Word that Luo Beishi would be attending Old Master Jia's birthday banquet soon spread through the elite families' circle.
Luo Beishi rarely set foot outside and was a newcomer to high society, so the elite families paid particular attention to him.
They wanted to know what Luo Beishi was like in person, whether he was as handsome and good-looking as he was in photos and videos, so they were especially looking forward to Old Master Jia's birthday banquet.
Saturday.
On his birthday, even Old Master Jia hadn't expected an unprecedented number of guests, some even bringing their entire families.
For a moment, he couldn't tell whether this was Luo Beishi's birthday banquet or his own.
The banquet had been underway for half an hour.
Everyone was still discussing him, thinking Luo Beishi was far too arrogant to dare arrive so late.
Assistant Zhang and Huo Cifeng, who had already laid their trap, stood in the reception room, speechless that Luo Beishi still hadn't appeared after being so late.
They had already picked out their target. When the time came, they would choose the ugliest person in the banquet hall for Luo Beishi to "cheat" with.
Yet another hour passed.
Old Master Jia had even finished giving his birthday speech, but Luo Beishi was still nowhere to be seen. Everyone couldn't help wondering whether Luo Beishi wasn't coming after all.
They wanted to wrap things up early and go home, but they also wanted to meet Luo Beishi, who trended online every few days.
"Why isn't he here yet? Didn't they say he was coming?"
"Fuck, was the information wrong? Or did Luo Beishi change his mind at the last minute?"
"I came back from overseas specifically to see what Luo Beishi looks like in person, but there's still no sign of him."
"I heard Luo Beishi is incredibly arrogant and overbearing. Being late is probably an everyday occurrence for him."
"I came back from out of town too. I wanted to meet Luo Beishi and maybe make friends."
"Oh, please. You lot probably just have zero self-control around anything beautiful."
Huo Cifeng and Assistant Zhang nearly had heart attacks listening to them.
The looks people from the elite families gave him as they passed also grew complicated and guarded. Many of them genuinely looked down on homewreckers and illegitimate children. Similar things had happened in other elite families, so many people were especially hostile toward Huo Cifeng.
Huo Cifeng stood silently in the reception room. Of course he knew how these elite families thought. He only chatted with them to gain a few useful connections.
He was the second young master of the Huo Corporation. In his eyes, these people were nothing more than minor players with a little use. Even if he had become the laughingstock of the elite families, his status remained distinguished. If only Huo Cixiao weren't the one in control of the Huo Corporation...
If the day came when he gained control of the Huo Corporation, his first priority would be to suppress these foul-mouthed people and push them into the mire. Watching them desperately beg for mercy would surely be entertaining.
Of course, there were also some idle, ignorant rich second-generation kids who loved a spectacle, so they made a bet: whoever lost would go provoke Huo Cifeng.
As expected, the Zheng family's young master lost, but he had lost on purpose. He had wanted to provoke this illegitimate son who looked down his nose at everyone for a long time.
He walked up to Huo Cifeng with a companion and greeted him with a sneer. "Yo, not bad, Second Young Master Huo. You look pretty lively."
Huo Cifeng said, "Unlike you, Young Master Zheng. Your face is puffy. Have you overworked yourself into kidney deficiency?"
Zheng Lin was an extremely thick-skinned rich second-generation heir. Ordinary mockery couldn't hurt him.
"Still in the mood to trade barbs? Looks like your failed power grab hasn't affected you, Second Young Master Huo. Also, someone who was pursuing you became your sister-in-law and even stabbed you in the back at a crucial moment. How did that feel? I'd love to interview you about it."
Huo Cifeng lowered his eyes. His knuckles whitened around his wineglass, and he said nothing more.
Seeing that he had hit Huo Cifeng where it hurt, Zheng Lin didn't linger. He was afraid the man might suddenly lose it. After all, a single remark had made his eyes so red they looked ready to bleed.
Huo Cifeng snorted as he watched Zheng Lin leave.
Huo Cixiao used to be the focus of everyone's attention. Now it had become Luo Beishi instead. They really were a married couple.
Huo Cifeng narrowed his eyes and asked Assistant Zhang beside him, "Has Luo Beishi shown up yet?"
Hearing Huo Cifeng speak through gritted teeth, Assistant Zhang answered helplessly, "The people watching outside Huo Cixiao's home haven't seen Luo Beishi leave..."
Another hour or so passed, and everyone from the elite families had already figured out that Luo Beishi wasn't coming this time.
Old Master Jia didn't care whether Luo Beishi came or not, as long as his birthday was lively.
"Hahaha, that many people actually went? I'm dying." Luo Beishi rolled around on the bed, laughing.
Huo Cixiao: "..." My bargain wife has already learned how to stand people up, and he does it to a whole crowd at once.
Of course, Luo Beishi hadn't just stood up the people in the banquet hall. There were also gossip bloggers livestreaming as they waited outside the Jia family's gates.
As a result, millions of viewers in their livestreams were waiting too. The scene rivaled fans chasing a celebrity.
But because Luo Beishi never showed up, wails filled the internet.
By the time the banquet ended, a trending topic had shot to number one, titled #JustHowManyPeopleDidLuoBeishiStandUpTonight#
The comments under the post exploded.
[Waited all night for absolutely nothing.]
[Luo Beishi! Just you wait! Wait until I catch you and kiss you to death!]
[Man, you dared to stand me up! The AUDACITY!]
[Hahaha, I heard the elite families at the banquet were waiting too. They practically stretched their necks out, but still never saw him.]
[Luo Beishi, a filthy-rich guy famous all over the internet.]
"Hubby, I sent Old Master Jia a gift, but it won't arrive until the banquet ends. It's nothing too expensive, just a ruyi black-and-white board game set."
Luo Beishi felt that his arrogant, overbearing image was already deeply ingrained in everyone's minds. Even if he didn't go, sending a gift was enough to show the birthday boy respect.
Originally, he hadn't even wanted to send anything, but he was afraid people would say Grandpa Huo's grandson-in-law had no manners.
Huo Cixiao: "..." That must have been hard for you. I thought you'd send a bomb.
Speaking of which, does my bargain wife really not have a single friend? Wouldn't he be a little lonely, spending all day with a vegetative patient who can't speak... Yet the very next second, Huo Cixiao felt he needn't have bothered worrying about that.
"Hello? What? Oh, it's fine. I never planned to go in the first place. You must have gotten the wrong information."
"What grown guy needs girls to back him up? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?" Luo Beishi chatted easily and amiably with the person on the other end, his tone occasionally even turning a little coy...
The more Huo Cixiao listened, the more he wanted to leap up and hang up their call. How can my bargain wife be so kind and gentle to anyone other than me!
I'm still lying right here! Can you show a vegetative patient some respect? Are you going to cuckold a vegetative patient right in front of him?! Luo Beishi!
"I've got to go. I need to tell my husband a bedtime story. Thanks for checking on me, class monitor. Hanging up now."
Huo Cixiao: "..." Hmph, fine. Since you voluntarily admitted you have a husband and firmly hung up the phone, I'll allow the hat on my head to be dyed back from green to black.