In the banquet hall, Mu Jiuchen's tall and slender figure walked in unhurriedly.
A faint air of hostility emanated from the man's well-defined handsome face, his cold eyes deep and dark. With his arrival, the surrounding air seemed to be permeated with a chilling coldness.
The collar of his black shirt was unbuttoned, and his every move exuded a domineering presence.
Lu Qiaoyi, amidst the crowd, also saw the imposing Mu Jiuchen. Her somber mood of a while finally ignited like fire. She lowered her head, weeping in distress.
Mu Xue, upon seeing Mu Jiuchen, looked at him with a face full of reproach. "Little Jiu, where did you go? You almost got Yiyi bullied."
Mu Jiuchen glanced lightly at his aunt, his voice steady. "Aunt, what relationship does she have with me? You brought her here. Even if something happened, it has nothing to do with me."
"Little Jiu, why are you so indifferent? Yiyi was almost bullied by Si Chen. She traveled all the way from Modu just for you." As Mu Xue's angry words left her lips, the entire venue fell silent.
Tan Xue's face turned cold. This slut Mu Xue, she clearly wanted Lu Qiaoyi to seduce Mu Jiuchen, but now she was speaking so harshly. In front of so many people, was she trying to ruin Si Chen?
Mu Yunxiao's expression was also far from pleasant.
Mu Sichen, who had remained silent, looked at Mu Jiuchen with a smile. A hint of wickedness flickered in his eyes. He then looked at Lu Qiaoyi and questioned, "Miss Lu, why did you keep telling everyone that I bullied you instead of saying that you seduced me?"
His unhurried and teasing voice made Lu Qiaoyi suddenly stop crying.
She looked at Mu Sichen with a pitiable expression, then glanced resentfully at Mu Jiuchen. She had lost track, which was why she mistook Mu Sichen for him.
Mu Jiuchen found this quite amusing. Mu Sichen did indeed enjoy indulging in debauchery. If a woman were to seduce him, she would have to be aware of his identity as the second young master of the Mu family to be given such consideration.
Mu Sichen put away his roguish expression, his demeanor turning a few shades colder, and his tone became more serious. "Miss Lu, my home has surveillance. Shall we watch together how you seduced me?"
Lu Qiaoyi was stunned. Her tear-filled eyes swept over Mu Jiuchen's detached expression. She knew in her heart that Mu Jiuchen likely wouldn't care about her.
Today's incident was due to her own lack of caution, and she had fallen into Mu Sichen's trap.
Lu Qiaoyi glanced at Mu Xue. Mu Xue coldly glanced at Mu Sichen, knowing he wouldn't speak with such certainty without evidence.
"Alright, Si Chen, tonight's incident is a misunderstanding..."
"Aunt, you haven't even seen the video, how do you know it's a misunderstanding? Besides, do you want your nephew to bear such a false accusation?" Mu Sichen looked at Mu Xue with a half-smile.
Mu Xue's gaze faltered, her smile gradually stiffening. "Si Chen, must you make things so unpleasant for everyone?"
Mu Sichen's slender figure slowly sat down on a nearby stool, tilting his head and staring at Lu Qiaoyi.
"Miss Lu, while I, Mu Sichen, may enjoy frequenting various women, I don't touch just any woman."
Lu Qiaoyi's expression grew more unsightly, and she became uneasy. Wasn't Mu Sichen a good-for-nothing? When did he become so calculating?
However, even with the video, she couldn't let it be shown. She was Miss Lu of the Lu family, and her reputation absolutely could not be tarnished by a video.
Trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice, this was the first time she had caused such a situation, and she felt utterly foolish.
"Second Young Master, it was dark and I couldn't see clearly. Perhaps I mistook Second Young Master." Lu Qiaoyi conceded first.
Mu Sichen eyed her, not intending to let the matter rest so easily.
His aunt wanted to marry Lu Qiaoyi to Mu Jiuchen, and given the strength of the Lu family, Mu Jiuchen would certainly not refuse.
"I apologize, Miss Lu. To clear my name, I believe the video must be shown." Mu Sichen gave a look to a nearby servant.
The servant nodded and turned to go backstage.
Tan Xue watched her son get serious, her heart filled with a sense of unease.
"Mu Sichen, stop this farce!" Mu Yunxiao roared. After all, this was someone from the influential Lu family of Modu.
Mu Sichen looked at him with amusement, faintly asking in return, "Dad, how is this a farce? I am merely trying to protect my own reputation. Everyone present here is a prominent figure in Jinshi. If what happened tonight gets out, how will I be able to conduct myself?"
Lu Qiaoyi: "..." She glared fiercely at Mu Sichen.
This damn man was truly a dog!
The surrounding people were all watching the drama unfold. Mu Jiuchen of the Mu family overshadowed everyone, his radiance alone illuminating the hall. The Mu family had long been displeased with Mu Jiuchen.
Those who understood the situation could easily see the underlying currents of tonight's events.
If they couldn't have it, they would rather destroy it.
"Ninth Master, so you are here." On the large screen, under a dim eaves, a shadowy figure stood at the end of the corridor. The exposed back bore a slight resemblance to Mu Jiuchen.
Lu Qiaoyi was seen extending her arms to wrap around the man's waist from behind, her eyes filled with desire, and her voice seductive, "Ninth Master, I've liked you for a long time. Tonight, may I... with Ninth Master..."
The final words were not spoken by Lu Qiaoyi, but everyone had already guessed their meaning.
The man hidden in the darkness slowly turned around. His profile could be vaguely seen, and his playful voice immediately followed, "Miss Lu, you've mistaken me."
"Ah... how could it be you, you good-for-nothing." In her haste, Lu Qiaoyi spoke without thinking. The image froze, and the entire hall fell silent.
Lu Qiaoyi's eyes widened as she looked at Mu Sichen, who wore a knowing smirk.
He actually...?
Mu Sichen's handsome face was etched with a hint of wicked laughter. "Miss Lu, I've never been one to enjoy being wrongly accused. You can mistake me, but there's no need to accuse me wrongly. If you want to seduce my eldest brother, you need to be sure who you're trying to seduce."
Mu Sichen glanced at Mu Jiuchen, whose handsome face remained expressionless.
"My eldest brother is right here. You can go seduce him now. With this lighting, you shouldn't mistake him, should you?" Mu Sichen said, then turned and left with a flourish.
Lu Qiaoyi stood stunned on the spot, humiliation filling her entire being. Her body trembled uncontrollably, her eyes filled with intense rage.
The crowd looked at Lu Qiaoyi with growing contempt.
"Tsk, the eldest daughter of the Lu family, to actually do something like this."
"Indeed. She should look at herself and see what she's made of, daring to try and seduce Ninth Master."
"Shameless. She threw herself at someone and then tried to frame the second young master. I wouldn't tolerate it either."
Tan Xue breathed a sigh of relief. Her son's actions tonight were commendable. If you can't have it, destroy it.
Listening to the surrounding murmurs, Mu Jiuchen's dark eyes narrowed slightly. He looked coldly at Mu Xue. His imposing figure turned slightly, and he looked at Mu Xue. "Aunt, your plan was quite shrewd."
His voice, which seemed to charm people, carried a captivating power. Mu Xue trembled slightly. She lowered her gaze, not daring to meet Mu Jiuchen's all-knowing eyes.
Mu Jiuchen smirked coldly and strode out of the banquet hall.
He Mingrun, Li Qingshuo, and Xiao Fan quickly followed him out.