Ji Xingmi had been tending to her vegetable patch again these past couple of days. Elder Hua had been too busy to pay her any mind. He and Elder Mao were exceptionally occupied. Ji Xingmi’s information had been leaked from the research institute, likely due to the incident she’d encountered last time. Consequently, all research institutes had undergone a purge, and quite a few people had indeed been weeded out. It was at this juncture that Ji Xingmi’s medicinal pills proved immensely useful. Following the clues, they had also apprehended many hidden enemy agents. Currently, Uncle Gu was quite busy with these matters, and Elder Hua and the others had other arrangements. For now, they were merely keeping these individuals under surveillance, without making any arrests.
Elder Mao and Elder Hua’s busyness made Ji Xingmi feel even more idle. However, there was nothing to be done. Ever since their last conversation, the two old men had barely spoken to her. She knew she was in the wrong and didn’t linger in front of them. Everyone could see the strain between them, and they didn’t know how to help.
Ji Xingmi had been making chili sauce these past few days. The chili sauce in her spatial dimension was ready for harvest, its color a vibrant crimson and its spiciness potent. The previous batch of chili sauce had been made by Panda, but this time she wanted to make roast chili sauce, which typically used green peppers. Ji Xingmi had harvested a batch in advance and stored them in her spatial dimension, which were now perfect for use.
After Ji Xingmi finished, she had Mushroom deliver some to the side. Ji Xingmi also put some away in her spatial dimension, all packed in small jars. It was delicious with rice or noodles.
The day before the banquet, Yi Hao finally summoned Ji Xingmi. What they discussed remains unknown.
The next day, Ji Xingmi and Gu Jingyi attended the banquet with Elder Hua. Ji Xingmi had chosen a black qipao for the occasion, which made her appear exceptionally mysterious and noble. Gu Jingyi wore a matching suit in a similar color. Standing together, they made a striking and well-matched pair.
Many people attended the banquet, which was primarily to entertain foreign guests. This banquet was for the foreign businessmen and diplomatic personnel who had signed contracts with the "Little Sun Country" last time. Ye Yu and Ji Haoqi were also present, but they had come with their respective mentors and were currently greeting others, so they naturally didn’t notice Ji Xingmi entering the venue.
Ji Xingmi and Gu Jingyi entered with Elder Hua, drawing a lot of attention. Many people came up to greet them. Ji Xingmi didn’t recognize most of them, but she maintained a smiling demeanor. Her face was beginning to ache from all the smiling. When she managed to slip away from someone, she rubbed her cheek. Fortunately, she hadn’t worn makeup, or her face would have surely smudged with such effort.
“How long do we have to stay here? I feel like my face is going to freeze!” Ji Xingmi whispered into Gu Jingyi’s ear. Gu Jingyi placed his hand on her waist and leaned his head slightly towards her, whispering back softly. Their gesture appeared quite intimate.
“I recall that’s Elder Gu’s eldest grandson, isn’t it? Why is he with you today? Did you snatch his grandson?” Someone who had been speaking with Elder Hua noticed this and turned the conversation to them. Hearing this, Ji Xingmi felt a bit embarrassed and quickly distanced herself slightly. Gu Jingyi, however, did not restrain himself and instead pulled Ji Xingmi even closer. Ji Xingmi glanced at the person beside them and, under the guise of a movement, gave him a playful eye-roll.
“Yes, he was transferred to my side a while ago, so it’s natural for him to be with me! Oh, this is the child from the Ji family, and she’s been living with me recently too! I… I snatched their youngest daughter!” Elder Hua explained with a smile. Everyone was aware of their engagement news, so the person didn’t seem surprised by their intimate behavior. However, Elder Hua’s words did draw his attention to Ji Xingmi.
Setting aside the fact that Old Man Ji was no longer around, the current Ji family could barely maintain their standing in the capital. How could their daughter be living with Elder Hua? Had his intelligence network failed him, or were Elder Hua and the others deliberately concealing something?
“I’ve never seen her before! What’s going on? Did you, you old man, hide her away?” the person asked, teasing Ji Xingmi.
Elder Hua glanced at the intimate couple behind him before replying, “Ah, this girl doesn’t like to go out! For a while, I wasn’t feeling well, and I relied on this girl to take care of me, so my little Deng could focus on his own affairs with peace of mind. She was stopped and bullied on the road not long ago, so I thought I’d bring her out this time to see the world, lest she be bullied again.” The implication in his words was quite clear: he intended to pave the way for Ji Xingmi. If he were doing this merely because she had taken care of him, it wouldn’t be his usual style.
Just then, Zhou Kaizhou arrived with Ye Yu and Ji Haoqi, greeting Elder Hua. Ye Yu and the others now saw Ji Xingmi and Gu Jingyi and joined them in conversation from behind. Elder Zhou was also chatting with Elder Hua and the others. The person noticed Ye Yu and Ji Xingmi talking behind them, appearing quite familiar with each other.
It seemed this young lady from the Ji family also had a very good relationship with the Ye family. For a young girl to be on such good terms with so many people, it seemed she was more than just what Hua Qingming had described.
Soon, the crowd around them changed. Having not worn high heels for a long time, she felt she could barely stand. Ji Xingmi shifted her weight onto Gu Jingyi. Gu Jingyi noticed this and, using Elder Hua’s figure ahead to shield them, asked in her ear, “What’s wrong?”
“My feet hurt a little!” Hearing her words, Gu Jingyi remembered that Ji Xingmi was wearing high heels today. He stepped forward to Elder Hua and whispered a few words to him. Elder Hua turned and looked at Ji Xingmi behind him, nodding in agreement.