Chapter 58: He's Showing Off, Right?

Chen Fan had originally assumed that once the auction concluded, everyone would simply head back to their respective homes.

To his surprise, there was going to be an after-party.

The venue wasn't far—right downstairs—and attendance was entirely optional. Naturally, no one would be foolish enough to give up this golden opportunity to rub shoulders with the heavyweights.

Aside from the media exposure, the fierce competition for the auction entry passes was largely driven by this secondary gathering. Though called a gathering, it was essentially a networking platform for small and medium-sized enterprises to pitch themselves.

Held in the banquet hall on the nineteenth floor, the area was free of surveillance cameras.

The executives let their inhibitions drop completely. For instance, our President Wu was now flanked by a curvaceous new secretary, while his wife clung intimately to the arm of a younger man. The picture of wedded bliss they had put on upstairs now seemed like a cruel joke.

The atmosphere devolved into near-chaos, perfectly befitting a scene of unbridled hedonism.

"Chen Fan, Mengting, if you're not comfortable here, you can head back first."

As the CEO of Star Ocean Corporation, Peng Jiaxin was obligated by social decorum to attend, but Chen Fan and Chen Mengting had no need to accompany her the entire time.

"I'll go get her a room. Jiaxin, I'll be right back."

Indeed, it wasn't appropriate for a high school student to linger in such an environment.

"Mmm."

The moment Chen Fan and Chen Mengting left, Xiao Sihe—who had been watching them from the shadows—lit up. Sensing his opportunity, he immediately grabbed two glasses of champagne and slipped a drug into them as he walked toward Peng Jiaxin.

In a gathering like this, Peng Jiaxin should have been the most coveted prize of all. However, given Star Ocean's aggressive moves earlier in the evening, many had the appetite but lacked the nerve.

Seeing Xiao Sihe proactively approach Peng Jiaxin, the onlookers inwardly praised him as a brave soul.

"President Peng, would you mind sharing a drink with me?"

Without Chen Fan around, Xiao Sihe instantly put on a much more gentlemanly facade.

"I do mind."

Peng Jiaxin held a glass of whiskey, swirling it gently, without even sparing Xiao Sihe a glance.

Xiao Sihe heard the ripples of muffled laughter from the surrounding crowd. Did you really think you could play games with the number one beauty of Jiangcheng? Ever since she entered the business world, aside from Chen Fan, none of them had ever seen another member of the opposite sex get close to her.

Did he really think he could exploit her supposed current predicament to move in on her?

Wake up, buddy. That's not how dreams work.

Xiao Sihe took a deep breath, set his glass on a nearby table, and brought out the jade pendant with his free hand.

"My aunt thought you rather liked this jade pendant earlier, so she bought it specifically to give to you as a peace offering. She hopes you can forgive her. President Peng, I know I've done things that wronged you, but my aunt was innocent in all this. Let's not drag outsiders into our personal business, alright?"

As soon as these words dropped, they stirred up a tempest.

Every businessman present knew that Peng Jiaxin was a married woman; that marriage certificate posted on Star Ocean's official social media page had not been taken down.

What, then, was the meaning of Xiao Sihe's remarks?

Could there be some unspeakable secret between President Peng and him?

Was he an ex-boyfriend, or... a secret lover?!

"I knew she was a vixen. Becoming a corporate CEO at such a young age—who knows what methods she used to climb to the top."

"And here I thought she was so high and mighty. Turns out it was all an act. Heaven knows how chaotic her private life must be."

"Is that true? In that case, I wonder if I might get a taste of Jiangcheng's premier beauty myself."

Peng Jiaxin's brows furrowed deeply as she turned her gaze toward Xiao Sihe.

This bastard... he was doing this on purpose!

A smile touched Xiao Sihe's lips as he pressed on with an ambiguous tone.

"Just take it, please. Otherwise, I won't know how to face my aunt when I get back, Jiaxin."

"Are you looking to die?"

Peng Jiaxin was far too clever to fall into a self-incrimination trap. As for the people instantly resorting to insults and rumors over a single fabricated remark, she would make sure they paid the price.

"Jiaxin, please forgive me. I truly came here to apologize with a sincere heart."

"Xiao Sihe, an apology should look like an apology. Have you forgotten how you were just thrown out?"

Chen Fan's voice rang out from beyond the crowd. The main character had arrived, and the onlookers automatically parted to clear a path for him.

Who said rich people don't enjoy a good piece of gossip?

At the sight of Chen Fan, the corners of Xiao Sihe's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

"How is Mengting?"

"She's all settled in. Don't worry."

Money makes the ghosts push the grindstone; booking a hotel room was trivial enough that Chen Fan hadn't even needed to go downstairs.

Peng Jiaxin nodded and stepped forward, gracefully hooking her arm through Chen Fan's.

The male onlookers who had been gloating just moments ago felt a sharp pang of envy and bitterness.

Aside from Chen Fan, who else could possibly prompt Jiangcheng's top beauty to take such the initiative?

"Chen Fan!"

"Ah, I'm right here. But seriously, as a man, we should be magnanimous. You were merely stood up at a blind date, whereas I got the short end of the stick—not only did my blind date succeed, but I was also forced into a life of living off a woman, making me too ashamed to hold my head high at home."

With that, Chen Fan put on an exaggerated display of wiping away non-existent tears.

"I know you couldn't accept it and came looking for trouble to demand an explanation, but I'm awfully sorry—my wife simply happens to prefer my type."

"......"

He was totally showing off, wasn't he?

The crowd looked over at Peng Jiaxin, and upon seeing that she offered no denial whatsoever, they collectively drew in a sharp breath.

The exact same thought that had crossed Chen Fan's mind upon first meeting Peng Jiaxin now blossomed in their heads:

No way, did someone of Peng Jiaxin's caliber really need to go on blind dates?

Which matchmaking agency arranged this? I'm going to register right now.

"So basically, this guy was just daydreaming all along?"

"And he talked about it with such a straight face, acting as if he actually knew Goddess Peng. Turns out he's just a pathetic simperer."

"Good lord, did he actually follow President Peng all the way to her home? Stalkers are truly terrifying."

Public opinion flipped in an instant, leaving Xiao Sihe's face turning livid.

"Chen Fan, I was talking to President Peng. What business is it of yours?"

"He speaks on my behalf in all matters."

Another chorus of shattered hearts echoed through the room.

Xiao Sihe opened his mouth to retort, but abruptly, the double doors were shoved open with a bang, and a man in a tailored suit strode in.

Xiang Yongyang was fashionably late, accompanied by Ning Lu. Since they were already late anyway, the two of them had simply taken their time getting professionally styled.

Xiang Yongyang's hair was slicked back into a mature, polished look.

Almost the exact second he stepped through the threshold, he spotted Chen Fan's back amid the crowd.

Grinding his teeth, he bellowed,

"Chen Fan!"

Everyone recognized the second young master of the Xiang family. Despite being the guest of honor, he had arrived late, and the first thing he did upon entering was scream Chen Fan's name.

Just what kind of background did this Chen Fan possess?

The question instantly surfaced in everyone's minds.

Hearing the commotion, Chen Fan turned around to look.

Well, well. If it isn't his dear adoptive son.

Xiang Yongyang marched aggressively toward Chen Fan, the surrounding crowd hurriedly stepping aside to clear the way for the young master. This time, even the heavyweights who had previously looked down upon the evening's antics began walking over.

Such was the sheer weight of the Xiang family name. Even if Xiang Yongyang wasn't particularly favored at home, he was still not someone ordinary guests could afford to offend.

What on earth had Chen Fan done to provoke the second young master of the Xiang family to such an extent?