The man’s face was cold and stern. “This is my girlfriend, Ms. Xia.”
He refused to even give her full name to the crowd. There was no need for them to know his precious treasure’s name.
Another wave of commotion rippled through the audience.
The old man turned furious, his face flushing with rage. “What? When did you get a girlfriend? What about Xiaoning?!”
A playful yet dangerous, bloodthirsty smirk tugged at the corner of Xie Junting’s lips. “And what does that have to do with me?”
Lin Jianfeng, Elder Lin’s eldest son, interjected eagerly, “Xie Junting! You took advantage of Xiaoning and now you want to shirk responsibility?”
Xia Yiyan blinked her round eyes: Ooh, drama! A huge piece of juicy gossip!
Xie Junting cast a cold glance at the man, laughing derisively. “Take advantage of her? A piece of trash like that? They could give her to me for free and I wouldn’t even want her.”
“You… you are utterly despicable!” Elder Lin’s face turned bright red with anger.
Just then, Lin Yueling arrived at the banquet hall. Spotting Xie Junting, she trotted over with a radiant expression of joy. “Brother Ting, you’re here! Ningning missed you so much.”
Lin Yueling gazed infatuatedly at the man before her, her heart filled with joy and anticipation. But when she saw the pretty woman standing beside him, wearing an evening gown made from the exact same fabric, she was struck as if by a bolt of lightning. She drew a sharp breath, gritted her teeth, and demanded, “Brother Ting, who is this?”
Before Xie Junting could answer, she blurted out anxiously, “Brother Ting, you probably don’t know yet, but I’m pregnant—it’s your child. I don’t care who she is; for the sake of our baby, you cannot be with her.”
Lin Yueling pulled a pitiful, teary-eyed expression, her hands resting over a stomach that showed no visible sign of pregnancy.
The banquet hall had fallen completely silent, surrounded by spectators eager for a show.
A mocking smile lingered at the corner of Xie Junting’s lips as he spoke in an icy tone, “I advise you not to plant someone else’s bastard on me so casually.”
“Brother Ting, how can you say that? What I’m carrying is no bastard, this is our child!” With that, she broke down into soft sobs, projecting the image of someone who had suffered an unspeakable grievance.
Noticing the intense curiosity burning in Xia Yiyan’s eyes, Xie Junting lost what little patience he had left. “I’m certainly not going to acknowledge this wild seed.”
“Xie Junting, you bastard! I gave you everything, and I’m pregnant with your child—is this how you treat me? Are you even human? You dare to do it and won’t own up to it! This is your child!” Lin Yueling shrieked hysterically, completely casting aside the fact that it was her grandfather’s birthday banquet. She wanted to deliberately make a scene, forcing Xie Junting to marry her.
Lin Yueling was desperate to marry Xie Junting. His appearance perfectly fulfilled all her fantasies of a boyfriend, and on top of that, he came from a top-tier elite family. The Lin family was also eager to broker this marriage to resolve their impending bankruptcy.
Without missing a beat, Xie Junting pulled out a USB flash drive and motioned for a staff member to set up a projector. When the screen lit up, Xie Junting didn’t forget to pull Xia Yiyan into his arms, gently pressing the back of her head so she wouldn’t look.
Xia Yiyan fumed silently: No way! I want to watch too!
A vague sense of unease crept into Lin Yueling’s heart.
On the screen, Lin Yueling was completely naked, entwined with a man in a passionate, highly intimate embrace. The man’s face was clearly captured on camera, and it was definitely not Xie Junting.
Upon witnessing this racy spectacle, the crowd finally erupted into a roar of buzzing discussions. Someone who frequently socialized with the Lin family spoke up loudly, “That guy looks familiar! Isn’t that one of the Lin family’s bodyguards?!”
Never expecting Xie Junting to know everything—let alone keep a backup on a flash drive—Lin Yueling collapsed to the floor in a state of total breakdown.
Elder Lin and Lin Jianfeng scrambled frantically, lunging forward to unplug the power cord and snatch the flash drive away.
Xie Junting continued leisurely, “Last month, on the 2nd, at the Shangri-La Hotel, room 305. On the 4th, the Langham Hotel, room 401. On the 9th, the Hoi Yat Hotel, room 204…”
“Do you want me to keep going, Lin Yueling? A total of eight times, and I have the flash drive for every single one of them.”
“Also, last time I wasn’t even drunk. Your Lin family really has some clever tricks—Lin Yueling actually managed to get my room key, sneak into my room, and crawl into my bed stark naked.”
“For a woman like you, I’d be disgusted just looking at you. How could I possibly have touched you?”
Hearing Xie Junting’s ruthless words alongside the whispering and pointing from the surrounding crowd, Lin Yueling began to wail heart-wrenchingly. “Xie Junting, you’ll die a horrible death! The child is yours, it just is!”
Xie Junting sneered, a trace of sinister cruelty hidden beneath his arrogant expression. “Whose sperm worm crawled into your belly, you know better than anyone else, don’t you? Think carefully about the consequences before you try to pin this child on me.”
“Did you really think everyone else was as stupid as you?”
Elder Lin signaled someone to gag Lin Yueling and drag her out of the venue. The Lin family could not afford to bear the consequences of offending Xie Junting. At the same time, deep resentment toward Lin Yueling brewed in his heart—what a tacky, good-for-nothing fool who only ever ruined things. He had actually thought she was carrying Xie Junting’s heir, but it turned out to be a bastard. She had completely humiliated him along with her.
Clutching his slightly tightened chest, the elder showered Xie Junting in endless apologies.
The onlookers agreed: Tonight’s gossip was truly large and perfectly round!
Xu Xing’ang had watched enough of the drama from the sidelines before finally clapping and walking over to Xie Junting’s side. “Well, that was quite a show.”
Xu Xing’ang was Xie Junting’s best friend and childhood buddy who had spent the last few years living abroad. He had a tall, striking figure, and his features carried an edgy, cool vibe tinged with a hint of wickedness. His vibrant red hair was untamed and rebellious, and his casual suit exuded an air of free-spirited swagger.
Seeing him, Xie Junting’s eyes remained placid. “When did you get back?”
“Just arrived this afternoon. I heard the gossip from the Lin family—that tonight was supposedly Elder Lin’s birthday, but actually an engagement banquet for you and the Lin miss. So naturally, I rushed right over.”
Xie Junting sneered. “Just a bunch of jumping clowns.” He had been letting them off too easily lately, making them bold enough to scheme against him. If he didn’t put them in their place now, they’d probably start thinking anyone could walk all over him.
The banquet didn’t end because of this farce—mostly because Xie Junting wasn’t leaving, and the Lin family didn’t dare depart first. Elder Lin hovered nearby, offering cautious, fearful apologies while Xie Junting completely ignored him.
Watching the old man, Xia Yiyan felt a twinge of sympathy, so she tugged at the man’s sleeve, signaling him not to take it too far. The man remained entirely indifferent to Elder Lin.
Xu Xing’ang burst into loud laughter, full of mockery. “Elder Lin, it’s your birthday today, you should look a little happier!”
Elder Lin stammered and agreed. He couldn’t afford to cross either of these two men.
Xie Junting looked down at the person beside him. “Hungry? Let me get you something to eat first.” With that, he wrapped an arm around Xia Yiyan and walked toward the buffet station.
Xu Xing’ang trailed behind them, clicking his tongue. Well, well, this stubborn old iron tree has finally blossomed. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Seeing that Xie Junting had no intention of speaking, Xia Yiyan took the initiative. “Hello, my name is Xia Yiyan. I’m Brother Junting’s girlfriend.”
“Hello there! I’m Xu Xing’ang, Xie Junting’s good friend. You can call me Brother Xing’ang too.”
Xie Junting: “Get lost.”
Xu Xing’ang completely ignored his friend’s dismissal and continued teasing Xia Yiyan. “Ms. Xia is so pretty, definitely my type. If Xie Junting ever treats you badly, just dump him and come with me.”
Hearing this death-seeking speech, Xia Yiyan broke out in a cold sweat.
Thinking internally: I know you’re tight with Xie Junting, but you’re brave enough to joke with him like that—I sure as hell aren’t. If I agreed to that, my backside wouldn’t survive the ride home; I’d definitely get a “severe beating.”
It was time to show absolute loyalty.
“Then you definitely won’t have a chance. Brother Junting treats me very well, and I like him the most. I’m never leaving him.”
Xie Junting was naturally very pleased with this answer, a distinct curve forming at the corner of his tightly pressed lips. He picked up a small piece of cake, several delicate little pastries, and some freshly cut fruit to cleanse her palate, then flagged down a waiter to bring a glass of plain water.
He led her to a less crowded resting area so she could eat in peace. “I’m going to talk business with someone. Don’t run off, I’ll take you out for a proper meal later.”
Xia Yiyan nodded obediently. “Okay.”
Xia Yiyan was indeed a bit hungry. She took a couple of bites of the small cake and was munching on some fruit when she realized that this previously secluded corner was getting increasingly crowded. A group of young women had gathered in clusters, all staring directly at her and whispering amongst themselves.
Whenever she looked over, they averted their gaze. The moment she looked away, they locked their eyes right back on her.
Good grief, am I some kind of rare animal at a zoo? Why are they all staring?
Xia Yiyan was speechless, and the little piece of fruit in her mouth suddenly lost its appeal. Catching a waiter, she asked for the location of the restroom and made a swift escape.