Cherry gave a faint smile and said nothing.
The young man delivering the invitation looked awkward for a moment and said, "Miss Yin, our young lady sincerely invites you. There's no other meaning behind it."
"Alright, since Cherry is invited, why not invite me?" Yina Yin said casually. "What, is my Yin family not good enough for you?"
Sweat broke out on the young man's forehead. "No, no, Miss Yin. Your presence would be an honor! Your invitation is specially made, so it was delivered a bit later."
"Hmph." Yina Yin wasn't fooled.
It was obvious that Miss Li just wanted to embarrass Cherry.
Her people weren't so easily bullied.
"Alright, then I'll wait for the Li Residence's invitation." With that, Yina Yin pulled Cherry away.
On the way back, Yina Yin scolded Cherry: "Who are these nobodies to make you pick up an invitation in person? They specifically asked for you, just so you couldn't pretend you never got it and skip the birthday banquet. Tsk tsk, they really don't know their place. Even if you're not by my side right now, you're still my person! How dare she act so arrogant? Don't worry, I'll go with you. I want to see who would dare embarrass you in front of me!"
Cherry felt truly cared for, her eyes curved with a smile. "Of course, with you around, no one would dare bully me!"
"Of course," Yina Yin raised her brows. "Women's business should be handled by women. No need to tell my brother about this; I can deal with it myself."
Cherry gave a helpless smile. Truthfully, she could handle it herself.
But since Yina wanted to join the fun, let her go.
Sure enough, half an hour later, a beautifully crafted invitation was delivered to Yina Yin.
Yina Yin pinched the invitation between two fingers and tossed it lightly onto the table, saying to Sharon Yun across from her, "Look, Cherry's only been at Sunset Manor a few days, and already these shallow people are bold enough to bully her. If I let anyone bully Cherry, I'll destroy them!"
A faint smile played on Sharon Yun's lips, her large eyes reflecting a maturity beyond her years. "Cherry, this is probably just bad luck."
"With her personality, she never goes looking for trouble. I bet some rotten romance dragged her into this mess again." Yina Yin laughed. "She always gets caught up in these disasters."
Sharon said, "It's fine, Cherry never backs down from little things like this."
"It really is a small matter," Yina Yin nodded. "Anyway, I've got nothing else to do. Might as well watch the drama."
Meanwhile, at the Li Residence.
Miss Li asked, "The invitation I had you deliver—was it handed to Cherry Miller personally?"
The young man who had just delivered the invitation replied helplessly, "Yes, Miss."
"Alright, you may go." Miss Li said smugly, then turned to Derek Tang with a look of mock anger. "I really want to see your ex-crush—does she have three heads and six arms, that you had to lie just to meet her at the expo?"
Derek Tang quickly tried to appease her. "My little ancestor, haven't I explained already? At the time, I only got close to her because she was the chief assistant of the Yin family. It was always innocent between us! Why won't you believe me?"
"Hmph, with your smooth talk, how could I trust you? Either way, I want to meet this woman myself!" Miss Li snorted. "Now she's just a lowly housekeeper! Inviting her is me doing her a favor!"
A flicker passed through Derek Tang's eyes, but he said nothing more.
After Miss Li saw the video from the expo, she immediately called to demand an explanation.
Derek Tang didn't want Miss Li to find out about Tina Tian, so he blamed everything on Cherry Miller, saying he had once pursued Cherry and only ran into her by coincidence that day and chatted a bit more than usual.
Miss Li was instantly furious.
Why should she treasure a man that even the Yin family's housekeeper didn't want?
Derek Tang was skilled at changing the subject, always hinting that he and Cherry Miller had some kind of past.
With Miss Li's pride, how could she tolerate that?
So, using her birthday banquet as an excuse, she sent Cherry Miller an invitation, determined to embarrass her at the party no matter what.
Deep down, Derek Tang also resented Cherry Miller's indifference toward him. Seeing Miss Li want to vent on Cherry, he chose to stand by and let it happen, using it as a way to vent himself.
"Alright, alright, don't be mad. It's all in the past." Derek Tang put on a helpless expression. "Now, you're all I see—what more could you want?"
"I'm just not happy!" Miss Li said, turning away.
Ex-girlfriends are the worst!
"Alright, alright. If you're upset, just call her over and give her a good lesson. That should make you feel better, right?" Derek Tang acted like a devoted boyfriend, completely supportive.
Hearing Derek's attitude, Miss Li finally smiled in satisfaction. "That's more like it."
As for attending Miss Li's birthday banquet, Cherry Miller didn't give it much thought.
She was very busy.
Not only did she have to work with Lan Bao to replan some arrangements at Sunset Manor, she also had to oversee the ongoing expansion project.
With so much to do, why would she care about some random woman's sudden jealousy?
Time flew by, and soon it was Miss Li's birthday.
That day, Yina Yin and Cherry Miller arrived together at the gates of the Li Residence.
The Li Residence was located in a bustling district and covered a vast area. The Li family's ancestors had the foresight to purchase a huge plot of land long ago, which is how the estate became so large.
These days, few members of the Li family are in business—most have moved into other fields.
Still, the wealth left by their ancestors was substantial, so the Li Residence remains part of high society.
Otherwise, Derek Tang wouldn't have set his sights on the busty, brainless Miss Li.
Thanks to her family's legacy, Miss Li could live a lazy, unambitious life and still get a hundred million yuan a year from the family trust.
She never had to worry about money or status in this lifetime.
As long as she didn't do anything reckless, her allowance would always be secure.
So, her birthday banquet really did attract a lot of socialites.
At the gate, cars lined up and guests poured in, dressed to the nines.
Cherry Miller followed behind Yina Yin, making her way forward.
"Tsk tsk, the Li Residence really has gone downhill," Yina Yin said, looking at the crowd outside the car. "Look at the kind of people Miss Li invited."
Cherry took a closer look. "Looks like a bunch of popular young celebrities."
On the avenue, crowds surrounded several brightly dressed young men, shouting their idols' names and chasing after them, causing a huge traffic jam.
"Back in the day, the Li Residence never invited this kind of riffraff—it was all scholars and dignitaries. Just a few years, and it's fallen so far." Yina Yin said with disdain. "I doubt the Li Residence will last much longer. The younger generation just isn't up to par. No wonder they didn't send me an invitation—this kind of tacky event isn't worthy of me."
Yina Yin really looked down on families like the Li Residence.
If they had invited famous artists, that would be different.
After all, it's normal for wealthy families to appreciate the arts.
But these young idols were clearly just company-made products—no substance, no depth.
Yet even these could be fawned over by wealthy families—what a disgrace.
"There was a time when the Li Residence invited only true masters of the arts—people with real legacy. Now look at them, it's an embarrassment to their ancestors." Yina Yin slapped the steering wheel. "We can't get through, forget it, let's just walk."
"Alright." Cherry Miller lifted her skirt and got out of the car, following Yina Yin toward the main gate.
After just a few steps, they saw several young girls crying and shouting their idol's name as they ran ahead.
The two of them kept walking at a leisurely pace.
When they reached the entrance, someone came over to check their invitations.
Cherry Miller handed over both her own and Yina Yin's invitations. Led by an attendant, they made their way through the crowd and entered.
Behind them, the voices of the young idols rang out, full of pride: "Yes, we were personally invited by Miss Li. We're the guest performers at tonight's birthday banquet..."
The fans erupted into cheers and shrieks.
For these ordinary people, attending a banquet at the Li Residence was the highest honor imaginable.
The excitement outside was matched by the lively atmosphere inside.
As soon as Yina Yin appeared in the villa, a wave of quiet astonishment swept through the crowd!
Clearly, no one expected that the distinguished Miss Yin from the Yin family would personally attend the Li Residence's birthday banquet.
Word quickly reached the Li family, and they were stunned by the good news!
Mrs. Li hurried over, her eyes full of flattery as she greeted them: "Miss Yin, your presence truly brings honor to our humble home! Please, come inside!"
"Mrs. Li, you're too kind. I heard the Li Residence would be lively today, so I asked Miss Li for an invitation. I hope I'm not imposing." Yina Yin was perfectly polite.
"Not at all, you're the kind of distinguished guest we could never hope to invite!" Mrs. Li beamed with delight.
With word out that the eldest Miss Yin was attending, the Li women could hold their heads high and boast about it for ages.
Mrs. Li couldn't help but think her daughter really had talent—she'd managed to invite the eldest Miss Yin!
She'd have to reward her daughter with more allowance later!
"No need for any fuss, Mrs. Li. We're just here to look around." Yina Yin wasn't here to boost the Li Residence's reputation; as long as Miss Li behaved, all was well, but if trouble arose, she was there to support Cherry Miller.
Mrs. Li nodded repeatedly, graciously inviting Yina Yin and Cherry Miller to rest in the VIP room.
The banquet hadn't officially begun, so the guests were scattered around, chatting and relaxing in small groups.