Standing Next To You-Chapter 454: Invitation to Royal Banquet

The Royal Banquet occurs only once a year, with just fifty invitations sent out worldwide.

Each invitation allowed two guests—one for the person or family named on the invitation, and the second for a companion of their choice.

Everyone in high society understood that being selected was an honor few could attain. This banquet was unlike any other; it was not merely a gathering but a symbol of ultimate prestige and recognition.

The Royal Banquet is usually hosted by the most prestigious families, which were unanimously recognized and respected across the globe, primarily led by the powerful James family.

This event is carefully curated, where power and wealth converge. Invitations cannot be purchased with money; only through recommendations from at least three ’royal’ families can one secure a place.

The requirements are strict, and meeting them is essential to earning the privilege of an invitation, as the banquet represents the pinnacle of global influence.

One of Bei Sangyun’s goals was to establish herself in the global market, and the fastest and most reliable way to do so was by securing an invitation to the Royal Banquet. However, the competition for a spot was fierce.

Despite her impressive business background—being the founder of Phoenix Holdings and establishing the rapidly growing Four Moons Corporation overseas—she still lagged behind business tycoons whose empires had dominated the global market for decades.

These industry giants continued to vie for the privilege of attending the Royal Banquet, and Bei Sangyun doubted her chances of competing against them.

Bei Sangyun called her lawyer and asked him to verify whether the invitation was genuine or just a counterfeit. After half a day, it was confirmed to be authentic—even the golden inscription on the red envelope was made of real gold.

This was good news, but Bei Sangyun couldn’t help feeling suspicious. Three invitations had already been sent to the Lin family, which was both a miracle and questionable.

Why would the James family waste three invitations on the Lin family? And why send another one to her, who was also regarded as part of the Lin family in the public eye?

Did the James family owe the Lins a favor?

Or... was someone pulling strings behind the scenes, using the Lins as bait to manipulate others?

The latter theory seemed far more plausible to Bei Sangyun.

She sat down and thought about it for a long time.

But no matter how many scenarios she considered, everything pointed to one person.

"Fei Chuan... could it be him?"

There was only one connection linking the James family, the Lin family, and herself—and that was Fei Chuan.

In her previous life, Fei Chuan had strong ties with the James family. Although she never learned exactly how he became acquainted with them, the James family held him in high regard.

Bei Sangyun opened the drawer of her desk, revealing a hidden safe. She entered the code, and the safe clicked open. Inside was a dark blue jewelry case she hadn’t touched in a long time.

Her fingers brushed over the smooth surface of the case, and with a hint of affection in her eyes, she gently opened it. Inside lay a pair of deep blue sapphire earrings.

This was Fei Chuan’s gift to her at the homecoming dance. At the time, these earrings reminded her of the necklace he had given her in her previous life—one she had lost somewhere without realizing it.

Seeing the earrings, which seemed to belong to the same set, she had fallen in love with them instantly.

Later, she discovered that the earrings were part of the ’Tears of Mermaid’ collection, which had sold for several million at auction. Upon digging further, Bei Sangyun learned that the James family had been the buyers.

Some had speculated that the pieces were fake or replicas, but Bei Sangyun, having owned the matching necklace, knew they were authentic.

Back then, she had already suspected that Fei Chuan was acquainted with the James family, even during their high school years.

Perhaps, during the years he spent abroad, he had been under the care and protection of the James family, quietly growing into the man he was today.

"...Did you send me this invitation, Fei Chuan?"

A spark of hope ignited in her heart. Maybe Fei Chuan hadn’t forgotten about her.

Maybe, just like her, he kept their shared memories locked away—like this pair of earrings—hidden, only to be taken out when he wanted to reminisce.

Bei Sangyun gently took the earrings and put them on. The sapphire gems flickered under the light.

She smiled softly. "...I wish I could wear this and show it to you."

Would he respond again with that familiar, restrained but sincere ’Mmhm,’ his ears red and cheeks flushed?

Bei Sangyun chuckled. "He was really cute back then."

.....

When the invitations for the Royal Banquet were released, they caused an uproar across the globe.

Even before they were sent out, speculation had already begun about the fifty recipients. Some people even created betting polls and compiled lists of potential invitees.

Business tycoons, powerful families, renowned politicians, Hollywood actors, and other famous figures known worldwide were included in these predictions. Every name on the lists was instantly recognizable.

When a well-known Hollywood actor, chosen as the companion of a prominent business tycoon, posted a photo of the red envelope on social media, it created an even bigger stir.

The Royal Banquet invitations were officially out! Now, it was finally time to see who had won their bets!

It was like a stone thrown into a calm ocean, sending ripples in every direction.

A chaebol posted a photo of the red envelope, followed by a celebrity revealing that she would be accompanying a certain individual. Gradually, more guests began sharing the happy news with the public.

The red invitations flooded social media.

Although not all fifty recipients made their invitations public, the appearance of the red envelopes dominated the media for weeks.

Soon, the most anticipated event had finally arrived.