The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

Shen Xiaocun's face, which was barely maintaining its composure, instantly turned a deep purplish-red. His knuckles, gripping the wine glass, turned white, and the champagne inside sloshed, nearly spilling out.

This year has indeed been unlucky for him.

First, his investments failed, then his guarantee chain broke, and later he was investigated by the tax bureau. His assets were also seized by the court. Friends who used to call him brother now avoid him when they meet.

What made him even more furious was that he had originally kept a backup plan—

His daughter, Shen Yu, was young and beautiful, and she helped him salvage some of his business by using her looks.

Later, for greater benefits, he went to great lengths to send his daughter to live with a man surnamed Zheng.

Although the man surnamed Zheng had some shady hobbies, he did have connections and resources in the industry. He originally thought he could use this relationship to gain some benefits, even if the new Zheng only gave him scraps, it would be enough for him to turn his life around.

Who knew that the girl, who had been serving Zheng so well, would end up with both of them in prison.

When the news came, he was at home smashing a glass.

His wife was crying her heart out, yelling that she wanted to go to the police station to find out what happened, but he slapped her so hard she fell onto the sofa.

He's someone who's been through this mud, so he's more clear-headed than anyone else.

The man surnamed Zheng had been entrenched in Beijing for many years and had deep roots in the city. If even he had fallen, he must have offended some powerful figure.

Anyone who goes in at this moment is asking for death.

So he gritted his teeth and warned his wife, "Just pretend we never had this daughter! If you dare ask the police a single question, I'll break your legs first!"

It's better to avoid trouble; he can't afford to do anything that would only make things worse.

At this moment, Shen Xiaocun stood under the dazzling crystal chandelier, rooted to the spot by Shen Xiaoming's casual remark, feeling as if everyone around him was watching him make a fool of himself.

Yao Yonghui walked out of the crowd with a fawning smile on his face, but his eyes were filled with gloomy restlessness.

He glanced at Shen Xiaocun, who was standing there blankly, his face pale, and couldn't help but frown.

He leaned close to Shen Xiaocun's ear and warned through gritted teeth in a voice only the two of them could hear: "I went to great lengths to bribe people to get you into this kind of situation, so don't you dare cause me any trouble."

In his eyes, Shen Xiaocun was like a stubborn leech that he couldn't shake off.

A while ago, he got drunk and made a mistake, sleeping with Shen Xiaocun's daughter.

He thought he could be appeased by giving her some money, but who would have thought that this old fox would have his daughter record the incident and use it against him.

Yao Yonghui was originally a son-in-law who relied on his wife's family for support. If his wife saw those videos, she would definitely skin him alive.

He leaned close to Shen Xiaocun, almost gritting his teeth, and said, "This is the last time. If you dare threaten me with those videos again, we'll fight to the death!"

Shen Xiaocun ignored Yao Yonghui's warning. His gaze swept past the throng of people and fixed on Shen Xiaoming, who was not far away.

His eyes were filled with resentment and bitterness, as if he wanted to devour the other person alive.

He took a deep breath and whispered a promise to Yao Yonghui: "Please help me one last time... After today, I promise I'll never bother you again!"

The two weaved through the crowd, Shen Xiaocun holding a wine glass and whispering to everyone he met.

Before long, Shen Xiaoming noticed something was wrong.

When the guests looked at him, their eyes held a hint of wariness and disdain.

Zeng Qiang, the business partner who brought him in, hurried over, his expression shifty, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated: "Xiao Ming... why don't you go back first today?"

"Hasn't the banquet officially started yet?" Shen Xiaoming frowned slightly, his expression calm and unreadable.

Zeng Qiang sighed and lowered his voice:

"You know your cousin Shen Xiaocun; he's very eloquent."

"He just complained to everyone he met that you disregarded family ties and kicked him when he was down, and Yao Yonghui even chimed in with more fuel to the fire."

"Others don't know the truth, nor do they understand your temperament. But after hearing their fabricated story, they believed most of it."

"Xiao Ming, listen to my advice. To avoid unnecessary trouble, you should leave first."

Shen Xiaoming's fingertips were still clutching the glass of water he hadn't had time to drink. The cold glass was pressed against his palm, but it couldn't suppress the fire rising in his heart.

He knew all too well that turning away now would be tantamount to acquiescing to the dirty water that Shen Xiaocun had splashed on him in front of everyone.

"A straight body casts a straight shadow" is a nice saying, but in the eyes of these ruthless business tycoons, "acquiescing" and "confessing" are only a step apart.

Rumors can be deceiving, and even the most cautious and dutiful Shen Xiaoming couldn't withstand the storm of this one night.

He placed his wine glass on the waiter's tray, straightened his suit collar, and strode through the crowd.

Shen Xiaocun was surrounded by three or five people. His face, which bore a resemblance to Shen Xiaoming, was filled with righteous indignation, but his eyes and brows could not hide his triumphant joy.

He gestured with his hands, muttering things like "misfortune for the family" and "ungrateful," looking like a clown performing a one-man show.

As Shen Xiaoming watched this scene, a strange sense of sorrow arose within his anger.

His cousin was incredibly stupid.

Instead of seizing the opportunity to do business and build connections, they chose to waste their precious time framing their own relatives.

Who in this banquet hall is a pushover?

They're agreeing with you now, but they could turn around and devour you completely.

Shen Xiaoming walked unhurriedly to the edge of the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the onlookers with their various expressions, his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant.

"I have long since severed ties with Shen Xiaocun, and the reasons for this cannot be explained in a few words."

"If everyone is really that interested, Shen Xiaocun, why don't we go up on stage now, take the microphone and explain things clearly, so you can stop gossiping behind our backs?"

Shen Xiaocun was called out by name in public, and a hint of panic flashed across his face, but he quickly straightened his neck and retorted with a forced air of authority:

"What else is there to say? A cold-blooded and heartless person like you doesn't deserve to be in this kind of situation!"

"yes."

Immediately, someone chimed in. It was a middle-aged man in a navy blue suit, surnamed Zhang, who had started his business in building materials and loved to play the moral gentleman in public.

Holding his wine glass, he spoke with righteous indignation, "Merchants value profit but cannot forget righteousness. No matter the reason, if you cannot lend a helping hand when your loved ones are in trouble, but instead kick them while they're down and sever ties, you have no virtue. I, Zhang, am truly ashamed to stand with you today!"

Hearing this impassioned moral blackmail, Shen Xiaoming raised an eyebrow, about to retort, when a deep, authoritative voice suddenly came from the entrance of the hall, drowning out all the noise:

"What's going on at this perfectly good banquet?"

Everyone turned around in unison.

The carved wooden door on the east side of the banquet hall opened at some point, and Jiang Hexuan walked out surrounded by people.

He wore a perfectly tailored dark gray suit, his gaze behind his silver-rimmed glasses was deep and unfathomable, and although his temples were slightly gray, it did not diminish his breathtaking aura.

Wherever he passed, the crowd parted to both sides like a tide, bowing their heads in greeting, even their breathing becoming softer.

The assistant quickly leaned close to Jiang Hexuan's ear and whispered a few words.

Jiang Hexuan's slightly furrowed brows relaxed, and his gaze swept over the throng of people, landing on Shen Xiaoming.

In that instant, his eyes behind his glasses suddenly lit up.

He walked straight this way.

The leather shoes made a steady sound on the marble floor, each step seeming to strike the hearts of everyone present.

Jiang Hexuan stopped in front of Shen Xiaoming and extended his hand.

"So it's Mr. Shen Xiaoming."

A smile played on his lips, and his voice was loud and clear:

"I've heard so much about you."