Silence.
Unparalleled silence!
In the entire private room, aside from the sound of the KTV speakers, there was no other noise.
Everyone was stunned, staring incredulously at Qin Heng.
Especially the two boys blocking the door, along with Meng Huihui and the other four girls, all stared wide-eyed at Qin Heng in disbelief.
My God! What did this country bumpkin, this nouveau riche, just do!? He splashed an entire glass of red wine on Li Jiayi! He's courting death! This is suicide! Who even is Li Jiayi? His father and uncle are some of the most influential figures in all of Tianhai City! All the people here combined wouldn't be enough for Li Jiayi to swat aside with a single slap! This country bumpkin actually dared to do such a thing! It's over! He's absolutely finished!
"You little bastard! Do you know what you've done?"
Li Jiayi's voice was low and gravelly. He lifted his face, dripping with red wine, his teeth clenched like an enraged beast. His eyes, burning with fury, were fixed fiercely on Qin Heng. Pointing a finger at him, Li Jiayi roared, "Do you even know who I am?!"
"Ran Ran, what's wrong with your friend?!" Meng Huihui, her face a mask of shock, glanced incredulously at Qin Heng before yelling at Song Ningran, "Does he really think he can act so arrogantly just because he owns a house in Tianhai? He's asking for death!"
"Ran Ran, you need to persuade your friend to apologize to Jiayi and admit his mistake," another girl chimed in, approaching them. "Jiayi's status isn't something this nouveau riche country bumpkin can even comprehend. Jiayi could crush him with a single finger."
Her wine-red hair, styled in soft curls, cascaded down, and her graceful figure was enough to capture the attention of most men.
When the two boys blocking the door saw this girl emerge, their gazes were involuntarily drawn to her. A beautiful girl with such a fine figure would be the center of attention anywhere.
Simultaneously, the two boys shot Qin Heng looks of ever-increasing disdain.
"You have no idea what kind of status Young Master Li holds, kid," one of the boys sneered, pointing his finger at Qin Heng. "I advise you to immediately kneel before Young Master Li and kowtow a few times in apology. Otherwise, you might just bring ruin upon your entire family!"
"There are always people tired of living and looking for death these days!" the other man added, his tone dripping with condescension as he addressed Qin Heng. "Trash like you, if you weren't a Tianhai local, you probably couldn't even afford a house. You'd be nothing but a beggar on the streets! And yet you dare to offend Young Master Li? You truly are tired of living!"
"HAHAHA!" The crowd erupted in laughter, every one of them looking at Qin Heng with utter contempt, as if they were all high and mighty while he was nothing more than a street beggar.
"How can you all be like this?!" Song Ningran was furious, her beautiful eyes glaring as she confronted Meng Huihui and the others. "Qin Heng is not at all what you think! You don't know anything!"
She didn't know Qin Heng's true identity and had never asked. After all, they were friends, and there was no need to pry. However, judging from his usual spending habits and the villa estate he owned, his background was undoubtedly extraordinary.
Li Jiayi wiped his face with the towel Meng Huihui handed him and stripped off his shirt, revealing a physique rippling with muscle. He looked coldly at Song Ningran. "Ran Ran," he said, his voice like ice, "I've never liked to force anyone, but today, you might just become the exception!"
"W-what do you want to do?" Song Ningran, an ordinary university student after all, felt panic rise within her under Li Jiayi's intense gaze, a knot of fear tightening in her stomach.
"It's okay, he won't dare to do anything to you," Qin Heng said, gently patting Song Ningran's shoulder. He then stepped in front of her, faced Li Jiayi, and smiled. "It seems one glass of red wine wasn't enough for you. I wouldn't mind twisting your head off and drenching you in your own blood."
"You little bastard, what did you say?!" Li Jiayi exploded with rage, lunging forward a step. He glared at Qin Heng, eyes wide, teeth clenched. "Kneel! Kneel down for me right now! Otherwise, I'll slaughter your entire family!"
"Li Jiayi!" Song Ningran mustered her courage and shouted, "Who do you think you are, demanding Qin Heng kneel? Do you think Tianhai City belongs to your family? You're too arrogant, too outrageous!"
"Ran Ran!" Meng Huihui quickly moved to intercept Song Ningran, whispering urgently, "Ran Ran, don't offend Li Jiayi over this upstart. His family background is incredibly powerful, beyond anything we common folk can imagine."
"Could he actually be from one of Tianhai's Four Great Families?" Song Ningran retorted, still defiant. "As far as I know, there isn't any prominent Li family among them in Tianhai."
"Song Ningran, you're right about that," Li Jiayi said, his form of address suddenly changing as he turned to face her. "However, even members of the Four Great Families wouldn't dare to offend my family easily!"
"Ran Ran," Meng Huihui explained in a hushed voice to Song Ningran, "Jiayi is from the Lis. He's the nephew of Li Tianlong, the CEO of Tianlong Group, and the direct son of Li Tianhu, a senior president! Their power and influence in Tianhai are immense, second only to the Four Great Families!"
What!?
Upon hearing this, Song Ningran's face turned deathly pale. Having attended university in Tianhai City for two years, she naturally knew what a behemoth Tianlong Group was.
That was a leading conglomerate with a market value in the tens of billions!
Even if Qin Heng's family possessed considerable wealth, faced with such a corporate giant, they likely stood little chance of resisting!
Why has it come to this!?
A flicker of despair clouded Song Ningran's eyes. She knew all too well the consequences of offending such a top local conglomerate; from this day forward, life in Tianhai would undoubtedly become incredibly difficult for them.
It was all her fault that Qin Heng had gotten dragged into this.
Overwhelmed with guilt, Song Ningran looked at Qin Heng and gently shook her head. Then, turning to Li Jiayi, she asked, "Li... Li Jiayi, what must I do for you to let Qin Heng go?"
She was yielding—not for herself, but for Qin Heng.
During her two years in Tianhai, Qin Heng had taken good care of her on numerous occasions. She couldn't just stand by and watch him make an enemy of Li Jiayi like this.
"Song Ningran, regretting it now?" Li Jiayi sneered, his eyes raking greedily over her figure. He suddenly laughed. "I'll decide whether to let Qin Heng go after I've seen your... sincerity."
"Sincerity?" Song Ningran's delicate brows furrowed in confusion. "What sincerity?"
"I can't see your sincerity at the moment." Li Jiayi's eyes narrowed, his gaze lingering on Song Ningran's long legs and slender waist before finally settling on her exquisite face. "That's because your sincerity is all wrapped up in your clothes," he leered. "I want to *see* this sincerity of yours! HAHAHA!!"