novelnext Chapters 1447 and 1456: The Nagayama Family's Full Moon Banquet (Part 1)
Chapters 1447 and 1456: The Nagayama Family's Full Moon Banquet (Part 1)
Chapters 1447 and 1456: The Nagayama Family's Full Moon Banquet (Part 1)
The July sun grew increasingly intense, and the temperature was so hot that it made people feel restless and irritable.
The atmosphere inside the Imperial Hotel mirrored the weather outside; every staff member was on edge, moving quickly while trying to avoid making a mistake.
Preparations for the Yongshan family's full moon celebration began before dawn!
"Flowers, are the flowers arranged?! Pay attention!"
Having just reminded everyone about the flower arrangement, Shan Chuanxiang wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, his eyes then falling on the newly moved-in custom-made gift stand.
"Be careful. Handle with care!"
As he spoke, he hurriedly stepped forward to help the workers who were carrying the load to steady it.
After the gift table was set up, he looked around the huge banquet hall. The decor was mainly blue and white, with balloons, flowers, ribbons, and some cartoon elements forming the main features of the banquet. And because it was for a boy, there were also traditional carp streamers, soccer balls, baseballs, and other decorations.
The tables for entertaining guests, adorned with silk tablecloths, a full set of sterling silver cutlery, and fine porcelain, shimmered under the light of a crystal chandelier.
The entire banquet hall exuded a luxurious yet vibrant atmosphere, likely comparable to the full moon celebrations of European royalty and nobility.
However, Shigeaki Yamakawa did not stop; he summoned his assistant, Keiri Narita.
"You stay here and don't go anywhere. I'm going to check on the kitchen."
"Hi~"
Even if the kitchen is handed over to the Imperial Hotel and he doesn't need to pay attention to it, he is in charge of the entire banquet, so he has to pay attention to everything!
Stepping out of the banquet hall, you can see that the entire Imperial Hotel is filled with posters and decorations of good wishes, the floors are carpeted, and doormen and waiters are already dressed neatly and waiting.
Naoki Nagayama booked the entire hotel for the whole day. Today, the entire staff of the Imperial Hotel is dedicated to serving this banquet, and the hotel rooms are available for guests to use at any time.
After arriving at the kitchen and asking the head chef some questions, Shigeaki Yamakawa returned to the main hall, but he couldn't settle down and kept checking around.
The Nagayama family also started preparing early in the morning. Today, when Natsuka was still half asleep, Chieko woke her up, and then she got dressed and made up in a daze.
After combing her hair and putting on her little dress, she also wore her favorite butterfly hair clip. While eating breakfast, she nodded her little head, and the butterfly hair clip on her head looked like it was about to fly away!
As for Nagayama Ren, who is only a month old, he is still fast asleep in his swaddling clothes. All he needs to do is show his face.
Naoki Nagayama, dressed in a formal suit, was recounting the events of the banquet to his mother, Nanako, while his father, Ken Nagayama, listened quietly beside him. Neither of them had attended many social gatherings, and they were quite nervous at the moment.
"Mr. Otomo will be the host, so you don't need to worry about anything. Everyone can clap together when it's time to clap, raise a glass when it's time to raise a glass, and eat when it's time to eat."
"Anyway, everyone sitting with us is family. My older brother, Tsuruko, and Brother Kaede, and so on."
The important thing is that most of the people at the banquet are there for Naoki Nagayama, so they won't bother Ken Nagayama and the others too much.
"If someone comes to toast you at the banquet, just take a small sip. You don't have to drink the whole thing. Just nod and smile. Father, you can just keep up your aloof persona!"
Upon hearing this, Ken Nagayama stiffened slightly, while Nanako Nagayama, standing beside him, chuckled and patted Naoki Nagayama on the shoulder.
"Don't joke about your father!"
"well."
Naoki Nagayama naturally surrendered as well.
Just then, Akina, who was already dressed, came down the stairs.
Her slightly wavy black hair cascaded down to her shoulders, revealing a round, delicate face with smooth, rosy skin, bright eyes, a fine nose, and gleaming teeth, like a lotus emerging from water. A pearl necklace adorned her fair neck, complementing her perfectly.
She wore a beige suit dress, cinched at the waist with a wide belt that subtly accentuated her curves. Her exposed arm was adorned with an engagement sapphire ring, making her look elegant, sophisticated, and stylish.
"oops"
Nanako, the mother, praised her immediately.
"You can't tell when she's not wearing makeup, Akina-chan is definitely a TV star! So elegant~~"
"Ogasan, Arigato~"
Akina responded with a modest smile.
"Naoki-san, we can set off now."
"Huh? Doesn't Akina eat breakfast?"
Naoki Nagayama, having regained his composure, asked,
It's still very early.
"Don't eat!"
Akina's expression was resolute as she touched her stomach.
"It's so hard to keep my body from looking too bulky, but once I eat, my stomach just won't go back in!"
Naoki Nagayama smiled and said:
"What does it matter? Who could tell if it's a little bit? Your health is more important."
"Who says you can't tell! In such a high-exposure setting, every detail will be magnified!"
Akina walked to the dining table, her tone serious.
"The women in the industry, and the entertainment reporters, their eyes are like rulers. They'll notice even a centimeter's difference, and then they'll gossip behind your back! I've heard it countless times."
"Forehead"
Before Naoki Nagayama could say anything, Nanako Nagayama, who was standing next to him, had already put down her chopsticks and decided not to eat anymore!
At this moment, Akina patted Hana-chan, then looked at Ren, who was sleeping soundly in the baby basket beside her, and said:
"Don't worry, it's fine if you don't eat it for a day. The food for Lianjiang has been prepared in advance and I've already asked Moli-san to put it in the freezer in the car."
"That's very thoughtful."
Naoki Nagayama, left with no other option, could only tell Akina to at least drink some soup during the banquet.
After preparations were nearly complete, the Rolls-Royce and Toyota Century drove out of Yamao-in and the family headed towards the Imperial Hotel.
When we arrived at the hotel, a few reporters had already gathered outside, but they could only take some photos from a distance due to security personnel.
The Nagayama family's full moon celebration did not invite many reporters, but the presence of numerous celebrities from the entertainment industry and social elites naturally attracted media attention.
"Naoki-san!"
Shan Chuansheng came out to greet them directly.
"You've arrived!"
"Hi, Yamakawa-san, I'll have to trouble you today!"
"Not at all, it's what I should do."
Seeing the group of people getting out of the car, Shigeaki Yamakawa quickly led the way.
"Please go to your room to rest for a while. The suite is ready!"
"it is good"
Naoki Nagayama held Natsuka in his arms, while her father, Ken Nagayama, carried the baby basket. Her mother, Akina, Mari Nonaka, and others helped carry some of the baby's supplies.
Upon arriving at the suite, Naoki Nagayama saw that Natsuka was still half-asleep, clinging to him, so he put her on the bed.
"Let Hua Jiang sleep a little longer. We'll wake her up before the banquet starts."
"Akina, you all rest in your rooms first. I'll go check on the preparations for the banquet."
At this moment, Akina also stood up:
"I'll go too. I'll be in charge of coordinating with Yamakawa-san."
"Then I'll leave it to my father and mother."
"Hmm~" Nanako Nagayama nodded in agreement, "Leave it to us."
Naoki Nagayama turned his head and saw Mari Nonaka taking out baby supplies.
"Mori-san, I'm counting on you too."
"Hi~~"
After meeting up with Shigeaki Yamakawa, the Nagayama couple arrived at the banquet hall and carefully examined its layout.
The mountains and rivers beside him were also introduced one by one:
"Naoki-san, Akina-san, I've checked the kitchen. The ingredients have been delivered, and the culinary team is working fine. The meal will definitely be served on time."
"Uh-huh."
Naoki Nagayama nodded in satisfaction, while Akina asked:
"What about the performance team?"
"I'm already backstage getting ready for makeup!"
"Then let's go take a look."
As a big name in the entertainment industry, Naoki Nagayama's one-month celebration naturally attracted many influential musicians. However, since it was a one-month celebration, he couldn't invite overly energetic rock bands or too lively male idol groups. After much consideration, he decided to invite some gentler bands.
When Naoki Nagayama and Akina arrived backstage, they saw that PIPER, a representative band of city pop, would be playing "Summer Breeze," a song that was very fitting for the occasion.
Lead singer Keisuke Yamamoto, a man in his thirties, greeted Naoki Nagayama as he entered.
"Yongshan Sang Ming Cai Sang!"
"Yamamoto-san!"
Naoki Nagayama shook hands with him and greeted him, then shook hands separately with the other two members of the band, Kosuke Yamamoto and Takashi Shimamura.
"I'm counting on you all today!"
"Please rest assured!"
Keisuke Yamamoto also made a very serious promise, as being invited to perform at Naoki Nagayama's full moon celebration was a very important opportunity for the PIPER band.
Although Citypop is considered a characteristic music of the bubble era in later generations, it is now just a type of pop music and cannot be compared with the mainstream of rock and roll.
Akina asked:
"Have you auditioned yet? Is the sound system okay?!"
"Hi, I tried it yesterday, I'll try it again later."
For a band of only three people, playing live is not a problem at all.
"Yes, you've worked hard."
"No, no, not at all."
After another round of polite exchanges, Naoki Nagayama and Akina left the backstage area to continue their inspection of the full moon celebration with Shigeaki Yamakawa.
This round trip took almost an hour.
Before we knew it, the first wave of guests would be arriving.
The guests invited to the full moon celebration were numerous, but they could be roughly divided into three categories. Naoki Nagayama and Akina Nagayama also arranged different times when writing the invitations.
The first to arrive were, of course, close relatives and friends!
As it approached 9 o'clock, Nagayama Kaede and Tsuruko, Yoshimura Otomo and Itō Shuichi, who were the closest to arrive, were the first to arrive.
Also present were her older brother's family from Shizuoka, her uncle Nagayama Kumahara, and others. Of course, Chieko, Akina's sister, and Akina's brother Akina Akihiro were also there. Nakamori Akio was also invited this time, as he is Akina's father.
After Yoshimura Otomo arrived, he greeted Nagayama Naoki and immediately took on the role of host, pulling Ito Shuichi and Nagayama Kaede along to get busy in the banquet hall. In addition to hosting, they also had to help maintain order and entertain the guests.
Other guests have also started to arrive slowly.
"Ni-chan. Akina-chan~"
When Tsuruko arrived, she looked up and circled around, but couldn't find her niece or nephew.
"Where's the flower jam? Where's the lotus seed jam?"
"They are resting in the suite..."
Naoki Nagayama said,
"Their father and mother are taking care of them."
"Then I'll go take a look first."
After hearing this, Hezi rushed off to her suite. Although she had graduated, she didn't need to work because of her milk tea shop business, and she had nothing else to worry about. She was still like a child.
Leading Nagayama Shinkai, Yoshimura Yuki, Itō Yoshiki, Itō Yoshii, and Itō Yoshii, they went directly to the suite.
“Oga Sang Ou Dou Sang”
Tsuruko called out as she entered, only to be shushed by Nanako Nagayama.
"what"
Seeing the little ones sleeping, Tsuruko asked softly,
"Are the flower jam and lotus jam both sleeping?"
"Yeah, I got up too early this morning."
Nanako Nagayama first answered her daughter's question,
"I've been catching up on sleep since I got here."
Then he exchanged pleasantries with Itō Yoshiki, Yoshimura Yuki, and others. The three families were close relatives who had met many times before, and Nanako Nagayama naturally knew them all.
Tsuruko first looked at Nagayama Ren in the baby basket, then leaned closer to look at Konatsuka, who was sleeping in bed.
Seeing Xia Hua's rosy, chubby cheeks, I couldn't resist reaching out and gently tapping them, causing the little one to furrow her brow even in her sleep.
"So soft~~"
"Flower sauce is cuter! It's prettier than lotus sauce."
Xia Hua is two years old now, with fair and tender skin, and her features are starting to develop; she's at her cutest. Lian, on the other hand, is only one month old, still a newborn; her features are all squinted together, and her skin is a little red.
"."
Nanako Nagayama removed her daughter's clutches, patted her lightly, and then spoke;
"Ren-chan is only one month old. He inherited the genes of Akina and Naoki. He'll be even more handsome as he grows up!"
Tsuruko still prefers flower jam:
"Flower Sauce is still the cutest! Such a lovely, chubby girl!"
"."
Nanako Nagayama was speechless.
"Tsuruko, since you like it so much, why don't you just have one yourself? You and that Kaneda Taichi have been dating for a long time, haven't you?"
"We want to play for a few more years!"
Suddenly, the conversation turned to marriage pressure. Tsuruko quickly changed the subject. As a young woman who had just graduated, she naturally needed to enjoy the beauty of being single!
"You guys still don't understand the benefits of getting married young."
Nanako Nagayama then asked,
"What about the Kindaichi Continent?"
He was helping Ni-chan greet the customers.
Just as the nagging marriage-urging mode was about to begin, Tsuruko quickly grabbed Itō Yoshii and helped her look after the two little ones.
Nanako Nagayama had no choice but to change her target and start exchanging pleasantries with the others, starting with Shinkai Nagayama.
Since Nagayama Kaede's mother passed away early, Nagayama Nanako is the only female elder she has left, so it's natural that she needs to take care of her!
"Kokoro-chan, didn't you bring Sayuri?"
"It would be too much trouble to bring her to the banquet if she left her at home with her mother to take care of her."
Yongshan Xinhai said with a smile,
"It's okay to leave Mom for a while now!"
"Can it talk now?"
"He can already greet people."
"Haha, that's great~"
"."
Just then, the door to the room opened again, and after a shout of "Oppa-chan," a little figure quickly ran in!
"Oh, weeds!"
Nanako Nagayama recognized her grandson and immediately hugged him.
"You're here too!"
"Oppa-chan, I miss you so much!"
I've been in Tokyo taking care of Akina for over a month now, and the wild grass that Akina raised since she was a baby misses her terribly!
"Ba-chan will be going back in a couple of days~"
Looking up, sure enough, Xiangjia, the older sister-in-law, was also coming over with a baby in her arms—it was Xiao Dongwu!
Now there were four children in the room, and it became lively. Even Xia Hua woke up, and Nanako Nagayama held her in her arms.
"Private Marseille, you woke up the flower sauce~"
"Hana-chan! Do you remember me?"
Wild Grass naturally hadn't forgotten her cousin; she'd seen her during the New Year. She went over and greeted her in a very friendly manner.
Xia Hua was a little dazed after waking up, but with her grandparents and Nonaka Mari around, and everyone else familiar with her, she wasn't flustered. After looking at the young man in front of her for a while, she slowly spoke:
"Wild Grass Ni Sauce?"
"As expected, Hana-chan still remembers me!"
Wild Grass smiled happily and excitedly shared with her mother that she had been asking this question all the way here!
"Hana-chan, do you still remember me?"
Tsuruko also joined in, asking with a grin.
Looking at Tsuruko, Xiaoxia answered even faster. This aunt often came to visit her at home and would even take her to chase after Eitaro and Nyantaro!
"Aunt Hezi"
"Oh, so good!"
Tsuruko snatched the flower jam into her arms and couldn't resist kissing it.
"Haha, Hua Jiang is definitely the best! You look beautiful today too!"
The chatter of several women in the room, along with the noise of the children, made Nagayama Ken, who had been silently waiting, restless. He had no choice but to go downstairs to find Nagayama Naoki and help greet the guests.
At this very moment, even more and more people arrived at the Imperial Hotel!
Haha, looks like I won't be able to finish it in one chapter~