Because of the tossing and turning all night, Huang Shanshan fell asleep not long after.
Li Se kissed her on the face, tucked her in with a blanket, and then drove out to the location of the invitation.
The venue was a large hotel in the capital. Because Ye Bowen was hosting the reception, a great many people were in attendance. The entrance was already crowded with luxury cars, and among the numerous high-end vehicles, BMWs, Mercedes, and Audis were virtually non-existent; it was all Rolls-Royces and supercars.
Even Li Se's Porsche Cayenne seemed rather ordinary in comparison.
"Stop right there!"
As Li Se was about to enter, he was immediately stopped by two security guards.
One of the guards frowned, his expression arrogant. "You want to get in? You need an invitation. If you don't have one, get lost. Do you think just anyone can walk into a place like this today?"
Seeing Li Se's ordinary attire, these two guards didn't take him seriously at all.
"People these days," the other guard sneered. "They really think they can just waltz into a place like this?"
Li Se's expression remained unchanged. He directly produced his invitation and flicked it towards the faces of the two guards. "Take a look!"
The guards' faces stung from the impact of the invitation. Just as they were about to erupt in anger, they were startled by what they saw. They immediately became extremely respectful, their faces beaming with smiles.
"Uh, we were blind, truly blind... Please, come in." The two guards trembled as they spoke.
Li Se had encountered many such snobbish security guards before and didn't bother to argue. He took back his invitation and walked into the hotel.
The reception was on the second floor. As soon as he entered, a hostess in a qipao greeted him and led him upstairs.
Li Se glanced around, seeing only young men and women dressed in luxurious attire. Perhaps it was due to their opulent clothing, or perhaps their comfortable living conditions, but there seemed to be a higher proportion of handsome men and beautiful women here.
Li Se's arrival didn't draw much attention. He found a seat and sat down, eager to see what scheme Ye Bowen had in store.
"You're here too?" A figure approached. It was none other than Tang Rou.
Seeing Tang Rou, Li Se couldn't help but recall the events of the previous night. However, facing her again, his mood was somewhat complicated, and his gaze was tinged with an unusual look. He smiled and asked, "What is it?"
"Heh heh, you were quite the ladies' man last night, weren't you? After leaving my room, you went to Tang Xi's room..." Tang Rou said with a cold laugh. Fortunately, her voice wasn't loud. Despite her somewhat eccentric nature, as the eldest daughter of the Tang family, she still cared about her reputation.
"Cough, cough..." Li Se had just taken a sip of water when he heard Tang Rou's words and sputtered it out, drenching Tang Rou.
Tang Rou was already wearing a thin outfit, and the water made her clothes cling to her skin, revealing a glimpse of her figure.
Li Se frowned and took off his jacket, tossing it to Tang Rou.
"So you do know how to be chivalrous," Tang Rou said with a smile, putting on the jacket, as she didn't want to expose herself.
This scene was witnessed by a young master from not far away, whose expression turned unpleasant.
"Young Master Han, I recall you were pursuing Miss Tang. But look, she seems to have an unusual relationship with this fellow," said a rich young man nearby with keen interest.
Young Master Han's face darkened. He had publicly pursued Tang Rou, and now she was acting so intimately with another man, especially by wearing his jacket. This was something he could not tolerate. However, those who could attend this reception were not ordinary people, but he didn't care, as they were unlikely to be more powerful than him!
Without any hesitation, Young Master Han walked towards Li Se and Tang Rou.
"Rou Rou, who is this?" Young Master Han sat down next to Tang Rou, asking with a smile.
Hearing someone address Tang Rou in such a manner, Li Se couldn't help but feel a shiver of goosebumps. How could this eccentric person have so many admirers?
Tang Rou's delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she said faintly, "My man!"
Young Master Han was taken aback by Tang Rou's straightforward answer. He felt completely flustered but maintained an unnatural smile. "Rou Rou, don't joke. How come I've never heard you mention having a man?"
Tang Rou glanced at Li Se, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Why don't you ask him yourself? Ask him what he's done to me."
Young Master Han slammed the table in anger, staring coldly at Li Se. "Speak! What have you done to Rou Rou?"
Li Se knew that Tang Rou was clearly doing this on purpose. He frowned and said, "Firstly, I'm not your love rival. Secondly, even if something has happened, I don't need to explain anything to you!"
"Well, you punk! Do you know who I am, to dare to fight with me for a woman?" Young Master Han sneered.
These rich young masters always had a common trait: they thought they were invincible just by announcing their family background. Li Se found this contemptible and frustrating.
"This is the son of our Beijing mayor, Han Haiwen!" A young man nearby immediately introduced him.
The commotion naturally attracted the attention of many young masters. Most of them sized up Li Se with looks of contempt and disdain, primarily because his attire seemed out of place for the occasion.
"Who is this guy? How dare he fight with Young Master Han for a woman?"
"He's pursuing the Tang family's eldest daughter, too. This kid has quite high aspirations."
"But how could Miss Tang possibly fancy him, especially when his rival is Young Master Han?"
"Could this kid have snuck in?"
"It's not impossible for some idiots to bribe security and sneak into high-class events like ours."
"..."
There were many whispers and pointed fingers. Based on their initial impression, Li Se didn't look like someone who would be admitted to this reception, so everyone began to suspect he might have snuck in.
Li Se was somewhat speechless. He said faintly, "I've already told you, I don't need to explain anything to you. Get lost and go somewhere else. I don't have time to deal with you!"
His words shocked many. This kid was too arrogant! How could he dare to speak so presumptuously, especially to the mayor's son?
Let alone them, even Tang Rou was slightly surprised. This guy was indeed a bit arrogant. A smile appeared on her lips. She was curious to see how Li Se would resolve this crisis.
Not far away, another person watched the scene with a gloomy expression. It was Li Tian from the Li family. He snorted coldly, "Is he starting to act recklessly, relying on our Li family?"