WIL CH 8

Chapter 8: Attending the Ex’s Engagement Banquet

Wen Feng didn’t give the food back to him. Instead, he slowly finished his breakfast, wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, and said casually, “Keep your schedule open the day after tomorrow.”

Lin Xi looked puzzled. “Is there something happening?”

Wen Feng smiled faintly. “I’m taking you to a wedding banquet.”

Lin Xi’s eyebrows twitched slightly. The last time Wen Feng brought him to a banquet, he had felt extremely out of place. In that kind of setting, he was always stiff and uneasy, forcing himself to blend in with those well-bred young heirs—but it never worked. Feeling uneasy, he asked carefully, “Whose wedding is it? Can I… not go?”

“If you don’t go, you want me to attend alone? Everyone else will have their partners with them—if I show up by myself, wouldn’t that be too lonely?” Wen Feng said with a half-smile.

“As for whose wedding it is, you’ll know when you get there.” He deliberately kept Lin Xi guessing.

Lin Xi felt an inexplicable sense of unease but had no reason to refuse, so he reluctantly nodded.

“Alright, I understand.”

“I’ll have someone send over your outfit the day after tomorrow.”

Lin Xi nodded slightly in response.

Wen Feng looked at him and suddenly said, for no particular reason, “Why do you always look so dazed? You’re turning twenty-four soon.”

That reminder startled Lin Xi—his birthday really was coming up. He was born in late autumn, and time had passed so quickly that it was already early autumn now. In just two more months, it would be his birthday again.

But Lin Xi rarely celebrated his birthday. Lin Youshan never remembered the exact date, and as a child, he had never even eaten a birthday cake. The first time he ever had one was when he worked part-time at a bakery—a kind customer had bought the shop’s most popular cake just for him. He never saw that person’s face, only their departing back.

As Lin Xi was lost in that memory, Wen Feng tapped his fingers lightly against the table, pulling him back to the present.

“You’ll be celebrating your birthday soon too,” Lin Xi said softly.

Wen Feng’s birthday was only a month after his, close enough that one came in late autumn and the other in early winter.

“Surprised you remembered,” Wen Feng said lightly.

Lin Xi felt a pang of guilt. He had always remembered the date, but he had never given Wen Feng a gift. He knew Wen Feng lacked nothing, and anything he could afford to buy would seem cheap and unworthy of him. Rather than giving something that didn’t match his status, Lin Xi would rather pretend he didn’t know. But that only made him feel worse—because Wen Feng never forgot. Every year, he would have someone deliver a birthday present to Lin Xi’s home. They were all still there, neatly wrapped in the storage cabinet, untouched. When he eventually left, he planned to return them all. He didn’t want to owe Wen Feng any more than he already did.

Fortunately, Wen Feng didn’t ask any further questions. Lin Xi’s tense shoulders slowly began to relax.

Then, Wen Feng’s faint smile disappeared, and the table fell silent.

A few moments later, the sound of a phone ringtone broke the quiet. Wen Feng took out his phone and walked toward the balcony to answer.

The distance wasn’t far, so Lin Xi could faintly hear his voice—gentle, coaxing words like  Alright, alright, I’ll buy him a gift later.”

Lin Xi spooned another mouthful of porridge, slowly eating it one bite at a time, but suddenly… he couldn’t seem to swallow anymore.

Wen Feng said a few more words before hanging up. When he returned, his expression was calm as he said to Lin Xi, “I have something to deal with first. The day after tomorrow, I’ll come pick you up and we’ll go to the banquet together.”

Lin Xi quietly ate his porridge. He only glanced at Wen Feng briefly before looking back down, replying in an even tone that betrayed no emotion, “Alright. Go ahead and take care of it.”

A few seconds later, he felt a warm palm gently rub the back of his ear twice, then came the sound of retreating footsteps and the soft click of the door. When Lin Xi turned around, the large living room was already empty—only he remained.

To accompany Wen Feng to the wedding banquet, Lin Xi requested a day off and had to finish all his tasks in advance. He stayed up almost the entire night and didn’t fall asleep until dawn began to break.

Wen Feng called his name for nearly five minutes before Lin Xi finally stirred. His handsome face showed clear traces of exhaustion—he had obviously stayed up too late. Dark circles shadowed his eyes. Squinting groggily, Lin Xi saw Wen Feng already dressed neatly in a suit standing by the bed. His head felt heavy, and his mind was muddled. He barely kept his eyes open for a few seconds before falling back asleep.

When he woke again, it was with a start. He sat up quickly and checked the time—it was almost eleven. He tapped his forehead in frustration. He had clearly woken up earlier, so how did he fall asleep again? And why had Wen Feng let him sleep so late? At this hour, they’d definitely be running behind schedule.

As soon as Lin Xi got up, he saw a suit neatly laid out at the foot of the bed—it must’ve been left there by Wen Feng. After washing up, he changed into it. The fit was perfect, almost as if it had been tailored for him. The white shirt felt soft and smooth against his skin, its collar designed with two ribbon-like ties. Lin Xi crossed the ribbons and let them fall naturally; it looked more relaxed and elegant than a stiff necktie. When he put on the jacket, the mirror reflected a man who looked like a young prince from a castle.

When Lin Xi stepped out of the bedroom, Wen Feng was sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, reviewing some documents. His focused expression carried a natural air of authority—almost like a Buddha statue presiding in stillness.

Hearing movement, Wen Feng lifted his gaze toward Lin Xi. His eyes were cool and assessing. Lin Xi felt a little self-conscious and nervously straightened the smooth fabric of his jacket.

“I don’t usually dress like this,” he said quietly. “Does it… not look good?”

Wen Feng set the documents down on the coffee table and walked toward him. His gaze swept over Lin Xi from head to toe.

“It’s not your wedding. Why does it matter if it looks good?”

Wasn’t this the outfit he picked out? Now he was saying things like that again.

But Lin Xi didn’t mind. He wasn’t trying to look good—he just didn’t want to embarrass Wen Feng. Since Wen Feng didn’t seem to care, there was no need to worry.

“The time’s getting late. Let’s go,” Wen Feng said.

Lin Xi followed him to the entryway to change shoes. As they walked, his tone carried a faint trace of complaint.

“Then why didn’t you wake me up this morning?”

Wen Feng slipped on a pair of expensive red-soled leather shoes, bracing one hand against the marble wall.

“You overslept yourself. What, are you blaming me now?”

Lin Xi admitted his fault, mumbling, “That’s not what I meant… it’s just impolite to arrive late.”

Wen Feng didn’t care in the slightest. No one could really constrain him— even the host of today’s banquet would still have to show him respect.

“With me here, what are you worried about?”

In the car, Lin Xi was still yawning and fighting off sleep. Wen Feng turned his head slightly from the driver’s seat to glance at him.

“What did you do last night?”

Lin Xi’s eyes were misty from fatigue. “I was finishing work… since I took the day off today, I had to catch up in advance.”

Wen Feng frowned. “Lin Xi, am I short of money or something? You work yourself to death every day—what’s the point of exhausting yourself like this?”

Of course Wen Feng wasn’t short of money. He had always been generous. When they first got married, he even gave Lin Xi a bank card, but Lin Xi had never used a single cent from it. He didn’t want to owe Wen Feng more than he already did. Spending his money so casually would make him feel shameless. Though he knew Wen Feng didn’t care about such things, Lin Xi simply couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“If I don’t finish my tasks, it’ll affect my coworkers’ progress,” Lin Xi explained softly.

Wen Feng chuckled and teased, “Your company should really give you an award for ‘Employee of the Year.’”

Funny enough, Lin Xi actually had received that award before—one of only three people in the entire company. The big boss himself had handed him the certificate, along with a 5,000 yuan bonus. But Lin Xi never mentioned it to Wen Feng.

Half an hour later, they arrived at their destination—a resort hotel halfway up a mountain. From the grand entrance, the place was lavishly decorated with fresh flowers and pink ribbons. Balloons hung from the branches lining the road. The car drove through the floral archway and stopped in front of the main banquet hall, where a pair of well-trained doormen stood waiting.

Wen Feng, exuding his usual composure and confidence, stepped out of the car gracefully and tossed the keys to one of the attendants with a casual flick of his wrist.

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Lin Xi lifted one foot and, upon seeing his shoe, belatedly realized he was wearing a pair of canvas sneakers with his suit. Regret washed over him. He had been too busy chatting with Wen Feng before leaving the house and hadn’t noticed. Now, standing here, he could feel the heat rising to his ears — even his feet felt heavy and awkward against the ground.

As soon as he got out of the car and took a quick look around, his heart sank further. Of course, he stood out again — not a single other person was wearing sneakers with formal attire. Lin Xi silently lamented his mistake, but before his embarrassment could overwhelm him, Wen Feng reached over and took his ring-bearing hand, interlacing their fingers.

The venue had been transformed into a dreamy garden, filled with floating pink bubbles and delicate floral decorations. Clearly, today’s leading lady had a heart full of fairytale fantasies.

They had arrived late — the ceremony was already underway. The emcee’s voice echoed through the hall as waiters guided them past the crowd toward the VIP section near the front. Just beyond that area was the stage. Like a scene straight out of a romantic movie, the couple standing beneath the shimmering lights were Jiang Boqing and Xie Yunxue, flanked on both sides by their parents.

So this was why Wen Feng hadn’t told him the truth earlier? Because the person getting engaged today — the one standing on that stage — was Lin Xi’s ex-boyfriend.

Even though Lin Xi had long since let go of Jiang Boqing, it was still painful to face such a scene in person — watching his first love celebrate an engagement with someone else.

At their table sat another man — Qin Zhiyan, the only heir of the Qin family and the successor to one of the country’s biggest media empires. Practically every top-tier celebrity in the industry had ties to his family; the dramas, films, and endorsements they invested in were endless.

Qin Zhiyan smirked as soon as he saw them. “Young Master Wen, you sure know how to make an entrance. Showing up this late to an engagement party — how impolite.”

Wen Feng casually unbuttoned the top of his suit jacket before sitting down, his tone calm and composed. “Got held up with something.”

Lin Xi, seated beside him, instinctively grasped the edge of his jacket nervously at those words.

Qin Zhiyan’s gaze slid over to him, fingers brushing his chin with amusement. “A tailored suit worth tens of thousands paired with Converse — your little pet sure has an interesting sense of style.”

Lin Xi had no idea what Qin Zhiyan was thinking. He glanced down at his clothes, still thinking it was just an ordinary suit. He hadn’t realized how expensive it actually was. Now, compared to his worn, faded sneakers, it did look ridiculous. The thought made him blush in embarrassment — and ache a little inside. That suit alone probably cost him two years’ worth of salary.

Wen Feng tapped his fingers lightly against the table and said evenly, “He has a name. Lin Xi — Lin as in forest, Xi as in ‘Dreams of the West Isles.’”

Qin Zhiyan raised his brows in surprise, realization dawning on his face. “So you’re Lin Xi, huh? Now everything makes sense.”

Lin Xi nodded slightly, offering a polite smile. “Hello.”

He had seen Qin Zhiyan around campus before — always appearing alongside Wen Feng at events, turning heads everywhere they went.

Wen Feng added lazily, “He’s Qin Zhiyan.”

Usually, people were overly deferential toward Qin Zhiyan, speaking to him with flattering tones. Only Wen Feng addressed him so casually.

Qin Zhiyan pouted, pretending to be offended. “Can’t you at least introduce me properly for once?”

Wen Feng didn’t even look up. “There’s nothing interesting to introduce.”

Finding that dull, Qin Zhiyan turned his attention back to Lin Xi with a teasing grin. The last time they met, he had mistaken Lin Xi for one of Wen Feng’s rumored flings — a misunderstanding, clearly. “Xi Xi, do you drink?”

Lin Xi wasn’t much of a drinker, and in a setting like this, he didn’t dare to indulge. He shook his head politely. “Thank you, but I’ll just have juice.”

He looked younger than the rest — his soft hair falling over his forehead, posture straight and nervous, sitting quietly beside Wen Feng. The sight of him, so well-behaved and shy, made Qin Zhiyan want to tease him even more.

“Xi Xi, can I call you that? You’re so obedient. No wonder Wen Feng never lets you out of his sight.”

“Qin Zhiyan. Shut up.”

Before Lin Xi could respond, Wen Feng cut in coldly. Qin Zhiyan clicked his tongue and turned away, sulking as he took another sip of his drink.

“Can’t even joke a little, huh? Wen Feng, you’re really stingy.”

(To be continued…)