Throughout the entire day, the Su Family members were busy receiving guests from different fields and nations who came to offer birthday wishes. Some guests left after delivering their gifts, some stayed for a brief chat before departing, but only a small portion remained waiting for the evening banquet.
This made it apparent that the birthday well-wishers were also divided into different levels; most of the guests invited for the evening banquet were locals and business partners of the Su family. As for those friends who operated in the greyer or even darker domains, they mostly didn’t intend to stay.
Qin Jiran followed Elder Master Su all day, earnestly trying to remember everyone he was introduced to. In addition to being responsible for collecting gifts for Elder Master Su, he himself received many gifts and business cards. The presents were mostly from the older generation, ranging from antiques to luxury estates, so lavish that he got a headache just looking at them. He didn’t even have the right to refuse, since Elder Master Su wouldn’t allow it.
At first, Qin Jiran was somewhat puzzled why these people would bring him gifts when they were there to celebrate Elder Master Su’s birthday, thinking they were given on the spot. However, after several elderly gentlemen gifted him items, one more precious than the last and all very suitable for him, he understood that these elders must have prepared in advance, and Elder Master Su had probably informed them beforehand. This moved Qin Jiran greatly, for he knew it was Elder Master Su’s way of showing recognition and care for him.
All of these people he met were dominant figures in their own right. Receiving gifts from them was a form of acknowledgement in itself, let alone the priceless business cards. Each represented a significant force, all potential contacts and partners for future cooperation.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Elder Master Su’s birthday celebration directly ushered Qin Jiran into a different world—or more accurately, another level of the world: different, luxurious, and thrilling.
In the evening, before the banquet began, the Su family members gathered briefly to divide responsibilities and then got busy once more.
Su Yanyi, Qin Jiran, and Su Yanmo were in charge of greeting guests at the entrance. The three younger members of the Su family, attractive men and beautiful women, were quite a sight to behold. However, all three seemingly had the potential to be ice sculptures, each with a colder expression than the last. Only Qin Jiran managed to control himself a bit, restraining his chilly demeanor, and tried his best to be a handsome figurehead.
Not far away, Father Su and Mother Su exchanged speechless glances upon seeing this scene.
"Whose personality do these two children take after? Standing there, they could almost eliminate the need for air conditioning," Mother Su remarked animatedly. Father Su, though quiet, was certainly not as cold as an iceberg. How could their two children be so icy?
"Yanmo was somewhat better previously, but ever since the Wang Zhirou incident, he has become even colder," Father Su said with a sense of helplessness. Their own children were so unlike themselves; it was puzzling where the issue lay.
"If that’s the case, do you think we should find another girlfriend for Yanmo? Look at Yanyi; she’s changed a lot. Although she’s still cold, there’s a hint of a smile in her eyes when she looks at Jiran," Mother Su observed their children closely. They might be a bit cold, but happiness and contentment were what mattered most.
Father Su smiled gently and then suddenly said to Mother Su, "When I looked at you back then, it was the same."
Mother Su blushed slightly and glared at Father Su, a bit embarrassed. They were both in their fifties, and yet he was speaking such sappy words.
The invited guests gradually arrived. In such settings, not many people would be late. However, those of higher status and greater importance tended to arrive precisely on time. Of these attendees, besides the Su family, representatives from the other three major families were also present.