Qian Meng saw how the older woman was watching her. "Thank you. You look good, too. Whichever designer you're wearing is really becoming on you," she complimented.

  Much to the credit of Mr. Bai, he looked charming in his suit. "Mr. Bai, you look fantastic yourself. Hope business has been treating you well?" she asked with a smile.

  "Yes, the lowered import taxes on the materials help business a lot." Mr. Bai's eyes gleamed with excitement.

  "Excellent. I hear that the Mayor is lobbying for deals with other countries to reduce tariffs; it should do you good, too," she commented.

  Chen Yue quickly interjected in their conversation. "Which designer are you wearing?" she asked.

  Qian Meng spared her a glance. "It's not anyone popular. I have a personal designer who makes all my clothes."

  "You must give me their contact information. Their designs are beautiful from what I have seen so far."

  "Of course," Qian Meng obliged. She would think if she would give the contact information later.

  "Where is Ye Qing? Is he dropping the car off?" she asked curiously, looking at the entrance.

  "Young Master Bai? I didn't come with him."

  Mr. Bai's expression gave away his amusement. Chen Yue, on the other hand, looked sour.

  "Oh, he went to pick you up though." She gave a dirty look towards Yun Sui Bo, who looked like he did not appreciate the treatment.

  "I didn't know that," she lied through her teeth. "I'll go talk to one of my business partners," she told them before hurrying away.

  Yun Qing Yuan looked like he was about to die.

  'Sister, why did you not take me with you? I can't handle these old people!'

  The associate in question sold fabrics. Hou Su had natural farms where they harvested silks and other materials.

  "Oh, I love the contrast in texture," the man said. "Is this Choe Daniel's design?" he asked as he rubbed the material of her dress.

  "Do I ever wear anyone else's clothes?" she said, tipping the glass of wine. She hadn't yet taken a sip of it.

  "Well, his business is booming because he's spending a lot of money on buying material." He winked.

  "The wonders of a free market," Qian Meng laughed. "My demand for comfortable and nice clothes puts money into the pockets of thousands of others."

  "What do they call that in economics?" the man asked.

  "Velocity of Money," she said with a chuckle. "You should let your finance team worry about that. Concentrate on researching on that new water-resistant fabric." She winked.

  "Yes, yes. You have dibs on it, I know!" he let out an exasperated sigh. "Come, stop talking about business. Tell me about these rumors floating around," he whispered. The others nearby listened with her perked up ears.

  "What rumors?" she asked, confused. She saw a figure enter through the door and frowned.

  "That answers my question," Hou Su mumbled. "Bai Ye Qing, right? He's courting you or something." He frowned. "I'll doubt your taste if you end up with him." He raised his nose in contempt.

  "There are rumors?" she asked in a low voice.

  "Yeah, everyone knows that you guys will get engaged or something. The mother has been prancing around letting every person over the age of forty know." Hou Su rolled his eyes.

  Qian Meng gritted her teeth. "You know how those fortune hunters act when they see a target. They want to claim something they will never get." She pretended to wave the matter off. "Let everyone know that nothing of this sort will happen."

  Hou Su winked. "You know how I love to gossip. I don't mind adding a little spice in your favor."

  Qian Meng threw her head back and laughed. "Of course. I'll depend on you then."

  "Oh, the Mayor's wife is here!" Hou Su exclaimed. "Come on, we'll get ourselves introduced."

  "Wait a second," Qian Meng said, causing Hou Su to stop and turn to her. "Can those of us who have already met Mrs. Mayor, and by those of us I mean me, be excused from going over there?" Hou Su raised his brow. "I feel like she has something against me ever since I didn't give her a VIP card to my outlets. I would like to avoid her if at all possible."

  She was a liar. Although that did happen, it was not the reason for not wanting to go talk to her with Hou Su and others. Qian Meng didn't give a shit about the VIP card or bad behavior.

  Her first reason for not wanting to be around the woman was because she smelled like cottage cheese and hairspray. Yes, even the Mayor's wife could smell that way.

  Her second reason was the fact that her father was close to the Mayor and if she was accurate in her guess, he would use this ball and Mrs. Mayor's gossipy and loud nature to inform everyone she was engaged to Bai Ye Qing.

  She would like to avoid that possibility at all costs.

  "Okay, you don't have to come with me. But where are you going to go? You don't associate with many people, do you?"

  She did. She was a social butterfly when she needed to be. But this party was just not it.

  "I'll go to the bathroom and then I'll go find one of my classmates or something."

  "Okay. I've got my phone so you can text me if you need someone to accompany you." What a good associate.

  "Give Mrs. Mayor a big hug from me," she said with a sly smile.

  Hou Su laughed as she rolled her eyes and went into the crowd of people. Once he was out of sight, she started her hunt around the room.

  She stopped when a group of men in tuxedos came up and offered her a glass of champagne. She showed them the flute in her hand but took a small sip to humor them.