Just because of a small mistake—knocking over a dish—someone was immediately punished and sent to jail as if they were a murderer.
Isn’t this outright collusion?
Moreover, everyone present finally witnessed firsthand what it means for a woman’s mood to change unpredictably.
One moment, Miss Liu Yutong was chatting and laughing with everyone, politely accepting toasts from the guests.
The next, her expression turned cold without warning, and she mercilessly had the person thrown into jail.
This stark contrast sent chills down everyone’s spines.
Those who had harbored any ulterior motives now had only one thought left: never cross Miss Liu Yutong, or they might end up falsely accused, beaten, thrown behind bars, or even worse—shot dead.
Jin Xiangming’s earlier sense of disdain vanished completely, replaced instead by a gleam in his eyes.
He suddenly felt that his father had given him the wrong name.
He shouldn’t have been called "Xiangming."
After Liu Yutong left, Jin Xiangming immediately pulled aside one of his father’s subordinates and whispered, "From now on, Miss Liu is my aunt. You better treat her like royalty, got it?"
The subordinate nodded eagerly. "Understood, understood! Don’t worry, young master, I’ll serve Miss Liu like she’s my ancestor!"
............
Time passed slowly.
As the banquet neared its end, two uninvited guests arrived at the hotel entrance.
To be precise, it was a middle-aged man in his forties and a young man in his twenties.
Originally, they had driven a tractor into the city, only to be stopped by traffic police at the city limits, who confiscated their vehicle.
Left with no choice, they trudged along on foot, asking for directions until they finally reached the Imperial Capital Hotel.
These two were none other than Liu Yutong’s father, Liu Jianyi, and her brother, Liu Yushan.
Staring at the luxurious hotel, they couldn’t help but curse.
"That ungrateful brat! Throwing a banquet without even inviting her own father? No conscience at all!"
"Exactly, Dad! We’re taking back all the gift money and whatever’s left of her prize money. Keeping all that cash for herself? She needs to be taught a lesson!"
"........."
Just as Liu Jianyi and Liu Yushan were about to enter the hotel lobby, two men in black stopped them at the door.
"Sorry, you can’t go in."
Liu Yutong knew exactly what kind of people her father and brother were, so she had taken precautions.
She had already sent their photos to her underlings, ordering them to stop the two at all costs if they showed up.
So the moment Liu Jianyi and Liu Yushan appeared, they were blocked outside.
Already fuming, Liu Jianyi exploded. "Get out of my way! I’m here for my daughter’s celebration banquet—what right do you have to stop me?"
He jabbed a finger at the men in black. "You think I won’t have my son teach you a lesson? Let me tell you, he’s trained in martial arts! He can take on ten of you without breaking a sweat!"
Beside him, Liu Yushan immediately rolled up his sleeves, flexing his unimpressive biceps as if ready for a fight.
The two men in black exchanged odd glances.
"Teach us a lesson?"
"Let’s see you try."
Just as Liu Yushan was busy showing off his muscles, he suddenly noticed a group of men in black surrounding them, all glaring menacingly.
Liu Jianyi: "…"
Liu Yushan: "…"
Their bravado vanished instantly.
"Our mistake!" they stammered before scrambling away.
Of course, they didn’t go far—just across the street, where they crouched in the shade, keeping an eye on the hotel entrance. They planned to wait until Liu Yutong came out and settle the score with her then.
Time dragged on, the sun growing harsher. Liu Jianyi and Liu Yushan squatted by the roadside, sweating, hungry, and parched.
"Dad, got any money left? I’m starving," Liu Yushan groaned, rubbing his stomach.
"Not a cent! If you’re hungry, eat the wind!" Liu Jianyi snapped, equally irritable.
"……"
Just as they were about to collapse from hunger and thirst, a bicycle pulled up in front of them.
On the back was a foam box filled with popsicles.
"Popsicles! Cool and refreshing!" the vendor called out, his eyes subtly scanning the hotel across the street.
Liu Jianyi and Liu Yushan swallowed hard.
The heat was unbearable, and the popsicles were too tempting to resist.
But with no money, they could only watch as the vendor taunted them, lingering nearby.
Finally, Liu Yushan couldn’t take it anymore. He stood up and walked over.
"Give me two popsicles."
The vendor pulled two from the insulated box and handed them over.
Liu Yushan took them, returned to his father’s side, and immediately tore open the wrapper, devouring one.
Liu Jianyi expected his son to share, but Liu Yushan ignored him, eating greedily.
Furious, Liu Jianyi was about to curse when the vendor shouted, "Hey! You didn’t pay!"
Liu Yushan didn’t even look up. "Talk to my dad."
Liu Jianyi: "???"
He nearly fainted from rage.
They say children are supposed to support you in old age—so why did he raise such a heartless brat?
Not only did he not share, but he expected his father to pay?
The vendor marched over, hand outstretched. "Twenty bucks."
Liu Jianyi’s eyes bulged. "Twenty?! That’s daylight robbery! What kind of popsicle costs that much?!"
The vendor smirked. "Don’t like it? Shouldn’t have bought it. Pay up."
Liu Jianyi threw up his hands. "I don’t have money. Go ask my son—he’s the one who ate it!"
Hearing this, Liu Yushan bolted without a second thought.
Liu Jianyi: "???"
That little bastard!
He slowly stood up, ready to flee too.
But the vendor blocked him. "Pay, or you’ll regret it."
In truth, he wasn’t really a popsicle seller—he was a lookout sent to monitor the hotel.
Earlier, his boss had sent an assassin inside to deal with a certain girl, but there’d been no news since.
So he’d been dispatched to investigate.
Who knew his first day as a popsicle vendor would involve chasing down a deadbeat?
No way was he letting this slide.
With that, he stripped off his shirt, revealing a back covered in tattoos.
Liu Jianyi couldn't help but gulp at the sight of the man’s menacing tattoos.
Damn, no wonder the ice pops were so expensive—turned out they were being sold by a gangster.
Under such pressure, Liu Jianyi had no choice but to admit he truly had no money.
The tattoo-covered vendor flew into a rage upon hearing this, clenching his fists, ready to teach him a lesson.
At this critical moment, Liu Jianyi suddenly remembered something and hurriedly shouted, "Don’t hit me! My daughter has money! My daughter can pay!"
The vendor paused, narrowing his eyes. "Where’s your daughter?"
Liu Jianyi quickly pointed to the Imperial Palace Hotel across the street. "She’s having dinner in that hotel right now! She’ll be out soon!"
The vendor scoffed in disbelief. "Your daughter’s eating at a fancy place like that, but you’re this broke? Can’t even afford an ice pop?"
Liu Jianyi hastily explained, "I was going to go in and find her, but the hotel staff looked down on me—thought I was some country bumpkin and wouldn’t let me in. I don’t have a phone either, so I’ve just been waiting outside."
To prove his claim, Liu Jianyi went into meticulous detail about his daughter’s appearance, even mentioning her name, age, and other specifics, finally earning the vendor’s tentative trust.
After listening, the vendor pulled out a photo from his pocket and handed it to Liu Jianyi. "You said your daughter’s name is Liu Yutong. This her?"
Liu Jianyi took the photo and nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! That’s her!"
But then, a flicker of suspicion crossed his mind. "Wait… how do you have a picture of my daughter?"
The ice pop vendor slung an arm around his shoulder, grinning. "Old pal, that’s a long story. Let’s find a place to sit, and I’ll tell you all about it."
