Chapter 70
After the host left, without anyone to fawn over, the banquet gradually came to an end. The manager, keeping pace with the boss, politely and attentively entertained the guests. Shen Shiqian left the dance floor and stood silently by the small stage with an electric white wine in hand. Many people came up with their wine glasses to inquire about Feng Ran's departure, but after a few words, the topic shifted to Shen Shiqian. If Feng Ran knew that her mark hadn't been very effective, she would probably go even crazier.
Shen Shiqian was thoroughly annoyed by these women, so he kept a cold face and exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.
As Afu, supporting Sherry's hand, slowly approached, she was overwhelmed by Shen Shiqian's aura. She realized that Shen Shiqian truly lived up to his title as the Empire's Number One Alpha, and her desire to ask questions was suddenly replaced by immense pressure. To be honest, she was completely bewildered today. After all, without any warning, her CP suddenly broke up. If Feng Ran had given her a heads-up beforehand, she wouldn't be so confused. She had been searching for Basil ever since the meal started, only to find that he was flirting with another Omega. What the hell?
While it might be a bit unkind to have such thoughts on Feng Ran's birthday, today was indeed a terrible day for Afu. Feng Ran had gone to great lengths to host a banquet at Yilin, but the atmosphere was far from joyful. The host frequently left his seat, gossip swirled, and even the military and council members spoke with veiled barbs—the air felt thick with tension. It was precisely because of these unpleasant incidents that she couldn't bring herself to like aristocratic life; everyone was so hypocritical.
Sherry: "Your Excellency Marshal, it's a pleasure to see you here."
Shen Shiqian glanced at the two of them lightly and nodded slightly: "It is my honor to meet Your Highness here."
Sherry: "Where is Miss Fengran?"
Shen Shiqian: "She's not feeling well, so she's going back to rest."
Shirley nodded slightly, seemingly not intending to discuss anything else. She looked at Afu beside her and asked, "Afu, is there anything you want to ask?"
Afu mustered her courage and looked at Shen Shiqian: "When did you meet Ranran?"
Shen Shiqian: "Six months ago."
Afu was even more devastated. Wasn't it just half a year ago that Basil and Feng Ran started interacting and getting to know each other? Turns out, all the conflicts were just her wishful thinking and a melodramatic story. So she wilted like a frostbitten eggplant and shrunk behind Shirley.
But then she suddenly remembered something, stared at Shen Shiqian for a long time, but it seemed impolite to ask someone directly whether they were on top or bottom, so she could only cautiously say, "Don't bully her."
Shen Shiqian, sparing with words, said: "You're overthinking it."
Shirley: "Thank you for the hospitality. I hope I can host you next time."
Princess Shirley's birthday banquet had just passed not long ago, but Shen Shiqian and Feng Ran had just escaped while searching for the alien species at the border. Although he originally had no interaction with this princess, it sounded like she wanted to befriend her.
Shen Shiqian: "I look forward to your invitation."
After Olivia left, the other nobles also left in twos and threes. The ones who stayed the longest were the military personnel. They didn't care about rules or regulations. Anyway, Shen Shiqian was still there. After the ball, they would have a buffet. After all, you can't always eat the food at a high-class hotel.
As soon as the other factions left, everyone started talking loudly. The topics of conversation were varied: who got Bai Jinyu's autograph, how the Campbell family's daughter had broken down, and which member of the Parliamentarian Party had secretly expressed a desire to come to the military. They completely treated the hotel as their own territory, holding a tea party.
A plate of muffins sat in front of Shali, who picked off the nuts from the top and cracked them like sunflower seeds. “Speaking of which, isn’t the young master of the Bai family about to graduate? I thought he would go straight into the council, but he told me he applied for a military service internship and wants to come to the Second Regiment.”
Zuo Ling took two plates, one with melon and the other with melon rind: "But thinking about it carefully, this does seem like something that people with the surname Bai would do. But Bruce would probably have a heart attack if he knew about it."
Hunar took off his gloves and started eating the steak like a pancake: "After all, it's not a good choice whether to keep him or not. But he's so old, and he's meddling in other people's business. He deserves to suffer."
In fact, most positions in parliamentary factions were already crammed full, with powerful families lining up their own people to fill every available space. As a result, the younger generation, increasingly marginalized, naturally wanted to leave parliament for the military. After all, the military had a high demand for talent, prioritized merit, promoted based on military achievements, and offered stability and security. Although they appeared to be part of opposing factions in parliament, everyone knew how treacherous it was. Even if they couldn't get ahead, they had to be extremely careful with their words and actions, fearing they might offend their superiors, be bitten by a mad dog, or be made a fool of by troublemakers. Such an environment made it difficult for anyone to be loyal, so naturally, they would jump ship to whoever offered the best benefits.
Shali: "Maybe we can piece together a fifth regiment, Marshal, what do you think?"
Shen Shiqian was in a hurry to get the manager off the show so he could go home and be with Feng Ran. He didn't comment on their topic, but instead looked at them coldly and said, "Do I have to treat you after the show is over?"
The manager smiled as he watched the mess they had made: "If you have any snacks you like, there are untouched ones on the table over there that you can take home."
The blatant order to leave prompted the group to quietly head towards the restaurant, muttering to themselves, "Miss Arya is taking her anger out on us."
Shen Shiqian stood not far behind them: "Additional training tomorrow."
So he sighed inwardly, realizing that even if he came to the military, he couldn't escape the fate of accidentally angering his superiors and being subjected to extra training at the drop of a hat.
But to be honest, Miss Arya Campbell is quite a character. You know, their Marshal, as the Empire's number one Alpha, is never short of suitors. If he doesn't like someone, he really doesn't like them. If his previous rumored relationship with Bai Jinyu could be considered a good story, then his entanglement with Miss Campbell can only be described as unfortunate.
Other suitors would probably be scared off for a while after being rejected, and wouldn't dare to come back for a short time. After all, when Shen Shiqian gets angry, he can make three of the eight generals in the military cry. But that girl has been rejected since she was a child. She comes back every time she is rejected. Even the most ardent fans are not like her. As a result, other people in the military avoid her. It's only because Shen Shiqian and Ailiya's families had a close personal relationship before that Shen Shiqian would not have been able to tolerate her. Even if she is an Omega, he would throw her out.
Upon seeing Miss Feng Ran this time, he was naturally overwhelmed, but he was restrained by his entourage before the ball began, preventing any major disturbance. After Feng Ran left, he still went up to invite their marshal to dance, but she didn't even give him a glance. The heartbreaking sound was so loud that several people couldn't support him.
/
Feng Ran had no interest in what happened after she left, and he didn't even feel comfortable in the hotel's presidential suite, so he just wanted to take a car home.
Because the hovercar can only be parked outside the hotel lobby, Feng Ran inevitably saw a lot of random people when he went downstairs, including paparazzi reporters who were being closely guarded by the hotel security, as well as distant relatives that Feng Ran wasn't very familiar with.
Unlike other aristocratic families that distinguish between main branches and collateral branches, the Feng family is a business family, and the only prominent and successful member is Feng Xiqiao. Moreover, he is an only child. As for those relatives who rush to curry favor with him, they only put their children in the company for the sake of appearances. In reality, they are very calculating and have no intention of promoting them.
They didn't know the inside story of Feng Ran's family. Before, when Feng Ran didn't attend Feng Linye's birthday banquet, they also started cursing him. But now that Feng Ran is doing well, they want to find someone else to praise.
But Feng Ran wasn't as concerned about appearances as Feng Xiqiao. She glanced at the door and then turned back, asking the receptionist, "How long have they been outside?"
"They arrived around four or five in the afternoon. They originally wanted to sneak in among the other guests, but the staff checking the list spotted them and blocked them outside. They wouldn't leave and kept making a fuss about seeing you."
But how could the hotel just let them in? After all, Feng Ran had specifically instructed that even if the emperor came without an invitation, they would still be kicked out without hesitation. Their hotel charges high prices, so they naturally had to have the means to do so. Therefore, they specially hired two teams of bodyguards to block the entrance, ensuring that not even a mosquito could fly in.
Staff: "If you wish to leave, you can take the private elevator to the B1 parking garage. We can arrange a convoy of vehicles to accompany you with bodyguards."
Feng Ran glanced at the door again. "Can your personal computer see the security cameras outside the hotel?"
The staff member paused for a moment, then said, "Sure." But without asking any further questions, she quickly opened the monitoring program for Feng Ran. The close-up monitoring footage was much clearer than Feng Ran's observation from a distance in the lobby.
She took a few pictures and then slowly walked over to sit on the sofa in the waiting area.
After removing Feng Xiqiao from the communication blacklist, the clean chat box was a rare relief from the anxiety. Feng Ran sent the photo first, but before he could say anything, the other side replied quickly.
[Feng Xiqiao: What do you mean by that?]
[Feng Ran: Let me show you your cousins. They live so far away but they still come to Kempin from time to time. They're so attentive.]
[Feng Ran: Oh, and your mistress too.]
[Feng Ran: If I go out now and tell them about that woman's relationship with you, what will they do?]
[Feng Ran: But why would she come to our hotel entrance? I didn't invite her. Does she think that picking up anyone here is more promising than being with you?]
[Father, don't you have anything to say?]
The last message she sent received a red exclamation mark. It was strange; she had never thought Feng Xiqiao was such an easy person to break down. But the thought of him probably being furious and smashing things at home made Feng Ran feel that not everything that had happened was a bad thing.
What would happen if those relatives found out about Feng Xiqiao's affair? It doesn't seem like a big deal. After all, Qin Xin was originally a mistress who rose to power, and she was criticized for many years until Feng Ran was born, at which point the discussions stopped. It's not wrong for rich people to keep a few women outside the marriage. This world is just that tolerant of the powerful.
Since they've come for Feng Ran, they'll naturally try every means to please her. This will not only make Xi Yao the target of public criticism, but Feng Xi Qiao's reputation will also be tarnished by these relatives. Qin Xin and Feng Lin Ye will probably not fare well either, although based on her understanding of Qin Xin, she won't divorce her because of this.
Is this what it feels like to use someone else as a pawn? A malice of destruction and sabotage surges forth, indistinguishable as to one's own or that of others; perhaps they are all intertwined, like a great river formed by countless streams. With just a moment of impulse or excitement, it can breach the dam of a false sense of security, causing a flood that submerges and devours everything.
Just as Feng Ran was struggling with his own excited destructive urges, the Feng family relatives who were blocking the hotel door received a furious message from Feng Xiqiao.
Stop embarrassing yourself in public! All of you, get back home! Otherwise, your daughter/son doesn't need to come to work tomorrow!
Ultimately, Feng Xiqiao was still in charge of the Feng family. Without Feng Xiqiao, where would they find such a good job? They couldn't even get close to Feng Ran, and the big tree they were relying on had fallen, so it would be a loss. After being scolded, everyone left dejectedly.
Xi Yao was left alone, staring at the terminal messages, unmoved.
However, she certainly didn't dare to move. After all, it was her presence that brought so much unnecessary trouble to Feng Xiqiao. She knew that the man was no sentimental type. This one time, her future days were destined to be difficult.
But what does this have to do with wind?
The farce that had been blocking the gate finally came to an end, and Feng Ran, escorted by security, successfully boarded the reserved hovercar.
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