Chapter 83 Making Trouble

Chapter 83: Making a Scene

"That incident last time was quite messy, and I never imagined it would spread so widely, causing trouble for all of you. So, I thought I'd seize this opportunity today to invite the media to clarify things, preventing rumors from circulating further."

The second elder of the Yan family wore a polite smile, but his gaze at Yan Anxuan was undeniably provocative.

Indeed, he was challenging, even threatening. If the Yan family dared to bar him from the banquet hall, he was prepared to escalate the situation.

Yan Anxuan immediately clenched his fists, struggling to suppress his rising anger. Beside him, Bu Qiran was already at his limit, but Yan Anxuan restrained him just as he was about to act.

"Second Uncle, please."

Yan Anxuan casually gestured with an open hand. "There's no need for Second Aunt and Cousin to trouble themselves. Tell me where they are, and I'll send someone to pick them up. The minor issues between us don't warrant involving reporters. It's already caused enough commotion, and further escalation would benefit no one, don't you agree, Second Uncle?"

Yan Anxuan's words carried an unmistakable undertone of threat.

He knew reporters wouldn't actually show up; this was merely his second uncle's pretext. His ultimate goal was to gain entry to the banquet, fearing they might simply block him at the door.

With guests all around, a standoff at the entrance would only harm their reputation. The timing—choosing the enrollment celebration—strongly suggested an intent to cause trouble, embodying the spirit of someone with nothing to lose.

Since he was so determined to come, they would let him. But before entering, he needed a clear warning to prevent any further disturbances.

"I agree. I'll inform your second aunt shortly."

The second elder of the Yan family, pleased with his successful ploy, followed the three Yan brothers into the banquet hall, completely oblivious to the murmurs and judgments of other guests along the way.

"Where are your parents? Why haven't they come out to greet me?"

The second elder stood ramrod straight, not at all like someone who had recently had a falling out with the Yan family. Instead, he carried himself with an arrogant swagger, as if the Yan family owed him money, even expecting Yan Ren and Bai Rong to personally welcome him.

Some of the onlookers, unable to stomach his behavior, openly muttered "shameless."

"My parents are busy attending to other guests. Many people are here today. Isn't it sufficient that we came out to greet you, Second Uncle?"

After observing the situation for a while, he understood that his second uncle was purely here to stir up trouble. This was unacceptable—today was his enrollment celebration, and no one would be allowed to ruin it.

Moreover, he wasn't in the best mood. He had been waiting at the entrance for a long time but hadn't seen Zhan Jiayu arrive. What was going on? The banquet was about to begin.

"Look at you, child. Isn't Second Uncle a guest too? We are, after all, close relatives."

The second elder had never taken Yan Zhoubai seriously, always dismissing his words with contempt.

"If Second Uncle is a guest, he should understand the principle of 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do.' It would be better to behave appropriately."

After the second elder retorted, Bu Qiran, noticing Yan Zhoubai's obvious displeasure, immediately shot back. He wasn't about to tolerate this idiot.

Surprisingly, the second elder, who had been eager to argue with everyone, fell silent after Bu Qiran's sharp retort, which was quite odd.

No one understood what he was trying to achieve today. Only Yan Zhoubai secretly suspected that his second uncle had been intimidated by Bu Qiran's previous actions. Was physical force truly that effective?

The banquet officially commenced, with Yan Ren and Bai Rong descending from the second floor of the banquet hall. The usual opening formalities began, featuring the standard, well-known speeches.

They were certainly aware of the second elder's arrival, but both pretended to be too busy entertaining guests to attend to him, effectively ignoring him.

In a way, the Yan family was caught in a bind. Today was their sons' enrollment celebration, and they absolutely did not want to escalate the situation and ruin the event.

After Yan Ren and Bai Rong's opening remarks, Yan Zhoubai and Bu Qiran, as the guests of honor, were expected to say a few words. Yan Zhoubai had even prepared a draft, hoping to make a strong impression at his own celebration.

But when he saw Bu Qiran simply go up and say a few casual words, without even a mental draft, let alone a written one, Yan Zhoubai felt frustrated again, as if his efforts had been in vain.

However, this feeling lasted only two seconds. When it was his turn, Yan Zhoubai earnestly delivered the speech he had prepared.

He didn't expect any particular praise for his simple address. He was well aware of his writing skills and knew he couldn't produce anything extraordinary.

To his surprise, after his speech, the guests responded with enthusiastic applause. It was just a brief three-minute speech, and Yan Zhoubai hadn't anticipated such a reaction.

Was it because Bu Qiran had only spoken three sentences, making his own speech seem much more substantial by comparison?

But when he glanced at his parents and older brother, he saw looks of approval on their faces, including Bu Qiran, who wasn't wearing his usual arrogant expression.

Had he really done that well today?

"Yes, baby, you truly did great today. You spoke wonderfully. This is your enrollment celebration, and you are undoubtedly the absolute star of the event."

The praise system activated. It didn't care if anyone said their little host had only gotten into the obscure Wutong University and there was nothing to celebrate. It only knew that their little host had performed exceptionally well today.

Yan Zhoubai harbored some self-doubt, stemming from his past experiences. However, he had grown significantly recently, so after receiving affirmation, he no longer dwelled on it, firmly believing in his own excellence.

However, Yan Zhoubai's good mood was interrupted after only a few minutes, once again by his second uncle.

After Yan Zhoubai's speech, the second elder approached Yan Ren, intending to propose a toast. Everyone could only marvel at his audacity, but since he was already a guest at the banquet, toasting the host was technically appropriate.

But Yan Ren did not accept.

Yan Ren was known in their circle for his good temper and never publicly embarrassed anyone. His clear refusal confirmed that their relationship had indeed reached a breaking point.

Seeing Yan Ren's firm refusal, the second elder didn't insist. Instead, he turned to Bu Qiran with the wine glass.

"Qiran, last time, Second Uncle was indeed at fault for speaking harshly. But we are still family, and I came today specifically to apologize. Let's put this matter behind us."

The second elder's words were carefully calculated. He never expected Yan Ren to accept the toast; his real target wasn't Yan Ren. By offering the toast to Yan Ren first and being rejected, it would be harder for Bu Qiran to refuse the second time.

But he was dealing with Bu Qiran, who never played by the rules.

Bu Qiran ignored him entirely, as if daring him to keep holding the glass.

All the guests were watching. The second elder, from the moment he forced his way into the banquet, had already adopted a "nothing to lose" attitude.

He wasn't afraid of losing face. If Bu Qiran refused, he was prepared to hold the glass until he accepted, as long as they didn't mind the awkward standoff.

Bu Qiran had a hot temper and was ready to outlast the old man. But Yan Anxuan couldn't let the atmosphere remain tense.

"A toast, right? I'll drink."

Yan Anxuan stepped forward to take the champagne glass, but someone was faster, snatching it directly from the second elder's hand.

It was Yan Zhoubai. No one noticed how he managed to dart forward and take the glass.

"Second Uncle, are you determined to cause trouble for our family at my enrollment celebration? I'll drink this toast. Now, please leave."

Without giving anyone time to react, Yan Zhoubai downed the champagne in one gulp.

"Don't—"

The second elder tried to stop him, but the glass was small, and Yan Zhoubai finished it in one breath, leaving no chance to intervene. After drinking, Yan Zhoubai deliberately raised the empty glass toward the second elder.

Seeing Yan Zhoubai empty the glass, the second elder's expression turned strange, as if he wanted to laugh but held back.

That expression created a bizarre effect on his aged face, and from Yan Zhoubai's perspective, it looked utterly menacing.

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, Bu Qiran rushed forward in a single swift motion, grabbed the second elder by the collar, and lifted him up.

"What do you mean by that? Was there something in the wine?"

Having spent over a decade surviving in the underworld, Bu Qiran’s intuition had saved him countless times, so he trusted it deeply. The second elder’s expression just now made him instinctively sense that something was wrong.

Lifted by Bu Qiran, the second elder’s collar tightened around his neck, yet he showed no reaction to being publicly humiliated by a junior. Instead, he slowly turned his head, scanning everyone around him, before suddenly breaking into laughter:

"Hahahahahaha… It seems heaven truly has no favor for me. Anyone drinking that wine would’ve been better than this useless impostor. What good does it do if he drinks it? Hahahahahaha…"

By the end of his laughter, the expression on the second elder’s face was even more pitiful than crying.

But Bu Qiran, who was closest to him and still gripping his collar, suddenly broke out in beads of sweat on his forehead and face. He demanded urgently, "What exactly was in that wine?"

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Author's note: Here it is.