I Became the Alchemy Master by Picking Up Trash-Chapter 144 - 143: The Banquet
Since we’re going to a banquet, how can we not have a good outfit? Cui Tianxiao had a flying device deliver a pile of dresses, two-thirds of which were women’s evening gowns.
"Xing, pick whatever you like and try it on!" Cui Tianxiao had already changed into a black fitted suit, looking spirited and handsome.
Li Xing stuck out her tongue: "Where did you get so many women’s clothes? Did you rob a clothing store?"
"Pfft, do you think your Brother Xiao is that kind of person?"
Cui Tianxiao’s gaze skimmed over the luxurious and exquisite women’s dresses with undisguised amazement and affection. If he liked one, he would hold it up to himself. This made Li Xing suspect that he might secretly be into cross-dressing and that these clothes were his battle armor.
Li Xing’s gaze was too revealing, as if looking at a pervert, and Cui Tianxiao clicked his tongue, saying:
"What are you thinking! These are all my big sister’s private collection; I hadn’t even gotten around to wearing them before I sneaked them out."
Oh, so that’s how it is. Pfft.
Li Xing guessed that Sister Cui must have a great figure; otherwise, every dress wouldn’t have a backless and deep V-neck design. Looking at her own small frame, she really couldn’t pull it off.
"I’ll just wear my school uniform."
The military school’s uniforms come in regular, training, and ceremonial styles, and the ceremonial one can serve as formal attire for such occasions.
Cui Tianxiao got anxious: "How can that be! Xing, young people need to show off, otherwise how will people know you’re good-looking!"
Li Xing shrugged: "What does it matter to me what others think? I’m not living off my looks."
Cui Tianxiao: "But... all the other girls will be dressed like butterflies, and you’re just in a uniform; it’s not appropriate..." Li Xing was attending a high society banquet for the first time, and Cui Tianxiao didn’t want her to be underestimated by those snobby eyes.
Ye Qingting, while helping Qi Ming with his tie, interjected: "Alright, Ah Xiao, Ah Xing isn’t like that. Don’t force people. We’re in the reserves; it’s normal to wear a uniform to formal occasions. Xiao Ming and I are wearing uniforms too, so you should change as well. We’ll all wear coordinated outfits."
Ye Qingting understood Li Xing too well; someone who at sixteen was still riding a tricycle isn’t going to care about others’ opinions!
"Exactly, Brother Xiao, it’s not like you just met Sister Xing today."
Qi Ming had never seen Li Xing in a dress. If Li Xing really dressed up like a flower, not only would Li Xing feel uncomfortable, but even he would find it awkward to look at.
"Sigh, alright then."
Cui Tianxiao sighed as he undid his suit buttons. He had taken a huge risk stealing those dresses from his big sister for Xing Er to dress up, and for his own pleasure. Who would have thought the plan wouldn’t work out, and he’d be in for a beating when he got back.
Luo Jun passed by the lounge and immediately noticed the racks full of beautiful dresses inside.
"Yo, where did all these gowns come from! Just what Sister Hua and I were troubled over not having anything to wear. Let’s take them—!"
Cui Tianxiao: "Uh..."
Luo Jun squinted: "What, unwilling?"
"What are you saying, Teacher Luo, feel free to choose any!"
Faced with the choice of being beaten by his sister in a few days or being beaten by the Witch now, Cui Tianxiao wisely chose the former, forcing a smile as he personally helped Luo Jun deliver the dresses to her and Jin Hua’s room.
The banquet began in the evening. Guests usually arrived two to three hours early. Everyone understood that at such banquets, eating, drinking, and dancing were secondary; networking and socializing were the main events.
When people are in a good mood, they feel refreshed. Lao Wen had been feeling ecstatic these past two days. He had never had the face to attend the banquet in the past, but this year, he made an exception and arrived early with people from Harssas.
Outside the arena, everyone was relaxed with fewer formalities. Once they entered the hall, they dispersed to chat with acquaintances.
The Chu Family’s banquet hall had a high dome, with more than ten large crystal chandeliers casting a gentle glow. Servants quietly moved among the guests, serving drinks and appetizers.
Various flowers, incense, paintings, and exquisite ornaments all conveyed one message to Li Xing—this family is insanely rich!
Li Xing and her companions picked a spot with a full view of the venue and sat down. A perceptive servant promptly served them hors d’oeuvres and champagne.
"Ah Xing, my cousin’s pastry chef once won the highest honor in the culinary world, the Food God Award, and is hailed as the God of Pastry. The desserts he makes are phenomenal; you should try some."
The plate of desserts in front of her was indeed petite, a small round piece without any fancy decorations or colors, resembling the calcium milk biscuits Li Xing had eaten as a child.
Li Xing picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, the sweet, milky taste made her eyes light up. The true test of a chef’s skills is always the seemingly simplest dishes. These desserts might look plain, but their taste surpassed Wesley’s signature cakes by far. The God of Pastry’s reputation was well-deserved.
This was Li Xing’s first time attending a banquet hosted by Qianyuan’s high society, and she didn’t recognize most of the people. However, with Cui Tianxiao as her information hub, she quickly learned a lot of secrets even the inner circles didn’t know.
Eating delicious food while listening to gossip, Li Xing thought this banquet wasn’t so boring after all.
Meanwhile, Wen Dao was standing with a group of people, chatting happily.
The principal of Xi Yuan Academy, Xu Tai, said: "Brother Wen, your Harssas sure is a dark horse, coming out of nowhere! To be honest, before this competition, I, Lao Xu, didn’t pay much attention to your Harssas. Who knew your students would give us such a big shock, even defeating the Tian Yi team. It’s really eye-opening!"
Wen Dao looked at the four treasures sitting in a corner, chatting merrily, his chin practically pointing to the sky:
"Brother Xu, even I, Lao Wen, didn’t expect them to achieve so much, haha!"
Lian Zhou took a sip of champagne and sarcastically said, "Just a stroke of luck for now, like a blind cat blundering upon a dead mouse, nothing to be proud of."
Wen Dao wasn’t fazed at all:
"Lian Zhou, saying that is just tasteless. Every stream has its source, every tree its roots. A blind cat finding a dead mouse is still thanks to its keen sense of smell; it’s not just luck. But your Cold Smoke Pavilion’s Tu Ling Team, their performance in this competition was really lackluster. Scattered and lacking cohesion, I think they’d be better off as the original Ghost Fear Team. Brother Lian, you need to better supervise and guide them. If they come back with another zero score in the next competition, it’ll be tough to explain to the school board!"
Lian Zhou snorted, lowering his head without saying a word.
Wen Dao was right. The board funds the school’s development every year, and what do they seek in return? It’s nothing but fame for Cold Smoke Pavilion. If they can’t achieve good results, their reputation will decline and next year’s funding will surely shrink.
With sharp eyes, Wen Dao noticed Yuan Kai arriving with his Tian Yi Academy people and hurried to greet him. He now found it quite entertaining to spar with Yuan Kai, but Yuan Kai didn’t want to see him. After giving some instructions to his subordinates, Yuan Kai deliberately avoided Wen Dao, engaging in lively conversations with other nobles.
Lin Caier, arm in arm with Lin Zhian, walked in charmingly. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
She was wearing a dark purple evening gown adorned with thousands of Sares Crystal stones. As she walked, the dress swayed and the crystals sparkled, making her the center of attention upon entering, attracting many amazed gazes.
After parting with Lin Zhian, Lin Caier was immediately surrounded by many young male guests eager to talk to her.
