They had thought the Lu family would eliminate the stain—after all, the maid had disappeared. But it turned out, they had embraced it openly.