Chapter 139: Qingqing pleaded with me and begged me last night, that's why I came.

Chapter 139: Qingqing begged and fawned over me all night to make me come!

"He wouldn't dare, but I dare!"

The ringing voice carried clearly into the ears of every guest present, filled with an aura of overbearing dominance and untamed defiance.

Everyone turned their heads simultaneously, looking at the young man and woman who had appeared out of nowhere in the Water Pavilion Plaza. Then, all of their eyes lit up.

That stunning, breathtakingly gorgeous, and coldly noble woman, even viewed from afar, was none other than the eldest miss of the Fu family, known as the number one beauty of Donghai, Fu Ziqing.

However, Fu Ziqing was not alone; she was accompanied by a young man. He was a man handsome enough to make the eyes of every woman present light up. At first glance, he possessed a scholarly and restrained charm, but upon closer inspection, a trace of flamboyant swagger could be seen at the corners of his eyes and brows. Especially the way he currently held Fu Ziqing's waist tightly, right under the gaze of the crowd, only accentuated his domineering and aggressive nature...

Whether it was his handsome facial features, his slender figure, or that overbearingly arrogant aura carrying a hint of lawlessness, all of these were factors that made women infatuated. Let alone now, when these combined temperaments melted together, capable of instantly captivating every single female present.

Especially his right hand, which was tightly wrapped around Fu Ziqing's waist—overbearing and arrogant, as if proclaiming his ownership to the entire world...

Swish, swish—

Countless gazes were fixed on this man, but three of those gazes were different from the rest. Two of them belonged to women: one came from the inner hall, showing astonishment before a smile tugged at the corners of her lips, though her exact thoughts were unclear; the other came from a corner of the outer hall, her face filled with shock and disbelief, completely dumbfounded...

Besides these, a man's gaze in the plaza was also locked onto Chu Fei, but it carried a profound and unfathomable meaning!

——

The man who dared to hold Fu Ziqing so openly and appear at the birthday banquet was, of course, Chu Fei. The two of them had left before ten-thirty. Under normal circumstances, they definitely would have arrived before the official start of the banquet. But reality was truly a pain; Donghai's traffic was utterly dreadful. Coupled with the heavy traffic of Sunday, they happened to run into a traffic accident on the road that caused a blockade of a full half-hour. Stuck on the viaduct, they could neither advance nor retreat. By the time the accident was cleared, they managed to drive off the viaduct and rush straight to Changxin Garden, they had still lost a lot of time...

As for Chu Fei boldly wrapping his arm around Fu Ziqing's waist as they entered, it entirely stemmed from an offhand remark Fu Ziqing made just before coming in.

"Act a bit more intimately once we go inside."

Consequently, Chu Fei directly and affectionately looped his arm around Fu Ziqing's waist and walked in under everyone's dumbfounded stares. Affectionate? Did they even need to act? You've got to be kidding me! This left the "victim," Fu Ziqing, gnashing her teeth in frustration, yet she was completely powerless to resist and could only let him lead her inside...

At this moment.

Watching Chu Fei and Fu Ziqing walk over swiftly, many people while guessing Chu Fei's identity were also sighing in admiration at how well-matched they were. Even those men who held romantic aspirations for Fu Ziqing had to admit that this man who had popped up from nowhere stood beside the number one beauty of Donghai with a matchless harmony, especially the scene of the two of them stepping out from the crossroads, looking like a golden boy and jade girl walking straight out of a painting...

In particular, the faint overbearance and defiance radiating from the man complemented Fu Ziqing's cold and noble aura, blending together to absolute perfection...

——

Some people at the scene were envious, some were jealous—

And some were irritated and angry.

Among them, the most irritated were undoubtedly members of the Lin family, especially the Lin family grandfather and grandson standing in the inner hall. Whether it was Old Master Lin, known as an old fox full of crafty schemes, or Lin Cong, who had been dubbed the "young demon" at a tender age, both of their faces were currently pitch-black, and their gazes were incomparably gloomy as they watched Fu Ziqing and Chu Fei walk in...

"Grandfather, we ran into a traffic accident on the road, which delayed us for a bit."

Fu Ziqing walked into the inner hall as if no one else was around. Her expression remained calm throughout as she simply explained herself to Elder Fu. Her voice was level and natural, as casual as chatting about household triviality to account for her lateness.

"Mm, it's fine. As long as you've arrived, that's what matters! Heh heh!" Elder Fu chuckled. He looked happy on the surface, but his gaze actually swept over this granddaughter with a complex and inscrutable expression. In fact, his eyes didn't even bother to look at Chu Fei, who was holding his granddaughter's waist. He did it on purpose; he wanted not only to let Fu Ziqing know his intentions, but also to let the numerous guests outside know his stance: this man had nothing to do with the Fu family, and he didn't know him.

He didn't even proactively ask who the other person was.

Fu Ziqing's expression remained calm, as if she hadn't noticed Elder Fu's mood at all. She retrieved an exquisitely carved small wooden box from beside her and opened it. Inside was a string of sandalwood prayer beads, which she presented forward with both hands: "Grandfather, this is a gift that Chu Fei and I personally picked out for you."

"Mm!" Elder Fu casually accepted it and then just as casually set it aside, without bothering to look closely.

That was hardly surprising. To ordinary people, a string of sandalwood beads was absolute luxury, and even quite valuable, but to someone of Elder Fu's status, it wasn't worth mentioning. For someone of Fu Ziqing's status and wealth to present only a string of beads seemed far too petty.

At the same time, many people understood in their hearts that Fu Ziqing's status no longer required an expensive gift to showcase her prominence; she was simply expressing her sincerity.

It was just that Elder Fu's current attitude felt somewhat abnormal.

"Elder Fu, I wish you a happy birthday!" Right at that moment, a congratulatory voice rang out in the inner hall. It was none other than Chu Fei, who was standing beside Fu Ziqing.

At this moment, Chu Fei wore a respectful smile, and his well-fitted outfit accentuated a scholarly temperament, completely contrasting with the arrogant and defiant aura he had projected just as he walked in.

"Who are you?" Elder Fu officially looked at Chu Fei for the first time, though his brow furrowed in puzzlement.

"I am Chu Fei," Chu Fei smiled, still radiant and respectful, meeting Elder Fu's gaze without a hint of backing down.

"You are Chu Fei? I don't believe I invited you to attend my birthday banquet," Elder Fu said in a deep voice. His words made everyone present understand his stance immediately—especially those heavyweights who knew the grudges of the past, whose expressions turned bizarre. The way they looked at Elder Fu carried profound, inscrutable meanings. They thought to themselves that this old man Fu was truly ruthless; those words lacked any shred of human warmth. In particular, those who understood the root cause of the past wore a faint trace of contempt in their eyes as they looked at Elder Fu, yet they had to acknowledge Elder Fu's methods. With a single sentence, he had driven Chu Fei into a desperate corner.

I never invited you, so what are you here for?

Just such a simple sentence.

From beginning to end, Elder Fu didn't even mention the relationship between Chu Fei and Fu Ziqing, making it abundantly clear that he had no intention of bringing it up or acknowledging it.

Fu Ziqing's brows furrowed tightly as she looked at her grandfather in astonishment. She hadn't expected her grandfather to be so ruthless. Then, she cast a worried glance at Chu Fei beside her. She suddenly grew apprehensive about her decision to bring Chu Fei here. In her previsions, as long as she appeared at the banquet together with Chu Fei, her grandfather would surely retract his previous thoughts...

Yet now, she realized she was wrong, and wrong to a ridiculous degree.

Her grandfather's ruthlessness and cold-heartedness chilled her to the bone...

She had thought that even though her grandfather had coerced her, deep down he still cared for her, but now...

Glancing once more at her grandfather's expressionless face, Fu Ziqing suddenly felt a chill throughout her body. For the first time, she deeply realized how fragile and thin the human warmth of a great family truly was.

"Chu Fei."

Whether it was because she was still a woman at heart and retained her own vulnerabilities, Fu Ziqing subconsciously grabbed Chu Fei's arm at that moment, gripping it tightly. She turned to look at him, as if only by doing so could she feel a shred of warmth.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here!"

Sensing the loss and chill in Fu Ziqing's heart at that exact moment, Chu Fei looked at her as if no one else was present, flashing a brilliant smile. He said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "With me here, everything is fine!"

Looking at Chu Fei's comforting smile, Fu Ziqing suddenly felt much more grounded, but the hand clutching Chu Fei's arm never loosened again. A woman always has moments of helplessness when she needs care and protection, and Fu Ziqing was no exception. For the first time, Fu Ziqing realized that she was still just a woman who needed the shelter of a man.

Chu Fei withdrew his gaze and calmly met Elder Fu's displeased stare. To the utter astonishment of everyone present, he grinned and said, "Actually, I don't know you either, and I never planned to attend your so-called birthday banquet." His tone was neither servile nor overbearing, lacking the previous respect, completely casual!

Elder Fu's face instantly darkened.

The expressions of those around them also turned bizarre.

This answer... was epic!

Yet Chu Fei remained all smiles: "But I couldn't help it. You're Qingqing's grandfather, and Qingqing begged and fawned over me all night to make me come, so I had to give her some face and show up."

A single sentence.

Stirred up a thousand ripples.

Everyone who heard Chu Fei's explanation widened their eyes in disbelief, and then their gazes shifted to Fu Ziqing, who was tightly held in his embrace, their hearts filled with a complex mix of emotions... Chu Fei's words had contained far too many implications and meanings...

Fu Ziqing, the person involved, was also left speechless for a moment. Instinctively, she pinched Chu Fei hard. This guy was truly capable of spouting nonsense; when had she ever begged and fawned over him in every possible way?

However, she couldn't question him at this moment and could only swallow her anger while glaring fiercely at Chu Fei. Yet in the eyes of outsiders, it took on an entirely different meaning; anyone who saw it would assume Fu Ziqing was acting coquettishly toward Chu Fei.

Good grief!

The number one beauty of Donghai, Fu Ziqing, had always been known for her coldness and nobility, a true goddess. Very few people had ever seen her even smile, let alone act spoiled in front of a man.

They were going crazy.

At this instant, the hearts of many men shattered completely. They felt that their idealized goddess had fallen, and they stood zero chance anymore. In truth, they never had a chance to begin with—it was merely a psychological comfort, the illusion that as long as Fu Ziqing remained single, they still had a shot, or at least room for fantasy. But now, even the space for fantasy had been obliterated. The noble goddess who had always stood high above was now not only being intimately held in a man's arms, but had also put on a coquettish posture...

Among the many men present, quite a few felt a surge of vicious hatred, wishing they could hack Chu Fei into a thousand pieces just to vent their frustration. These were the ones infatuated with Fu Ziqing to the point of losing themselves, feeling that the holy sanctuary of their souls had been defiled.

Among these resentful individuals, Lin Cong was undoubtedly the most furious and enraged. Not only because he was standing closest to the two and saw it most clearly, but also because he was supposed to be the most prominent male protagonist of this birthday banquet. Now, someone had stolen the spotlight and usurped his glory, and to top it all off, the man was holding the very woman he intended to marry...

This intense sense of humiliation caused Lin Cong, who had always been renowned for his composure and intellect, to lose his cool entirely. He stared deathly at that handsome face before him and the hand wrapped around Fu Ziqing's waist, wishing he could rush forward and chop it off right then and there...

Flames were practically spitting from Lin Cong's eyes...

Yet Chu Fei didn't even deign to glance at him, continuing to smile cheerfully at Elder Fu. Before coming to the birthday banquet, he had known this trip wouldn't be smooth sailing, but he had still held a mindset of offering congratulations. Now, however, his mindset had completely shifted; he was here simply to cause trouble and wreck the venue.

If you don't give me any face, why should I give you any?

Not even the Fu family is an exception.

Your Fu family is ungrateful, yet you won't even allow me to talk back?

Originally, Chu Fei had merely felt a sense of unfamiliarity toward the Fu family and a natural reluctance to interact with them. But now, his heart was truly filled with disgust. Setting Fu Ziqing aside, he no longer held a shred of favorable impression toward the Fu family. They were all ungrateful wolves with white eyes—why on earth should anyone bother giving face to a family like this?