Yan Yuan's face turned extremely unpleasant as she glared at Zhou Hong.
"You go first!"
Zhou Hong said with a somber face, waving his hand.
"Fine, I'll leave. Zhou Hong, you don't even help your own woman. You're really not a man. I was blind to have been with you. Pfft!"
Yan Yuan spat with disdain, then angrily strode towards the banquet hall doors, carrying her handbag.
Xia Zhengping and his wife, who were walking over upon noticing the commotion, happened to pass by Yan Yuan.
They didn't call out to stop Yan Yuan. After reaching Qin Tian and the others, Su Xia asked what had happened.
"Old Zhou, this is my fault, my mistake!"
Zhou Hong immediately took the blame and quickly explained the situation.
By the time he was halfway through, Xia Zhengping and his wife had a general understanding of what had occurred.
"Old Zhou, I have to say, you're in your forties and still have women around you constantly… Alright, I won't mention that, but can't you at least look at more than just faces when you choose women?"
Xia Zhengping chided him.
As old friends of decades and partners who had built their success together, they didn't need to mince words.
"Yes, yes, it's indeed my problem!"
Zhou Hong calmly accepted the criticism, nodding repeatedly in embarrassment and apologizing.
"Alright, alright, Old Xia, you've said enough,"
Su Xia turned to her husband, trying to smooth things over.
"Uncle Xia, Auntie, I also have a problem in this matter. I was a bit too impolite,"
Qin Tian interjected.
Su Xia smiled gently and shook her head, "Little Qin, you have no problem. You said it very well. This banquet is to celebrate our Nuannuan's hard work in getting into university. We can't have people saying such things!"
"That's right!"
Xia Zhengping nodded emphatically, his face showing a hint of anger. "It's also fortunate I didn't hear those words. If I had, it wouldn't have been as simple as asking someone to leave. Little Qin, you did very well. Thank you!"
Rarely, Old Xia expressed his praise and gratitude to Qin Tian very seriously, with a touch of approval in his gaze.
Qin Tian was slightly taken aback, then a bright smile spread across his handsome face.
"Thank you all for speaking up for our Nuannuan."
Su Xia thanked everyone with a smile.
The others hurriedly shook their heads, their eyes glancing at Zhang Peng and Tian Jiajia with strange expressions.
They had all witnessed how the two of them, with their sharp remarks, had nearly made that woman faint.
The destructive power of this bickering couple when they teamed up was more than just the sum of their parts.
"Nuannuan, there's a seat here. Why don't you sit with your teachers and classmates at this table? The food will be served soon."
Su Xia said to her daughter.
"Okay!"
Xia Nuannuan nodded quickly in agreement.
Then, Xia Zhengping and his wife continued with their hosting duties.
Zhou Hong also left with them, and under Old Xia's arrangement, he was seated at another table with his business partners.
Xia Nuannuan sat in the seat intentionally left vacant to the right of Qin Tian, with Liao Juan and the class monitor Mu Nan on her other side.
"Nuannuan, you were so imposing when you asked her to leave just now."
Liao Juan teased with a playful smile.
Xia Nuannuan chuckled shyly, denying, "No, I just asked her to leave!"
"You were. You surprised all of us!"
Class monitor Mu Nan chimed in.
"Alright, I… I was just a little angry."
Xia Nuannuan nodded slightly.
"You should be angry. Your hard work over the past few months hasn't gone unnoticed by your teachers and classmates. Hardworking people should never be ridiculed!"
Li Yanwang's voice suddenly cut in.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, teacher!"
Xia Nuannuan thanked him, then her bright eyes looked towards Qin Tian beside her.
It was precisely because Qin Tian had consistently supported and encouraged her that she had the courage and confidence to persevere.
Therefore, her anger was not just because her efforts were mocked, but also for Qin Tian.
...
...
Although Xia Nuannuan's promotion banquet was grand, with many distinguished guests including wealthy individuals, Xia Zhengping and his wife did not arrange too many unnecessary procedures.
After all the guests had arrived, the hotel staff began serving the dishes.
The first dish was a "Whole Family Blessing," a common dish at local banquets, typically a soup with multiple main ingredients like meatballs, quail eggs, ham, and pork liver.
However, this "Whole Family Blessing" had clearly been improved upon, with the addition of some precious and rare ingredients.
Qin Tian and the others even found slices of sea cucumber and abalone.
As everyone was enjoying this first delicacy, Xia Zhengping walked onto the stage in the banquet hall and picked up the microphone.
"Ahem, hello, hello everyone. Please eat slowly. I'll just say a few words!"
Xia Zhengping tested the microphone, ensuring it was working, and spoke with a smile.
"Great!!!"
The guests below responded in unison, and someone started clapping.
Instantly, the banquet hall erupted in thunderous applause, and the atmosphere became lively.
"Thank you, thank you everyone!"
After the applause subsided, Xia Zhengping thanked everyone and then delivered his welcome speech.
"Today is a day to celebrate my daughter Xia Nuannuan's success in the college entrance examination. On behalf of our family, I thank all our friends, relatives, teachers, and classmates for being here…"
As he reached the end, a proud smile appeared on Xia Zhengping's face, and his gaze shifted towards his daughter.
In the banquet hall, the eyes of many relatives and friends also turned towards Xia Nuannuan.
Xia Nuannuan immediately put down her chopsticks, sat up straight, her expression becoming tense.
"That's right, the person I want to thank the most is my daughter. Just a few months ago, her academic performance was only average in her class. It's her hard work and dedication in recent months that have led to this celebration today. Today, I want to say, Nuannuan, you will always be your father's pride, and Dad will always love you!"
"Ooooh..."
A deafening cheer and applause filled the banquet hall.
Xia Nuannuan's eyes turned slightly red. In a voice with a hint of a sob, she murmured softly, "Old Xia, why are you saying this all of a sudden!"
At the dining table, Qin Tian and the others all wore warm smiles.
"Alright, that's all I have to say. Please enjoy your meal, everyone. Thank you!"
Xia Zhengping bowed in thanks and then made as if to put down the microphone and leave the stage.
"Old Xia, don't just finish speaking yourself! Let our protagonist say a few words!"
From a dining table in the front, a man suddenly called out loudly.
As soon as he said this, it was immediately echoed by the surrounding guests.
"That's right, let our Nuannuan say a few words!"
"Old Xia, what are you doing? You're not the protagonist, don't steal the spotlight!"
"Exactly, exactly, let our top student say a few words!"
"..."
Xia Zhengping paused, then smiled and looked towards his daughter again, tentatively saying, "Nuannuan, how about... you fulfill everyone's request and come up to say a few words?"
Xia Nuannuan was instantly dumbfounded.