Chapter 109: Chapter 9: In the Spotlight

During the interactive segment, Zhong Zimo hosted a few more mini-games, completely hyping up the atmosphere in the venue.

Zhang Yan extended his left hand, revealing the gold Patek Philippe watch on his wrist to check the time. "There should be a few minutes left before the next segment, right?"

The segments of these banquets were always much the same. The crowd was clearly more interested in his gold watch.

"Newly bought? Why did you get such an old-fashioned one?"

"I think it’s alright. It makes me look a bit more mature." Zhang Yan could only laugh it off. After all, it was a reward from Brother Tongzi. According to the system’s data, he was currently a thirty-eight-year-old middle-aged man, so wearing this watch wasn’t an issue. However, it was quite a mismatch for a young man in his prime like him in reality. Still, it was a luxury watch worth hundreds of thousands. It would be a pity to leave it gathering dust at home. Wearing it to an occasion like today was quite fitting.

"I also think it’s not bad, quite tasteful. This should be the Patek Philippe full gold Nautilus. Judging by its condition, if it’s new, it wouldn’t be cheap."

The people present were all second-generation heirs who were used to calling the shots in their respective circles. Naturally, they couldn’t help but compete with one another. So, the topic of luxury watches genuinely drew the attention of quite a few people around them. Regardless of whether they accepted it aesthetically, they had to acknowledge the value of this watch.

Generally speaking, a house worth tens of millions, a car worth millions, and a watch worth hundreds of thousands were considered a reasonable match. Seeing the watch on Zhang Yan’s wrist, the crowd naturally began guessing what kind of car he drove.

Seeing the looks in their eyes, Hua Wenbin offered Zhang Yan a timely assist. "Speaking of which, this watch was auctioned at my family’s auction house. Zhang Yan generously threw down 800,000 to secure it."

"800,000?! That’s very generous!"

Hua Wenbin’s words instantly gave those who came to befriend Zhang Yan a preliminary understanding of his financial strength.

"Brother Zhang Yan is indeed very wealthy. Not long ago, he spent over 400,000 in one go at my place." Huo Shaoqi had originally planned to return the favor by speaking up for Zhang Yan, but he didn’t expect Hua Wenbin to beat him to the punch. Unwilling to be outdone, he also chimed in to support him.

However, since Zhang Yan had brought Xia Xiqing along—a female companion who was far from ordinary—he didn’t speak too bluntly. He merely gave everyone a knowing look. Seeing Huo Shaoqi’s winks and hints, and recalling what his family’s business was, the crowd understood completely, revealing tacit smiles.

"Zhang Yan, you sure live a carefree life! Last time I spent a little over 100,000, I got severely scolded by my father when I went back."

With the support of these few people, Zhang Yan’s image as a big spender was quickly accepted by his new friends at the banquet. As for Ren Junfei, he didn’t get involved much and was currently dying of depression.

As everyone chatted and laughed, Xia Xiqing neither joined in nor killed the mood. She simply linked arms with Zhang Yan quietly, freely exuding her unique, aloof charm. To be honest, aside from Zhong Zimo helping to break the ice right from the start and a few friends smoothing things over, Xia Xiqing also played a very important role in Zhang Yan’s ability to quickly warm up to the crowd. Many people came out of admiration, wanting to see what kind of person could capture and conquer this heaven-sent beauty whom no one could manage to invite out back then.

At least now, in close contact, Zhang Yan didn’t disappoint the crowd in terms of both looks and financial power, so he unexpectedly gained a lot of approval.

Just then, the lighting and music in the venue changed again.

"My friends, we will now enter the dance and free-roaming segment. Please enjoy this wonderful time with your beloved companions and friends!" This was a fixed segment for every banquet, but this time, the host didn’t step down after the announcement. "Today, we have some new friends attending our banquet for the first time. To show our welcome, everyone has discussed and decided to provide a small opportunity for these newcomers to showcase themselves, allowing them to integrate into this big family more easily!"

As soon as his voice fell, a few spotlights lit up in the dim venue, shining on Zhang Yan and a few other newcomer couples. Of course, there was always fresh blood joining this banquet, but the vast majority directly joined a certain major circle and belonged to a specific faction. Newcomers like Zhang Yan, who was brought in by Si Mingcheng and could almost be considered a "neutral entity," were truly rare.

Standing under the spotlight, they naturally attracted the gaze of everyone around them. The crowd cooperatively applauded and cleared spaces for each of these new couples.

The prelude of the music slowly began to play. It was *The Second Waltz*.

Beside Si Mingxin, a man named Dai Yanfeng frowned slightly when he heard the music. He had requested a tango, but it had turned into a waltz. However, it didn’t make much difference. Zhang Yan had made his appearance a while ago, and they had already used various methods to dig up some background information on him. Before graduation, he was just an ordinary college student with no outstanding achievements, which indirectly corroborated their previous judgment that his family had suddenly struck it rich.

At this moment, Zhang Yan, standing under the spotlight, slightly frowned. He hadn’t danced a day in his life! Was he going to make a fool of himself under the watchful eyes of everyone?

Just then, Xia Xiqing beside him seemed to sense his difficulty. She let go of his arm and gracefully stepped in front of him. She extended her hand and bowed slightly, offering an invitation to Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan’s eyes flashed. He chose to trust Xia Xiqing and offered his hand to her.

Xia Xiqing guided Zhang Yan’s right hand and placed it gently on the left side of her waist. She slightly raised her right hand to hold his left hand, forming a standard waltz posture.

"Relax your body, feel the beat of the music, and move with me." Xia Xiqing’s soft whispers dispelled all of Zhang Yan’s nervousness.

He completely surrendered control of his body to Xia Xiqing. When her left foot slowly moved forward, his right foot stepped back, and vice versa. The two of them began to dance just like that.

"Relax your right hand a little bit, and don’t keep your shoulders so stiff."

Zhang Yan wasn’t clumsy, and Xia Xiqing was an extremely brilliant teacher, allowing a beginner like him to actually dance quite decently. She slightly turned her body, leading Zhang Yan to rotate fifteen degrees clockwise, and whispered, "Don’t forget, keep your center of gravity on your feet. Stay steady."

Staring into her eyes, Zhang Yan felt as if he was falling for her again. He quickly shifted his gaze away, landing on her flat chest—her least charming feature.

Gradually, under Xia Xiqing’s guidance, Zhang Yan’s steps were no longer so stiff. He started to follow her rhythm and slowly found his own physical balance. Their dance movements became increasingly harmonious and elegant.

Whoever arranged it, the song wasn’t played completely; only one stanza was played. Hearing the music’s variation, Xia Xiqing gently spun her body, bringing Zhang Yan into an elegant stopping pose, and led him in a bow to the audience.

A few of Zhang Yan’s new friends were the first to applaud, and the applause quickly spread to all the onlookers around them.

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