I'm back in 1990

Chapter 822: Humanity's Awakening

The news that Xia Tai, the furniture factory owner, was the second sister of Huang Xiaochuan, Asia's richest man, spread immediately throughout the circles of wealthy wives and socialites in Shanghai. This was all thanks to Sun Yue, who couldn't keep a secret. The news spread like wildfire in calm waters, quickly reaching the circles of wealthy wives, socialites, and even higher-level business circles in Shanghai.

This infuriated Ren Jing. She had originally planned to keep the secret for the time being and try to repair her relationship with Zeng Xia before the news got out. However, things didn't go as planned, and she ran into Sun Yue, such a terrible teammate, which ruined her plans. Moreover, that night she specifically instructed Sun Yue and Qian Meiqi not to tell anyone about Xia Tai for the time being.

"The woman whose husband owns a furniture factory is actually the richest man's sister?"

"I didn't realize! I didn't expect Kasumi to be so tight-lipped. She didn't even tell us something like this?"

"No wonder Kasumi used to be so extravagant, spending money without batting an eye."

"I knew it! No wonder her husband's furniture factory business was so big. Turns out he has powerful backers."

"Looking back now, Kasumi is truly the epitome of humility. If I had a younger brother like that, I would want as many people as possible to know about him."

"You're just dreaming."

Regret and remorse churned within Zeng Xia's former "plastic" best friends.

Ren Jing was so angry that she smashed a late Qing Dynasty official kiln teacup at home and scolded the talkative Sun Yue for a long time. Although Sun Yue was not there, she couldn't vent her anger without giving her a good scolding.

If she hadn't blurted it out, I would have had the opportunity to take advantage of my proximity to repair my relationship with Kasumi.

Qian Meiqi, however, was secretly relieved that she had always maintained a good outward appearance of politeness, and that Xia Tai probably wouldn't hold much resentment towards her.

Following that, Zeng Xia's life became extremely exciting. Her phone, which used to receive only seven or eight calls a day, became unusually active, with a ton of text messages. She didn't even have time to read them carefully before one call after another came in. But whether it was a phone call or a text message, the tone was extremely warm and caring.

"Kasumi, it's me, Shin-chan! What have you been up to lately? It feels like ages since I last saw you, I've missed you so much! The Ritz-Carlton got a new pastry chef, he's handsome and his skills are top-notch, it's my treat, shall we go try it together?"

"Kasumi, I just had some blue lobsters flown in from France. Come over to my place tomorrow at noon, let's have a little get-together!"

"Xia Tai, several top luxury boutiques in Hong Kong called to say that new products are arriving soon. Let's go check them out together! I've been wanting to get you a bag you like, but I haven't found one that I can actually afford."

The store managers of the local luxury stores that Zeng Xia used to visit called her one after another, speaking in extremely humble tones. They even said on the phone that they could reserve any new products that arrived for her in the future, hoping that Mrs. Xia would patronize them more often.

There were also some unfamiliar numbers. The callers claimed to be the wife of the chairman of a certain group, the chairperson of a certain foundation, or the wife of a senior executive of a multinational company. Their tone was very friendly and enthusiastic, as if Zeng Xia were their long-lost sister.

The purpose of the calls was basically the same: to invite Kasumi to afternoon tea or dinner, or to attend a small gathering.

Following closely behind were invitations arriving at my home like snowflakes.

Invitations were extended to her and Huo Miao to various charity galas, top brand and haute couture launches, private art salons, and even some more upscale business parties that were outside Zeng Xia's original social circle and that she could not reach before.

Moreover, each family sent a special person to deliver these invitations to her door, speaking in an extremely humble and respectful tone, as if she were doing them a favor by accepting them.

The signatories were not ordinary people; most of them were prominent business tycoons and celebrities from well-known families in Shanghai and even across the country.

This is just one example; along with these are all sorts of "little gifts," such as limited-edition Hermès scarves, classic Cartier bracelets, top-quality bird's nest, Yubari melons flown in from Japan, and top-brand skincare sets, with a wide variety of reasons given.

"Kasumi, the moment I saw this, I felt it perfectly suited your style."

"Oh my, you're being so formal with me over such a small thing!"

"This is to thank you for your previous interest in our project." Zeng Xia racked her brains but couldn't think of any project she had ever been interested in. What project could she possibly be interested in as an ordinary staff member at the epidemic prevention station? Her superiors knew her situation, so they assigned her a job that was as idle as it could possibly be. Otherwise, she could have gone abroad whenever she wanted before.

Some gifts only include a card, usually with a name or company name on it.

Faced with this situation, Zeng Xia was initially stunned and somewhat at a loss, but more than anything, she felt a mix of emotions.

Huo Miao, however, remained clear-headed. He reminded Zeng Xia, "Don't let your guard down. These people seem to be after you, but they're actually after my underlings. If it weren't for them, would these random people and companies be coming after you?"

Zeng Xia naturally knew that Huo Miao was right. Besides, after experiencing the coldness and warmth of human relationships, she was much more insightful than before.

Huo Miao suggested, "I think we should tell my younger brother about these things and see what his opinion is."

This suggestion was of course adopted, so that evening the couple brought Liu Jin to Huang Xiaochuan's house.

"Young man, you have no idea how outrageous it is. All sorts of invitations and gifts keep arriving at our house, and we can't stop them."

Seeing his second sister and brother-in-law looking troubled, Huang Xiaochuan laughed and advised, "It's alright. Going to see what a banquet and party are like isn't a bad thing. But be careful with one thing: if it involves any specific requests, return them all. As for the gifts that you can accept, just keep them and give them a gift in return based on their value."

With a younger brother, Zeng Xia and Huo Miao knew how to handle things. The couple selectively accepted some invitations to participate in charity events and relatively public parties, while politely declining requests for favors.

Attending these events made Zeng Xia realize what it meant to be a focus of attention. Whenever she and Huo Miao appeared at an event, a group of people would inevitably surround them, trying to find various topics to talk about.

Moreover, the wives of chairmen of certain groups and the second-generation heirs of certain groups would all hold her hand affectionately, praising her good skin and temperament, and would humbly ask her for advice on skincare and beauty.

Meanwhile, chairmen and bosses of large companies would fraternize with Huo Miao, discussing financial and current affairs, and some would even invite him to participate in the investment of a certain project.