Jiang Xiaoli blinked. "Why did he suddenly appear at this time?"

"I don't know, I'll go check." Zong Jia's mood soured because of Zong Ze's sudden visit.

She thought for a moment, then changed her shoes. "I'll go with you."

Zong Jia hesitated for a few seconds before nodding in agreement, "Okay, then I'll tell my godmother."

Jiang Xiaoli turned around and shouted into the house, "Mom, Zong Jiayu and I are going to see Brother Yuan. We'll be back later!"

Li Guizhi was watching TV and was engrossed in an exciting part when she replied, "Okay, come back soon!"

The two drove quickly to the steamed bun shop. Inside the courtyard, Zhong Yuan and Zong Ze were sitting opposite each other, drinking tea.

Upon seeing them, Zhong Yuan seemed to finally feel relieved, a smile spreading across his lips. "Brother Zong, Little Pear, you've arrived."

Zong Ze turned around and saw a petite and adorable girl beside his son.

His face instantly darkened, and he immediately wanted to scold his son, "What kind of behavior is this? You've only just been admitted to university and you're already thinking about dating?"

Zong Jia placed the lychees that Li Guizhi had asked him to bring to Zhong Yuan on the table, and pulled Jiang Xiaoli to sit at the table.

"What? It's been almost ten months, are you here to cause trouble?"

Zong Ze felt annoyed. He glared at Jiang Xiaoli, then stopped dwelling on her existence. "Your aunt has been thinking about you a lot; she's going to throw you a graduation banquet on the 15th."

Zong Jiayu replied without hesitation, "I'm not going."

"You have to go, whether you like it or not! Your aunt has been busy with this for a week and has invited everyone she was supposed to!"

"Pfft!" Jiang Xiaoli, who was eating lychees with Zhong Yuan, suddenly burst out laughing. "Brother Yuan, have you ever heard of inviting guests before the birthday person at a birthday banquet?"

Zhong Yuan glanced at Zong Ze with a teasing look. "Oh, is that so? This is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing."

She moved her chubby little mouth and spat out a lychee pit. "I only heard about this today. People say that the birthday celebrant has to go even if he doesn't want to. You know, holding a birthday banquet is not good for the birthday celebrant. What's the point?"

Zhong Yuan's eyes darted around. "Maybe they just want to take this opportunity to collect some money as a gift?"

Jiang Xiaoli nodded in agreement, "Maybe he wants people to think he's a filial junior."

The two chatted casually, eating lychees and venting their frustrations.

Zong Jia, standing next to him, lightly clenched her fist and pressed it to her lips, trying hard not to laugh out loud.

Zong Ze, burning with anger, pointed at Jiang Xiaoli and snapped, "You little brat, don't you have any manners? What are you doing, interrupting your elders when they're speaking?"

"Bang!" A lychee flew over and hit Zong Ze on the forehead.

Because there was only a table between them, and they used some force, the lychee peel broke open, and the juice dripped onto Zong Ze's face and body.

Jiang Xiaoli's face was cold. "Who do you think you are, my elder? You dare to talk to me about manners? You're not worthy!"

Zong Ze pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face. He roared at his son, "Zong Jiayu! Is this the kind of scoundrel you've been hanging out with?!"

Zong Jia shrugged, a mocking expression on his face. "What did Little Pear say wrong? What, you're allowed to talk, but others aren't? This isn't your home, is it?"

Zong Ze was so angry he was practically fuming. "You unfilial son! You really are an unfilial son! Yang Xin even advised me to treat you better. I wouldn't care if you rotted out there and died!"

"That's wonderful! You absolutely must keep your word." Zong Jiayu finally showed a genuine smile.

Zong Ze felt a lump in his throat. "After this graduation celebration, I never want to see you again!"

"Hahaha!" Jiang Xiaoli and Zhong Yuan laughed at the same time.

Zhong Yuan spoke directly, "Uncle, what exactly do you want to achieve through this graduation banquet? If you don't want it, just say so. Maybe if Brother Zong is in a good mood, he can help you fulfill your wish. Your aggressive way of asking people is too peculiar."

Zong Jia tilted his head and smiled at Zong Ze, "Yeah, what do you want to do or what does Yang Xin want to do? Just say it directly, is it fun to keep beating around the bush?"

Zong Ze felt like his dignity had been trampled on like a shoe insole. He forced himself to stay upright and said, "It's just that your aunt wants to celebrate your admission to university. I'm your father! Would I harm you?"

Zong Jia frowned. "I really can't be sure about that. After all, Yang Xin messed with me last year, causing me to miss the exam and fail. But this year I became the top scorer. She hates me so much that she's even trying to arrange a graduation banquet for me. Don't be ridiculous, this is probably a trap."

Zong Ze considered walking away several times, but then he thought about his purpose.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Go to the graduation banquet, and I'll give you five thousand yuan for living expenses!"

Jiang Xiaoli was genuinely puzzled. She and Zhong Yuan exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.

Zong Ze has been at the steamed bun shop for so long, how come he can't see the shop's sign? Or is "Guizhi Steamed Bun Shop" not prominent enough? Not famous enough?

Zong Jia shook his head and sneered, "Your money is too hot to handle. You can keep it for your precious youngest son to squander."

Seeing that he was completely unyielding, Zong Ze had no choice but to leave.

Just as he was leaving the courtyard, he heard Zong Jiayu's voice behind him.

“I said I wouldn’t hold a graduation banquet and I mean it. If I find out you’re still going to do it anyway, then it’s not impossible for me to bring my brothers to cause a scene.”

As if his prediction had been made, Zong Ze turned around, pointed at him, and cursed repeatedly, "You unfilial son! You ungrateful wretch! I shouldn't have kept you alive in the first place!"

Zong Jiayu didn't care what he was called, and simply repeated, "Just make sure you understand what I'm saying."

After Zong Ze left, Zong Jiayu turned to Zhong Yuan and said, "Have your friends help me find out why he's so concerned about my graduation banquet these past two days."

Zhong Yuan nodded. "Don't worry, I'll have someone inquire about it right away."

Zhong Yuan went to the inner room to make a phone call for more than ten minutes.

"Brother Zong, I just had someone inquire, and there really is someone who knows."

Zong Jia opened a bottle of soda for each of the three of them. "What do you mean?"

Zhong Yuan sat down and scoffed, "Zong Ze wants a promotion. His competitor's child also took the college entrance exam this year and got excellent grades, getting admitted to a university in Shanghai. Their leaders are proud of the high-achieving child and think it's because the parents are good at educating him. That's why Zong Ze is getting anxious."

And then there's your younger brother. He didn't get into high school this year, and he's probably hoping to use your reputation as the top scorer to get into a good school at the graduation banquet.

Jiang Xiaoli wiped her hands. "Sigh, that scumbag father never disappoints."

Zong Jia rubbed his temples. "It's alright, don't worry about him. He's made his point today, so I reckon the graduation banquet won't be held."

Jiang Xiaoli felt that he was being a bit too optimistic. If Zong Ze's superiors were really as Zhong Yuan had inquired, then Zong Jia and his son, the top scholar, would be Zong Ze's strongest cards. How could he give them up so easily?