Chapter 92: Liking you is not a terrible crime
Xu Si decided to attend the banquet, representing Xu’s Real Estate as its decision-maker. It had been over a month since she last appeared on Hong Kong Island. After a simple dinner, she hired a professional makeup artist to style her hair and do her makeup.
Her cool, aloof features needed little adornment, and her nails remained unpolished. She chose a silver-white vintage wristwatch, a French wide-brimmed hat with a striped lining, and a deep brown double-faced cashmere coat secured with a slim black belt. She completed the look with black stiletto heels.
Such attire placed her at the pinnacle of the era’s fashion trends. Her bearing, of course, was indescribable—elegant and aristocratic. There were no cute encumbrances like bubble skirts or lace; the contrasting fabrics were stark and sharply tailored, the design avant-garde to an extreme.
Xu Si selected a pair of gemstone earrings, holding them up to the mirror before fastening one to her ear.
Butler Ge approached and said, "Miss, the painting has already been sent ahead."
"Mm," Xu Si replied, turning her head to put on the other earring. Her red-lipsticked lips curved into a smile. "It’s getting late, Butler Ge. Have the driver bring the car around; I’m heading out now."
Birds stirred in the dense, mellow dusk. The drive from Harbor North to Harbor East took an hour.
The hotel Jarvis had booked, located in a scenic area on Hong Kong Island, was a classic Western European-style building. Its semi-open setting was private and tranquil, with the flowing notes of elegant musical instruments filling the air.
Holding her invitation, Xu Si walked to the banquet’s lounge area. Although hosted for personal reasons, the cocktail party was primarily a commercial networking event; the food and drinks were secondary to the strong emphasis on socializing.
Men typically brought female companions—wives, family members, or mistresses. Similarly, women would bring husbands, family members, or young lovers as their male companions. Xu Si, however, had brought Anshi. Though he seemed slightly out of place, his presence suited her character.