Chapter 505: Still Lacking a Heart

Chapter 505: Chapter 503: Still Lacking a Heart

So the timing made perfect sense.

Not that she thought Mu Lin would care about such things.

The two went to a shopping mall where Li Xue put several suits on her card for Mu Lin, along with watches, belts, and other accessories—everything he needed to look the part of a wealthy young scion.

Having trained in martial arts, Mu Lin had a phenomenal physique and looked genuinely handsome in the new clothes.

The only thing missing was the mindset of a rich heir. Having come from the mountains, Mu Lin could never cultivate that kind of disposition.

“This… How much did all this cost?” Mu Lin asked, his voice laced with unease.

“Not much. Eight hundred thousand,” Li Xue said calmly. Mu Lin was so shocked he missed a step and nearly tripped.

Even though Li Xue was the one paying, he still felt the sting. ‘They’re just clothes,’ he thought. ‘Do they really need to be this expensive?’

Especially since the fabric looked so flimsy. He felt like one wrong move and they would tear.

‘How am I supposed to go out in something like this?’

Seeing his reaction, Li Xue couldn’t help but get angry. She snapped, “Tonight’s banquet is a huge deal. It’s being hosted by the richest man in Nanjiang Province. Don’t you dare embarrass me!”

‘Hosted by Xiao Longjiang?’ he wondered. ‘I hadn’t heard anything about that.’

After a moment of thought, Mu Lin said, “I understand. Don’t worry, I won’t mess up.”

‘Who knows if that’s true?’ Li Xue rolled her eyes.

After they finished shopping, dusk had fallen, and Li Xue and Mu Lin headed to the banquet together.

The banquet was held at a manor, and it was unclear who owned the luxurious estate.

Mu Lin guessed it was just one of Xiao Longjiang’s more trivial properties.

Li Xue presented their invitation, passed the security check at the gate, and led Mu Lin inside.

“Stay sharp. Don’t embarrass me!”

Mu Lin agreed verbally, but inwardly he was pondering, ‘Xiao Longjiang is hosting this banquet. How could someone like Li Xue possibly be important enough to get an invitation?’

Xiao Longjiang was the richest man in Nanjiang, while the Li Group was just a rising star in Anhua. The two were worlds apart.

The banquet hadn’t officially started yet, but the hall was already abuzz with guests clinking glasses and seizing the opportunity to expand their networks.

The Li Group was just a small player here, and Li Xue felt utterly intimidated among these influential figures.

While acquiring the Yuelong Group was a respectable accomplishment that had earned the Li Group some minor media exposure…

…and while Zhu Qiyu’s investment had generated enough buzz to land the Li Group in the headlines a few times, making the bigwigs of Nanjiang Province aware that a company like theirs existed in Anhua…

…that was the extent of it.

In reality, the Li Group was still weak. The Shengding International project was supposed to be the Li Family’s ticket to a meteoric rise.

Nevertheless, Li Xue received a warm welcome. She was stunningly beautiful, and her youthful, radiant appearance captivated everyone.

The men attending this banquet were no ordinary people, and their female companions had all been carefully chosen and meticulously prepared, each hoping to make a name for herself at this top-tier event.

Yet, none of them could outshine Li Xue, who had arrived wearing only light makeup.

Many of the eligible young bachelors frequently raised their glasses to her, arching their eyebrows in a gesture that was meant to be subtle.

Li Xue paid them no mind. ‘They only care about my looks,’ she thought, ‘and want to make me their plaything.’ She looped her arm through Mu Lin’s, maintaining a calm, composed smile.

Many people were whispering amongst themselves, trying to find out who she was.

And who was the young man on her arm?

Li Xue made a brief appearance with Mu Lin to greet a few acquaintances before leading him out to the manor’s lawn.

“Once we secure the Shengding International project, we’ll truly be one of them!”

Li Xue sighed, filled with emotion.

Mu Lin asked, “Where did you get the invitation?”

Li Xue glared at him. “You think I don’t have the connections?”

“Yes, I do. I still remember what the Li Group was like just a month ago.”

Li Xue hadn’t expected Mu Lin to be so blunt. Her expression fell. “To be honest, I don’t know either. The invitation just showed up at the Li Group’s office.”

“I was shocked when I received it, and I even debated whether to come. After all, entering this circle isn’t necessarily a good thing. It’s too soon for both the Li Group and for me.”

“But this is an invitation from Xiao Shoufu himself. If I don’t show up, it’s a slight against him, and the Li Group would likely suffer for it.”

Mu Lin nodded. What Li Xue said sounded plausible.

‘No wonder she’s been so cautious ever since we arrived,’ he thought, ‘only daring to greet people she already knows.’

‘She’s being too timid.’

After greeting her acquaintances, Li Xue had quickly retreated outside. The atmosphere inside was so tense she felt like she couldn’t breathe.

In the eyes of these tycoons, the current Li Group was nothing more than a joke.

Mu Lin understood now. Xiao Longjiang must have found out about his connection to the Li Group and sent Li Xue an invitation as a courtesy.

Li Xue picked up a glass of juice and sipped it cautiously, pulling Mu Lin along as she wandered around, doing her best to avoid the crowds.

She suddenly stiffened. Mu Lin felt a wave of panic from her and followed her gaze to a woman in the distance.

The woman spotted Li Xue as well and began walking briskly toward them. ‘This is just ridiculous,’ Li Xue thought.

“Zhou Tianyi is here too? You’ve got to be kidding me. How could that awful person possibly earn the favor of Xiao Shoufu?”

Mu Lin asked in a low voice, “Who’s that?”

Li Xue replied with revulsion, “A classmate from college. Just the thought of her makes me sick…”

Mu Lin wasn’t familiar with this sort of drama. As long as it didn’t pose a physical threat to Li Xue, he didn’t see any need to get involved.

Zhou Tianyi, however, looked at Li Xue with contempt. “Well, well, if it isn’t our campus belle, Miss Li. Your ancestors must be smiling on you from their graves for you to actually get into Chairman Xiao’s banquet!”

Li Xue’s expression turned cold. “Is there something wrong with me being here? You’re the one who shouldn’t be. How did *you* get in?”

Zhou Tianyi was unfazed. In fact, she seemed proud of it. “What’s the big deal? I might not have the connections, but my boyfriend does! Can’t I come with him?”

“What about you, Miss Li, our former campus belle? Where’s your man? Don’t tell me you’re using a company invitation to freeload your way in!”

“Your Li Group is only a big fish in the small pond of Anhua. You can’t even get a foothold in Di Yang. You should have just torn up the invitation, you know? Coming here to make a fool of yourself just brings you more shame!”

Li Xue fought back her revulsion. Zhou Tianyi had always loved sleeping her way to the top. She was like that in college, and now she was even more shameless about it.

She had probably hooked some rich businessman or the son of a major corporation. What should have been a source of shame was, in Zhou Tianyi’s eyes, a bragging right.

Right now, Li Xue was walking on thin ice. She absolutely could not afford to offend any of the companies represented here.

She knew that securing the Shengding International project would bring endless trouble; she had already seen hints of this in the projects Qiao Canhua had given her.

The Yuelong Group had been relatively easy to handle. These larger corporations, on the other hand, would likely go for the jugular from the very beginning.

And that was without offending anyone. If she accidentally angered some powerful figure, doing business in Di Yang would become impossibly difficult.

“You haven’t changed one bit since our school days. Still as obnoxious and unreasonable as ever.”

Li Xue said coldly, taking Mu Lin’s arm to leave.

Zhou Tianyi was an expert at this. Seeing Li Xue’s reaction, she knew she had hit a nerve and laughed derisively. “What’s wrong, Li Xue? Why won’t you speak your mind?”

“Feeling guilty, are we? I bet you snuck in to leech off connections! What a scandal! The dignified president of the Li Group, crashing a banquet without an invitation just to hunt for a man.”

“Just imagine if this news was all over Di Yang’s financial media tomorrow. Now *that* would be exciting!”

“What would all the guys from our class who had a crush on you think if they knew you were *this* resourceful? They’d be thrilled, wouldn’t they?”

Li Xue stared daggers at Zhou Tianyi, enunciating each word. “You know that’s not true.”

Zhou Tianyi roared with laughter. “So what? My boyfriend’s company is in the media business. He controls dozens of major online accounts. With a single word from him, countless people will see it. Who do you think the public will believe—you, or what they read online?”

“All I have to do is say the word, and he’ll do it for me. My boyfriend loves me *that* much!”

Li Xue’s face turned grim. A lie repeated often enough becomes the truth, and she had to take the threat seriously.

Mu Lin glanced around but didn’t see any man with Zhou Tianyi. He asked, “So where is this boyfriend of yours?”

Zhou Tianyi hadn’t even noticed there was someone with Li Xue. She finally saw Mu Lin, looked him up and down with disdain, and asked, “And who are you?”

“I’m accompanying President Li. My name is Mu Lin.”

‘President Li?’ That form of address was interesting. Zhou Tianyi understood immediately.

She laughed so hard she had to bend over. In her eyes, Li Xue had sunk to a new low.

“Are you crazy, Li Xue?! You’ve got some nerve! This is Xiao Shoufu’s event, and you brought one of your employees as a date? Who do you think you’re fooling?”