After the cake was distributed, Huang Yan found Huang Taihe in the crowd and went around greeting the distinguished guests to make his presence known.
Wang Tianwei and Jian Jingyu had already finished their cake and chatted with Dr. Tao for a while.
"Hahahahahaha! Sister Zebra, isn't your dress a bit too tight!? I can see the outline of your stomach!!!"
Wang Tianwei, having anticipated this, wagged a finger in front of him.
"Don't panic, everything is going exactly according to plan!"
She had picked this dress specifically because it had a hidden clasp inside. Unfastening it would instantly release some extra room—an absolute must-have for banquets!
Jian Jingyu watched in awe as Wang Tianwei executed her maneuver, making the dress fit perfectly once again. He gave her a thumbs up.
"Awesome!"
"Just the basics, hold your applause!"
A girl standing nearby, holding a cocktail glass and wearing a fitted blue evening gown, took all this in and couldn't help but sneer.
"Wang Tianwei, I never thought the day would come when you'd stoop this low just to suck up to Huang Yan."
Again!?
She followed the voice and looked over. Great, another face she didn't recognize... Seriously, besides that White-hair, did the original owner of this body actually remember anyone!?
"What, are you going to pretend you don't know me? That trick is a bit outdated."
Tsk, she saw right through it!!
Jian Jingyu was fully invested in watching the drama unfold. He could bet that Sister Zebra's current expression meant she absolutely had no idea who this person was!
Wang Tianwei pursed her lips.
"...What, worried I'm going to steal your job?"
"Pfft!"
Jian Jingyu couldn't hold back a snort of laughter!
He was taking notes! Next time someone tried to be passive-aggressive with him, he was going to use that exact line!
"Hmph. I thought you'd make some progress after going to Qilin... What? Gave up on Fu Xingyuan and switched to Young Master Huang of Taihe? Is this a classmate you met on Shuomo Planet? Does Qilin not feed you guys? If it's not enough, there's more on the table over there..."
Huang Yan finally finished his lap of greetings and small talk, making his way over to his two friends.
The girl in blue placed her cocktail glass on the table and stood up.
"Huang Yan would never like someone like you!"
Before her words could even hit the ground, the seemingly aloof girl next to her dashed out first!
"Young Master! You're finally back!!"
She moved so fast that the girl in blue felt a gust of wind brush past her... followed immediately by a second gust!
"The two of us just finished eating and were minding our own business here, and she came over and started attacking us! We didn't provoke her!"
The first thing Wang Tianwei did upon greeting him was tell on the girl!
She found this tactic to be incredibly useful! Whoever knows them, deals with them! How was she supposed to tell who was who!?
"Right! It has nothing to do with us, so you absolutely cannot deduct our cupcakes!"
Jian Jingyu added solemnly, even covering his mouth with his hand to whisper into Huang Yan's ear.
"We have it all recorded, we definitely aren't framing anyone!"
Wang Tianwei's eyes widened in shock!
Good boy! He really learned from the best!
The girl in blue bit her lower lip, looking pitiful and delicate.
"Huang Yan... don't listen to their nonsense. I missed you so much..."
Wang Tianwei immediately sensed something was off. She grabbed Jian Jingyu and whispered in his ear.
"That tone! Could she be Sir Huang's ex-girlfriend!?"
"Hiss~ Like the irreplaceable first love in the optical brain dramas? Will hard evidence even matter then!? ...Is it too late to drop to our knees and beg for mercy?"
"You actually have time to watch dramas!?"
"I just glance at it occasionally when my mom watches..."
Huang Yan raised his hand in a chopping motion and brought it down hard on both of their heads.
"Ah!"
"Ow!"
"Let's go, time to dance."
He then turned and dragged the two of them away.
"Sir Huang, what's the situation!? If it's really romantic drama, let me explain it to her!"
Jian Jingyu looked back anxiously, but Huang Yan's grip was like an iron vise.
"Don't talk nonsense, what romantic drama..."
They just knew each other when they were kids.
"Then you?"
Jian Jingyu continued to ask cautiously.
"No, we were never together. I don't like her."
As soon as he said that, Jian Jingyu hugged his right arm.
"You jerk, why didn't you say so earlier! I thought you had someone else!"
Wang Tianwei instantly piled on.
"Exactly, Sir Huang, look at her! She was mocking your comrades who have been through life and death with you!"
The girl in blue looked so angry she was about to explode!
Jian Jingyu glanced back and even smiled and nodded at her. Little did she know, calling him a pig? Did he eat her family's food?
Huang Yan dragged one person with each arm, his steps growing heavier and heavier...
Until they returned to the center of the venue. A spotlight hit them, and the two beside him instantly stood up straight, acting as if nothing had happened!
Bursts of enthusiastic applause erupted around them, and the two finally remembered that Huang Yan had called them over to dance!
As the cheerful music started playing, the three of them began to move their feet.
Wang Tianwei had decent physical coordination, and combined with the memories in her head, she danced quite impressively.
Huang Yan and Jian Jingyu had been practicing since they were kids!
While everyone else was doing pair dances, it didn't seem strange at all that it became a trio dance with them.
In the end, they got so into it that they held hands and started spinning in circles.
"Hahaha! Isn't this the celebration ritual Team Mortal Threat does every time we win a battle?"
Jian Jingyu laughed out loud, absolutely thrilled! Sweating a bit had even sobered him up a lot.
Wang Tianwei kept an eye on her footing.
"Be careful! If I step on someone, I'm not taking responsibility! If a soldier can't dodge it, they need to reflect on their own issues!"
From a distance, Huang Taihe saw the smile on his son's face and felt a bit dazed. Was this the happiest birthday party Huang Yan had ever had?
Everyone was infected by their joyful atmosphere, and more and more people joined the dance floor.
When the dance floor was getting packed, the three quietly slipped out and headed behind the hotel to soak in the hot springs.
Since big shots from various industries were present today, Father and Mother Wang couldn't bear to miss such a good networking opportunity, so Wang Tianwei dragged her little brother Wang Kaiyu along.
After an hour in the hot springs, the four of them felt completely refreshed!
"That was so comfortable!"
The two soldiers were already calling each other brothers, showing no signs of the awkwardness from when they first met.
"Shall we head to the next event!?"
"Let's go!"
The group arrived at the holographic deduction club that Huang Yan had booked in advance!
They entered the simulation cabins one by one, discussing and choosing the theme with the darkest-looking cover!
But right after entering, Jian Jingyu was scared out of his wits by a basic baby ghost and started screaming! Wang Tianwei and Wang Kaiyu were also howling in terror...
In the end, it was almost entirely Huang Yan leading from the front, completing all the puzzles and deductions by himself.
Not only did he have to face the ghosts and monsters, but he also had to guard against the occasional physical attacks from the people panicking behind him...
After exiting the simulation cabin, Huang Yan stared at the few people who had insisted on playing holographic deduction.
"What part of the word 'holographic' do you guys not understand?"
Wang Kaiyu's skin clearly wasn't thick enough yet.
"Cough, cough... I usually deal with enemies that have physical bodies..."
Over there, Jian Jingyu looked left and right, whistling, until he was stared down so hard he had no choice but to speak.
"It's not that I was scared... I was just playing along with Wang Tianwei... She was pinching my arm from behind so hard it almost went necrotic!"
Hearing this, Wang Tianwei couldn't help but clap her hands.
"Bravo! When you need something, it's Sister Zebra, but when you don't, it's Wang Tianwei, huh?"
