The young man was right. Qin Mo had no intention of stepping forward to defend Han Xueqi. After all, he had no prior acquaintance or interaction with her and saw no reason to confront Zhao Ji on her behalf.
However, due to some recent events, he knew that Han Xueqi seemed to have a connection with Zhang Fan. While he didn't want to interfere, Han Xueqi was being pressured like this at a banquet he was hosting, so for Zhang Fan's sake, he had no choice but to step in.
After all, he was quite satisfied with his future brother-in-law and already considered him family.
"Young Master Qin has arrived." As the host of this banquet, Qin Mo represented the Qin family's reputation, and his every word and action naturally attracted considerable attention.
"What is Qin Mo doing here?" Seeing Qin Mo pushing through the crowd, Zhao Ji's usually smiling face furrowed slightly. From his understanding of Qin Mo, he didn't seem like someone who liked to meddle in other people's affairs.
As the protagonist of today's event, it was essentially Qin Mo's home ground. Clashing with him here wouldn't be wise.
However, when Zhao Ji saw the companions sitting beside him, his brow instantly relaxed. If he were alone, a confrontation with Qin Mo would indeed be difficult. But today, he was not fighting alone.
"Zhao Ji, what is this all about?" Qin Mo asked, frowning as he stared at Zhao Ji.
"Young Master Qin speaks too harshly. I'm merely inviting our great star to perform a song for everyone's entertainment. How can that be considered causing trouble?" Zhao Ji replied with a faint smile.
"Then what is this short skirt about?" Qin Mo pressed.
That pink short skirt was not much different from seductive lingerie. If Han Xueqi were forced to wear it, her pure image in everyone's eyes would likely be ruined, her reputation shattered.
"That's not for Young Master Qin to worry about. Since I invited Miss Han, can't I even make such a request?" Zhao Ji sneered, casting a glance at Han Xueqi, who stood frozen in place.
Seeing Qin Mo step up for her, Han Xueqi breathed a sigh of relief, but she was also puzzled. She had no acquaintance with this eldest young master of the Qin family, so why would he confront Zhao Ji and the others for her?
"This is a banquet hosted by my Qin family. Please don't bring such vulgar things onto the stage," Qin Mo stated.
"That's Young Master Zhao's preference. Must Young Master Qin be so killjoy?" a deep, rough voice suddenly cut in, drawing everyone's attention.
All eyes turned to Qi Xiangyu. Many of the young masters from Yanjing were not familiar with Qi Xiangyu, as he rarely stayed in Yanjing and seldom attended such gatherings, hence his name was not prominent in Yanjing's upper-class circles.
However, those who knew him respected him immensely, not only because of his identity but also because of his strength.
"Young Master Qin, do you really intend to cross us for a singer?" Before Qin Mo could respond, a gaunt youth sitting beside Qi Xiangyu also spoke.
Hearing such blunt words, a murmur erupted from the crowd, with everyone's gaze fixed on Qin Mo, eager to see how he would handle the situation.
Zhao Ji, Qi Xiangyu, Chen Ningtian, and Wei Tong, who sat silently by the side – this lineup was such that perhaps no one among the younger generation in Yanjing would dare to confront them head-on.
Setting aside their powerful family backgrounds, the strength and connections possessed by these four individuals alone were enough to stir up trouble in Yanjing.
Qin Mo's expression turned slightly grim. Seeing the four men before him, he finally understood that their target was likely not Han Xueqi, but Zhang Fan.
Who didn't know that Zhang Fan had some relationship with Han Xueqi? He had once crippled Chen Yilong of the Chen family because of Han Xueqi, and the four men before him all had significant grudges against Zhang Fan.
A fair white arm linked with Qin Mo's; it was Qin Mo's fiancée, Xia Zhiqiu. Her face was etched with anxiety as she subtly shook her head at Qin Mo.
To confront these four young masters for a female celebrity would be too much.
"It seems Young Master Qin is going to back down." The crowd thought inwardly. While retreating might mean losing face, they also found it understandable. After all, he wasn't just facing Zhao Ji.
Qin Mo indeed began to consider retreating. If he were only facing Zhao Ji, he would be fearless. Even if Qi Xiangyu or another one joined, he would have the confidence to fight. But facing four of them was beyond his capabilities.
"Since Young Master Zhao likes this dress so much, why don't you try it on for everyone?" Just as Qin Mo was about to retreat, a light laugh echoed from the crowd.
Hearing this voice, everyone erupted in an uproar, thinking the speaker was utterly insane. To speak so defiantly in such a situation was no different from courting death.
The crowd parted, creating a path. A refined-looking young man walked forward, accompanied by two women.
One was well-known, Qin Luoshui, the eldest daughter of the Qin family. As for the other, although her origin was unclear, her beauty was breathtaking, and her figure alluring. She remained unfazed and composed despite the gazes of many, indicating she was no ordinary person.
Seeing Zhang Fan approach, Qin Mo's tense expression eased slightly, accompanied by a wry smile. He knew that with Zhang Fan's appearance, something significant was likely to happen today.
"You've finally decided to show yourself." Seeing Zhang Fan, Zhao Ji's face turned cold, and he sneered inwardly. Wasn't all this done to lure the snake out of its hole?
As for Chen Ningtian and Qi Xiangyu, their eyes turned sharp upon seeing the refined youth. Their younger brothers had both been crippled by this young man.
Although the bonds between brothers in their prominent families weren't always particularly close, Zhang Fan's actions were an undeniable slap in the face to their families. If they didn't retaliate, how could they maintain their standing in Yanjing in the future?
"Zhang Fan?" Seeing Zhang Fan walk over, Han Xueqi's previously anxious heart finally settled. She had worried that Qin Mo might back down, as even he would struggle against these four young masters.
But now that Zhang Fan had stepped forward, she instantly felt a sense of peace. Although this young man had no prominent background, he always remained so calm regardless of whom he faced, which was incredibly reassuring.
Sister Ling, who had been berated by Zhao Ji and stood to the side, also showed a hint of joy upon seeing Zhang Fan arrive. While she had disliked Zhang Fan in the past, finding him too arrogant and ignorant of his own limitations, she now understood that he wasn't ignorant but simply didn't take such matters seriously.
"Zhang Fan, I haven't come looking for trouble with you, yet you dare to step out voluntarily. You truly have guts!" Zhao Ji said, his face dark and his gaze icy as he stared at Zhang Fan.
"Heh heh, with you few mere chickens and dogs, hiding in a corner and discussing me for so long, I thought you'd come up with some brilliant strategy. I never expected it to be such a pathetic scheme of using a borrowed knife to kill." Zhang Fan chuckled nonchalantly.
Hearing Zhang Fan's words, Qi Xiangyu and Chen Ningtian, whose faces had been cold, turned extremely grim. They had not expected that their previous conversation would be entirely known to Zhang Fan.
"You're spying on us?" Zhao Ji stared intently at Zhang Fan and asked in a deep voice.
"Spying?" Zhang Fan shook his head. "You overestimate yourselves. You're just a bunch of clowns. Are you worth my spying?"
Zhang Fan's strength had now reached the peak of the Divine Sea Realm, essentially having one foot in the Celestial Human Realm. How sharp were his senses? Moreover, with just a single sweep of his divine sense, no movement within the hall could escape his eyes.
...