"Hmm, no need," An Yiqing lightly sipped her orange juice and said indifferently, "This is not my home turf; I’m just here at Qin Dingshan’s birthday party to eat and drink. Besides, I don’t feel the need to suck up to anyone."
Bai Yiming was startled and suddenly remembered the fact that An Yiqing had made Yuyuanzhai wildly successful in just over a month. Yes, the girl had real talent and connections—she didn’t need to deliberately brownnose anyone. Perhaps she was only starting to show a hint of her capability in Xuandu City, but given time, maybe the whole of Xuanjin would know her!
Bai Yiming cracked a slight smile, watching the girl in front of him enjoying her food with relish, his eyes full of fondness.
"Yo! Who do I think it is? Ruoyao, I’m afraid that here, beneath the imperial city, the only one who comes to the Qin Family banquet to partake in the food would be Miss An, right?" At that moment, a sardonic voice sounded behind An Yiqing.
Then another familiar female voice disdainfully said, "Children from small families just can’t hold their own! Can’t they even see what kind of occasion this is? Do they really think they’ve come just to eat?"
An Yiqing frowned in displeasure. She was just eating, who had she bothered? Was she cursed with attracting misfortune this year? Why were there always such pesky flies buzzing around her?
The girl turned her head, gave Qin Jia and Guh Ruoyao a cold look, and then stopped paying attention to them.
Chilled by An Yiqing’s icy gaze, Qin Jia and Guh Ruoyao felt a shiver run down their spine and once they came to their senses, they burned with rage, clenching their teeth.
"An Yiqing! I’m talking to you, how dare you ignore me!" Qin Jia walked up to An Yiqing, lifted her chin haughtily, and said, all while pushing aside Old Master Qin’s instructions to her.
An Yiqing looked at Qin Jia, disdainful to argue, and turned to leave.
"Slut! You stop right there!" Guh Ruoyao and Qin Jia blocked An Yiqing’s way, one in front and one behind, while several socialites who followed them also closed in on her.
These women had been gnashing their teeth with hatred for An Yiqing since she had caught everyone’s attention, envious of how she captivated all the gazes, especially those of Xuandu City’s two most eligible bachelors, Diamond Single Kings—Young Master Gu and Bai Yiming. They were infuriated to the extreme, and on Qin Jia and Guh Ruoyao’s instigation, they had eagerly followed suit.
"Qin Jia, what do you think you’re doing!" Bai Yiming, who had followed An Yiqing, frowned as he gave the group of women a cold stare.
Seeing Bai Yiming come to An Yiqing’s defense, Qin Jia felt even more furious, mocking him, "Young Master Bai! Miss An is Young Master Gu’s woman. Why are you, as his brother, so anxious? Could it be that you want to encroach upon his girl?"
Bai Yiming’s expression stiffened at Qin Jia’s blatant sarcasm. He anxiously looked at An Yiqing and, noticing that the girl didn’t mind, he heaved a sigh of relief.
"Miss Qin, have you been eating shit?" An Yiqing coldly stared at the arrogant Qin Jia. Bai Yiming could be considered a friend, and when he was insulted by Qin Jia, the girl felt compelled to defend him.
"What did you say!" Qin Jia was enraged, but Bai Yiming, hearing An Yiqing’s defense of him, was overjoyed inside.
"Jiajia, why waste words on such plebeians!" Guh Ruoyao said with impatience, looking at An Yiqing with contempt, "Miss An surely has great charm, having bewitched the two young masters of Xuandu City so completely. One can only assume her skills in bed must be especially good!"
Guh Ruoyao’s crude comments caught the ears of everyone who had been paying attention to them, eliciting various responses from the crowd—some disdainful, others mocking, and still others sympathetic.