“H-how… how could that be? Xuanzhu is clearly at home! I told Captain Bao and his men to guard her every step of the way, never leaving her side.”
Chen Degao stammered, his words slurred with fright.
“I don’t know either. Teacher Wang said our precious daughter told her she was coming to the Donghui Hotel, so she called us to verify.”
Melissa explained, completely distraught.
“She must have wanted to come help us. What in the world is Captain Bao doing? Three people couldn’t even keep track of one little girl!”
Chen Degao quickly came to his senses. He immediately instructed his wife, “Melissa, call Xuanzhu right now and tell her to come straight back.”
“I’m sorry, dear! Today is Friday, and I’m holding her phone.”
Melissa replied, her face grim.
“I’m sorry, I was too impatient.”
Chen Degao slapped his forehead, then anxiously pulled out his phone and called Captain Bao.
“What? The young lady snuck away? That’s impossible! We’ve been guarding the villa every step of the way; we didn’t see her leave!”
Captain Bao was stunned by his boss’s barrage of questions.
“Stop wasting time. Get into the villa and confirm immediately.”
Chen Degao urged him on.
Captain Bao didn’t dare delay. He rushed upstairs with two team members, only to hear Chen Xuanzhu calling from behind a door.
“Young lady, young lady, are you in there?”
Captain Bao confirmed.
“I’m in here! Hurry and open it for me.”
Chen Xuanzhu cried out frantically. Having been locked in for a while, she temporarily forgot about going to the hotel.
Captain Bao and his three team members acknowledged the order. They began to figure out how to force the door open, but the villa’s high-end construction meant it wouldn’t yield to a few kicks and punches.
****
Meanwhile, Chen Xuanqiu had already arrived at the Donghui Hotel. He felt a genuine tremor of apprehension as he approached the grand entrance. In his previous life, born into poverty, he had only ever heard of this place as the city’s most luxurious establishment, never daring to step inside. He never imagined he would actually fulfill that wish now.
Chen Xuanqiu steeled himself and walked to the entrance. He noticed the welcoming gentlemen on both sides were looking at him with strange eyes, making him feel even more self-conscious, as if ants were crawling all over him.
‘Once the arrow is shot, there’s no turning back.’
Chen Xuanqiu gritted his teeth and pushed his way inside.
“Excuse me, Miss? The venue is booked out today. Who are you looking for?”
As expected, a welcoming gentleman stepped forward to stop him.
Why were they welcoming gentlemen instead of ladies? Because in this world, girls were too precious, and beautiful girls were even rarer, making them impossible to hire.
“My name is Chen Xuanzhu, and I am CEO Chen’s daughter. I hope you can help me go inside and inform him.”
Chen Xuanqiu knew that no matter how beautiful she looked, her attire was still too shabby. He explained cautiously.
The welcoming gentleman saw that the “girl” before him was incredibly beautiful, so he dared not be negligent. He quickly ran inside to find CEO Chen.
Chen Degao and his wife were anxiously awaiting Captain Bao’s reply, but to their surprise, the welcoming gentleman arrived first.
“CEO Chen, there’s a girl outside who claims to be your daughter. Could you please come and confirm?”
The welcoming gentleman explained respectfully.
“Let’s go!”
Chen Degao called out to his wife, then jogged towards the door. After all, he knew his daughter was currently in danger.
Chen Xuanqiu soon saw his “parents” rushing out of the hotel. He felt extremely uneasy, knowing that even if he could fool others, he could never deceive these two elders.
“My goodness! Darling, didn’t I tell you to stay at home? Why are you so disobedient?”
Melissa quickly walked over, taking her “daughter’s” hand and scolding her.
“Come inside first; it’s not safe out here.”
Chen Degao’s brows relaxed slightly. For him, it was a blessing as long as his daughter was safe.
Chen Xuanqiu was utterly astonished. He had to admire the twins’ resemblance; after his disguise, even their own parents didn’t recognize him at first glance.
‘If I didn’t speak, I wonder how long it would take them to recognize me.’
Chen Xuanqiu had a sudden thought, though he knew it was unrealistic, given this was a social venue.
Of course, Chen Xuanqiu wasn’t afraid of being recognized by his parents. He knew the couple weren’t fools and wouldn’t expose his identity in public.
“That Bao fellow must be tired of his job if he can’t even keep track of a little girl.”
Chen Degao grumbled as he walked inside.
Hearing this, Chen Xuanqiu felt a pang of guilt. After all, several diligent bodyguards were getting scolded because of him. His only solace was that he had come instead of his sister; otherwise, the consequences upon their return would have been far more severe than a mere scolding.
As the family of three entered the hotel, the surrounding guests once again turned their gazes, marveling at Chen Xuanqiu’s exceptional beauty.
“Don’t you want to see CEO Fu’s future daughter-in-law? She’s here.”
“Wow, no wonder the Fu family used to treat the Chen family like ancestors. She’s incredibly beautiful, and a mixed-race girl too. She looks much more pleasing to the eye than those female celebrities on TV.”
“If I looked like that, I wouldn’t be ‘daughter-in-law’ to the Fu family. I’d make someone from the Fu family my son!”
****
The people around them whispered amongst themselves.
Chen Degao and his wife were accustomed to such attention, so they paid no mind.
Chen Xuanqiu, however, had never experienced such a scene. He could only feign composure, though his legs felt quite weak.
Melissa tilted her head, scrutinizing her “daughter” with a puzzled look. For some reason, she felt that her daughter was a bit off tonight, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint why.
“Mom and Dad, Xuanzhu is here.”
Fu Yao quickly spotted the Chen family of three and excitedly rose to greet them.
Seeing this, CEO Fu and his wife’s previously gloomy expressions cleared like clouds parting. They, too, stood up to welcome them.
Just like that, Chen Xuanqiu instantly became the center of attention in the entire hotel. His heart pounded uncontrollably, and his feet moved almost mechanically.
“Xuanzhu, you’re here! I’ve been waiting for you for so long.”
Fu Yao rushed over to Chen Xuanqiu, speaking softly.
‘Who is this handsome guy?’
Chen Xuanqiu naturally didn’t know the man’s identity, but he seemed to be an acquaintance of his sister’s. To be safe, he simply nodded in acknowledgment, understanding that the more he did now, the more likely he was to expose himself.
“Oh, my dear niece, you finally deigned to visit your uncle today!”
CEO Fu enthusiastically welcomed him, giving Chen Xuanqiu ample respect.
Chen Xuanqiu forced a smile but remained silent.
“Don’t just stand there, come sit down.”
Jiang Yunmei quickly called out, now beaming with smiles. The girl before her hadn’t disappointed; she was a suitable candidate for a daughter-in-law.
Thus, Chen Xuanqiu walked with his “parents” to the main table, taking a seat between the two adults.
Once seated, Chen Xuanqiu’s legs trembled incessantly. Had he delayed even half a step longer, he might have collapsed entirely.
Fu Yao, meanwhile, very enthusiastically took a glass and poured some drinks for Chen Xuanqiu, all while continuously showering him with warm greetings and questions.
It was during this interaction that Chen Xuanqiu realized this man was none other than the son of CEO Fu and his wife.
“Handsome, stop being so fawning. I’m a man.”
Chen Xuanqiu simply couldn’t withstand the other’s enthusiasm, so he groaned weakly. He worried about the man seeking retribution once he discovered the truth later.
CEO Fu was a leader in Donghui City’s business circle, so naturally, those seated at the same table were all prominent figures. After sitting down, he began to introduce these important individuals to his “future” daughter-in-law.
“Niece, allow me to introduce the elders present. This is CEO Qian, the head of Top-tier Real Estate. You can just call him Uncle Qian.”
Fu Fawu first pointed to a stout man on his left, who shared a similar build to himself.
Chen Xuanqiu’s expression shifted. He hadn’t expected to be unable to remain silent so soon. In such a setting, failing to greet people would be incredibly rude.
“Hello, Uncle Qian!”
Chen Xuanqiu could only part his lips with difficulty, praying silently that no one else at the table, besides his parents, was familiar with the original owner of this body. Otherwise, a single word from him would surely arouse suspicion.
“Pfft!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than his father, Chen Degao, seated to his right, promptly spat out the red wine he was drinking.