Lu Xiangdai, the elder brother, wore an expression of fury as he was the first to jump in and speak.
Lu Xiangji, the younger brother, simply leaned back in his seat and started hurling insults.
“How dare you tell our Lu family to get lost? What kind of trash do you think you are?”
Though their words were harsh, their thoughts were anything but.
The moment they laid eyes on Luo Yao, they were stunned—what kind of celestial beauty was this? She could outshine anyone, anywhere.
Both brothers instantly “fell” for Luo Yao.
But as the young masters of the Lu family, they couldn’t afford to lose their arrogant demeanor, so they put on their usual playboy act—their true nature.
Luo Yao narrowed her eyes.
She had seen that look in the eyes of countless men before.
It was one of the reasons she had grown to despise men—their gazes.Not just Luo Yao, even Lin Ran’s eyes emitted a dangerous glint.
He, too, could tell there was something unsettling about the way these two were looking at Luo Yao.
Luo Yao remained silent, but Liu Meng gestured politely.
Everyone was baffled.
“This young lady hasn’t performed yet. Once she’s done, our President Luo will take action. Otherwise, it’d be quite rude.”
Lu Xiangting glanced boldly at Lin Ran. “I may not like you people much, but I’m a fan of Lin Ran. If you let your husband spend a night with me, maybe I’ll consider putting in a good word for you.”
Liu Meng froze on the spot. She never expected the most reckless member of the Lu family to be this seemingly harmless girl.
This…
This was like dancing on death’s doorstep—even the King of Hell would tip his hat in admiration.
The Grim Reapers themselves would shake their heads in disbelief.
Sure enough, Luo Yao’s already icy expression darkened, her fury threatening to explode and level the entire banquet hall.
She despised the Lu brothers, but she loathed this Lu daughter even more.
“Say. That. Again.”
Lu Xiangting froze, terrified by Luo Yao’s tone.
Seeing the situation escalate, Lu Lutong quickly pulled his daughter back, fearing for her safety.
“President Luo, our apologies. We’ll leave right away.”
Lu Lutong ushered his sons and daughter out, though they all thought their father was being too cowardly.
Luo Yao stood there, stunned, replaying Lu Xiangting’s words in her mind.
Suddenly, she felt warmth in her palm. She snapped out of it and looked at Lin Ran beside her.
His comfort soothed her.
Lin Ran was furious too—these insolent fools had dared to upset his wife.
“Don’t be angry, love. I’ll avenge you.”
As he prepared to strike at the retreating Lu family, Luo Yao stopped him.
Lin Ran gave her a puzzled look, but she simply shook her head, signaling for him to sit back down.
After a moment’s thought, Lin Ran complied—he could never disobey his wife.
The Lu family seized the chance to flee, taking the seats originally reserved for the Luo family.
Neither the Lu brothers nor Lu Xiangting looked pleased. In Mo City, they were always the ones humiliating others—this was the first time they’d been publicly shamed.
Liu Meng picked up the Lu family’s nameplate, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it.
Everyone saw it, including Li Chifen.
But opinions were divided.
Most thought: “Lu Lutong is too spineless, embarrassing the Lu family.”
“Luo Yao is terrifying—she scared the Lu family off. So domineering.”
Li Chifen, however, saw it differently.
Lu Lutong wasn’t entirely useless.
At least he had the sense to know that escalating the conflict would only bring them misery.
To swallow his pride and retreat in front of so many elites took some courage.
Knowing when to bend—interesting.
“Tsk.”
Li Chifen sighed. If Lu Lutong hadn’t chosen to endure the humiliation, he’d have been even happier.
Glancing at the car still parked in the banquet hall, along with the two stern-faced bodyguards in the front seats, Li Chifen pretended not to see.
He knew Luo Yao had no intention of moving it.
Lin Ran sat beside Luo Yao.
“Yao, don’t let those disgusting people get to you. I’ll teach them a lesson myself.”
Luo Yao: “You’re not actually considering spending the night with her, are you?”
If Lin Ran hadn’t been there, Luo Yao might have ended Lu Xiangting on the spot.
“Of course not! Who do you take me for? You’re the only woman I’d ever look at.”
Luo Yao: “Really?”
“Absolutely. Did you stop me because you thought I’d fall for her?”
Truthfully, that was part of it—but Luo Yao also didn’t want Lin Ran making a scene in public.
Especially not with such a vile woman. Even striking her would mean his hands touching her, and the thought alone disgusted her.
“No need for you to act. I’ll settle this myself.”
Lin Ran lowered his voice: “Yao, you’re not the type to wait for revenge.”
Even against the Lu family, he didn’t think Luo Yao would hold back.
“Who said I’m waiting?”
Lin Ran: ???
"Then why did you stop me earlier?"
Luo Yao's gaze gradually took on a deranged edge.
"Liu Meng."
Their voices were low, and with the soothing music in the background, though most of the guests were watching the scene unfold, few could actually hear what was being said.
"President Luo."
"I can't stand that woman's mouth. Deal with it later."
Lin Ran: ??? Send Liu Meng?
Well, considering Liu Meng's performance in the car earlier, she was more than capable.
Liu Meng: "Understood."
Some people just never learn—if they didn’t stir trouble, they wouldn’t end up dead.
The banquet officially began, with the head of the Li family, Li Chifen, taking the stage to deliver his speech.
"Everyone, tonight’s banquet is hosted by our Li family. First, I’d like to express my gratitude for your esteemed presence, which has brought immense honor to our humble home."
The crowd inwardly scoffed.
"Humble home, my ass. What a load of pretentious crap."
"Of course, as many of you are aware, the three major families of Modu have partnered with Korea’s top conglomerate. We are confident that this collaboration will not only reclaim our share in the Chinese market but also secure the upcoming bidding project..."
At this point, Li Chifen glanced at Luo Yao, only to find her completely ignoring his speech, instead flirting playfully with Lin Ran.
Damn it. Was she deliberately disrespecting him?
"Certain projects in our Chinese market have been monopolized by unscrupulous enterprises, pushing long-established families like ours to the brink. Naturally, we won’t stand for this—which is why we’ve formed this alliance."
"And now, these very same unscrupulous individuals are attempting to take the largest project, the Sci-Tech City bid. So I ask all of you here today—can you accept such an outr—"
"Ah—ughhh!"
Before Li Chifen could finish, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the hall. All eyes immediately turned toward the source of the sound—the direction of the public restroom.
Liu Meng emerged, calmly drying her hands, before making her way back to her seat.