Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Honored guest Mr. Lin has arrived!"

A high-pitched announcement suddenly rang out in the bustling banquet hall.

Xie Yunshen, standing behind Yan Shiqi, looked toward the entrance.

It seemed the male lead had arrived.

In the novel, before the male lead entered, he was slighted at the door, followed by a satisfying scene where he put a minor antagonist in their place.

Judging by the male lead's confident and spirited appearance, Xie Yunshen guessed that part was already over.

"Honored guest Mr. Lin? Who is Mr. Lin?"

"I heard he's the one who saved Madam Zhu's life."

"That young man who's become quite famous in the Southern Province recently, right?"

People around whispered among themselves.

Under the crystal chandeliers, a young man wearing a Mao suit walked in.

Lin Jin, the male lead of this wish-fulfillment novel, was originally an orphan. He was taken to the mountains by a reclusive master to practice cultivation since childhood and came down to investigate the truth behind his sister's death.

Relying on his astonishing martial arts and the inherited medical knowledge of Tianmen, he embarked on a cheat-like path to success in the bustling city.

Unlike the classic, righteous, and noble male lead archetype, this novel's protagonist is an anti-hero.

His catchphrase is: Today's grudge, settled today! Better to cut off others' paths than to block my own fortune.

Initially, Xie Yunshen quite liked this male lead who didn't follow the usual tropes. However, as the story progressed, the male lead's actions became increasingly unscrupulous, stopping at nothing to achieve his own goals.

In contrast, it was Yan Shiqi, the head of the Yan family, who constantly fought for his family's interests and clashed with the Top Star Gate, who gradually captured Xie Yunshen's attention.

The book dismissed Yan Shiqi's death with just a couple of offhand sentences. Did such an ending truly befit this man who had dedicated his life, with immense effort and ingenuity, to striving for his family?

Xie Yunshen looked at Yan Shiqi's back, then glanced at the numerous pairs of watchful, predatory eyes not far away.

Perhaps holding on until that point was already the limit of what Yan Shiqi could manage.

Madam Zhu publicly and with great fanfare declared Lin Jin a great benefactor of the Zhu family. Many people stepped forward to engage him in conversation, placing him right at the center of attention.

In truth, how could those present genuinely respect an unknown young man? They were merely putting on a show out of respect for the Zhu family's standing.

Lin Jin became even more arrogant and dismissive. His gaze remained fixed on Yan Shiqi at the other end of the room, and he also noticed Xie Yunshen.

Xie Yunshen, meanwhile, had been closely observing his every move.

Their eyes met. Xie Yunshen sneered coldly, in lieu of a greeting.

"Lao Wu, I need to step away for a moment. Watch Mr. Yan's drink."

Yi Wuyi's expression turned grave, and he gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod.

Xie Yunshen weaved through the crowd, navigating between suits and evening gowns. After searching for a while, he spotted the server near the bar and finally smiled: Found it.

Not long after he returned to Yan Shiqi's side, Madam Zhu approached with the male lead in tow to converse with Yan Shiqi.

Yan Shiqi was still unaware that this young man before him was the favorite of fortune in this world, let alone that he was the man who had broken into the Yan residence that night.

He offered his hand. "So Mr. Lin is this young. Truly remarkable for one so youthful."

Everyone in the banquet hall, while maintaining their social smiles and chatter, were already watching this scene intently.

Yan Shiqi actively reaching out to this young man named Lin was a signal: the Yan family genuinely wanted to strengthen ties with the Zhu family this time.

Madam Zhu was also visibly pleased.

The male lead, however, merely glanced at his outstretched hand before slowly extending his own for the handshake.

He was tall, slightly raising his eyebrows and looking down his nose, as if Yan Shiqi was already beneath his gaze.

After deliberately sizing up Yan Shiqi, he finally said, "Mr. Yan, you are also a man of impressive bearing. I've long heard of your reputation."

Some people couldn't help but show expressions of surprise.

Was this young man looking down on Yan Shiqi's height?

Madam Zhu's gaze sharpened, and her face immediately darkened.

The purpose of the Zhu family's birthday banquet was precisely to strengthen the relationship between the Zhu and Yan families. To put it bluntly, Yan Shiqi was the focal point of this banquet, crucial to the Zhu family's future.

Forget Yan Shiqi's height; even if the head of the Yan family were disabled, no one in the entire Southern Province would dare speak to him with such an attitude.

Consider this: even Shang Guanhong of the Top Star Gate spoke to Yan Shiqi with courtesy and respect.

For a young man to be so rude was practically a slap in her face.

Yan Shiqi looked deeply at Madam Zhu and smiled.

"As expected of Madam's lifesaver, he is indeed extraordinary."

The old lady visibly paused her breath for a moment, her expression stuck somewhere between awkwardness and displeasure, forcing out an awkward smile.

The male lead also smiled. "Mr. Yan, that's purely my personal demeanor. It has nothing to do with the elder."

Others were taken aback, not expecting him to be so blunt. Only Xie Yunshen remained unfazed; he knew the male lead's personality was exactly this confrontational and defiant.

Yan Shiqi didn't look at him.

The old lady gave a bitter chuckle: she truly regretted inviting Lin Jin now.

At that moment, a server approached with a tray.

On it were four glasses of red wine and one glass of white liquor.

Here it comes, Xie Yunshen thought, his gaze intense.

The glass of white liquor was specifically requested by the male lead from the server—the one that had been drugged by the minor antagonist.

Madam Zhu took a glass of red wine and the glass of white liquor from the tray, handing them to Yan Shiqi and the male lead.

"Wait a moment, Mr. Yan. I'm not accustomed to strong liquor; I only prefer this red wine. I hope you don't mind if I offer this wine as an apology."

He picked up the red wine, while Yan Shiqi accepted the glass of white liquor.

Xie Yunshen couldn't help but admire the crafty male lead; he had already known there was something fishy about the wine.

Yi Wuyi cut in immediately to stop Yan Shiqi. "Wait a moment, Mr. Yan."

Xie Yunshen had already given him the all-clear, as he had swapped out the baijiu, and now all those glasses were safe.

But Yi Wuyi still wasn't buying it.

He stepped forward. "Mr. Yan, allow me to be presumptuous, let me drink this glass."

Yan Shiqi was taken aback, and the Zhu matriarch also looked surprised.

Yi Wuyi picked up the glass of baijiu and downed it in one gulp, then placed the empty glass back on the tray before retreating to Yan Shiqi's side.

Xie Yunshen watched him, thinking: Yi Wuyi, if you don't survive until the finale, there's no justice in the world.

"Mr. Yan, I really envy you for having such a devoted subordinate," a refined voice chimed in.

Both Xie Yunshen and Yi Wuyi tensed up instantly.

It was Shang Guanhong.

"Unlike me, who's surrounded by disobedient, ungrateful dogs."

Shang Guanhong said with a smile, his gaze shifting toward the Zhu family, the malice at his core unmistakable.

Despite such blatant provocation, not a single member of the Zhu family dared to meet his eyes.

The Zhu matriarch managed a smile. "Well, if it isn't Mr. Shang. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Behind Shang Guanhong were two men, one of whom was the man named Qing Ao who had fought Xie Yunshen last time.

The other was clearly also a top expert from Dingxing Gate.

Qing Ao's gaze fell on Xie Yunshen like a sharp blade.

Yet Xie Yunshen didn't even glance at him—he had no interest in a former opponent he had already defeated.

Qing Ao's already-dark face flushed with anger, turning a deeper shade of red.

Yan Shiqi, on the other hand, blew Shang Guanhong off completely. He said his goodbyes to the Zhu matriarch and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment, Mr. Yan," Shang Guanhong said, wiping his glasses with his head lowered. "Why leave as soon as I arrive? Do you have a problem with me?"

Yan Shiqi only gave him a sidelong glance. "If I had to stick around for every person who enters, how would I ever have enough time, Mr. Shang?"

Shang Guanhong didn't respond. He put his glasses back on; only the slight, twisted curve of his mouth, resembling a venomous snake, was unsettling to behold.

"Mr. Yan, surely you have time for a single drink."

At his signal, the waiter stepped forward, the tray still holding two glasses of red wine.

Shang Guanhong picked up both glasses, handing one to Yan Shiqi. "Surely you won't refuse even a simple toast?"

Yan Shiqi took the wine, and Shang Guanhong raised his own glass.

That idiot Qing Ao suddenly spoke up. "Wait, Mr. Shang, let me drink it."

This moron probably didn't want to be outdone by Yi Wuyi.

After drinking, he even shot a provocative glance at Xie Yunshen and Yi Wuyi.

He likely assumed Xie Yunshen would step in to intercept the drink as well.

Xie Yunshen sneered at how utterly childish it was.

He took the red wine from Yan Shiqi's hand and drank it in one gulp.

At that moment, he spotted the male lead not far away. His face was flushed, his brows tightly furrowed, and something was clearly wrong.

Wait!

A terrifying thought exploded in Xie Yunshen's mind.

His heart sank.

Yan Shiqi said his goodbyes to the Zhu matriarch once more.

Before getting into the car, Xie Yunshen made a point of inspecting the vehicle—nothing suspicious.

Only a few minutes after getting in the car, Xie Yunshen began to feel something was wrong.

Shit, could they really be this unlucky?

Could it be that every glass of wine on that tray was spiked?

Xie Yunshen glanced at Yi Wuyi again—the other man seemed perfectly normal.

Because he had only swapped the baijiu, and Yi Wuyi had drunk exactly that.

The remaining glasses of red wine were all problematic.

Damn that cannon-fodder villain, willing to kill a thousand innocents rather than let one target escape.

Author's note:

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