"Sigh." Xiao Chengzhe rubbed his face, seemingly helpless and frustrated. After a while, he hesitated and said in a muffled voice, "Qiyao, given our relationship, there are some things I can't hide from you, otherwise it would be unfair of me."
Zou Qiyao looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Actually, you must have heard some rumors. They're all true. I'm just an adopted son of the Xiao family. My brother has never treated me well. If he inherits the Xiao family business in the future, I'm afraid I won't have a way to survive. It's really unfair to you to be brothers with someone of my status..."
Zou Qiyao listened with a deeply moved expression. The fact that Xiao Chengzhe could openly share such a dark history with him was enough to demonstrate his trust in him.
Xiao Chengzhe sighed and said, "Now Xiao Chengnuo has been kicked out by my dad for coming out as gay. When he comes back..."
Zou Qiyao's expression changed several times before he suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "What are you afraid of? As long as we get rid of Xiao Chengnuo, isn't that enough?"
That's exactly what he wanted to hear. Xiao Chengzhe was secretly delighted, but his face was blank: "Drive him away? How can I drive him away? Besides, Cheng Nuo is my father's own son, how can I drive him away?"
Zou Qiyao excitedly told him, "Didn't you say Xiao Chengnuo came out of the closet? Your dad is angry, but he's probably only half-believing. But what if Xiao Chengnuo causes trouble in public..."
Zou Qiyao's plan was simple: at the banquet a few days later, he would publicly expose Xiao Chengnuo's scandal of forcing a man in the lounge. Xiao's father, concerned with his reputation, would certainly disqualify Xiao Chengnuo from inheriting the family business.
To ensure things went smoothly, Zou Qiyao even planned to personally intervene and have Xiao Chengnuo "force" him.
Zou Qiyao's plan caught Xiao Chengzhe's eye; he hadn't expected Zou Qiyao, who spent his days loafing around doing nothing, to have such a mind. However, Xiao Chengzhe was thinking further. The incident with Secretary Miao a few days ago still had lingering effects, and if another forced incident occurred, it would not only confirm that Xiao Chengnuo was a genuine homosexual, but also solidify his image as a lecherous fiend in his father's mind.
not to mention……
Xiao Chengzhe's gaze swept over Zou Qiyao with a subtle look. Even if it was just to give the Zou family an explanation, Xiao's father would not let Xiao Chengnuo off the hook.
While Qingyun was shopping for a gift for Xiao's father at the mall with Xiao's mother, Zou Qiyao's conversation with Xiao Chengzhe was transmitted to Qingyun's ears through the divine sense attached to Xiao Chengzhe.
A smile of interest tugged at the corner of his mouth. These two had really planned things quite well. He was already looking forward to the banquet three days from now.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The banquet for Mr. Xiao's fiftieth birthday was packed with people. Xiao's Pharmaceutical has been doing very well in recent years, and Mr. Xiao had made many good connections when he was young, so it was no surprise that so many people came.
However, everyone at the banquet was still amazed by Xiao's father's popularity, because Zou Minchen, the president of the Zou Group, had arrived.
No one expected that Xiao's father would have the influence to attract such a powerful figure.
Everyone knows Zou Minchen has a bad temper, and given his status, he has no need to lower himself to make connections in the business world. If Zou Minchen simply gave the word, countless people would rush to curry favor with him. That's why Zou Minchen's presence surprised everyone.
When they saw Zou Minchen arrive with gifts to congratulate them, Xiao's father and Xiao Chengzhe were also startled and rushed forward to greet him.
Xiao Chengzhe thought for a moment and attributed Zou Minchen's arrival to Zou Qiyao. Otherwise, what other explanation could there be? The Xiao family had no connection with the Zou family at all, and even if they did, they couldn't have invited Zou Minchen.
It's even better that Zou Minchen is here. With him around, Xiao Chengnuo will never be able to turn things around after today.
The atmosphere at the banquet instantly changed; the loud laughter and chatter fell silent. Zou Minchen's temper was notoriously eccentric, or to put it bluntly, he would act out of nowhere, and nobody wanted to accidentally step on his toes.
Soft classical music echoed in the room, and everyone silently assessed the Xiao family's worth once again, racking their brains to figure out how the Xiao family had managed to get in touch with Zou Minchen.
Everyone wanted to get on good terms with Zou Minchen, the emperor of this business empire, but none of them had the guts.
Just look at the nearly two-meter-wide vacuum around Zou Minchen, and you'll know that no one dares to challenge Zou Minchen's neurotic tendencies.
Zou Minchen shook hands with Xiao's father with a relatively calm expression, which made everyone present murmur among themselves. If they didn't know that Xiao's father only had two sons, they would have suspected that Zou Minchen had taken a fancy to Xiao's daughter based on his attitude.
Zou Minchen appeared to be patiently exchanging pleasantries with the Xiao family father and son, but in reality, he was anxiously searching for Qingyun's figure in the room.
He had assumed that Qingyun, as Xiao's father's son, would greet the guests at the banquet with Xiao's father. Why was Xiao Chengzhe the only one by Xiao's father's side?
Zou Minchen's dark eyes swept over Xiao Chengzhe's smiling face, and the thought of Xiao Chengzhe's scheme from a few days ago made him unable to suppress his violent thoughts. He had already dealt with that woman surnamed Miao, but he had restrained himself from doing anything to Xiao Chengzhe.
After all, Qingyun's words of refusal were still lingering in his mind.
Xiao Chengzhe felt a chill run down his spine under Zou Minchen's gaze. He secretly wiped away his cold sweat. He couldn't think of any other reason, so he could only attribute it to Zou Minchen's rumored extremely bad temper.
Qingyun was indeed present, but he was standing at the very edge. He was drinking by the window, waiting with great interest for Xiao Chengzhe's good friend Zou Qiyao to appear, completely unaware that Zou Minchen was there.
When Mr. Xiao saw Qingyun return earlier, his face fell, clearly still angry. Qingyun had no interest in getting close to him; if it weren't for Mrs. Xiao's insistence, Qingyun wouldn't have come back at all today.
Zou Qiyao appeared. He ate in the food area for a while, seemingly nonchalant, but his gaze was fixed on Qingyun.
His eyes lit up the moment he saw Qingyun. He hadn't expected Xiao Chengzhe's younger brother to be so good-looking. Even if they turned this fake relationship into a real one, it wouldn't be a loss.
Thinking this, Zou Qiyao's hand, which was sprinkling the powder, trembled slightly. He looked down and then simply poured all the powder into the wine glass.
After sending a message to Xiao Chengzhe, Zou Qiyao placed his phone on the table and walked towards Qingyun with an air of determination.
This was something he had planned with Xiao Chengzhe. Later, Xiao Chengzhe would make an excuse that he couldn't contact him and lead a group of guests to look for him, just in time to catch Xiao Chengnuo forcing himself on him.
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