You Are The Apple of My Eyes novel Chapter 138

It was seven o'clock in the evening.

The party had officially begun. The melodious music from the string quartet playing at the corner gradually quieted down as the head of the Ye family entered the banquet hall with his wife on his arm. As the spotlight followed the esteemed couple across the hall that smelled like fresh roses and champagne, everyone applauded. Cameras flashed everywhere like striking lightning. Howard took a sidelong glance at his lovely wife, thinking that he was right where he wanted to be.

Gently ushering his Julie, Howard ascended the steps up on the high platform set up on one side of the banquet hall. From where he stood, he could see the entire hall and the garden beyond. At the moment, he was looking at everybody who was anybody in the city. The rich, the famous, and the powerful filled up the room nicely, and Howard was standing over all of them.

He began his opening remarks before the party went full swing. At last, he said, "Thank you for attending my daughter's twenty-fourth birthday party. I hope you all enjoy yourselves tonight. Here's to all of you and my lovely daughter." Howard raised the glass of champagne that Julie handed him and proposed a toast.

The guests raised their glasses in turn, glancing and smiling at one another, and took a sip of their champagne.

Stepping aside, Howard then let Julie have the floor. She was shaking a little in mixed nervousness and excitement as she approached the microphone. Then, she took a deep breath and said in all her grace and elegance, "Today is my daughter Vivian's twenty-fourth birthday. She has been nothing but an obedient and loving daughter, and she excels in all the fields of her choosing. In just the past year, she has won the ballet competition and the piano competition. I'm very proud of her. Thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate her.

Vivi, happy twenty-fourth. I love you so much, dear." Tears welled up in Julie's eyes as she closed her speech.

Then, the spotlight shone on the stairs on the other side of the hall. With a smile on her face, Vivian slowly descended the steps. She wore a simple but elegant lavender slip dress, and her dark hair was meticulously coiled at the back of her head with small flowers carefully weaved in.

The high-waist design of the dress showed off her well-proportioned body, and the petals adorning the waistline were like little butterflies sitting on lace. When the light hit the dress, it could be seen on closer look that its color was actually a lavender gradient. The color was more intense at the top and then fading to the hemline, which was decorated similarly to the waistline. The dress fully complemented Vivian's complexion, making her look like a fairy princess right out of a bedtime story.

All the people present applauded and praised Vivian's beauty.

Dora and Vivian were actually dressed in similar fashion tonight, and they both looked like royalties in different shades of purple.

When their eyes met, they nodded at each other and smiled.

Then, it was time for the first dance. Howard led his daughter to the dance floor to begin. After a few moments, the guests joined in.

Jessica said with satisfaction, "Kristina, Vivi is indeed a beauty and also an elegant lady from an eminent family. She's the one my brother deserves."

Kristina would have totally agreed with Jessica, but now that she had met Nina, she was not so sure any more about Vivian being the perfect girl. She shrugged and said, "I guess she's not that bad, although I've met a lady tonight who I think is amazing. She's a little mysterious, but I think she comes from a noble family as well. Anyway, you don't have to concern yourself with her. I like her for Noah."

"Oh? She sounds a little too good to be true. If there were really such a woman, I would've found out about her and made my brother stick an engagement and wedding ring on her finger." Jessica did not take what Kristina said seriously. She just looked at Vivian with appreciation.

She promised her that John would be her second dance.

Vivian smiled at Jessica who was watching her from the sidelines. After getting the approval of her future sister-in-law, she felt delighted in her heart like she never had before. Even if she had not seen even John since the party began, she firmly believed that they would dance the second dance together. She was tonight's most beautiful lady in the entire world. How could John resist her?

Kristina glanced at Jessica who was staring at Vivian fondly. They had been friends for more than ten years, so Kristina said bluntly, "Jessica, I know you to be a lady of good taste, but sometimes, you just slip in a way I don't really understand."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jessica rolled her eyes at Kristina and then went back to watching Vivian with a smile on her face.

As long as the Shi family and the Ye family were united by marriage, they would remain stable and prosperous in Lexingport City even in the next hundred years.