Chapter 40
Nina and Vivian led me straight toward another group of people.
"Let me introduce everyone. This is Ms. Wilson, specially invited by me. Emily, this is Bianca—her husband is in real estate, and their family built Silver Haven Hotel. This is Echo; her family runs a cosmetic surgery business. This is Yara, her family mainly does import-export trade and has lots of partnerships with The Novagen Group..."
So these were the real stars of the reception. Those people from earlier were nowhere near as important as these women.
I politely greeted each of them.
"So you're the fiancée of the Lopez family's younger son? You're so beautiful, and not just beautiful—so capable too. I'm really envious."
"You're quite young, but you really have guts when it comes to business. Here's my card. If there's a chance, we should grab a meal together."
"Ms. Wilson, that dress is gorgeous. I can tell it's Nina's design, right? The style suits you perfectly—you're even prettier than those TV actresses."
"I saw photos of you and Oscar in the news. You're much prettier in person than in photos. You two are truly meant to be—such a perfect match. When are you holding the wedding?"
Pleasantries flew from all directions, and I smiled as I responded to each one.
Compared to Sophia and her crowd, these women understood that at receptions like this, networking and exchanging value was far more important than discussing gossip and celebrity news.
Nina smiled and chimed in: "Echo, I'm currently helping Emily design an office building. She's establishing a biotech company. Back in Solstice, her company's cosmetics line was quite well-known. Your beauty clinic might want to have a chat with her. Now that she's come to Lumaria, the government has given her quite a bit of support."
Echo responded with a smile: "Really? Then we should definitely find time to have a good talk."
While we chatted happily with our wine glasses, I turned and noticed Sophia in the distance, watching me with a scrutinizing gaze. Under the shadows cast by the lights, her expression was hard to read—I couldn't tell what she was thinking.
I smiled sweetly and raised my wine glass toward her from afar.
Her expression changed instantly. She quickly put on a smile and raised her glass back at me, taking a small sip.
Nina followed my gaze and leaned close to my ear, frowning as she whispered: "You should have kicked her out along with Stella earlier. Don't drink with her."
I swirled my wine glass and gently clinked it against hers, smiling softly as I nodded: "I'm drinking with you. Tonight, I really owe you one."
Vivian took the microphone and walked toward the center with a smile: "Thank you all for gracing Silver Haven Hotel with your presence. If our hospitality falls short in any way, please forgive us. Actually, this reception is just an excuse to get everyone together. Today I've also invited some celebrities to perform. For you star-chasers out there, see if there's anyone you like."
The lights dimmed, music began to play softly, and a beam of light hit the center stage. A young man stood in the spotlight, wearing a white shirt with the top two buttons undone, showing just a hint of skin. His tie hung loosely and casually, and his black dress pants perfectly showcased his long legs. Moving to the music's rhythm, he performed a modern dance that was alluring but not overly sensual. His delicate features came alive with expression as he danced.
Screams rang out: "Jeremy Wright! Vivian actually got Jeremy to come! He's so hot!"
The person on stage seemed deaf to all sounds, following only the music's rhythm, dancing to the beat, performing flawlessly.
Nina gently bumped my shoulder: "You've been abroad for three years, so you wouldn't know—Jeremy is a rising star now. He acts, dances, and sings—he's basically all-talented. Isn't he handsome? I'll help you get a photo with him later."
I didn't feel much about celebrities—they were just another profession: "Why would I need a photo? At this rate, won't this thing go past ten o'clock tonight?"
Nina pouted: "What's wrong? Do you have a curfew? This is just the first act. There's more good stuff coming. After we watch the performances, we'll eat. After eating, if anyone wants to keep chatting, there are private rooms upstairs where we can sing karaoke and get massages. The nightlife hasn't even started yet—don't tell me you're leaving."
I looked at Nina with some surprise: "When we attended Crownlight Receptions before, we never had these activities."
Nina covered her mouth and laughed: "It's not that they didn't exist—it's that people didn't invite us to play before. Later, if there's anyone you want to keep talking to, you can even invite your favorite celebrity to join you. That Jeremy is pretty good."
I had to admit, the adult world was certainly more colorful, especially when I saw people starting to throw money onto the stage.
Jeremy kept dancing, not even glancing at the cash fluttering down under the lights. A staff member crouched down and came forward to collect all the money, handing it to Jeremy when his dance ended.
From my front-row seat, I could see clearly—he only glanced down at it briefly before pushing it all into the staff member's arms, then quickly headed backstage.
One performance followed another, with quite a few celebrities taking the stage. I'd lost most of my interest, but Nina was getting more and more excited: "Have you noticed? Crownlight Reception only invited young male celebrities. You really don't like any of them?"
"I don't even know them. How can I like someone just from watching them perform?" I couldn't quite understand.
"You still haven't found the true joy of life. Men can also be tools for our pleasure. Don't worry, today I'll show you a good time." Nina was eager to try.
I smiled and shook my head helplessly, though I supposed I could give it a try.
After dinner, Vivian came over with a smile: "Emily, Nina, let's go up to a private room upstairs and hang out. Several ladies want to have a good chat with you both. I've already arranged everything upstairs."
Nina agreed somewhat reluctantly: "Sure, Vivian. I was just saying I'd let Emily experience everything she hasn't tried before."
Suddenly being mentioned, I wasn't quite sure how to respond. The "experience" they were talking about seemed to have deeper implications. I could only smile along: "Chatting together sounds nice. Once we're more familiar with each other, it'll be more convenient if anything comes up."
People gradually left the reception and headed upstairs. Vivian led Nina and me toward one of the private rooms. When she opened the door, several society ladies were already sitting inside. The lighting was dim, but each woman had a young man beside her.
"I brought Emily." Vivian clapped her hands and found a seat, pulling me down beside her. "See if there's anyone you like. Find someone to keep you company so you won't be bored. Oh, where's Jeremy? Didn't we tell him to come over when he finished? I saw you and Nina were pretty interested in him. When he gets here, he can sit between you two."
Just as she finished speaking, the private room door was pushed open again. A tall, slender man walked in, wearing thin casual clothes, his hair styled in a seemingly casual way. He scanned the room and quickly walked over to Vivian, his thin lips curving into a slight smile: "Vivian."
Vivian pointed to where I was sitting: "Jeremy, you've already met Nina. This is Emily. It's her first time here, so help me look after her."
Jeremy's cool gaze landed lightly on me. He walked over and sat down naturally beside me. A pleasant cologne scent wafted over. He smiled faintly at me: "Hello, Emily, I'm Jeremy."