「Drink and Enjoy Bar」
Brother Fei smashed his phone on the ground, roaring, "You bastard! How dare you threaten me? You must have a death wish!"
"Brother Fei, what's wrong?" a coquettish woman lying in his arms cautiously asked.
SMACK!
Fueled by anger, Brother Fei slapped the woman across the face and bellowed, "Is this your place to speak? Get out!"
The woman was startled, but she didn't dare say another word. She grabbed her clothes and scrambled outside.
Brother Fei spat fiercely, his gaze flickering. An inexplicable sense of unease crept into his heart.
「The Qin Estate」
Today was the Qin family banquet, an event so exclusive that only the most important family members were qualified to attend.
A long line of luxury cars was parked in the courtyard, a testament to the family's immense wealth.
Inside the brightly lit hall, the banquet had yet to begin, and guests chatted amongst themselves in low voices, laughing and socializing.
"By the way, why isn't Lin Mu here yet?" a young man suddenly asked.
At his words, some people looked slightly puzzled.
Lin Mu? Who's that?
Instantly, all eyes turned to a silent woman at the table, a flicker of recognition in their gazes.
Isn't Lin Mu Qin Luoli's husband? But what's he doing here?
A middle-aged man frowned. "This is a Qin family banquet. What's an outsider doing here?"
This middle-aged man was Qin Hongbo, Qin Hao's father.
Hearing this, Qin Hao slapped his forehead and chuckled. "Look at me, I completely forgot about Lin Mu's status."
"This is a family banquet. Lin Mu indeed has no right to participate."
The father and son went back and forth, their words dripping with ridicule and contempt for Lin Mu.
Some chuckled quietly, while others showed open disgust.
Evidently, Lin Mu was deeply disliked within the Qin family.
"Uncle, say what you will, but Lin Mu is my husband. He was personally approved by Grandfather as the Liu Family's son-in-law. By constantly calling him an outsider, are you saying you disagree with Grandfather's decision?"
At that moment, the silent woman spoke calmly. Her features were as exquisite as a painting and her skin was like snow. However, her cold and aloof demeanor, combined with a powerful aura, made her unapproachable.
This woman was none other than Qin Luoli, the president of Qin Corporation. She was also Lin Mu's wife—in name, at least.
Qin Hao said indifferently, "Qin Luoli, that may be so, but what is Lin Mu? He's nothing more than a dog our Qin family has taken in. When the masters are eating, he has no place here."
Qin Luoli's face turned cold. "Qin Hao, you've gone too far!" she said in a frosty tone. "No matter what, Lin Mu is your brother-in-law. If word of this got out, wouldn't people say the Qin family lacks a proper upbringing?"
"I have no such brother-in-law," Qin Hao said with a sneer.
"You..." Enraged, Qin Luoli stood up to leave.
But just then, a detached voice suddenly echoed through the hall.
"Reasoning with an animal is like playing the lute to a cow. And I, Lin Mu, have not stooped so low as to become the brother-in-law of an animal!"
Following the sound, everyone looked over to see a young man in tattered, mud-stained clothes standing at the entrance. He looked utterly disheveled, like a common beggar.
But despite his wretched appearance, his eyes were extraordinary. They seemed to hold the sun, moon, and stars, the mountains and rivers through all four seasons—deep and ancient, mysterious and profound.
This person was Lin Mu.
Seeing him in this state, everyone's face showed a mix of disdain and disgust. Many instinctively covered their noses.
Even Qin Luoli's brow furrowed, her chest heaving with displeasure.
For Lin Mu to show up dressed like this was utterly humiliating!
"Lin Mu, what are you doing here? Dressed like that, what is wrong with you? You're a disgrace! Get the hell out of here!" Qin Hao roared, slamming his hand on the table.
His eyes, however, betrayed a flicker of panic.
Lin Mu said nothing, slowly walking into the hall with his sharp gaze fixed on Qin Hao.
"Who let you in? Get out at once!" Qin Hao shouted, his bravado failing to mask his fear.
A strange glint in his eyes, Lin Mu looked quietly at Qin Hao and said in an indifferent voice, "Weren't you the one who sent for me, *cousin* Qin Hao?"
He spat out the last two words with heavy emphasis.
"Who... who sent for you? You must be out of your mind!" Qin Hao's eyes betrayed his panic as he yelled.
"Someone! Get this guy out of here immediately! He's ruining my appetite!" Qin Hao shouted toward the entrance.
The next moment, Qin Hao's bodyguards entered. They were all tall and imposing, with stern expressions.
"Sir, please leave. Don't make this difficult for us," one of the bodyguards said coldly.
"How dare you!"
Qin Luoli suddenly stood up, pushing the two bodyguards aside. "No matter what, Lin Mu is your master. Do you intend to overstep your bounds?"
The two bodyguards frowned, hesitating as they glanced at Qin Hao. They may have been on Qin Hao's payroll, but this was still the Qin Estate.
Qin Hao said coldly, "What are you waiting for? Throw him out! The clueless fool doesn't even know his place. This is no place for him!"
The two bodyguards stepped forward, completely ignoring Qin Luoli. They took their money from Qin Hao, and they knew she wouldn't dare stop them forcefully.
Qin Luoli's expression soured as she looked around at the other family members.
Some looked down at their tea, while others wore cold smiles. Not a single person spoke up to help her.
Her heart sank.
These bastards... a pack of ungrateful wolves.
She had given everything for the Qin family, yet at this moment, no one would help her.
"Lin Mu, let's go!" Qin Luoli said angrily, grabbing his hand.
She had had enough of these people, but she couldn't trouble her grandfather over such a trivial matter. It wasn't that she had any feelings for Lin Mu, but she couldn't bear to see him humiliated. Leaving seemed like the best option. More importantly, Lin Mu's appearance was mortifying, and she was losing face because of him.
However, she discovered Lin Mu's body was as immovable as a mountain. His strength was immense; she couldn't budge him at all.
She looked at him and urged anxiously, "Let's go!"
"Go? Why should we go?"
Lin Mu frowned, gently pulling his hand free. "And another thing," he said flatly, "talk if you must, but don't touch me."
"What?"
Qin Luoli nearly screamed, but she remembered where she was and managed to stifle it.
What do you mean, 'don't touch me'? Lin Mu, you bastard, do you even know what you're saying?
Lin Mu paid her no mind, continuing with detachment, "I came here to handle some business. Naturally, I can't leave until it's finished."
On the verge of losing her temper, Qin Luoli gritted her teeth. "What business could you possibly have?"
Lin Mu pointed at Qin Hao and said simply, "My business is with him."
Everyone was stunned, looking at Qin Hao in confusion.
What's this? Is Lin Mu actually trying to start a fight with Qin Hao? That's hilarious. He should take a good look at himself and his status.
"Hahahaha, with me?"
As they expected, Qin Hao burst out laughing. He walked toward Lin Mu and said mockingly, "Lin Mu, it's not that I look down on you, but trash like you isn't even worth my time. But since you came looking for trouble, I'll make you understand that you... are nothing but trash!"
"In my eyes, you're just a dog the Qin family keeps. You do whatever your master tells you. Since you're here, you might as well stay. After we're done eating, we'll give you some scraps. The dogs in our Qin family don't even eat leftovers, so consider it your lucky day!"
At his words, the crowd erupted in laughter, some laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes.
"Are you finished?" Lin Mu asked calmly.
Qin Hao looked at him with arrogance. "So what if I am? I can say what I want, and I can hit you if I want. What are you going to do about it?"
He raised his hand and swung a slap toward Lin Mu's face.
SMACK!
A crisp crack echoed as a figure flew through the air and slammed onto the ground.
It was Qin Hao.
Lin Mu's calm, detached voice then drifted clearly into everyone's ears.
"Who do you think you are, daring to act so brazenly in front of me?"