Liu Zhengyi and Chen Yang felt an instant connection, as if they had known each other for a long time. The three found a place to sit down and chatted while waiting for the banquet to begin.
At this moment, Fan Zijian, along with Qu Yi, Yu Haohan, and Gu Xuejun, approached. Fan Zijian greeted them with a warm smile:
"Zhengyi! It's rare to see you back in Beijing!"
Liu Zhengyi was discussing the details of the forced landing with Chen Yang. Fan Zijian's abrupt interruption made him slightly displeased, but he still nodded politely and said:
"Young Master Fan! Long time no see!"
The difference in address was evident. Fan Zijian affectionately called him "Zhengyi," while Liu Zhengyi formally addressed Fan Zijian as "Young Master Fan," subtly implying a lack of appreciation. The Liu family's power was primarily in the military; politically, they generally remained neutral and never needed to curry favor with the Fan family.
Fan Zijian's smile remained unchanged, seemingly oblivious to the underlying meaning of Liu Zhengyi's words. He smiled and nodded to Liu Xinyao and Chen Yang. At this moment, Gu Xuejun approached with a wine glass and said to Chen Yang:
"Mr. Fang, let me toast you! This is our first meeting, but we'll be friends from now on!"
Chen Yang glanced at Gu Xuejun, nodded, and lightly clinked glasses with him, taking a small sip of red wine. His movements were elegant and precise, showing no timidity.
Gu Xuejun looked at Chen Yang with some surprise, then quickly said in an exaggerated tone:
"The Château Margaux red wine truly lives up to its reputation! The aroma is rich and intense, the taste full and refined! Mr. Fang, what do you think of this wine?"
Gu Xuejun, instructed by Yu Haohan, had deliberately come to cause trouble. Now that Fan Zijian and Yu Haohan were both present, he naturally wanted to put on a show. Seeing Chen Yang dressed like a country bumpkin, he deliberately brought up the topic of red wine, hoping to embarrass Chen Yang in front of Liu Xinyao.
Chen Yang gently swirled his wine glass and said casually,
"Not bad!"
Gu Xuejun was stunned. He hadn't expected Chen Yang's answer to be so simple; it was a complete ignoring of his challenge! Gu Xuejun felt as if he had punched empty air.
At this moment, the young star Qu Yi, who was clinging to Fan Zijian, said coyly,
"Mr. Gu, aren't you putting Mr. Fang in a difficult position? Château Margaux is one of the five great Bordeaux estates. Mr. Fang probably hasn't even heard of it while he's out of town, let alone tasted it. How can you expect him to comment on it, Mr. Fang?"
People from Beijing are always arrogant and condescending, as if everyone except those living in the capital is a country bumpkin. However, this woman, Qu Yi, was clearly from Hunan. After years of struggling in Beijing, she only managed to gain some fame by selling her body to Fan Zijian, yet she still considered herself a Beijing native, constantly referring to herself as an "outsider"—it was truly laughable.
Gu Xuejun, however, gave Qu Yi an approving glance. Although this woman was somewhat snobbish and spoke with a sharp tongue, she was quite effective in a crucial moment, immediately cornering Chen Yang.
"Hehe, in that case, I was inconsiderate, Mr. Fang, I apologize!" Gu Xuejun said insincerely.
Liu Zhengyi and Liu Xinyao's expressions immediately turned ugly. Chen Yang was their friend, and Fan Zijian had brought this pimp to directly mock them—it was extremely unethical! Liu Zhengyi's face darkened, and he was about to speak when Chen Yang spoke first, asking casually:
"Oh? This... Miss! So you're quite knowledgeable about Margaux wines? Then please enlighten this outsider!"
Chen Yang deliberately paused when he said "Miss," the sarcasm quite obvious.
Qu Yi's face flushed red and then white, and after a long pause, she looked up at Chen Yang resentfully, blurting out:
"Margaux wine is a world-renowned wine on par with Lafite. You must know about the 1982 Lafite! It costs tens of thousands of yuan a bottle! The Margaux dry red wine used at today's banquet is also... also from 1982! You wouldn't understand if I told you too much, but in short, this wine is extremely expensive; most people can't afford a bottle even with a year's income..."
As she said this, Qu Yi glanced sideways at Chen Yang, as if to say, "With your outfit, you can't even afford a glass of wine!" Chen Yang's lips curled into a slight, mocking smile as he said,
"So, all Bordeaux wines from 1982 are extremely valuable?"
Qu Yi felt a pang of guilt, but still stubbornly replied,
"Of course!"
She thought to herself, "What does a country bumpkin like you know about Lafite or Margaux? You wouldn't even notice if I just gave you a quick fix!"
"Then could you please tell me what the grapes used to make this wine are?"
"..." Qu Yi was speechless for a moment. Chen Yang chuckled and said,
"Miss! Thank you for telling me so much about wine. However! As far as I know, the best drinking vintage for each red wine is different. The 1982 Lafite is so precious because the sunlight conditions and grape quality were generally better that year. And this Château Margaux, if I'm not mistaken, is from 2001, which is exactly its best drinking year."
Qu Yi's expression immediately changed. Chen Yang had just been acting like a novice, but unexpectedly, he was now speaking fluently and knowledgeably, like a wine expert. But Chen Yang wasn't about to let Qu Yi off the hook so easily. He continued unhurriedly, "By the way, Château Margaux is the only winery that insists on using oak for fermentation. Their red wines are no worse than Château Lafite Rothschild's. It's just that Lafite is favored by some nouveau riche in China and used as a tool to flaunt their wealth, so it's more famous there. Today's red wine is clear and bright, exuding hints of floral, dried fruit, mineral, and berry aromas, accompanied by toasted oak notes. On the palate, it's pleasantly fruity and has smooth tannins. It should be made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon." "It also has small amounts of Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, so its layers are quite rich, and the aroma lingers in the mouth for a long time..."
After delivering this long speech, Chen Yang looked at Gu Xuejun and said calmly:
"Mr. Gu, I was just speaking off the cuff. If there's anything wrong, please point it out, experts!"
Chen Yang's etiquette mentor in his previous life was Lord Owens, the royal etiquette master from the British Empire. This lord was also a wine expert, one of the top wine connoisseurs in the British Empire. While learning aristocratic etiquette from him, Chen Yang also tasted countless world-renowned wines, honing his wine tasting skills. This mass-produced dry red wine was a piece of cake for Chen Yang. If it weren't for that minor celebrity's harsh words, Chen Yang wouldn't have bothered to respond to their comments. In his eyes, the刁难 (diāonán, making things difficult) by these spoiled brats was like child's play. In his previous life, Chen Yang had already mastered these tricks and wouldn't have bothered with them. Unexpectedly, that Qu Yi (曲艺, a type of storyteller) had jumped out and started harassing him. Since she'd already put herself in such audacious way, it would seem unreasonable for Chen Yang not to slap her a couple of times.
The slaps, seemingly aimed at Qu Yi's face, actually landed squarely on Gu Xuejun and even Fan Zijian.
Gu Xuejun looked embarrassed, while Fan Zijian was slightly moved. He was a seasoned wine connoisseur, able to discern the approximate vintage of a wine, but he couldn't do what Chen Yang did—simply take a sip and pinpoint the exact vintage and even the composition.
Moreover, based on Fan Zijian's wine-tasting experience, Chen Yang wasn't just spouting nonsense; what he said was very likely quite accurate.
Liu Zhengyi and Liu Xinyao watched with amusement as Gu Xuejun, who had shot himself in the foot, and Qu Yi, who was now utterly mortified, suffered the consequences. Just moments before, they had felt indignant for Chen Yang, but now they were simply watching with amusement.
"Uh… this…" Gu Xuejun's face was incredibly embarrassed. He stammered for a long time, unsure how to answer, finally managing a dry laugh before saying, "Mr. Fang's wine tasting skills are truly remarkable; I, Gu, am completely outmatched…"
Having suffered an initial defeat, Fan Zijian was pondering how to turn the tide when a small commotion suddenly arose from the crowd. Xu Qingya, dressed in a pearl-white gown, gracefully walked out, her hands slightly lifting the hem of her dress.
Chen Yang was also slightly dazzled by Xu Qingya's beauty, but he keenly noticed that Xu Qingya's mood seemed rather low. Although she wore a mechanical smile, there were traces of redness and swelling around her eyes, which, despite makeup, couldn't completely conceal.
Emerging in single file was Xu Qingya's father, Xu Zhiyuan. Xu Zhiyuan, the eldest son of Old Master Xu, currently held the positions of Deputy Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee and Mayor—a figure of absolute power. Today, Xu Zhiyuan was dressed very formally, his navy blue Armani suit exuding solemnity, complemented by gold-rimmed glasses, making him both refined and possessing the dignified air of a high-ranking official.
Chen Yang's gaze suddenly sharpened, for he then saw Fan Zihong, also dressed in a suit and tie like a groom, a smug smile on his face, following behind.
Perhaps sensing Chen Yang's hostility, Fan Zihong immediately looked over. When he saw Chen Yang seated among the guests, his expression changed, he glared fiercely at Chen Yang, then quickly looked away, his smile returning.
"Thank you all for attending my daughter's birthday luncheon!" Xu Zhiyuan greeted the guests with a beaming smile as soon as he emerged.
"Mayor Xu, congratulations!"
"Mayor Xu, your daughter looks beautiful today!"
"Congratulations, Mayor Xu!"
Many of the guests were well-informed and knew the purpose of the Xu family's grand birthday banquet, so they all stepped forward to offer their auspicious greetings. Xu Zhiyuan responded to each one with a beaming smile.
Xu Qingya, however, wore a stiff smile, appearing somewhat out of place amidst the flood of flattery. Her pitiful appearance stirred a pang of pity in Chen Yang.
Liu Xinyao, seeing her cousin emerge, went over and gently took Xu Qingya's hand, standing beside her with eyes full of comfort.
At this moment, many guests who had prepared birthday gifts began to move forward. These were mainly young scions of prominent families. As a ministerial-level official, Xu Zhiyuan had clearly stated beforehand that no monetary gifts or presents would be accepted at the birthday luncheon for his daughter.
This was to be expected; the Xu family was wealthy and powerful, and the banquet wasn't for financial gain. The central government had clear regulations on this matter, and Xu Zhiyuan naturally wouldn't give anyone a pretext to use against him.
As for these young scions of prominent families presenting birthday gifts as Xu Qingya's friends, it was perfectly reasonable and didn't violate the spirit of the central government's regulations.
Seeing this, Chen Yang also picked up his prepared gift box and followed the crowd to the front.