093 Birthday Banquet

Lynn’s original plan had been to take a taxi to the headquarters of Dragon Leap Group, pick up Rafe, and leave.

But Rafe got off work a little late, and it was the rush hour. The driver could not wait and drove off.

By the time Rafe came downstairs, it was already difficult to get another taxi.

At commuting time, not to mention taxis, even ride-hailing cars were nowhere to be found.

With no other choice, the two borrowed an electric scooter. Lynn rode with Rafe to the Sunburst Restaurant, only to be stopped halfway by traffic police for not wearing a helmet and scolded until he was utterly embarrassed.

Halfway there, Rafe suddenly remembered, “I haven’t bought a present for Grandfather yet!”

So the two hurried off to buy one.

Lynn asked what would be appropriate, and Rafe said, “My family isn’t some grand aristocratic clan, just an ordinary household. Something worth a thousand or two is fine.”

But Lynn said, “Things are different for us now. A thousand or two would be too shabby.”

In the end, they bought several tens of thousands’ worth of gifts: cigarettes, liquor, tea, ginseng, and deer antler, hanging so many bags on the scooter that it was completely loaded down.

At this very moment, outside the Sunburst Restaurant, Rafe’s father, mother, Rachel, and a whole host of relatives were waiting.

Lynn and Rafe would never have received such treatment before, but now that one had become Song Qingzhu’s bodyguard and the other the deputy manager of a branch of Dragon Leap Group, everyone had come here of their own accord to wait for them.

It could be said that, apart from Grandfather still upstairs, nearly all the other relatives had come down.

Yet no matter how long they waited, the two still did not appear.

The eldest uncle asked in surprise, “Why still no sign of them? Could Lynn’s identity be fake, and he’s too ashamed to show himself?”

Ever since Lynn had refused to help the eldest uncle’s son find a job, the man had hated him, wishing from the bottom of his heart that nothing should go well for him.

When he learned that Thorne had publicly announced he was severing ties with Lynn, the eldest uncle had even applauded at home, declaring that heaven had opened its eyes.

But later, when he heard that Lynn had gone to be Song Qingzhu’s bodyguard, and every time he saw Rafe’s parents boasting at family gatherings, the eldest uncle felt so uneasy that he wished it were all false.

Rachel immediately said, “It’s not fake. I saw Lynn dining with Song Qingzhu with my own eyes, and Lynn even drove Song Qingzhu’s car to take Rafe to work.”

Rafe’s parents also said, “Yes, we looked into it. Lynn really is Song Qingzhu’s bodyguard.”

The eldest uncle was so furious he nearly coughed up blood. “If you hadn’t divorced Lynn, you’d be the one enjoying the good life now!”

He had meant to sow discord between the sisters, but Rachel did not care at all. “So what? My sister has won him over, hasn’t she? As long as Rafe is doing well, that’s enough. It’s called keeping the good fortune in the family. In the end, he’s still one of ours, and our whole family gets to share in the glory.”

Rafe’s parents nodded vigorously. “Exactly.”

The eldest uncle was almost driven to vomiting blood. What kind of family was this? They were bizarre beyond words.

The eldest uncle muttered in frustration, “Whether he’s really Song Qingzhu’s bodyguard is still an open question...”

Rachel said, “He is Song Qingzhu’s bodyguard. Just wait and see. Lynn will arrive in Song Qingzhu’s car—not a BMW, then a Range Rover, and sometimes a Porsche.”

As they were speaking, an electric scooter piled high with shopping bags swayed its way over.

Seated on it were Lynn and Rafe.

The relatives were all dumbfounded.

Rachel, Rafe’s parents, too, stood there with their mouths hanging open.

The eldest uncle burst out laughing on the spot. “Hahaha! I wonder if Mercedes-Benz, Range Rover, and Porsche have begun making electric scooters? I said it all along, that kid was pretending. How could Song Qingzhu ever take a fancy to him...?”

Rafe and Lynn still had no idea what was happening.

Lynn steadied the scooter, took down the shopping bags, and Rafe had already run up to the relatives.

“Dad, Mom, Sis! Eldest Uncle, Second Uncle, Third Uncle...” Rafe greeted them one by one. She had not seen her parents for a long time, and to be honest, she had missed them quite a bit.

Now that she was the deputy manager of a branch of Dragon Leap Group, everyone’s faces naturally lit up with smiles.

But when Lynn came over, their expressions were not nearly as warm.

Rachel hurriedly pulled Rafe aside and asked in a low voice, “What on earth is going on? Why did you two come on an electric scooter? Where are Lynn’s Mercedes-Benz, Range Rover, and Porsche?”

Rafe said, “Those are all Song Qingzhu’s. My brother-in-law can’t use them for private errands!”

Rachel was so angry she nearly burst. “Then when he occasionally sends you to work, that counts as official business?”

Rafe replied, “That’s usually only when he happens to be going the same way...”

Rachel was nearly hopping with rage and was about to say more when a waiter came over to tell them that the dishes were about to be served. Only then did the noisy crowd go upstairs.

Because Lynn had not arrived in a luxury car, Rafe’s parents felt humiliated in front of all their relatives. On top of that, the eldest uncle kept sneering in secret that Lynn might well be pretending, so the old couple also began to feel uneasy and started doubting Lynn’s current status.

They said they had looked into it, but in the end they had only heard about it from Rachel and Rafe.

They were merely a small family of modest means. How could they possibly have any contact with people from the Golden Sun Group?