Chapter 241: Chaotic Scene

The guests had all arrived, and Zhou Li's coming-of-age ceremony was about to begin.

The moment the Zhou family patriarch, Zhou Xiongfeng, appeared, the atmosphere of the entire banquet was pushed to its climax.

Su Yan sized up the imposing middle-aged man standing in the center of the stage.

As expected of a clan leader, he exuded an extraordinary aura in every movement.

"First, I would like to welcome all relatives and friends to my son's coming-of-age ceremony..."

After the opening remarks, Zhou Li walked forward at Zhou Xiongfeng's signal.

At this moment, Zhou Li was the favored son of heaven, basking in glory and success.

Even Ma Chulong and Ma Chulan were filled with admiration.

Gu Yang's attention remained fixed on Su Yan.

Her 18th birthday had been in Big Willow Tree Village; he wondered if she would feel a sense of melancholy seeing this scene now.

Following a thunderous round of applause, Zhou Li completed the entire ritual process.

In truth, people like Ma Chulong and Kong Yueqing who had come here all knew that what the Zhou family truly cared about was the treasure located in their ancestral lands. Therefore, the upcoming trip to the ancestral lands was the most important part.

"For the rest of the time, please eat well and drink well. If there is any lack of hospitality, please forgive us."

As Zhou Xiongfeng spoke these polite formalities, his gaze fell upon the members of the Ma, Kong, and Feng families.

"Please, make yourselves at home."

After saying this, he turned his head to whisper something to the people beside him, then turned and walked away.

Soon, people approached several individuals he had previously observed.

"Mr. Ma, Mr. Zhou requests your presence."

"Mr. Gan, Mr. Zhou requests your presence."

...

Over a dozen people were simultaneously invited into the main hall.

Although Zhou Xiongfeng did not linger, Zhou Li moved among the guests, accompanied by other elders of the Zhou family.

Su Yan was not surprised that Ma Chulong had been invited away.

There were dozens, if not a hundred, talented individuals and experts attending this banquet. The Zhou family could not possibly allow everyone to enter their ancestral lands; naturally, there had to be a selection process.

And the members of the four great families were certainly the first choice.

"Miss Su, you just said you are only friends with Chief Editor Gu? Is that true?" Liu Yiyi, who had a very high presence, had not forgotten this matter and deliberately asked Su Yan right in front of Gu Yang.

"Ma Chulan, didn't you say she was your maid?" Kong Yueqing, who had been keeping an eye on the commotion, sensed something was wrong and chimed in.

After all, the Ma family had already lied on the train, making them completely untrustworthy.

Liu Yiyi did not know Kong Yueqing, but she was very interested in what Kong Yueqing had to say.

"Su Yan is Miss Ma's maid?"

Ma Chulan's expression stiffened. She disliked both women, but now she didn't know how to explain it, so she could only look toward Su Yan.

Before speaking, Su Yan looked at Gu Yang instead.

Gu Yang's expression was complex.

The situation was becoming a bit chaotic.

"I..." Just as Su Yan uttered a single word, Gu Yang directly grabbed her wrist and walked away under the gaze of many eyes.

There was no need to explain the relationship between them to anyone.

Watching the two walk away, Ma Chulan actually felt a sense of relief.

"Hmph, it's true that Su Yan is my maid, and we are also friends with Chief Editor Gu. Besides, you should have all seen how Chief Editor Gu feels about Su Yan, right? You're all such gossips."

The last sentence was clearly a mockery directed at Kong Yueqing and Liu Yiyi.

"Don't think you can act all high and mighty just because you're a member of the Ma family, Ma Chulan. Our Kong family isn't afraid of you!" With Gan Hua absent, Kong Yueqing exploded directly.

Thinking back to what happened in the tunnel—how it was actually Su Yan and her eldest brother who resolved the trouble, while they merely reaped the benefits—Ma Chulan no longer wanted to endure it.

"Your Kong family isn't all that great either. If Kong Nian were here in front of me, I might actually give her some face!"

Kong Yueqing was so angry her nose almost crooked; what she hated most was being compared to Kong Nian.

"Since you look down on our Kong family so much, then why don't we have a contest right now? A contest!"

"A contest it is! You think I'm afraid of you!" Ma Chulan refused to back down an inch.

The two women's voices were not small, attracting the attention of many.

Meanwhile, the instigator, Liu Yiyi, said nothing, looking entirely like someone watching a show.

Just as the two were truly about to come to blows, Zhou Li walked over quickly.

This was the Zhou family residence, and it was his coming-of-age ceremony; naturally, he could not allow them to make a scene and become a laughingstock.

"Two Senior Sisters, why don't you shake hands and make peace today for my sake? Even if you truly want to compete, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Zhou Li's words carried a subtext; after all, there were still many ordinary guests present.

If things escalated, they would likely end up in the social news immediately.

Although Ma Chulan was arrogant, she wasn't someone who couldn't read the room, so she was the first to agree.

"Fine, I'll give Young Master Zhou some face today."

He was right; there would be many opportunities in the future!

Although Kong Yueqing was unwilling, Kong Yueling and Ruan Tao were also constantly shaking their heads at her, signaling for her to calm down.

At that moment, two more figures appeared at the entrance of the hall.

Zhou Li was somewhat surprised to see the two, but a smile immediately appeared on his face.

"I didn't expect Mr. Du and Mr. Zhang to come despite your busy schedules. It is truly my honor."

Others might not recognize the newcomers, but the Zhou family members were very familiar with them.

Du Jinsong and Zhang Ximing of the Special Operations Group.

Their identities were special; their presence at Zhou Li's coming-of-age ceremony was equivalent to indirectly representing the attitude of the authorities.

Du Jinsong presented the birthday gift, and both men looked travel-worn, clearly having just rushed back from somewhere.

"Mr. Du, Mr. Zhang, please come inside for a cup of tea."

Zhou Li lived up to his reputation as the heir to the Zhou family; although he was young, his social graces were thorough and quite dignified.

Du Jinsong did not decline, as one could not leave immediately after delivering a gift.

Moreover, tonight was a rare grand event within their circle, and the members of the well-known families should all be here.

Although Ma Chulan knew of the Special Operations Group, she did not recognize them personally. Since her brother and Su Yan were not by her side, she simply found a relatively quiet corner and began to eat by herself.

As she ate, she searched for Su Yan and Gu Yang's figures, wondering where the two had gone.

To the left of the hall was the path to the garden. Because the guests were all eating in the hall, the garden area was quite quiet.

After Gu Yang pulled Su Yan out, his intention was to find a secluded place to explain the situation of the night to her, but as they approached, they discovered another person standing in a corner of the garden.

Furthermore, the other party didn't seem to notice them and was speaking in low tones.

Gu Yang felt it was inappropriate and wanted to take Su Yan away, but Su Yan suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Not only did she stop, but she also forcefully pulled him into the nearby shadows, hiding them perfectly.