Chapter 79: What Is He Being So Pretentious About (Part 1)

Chapter 79: What Is He Being So Pretentious About (Part 1)

Shen Zhixue propped his chin on his hand and remained silent. In truth, he wasn’t particularly interested in this charity banquet. As Jiang Huizhou had mentioned, this event was merely a way for the Wan family to raise military resources. For the military, it didn’t matter who controlled the empire’s commercial lifeline—they had absolute military might to ensure their partners complied without question.

Having the military’s support was like giving someone a leg up for anyone looking to do business within the empire. Overall, it should have been a win-win situation.

He idly watched the various guests at the banquet, their faces glowing with eagerness. Suddenly, he felt a malicious gaze directed at him. Following the source of that gaze, he saw Jiang Shuiling glaring at him with anger.

Shen Zhixue hesitated, unsure what he had done to upset her this time. When he shifted his gaze back, he discovered the reason for Jiang Shuiling’s anger: Lu Qingyan was seated, his eyes fixed on him.

As soon as their eyes met, Lu Qingyan quickly looked away, as if trying to conceal something.

Shen Zhixue furrowed his brows. Sure enough, Jiang Shuiling quickly stood up and began walking toward him.

Shen Zhixue sighed inwardly, feeling a headache brewing.

A haughty voice rang out from above: "Shen Zhixue, what makes you think you’re fit to attend such an event?"

As she spoke, she glanced at the server standing nearby with a tray, grabbed a glass of champagne, and angrily tried to throw it at Shen Zhixue!

Shen Zhixue was caught off guard by Jiang Shuiling’s directness. Instinctively, he braced himself for the impact.

Wan Chenghan frowned, reached out, and grabbed Jiang Shuiling’s wrist. He glanced at the glass, then with a slight push, sent the champagne spilling onto Jiang Shuiling instead!

Jiang Shuiling let out a shriek: "My dress!"

The price of this gown is also a considerable amount for the Jiang family. Each aurora diamond embedded in it is worth a fortune, and the silk used for weaving is the most expensive natural gold thread. It is highly sensitive to being soaked in such irritating liquids, which can cause the gold thread to change color due to some chemical reaction, even becoming fragile and unable to bear the weight of the aurora diamonds.

With this champagne splashed on it, the evening gown is ruined!

Wan Chenghan snorted, "You had it coming."

Jiang Shuiling looked at Wan Chenghan, angry but not daring to speak out. No matter how unruly Wan Chenghan had been before, he was still the only son of the Wan family, which controlled the military. Not just anyone could afford to provoke him.

Moreover, the Jiang family was counting on tonight to turn things around, so they absolutely could not offend Wan Chenghan.

Jiang Shuiling could only vent all her anger on Shen Zhixue. She sneered, "Some people really don't know their place, nor do they weigh their own worth! They're just trash who only know how to seduce men! Only a spineless coward like Jiang Huizhou could put up with you!"

Shen Zhixue looked at her leisurely, his almond-shaped eyes slightly curved, "Miss Jiang, are you this mad because you can't get any man's attention?"

"Do you think everyone is like you, relying on seductive tricks learned from sleeping around to make a living?" Jiang Shuiling snapped, "Shameless thing!"

Wan Chenghan kicked the table in front of him irritably, narrowing his eyes, "You're so annoying."

Jiang Shuiling was startled by the aura emanating from Wan Chenghan, but she couldn't bear the thought that Shen Zhixue always had someone protecting him wherever he went. She was the lady of high society, while Shen Zhixue was just a lowly person who, despite being married, seduced men everywhere. Why was it Shen Zhixue who caught the attention of these men, and not her?!

"Master Wan," Jiang Shuiling clenched her fists, lowering her tone slightly, "Don't be fooled by this scoundrel. He just looks innocent, but in reality, he's easy pickings for anyone! Who knows what diseases he might have? For your health and safety, it's better to stay away from him!"

Wan Chenghan's expression turned cold and irritable. Impatiently, he threw the glass in his hand at Jiang Shuiling again, "You're disgusting. Listening to you is what's really disgusting. Damn it, where's my knife? I should cut out your disgusting tongue and feed it to the dogs!"

Jiang Shuiling, having her insults thrown back at her, instantly turned red with embarrassment. Upon hearing Wan Chenghan's words, her face turned pale again.

Lu Qingyan's voice came from behind, "Jiang Shuiling, come back."

Hearing Lu Qingyan's voice, Jiang Shuiling sighed in relief and quickly sat back down beside him.

Wan Chenghan scoffed dismissively and said to Shen Zhixue, "Forget it, let’s just do this for the Lu family’s sake."

Lu Qingyan glanced at Wan Chenghan briefly before he stopped paying attention to the commotion.

Jiang Shuiling said softly, "Brother Qingyan, thanks for having my back. I knew you cared about me, unlike others who only care about that jerk Shen Zhixue!"

Lu Qingyan's eyes turned icy cold as he warned in a low voice, "Didn’t I warn you not to mess with him?"

Jiang Shuiling paused, then retorted angrily, "I didn’t do anything wrong! I just said a couple of things about him. Why are you all so protective of him?! Brother Qingyan, you're here to accompany me to this banquet, yet you’re still sticking up for him?!"

Lu Qingyan massaged his temples with his slender fingers, regretting his impulsive decision.

He knew that the Jiang family had been under heavy pressure from the Chengfeng Group recently, so they must have bet a significant portion of their assets on the Wan family’s promise tonight. If the Jiang family succeeded, it would be beneficial for the Lu family to maintain good relations with them.

Although Lu Qingyan's father was a renowned scholar, he was also skilled at maneuvering in the business world. Otherwise, with just two academics stuck in their labs, the Lu family wouldn't have reached its current status.

However, Lu's father was unaware of the messy history between Lu Qingyan and Shen Zhixue. He had discussed with Lu Qingyan the idea of accompanying Jiang Shuiling to the charity banquet. If the Jiang family secured the Wan family’s promise tonight, it would set the stage for a stronger relationship between the two families. If not, there would be other opportunities in the future.

Under normal circumstances, Lu Qingyan would have refused without a second thought.

But during those days, he had been in a heated argument with Shen Zhixue at the hotel, feeling stifled and with no way to vent his emotions. In a weak moment, he gave in.

On one hand, he thought Shen Zhixue would also attend, giving him a chance to see him. On the other hand, he secretly hoped Shen Zhixue would feel just as hurt, uncomfortable, and suffocated upon seeing him with Jiang Shuiling.

But when he saw Shen Zhixue's calm expression as usual, he didn’t feel the anger he expected—just disappointment and regret.

Why was he being so melodramatic?

He was only pushing Shen Zhixue further away.

Lu Qingyan stood up.

Jiang Shuiling grabbed his wrist and asked, "Brother Qingyan, where are you going?"

"I’m done playing along with your little charade," Lu Qingyan frowned, pulling his wrist free. "You can watch the rest yourself."

"Why?" Jiang Shuiling insisted, "Is it because I confronted Shen Zhixue earlier? Do you really care about him that much?"

"Otherwise," Lu Qingyan looked down at her expressionlessly, "Do you think I like you?"

Jiang Shuiling gritted her teeth, "What do I lack compared to that jerk! Brother Qingyan, don't forget what tonight is about! The Jiang family is sure to get the Wan family’s backing! With the Wan family's support, the Jiang Corporation will rise again. Think about it—crossing me means crossing both the Jiang and Wan families! Even if you don't care about yourself, don't you care about your parents or the Lu family?"

Lu Qingyan glanced at Jiang Shuiling, "You’re not as important as you think."

With that, Lu Qingyan turned and left.

Jiang Shuiling couldn’t hold onto her glass anymore, and it crashed to the ground!

The sound of the shattering glass drew everyone's attention, and whispers immediately spread.

"Isn't that the Jiang family's eldest daughter? What happened? Did her date just ditch her in the middle of the banquet?"

"I always wondered how the Lu family's eldest son could be interested in someone like Jiang Shuiling. You know, the Jiang family patriarch only rose to prominence thanks to his wife. They only recently entered high society, and he's actually a crude and boorish man. His daughter isn't exactly refined either..."

"I was surprised when Young Master Lu brought her to the banquet earlier!"

"Now it seems like he might have been forced. Jiang Shuiling is known for being spoiled and capricious. She might have pulled some shady move to force Young Master Lu’s hand..."

"Stop talking, she's looking this way!"

Jiang Shuiling glared at the gossiping omegas, their mocking and disdainful looks deeply stinging her pride.

Because Mrs. Jiang's health deteriorated after giving birth to her, making it difficult to conceive another child, she treated her like a precious gem, coddling her to the point of overprotection.

And Mr. Jiang dared not criticize his wife's behavior, so he spoiled her into the person she is now—arrogant, willful, and unable to tolerate any opposition.

Shen Zhixue, feeling bored by the gift announcements on stage, stood up and said, "I'm going to the bathroom first."

Wan Chenghan tossed a cherry into his mouth and said, "Go ahead, it's still a while before the main event."

Shen Zhixue rubbed his sleepy eyes. Generally, the more valuable gifts were announced later, and even if one wanted to leave, it was customary to wait until their own gift was announced, to ensure the gift was officially acknowledged.

He had no idea what Jiang Huizhou had chosen, as he had been listening for a long time without hearing his name mentioned. Shen Zhixue felt quite drowsy, exhausted from Jiang Huizhou's antics over the past few days, always feeling like he couldn't get enough sleep.

Shen Zhixue splashed some cold water on his face in the bathroom, the cold water snapping him back to attention. As he wiped the water droplets from his face and opened his eyes to look in the mirror, he suddenly noticed someone standing behind him!

Shen Zhixue gasped sharply, and the water droplets on the tip of his nose were inhaled into his nasal cavity.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough!" Shen Zhixue nearly choked to death, pinching his nose and yelling angrily, his voice muffled, "Lu Qingyan!"