A grand high-society banquet, where two powerful families were to form an alliance through marriage.
The venue was filled with wealthy elites, including influential magnates of Baihai City.
However, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive, as one of the protagonists was missing.
A young man, about twenty-five or twenty-six, tall and handsome, wearing a well-tailored suit, stood out remarkably among the crowd.
Many young socialites looked on with pity; he was the city's most eligible bachelor and they no longer stood a chance.
Yet, the young man's face lacked its usual composure, appearing quite disturbed.
"Where is Xia Mengchan?" he approached a middle-aged couple, his tone accusatory.
The couple furrowed their brows, their expressions turning sour. It was clearly excessive for a junior to speak to them with such an attitude.
"Chen Hu, don't be disrespectful. Meng Chan is probably just running late. Let's wait a bit longer," another man said, in his fifties, bearing some resemblance to the young man.
"Running late? I think she doesn't want to come. Mr. Xia, if your daughter disagrees with this marriage, you should have just told us directly. It's our families' reputations at stake here; everyone is watching. What do you suggest we do?" Jiang Chenhu's mother sneered coldly.
Xia Mengchan's parents looked furious and deeply embarrassed.
"Rest assured, our daughter will definitely come. If she doesn't, I will give you a satisfactory explanation," Xia Zhenguo stated coldly.
Xia Mengchan's mother appeared worried. She knew her husband's temper well; her daughter's actions had surely infuriated him.
At that moment, the banquet suddenly quieted down.
Xia Mengchan had arrived, but not alone. She walked in arm in arm with Qin Hao.
Almost everyone was stunned; they naturally recognized Xia Mengchan, who was supposed to be the heroine of the day. Yet, she was not escorted by the hero.
A young stranger, his face still somewhat youthful, looked to be around twenty.
Here to cause turmoil, some mischief-makers thought with keen interest.
Jiang Chenhu's expression darkened as if he could drip water.
"Is this the explanation you've promised?" Jiang Chenhu asked with a cold sneer.
Xia Mengchan's parents were too furious to speak, shivering with anger.
Qin Hao and Xia Bingchan walked towards them, appearing like a perfectly matched couple under the scrutiny of all present.
"Xia Mengchan, I demand an explanation," Jiang Chenhu said as he approached, staring at Xia Mengchan.
His eyes blazed with fury, and his whole being exuded an intense chill; he was evidently enraged.
"Who the hell are you to demand explanations from my woman?" Qin Hao stood up before Xia Mengchan could speak.
He shielded Xia Mengchan behind him, facing Jiang Chenhu squarely.
"She cannot be with you; I do not agree," Xia Zhenguo stated coldly.
Qin Hao glanced at him. He recognized this man, most likely Xia Mengchan's father, but he had no intention of backing down.
"I said she's my woman, and she is my woman, needing no one's agreement," Qin Hao countered fiercely.
"How dare you! Do you know who I am?" Xia Zhenguo pointed at Qin Hao, his body shaking, completely infuriated.
Qin Hao nodded. He was quite relaxed, casually saying, "You are my father-in-law, of course I know, but so what? You can't control us."
Everyone's eyes nearly popped out. They had never seen someone so bold, someone who didn't even care about his father-in-law.
Moreover, this father-in-law was no ordinary person, the real owner of Qingyun Group. Many young people standing in front of him couldn't even utter a word.
Xia Zhen Guo's legs went weak, and he nearly fainted from anger. Fortunately, the people beside him supported him, preventing him from falling.
Xia Mengchan pinched Qin Hao from behind, whispering, "Be a bit more polite to my dad, he has high blood pressure."
"Don't worry, I understand medicine. As long as a person isn't dead, I can save them," Qin Hao turned back and said earnestly.
Xia Zhen Guo nearly passed out from holding his breath. This guy really wanted to anger him to death.
"Enough, stop causing a scene here. Meng Chan, I'm giving you a chance, leave this loser and be with me. I won't make a big deal out of it," Jiang Chenhu said sternly, then fixed his gaze on Xia Mengchan.
Xia Mengchan sneered, her face full of disdain as she said, "Jiang Chenhu, do you think I don't know what the Jiang Family is up to? You want to use marriage as a pretext to then take over our Qingyun Group. Do you think I'd be foolish enough to fall for that?"
"The Jiang Family doesn't have that intention," Jiang Hongyuan stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice.
He glanced at his son, revealing a slight smile, and said, "Meng Chan, my child truly loves you. You don't need to pretend to have a boyfriend. We all know that you actually haven't had a boyfriend."
"You investigated me?" Xia Mengchan's face darkened.
Xia Zhen Guo also looked displeased, clearly dissatisfied with the Jiang Family's actions.
Jiang Hongyuan didn't seem to care much. He smiled lightly and said, "The Jiang Family also needs to understand you a bit, and if you really had a boyfriend, we wouldn't want to break you apart."
He played the magnanimous part, but Xia Mengchan wasn't buying it.
She revealed a cold smile, her expression filled with disdain.
"Young man, I'll give you five million, enough for a lifetime. Just leave now, stop making trouble, or else you won't get anything," Jiang Hongyuan turned his gaze towards Qin Hao.
This was a threat and a temptation. Five million, even if Qin Hao really was Xia Bingchan's boyfriend, would tempt him, judging from his clothing, Jiang Hongyuan felt Qin Hao's family probably wasn't very wealthy.
"My card number is *******," Qin Hao spat out a series of numbers.
Jiang Hongyuan noted it down, then made a phone call. He smiled and said, "The young man knows the times. Check if the money has arrived. If it has, you can go now."
Qin Hao glanced at his phone, and the money had indeed arrived.
He nodded, turning to Xia Mengchan, "Wife, I've got money now, let's go buy some nice things."
He grabbed Xia Mengchan, ready to leave.
"You're playing me?" Jiang Hongyuan erupted in anger.
He instantly realized something was wrong; the other party was simply playing him.
"Someone, take him down, and don't hurt Meng Chan," Jiang Chenhu simply said, at this point, there was no need for niceties, the Jiang Family had been embarrassed enough.
"Haven't had a fight in a long time." Qin Hao clenched his fist, not afraid, but rather excited.
"Be careful," Xia Mengchan reminded, though she wasn't too worried as she already had some understanding of Qin Hao from her friends.
Qin Hao laughed loudly, facing a group of bodyguards charging at him, he moved forward to meet them.
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