Heartache (Part 1)

Just as Zhang Hupan was considering whether to secretly release a wisp of spiritual energy to protect his battered skin, Zhao Liya suddenly gasped, "Ah!" The alluring body that had been pressing against him, its "demonic claws" causing him immense pain, quickly withdrew. Her eyes, shining with surprised delight, were fixed on two men in suits entering the hall from the doorway!

The man on the left was as majestic as a mountain, with a handsome face and flowing long hair. His eyes were deep and somber, and he had an aquiline nose. Although he wore a smile, Zhang Hupan could tell at a glance that this was a deeply calculating, sinister, and malicious character. The man on the right appeared slightly older, with an equally handsome face, but his skin was a bit pale, as if he had just emerged from a place that rarely saw sunlight. His lips were thin, and his eyes were deeply set, clearly indicating a person of profound calculation, narrow-mindedness, and a vengeful nature. Although both men appeared young, Zhang Hupan was surprised to find that the one on the left was close to the peak of the Postnatal Realm, just one step away from the Innate Realm. Of course, without a stroke of luck or exceptional talent, that step might never be crossed in his lifetime. The man on the right had already reached the peak of the Innate Realm, just one step away from entering the Cultivation realm!

These were the most formidable experts Zhang Hupan had encountered since descending Wudang Mountain, at least among worldly martial artists. Although the extraordinary cultivation of the two men before him secretly surprised Zhang Hupan, making him wonder who they were, what truly astonished him was the uncomfortable, sinister, and evil aura emanating from them! It was a feeling difficult to describe.

Zhao Liya's eyes were fixed on the aquiline-nosed man on the left, her beautiful eyes seeming a little hazy. She murmured softly, "Shi Liwei, Brother Shi!"

Zhao Liya's excited expression sent waves of pain through Zhang Hupan's heart. A jealousy he had never felt before surged into the heart of this "centenarian"!

Suddenly, Zhao Liya turned to Zhang Hupan beside her and said, "Don't you dare say you're my boyfriend later! You must remember!"

Zhang Hupan naturally understood why Zhao Liya said that; he wasn't stupid. How could he not realize that among the two young men entering the door, the aquiline-nosed man was likely the man Zhao Liya liked! Although they had agreed from the start that he was a fake, seeing the beautiful woman beside him so nervous for the man in the distance, pleading with him in a low voice to deny being her boyfriend! Zhang Hupan found he couldn't face the situation with his usual composure. A feeling of being abandoned, of betrayal, uncontrollably welled up in his heart! Of course, Zhang Hupan wouldn't debase himself and grovel to beg the beauty beside him to stay. Suppressing the indescribable heartache and humiliation, Zhang Hupan forced a smile and said, "It seems that young man is your dream lover. Now that the real deal has arrived, it's time for this fake to retire!"

"Thank you!" Zhao Liya, caught up in the excitement of seeing the man of her teenage dreams, didn't notice the pain flashing in Zhang Hupan's eyes. Seeing his understanding reply, she said "thank you" for the first time with sincere gratitude!

Zhang Hupan would rather have heard Zhao Liya speak with arrogance than hear her condescend to thank him just for that man's sake! That heart-wrenching pain was nothing compared to the physical pain inflicted by the five-fingered assault earlier!

The appearance of the two young men had clearly caused a stir, or more precisely, the aquiline-nosed man had caused a stir! Many young people, especially those from wealthy families who considered themselves important, stepped forward to greet them. Even the head of the Lin family, Lin Qiming, excused himself to offer a greeting!

"Who is he?" Although he found the two men highly disagreeable, Zhang Hupan was very curious about the aquiline-nosed man who had caused such a commotion, especially since Zhao Liya favored him so much.

"He's the eldest young master of the Shi family in Jiangsu, Shi Liwei, the next head of the Shi family!" Zhao Liya's eyes remained fixed on her teenage idol, the Prince Charming who was effortlessly navigating the crowd with refined manners.

"Oh, so he's just the son of a prominent family!" Zhang Hupan's tone couldn't help but carry an unspeakable hint of sourness and disdain.

Although her entire focus was on Shi Liwei, Zhao Liya's ears pricked up at Zhang Hupan's dismissive tone about her Prince Charming. She immediately retorted on Shi Liwei's behalf, "Brother Shi is not comparable to those prominent family members. When he was only eighteen, he made a name for himself in the martial arts world, becoming a leading figure among the younger generation. He was known as one of the Four Outstanding Young Masters of the Martial World, alongside Master Dazhi of Shaolin, Qi Jixiong of Wudang, and He Qian of Hengshan! Five years ago, he was taken in by a martial arts elder and withdrew from the jianghu to cultivate with them. I never expected him to appear here today! His martial arts must be incredibly powerful now!"

The admiration in Zhao Liya's voice and the appreciation in her eyes inflicted another deep wound on Zhang Hupan. Suddenly, Zhang Hupan deeply regretted being there, and even more so for playing such an inglorious role. A sense of unprecedented dejection and despair overwhelmed him uncontrollably. The comings and goings of people at the banquet, the noisy chatter, and the stuffy air made Zhang Hupan feel an indescribable restlessness, a desire to leave immediately. He felt as if he couldn't stay there for another moment!

Just as Zhang Hupan was about to leave, Zhao Liya took his hand and pulled him towards Shi Liwei and the other man. Shi Liwei was currently chatting and laughing with Wang Hong and Lin Weifeng. The other man stood by with a blank expression, though his eyes occasionally drifted towards women in revealing attire. Despite inwardly despising these two prodigal sons, Shi Liwei, being a man of deep calculation, was adept at hiding his impatience and disdain within his flattering words. The two rich young men couldn't see through Shi Liwei's insincerity at all, immediately regarding the eldest young master of the Shi family as their lifelong confidant. Unfortunately, the arrival of Zhang Hupan and Zhao Liya reminded them of their earlier embarrassment, and they quickly found excuses to leave.

As one of the most beautiful women at the banquet, Shi Liwei had noticed Zhao Liya from the moment she entered. As for Zhang Hupan beside her, who looked utterly incapable of even lifting a chicken, he had been completely disregarded. He had actually wanted to strike up a conversation with the beauty earlier, but he had been unable to extricate himself from the entanglement with those two scions! As Zhao Liya approached, Shi Liwei's eyes lit up. Even the gloomy man beside him, who had been expressionless, couldn't help but twitch his face. A top-tier beauty, absolutely the best of the best, with a well-proportioned, tall figure, long legs, smooth and delicate skin, and a pretty face! How could such a beautiful girl have such an ordinary-looking boyfriend? Only I am worthy of such a beauty!

A man of Shi Liwei's deep calculation and social expertise naturally knew how to make a good impression. Before Zhang Hupan and Zhao Liya had even reached them, he greeted them with a smile, raising his wine glass, "This beautiful lady looks so familiar. I wonder where I've seen her before?" As for Zhang Hupan beside her, who looked ordinary and like a frail scholar, he paid him no mind. It was hardly surprising that Shi Liwei didn't consider Zhang Hupan a potential expert. He himself was a very talented martial artist, and with guidance from a master and diligent practice over the past few years, he had just reached the stage of Primordial Spirit containment and vital energy preservation. He wouldn't believe anyone could be more powerful than him, reaching Primordial Spirit containment and vital energy preservation at such a young age. Moreover, judging by his physique, he didn't look like someone who practiced external martial arts. Therefore, Shi Liwei had already categorized Zhang Hupan as just a rich young master with some money. Since he had already set his sights on the beauty walking towards him and harbored the thought of snatching her away, especially seeing the admiring gaze she directed at him, there was no need for him to get friendly with such trash. Thus, Shi Liwei bypassed Zhang Hupan entirely and launched his offensive against Zhao Liya. The gloomy man beside him was only one step away from the Cultivation realm and wouldn't even glance properly at Zhang Hupan. Although he appeared cold and gloomy on the surface, his eyes, as they looked at Zhao Liya, shone with fervent light.

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