Chapter 131: Going to Old Master Li’s Birthday Banquet

Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Going to Old Master Li’s Birthday Banquet

This was Zhao Xiao’an’s third day in Europe, accompanying a certain VIP.

She had been in a bad mood even before leaving, thanks to a conversation with Luo Yuqing and her family. The jet lag made things worse; she hadn’t slept well for the past few days, and her spirits were low.

To ensure she looked her most glamorous for the cameras, she had to spend extra time on her hair and makeup.

When her alarm went off at seven, Zhao Xiao’an dragged herself out of bed, exhausted. She picked up the phone from her pillow and saw several unread messages. They were all from someone saved in her contacts as "Zhang Guoping."

She opened them, and her face instantly fell.

"Miss Zhao, your little sweetheart is at Lingyang Group headquarters... in his role as the fiancé!"

Below the text were several photos of Yang Xiaofei and Wang Chenning standing together looking quite intimate, along with two video clips.

With a trembling hand, Zhao Xiao’an played the video. A moment later, the phone slipped from her grasp—CLACK—and fell to the floor by her feet.

In the video, Yang Xiaofei was introducing Wang Chenning to her subordinates as her fiancé.

She picked up the phone and, with trembling fingers, sent a message to Wang Chenning: "What are you up to?"

She even added a smiley face emoji at the end.

To her surprise, Wang Chenning replied almost instantly. "Touring the Lingyang Group headquarters. It was an enthusiastic invitation from President Yang. Couldn’t say no!"

Another message followed: "Am I just too amazing? So amazing that even people who disliked me, or even hated me, have completely changed their tune. If I were a little more soft-hearted, I’d probably have been snatched up and forced into marriage by now!"

Reading Wang Chenning’s two replies, Zhao Xiao’an froze, unsure how to respond.

He hadn’t lied; he told her the truth outright. This left her with a heart full of anger and anxiety, with no idea how to vent it.

A few seconds later, another message came from Wang Chenning: "It must be early morning where you are. I bet you messaged me the second you woke up. Don’t tell me you had a naughty dream about me last night, did you?"

"Of course not!" Zhao Xiao’an quickly typed back. "Yang Xiaofei wants you to keep being her fiancé. So, what’s your stance on that?"

"I’m terrible at resisting temptation, you know. I’m just an inexperienced little virgin, after all. Are you going to come and save me, my heroine?"

Zhao Xiao’an took a deep breath before replying: "I trust you can resist the temptations of a beautiful woman. Don’t disappoint me!"

"I’ll do my best!" Wang Chenning quickly changed the subject. "Tonight is Li Mingchao’s grandfather’s birthday, and I plan to go crash the party. I know the Li family wants me dead, so I’m going to find a way to make them too scared to touch me—and to keep anyone else from trying, too."

After exchanging a few more messages, Zhao Xiao’an’s mood had lifted considerably.

Wang Chenning’s words piqued her curiosity. "You want to make an enemy of the entire Li family?"

"I’ve never wanted to make an enemy of anyone, but I want to build my own dynasty. To achieve that, I’ll inevitably step on some toes. Making enemies is unavoidable, but I’m not afraid. Worst comes to worst, I’ll just pack up and flee back to Chang’an to live as a hermit at the foot of Mount Zhongnan."

Just as Zhao Xiao’an was about to reply, her assistant came over and whispered a reminder that it was time for breakfast. There were still a lot of preparations to get through.

Zhao Xiao’an made a snap decision and quickly fired back a message: "I believe you can do it. And I have even more faith that you can withstand Yang Xiaofei’s sweet-talking attacks. If you do, I’ll have a big present for you when I get back to Yandu!"

"What kind of present?"

"I’ll give you myself, how about that?" Zhao Xiao’an sent the message in a fit of pique, then quickly followed up with another. "I have to get busy. Talk to you later when I have time!"

Her words earned her a reply of several lecherous-looking emojis from Wang Chenning.

Still feeling uneasy, she sent Wang Chenning another message during a break from getting ready: "I’ll be back in Yandu in a couple of days. When I get back, you have to pick me up from the airport and treat me to a huge dinner, got it!"

Wang Chenning, of course, agreed. "Absolutely!"

Wang Chenning was in the restroom when he received Zhao Xiao’an’s messages.

After sending his replies, Wang Chenning finally came out of the restroom.

The furnishings in Yang Xiaofei’s private restroom were incredibly luxurious, and the air was filled with a distinctly feminine scent.

When he came out, Wang Chenning grinned and asked Yang Xiaofei, "I bet no man has ever entered your private lounge and used this restroom before, have they?"

"That’s right. You’re the first," Yang Xiaofei admitted, then teased him back, "Feeling pretty pleased with yourself?"

Wang Chenning shook his head. "I’d be more pleased with whoever finally takes my v-card!"

Yang Xiaofei was instantly both embarrassed and annoyed. She scoffed in disgust. "Are you just a huge pervert deep down?"

Wang Chenning threw his hands up, the picture of innocence. "Hey now, you should be asking if a guy who’s this handsome and talented is still a virgin at twenty-six because there’s something physically wrong with him, not calling him a pervert!"

Yang Xiaofei’s face couldn’t stop flushing. No man had ever dared to speak such outrageous words to her before. She was mortified and furious, but at the same time, she found it thrilling.

"It probably *is* a physical problem!" she retorted, her face red as she shot him a look. "Otherwise, how could you have treated so many women and not had a single improper thought!"

"Oh, I get it now!" Wang Chenning nodded. "Then the next time I’m treating you, I’ll be sure to have some improper thoughts!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" In the end, Yang Xiaofei was a proper woman with almost zero experience in romantic matters. Unable to bear Wang Chenning’s teasing any longer, she quickly changed the subject.

Afterward, she gave Wang Chenning a detailed overview of the Lingyang Group. She then led him on a tour of the headquarters, making sure to show him all the important departments.

Around four-thirty, she went to shower and change.

One couldn’t wear business attire to the birthday banquet for Li Mingchao’s grandfather, Li Baoguo.

Yang Xiaofei changed into an outfit with a completely different style: a loose white sweater with straight-leg pants, topped with a dark trench coat.

The outfit perfectly suited her style, and it was appropriate for the evening’s event.

Wang Chenning didn’t take his own car, riding with Yang Xiaofei in her Rolls-Royce Phantom to the old Li family estate.

Wang Chenning knew tonight was destined to be anything but smooth.

He had utterly humiliated Li Mingchao, so the Li family was sure to treat him as a mortal enemy.

’Attending this birthday banquet is tantamount to walking into the lion’s den...’