Chapter 99

"See you at the Mu family banquet?"

"Oh, please! Why don't you go find a puddle and take a good look at your own pathetic reflection?"

"The Mu family banquet? Is that really a place for a piece of trash like you, living in a slum like the Fengshun housing complex, to show your face?"

Chu Tianhe’s words immediately drew a burst of mocking laughter from Li Ruofei.

As soon as she mentioned the Fengshun complex, everyone’s attitude shifted a full one hundred and eighty degrees. Even the four female colleagues whom Chu Tianhe had slapped couldn't help but jump up, pointing at his retreating figure and cursing furiously: "And here I thought he was someone important! Turns out he’s just a low-life rat living in a slum!"

"Don't let me run into you again, or you'll regret it!"

"What a piece of garbage, ptooey!"

Behind them, the insults continued unabated. Qin Xiaomeng clenched her fists, struggling to suppress the anger rising in her heart. With reddened eyes, she followed close behind Chu Tianhe and whispered, "Brother-in-law, I'm sorry. It's all because of me... that you..."

"We are family. Why apologize?" Chu Tianhe didn't take the insults of those ignorant fools to heart. Instead, he glanced sideways and offered Qin Xiaomeng a gentle smile.

It was a smile he reserved only for his family—one that even Yue Linglong, who had followed him for so long, had never seen.

"It’s all my fault that you were insulted, and that you had to lie to them for my sake. I..."

Qin Xiaomeng felt overwhelming guilt. If it weren't for her, Chu Tianhe would never have faced such humiliation.

"Lie?" Chu Tianhe paused, then shook his head. "Are you referring to the Mu family banquet?"

"Yes." Qin Xiaomeng nodded, feeling embarrassed. She knew the status of the Mu family in the Great Xia Kingdom; they were among the top ten wealthiest families in the nation. Their banquet wasn't an event just anyone could attend.

When Chu Tianhe said they would meet at the banquet just before they left, she assumed it was a lie told purely to save her face.

"I never lie."

Chu Tianhe looked at her earnestly, his smile faint but his tone exceptionally sincere.

"Yeah, yeah! Daddy never lies. He never tricks Yaoyao." Yaoyao, held in Chu Tianhe’s arms, looked at Qin Xiaomeng and chimed in to vouch for her father. Her expression was incredibly cute, like a little adult.

"Yes, yes, Yaoyao is right, Brother-in-law never lies!" Qin Xiaomeng replied with a laugh, drawing out her words in a way that made it clear she still didn't believe him.

The Mu family banquet was simply too dreamlike. To be precise, it was already unbelievable that the Mu family had chosen to host a banquet in a place like Jiangzhou City. If one had to find a reason, it might be because they were developing a new real estate project there.

Even so, the number of people in all of Jiangzhou who could attend such an event could be counted on one hand.

Most of those attending would be titans of industry whose wealth dominated entire provinces, or high-ranking, powerful figures from the capital city.

Because of this, every CEO in Jiangzhou was fighting tooth and nail over a single invitation from the Mu family.

"Xiaomeng, call your mother and tell her we won't be home for dinner tonight."

"We won't be going home for dinner?" Qin Xiaomeng was slightly taken aback. "Then where are we eating? Mom has surely finished cooking by now; let's not waste money eating out."

Before she could finish her sentence, Qin Xiaomeng’s body trembled as she suddenly realized the implication. "Brother-in-law, you... don't tell me... you’re actually planning to go to... the Mu family banquet?!!"

"Taxi!"

Before she could finish, Chu Tianhe hailed a cab. Under her shocked gaze, he opened the door and smiled. "Get in. If I, Chu, do not arrive at the Mu family banquet, they will not begin the feast!"

What?!!