Chapter 40: Continuing

"Rip!"

The sound of fabric tearing echoed sharply through the crowd.

"Ah!"

Lu Yao felt a chill against her leg, followed immediately by Xu Xingyue’s scream, which rang out across the entire banquet hall. The surrounding gasps and murmurs of surprise made Lu Yao realize that something was terribly wrong. She looked down. The slit of her pink qipao had been ripped open into a long, jagged tear by Xu Xingyue’s sudden tug. A glimpse of pink was now exposed to the sight of everyone present. Men’s gazes—playful, shocked, and amused—swept repeatedly over her.

Lu Yao’s face turned deathly pale. She stared fixedly at Xu Xingyue, who was putting on a show of panic across from her. She knew perfectly well that this was a deliberate attempt to humiliate her. Anger, tension, and helplessness washed over her.

"I didn't mean to, Yaoyao, I really didn't mean to! Please, you have to believe me!" Xu Xingyue’s eyes were filled with a triumph and excitement she could barely contain, even as she kept crying out. She wanted nothing more than to see Lu Yao disgraced at the banquet. So what if she had become one of Xiang Zhihua’s people? She was still just an ugly duckling, something that belonged in the shadows.

Jiang Jinghe’s expression shifted, his eyes darkening with complexity; he clearly hadn't expected things to turn out this way. Just as he was about to take off his suit jacket to cover Lu Yao, he was interrupted by a voice.

"Eldest Young Mistress, are you alright?"

Cheng Gang, who had been pushing Xiang Zhihua’s wheelchair into the hall, had just witnessed the scene. His heart sank. He quickly stripped off his own suit jacket and draped it over Lu Yao. Lu Yao let out a breath of relief. Though the black jacket concealed her current embarrassment, it could not erase the sudden, sharp sting of shame in her mind.

Xiang Zhihua’s arrival caused the atmosphere of the entire banquet to tense. His deep, dark eyes scanned the crowd. The oppressive, intimidating aura of a man in power forced everyone present to lower their heads.

"What is the meaning of this?" He looked in Lu Yao’s direction. His voice was like ice, chilling those present to the point where no one dared to even breathe loudly. Although Xiang Zhihua rarely appeared at such banquets, rumors about him were constant. They said he was ruthless, cold-blooded, and cruel. Judging by his current presence, those rumors were likely true.

The smile on Xu Xingyue’s face froze. Only then did she realize the gravity of the situation. "Jinghe gege," she whimpered, reaching out to grab Jiang Jinghe’s arm, desperate for his protection.

"It’s okay, it’s okay, you didn't mean to," Jiang Jinghe said, snapping out of his daze and attempting to soothe her. In truth, Jiang Jinghe felt out of his depth. This matter had spiraled out of control. Even if he intervened, the other party might not give him the time of day.

"I’m sorry!" Lu Yao said, looking at Xiang Zhihua with an apologetic gaze. She had disgraced him.

Xiang Zhihua’s eyes darkened. "Those blind fools are looking to die; what does that have to do with you?" He looked at her firmly. "You are my person, Xiang Zhihua’s person. That makes you my face. Whoever dares to humiliate you is slapping me in the face."

Xiang Zhihua’s words made everyone’s hearts skip a beat. Those who had previously looked down on Lu Yao realized that her importance to Xiang Zhihua was not as trivial as the rumors suggested. They all suddenly treated her with newfound respect.

"Was it you who tore her dress just now?" Xiang Zhihua’s gaze suddenly fell upon Xu Xingyue. His calm voice held a kind of indescribable fear and danger. Xu Xingyue felt as if her spine had been frozen in place. She knew she was finished. Her face was as white as a sheet.

"I—I didn't mean to," she stammered, shaking her head in panic. "Yaoyao, please..." She tried to reach for Lu Yao’s hand, knowing she was the only one who could save her now, but she was intercepted by Cheng Gang.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Cheng Gang stared at her with clear displeasure. Was this woman trying to make the scene even worse? Hadn't his Eldest Young Mistress suffered enough indignity?

"Someone, strip her clothes off," Xiang Zhihua said, his face darkening. "If you dare to bully my woman in front of me, I don't think you need to live anymore."

"Dad! Dad!" Seeing that pleading with Lu Yao was futile, Xu Xingyue turned her gaze toward her father in the crowd. "Save me, Dad! Hurry!" With so many people watching, she could not be stripped in public. If that happened, she would be ruined.

Mr. Xu, who had just been basking in the pride of the crowd moments ago, heard his daughter’s cry. He could no longer afford to smile and stepped out from the crowd in a single bound.

"Xiang... Young Master Xiang, this is all just a misunderstanding," Mr. Xu stammered, standing before Xiang Zhihua. If he had known Xu Xingyue would cause such a massive scene for Lu Yao at Old Mr. Liu’s auction banquet, he would have kept her locked at home. "Xingyue didn't mean it. This is just a petty squabble between two sisters. Please... for the sake of her being Yaoyao’s sister, spare her this once."

"Sister?" A playful glint flashed in Xiang Zhihua’s eyes. He leaned in and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear. "Mr. Xu, your memory is quite convenient. Yaoyao’s surname is Lu, and Xu Xingyue’s is Xu. Where exactly is this 'sister' coming from?"

His eyes flashed with sharp intensity before darkening again. "The only reason I haven't torn the mask off your family is out of consideration for Lu Yao’s feelings. After all, if she weren't your family’s adopted daughter, she wouldn't be with me." Otherwise, why would he have let the Xu family continue to act so insolently until now?

Mr. Xu’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected Xiang Zhihua to go to such lengths for Lu Yao. The fear in his dark pupils intensified, and even his expression as he looked at Lu Yao became stiff and twisted.

"Dad! Dad!" Xu Xingyue, seeing her father frozen and motionless, was on the verge of tears. Didn't he see that she was about to be destroyed?

After Xiang Zhihua withdrew his gaze with a meaningful look, he turned back to Xu Xingyue, his expression turning icy, discarding his earlier playfulness. "Why are you all still standing there?" he said coldly.

"Dad! Dad!" Xu Xingyue, realizing that even her father’s intervention could not save her, felt her face drain of all color. As for Jiang Jinghe, he had long since been pulled aside by his own father, who had sensed the danger. Even if he had wanted to step in, he had no chance.

"The banquet continues!" At this moment, Old Mr. Liu finally stepped out from the crowd. He had witnessed every moment of the scene, yet he had not stood up to stop it, nor did he seem the least bit displeased. On the contrary, a faint smile played on his lips. He seemed not to take the matter to heart at all.

Seeing this, the guests at the banquet resumed their earlier chatter. Xu Xingyue’s incident was treated as nothing more than a minor interlude.

"Someone, take Miss Lu to change into a new dress," Old Mr. Liu ordered politely.