Upon hearing the words "martial arts tournament," Qin Ruoyan, who was sitting to the side, instantly brightened up, her eyes sparkling with boundless admiration for her older brother.
"Wow! Brother! You know martial arts? Are you really good at it?"
Qin Xiao temporarily ignored his younger sister's bright, starry eyes, but a thought stirred within him.
The Leng family's banquet, and a martial arts tournament?
He remembered that in the original story, this was supposed to be an important part of the plot where Ye Chen, the chosen one, would shine, show off, and slap people in the face, while also deepening his relationship with his fiancée, Leng Nan.
Now that Ye Chen and Leng Nan's engagement has been completely nullified due to his intervention, it seems... perfectly reasonable for him, the "villain," to take his place in the next part of the story and seize the opportunities and limelight that should have been his.
They can also take advantage of the opportunity to harvest some of the luck points that should have belonged to Ye Chen.
Thinking of this, Qin Xiao's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, and he nodded slightly.
"Okay, I understand."
"I will be there on time."
Upon receiving Qin Xiao's affirmative reply, a fleeting, almost imperceptible glimmer of joy flashed in the depths of Leng Nan's eyes, which were usually as cold as a deep pool.
Her hands, resting on her knees, quietly clenched into fists, and her thumbs even secretly and subtly made a "V" sign.
Although the movement was very small and so fast that it was difficult to detect, it was still keenly noticed by the sharp-eyed Qin Xiao.
She quickly suppressed her emotions, then straightened her face and spoke in a threatening tone.
"It's a deal."
"If you dare not come... I'll... I'll beat you to death!"
The tone was less of a threat and more like a coquettish, slightly arrogant way of pouting.
Qin Xiao waved his hand dismissively, his tone relaxed and casual.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely get there."
Seeing that she had successfully achieved her goal, Leng Nan stood up, politely bid farewell to Qin's mother and Qin Xiangjun, and then left the Qin family manor decisively.
Only Qin Xiao, Qin Ruoyan, and Nie Beini remained in the living room.
Nie Beini picked up the teacup in front of her, took a small sip, and her beautiful amber-like golden eyes looked at Qin Xiao with great interest, as if she were studying an interesting work of art.
"It's really unexpected that you've gotten involved with the Leng family."
Qin Xiao leaned back lazily on the soft sofa back, his posture relaxed and at ease.
"So, what about you? Miss Nie, you didn't make a special trip to my house just to pinch my sister's cheek, did you?"
Qin Xiao's gaze fell on Qin Ruoyan's rosy face, which had been pinched red by Nie Beini, with a hint of amusement.
Nie Beini put down her teacup, her smile fading slightly, replaced by a serious expression.
"I've come to ask you for a favor."
"Protect a person."
Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow, revealing an expression of interest.
"who?"
"Liu Qingyou."
Nie Beini slowly uttered the name.
"She is my best friend and one of the most important people in my life."
"Three days later is the birthday banquet of the matriarch of the Liu family, but that day is also a very important day for Qingyou—the Liu family plans to use the birthday banquet as an opportunity to choose a husband for her, which is a disguised marriage proposal."
"I hope you can attend my birthday banquet and help me fend off those suitors with ulterior motives who covet Qingyou's beauty."
Qin Xiao felt a slight chill, as if a pebble had been thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.
Liu Qingyou? The old matriarch of the Liu family's birthday banquet? A marriage proposal?
These keywords, when put together, made him immediately realize that things were not so simple.
In the original story, the old lady of the Liu family did have a birthday banquet, but there was absolutely no part about her choosing a husband.
The plot... seems to have deviated from its original course once again.
Could it be that Heaven sensed its suppression of Ye Chen and began to actively create new opportunities for this chosen one?
"To block the suitors?"
He repeated Nie Beini's request, his tone tinged with inquiry.
"And then what? So that Miss Nie can take advantage of her proximity and snatch this beautiful woman from the Liu family, winning her heart?"
Nie Beini was taken aback by his blunt words, her delicate cheeks flushed slightly, and she glared at him before saying irritably.
"Qin Xiao, how can your mind be so filthy! What kind of nonsense is that!"
"Qingyou is my best friend. I just don't want her to be harassed by those good-for-nothing playboys who only know how to indulge in debauchery, and to be forced to marry someone she doesn't like!"
She paused for a moment, and then added a sentence, seemingly to emphasize her innocence.
"Of course, you better behave yourself, kid. Don't you dare have any improper thoughts about Qingyou! Do you hear me?"
“In return,” Nie Beini offered her carefully prepared bargaining chip, “I can help you connect with a top-notch overseas technical team that I know, to assist you in building that new energy project and solving the technical problems you’re currently facing. How about that? Isn’t that tempting enough?”
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiao gently tapped the sofa armrest with his slender fingers, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound.
Top-tier overseas technological resources? That's exactly what he urgently needs right now.
With this technological support, his new energy project can get on track more quickly and gain a more advantageous position in future business competition.
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