The grand banquet hall was as bright as day, with waiters moving back and forth, offering guests rich-tasting wine. People in various evening dresses and suits gathered elegantly in small groups, speaking softly, while others sat alone in the corners, savoring desserts and drinks. Occasionally, bursts of laughter from different areas indicated the lively atmosphere of the event.
Qi Yilin stood upstairs, watching the people below come and go, a proper smile on his face. This banquet had to be a success, as it was crucial for him to break into this social circle.
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the door, drawing everyone’s attention to that direction. When they saw who had arrived, the murmuring and whispers began.
“You don’t know about Shengshi from Country M?”
“Isn’t that the impressive young master from the Zhu family next to him?”
“Are the two families collaborating? Recently…”
Everyone’s focus was on the two men, and the atmosphere of the banquet completely shifted from just moments before.
Qi Yilin also followed the crowd’s gaze and saw two men of notably different builds step out of the car one after the other. Both of their appearances were striking.
The older man had a calm and cold demeanor, while the younger man’s face showed pride, eyes filled with rebellion and provocation. Despite their contrasting temperaments, they seemed so well-matched standing together that it gave the onlookers an illusion that it should be so.
What caught everyone’s attention was how the taller man seemed to be carefully protecting the smaller boy, standing slightly behind him, their bodies close together, walking in a protective stance.
Even though the man was half a step behind, Qi Yilin could still sense the powerful aura emanating from him, even from such a distance.
As the two walked by, the guests murmurs quieted down, as if the true hosts of the banquet had arrived, and the crowd expressed their respect with silence.
Wei Xicheng touched his chin, his tone teasing, “Do I still owe you a meal?”
The presence of the two was so strong that even though they had already consciously stood to the side, blending in with the guests, they were still constantly being watched.
Wei Xicheng, having studied performing arts, had long since learned to adapt to the audience’s gaze. Moreover, after experiencing a thousand worlds, he no longer cared about how others looked at him.
As for Sheng Huasen, as the top decision-maker of Shengshi, he was also used to being in a high position, admired by many.
Thus, the two of them accepted the stares from the crowd naturally.
“Today doesn’t count,” Sheng Huasen lowered his head and spoke to the playful youth.
Wei Xicheng fiddled with the dessert on the table, unaware that in that moment, when Sheng Huasen lowered his head, his gaze softened, and even a smile appeared on his lips.
Watching the scene of the two standing side by side downstairs, Qi Yilin clenched the railing tighter and tighter, his knuckles turning white, though he remained unaware.
“What are you doing here?” A cold voice came from behind.
Qi Yilin composed his expression and turned to look at his “younger brother,” whom he hadn’t seen in years.
“Just looking around. Are you going downstairs to have some fun?” Qi Yilin’s face softened, showing concern.
Seeing this expression, Qi Yiming’s originally sour face gradually softened as well. He curled his lips, but his words remained harsh, “Drop that sissy look. You go down, I’m not in the mood.”
With that, he turned and left.
“Hmm.”
Whether or not Qi Yiming could hear, Qi Yilin responded softly. Watching his brother walk away, he revealed a faint smile.
His younger brother was so young and naive, it would be a shame not to take advantage of such an opportunity.
Qi Yilin glanced down at the two people still speaking softly in the hall, his eyes cold. What was his, no one could take away.
…
Two microphone test sounds echoed in the banquet hall, causing the guests to stop their conversations and look toward the source.
“Thank you all for taking the time to attend this banquet. I’d like to raise a glass to everyone first.”
Qi Xiuyuan raised his wine glass to the guests below, clearly pleased with the effect he’d achieved.
“Here, I’d like to introduce my son, who has just returned from abroad. Due to health reasons, he’s been recuperating overseas, and he has only recently fully recovered. Yilin, come, greet your uncles and aunties.”
Qi Yilin adjusted his attire, ensuring everything was perfect before stepping onto the makeshift stage.
“Good evening, esteemed elders. I’ve just returned to the country and have a lot to learn. There are many things I don’t yet understand and areas, I may not perform well. I hope to learn from all of you. It’s an honor that you’ve come tonight. Please enjoy. Cheers!”
The young man on stage introduced himself with poise and grace. The light shone on his cream-colored suit, making him appear warm and handsome.
Even though many of the distinguished ladies at the event didn’t approve of his status as an illegitimate child, his appearance won them over, softening their attitudes toward him.
From start to finish, Qi Yilin maintained a warm, jade-like smile. His actions and words were well-timed, and he quickly blended into a small group.
Wei Xicheng and Sheng Huasen were positioned a little further away, but judging by Qi Yilin’s direction, he would be coming their way soon.
“Such a pretender.”
Sheng Huasen chuckled when he heard the young man grumbling softly next to him. “Is he the one you asked me about? Do you two have a problem?”
“No, I just find him annoying.”
Today, Wei Xicheng’s hair was particularly tame. He hadn’t styled it in a cool way, letting it flop lazily against his head. A few strands were too long, falling into his eyes and getting in the way.
Wei Xicheng blew a breath with his hands in his pockets, causing the slightly long hair on his forehead to lift and reveal his smooth forehead. This action made him look a bit more childish, and his previously unreasonable words now seemed more endearing.
“Isn’t this nice?” Sheng Huasen’s eyes carried a hint of amusement. He couldn’t deny that, perhaps due to that unexplainable reason, he felt especially relaxed and at ease when he was around the young man. As a result, he often couldn’t resist the urge to tease the rare, compliant little leopard.
Wei Xicheng glanced at him and walked away.
Sheng Huasen was taken aback by that look and, surprisingly, didn’t manage to stop him.
Zhu Xingyuan’s eyes were originally round, clear, and bright, full of spirit when wide open. But just now, when Wei Xicheng squinted his eyes, the expression changed—his gaze became slightly elongated, hinting at displeasure, but still carried a trace of flirtation at the corners of his eyes and brows.
As soon as Wei Xicheng turned to leave, he regretted it—not because he was giving Qi Yilin a chance to cozy up to his “good friend,” but because he hadn’t controlled his expression well earlier, and now he was mentally berating himself.
Zhu Xingyuan would never look at Sheng Huasen with such an expression. Instead, he’d likely throw a punch and say, “Get lost, you jerk.”
Now that would make sense.
Heh, he had made similar mistakes several times in front of Sheng Huasen lately. In Sheng Huasen’s mind, the Zhu family’s little boy probably seemed like a split personality by now.
“Split personality, huh?” Wei Xicheng downed a mouthful of red wine, expressionless. “What a joke. I’ve completely gone out of character. Better reflect on that, you idiot.”
The unreasonable young master of the Zhu family had quite the “reputation” within the circle. As soon as Wei Xicheng walked away, many people turned their attention to Sheng Huasen, who was seen as a juicy target. A newly rising power, showing great promise—people didn’t necessarily hope to take a bite out of him but wished for an opportunity to make a connection, thinking it might bring future benefits.
Sheng Huasen’s expression grew colder as he sat alone in a corner, finally scaring off a group of people who had tried to strike up a conversation. Little did he know, just now he was far less intimidating when he was with that kid.
“Mr. Sheng.” A warm voice spoke, polite yet maintaining a slight sense of distance.
Sheng Huasen looked up. The young man smiled faintly, standing in front of him against the light. The hall’s lighting cast a halo around him, making him appear warm and gentle.
“Who are you?” Sheng Huasen had no intention of inviting him to sit down.
Qi Yilin’s smile stiffened slightly. He hadn’t expected Sheng Huasen to be so blunt.
He raised his glass on his own, introducing himself. “It seems my self-introduction earlier wasn’t very effective. I’m Qi Yilin.”
His tone and manner were natural, handling the awkward situation with ease despite the snub.
“You need something?” Sheng Huasen’s eyes caught sight of a rather restless figure, and his attention was already diverted.
Qi Yilin noticed his distraction but didn’t pry to see who the person was. Instead, he smiled slightly. “It seems Mr. Sheng has other important matters. We can chat another day.”
As he turned around, his gaze involuntarily landed on the boy in the center of the crowd of young men, all full of energy, talking and laughing.
The man behind him suddenly brushed past, heading directly toward the person in the middle of the crowd.
Dressed in a mature, formal suit, he stood awkwardly among the lively, laughing people, looking completely out of place.
Wei Xicheng glanced at Sheng Huasen, who had come over and now stood by his side. He couldn’t quite figure out what was going on in the mind of the domineering CEO.
“Ahem, let me introduce you all—uh, this is my… ahem, buddy.” Wei Xicheng paused, feeling that it was really odd to call Sheng Huasen his “buddy.”
As he noticed the admiring gazes from Meng Tao and the rest of his group of friends, he tugged at Sheng Huasen’s sleeve, signaling him to introduce himself.
“I am Sheng Huasen.”
After a brief silence, Sheng Huasen formally introduced himself for the first time at tonight’s banquet—addressing a group led by Zhu Xingyuan, a bunch of idle, troublemaking rich kids.
“This is Meng Tao, Zhang Jiayue, Bai Weiqi, and Du Feihang.” Wei Xicheng felt that the situation was becoming awkward, and his friends were all staring at him.
Their group—often criticized as second-generation rich kids, idle, and spoiled—would often trash-talk people like Sheng Huasen, who were successful from childhood.
Now that a real-life success story stood before them, Meng Tao and the others were baffled. It was like something out of a fantasy—weren’t they from different worlds?
This just showed how impressive Zhu Xingyuan was. He could even call Sheng Huasen a brother—a person their fathers and grandfathers had to be cautious around.
After a few polite exchanges, Wei Xicheng noticed Meng Tao secretly giving him a thumbs-up. He rolled his eyes, which ended up directed right at Sheng Huasen.
“You bring me to this banquet and then leave me to fend for myself?” Sheng Huasen’s tone carried a hint of danger.
“I didn’t…” Wei Xicheng began, but when he saw all his friends looking at him, he cleared his throat and continued, “What’s wrong with you? Aren’t you old enough to take care of yourself?”
By the time he finished his sentence, Wei Xicheng had already averted his gaze, not daring to meet Sheng Huasen’s eyes.
Meng Tao was making faces on the side, signaling, “Hurry up and take him away, bro. We can’t handle this—it’s just like when my dad yells at me!”
“You’re calling me what?” Sheng Huasen repeated, staring at Wei Xicheng.
“You guys carry on.” Wei Xicheng grabbed Sheng Huasen’s sleeve and quickly walked away. This just showed how different circles shouldn’t be forced to merge—it only creates awkwardness.
Zhu Xingyuan, Meng Tao, and the others were still like kids at heart. Though they were already in college, they were carefree, without the pressure of having to worry about jobs, since they would just join their family businesses after graduation. They were free to play and laugh, completely relaxed.
Compared to someone like Sheng Huasen, who was successful, they were probably twenty years behind, and even then, they might never catch up. If Sheng Huasen wanted to engage, they could have found common ground, but his silence revealed his attitude.
Sheng Huasen glanced at the hand tugging at his sleeve, noticing it was a size smaller than his own. Though Wei Xicheng was already nineteen, an age when one should be a grown man, he still seemed like a child.
Pampered by his family, living freely without restraints.
Quite good.
Wei Xicheng dragged him to a corner. “Even though I hate Qi Yilin, you didn’t have to give me so much face. You still need to socialize at the banquet…”
“When did I ever upset you, Mr. Zhu?”
Following the sound of the voice, Wei Xicheng turned to see Qi Yilin placing his wine glass on the table, standing just a few steps away from them.
This corner was isolated. Wei Xicheng had specifically sought out a quiet spot, so Qi Yilin must have followed them intentionally.
Wei Xicheng sneered at Qi Yilin, “I can’t stand you.”
The light shone on Qi Yilin’s face, and his expression remained unchanged, still smiling. He didn’t seem to care at all about Zhu Xingyuan’s remarks.
“Well, I’m not a banknote, I can’t please everyone.”
Sheng Huasen frowned, looking at one corner of his suit, which had been creased from being pulled.
“It’s wrinkled.”
