DASFAM_28

"......"

Faced with the sudden interrogation, Fang Yuhua's back stiffened.

Bai Xu read something off in her expression and, sensing the moment, fell quiet and made herself scarce.

Sure enough, some of the guests around them caught on. "So the Old Master is saying, the Bai couple wasn't on the guest list?"

Someone chimed in, "That must be it. Come to think of it, I've never seen the Bais at any banquet of this caliber before. They must have pulled strings to sneak in through the back door, right?"

The floodgates of gossip opened. A snicker cut through the crowd. "Every circle has its own rules. If you can't even clear the most basic entry bar, showing up like this is just embarrassing."

"Alright, alright– shh, keep it down."

"……"

Perhaps out of deference to Old Master Shang, the murmuring around them tapered off somewhat— but the looks of contempt directed at Bai Rendao only multiplied, piling on until they were nearly enough to pierce right through him.

Bai Rendao's earlier composure deserted him entirely. His face flushed hot in an instant.

Old Master Shang turned his gaze to the one responsible for all of this. Without even raising his voice, his authority filled the air. "Second daughter-in-law. I'm speaking to you."

Qian Shuling, still hoping to salvage some shred of dignity for herself and her husband, rushed to answer. "Old Master, it was the Second Madam who invited us. After all, our two families are— are practically in-laws. We only came to offer our congratulations to you and the Old Madam, and to pay a visit while we were at it—"

Bai Rendao quickly shouldered his way over to stop her. "Don't say another word!"

Wasn't the slap to the face already stinging enough? The more she explained, the worse it looked. Never in his life had he felt such humiliation, he would have gladly sunk into the floor and disappeared.

The next second, Fang Yuhua's voice cut in to deny it. "Mrs. Bai, what nonsense are you spouting? When did I ever invite you?"

She fixed a glare on Qian Shuling across from her. She could have strangled the woman where she stood.

The guest list for this banquet had been drawn up by Fang Yuhua herself, then submitted to Old Master Shang for review. The Bai couple had never been on the original list— only, because of the business arrangement behind that 'marriage alliance,' the Bai family had maintained certain ties with the second branch.

Word of the banquet's guest roster had reached them, and the Bais were eager to get their hands on an invitation— a chance to widen their social connections. So Qian Shuling had privately showered Fang Yuhua with gifts and no shortage of flattery.

All that fawning had gone to Fang Yuhua's head a little over the past while.

She had told herself that as long as the two of them didn't cause a scene, squeezing two extra names onto the end of the list should be harmless— and as a bonus, having a 'small-time family' present might even give her an opening to take another jab at Bai Xu.

And so, with that small private calculation in mind, Fang Yuhua had never mentioned any of this to Old Master Shang. She had assumed she held enough authority to open that back door on her own.

What she hadn't anticipated was that the Bai couple would walk straight into a cannon the moment they arrived, and drag her down with them!

Shang Yun watched the old master's expression and quietly pulled free the hand his wife had looped through his arm. "Yuhua, what exactly is going on here?"

Fang Yuhua found her arm suddenly empty. She faltered for a moment before defending herself. "They were the ones who claimed to be relatives of the third branch and pestered me for days begging for an invitation! I thought—"

She cast a pleading look toward the Old Madam, doing her best to come across as gracious and accommodating. "They do share some family connection with Bai Xu, after all, so out of courtesy I agreed to invite them."

Zhang Changning couldn't help leaning close to Bai Xu's ear. "Tch. Now she knows to use you as a shield."

Bai Xu watched all of this unfold with cool detachment. There was no need for him to insert himself into this drama any further.

Besides, in a setting like this, things couldn't be allowed to get too awkward—not with so many guests around to witness the spectacle. Holding his tongue and staying out of it was, in the end, the move that would earn him the better impression.

The Old Madam was a shrewd woman. "All guests are welcome."

She glanced at the silent Bai Xu and then at the Bai couple standing stiffly in place, and stepped in to smooth things over. "Bai Xu is one of our Shang family. Second daughter-in-law said it well. Out of regard for him, Mr. Bai and Mrs. Bai naturally had to be invited."

The Old Madam had both the poise and the social intelligence to turn any situation to her advantage. With just a few words she had made it clear: the only reason the Bai couple had a place at this banquet was because the Shang family valued Bai Xu.

She turned to Bai Rendao and Qian Shuling, whose faces had already taken on a distinctly uncomfortable look. "It is we who have been poor hosts. Please forgive any oversights on our part."

"Not at all, not at all– we wouldn't dare think that."

"We only came to present our congratulations to the two elders. We'll be on our way once we've done so."

With no face left to lose by staying, Bai Rendao was quick to take the offered way out. "Old Master Shang, we hope to call on you again when the opportunity arises."

Old Master Shang gave a slight nod. Not a single word of polite protest passed his lips.

Had the Bai family still been under the old master Bai's hand, he might genuinely have shown them some courtesy— but for Bai Rendao and Qian Shuling, who now held the reins, he felt nothing but quiet disdain.

Bai Rendao and Qian Shuling made their exit under the eyes of the entire room, their pace hurried, their retreating figures carrying a faint air of disheveled defeat.

Bai Xu drew his gaze back, and the corner of his mouth curved, just slightly, in a way few would catch:

Reach for what was never yours, and sooner or later you bring the stone crashing down on your own foot. The Bai family had well and truly disgraced themselves today. From this day on, the circles of the capital would have one more tale to pass around over tea!

"......"

Old Master Shang cast a long, measured look at Bai Xu and steered the conversation elsewhere. "Not everyone is here yet?"

Shang Yun, aware that his wife had put the old master in a sour mood, stepped forward to answer. "Father, all the guests have arrived. It's just a few of our own family still missing."

With the room listening, he made a point of accounting for the other branches. "Eldest Sister just called to say she's caught in traffic and won't make it for a while. Little sister is still abroad."

Old Master Shang thought of that daughter of his who wanted nothing to do with marriage and only had leisure on her mind. He let out a low grunt. "Don't bother about her."

The Old Madam smiled and picked up the thread. "Your little sister just did a video call with us a moment ago. Oh, and where is Xiao Yan?"

The question was directed at Bai Xu.

Bai Xu made no mention of Shang Queyan's rehabilitation. "Old Madam, the Fourth Young Master will be here shortly."

Old Master Shang had been feeling an unsettled flutter in his chest since that morning, and a touch of peevishness crept into him now. "Not one of them takes it seriously!"

Did no one know what day today was? Here they were, already at the hour, and more than half the family was still missing.

The Old Madam patted his wrist to calm him, keeping her voice gentle. "Enough, the children coming at all is already something. What does it matter, early or late? Let's have everyone take their seats. At your age, don't make a scene."

Old Master Shang took the counsel and drew a steady breath, composing himself into the manner of a proper host. "Everyone, my apologies. You've been treated to quite the spectacle. Please, do take your seats!"

The Old Madam added her own words. "We are grateful to each of you for honoring us with your presence today."

"Old Madam, you're too kind."

"In all of the capital's circles, who doesn't know that you and the Old Master are a love story worth telling? Today we've all come specially to admire it for ourselves."

"Exactly."

A chorus of responses—genuine warmth mixed with flattery—rippled through the room, and everyone moved to find their seats.

Bai Xu was seated beside the two Zhang brothers.

Zhang Changning leaned over to him. "Bai Xu, how is Queyan's rehabilitation going? I've been asking him on WeChat lately and all I ever get back is 'fine'."

Bai Xu smiled. "Should be going well. You'll see him yourself in a bit, judge for yourself then."

"Alright."

The doors to the banquet hall were suddenly pushed open from outside, and a moment later a ripple of quiet commotion stirred through the crowd at the back.

Bai Xu turned to look, but the glare of the overhead lights blurred his view. Zhang Changning, craning his neck beside him, couldn't make it out either. "Who is it, coming in like that?"

Zhang Changxu, seated on the same side, spoke up. "Looks like Shang Qishun and his family."

"……"

The first branch?

Something shifted in Bai Xu's expression. He looked more carefully, and the legendary 'Shang first branch' came into focus.

The middle-aged woman leading the way wore a black tailored dress and carried a figure that could rival any model's. Her hair was swept entirely back, and the air of haughtiness in her brows and eyes bore a certain resemblance to Old Master Shang.

The middle-aged man beside her had on a bespoke suit, but stood at most around one seventy-five, and the softening that comes with middle age had set in— altogether, he cut an unremarkable figure.

Zhang Changning leaned in close and filled Bai Xu in with eager curiosity. "Bai Xu, this must be your first time seeing the first branch. See the one walking in front? That's the Old Master's eldest daughter."

At the time Shang Keyi graduated from university, the Shang Group was at a pivotal stage of going public, and it was she who had helped Old Master Shang resolve a number of thorny problems.

In her day, Shang Keyi had been known throughout the capital's circles as exceptional— beautiful, accomplished, with no shortage of admirers.

"Her husband's name is Wu Wei. He married into the family."

"Word has it he originally applied to be Shang Keyi's executive secretary, and somehow the two of them ended up together. Grandfather Shang was furious over it."

Zhang Changxu fixed his eyes on his brother, who showed no sign of stopping. "Where are you getting all this? Don't go spreading things around."

"I'm not making any of it up. Grandfather told me himself before he passed." Zhang Changning wrinkled his nose and went right on chattering to his friend. "The whole thing drove a serious wedge between father and daughter. The Old Master even stripped her of her position for quite a long stretch."

But Shang Keyi refused to back down— breaking up simply wasn't going to happen. In the end, the man was willing to marry into her family, and only then did Old Master Shang reluctantly give his blessing.

"They only had one son after they married, who took the Shang name. Technically the Old Master's first grandson, his name is Shang Qishun."

As he spoke, Shang Qishun came into Bai Xu's line of sight from the back of the group.

The man wore a suit in a deep champagne tone. His commanding height clearly took after his mother. He had on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and from a distance there was something about him that carried the distinct air of a wolf in scholar's clothing.

As they drew closer, Bai Xu understood the reason for the surprised murmurs from the back rows—

Walking beside Shang Qishun was a young woman with striking, composed features, and the two of them were holding hands.

Zhang Changning only caught this now. "Whoa, Shang Qishun has a girlfriend? Since when?"

Zhang Changxu wasn't close with Shang Qishun. "No idea."

Bai Xu didn't join in the brothers' exchange. His gaze, carrying a quiet scrutiny, stayed fixed on Shang Qishun.

Then, without warning, Shang Qishun's eyes swept across as he walked— and for one brief, unmistakable second, they settled on Bai Xu's face before moving quickly on.

"……"

First impressions between people mattered.

In the original story, this was the rival who matched Shang Yanxiao in every measure of ability and had caused Shang Queyan no small amount of trouble. Now that Bai Xu saw him in person, what he felt instead was a vague, hard-to-name antagonism.

In the silence, the first branch made their way directly to the head of the main table and offered their greetings to the Shang elders.

"Father. Mother."

"Grandfather. Grandmother. We're back."

Old Master Shang sat unmoved as a mountain. "Good that you're back."

The Old Madam noticed the young woman beside her eldest grandson— surprised and a little caught off guard. "Qishun, who is this?"

Shang Qishun had long anticipated this question. He tightened his hold on the hand beside him. "Grandfather, Grandmother, let me introduce her. This is my girlfriend, Bai Hui."

Bai Hui offered a poised smile. "Old Master Shang, Old Madam Shang, how do you do. It is a pleasure to meet you. Wishing you both the best of health."

Guests began murmuring with curious interest. "Bai family? Which Bai family?"

"Why does this girl look somehow familiar to me?"

Shang Keyi took the opportunity to make introductions. "Father, Mother. Bai Hui's father is the Vice Minister of Commerce for foreign affairs. The cross-sea bridge project our Shang Group recently took on was personally spearheaded by Vice Minister Bai. Xiao Hui and Qishun met through work."

She glanced over at the two young people beside her and raised her voice a touch. "They haven't been together very long, but they get along well in every respect. Barring anything unexpected, both families intend to hold an engagement in the second half of the year."

What sounded like the simplest of introductions carried enormous weight—

Bai Hui was the daughter of the Vice Minister of Commerce? And Shang Qishun was to be engaged to her before the year was out?

If the Shang Group gained this kind of connection, wouldn't future approvals and construction for major overseas projects have yet another layer of assurance and quiet support behind them?

Quite a few guests caught on, and the congratulations came openly. "My goodness. The first branch is out of the country for three months and comes back with a surprise like this! Congratulations to the Old Master and Old Madam, you're about to have such a lovely granddaughter-in-law!"

Among the guests seated further back, quieter conversations stirred. "Look at the way the first branch knows how to make an entrance. Forget the second branch, even the third branch here couldn't hold a candle to this, could they?"

"If I'm not mistaken, that cross-sea project was originally under Shang Yanxiao's oversight. A shame, a deal nearly sealed, handed over to the first branch just like that."

"And the contrast in backgrounds, too— the Bai family compared to that one from the Bai family the third branch brought in, it's worlds apart."

"Actually, Bai Hui and Shang Yanxiao would make quite a fitting pair."

"What are you going on about, didn't they just say she's getting engaged to Shang Qishun? What does the third branch have to do with any of this?"

Zhang Changning caught the rather pointed remarks floating over from the tables behind them and muttered with some irritation, "These people, can't even eat a meal without so much commentary."

He stole a careful glance at the person beside him. "Bai Xu, don't take it to heart."

A flicker of quiet amusement passed through Bai Xu's lowered eyes. If he remembered correctly—

In the original story, Shang Qishun did indeed have a well-connected 'fiancée-to-be' from a distinguished family, but the two of them had a falling out on the very day of their engagement banquet and never made it to the end.

"Bai Xu? What are you thinking about?"

"Hm?"

Bai Xu came back to himself, a note of amusement in his voice. "The one who ought to be bothered right now isn't me. The first branch just stole all the attention, there's someone over there feeling rather sore about it."

Zhang Changning didn't follow. "Who?"

Bai Xu gestured with his eyes toward the second branch's direction. "There."

At that very moment, Shang Yun and Fang Yuhua were seated diagonally ahead of them. The couple had their eyes fixed on the first branch, their forced smiles so perfectly matched they were nearly frozen in place.

Fang Yuhua reached for the warm water beside her and swallowed it down along with the bitterness rising in her chest:

This family and their story about getting caught in traffic? It was all deliberate, they had planned to make their entrance last so they could claim every last bit of the spotlight.

"……"

With Old Master Shang's permission, the first branch took their seats.

Shang Keyi met Fang Yuhua's sour gaze and delivered her words wrapped in silk. "Second sister-in-law, you've really worked hard lately. I've heard all about it, all the arranging and running around you did to put this banquet together."

The implication being that the Shang family had practically become the second branch's domain to command.

Shang Yun caught every barb in those words. He spoke up for his wife, "Eldest Sister, Yuhua is a daughter-in-law of the Shang family, putting in effort is only right. What matters most is that Father and Mother are happy."

With her husband's backing, Fang Yuhua rallied somewhat. "That's right. Eldest Sister, Brother-in-law, you all came fashionably late. I wonder what surprise you've prepared for Father and Mother?"

A guest who sided with the first branch spoke up. "The Eldest Young Master and Miss Bai are getting engaged in the second half of the year. Come next year, they could give the Old Master and Madam a great-grandchild, four generations under one roof. How wonderful."

The key phrase in that last part landed with unmistakable emphasis.

Bai Hui caught those words and a faint flicker of distaste crossed her face, but she held herself back for the sake of appearances.

Shang Qishun deflected smoothly. "Xiao Hui and I aren't in any rush on that. The second phase of the cross-sea bridge is about to get underway. I imagine Grandfather has already heard the news?"

Old Master Shang gave a satisfied nod. "Yes. Well done. But we don't talk work today, we'll discuss it another time."

"Of course, Grandfather."

Shang Qishun turned the conversation back again. "Judging by Second Aunt's preparations, I'd imagine she's arranged quite a generous gift for Grandfather and Grandmother? Oh, and come to think of it, I haven't seen Songming or Le'er anywhere."

Fang Yuhua replied, "How thoughtful of you to ask after your cousins. The second branch has naturally prepared a gift."

"......"

The guests looked on as the two sides traded their volleys, watching the spectacle without a word.

Bai Xu gauged that the atmosphere had ripened enough for the gift presentation, and took out his phone to send a quick message.

The moment it went out, Shang Songming—who had not appeared until now—walked in with two attendants behind him.

The two attendants carried a large solid-wood frame between them, but the entire face of it was covered over, shrouded in deliberate mystery.

"Grandfather, Grandmother, forgive my lateness."

Shang Songming felt the attention in the room converging on him, and a thread of excitement ran beneath his composure. "I've just gone to collect the gift we're presenting to the two of you."

The Old Madam, knowing full well that these younger ones were finding their own ways to delight her and her husband, played along warmly. "It's so large. What on earth have you brought?"

Fang Yuhua caught her husband's prompting look and rose to take the Old Madam by the arm. "Mother, why don't you pull it off yourself and see?"

A guest in the room chimed in on the second branch's behalf. "Yes, Old Madam. The second branch  has gone to such trouble out of sheer devotion. Go ahead and take it off now, let the rest of us have a look as well."

Unable to resist everyone's warm insistence, the Old Madam walked over and gave a firm tug at one corner of the thin covering. The paper slid free in one clean motion, revealing what lay within the frame—

A vast double-sided Suzhou embroidery, depicting the Old Master and Madam walking side by side hand in hand. One face of the piece showed them from the front; the other, from behind.

The Old Madam had always had a deep love for classical arts, and genuine delight showed in her eyes. "The workmanship is exquisite."

Fang Yuhua knew they had chosen well. "Mother, this was Songming and Le'er's idea. To make sure the piece would be finished in time, Songming personally selected ten embroiderers and supervised the work for nearly a full month before it was done."

For something this large, completed in this short a time, to achieve this level of refinement was genuinely rare.

The guests offered praise and admiration, with no shortage of flattery woven in, naturally.

Fang Yuhua had already had the measurements taken quietly in advance. She pressed the moment while it was warm. "Mother, I think this size would be a perfect fit for the sitting area in your third-floor master bedroom."

Bai Xu looked on from a distance at the embroidery, and couldn't help but marvel at how well the second branch had played this—

Hung in the master bedroom?

That way, whenever the elders laid eyes on the embroidery in the future, they would inevitably think of the second branch— a quiet, gradual deepening of impression.

The Old Madam didn't agree on the spot. She turned to Old Master Shang with a silent, questioning look.

Old Master Shang sat unmoved in his seat, his expression mild—but he didn't dampen the mood. "The children mean well. Wherever you'd like to put it is fine."

"We'll decide after the banquet, then."

The Old Madam made no firm decision then and there, but patted Fang Yuhua's hand. "The second branch has gone to a great deal of trouble. The banquet has been very well done."

With that word of recognition, Fang Yuhua felt her dignity restored at once. "Mother, all of this is only as it should be."

First the first branch, with Shang Qishun bringing his girlfriend and the good news of a project getting underway— then Shang Songming presenting a grand Suzhou embroidery on behalf of the second branch. The two families had traded their moves, neither willing to yield.

Put plainly, both had exhausted every effort to curry favor with the Shang elders.

A few guests, eager to stir the pot, deliberately tossed out a pointed remark—

"The first branch and second branch have both given their gifts. Why hasn't the third branch made any move?"

"Third Young Master is still laid up, Fourth Young Master hasn't even arrived. The only one left is Bai Xu, and he can't very well speak for the whole house, can he?"

"Of course not. Company projects aren't under his hand, and the family's money certainly isn't his to touch. What could he possibly produce that would count for anything?"

"Looks like Bai Xu hasn't amounted to much since joining the third branch."

"Please. After today, the third branch can be written off entirely."

"……"

Bai Xu kept his own rhythm inside, letting all of it go in one ear and out the other, unhurried enough to take another two sips of champagne.

Quietly savoring it.

The phone tucked in his pocket buzzed.

At the same moment, a pointed question came flying from Shang Songming. "Bai Xu, never mind Yanxiao being out of commission, but why hasn't Queyan shown up either? Is this really how the third branch celebrates Grandfather and Grandmother's anniversary?"

He was still nursing the sting of being mocked and humiliated by Bai Xu the last time, and was more than eager to claw something back.

Old Master Shang cast a quiet sidelong glance at his second grandson for stirring trouble, and what little smile had been at the corner of his mouth faded:

One word out of his mouth and it showed.

How old was he? Petty grudges, what kind of bearing was that?

Bai Xu set down his champagne glass without haste, his gaze steady and unhesitating. "What makes the Second Young Master so certain the third branch has prepared nothing?"

The more important the entrance, the later it ought to come.

His voice was smooth and unhurried, carrying no sharp edge— yet it caught the ear effortlessly.

Every person in the room shifted their attention, without a word between them, to see Bai Xu walk calmly to the front of the main table and give a courteous nod to the Shang elders. "Old Master, Old Madam. I have brought someone back for this occasion."

The Old Madam asked, "Oh? You've brought someone?"

"Yes. Only I didn't have a spare invitation on hand, so I didn't dare have them enter the banquet hall without permission."

As he said this, his eyes drifted—just briefly—toward Fang Yuhua. A quiet, understated dig, delivered right on cue.

"……"

Fang Yuhua caught the implication and fumed in silence.

Bai Xu's gaze didn't linger on her. He turned back to Old Master Shang and waited for his word. "If neither of you minds, shall I have someone bring him in?"

Old Master Shang studied Bai Xu's composed, neither-servile-nor-arrogant bearing, and felt—unusually—a flicker of genuine curiosity he couldn't quite read. "Go ahead."

He wanted to see just what Bai Xu had up his sleeve.

With the answer given, Bai Xu placed a call in front of everyone. "We're ready. Please bring our guest in."

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