Chi Anyu was still thinking about listening a little longer when the crowd dispersed again.
Bored, he wandered to the poolside. Just as he was about to pull out his phone and find a place to play a couple more rounds, a faint voice came from behind him.
“Chi Anyu! Relying on the Chi Family to bully people like this, you must be pretty pleased with yourself, huh?”
Chi Anyu turned around. With his back to the light, half his face was hidden in the dark. He narrowed his eyes. “And you are?”
The pool shimmered beneath the lights.
Cold reflected light fell across Ji Yan’s face. He let out a sneer, his expression utterly cold. “I’m Ji Yan, young master of the Ji Family, and Bai Jin’s friend. You’ve been bullying Bai Jin quite a lot, haven’t you?”
Chi Anyu understood at once. This was someone here to stand up for Bai Jin.
His first impression of Ji Yan was already bad, and learning that the man was Bai Jin’s friend only made it worse.
“Did that Bai guy tell you that? He really has a big mouth. He stayed at my place for a few days as a guest, and now he thinks he’s the owner? Acting all high and mighty.”
Ji Yan lifted his chin, full of disdain. “Don’t you just rely on having a good father? In our circle, who respects you?”
Chi Anyu had never been the type to tolerate people either. From the System’s data, he immediately figured out the man’s background and mocked him. “My dad only has me as a son. How could that compare to you? A mother who climbed up by becoming someone’s mistress, and who knows how many brothers and sisters you’ve got out there. Don’t try that pity act on me with your illegitimate-child circle.”
Struck at his sore spot, Ji Yan immediately flew into a rage. He raised his fist and was about to swing.
Chi Anyu’s eyes darkened. He moved faster, kicking Ji Yan straight in the knee.
With a thud, Ji Yan dropped to one knee.
Chi Anyu folded his arms and said teasingly, “It’s not New Year’s yet. No need to bow to me that deeply.”
Ji Yan was enraged beyond reason. No one had ever dared to treat him like this. Completely abandoning any concern for face or status, he twisted his expression and rushed toward Chi Anyu, ready to fight.
Chi Anyu scoffed, sidestepped neatly, and kicked him straight into the pool.
“Splash…”
The huge splash drew everyone’s attention at once.
Ji Yan thrashed wildly in the pool while Chi Anyu stood calmly by the edge, smiling as he watched.
The people nearby saw someone fall in, but none of them dared jump in. Only when the estate’s bodyguards arrived did they finally haul him out.
“Chi Anyu! This isn’t your Chi Family, so don’t think you can do whatever you want!” Ji Yan sat drenched on the pool edge, coughing violently as he glared at Chi Anyu in utter embarrassment.
Chi Anyu shrugged without the slightest fear, looking down at him with a bright smile. “What? You can’t beat me, so now you’re trying to guilt-trip me? Sorry, I really don’t have much in the way of morals.”
Ji Yan’s eyes turned red with fury. Only when he saw the crowd gathering around them did he change tactics. “Young Master Chi, I didn’t provoke you. Why are you being so vicious and kicking me into the pool?”
Chi Anyu sneered. So that was what he was waiting for.
He was used to acting arrogant and domineering, and he didn’t care at all what other people thought.
He was just about to go all in and add another kick.
But at that very moment, Butler Ling suddenly rushed out from the crowd. His voice rose sharply, loud enough for everyone to hear clearly: “My young master is gentle and well-behaved. He never hits anyone. Don’t you dare splash dirt on him! You fell in yourself and now you’re trying to play the victim with my young master!”
The entire place fell silent for a few seconds after he finished speaking.
Gentle and innocent? Never hits anyone?
Everyone stared wide-eyed. Wasn’t that a blatant lie?
Who in the capital didn’t know that the Chi Family’s young master had a reputation for being arrogant and domineering?
Chi Anyu withdrew his foot, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. Hearing that even made him a little embarrassed. “System, is Uncle Ling putting a little too much of a filter on me?”
System 07’s eyelids twitched too. It sighed, “Too much? That’s putting it mildly. That’s extremely much.”
Someone in the crowd muttered quietly, “Why do I feel like this person looks familiar? He looks just like that butler who follows Old Madam Xie around.”
Facing the sudden appearance of Butler Ling, Ji Yan gritted his teeth and snapped back, “How am I playing the victim? He clearly kicked me in!”
Butler Ling let out a cold laugh. “With that bear-like build of yours, do you really think my young master, who is delicate and refined, could kick you? Even if he did, it would only hurt his own leg.”
For the first time, Ji Yan was completely thrown off by someone’s words.
When Chi Fei heard the news, he hurried over from the hall. The moment he arrived, he caught Butler Ling’s words, and even he looked a little dazed.
After all, this didn’t fit the son he knew at all.
Chi Anyu was still a bit confused, but Butler Ling had already stepped forward. “Young master, let’s go. Don’t stay around this unlucky thing.”
Ji Yan’s face darkened immediately. “There are surveillance cameras all over the estate. If you’ve got the guts, check the footage and see whether Chi Anyu actually kicked me!”
Butler Ling narrowed his eyes at once, remembering this man. Check the footage, huh? Fine, then let’s see how much you can check!
After all, this entire estate belonged to the Xie Family.
The crowd was happy to watch the drama unfold. After all, there was always some gossip in wealthy families.
Soon, a bodyguard came over and said, “The camera by the pool just happened to break.”
Butler Ling took the lead first, sneering, “You’re pretty capable, aren’t you? You even thought through your escape route before playing the victim. No wonder you wanted to check the cameras. You knew they were broken, so there was no way to prove anything, right?”
Now it was Ji Yan’s turn to be stunned. He was also a little guilty, after all, since he had been rude first and Chi Anyu only kicked him because of that. Faced with the aggressive Butler Ling, he knew he was no match and could only force himself to swallow the anger.
Even System 07 was a little stunned, exclaiming, “This butler is no ordinary butler! What an imposing presence!”
As the host, Qi Si arrived late and smiled as he eased the tension. “Why is everyone gathered here? The banquet has already started. We’ve been waiting for everyone.”
His gaze slid to Ji Yan as he tried to smooth things over. “Take Young Master Ji down and get him into some clean clothes. Don’t let him catch a cold.”
After all, tonight’s banquet was centered on the Qi Family.
Everyone still gave face where it was due, and in the end they followed Qi Si back to the banquet hall.
Ji Yan, unwilling as he was, could only follow the waitstaff to the changing room.
Chi Fei did not leave. His deep gaze fell on Chi Anyu as he walked over and sighed. “Explain. What exactly happened?”
Chi Anyu curled his lip. “I didn’t like the way he looked, so I kicked him into the pool.”
Chi Fei barked, “When are you going to rein in your temper? It’s one thing to act like this at home, but you do it outside too!”
Butler Ling quickly stepped in front of Chi Anyu and said protectively, “Mr. Chi, the young master is still young! Don’t scare him. That guy deserved the kick. It wasn’t our young master’s fault.”
Chi Fei rubbed his temples. “Butler Ling, he’s already twenty-one. He’s not young anymore, and he’s not a child either.”
Then, as if something had occurred to him, his sharp gaze landed on Butler Ling. “Butler Ling, how did you get in here?”
After all, this estate required an invitation to enter, and bodyguards were stationed at the gates. When he came, he hadn’t brought anyone with him.
Butler Ling’s heart lurched. He had almost forgotten about that. He had only shown himself because he had been so worried about the young master.