Cecilia Gu immediately smiled and said, "Mrs. Kerr, you’re too polite. I’ve always wanted to visit you, but I was afraid of disturbing you, so I kept hesitating. You’re a renowned figure in global charity and education, and I worried you’d think I wasn’t bringing anything valuable enough to support your causes. I’ve come today, thick-skinned as I am, so please don’t blame me for being young and reckless!"
Mrs. Kerr exchanged a few half-joking pleasantries with Cecilia Gu before welcoming her inside.
As Cecilia Gu passed by, Sean Kerr quietly and urgently asked, "Is she... alright?"
Cecilia Gu immediately looked up, giving Sean Kerr a half-smile, half-serious glance.
Sean Kerr blushed under Cecilia Gu’s gaze, his eyes darting nervously, not daring to meet hers.
"Just enjoy the party," Cecilia Gu tossed out, then walked in with Xiao Wang and Xiao Heng.
As soon as Cecilia Gu entered, she was warmly welcomed by many distinguished ladies.
Ever since Charles Yin deliberately elevated Cecilia Gu’s status, mentioning her in public from time to time, the business elite truly realized that Cecilia was no longer just a name—she was the real mistress of the Yin Family.
Especially after Cecilia Gu acquired ten percent of the shares, her standing among the socialites soared.
These days, whoever has the deepest pockets gets to call the shots!
Cecilia Gu was surrounded like a star among the crowd, with many people vying to greet her.
Cecilia handled it all with ease, every gesture exuding noble elegance.
Six months ago, Cecilia Gu never imagined she’d have a day like this, confidently mingling with all these ladies of high society.
But now, she’d truly made it!
Emma Yin and Helen Jiang entered together, and as soon as they walked in, their eyes locked onto Cecilia Gu.
The more Cecilia Gu shone, the more jealous they became.
"Every time I see her smile, I just want to tear her face apart," Helen Jiang muttered through gritted teeth.
"Same here," Emma Yin glanced at Helen Jiang, looking thoughtful.
Helen Jiang looked back at Emma Yin, and in that moment, the two women seemed to reach a silent agreement...
Compared to Emma Yin, Helen Jiang was here today only because her family forced her to come, completely against her will.
If she didn’t come, she’d just end up under house arrest again.
She really didn’t want to be locked up at home, so she had no choice but to obediently attend this charity fundraiser.
When Mrs. Jiang sent Helen Jiang off this morning, her expression was a little odd—no longer as warm as before.
Helen Jiang immediately grew suspicious, convinced Cecilia Gu must have complained behind her back!
After all, Cecilia Gu was the only one she couldn’t get along with now!
It must’ve been what happened on New Year’s Eve—Cecilia Gu must have run straight to Mrs. Jiang to complain, which was why Mrs. Jiang had started to ignore her.
Helen Jiang unceremoniously dumped all the blame and responsibility onto Cecilia Gu.
But in reality, Mrs. Jiang’s coldness toward Helen Jiang wasn’t because Helen had mocked Cecilia Gu.
It was... Yesterday, after Eric Jiang brought Helen Jiang home and put her under house arrest, Helen thought no one was around and shouted at Eric: "Brother, why do you always side with outsiders? We’re family, aren’t we? I’ll never get married—I’ll stay with you forever!"
Helen Jiang didn’t know that when she yelled that, Mrs. Jiang was right there on the stairs, heading up.
When Mrs. Jiang heard Helen Jiang declare she’d never marry and would stay with Eric Jiang forever, her face instantly turned awkward and uncomfortable!
She seemed to have figured something out...
Even though it was hard for her to believe, she had to admit that in daily life, Helen Jiang really did rely on Eric Jiang a lot.
Helen Jiang had plenty of suitors growing up, but she never took any boys seriously.
She was always following behind Eric Jiang.
Just the thought of that possibility made Mrs. Jiang’s heart skip a beat.
She really did spoil Helen Jiang.
She really did treat Helen Jiang as her own daughter.
But only as a daughter—nothing more!
She absolutely would not allow her son and daughter to get involved in anything inappropriate!
This kind of family scandal absolutely could not be allowed to happen!
Mrs. Jiang hadn’t planned to accept the Kerr Family’s matchmaking proposal, but once she discovered this, she immediately called the Kerrs and agreed to the marriage arrangement.
With Mrs. Jiang’s reply, the Kerr Family went all out, inviting even more guests to their home.
On one hand, it was to let the two meet; on the other, it was also to look for other suitable matchmaking candidates.
After all, Helen Jiang may have the title of Jiang Family heiress, but she doesn’t actually have Jiang blood. The Kerrs still had to think carefully.
Of course, Mrs. Kerr never doubted her son’s desirability—she just needed a woman to keep Rona Muir away from Sean Kerr.
So, all things considered, Helen Jiang was a pretty good choice.
To put it bluntly, as long as Rona Muir was out of the picture, if her son really didn’t like Helen Jiang, the Kerrs would just give the Jiang Family enough benefits, and the Jiangs would know how to handle Helen.
In high society, bloodline is everything.
Without a pure bloodline, even the grandest status is just a paper tiger.
Just like how Cecilia Gu’s status shot up overnight—of course, it was because she was carrying the fourth-generation heir of the Yin Family.
A mother’s worth rises with her child.
It’s precisely because of this pure bloodline that Cecilia Gu’s standing kept rising.
Of course, this also had everything to do with Cecilia’s real identity.
Cecilia Gu as a commoner is nothing like Cecilia Gu, second daughter of the Yun Family.
Mrs. Yun once gave Cecilia Gu special training, teaching her how to handle people and situations.
It must be said, the Yun Family’s cultural strengths are truly unmatched by any other family.
The Yun Family’s etiquette is world-class—there’s no one who can surpass them.
Mrs. Yun herself is the very model of grace, admired by countless socialites.
With Mrs. Yun’s personal guidance, Cecilia Gu was guaranteed not to make a single mistake.
In every interaction, Cecilia Gu’s manners and poise were impeccable.
The more popular Cecilia Gu became, the more twisted Helen Jiang and Emma Yin grew.
They just couldn’t accept that a lowly commoner like Cecilia Gu was more graceful and elegant than all the heiresses who spent their lives at fancy parties.
It was something they just couldn’t admit!
"Miss Yin, since we both dislike the same person, how about we team up?" Helen Jiang took a deep breath and said, "Maybe I can’t beat her alone, but together, she might not stand a chance!"
Emma Yin gave Helen Jiang a meaningful look. "Pleasure working with you!"
"Pleasure working with you!" Helen Jiang squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.
Once everyone had arrived, Mrs. Kerr finally announced the official start of the charity fundraiser.
The theme of today’s event was to collect auction items from the attending ladies and heiresses, to support the education and lives of children in remote and war-torn regions.
So everyone brought valuable items with them.
Cecilia Gu planned to donate a calligraphy painting by Qing Dynasty artist Zheng Banqiao—a truly priceless piece.
The painting was currently in the arms of her assistant, Xiao Wang.
As soon as it was Cecilia Gu’s turn, Xiao Wang would present the painting to everyone, and after it was displayed, the donation would be officially completed.
But there were simply too many people at today’s event—roughly over a hundred, by a quick estimate.
No wonder—Mrs. Kerr had invited not just the local elite of N City, but also many wealthy families from S City.
Originally, the ladies from S City weren’t planning to come, but when they heard Cecilia Gu would attend, they hurried to get dressed and showed up.
Why? Because S City is the headquarters of Yin Enterprises.
A good number of these people depend on Yin Enterprises for their livelihoods!
They wouldn’t dare disrespect Yin Enterprises!
If even Cecilia Gu was attending, how could they make excuses not to come?