Chapter 78: Fiancée
Star, Silver District 2, Lanhai Building, 77th Floor
Seven thirty in the morning. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. Golden sunlight streamed through the pristine floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating most of the dining room and turning the white crystal floor golden.
Mi Ya propped her chin on her left hand, a silver dinner knife dangling loosely in her right, idly poking at the whole-wheat bread on a pale green floral porcelain plate. She seemed lost in thought.
Anna, carrying a coffee pot, approached Mi Ya, leaning down to pour coffee into the pale green porcelain cup beside her.
The dark brown liquid described a perfect arc in the air before settling into the cup, its rich, slightly bitter aroma filling the air.
Mi Ya’s unfocused gaze finally sharpened, clearly piqued by the coffee. She inhaled the faint, fragrant aroma, saying, “It’s actually coffee beans from Yun 6. This little planet of Yan Gui Xing does have some good things after all.”
Anna, holding the coffee pot, replied with a smile, “Marshal Yan wants your assistance, Miss. Naturally, he must offer the best to entertain you.”
A reserved smile touched Mi Ya’s unadorned face. She picked up her coffee cup, took a sip, and said, “He’s quite thoughtful.”
Anna placed the coffee pot back on the table and solicitously asked, “Miss, what would you like? I’ll get it for you.”
Mi Ya critically surveyed the breakfast pastries, desserts, and fruits that nearly filled the long white table. Sighing, she seemed unenthusiastic. She raised a slender finger, adorned with white nail polish, seemingly casually pointing to the only plate of vegetable salad on the table.
Anna quickly brought the salad to Mi Ya, glancing resentfully at the other food. She grumbled, “Marshal Yan is so inconsiderate. Who eats this many high-calorie cakes and pastries in the morning?”
Incidentally, all these foods were suggested by Mi Ya through Anna to Yan Gui Xing. This included lunch, dinner, afternoon tea, and even supper menus – supposedly, the things her young mistress was accustomed to and would lose her appetite without.
Yan Gui Xing was too impatient to deal with such trivialities and too lazy to listen to the aristocratic young lady’s maid’s nagging, so he simply delegated the task to Achi.
Achi might seem rough, but he was actually very meticulous. Mi Ya represented the Mi family, a crucial partner in their boss’s current project, so they couldn’t afford to neglect them. He specifically instructed the hotel manager to take meticulous care, ensuring everything was flawless.
Because of this, Mi Ya and Anna were staying in a luxury hotel comparable to the Imperial Building in the capital star.
Their suite was the best in the hotel; even the Crown Prince had stayed there during his inspection of Liu Li Star a few years ago.
If it weren’t for Achi’s special instructions, Mi Ya wouldn’t have been given this suite based on her status.
They were staying in the best suite, and the butler robot assigned to them was the smartest and best-looking in the hotel.
Mi Ya’s transportation was a black antique car from Yan Gui Xing’s private collection, with Luo Tang and a small security team ensuring her safety.
Her meals were impeccable; whenever Mi Ya dined at the hotel, she was served the freshest ingredients prepared by the best chefs.
Many dishes were unlike anything Mi Ya had seen in the capital star.
However, due to her inherent aristocratic pride and reserve, Mi Ya wouldn’t admit that her family’s food and lifestyle was inferior, even when encountering something novel, maintaining her habit of picky criticism.
Take that coffee, for instance. The beans were from Yun 6. While a small planet, Yun 6 was famous for its coffee beans, which were its primary source of income.
Its rich aroma was favored by the royal family. Aristocrats, always emulating the royal family, kept several cans of Yun 6 coffee beans at home, regardless of their personal preference for the bitter taste.
However, due to production and distance, Yun 6 coffee beans weren’t just expensive in the capital star—they weren’t something ordinary aristocrats could drink regularly.
The Mi family, although an old aristocratic family, showed signs of decline, unable to maintain their past extravagance.
Their treasured few cans of coffee beans were only brought out for aristocratic gatherings. Usually, they were kept locked away. Even though Mi Ya was a favorite of her parents, she rarely got to drink it more than a few times a year.
But the high price of Yun 6 coffee beans applied only to the capital star. Yun 6 was within the Liu Li star region, under Yan Gui Xing’s jurisdiction.
Yun 6 coffee beans were readily available on Liu Li Star, at half the price of the capital star. As long as one had star credits, it could be readily purchased.
Yan Gui Xing himself didn’t particularly enjoy the bitter taste of coffee; the coffee beans the Yun 6 star lord sent him annually were distributed to Achi and his people.
However, Mi Ya, having lived in the capital star for many years and always looking down on any planet other than the capital star, was unaware of these things.
Of the necessities of life (food, clothing, shelter, and transportation), only clothing remained. Mi Ya had brought five large boxes of clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories from home.
Of course, Achi had also arranged for Luo Tang to handle anything Mi Ya saw and liked while shopping; the cost would be charged to Yan Gui Xing’s account.
Yan Gui Xing remained indifferent to this arrangement. As long as Mi Ya didn’t bother him, a little extra spending was a small price to pay—a way to avoid trouble.
However, Yan Gui Xing underestimated Mi Ya’s ability to spend star credits. When he finally checked his account and saw the substantial amount that had vanished, even his indifference to star credits couldn’t prevent him from frowning.
Yan Gui Xing’s original intention in cooperating with the Mi family was to add another layer of insurance for himself. However, after learning that the Wen family had moved first and dealt him a fatal blow, he felt that this insurance was superfluous.
Moreover, a subsequent incident made Yan Gui Xing realize that he, Yan Gui Xing, had suffered the most significant losses in this cooperation.
The time shifted to eight-thirty. After Mi Ya finished breakfast, she went to the dressing room. She slowly walked in front of the closet, her fingers tracing the sleeves of the clothes. When she found a color she liked, she would take it out, hold it in front of her, let Anna praise it enthusiastically, then hang it back up.
“Anna, has Father sent me any messages?” Mi Ya stood in front of the mirror holding a pale yellow dress with lotus sleeves. However, she wasn’t looking at herself but at Anna in the mirror’s reflection.
Mi Ya wasn’t naive. Although her own family was harmonious, with loving parents and no scandals involving mistresses or illegitimate children, many of her friends’ families were quite turbulent. Their fathers were often involved in affairs, constantly producing illegitimate children, fighting over family assets.
Her fiancé in name was also born out of wedlock. Rumor had it that his private life was far from exemplary, with a constant stream of lovers.