Chapter 53: President Zhang, of course I am here to congratulate you

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Several burly men rushed forward to carry Zhao Qiang away, but Chu Siqi tried to stop them and was sent sprawling heavily onto the floor.

“Ah!”

A terrible cry burst from Chu Siqi’s lips as she hit the ground with a heavy thud.

The skin on her hand had been scraped, and thin threads of blood began to seep from the wound.

The sight stunned everyone present.

Even the burly men were dumbfounded. They had hardly used any force at all!

“Siqi, are you all right?”

Zhang Feiyang hurried over to examine her. He had not expected anything like this to happen either.

“Zhang Feiyang, get away from me!” Chu Siqi shouted furiously. “Uncle Zhang, your family is being far too overbearing! Do you really think this place belongs to the Zhang family?”

“I’m going to complain to my grandfather!”

Chu Siqi knew exactly why the Zhang family dared to act so arrogantly: her grandfather had indulged them for far too long.

Old Master Zhang had once saved her grandfather’s life on the battlefield, and the two families had even arranged a marriage between their descendants.

After Old Master Zhang passed away, the Chu family had continued providing the Zhang family with extensive support.

That was how the Zhang family had risen from a minor clan to its current position, even gaining the freedom to enter and leave the Chu estate at will.

At times, even Chu Siqi had to swallow her anger.

“Niece, get up first. We can talk this through!”

Zhang Hongye was flustered as well. With so many people watching, what kind of spectacle would it be if Chu Siqi refused to get up?

Chu Siqi’s face was filled with fury. “Are there no members of the Chu family here? Someone come over!”

“Is there any justice left in this world? In our own Chu residence, your Zhang family dares to bully me like this!”

Sitting on the floor, Chu Siqi began shouting at the top of her lungs.

She was ready to make a scene. Her grandfather had gone too far by indulging the Zhang family so relentlessly. Sooner or later, it was bound to cause trouble.

Nearby, Zhao Qiang watched the spectacle with leisurely interest. In an instant, the focus of the conflict had shifted toward Chu Siqi.

Unfortunately, her acting still needed work. Without tears, it deserved a poor review.

Her outburst quickly drew the attention of the Chu family inside the hall, as well as most of the guests who had come to watch the commotion.

Most of those attending the banquet belonged to wealthy families. None of them would willingly miss a spectacle like this.

“The Zhang family has gone too far,” someone muttered.

“Exactly. How dare they act so arrogantly on Chu family territory?” another person agreed.

For a moment, the guests murmured among themselves, openly expressing their displeasure with the Zhang family’s conduct.

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“What happened, Siqi?”

When Chu Mengyao arrived, she was completely bewildered.

Her younger sister was actually sitting on the floor, throwing a tantrum, while Zhao Qiang—the man who had originally come to cause trouble—had somehow become a bystander enjoying the show.

She suddenly had a bad feeling. Chu Siqi had clearly been manipulated into making a fool of herself.

Chu Mengyao turned and shot Zhao Qiang a fierce glare. That troublemaker had definitely done this on purpose.

Zhao Qiang waved his hands, indicating that it had nothing to do with him.

And truly, it had nothing to do with him. He had not even been allowed through the door. If they wanted his help, they could forget it.

Today, Chu Mengyao had no choice in the matter. She had been forced to put on a vivid red cheongsam for the engagement banquet.

The dress seemed custom-made for her, clinging tightly to her full figure and perfectly outlining her graceful curves.

She was elegant and alluring, radiating an irresistible charm.

A pair of long, snow-white legs appeared and disappeared beneath the slit of the cheongsam. Every slight movement stirred the imagination and set hearts racing.

Red high heels adorned her feet, their heels striking the floor with a crisp, rhythmic sound.

She walked with such commanding confidence that she seemed like a queen descending upon her kingdom. Every step was firm and decisive, her chin held high, her eyes revealing both fearlessness and stubborn resolve.

Chu Mengyao was breathtakingly beautiful that day.

Even Zhao Qiang drew a sharp breath. He had clearly underestimated her before.

The moment she appeared in her cheongsam, she became the center of attention. Quite a few men stared at her jade-white legs and swallowed repeatedly.

With Chu Mengyao’s arrival, Zhang Feiyang began to panic as well.

He lowered his head, not daring to meet her eyes. Who could have imagined that such a minor matter would become so serious?

All he had needed to do was let Zhao Qiang inside and have a few people keep an eye on him. It should have been simple.

Zhang Feiyang also caught the look in his elder brother Zhang Zihao’s eyes, as though he were asking, What kind of trouble are you causing this time?

A large group had arrived with her. Chu Mengyao’s parents, Chu Tiankuo and Yang Xuemi, had also come after hearing that something serious had happened at the entrance.

When they arrived, they saw Chu Siqi sitting on the floor, completely unconcerned with her dignity.

“Big Sister, the Zhang family has gone too far!” Chu Siqi cried angrily, her small face flushed red and her eyes filled with fury and grievance.

“Mom, Dad, I couldn’t even bring my own friend inside. They stopped him in every possible way.”

She continued her complaint, her voice thick with tears. “Is this the Chu family’s home, or the Zhang family’s?”

Chu Siqi went straight for the killing blow. Even if it meant throwing away all decorum, she was determined to drag the Zhang family down with her.

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Zhao Qiang had just whispered to her that she needed to make the matter bigger and put everything plainly on the table.

That leech, Zhang Feiyang, had to be shaken off today.

“It wasn’t like that. Guests need invitations to enter, and that man didn’t have one, so I…”

Zhang Feiyang was drenched in sweat as he hurriedly tried to explain, his heart in turmoil.

If he ruined his elder brother’s engagement banquet, he would be in serious trouble.

Before he could finish, a loud voice abruptly cut him off.

“I have an invitation!”

Zhao Qiang raised his hand and shouted as he strode out of the crowd.

The instant he appeared, everyone—including the Chu and Zhang families—turned toward this ordinary-looking man in astonishment.

The moment Zhang Zihao saw Zhao Qiang, his expression became extremely grim. The question escaped his lips before he could stop it.

“How did you get here?”

His eyes filled with alarm and wariness. It was as though a drum were pounding endlessly in his chest, filling him with an ominous sense of foreboding.

Only the night before, he had gone to great lengths to get Liu Ruyan out of the police station. He never expected Zhao Qiang to come knocking today.

Damn it. Could this man have found out?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

Zhang Zihao believed he had concealed his identity perfectly. Zhao Qiang must truly have come to attend the banquet—perhaps he merely wanted to see what high society was like.

Besides, Zhang Zihao clearly remembered that Zhao Qiang had not had an invitation. So where had the invitation in his hand come from?

Zhao Qiang gave a cold laugh and stared fearlessly straight at Zhang Zihao.

“Why shouldn’t I be here?”

“Director Zhang, of course I came with Director Lin to congratulate you. I’m deeply grateful that you promoted me, but you seem awfully surprised to see me!”

“Zhao Qiang, I did not come here with you. Don’t drag me into this.”

Lin Meina hurriedly distanced herself from him. She had no intention of becoming involved in this storm.

As far as she was concerned, Zhao Qiang was simply courting disaster.

Causing a scene at such an important engagement banquet was something neither family would ever forgive.

Zhang Zihao forced himself to remain calm and shouted, “Zhao Qiang, stop causing trouble here. Security, throw him out!”

Zhao Qiang let out a cold laugh. This time, Zhang Zihao was not even pretending anymore.

“Director Zhang, people with invitations get thrown out too?”

“No invitation, and you can’t enter. An invitation, and that doesn’t work either.”

“Then why don’t you tell me what use this invitation is supposed to be?”