Wen Ya had clearly spotted Mu Chenyan, but because she was busy greeting the newly-arrived guests, she could only politely wave her hand as she flashed a warm and pleasant smile.

Mu Chenyan waved back. “Sister-in-law, you continue handling your business. I’ll talk to you later!”

The Yuan Family really did place great emphasis on seniority.

Even though Yuan Xuan was the son of Eldest Son, he was born to Yuan Tangbai at an old age and was younger than Yuan Zhe and Yuan Zhuan, which was why he was referred to as Third Young Master.

Hence, Yuan Zhe would always be at the front during moments like these where they had to greet the guests.

Wen Ya, as the wife of the Yuan Family’s grandchild, was looking very elegant and generous at the moment.

However, many of the guests here were influential people in the commercial field whilst others were outstanding young officers in the military, and they had all come for Yuan Xuan!

Mu Chenyan, being Yuan Xuan’s wife, should have been more active.

However, she refrained from identifying herself as Mrs Yuan. Furthermore, her main purpose today was to make contact with Old Mistress Yuan, so Mu Chenyan naturally chose to remain low-key until then.

She took a glass of champagne and kept out of sight, choosing to wait quietly by the side, watching the people moving about in the hall as they greeted and toasted with one another.

She was no foreigner to these festivities. In the past, the Mu Family was also well-known throughout Luo Hai, and the essential meetings between the upper class via cocktail parties were likewise regularly hosted by her parents.

Hence, nothing here had any novel value to Mu Chenyan.

She was unbothered as she quietly sat by the side, trying to fade into the shadows until she was needed.

There were also sub-groups within the socialite circle whereby the beauties gathered in groups of two or three and conversed softly. Nevertheless, Mu Chenyan was unable to join in any of these groups.

She had been gone for too long!

Thankfully, the current her rather enjoyed solitude.

This was to the extent that in prison, she actually liked being sent to the small dark room.

This was because she would be the only one around. There was no need for her to talk to others, and she would not get beaten up…

A faint light would creep in through the window from morning till sunset, and an even fainter light from dusk till dawn. This was how she had grown to appreciate the rare moments of loneliness she had experienced over the past 20 something years!

…

Mu Chenyan did not see Yuan Xuan and figured that he was probably accompanying the Old Mistress in the back.

At this moment, there was a small commotion in the crowd. Mu Chenyan looked up and saw a few people trailing behind a middle-aged man as they all strode into the hall.

Yuan Tangbai was not around anymore, and the third son, Yuan Tangshuo, was an academic expert who was not interested in military and political affairs. Therefore, the Yuan Family’s political position was naturally handled by Yuan Tangzhong!

Yuan Tangzhong was fifty-something by now, but was still full of energy. His wise and refined demeanor was not like that of the big shots in the military and politics.

Perhaps those holding higher positions naturally learned how to conceal their sharp intellect.

Even celebrities were beginning to go onto reality shows to expose their own private lives. Shaking off the glitz-and-glamor and showing their unassuming sides was the current mainstream!

After Yuan Tangzhong made some brief exchanges with the people in the hall, he left for the VIP room in the back.

The commotion in the hall quickly died down.

A few young girls soon gathered together and began to gossip in a low voice. Even though they tried to keep it down, those who liked to gossip were never able to suppress their excitement, thus allowing Mu Chenyan to hear them clearly!

“Have you heard about the two most famous big shots in the Yuan Family? The uncle, Yuan Tangzhong, and the nephew, Yuan Xuan, are actually not on good terms!” One girl said.

“That’s no secret. Everything seems to be calm on the surface, but they are actually fighting in the shadows!” Another chipped in.

“That could well be the case. After all, the power that Yuan Xuan’s parent had gained was not handed over to Yuan Xuan, but was instead snatched away by his uncle. If it wasn’t for Yuan Xuan’s terrific abilities, and his success in taking an alternate path to building his own empire, who knows how terrible his life would have been now!”

“What more, I hear that Yuan Xuan himself decided to give up his parent’s military merits? But even so, I feel that Yuan Xuan should still be the main authority in the Yuan Family.”

“My father says that the Yuan Family’s Old Mistress really likes Yuan Xuan and that the Old Mistress listens to whatever Yuan Xuan says. Even the Yuan Family’s military and political powers bows to his will. After all, how could one acquire such a big deal in the national energy development project without connections?”

“True. Some of Yuan Tangbai’s few remaining people are still in support of Eldest Son’s orphan. Couple this with the old mistress’ favoritism toward him, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that Yuan Tangzhong is dealing with a lot of pent-up frustration – even if he does always act calm!”