C5 5
The banquet hall fell into a hush once more. Eyes darted around the room until they collectively settled on Jiang Yining. Ming's father’s complexion fluctuated between shades of green and white, his eyes twitching with intensity. "Yining, what is this all about?" Jiang Yining lifted her chin slightly, her voice cool and detached. "Isn't an apology in order for insulting and shoving someone?" Ming Chengkang was taken aback. Catching a fleeting look of guilt on Zhao Xuexian’s face, he pieced together the recent events. Though frustrated with his niece’s antics, he was even more irked by Jiang Yining’s obstinacy. He thought, "Is this what comes from picking someone up from the countryside? No manners at all!" With everyone watching, couldn't she be a bit more gracious? He had managed to swallow his pride when his vase worth over a million was shattered. Why couldn't she overlook a few harsh words? Inhaling deeply, Ming Chengkang mustered a strained smile and said, "Yining, your cousin was only teasing you. Don't take it to heart." Upon hearing this, Jiang Yining tilted her head slightly and shot him a look. Just moments before, Ming Qingcheng had uttered similar words. She smirked inwardly. Like father, like daughter, it seemed. "She was 'joking' before I even knew her," Jiang Yining paused. "So, is it alright for me to do the same in the future? To call a stranger 'a vixen' or 'a dog,' to hit them, and then explain that this is the Ming family’s way? If they don't like it, they can take it up with my father?" Ming Chengkang’s eyelids twitched at her words. The room was stunned by the adopted daughter’s defiance, and those who had badmouthed Jiang Yining subtly recoiled. "Pfft." Lyi Beiting, who had been quiet, let out a laugh he couldn't suppress. After his solitary chuckle, he noticed all eyes on him and added, "Mr. Ming, hearing your daughter's words is more enlightening than reading the sages' books." Ming Chengkang’s face turned a steely blue, his cheek muscles twitching uncontrollably. After a long pause, he inhaled deeply and turned to Zhao Xuexian, his voice thundering with anger,
"Xuexian! Come here and apologize!" Zhao Xuexian's eyes widened in disbelief. "Uncle! How can you call that wretch a member of the Ming family? She has no manners whatsoever. Besides, she incited outsiders to shatter your precious green floral vase worth over a million. You did not even demand compensation from them. Why should I apologize? I have done nothing wrong." "You are the first to try to pin this on me," the man who had been casually observing the drama from the sidelines interjected once more. With all eyes on him, he leisurely pulled out a checkbook and pen from the inner pocket of his suit. With a swift stroke, he filled out a check, tore it off, and stuffed it into Ming Chengkang's collar. Ming Chengkang's mind was still fixated on the endorser's name, "Mu Chen," and he had not quite snapped back to reality. Lyi Beiting let out another chuckle, clearly enjoying the misfortune. "Chen, I was wondering where you had gotten to. Turns out you came in early to have a bit of fun breaking vases with the young lady, huh?" His words hung in the air, and the banquet hall fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The only person Lyi Beiting would call by that name was from the Mu family. Mu Chen. The Mu family was the foremost among the prestigious clans of Four-nine City, their influence far beyond what the term "wealthy" could convey. On the ever-changing lists of the wealthy, only the Mu family has stood firm at the top for over a decade, unshakable and imposing. The Mu family's presence was felt at the pinnacle of every industry. And Third Master Mu was particularly renowned. His demeanor was icy, his heart merciless, and his tactics swift and decisive. Even within the Mu family, no one dared show him disrespect. Such a figure had actually come to Shen City and made an appearance at the Ming family's event. Ming Chengkang finally realized the identity of the young man before him, and his face slowly darkened. He was seething with the urge to throw his foolish niece out the door. As if Third Master Mu was someone who could be so easily manipulated. How dare she try to lay blame at the feet of Third Master Mu.
