Cao Xuanye quietly returned to his seat.
He did not get angry or roar. Not even a trace of displeasure showed on his face.
He simply raised his glass and gave the guests casting him concerned, sympathetic looks a helpless smile.
Then he lowered his voice so only a few people nearby could hear him and said with a show of generosity:
"Sigh. It seems this hero Yue has some misunderstanding about those of us born into great clans."
"But I suppose that's understandable. Heroes tend to have fierce temperaments."
He shook his head and sighed.
"I, Cao Xuanye, have nothing to hide. I'm not afraid of being misunderstood. The truth will speak for itself."
His words were flawless. He had turned a retreat into an advance.
He was the one who had been humiliated in public and lost face.
Yet the way he told it, he was magnanimously refusing to hold a hero's "fierce temperament" against him.
The more gracious and unbothered he appeared,
the more Yue Xiaofei's firm rejection seemed "unreasonable" and "ungrateful" by comparison.
Before long, opinion in Longevity Hall began to shift.
The guests who had admired Yue Xiaofei and thrilled at his achievements now looked at him with mixed feelings.
Whispers rose from every corner of the hall.
"This Yue Xiaofei... His accomplishments are impressive, but isn't he a bit too arrogant?"
A middle-aged man in a Zhongshan Suit who looked like a high-ranking regional official frowned as he spoke quietly to the person beside him.
"Exactly! The Cao Family is one of the Eight Great Clans. Young Master Cao lowered himself to approach him, and he wouldn't even give him a little face? That's downright cold!"
A portly, well-fed merchant nearby chimed in.
"He's young and successful. A little pride is understandable. But you