Chapter 16: The Birthday Banquet
Feng Xu snapped back to reality, realizing his worries had been unnecessary. In a swift turn, he boarded the car, and the group forced open the gate at the back courtyard, making their departure.
Inside the Li family’s living room.
“Slow down! How could a good child be starved like this? The Qi family has truly gone too far.” A glint of icy coldness flashed in Headmaster Li’s eyes. If Feng Xu had been punished in this matter, it was only because their hands were tied—after all, Feng Xu’s mother was being held hostage in Ye Nation. But this child was innocent, yet suffered such cruel treatment at the hands of the Qi family. The enmity between Feng Xu and the Qi family was only deepening; in the vortex of this hatred, Feng Xu’s retaliation was inevitable.
...
In the Qi family villa.
Friends and relatives filled the hall, smiling faces everywhere, colorful banners adorning the space.
“Who would have thought that Old Master Qi’s grand birthday celebration would be arranged so simply? It’s honestly heartwarming.”
“Old Master Qi is a pillar among men. Now, paving the way for his descendants at this very moment, he proves himself a true hero among men.”
“This birthday banquet is really scaled down—unbelievably so. It barely cost a hundred million.”
...
Everyone gathered around an elderly man—thin-faced, eyes twinkling with delight, a hooked nose, and a long beard.
“Ladies and gentlemen, since you’ve all come to celebrate my birthday, allow me to introduce my grandson!” In his moment of pride, Old Master Qi did not forget his true purpose. He waved his hand, and a young man with a radiant smile hurried over.
“So this is the future head of the Qi family, Qi Zai?”
“Qi Zai is indeed a dragon among men, to be so favored by Old Master Qi.”
“It seems the future of the Qi family rests in the hands of the young. We’ll have to rely on Young Master Qi’s care from now on.”
...
As the young man approached, the crowd marveled. Who would have thought the Qi family would support a youth to ascend now?
At the edge of the lively scene, in the dimly lit corner, Feng Xu sipped a glass of red wine.
He had already announced himself to the Qi family, but they had completely ignored him, daring to hold such a grand event here.
Yet before his father’s grave, not a single soul had come to pay respects!
“Well, well, they’ve already crossed the line.”
“Ladies and gentlemen!”
The hall erupted once more in a flurry of commotion.
“I have an announcement to make! Xuanxuan, don’t run!”
His words took a sudden turn as a young woman, her face full of unwillingness, appeared. Disgust twisted her delicate features as she swiftly slipped away into the crowd.
“Damn it!” A trace of coldness flickered in Qi Zai’s eyes as he strode out of the main hall, vanishing among the many guests in a blink.
“Hey, you there. Help me with something and I’ll give you a million.” The unfamiliar woman looked coolly at Feng Xu. Among all the familiar faces at the banquet—members of various powerful families gathered together—Feng Xu alone sat in the corner, eating and drinking by himself. She assumed he was just here for the free food and drink.
“Since that’s the case, I might as well make use of him.”
“Oh?” A glimmer flickered in Feng Xu’s eyes.
“Step aside. I’m not in the mood to play your shield today—I have my own affairs to attend to.” He gave a slight wave of his finger. He had come to the Qi family to pay a personal visit, to see where they truly stood. He had already offered them a path to save themselves: kneel before his father’s grave and beg forgiveness. But these people refused to listen.
“What do you mean by that? I am the future head of the Qi family! If you stick with me, you’ll have all the luxury you want. Why are you being so stubborn?” Qi Zai gritted his teeth, glaring at the young woman with a surge of resentment.
He had wanted to announce his relationship with Huang Yunxuan at his grandfather’s birthday celebration, but to his shock, she had thrown his face away and slipped off into the crowd. If he hadn’t been quick, she would have disappeared altogether.
“Tch!” Huang Yunxuan curled her lip in disdain and sat down beside Feng Xu.
“I think you ought to have some self-awareness. Even if you are the future young master of the Qi family, my standards are no lower than yours. Besides, this guy is no less handsome than you. The one I like certainly isn’t you.”
Qi Zai ground his teeth and clenched his fists in protest.
Feng Xu sighed. He hadn’t planned to stir up any trouble, but he didn’t expect such an incident to come looking for him, especially with Huang Yunxuan’s fierce demeanor—it was rather amusing.
“You!” Qi Zai inhaled deeply, his eyes narrowing, fists clenched tight.
“Yunxuan, you’re from the Huang family. I advise you not to be ungrateful.”
“No matter how arrogant your family is, you should know your limits. The Huang family is hardly a great clan right now.”
“That’s right—an alliance between the Qi and the Huang families is a blessing for you. You’d best behave yourself and not bring disaster upon your family.”
...
The crowd gathered, glancing at Qi Zai’s somewhat embarrassed face, and at the man sitting in the shadows of the corner, whom they could barely see clearly. They began to speak up, urging restraint.
“Hmph!” With the support of the crowd, Qi Zai raised his head high. He had invited these people to bolster his image among the business elite; once he inherited the family business, everything would be smooth sailing. But he hadn’t expected one thing—Huang Yunxuan would refuse to give him even the slightest face.
“Huang Yunxuan, you see for yourself, our Qi family still ranks among the greatest clans!”
“If you behave, I’ll let bygones be bygones. Don’t think that just because you’ve studied a few more years and earned a master’s degree, you can look down on me.”
“I tell you now, even in our company, a doctorate only earns you a bit more money. In the end, it’s still our world to rule—what use are degrees?”
Qi Zai restrained his anger. Huang Yunxuan had always been headstrong, but her beauty and spirit only made her more attractive to him. The stronger she was, the more he liked her; it was a torment he couldn’t resist.
“No way! Darling, say something.” A trace of arrogance flashed across Huang Yunxuan’s face. With no other choice, she could only turn to Feng Xu for help—even calling him “darling.”