After handing over the manor affairs to professionals, Xu Qingqing didn't concern herself with the follow-up anymore. Anyway, she had just used her own influence to run an advertisement for the Xu Group; after operations began, the company would likely launch new projects based on performance.
It just so happened that Xu Qingqing's birthday was approaching soon. According to annual tradition, the Xu family would host a banquet for her this time as well.
As the protagonist, Xu Qingqing naturally had to prepare meticulously for her appearance. Otherwise, those superficial 'sisters' in her circle might come up with all sorts of messy ideas. These people loved to make grand entrances at every occasion, never caring if they might outshine the main character.
Although Xu Qingqing was often one of them, when it was her turn, she certainly wouldn't let anyone succeed in upstaging her at her own birthday party.
Xu Qingqing had initially wanted to celebrate her birthday on a yacht, but Zhou Chenyu had beaten her to the idea last month. So, she simply declared she wanted her birthday on a plane; her aunt had recently ordered a private jet, which she could conveniently use this time.
However, this plan was vetoed by Grandpa Xu and the others. Chairman Xu and his wife believed Xu Qingqing's birthday should be held traditionally at home, which would make it seem more grand.
According to Chairman Xu and the others, a space as limited as a plane wouldn't suffice; it could be used for a private birthday party after the banquet.
Being able to have both, Xu Qingqing naturally didn't refuse. After all, she wasn't paying for it, and if her grandparents didn't agree, her aunt definitely wouldn't lend her the plane to play with either.
On the day of Xu Qingqing's birthday, the quiet villa bustled with activity early in the morning.
Stylists and assistants had already arrived, a large group surrounding Xu Qingqing, attentively and eagerly giving her a full makeover. Photographers nearby held cameras, capturing their every move.
This was a Xu family tradition. Since Xu Qingqing was a child, cameras had followed her throughout her birthday every year for future keepsakes.
This year's birthday banquet for Xu Qingqing was as lavish as ever. Air-shipped tulips extravagantly filled the hall, with these flowers alone costing well over six figures.
Some photographers were capturing the guests clinking glasses in the hall, others were filming the specially decorated arrangements of the Xu family's old residence, while even more photographers followed Xu Qingqing and her family throughout the event.
After the banquet, they would compile and edit all the footage from the day, then archive and produce it. Zhou Chenyu had once joked that the scale of Xu Qingqing's birthday rivaled that of many major celebrities, and the edited footage could even make a reality TV show.
Of course, his remark was just a joke, but it also highlighted how famous the extravagance and luxury of Xu Qingqing's birthday were within A City's socialite and wealthy circles.
Xu Qingqing sat quietly in her chair, eyes closed, waiting for the makeup artist to work on her.
Her gown today was the epitome of luxury, semi-transparent lace adorned with delicate, finely crushed diamonds. This floor-length dress was designed by her aunt's ex-boyfriend, taking several months to complete. He was a niche luxury brand designer from abroad, whose works were priceless and hard to come by.
Xu Qingqing's hair was swept up, revealing her long, elegant neck. The dress's train swept across the floor, passing over the color-changing tulips she had mentioned wanting just days before.
As the time approached, she was led by Grandpa Xu, slowly descending the staircase.
The guests in the hall were mingling and chatting, but upon hearing the movement, they all looked up. At the sight of the figure gracefully descending the steps, they unconsciously held their breath, and the noisy room quieted for a moment.
Under the dazzling lights, the gemstone earrings on Xu Qingqing's earlobes sparkled. Under the gaze of the crowd, her expression was nonchalant, yet her every gesture inadvertently exuded an air of noble elegance.
Xu Qingqing's beauty was a weapon, and her family background indulged her in wielding it with impunity.
Even on ordinary days, wearing jeans with no makeup, simply standing there lazily with her arms crossed, she was enough to draw everyone's attention. Let alone now, when she was dressed in full regalia, meticulously styled from her hair to her fingertips, stunningly beautiful under the lights.
"I've long heard that Old Master Xu cherishes this granddaughter dearly. It seems it's true."
"I heard today's arrangements were all supervised and directed by Chairman Xu himself. Truly the apple of his eye."
"Is this your first time here? You sound unfamiliar with Old Man Xu. His family puts on this show every year; his social media is full of his granddaughter."
"You haven't muted Old Man Xu yet? I really can't stand him. A while back, when their group launched a resort hotel project, he was promoting everywhere that his granddaughter had inherited his business acumen."
"What are you talking about? I heard from my kid that his granddaughter just posted an idea on Weibo, and even the venue was a gift from Xie Lianqing."
"I heard Xie Lianqing and the Xu family's granddaughter are a couple. Looks like good news isn't far off."
"What? Someone from the Xie family is here too? Where?"
People eagerly turned to look for him. Even within wealthy circles, there were hierarchies. They could attend the Xu family's banquet, but that didn't necessarily mean they could reach the Xie family's level. The chance to forge a connection with a top-tier wealthy family was, of course, an unexpected delight.
The people below murmured with differing focuses. Above, Grandpa Xu personally led his granddaughter to cut the cake. Then, under everyone's gaze, he announced, "I will transfer ten percent of the shares under my name to Xu Qingqing."
Chairman Xu's statement stunned everyone present. After a moment of silence, a buzzing murmur instantly filled the room.
No matter how much one dotes on a child, such a massive and sudden gift of shares—ten percent—was unheard of. This wasn't ordinary doting. Could the previous rumors about Chairman Xu intending to give the Xu family assets as Xu Qingqing's dowry actually be true?
For a moment, the glances cast towards a certain spot in the hall grew complex. After all, Chairman Xu and his wife had another son and daughter. Bypassing them to give so much property to a granddaughter—wouldn't those two cause a fuss?
Under everyone's gaze, Xu Youyue remained calm, even looking at her niece with a pleased expression, as if she had long anticipated this.
Indeed, the style of this female president of the Xu Group was well-known; it seemed she also regarded her niece as her own child to nurture.
In stark contrast was Xu Qingqing's biological father, Xu Changshan. His face was flushed red, his gaze shocked, having forgotten he was in full public view.
Xu Changshan stepped forward incredulously, shouting towards Chairman Xu on the steps, "Dad!"
Such a major matter, and his father hadn't even discussed it with him? Chairman Xu giving Xu Qingqing so many shares at once—what would be left for him in the future?
A rare sense of panic and confusion arose in Xu Changshan; he felt things were increasingly diverging from what he had imagined.
Chairman Xu glanced at his son but said nothing.
For his granddaughter's birthday banquet, Xu Changshan, as the biological father, naturally had to be present. Otherwise, people would surely use his absence to criticize Xu Qingqing behind her back. That's why Grandpa Xu and the others had still invited Xu Changshan.
Though they looked down on this son and daughter-in-law, in front of outsiders, Grandpa Xu and his wife would still leave them some face. After all, they couldn't say they bore no responsibility at all for the warping of their child's character, being his parents.
Thinking of this, the stern-faced Chairman Xu's expression grew heavy. After announcing it publicly at the banquet, he signed the share gift agreement in front of the legal team.
Grandpa Xu's mind was made up. Seeing this, Xu Changshan and Bai Yaxiu below turned livid.
Since marrying into the Xu family all these years, Bai Yaxiu had styled herself as a noble society lady, striving to emulate the former Lin Jiangxue in her conduct and demeanor, always maintaining a facade of virtuous gentility in public. Yet at this moment, she couldn't bother with her usual pretense in front of the crowd, trembling with rage.
These shares were far more valuable than the companies Chairman Xu had given Xu Changshan the other day. Not to mention, judging by the deeper meaning in his words earlier, it seemed this ten percent was just the portion of assets gifted for now. Many other assets under Chairman Xu's name might also be intended for Xu Qingqing in the future.
Then what about her Youlan and Tianbao? They are both children of the Xu family, why should they...
Meanwhile, Bai Youlan, standing to the side, saw Xu Changshan's incredulous expression and couldn't help but inwardly mock her stepfather. This fool still didn't realize he had already been written out of Chairman Xu's will.
Bai Youlan, having received a tip-off from her system, had even kindly and subtly hinted at this matter to Xu Changshan some time ago. To her surprise, he didn't believe her at all, even laughing it off as her overthinking.
Xu Changshan believed that as the son of the Xu family, even if he was no longer the heir to the Xu Group, Chairman Xu wouldn't be so cruel as to leave him nothing, completely excluding him from the will.
Even the usually shrewd and cautious Bai Yaxiu agreed with Xu Changshan's view, thinking her daughter was being paranoid due to recent online events.
She felt Bai Youlan had suffered too many setbacks lately, leading to wild fancies. She even comforted her, telling her not to worry too much about the entertainment industry. At worst, she could have Xu Changshan introduce her to a few wealthy young men. Being a young mistress of a wealthy family was better than being cursed at online.
Bai Yaxiu was well aware of the things people online said about her and Xu Changshan. Previously, for the sake of her daughter Bai Youlan's acting career, she had endured it, not wanting to create more trouble or hold her back. But that didn't mean she was comfortable with it. Although Bai Yaxiu stopped her husband from forcing their daughter to leave the entertainment industry, deep down, she somewhat agreed with Xu Changshan's perspective.
After hearing her mother and stepfather's supremely confident words, Bai Youlan was left speechless by their arrogance.
She had even considered planting ideas in Xu Tianbao's head, getting this little son, whom Xu Changshan doted on most, to persuade him. Unexpectedly, after hearing her out, Xu Tianbao also declared with full confidence that he was the Xu family's only grandson and would definitely inherit the family business in the future, then ignored her and went back to riding his toy car.
Bai Youlan: A bunch of pig teammates!
Now, see what happened? Chairman Xu indeed dropped such a bombshell at Xu Qingqing's birthday party. Serves them right for not listening to me!
The deed was done on stage. Listening to the gasps of surprise and the sounds of envy directed at Xu Qingqing from the surrounding crowd, Bai Youlan stared at the radiant Xu Qingqing on stage and couldn't help but recall her ballet performance at A University's anniversary celebration not long ago.
She inexplicably thought of all these years living in the other's shadow. Every birthday was like this. Although she had Xu Changshan and Bai Yaxiu's company and would also hold birthday parties inviting friends, it still paled in comparison to Xu Qingqing, who had no parents.
Bai Youlan once overheard Xu Changshan mention Xu Qingqing to Bai Yaxiu. He said he was immature back then, so he felt no particular affection for his first child and casually named her Qingqing (light/lightly). It signified that this daughter was as light as a feather, unimportant in his heart.
After Xu Qingqing's name was settled, Chairman Xu and his wife found out. Upon hearing it, they insisted that the name 'Qingqing' was too light, so they had to love her very, very much to anchor her fate and keep this granddaughter who had been born into the Xu family.
Thus, every member of the Xu family except Xu Changshan compensated Xu Qingqing doubly, ultimately spoiling her into who she was now.
Is this the halo of the female lead? I've taken so much from her, yet so many people still like her.
Bai Youlan's face still wore the gentle expression of being happy for her elder sister, but her nails dug into her palms.
That scourge Xu Qingqing... why didn't she just die from her illness earlier?
And that old man Grandpa Xu is even worse. I tried so hard to please him back then, yet he never acknowledged me as part of the Xu family, and now he's even reluctant to leave any property for me and Xu Tianbao.
Bai Youlan watched Chairman Xu signing the gift agreement on stage. If only she hadn't acted on impulse back then, she should have used the nightmare prop on Chairman Xu instead. He's old; perhaps a serious illness would have finished him off.
Host, caution. Chairman Xu and his wife have already made their wills in advance. The system does not recommend the host killing them before successfully altering their wills.
With the system's reminder, Bai Youlan instantly sobered up.
Right. Her goal was to seize Xu Qingqing's luck points and inherit the billions. If her own actions caused Xu Qingqing to inherit the Xu family early, wouldn't she be cutting off her nose to spite her face?
"So I just watch them like this and do nothing?"
Xu Qingqing's series of moves back then came one after another, leaving Bai Youlan's PR team helpless and forcing them to announce a temporary withdrawal. This caused Bai Youlan's scandal to repeatedly escalate, leading to her current reputation online.
Although Bai Youlan later contacted her biological father, getting him to issue what seemed like a clarification, she had already missed the best timing for damage control, making it very difficult to salvage her public image.
She could only take on minor roles now, lying low in the entertainment industry.
Although the host currently cannot change the general public's opinion of you, making a return to the entertainment industry difficult, the host can still complete the mission by collecting affection points from people important to the female lead.
Following the system's words, Bai Youlan also thought of her new recent plan. The previous path was blocked. If she didn't want to fail, she had to change course and keep going.
Beautiful Life System binding in progress...
Luck points obtained: 15/100
Overall mission progress: 40/100
Mission reward: Inherit billions in family assets, achieve a beautiful life.
On stage, Xu Qingqing looked at the luck points above Bai Youlan's head. Compared to the last time she saw it at 22 points, it seemed to have dropped quite a bit again. She wondered what the other had been through lately.
After her illness, Xu Qingqing hadn't actively tried to contact Bai Youlan to check the luck points above her head. This wasn't because she didn't care, but because she understood that doing something repeatedly could easily arouse suspicion.
Before, Bai Youlan had the system; she was in the dark while Xu Qingqing was in the light. But now the situation was reversed. Since Xu Qingqing could see the luck points and mission above the other's head, their positions of light and dark had swapped.
Having recently deduced that the essence of the "Beautiful Life System" mission was to kill her, Xu Qingqing, acting on intuition, was keenly aware that she must not let the other discover she could see the luck points.
Otherwise, Xu Qingqing always felt that something more serious than her last illness might happen.
Having interacted with Bai Youlan for over a decade, Xu Qingqing always felt that compared to her, the unknown threat lurking behind the scenes—the so-called "Beautiful Life" system—was probably more terrifying.
Sensing Xu Qingqing's gaze, Bai Youlan, who had been deep in thought, looked up and stared directly at Xu Qingqing above her, only to see the other girl casually shift her eyes away.
Bai Youlan turned her head to look at Xu Changshan and Bai Yaxiu beside her. Their expressions were clearly suppressing anger, and quite a few people around were glancing their way. So, did Xu Qingqing just look at me incidentally while looking at Xu Changshan?
Bai Youlan always felt that something was off.
Down below, there were quite a few people as surprised as the Xu Changshan family. Most clicked their tongues in amazement, privately sighing at how truly doted upon Xu Qingqing was in the Xu family. Those with quick minds even immediately called over their eligible sons who had accompanied them and said gravely, "I remember you don't have a girlfriend yet."
Zhou Chenyu, hearing his father's instruction, was speechless. "No way, Dad, you're telling me to get close to Xu Qingqing?"
Father Zhou, thinking his son was disparaging Xu Qingqing's personality, gave him a heavy slap on the back and said angrily, "What do you know? What does Xu Qingqing represent? Including today, I remember she holds fifteen percent of the Xu family's shares. Marry her, and you'll never have to worry for the rest of your life."
Moreover, he had watched Xu Qingqing grow up. Although her temperament was a bit spoiled, she wasn't a bad person at all. In fact, she was simple-minded and kind-hearted. Just this point already put her far ahead of many others.
And it just so happened that his own son and Xu Qingqing were childhood friends. Wasn't this a match made in heaven?
Zhou Chenyu had had quite a few girlfriends by now, but not a single one was serious enough to bring home. Often, just as the elders learned their son was dating and before they could even inquire about the girl's character, their son would break up not long after.
Chairman Zhou thought of his wife constantly nagging at home, her heart aching over their youngest son.
Zhou Chenyu scoffed. "You're overthinking it. She has a boyfriend, Xie Lianqing. The Xie family is here today too. Look."
Father Zhou's heart immediately sank. He turned to look and indeed saw Xie Lianqing's parents, though they were standing in a dimmer area, talking to Grandma Xu.
Sure enough, he thought to himself, if you don't act fast on a good girl, she'll be snatched up by someone else's family.
Father Zhou, angry, gave his son another slap on the back. Failing to seize the advantage right under your nose truly lacked the style of his old man over the years.
Meanwhile, Xie Lianqing was unaware that among the many guests present, quite a few had their eyes on his girlfriend. He was standing with his parents. Mother Xie was currently chatting with Grandma Xu; both were all smiles and, from an outsider's perspective, seemed to be having a great conversation.
Ever since the Xie family entered the venue, many sharp-eyed people had come over with glasses in hand to strike up conversations.
Under normal circumstances, Chairman Xie and his wife wouldn't mind engaging a bit, but this time they had a purpose for their visit. So, they only exchanged brief, perfunctory words with others, spending most of their time quietly conversing with the Xu family.
On stage, Grandpa Xu wasn't concerned with the shifting thoughts of the people below. After signing the agreement, he said solemnly, "Today is my granddaughter Xu Qingqing's twenty-second birthday. My hope for her future is health and happiness!"
Having gone through Xu Qingqing's recent illness, Chairman Xu emphasized the last two words particularly heavily.
This nearly seventy-year-old man, who had weathered great storms and dominated the business world for decades, rarely revealed a trace of vulnerable, genuine emotion at this moment.
Compared to wishing for Xu Qingqing to become talented, inherit the family business, or become obedient, sensible, and clever, his greatest wish was simply for her to have a smooth and healthy life.
Down below, Grandma Xu's eyes also shimmered with moisture. She and the old man had raised Xu Qingqing from a tiny baby, always fearing they hadn't given enough, heartbroken that the child lost her mother early and had an unreliable father.
It was precisely because of their doting that many people behind their backs said they had ruined the child, that Xu Qingqing was willful and spoiled, with no great ambitions.
Grandpa Xu and the others always scoffed at such comments. They never felt Xu Qingqing was an embarrassment; on the contrary, they thought their granddaughter was perfect in every way.
Old Sun's grandson from next door, after returning from abroad, became obsessed with starting a business. Not long after opening his company, he was cheated out of hundreds of millions by outsiders in a short-selling scheme and now dares not even leave the house.
Old Wang's daughter from across the way fell in love with a poor boy from the countryside. Despite him coming from deep in the mountains and having five older sisters, she threatened suicide and made a scene to marry him, glorifying it as true love.
The most outrageous was Young Zhao's son, who indulged in drinking, eating, whoring, and gambling. Recently, he hit someone and fled the scene, and is now still in jail. Rumor has it he'll probably be spending the New Year inside.
Comparing these figures from the second-generation circles, Grandma Xu looked back at her own little granddaughter and felt she was simply a little angel, as sensible as could be.
It's just a pity that her granddaughter had grown up in the blink of an eye and would eventually marry and leave their side... Grandma Xu felt both gratified and melancholy, unable to hold back a sigh.
Just then, Xu Qingqing mysteriously walked over. She handed a small plate of cake she was holding to Grandma Xu and whispered, "Grandma, this one is delicious!"
Grandma Xu immediately turned her worry into a smile, patted her shoulder, and pretended to complain, "All you think about is eating!"
"It's tasty! Grandma, try it quickly." Xu Qingqing fed her a bite, then asked excitedly, "Do you think what Grandpa said just now is true? Then can I stop memorizing vocabulary words? I've taken the CET-4 several times already, maybe let's just forget about it?"
The cake Grandma Xu had just put in her mouth suddenly didn't taste so sweet anymore.
Choked by Xu Qingqing's words, she wanted to say something but then met her granddaughter's bright, expectant eyes.
So, Grandma Xu irresponsibly encouraged, "Go ask your grandfather." Anyway, she didn't want to be the bad guy in front of her granddaughter.
A while later, Xu Qingqing found her grandfather, who was chatting with someone. She quietly slipped to his side and whispered, "Grandpa, you just said you only wish for me to be healthy and happy. So, can I skip the CET-4? I don't want to study anymore."
Grandpa Xu was still feeling sentimental. Hearing this, he glared at her, his beard practically bristling, and said sternly, "Learning is a lifelong endeavor! Take it, you must take it!"
Xu Qingqing thought: How come these adults never keep their word?
She gloomily took a bite of cake and slunk away, crestfallen.
On the other side,
Witnessing this scene, Father Xie gave his son a meaningful smile and teased, "It seems Qingqing truly is the apple of the Xu family's eye."
Grandpa Xu was as cunning as an old fox. Why would he suddenly so publicly announce the transfer of shares to Xu Qingqing today?
It was all because of the Xie family's visit. This was, in fact, their first formal visit, hoping to use the occasion of Xu Qingqing's birthday banquet to discuss the marriage between the two families.
Grandpa Xu's move today was clearly meant to bolster his granddaughter's standing!
The implied meaning was: Your Xie family may be a top-tier wealthy family, but Xu Qingqing is the treasured pearl of our entire Xu family, backed by the whole Xu clan. She is more than a match for anyone!
Although Chairman Xie and his wife had no daughters, seeing this scene, they couldn't help but be moved by the lengths Chairman Xu and his wife were going to for Xu Qingqing's sake.
Mother Xie had long heard about Xu Qingqing's temperament. Although she always believed that hearing is not as reliable as seeing with one's own eyes, given Xu Qingqing's reputation in their social circle and her son's behavior since falling in love, it wasn't hard to see that this girl was indeed somewhat spoiled.
Mother Xie had initially felt somewhat uncomfortable. She knew her own son best. Back when Xie Lianqing suddenly announced he wanted to skip a grade and study abroad, she guessed it was largely related to Xu Qingqing.
Although she knew it was her son's own decision, she couldn't help but feel some resentment towards Xu Qingqing, especially since the girl was notoriously delicate and high-maintenance.
However, after witnessing firsthand today how the Xu family doted on Xu Qingqing, Mother Xie could finally understand the origins of Xu Qingqing's personality.
If she had a daughter, she would probably raise her with just as much indulgence and pampering, and that daughter would likely turn out the same way.
Faced with his parents' teasing, Xie Lianqing remained composed. "She is my pearl too."
However well the Xu family treated Xu Qingqing, he would treat her just as well, if not better, in the future.
Father Xie, hearing his words, did not object but laughed instead. "Good, that's ambition."
He and his wife shared a deep bond, and their family was simple and uncomplicated, free from the unsavory influences common outside. Naturally, they hoped their son would be a loyal and trustworthy young man.
While chatting with his parents, Xie Lianqing's gaze occasionally drifted to Xu Qingqing, who was not far away. Despite being the protagonist of the evening's banquet, she was secretly hiding in a corner, eating cake.
Something seemed to be on her mind. One moment, her eyes would sparkle, and she'd clench her fist excitedly; the next, she'd hang her head dejectedly, eating cake as if giving up on herself. Her inner world was clearly very active.
The corner of Xie Lianqing's mouth couldn't help but lift. He nodded to his parents, paused his conversation with his father, and, watching Xu Qingqing, slowly walked over to her, taking her hand in his.
"Happy birthday." Xu Qingqing had been very busy throughout today's banquet. He had arrived late and only now had a moment to speak with her.
"Hmph." Xu Qingqing swallowed her cake and turned her face away, pretending not to see him.
At midnight today, Zhou Chenyu and other friends had sent her birthday wishes and red envelopes right on the dot. Xu Qingqing had even prepared the captions to post a nine-picture grid on her social media, ready to show off her friendships and her romantic relationship.
Even Le Jiaojiao, her long-time rival, had reluctantly sent Xu Qingqing birthday wishes, though they were mixed with many unfair and biased complaints about Xu Qingqing's words and actions. But Xu Qingqing didn't mind; she would just screenshot it anyway.
She took a screenshot of their conversation, blurred out the parts with the false accusations against her, leaving only the parts where Le Jiaojiao complimented her, and then posted it on social media to show off.
Xu Qingqing had everything ready, but then her boyfriend, Xie Lianqing, dropped the ball at the critical moment, forgetting to send her birthday wishes. Xu Qingqing was almost dying of frustration.
Seeing her anger, Xie Lianqing had no choice but to explain gently again, "Work at the company has been hectic lately. I was working too late yesterday..."
In his previous life, his time was spent either studying or working, surrounded by business magnates. Later, he went abroad for studies, busy with graduating. How would he know about such intricate operations as sending red envelopes precisely at midnight for birthdays?
Xie Lianqing had been reminded by Zhou Chenyu and vaguely remembered. But he had worked overtime yesterday, and by the time he remembered, the moment had already passed.
Before he could finish explaining, Xu Qingqing immediately glared and accused him, "Even Le Jiaojiao remembered! You didn't! And you're my boyfriend! You clearly don't care about me at all!"
In the world of a drama queen, there is no reasoning. Things like company work or projects are no excuse; it's not like Xie Lianqing is working for her.
In short, only her midnight birthday wishes mattered most.
Xie Lianqing took a deep breath and fell silent.
He stopped trying to reason and simply admitted his mistake. This was indeed his fault. He could easily imagine Xu Qingqing last night, lying in bed holding her phone, staring at the screen, mumbling while waiting for his message.
Xu Qingqing ignored him, fuming while busily looking around for something. Usually, she would have thrown a bag or a phone or something—of course, at Xie Lianqing, since he was the one who made her angry.
But now, looking left and right, the only weapon in her hand was the dessert on her plate. If she threw that, the cream might splatter on her beautiful dress, which really wasn't worth it.
Unable to find anything to vent her anger on, Xu Qingqing felt her momentum was diminished from the start, making her even angrier. "You're too much! I only turn 22 once! Because of you, I couldn't even post on social media!"
She had even specifically reminded Xie Lianqing beforehand. When he didn't send anything at midnight, she had sweetly thought he might send something at 5:20 AM. Later, she realized she had indeed thought too much.
After her tirade, Xie Lianqing was starting to feel like a major criminal. He could only try to salvage the situation. "How about I send you wishes now? You can screenshot it and post it, okay?"
Xu Qingqing, holding a plate, spun around in anger. "Post my foot! I'm breaking up with you! You scumbag!"
The next second, Xie Lianqing's phone rang. A customer service representative on the other end politely informed him that he had transferred 5,201,314 yuan to a certain account a minute ago and asked if it was his own operation, etc.
While verifying the operation with the person on the phone, Xie Lianqing grabbed Xu Qingqing's hand to explain, "I'll remember next—"
Before he could finish, Xu Qingqing stood on her tiptoes and dashed upstairs. Xie Lianqing raised an eyebrow, hung up the phone, and chased after her. "Qingqing, where are you going?"
Without looking back, Xu Qingqing said excitedly, "To find my phone and post on social media!" No one in her social media circle showing off their relationships had ever posted about receiving such a large sum. She would be the first!
Xie Lianqing: ...Alright then.
Seems she's not that hard to appease.
After Xu Qingqing finished posting on social media and completing her "assignment," her mood calmed down. She started seeing her boyfriend in a better light again, stopped acting up, and ceased throwing tantrums.
She began chatting with him sweetly again in a low voice. "Do you want some cake? It's really good!" She was very satisfied with today's pastry chef and enthusiastically promoted the dessert in her hand.
She was so easy to appease and so well-behaved... Xie Lianqing felt a stirring and couldn't help but tease, "Now you're willing to share your cake with me? Not breaking up anymore?"
Xu Qingqing's expression changed in an instant. She glared at him. "Forget it if you don't want any. Stay away from me."
Seeing Xu Qingqing about to get angry again, Xie Lianqing didn't dare provoke this little ancestor anymore. He took a bite of the cream from the fork she was holding, smiled, and said, "How dare I refuse something offered by Miss Xu?" He mentally noted the style of the dessert.
Xie Lianqing, of course, didn't like overly sweet cream. But Xu Qingqing did. He planned to instruct the pastry chef at home to learn how to make it after returning, considering it getting to know the future lady of the house's preferences in advance.
While Xu Qingqing and Xie Lianqing were playfully bickering here, after a while, Xu Qingqing unexpectedly saw an unexpected person walking towards her.
"Qingqing, I haven't had the chance to wish you a happy birthday yet," Lin Donghan said, holding a wine glass with a gentle smile. "Grandmother is here today too. She was just saying she wanted to come over and chat with you."
Xu Qingqing frowned and said bluntly, "I didn't invite you." Ever since the incident some time ago, Xu Qingqing considered herself to have fallen out with Lin Donghan, so of course she wouldn't have invited him to her birthday party.
Was he here just to annoy her? Having Xu Changshan and Bai Youlan there was bad enough. A few more like them, and her birthday party would be truly miserable.
Hearing Xu Qingqing's blunt words, the smile on Lin Donghan's face froze for a moment before he chuckled, "You're still angry, aren't you? Knowing you hadn't invited me, I could only come today with Grandma. She specifically ordered me to come apologize to you."
He raised his glass and drained it in one go, putting on a joking tone, "I wonder where I offended you, Qingqing. What would it take for you to forgive me? Is kicking me out of the party enough for you to vent your anger?"
Xu Qingqing rolled her eyes, completely ignoring his affected behavior. She simply took Xie Lianqing's hand and turned to leave. She was going to find security and have someone throw Lin Donghan out.
If it were anyone else, they might have considered the elders' feelings and the Lin family's reputation, but Xu Qingqing would never compromise. She was a willful, high-maintenance drama queen. Whoever made her unhappy, she would make them even more miserable.
Xie Lianqing could already see that Xu Qingqing was in a very bad mood. However, Lin Donghan, watching her departing back, didn't take it seriously.
This was also because Xu Qingqing was famously known for being high-maintenance and capricious. She believed she had completely fallen out with Lin Donghan, but in his and others' eyes, this was just a more severe episode of her temper tantrums. She probably just needed to be coaxed a bit.
Moreover, Lin Donghan was Xu Qingqing's cousin. They were connected by blood, and Xu Qingqing's maternal grandparents were still alive and well. The families usually got along quite well. If Xu Qingqing made too big a scene, both sides would lose face, and outsiders would criticize her for being ruthless.
Right up until the moment he was bewilderedly and forcibly "escorted" out by the arriving security, Lin Donghan remained confident in this belief.
Many people witnessed Lin Donghan being led out by security. Although Lin Donghan reacted quickly, suppressing his anger to maintain his composure, straightening his clothes and voluntarily following the security out, no matter how gracefully he carried himself, it couldn't change the fact that he was being kicked out of the party.
Combined with the rumors circulating some time ago that Xu Qingqing had publicly stated in the entertainment industry that she and Lin Donghan were not close, the guests holding their wine glasses exchanged meaningful glances. It seemed the solid alliance between the Lin and Xu families might have developed a crack.
The Lin family really must be fools. Xu Qingqing was their granddaughter, and rumors said the entire Xu family fortune would one day be hers. Not only had they failed to maintain a good relationship with her, they had actually managed to turn her into an enemy. Anyone hearing this would call it bizarre.
Facing the incident of Lin Donghan being thrown out by Xu Qingqing, the Xu family elders didn't express any opinion. Not only did they not speak up to stop it, they tacitly approved. Seeing this, the onlookers' eyes grew even more excited.
Actually, this was because after returning from the last social event, Xu Qingqing's aunt had told the two elderly grandparents what Lin Donghan had done behind their backs. They were immediately filled with heartbreak and disgust.
However, the reason for their anger wasn't that Lin Donghan had used their name to swagger and deceive. It was that when Xu Qingqing had been so seriously ill, he showed not the slightest concern and had instead exploited her. This was what Chairman Xu and his wife were most angry about.
