Chapter 54: You Are Not Qualified to Enter

After exchanging a few quiet words with Ye Tian, Yang Yiqiu glanced at the time, then stood up and said, “I’m going up now. I hope you’ll listen carefully to my song, Young Master Ye. Don’t let your mind wander.” With a playful wink, she trotted backstage in tiny steps.

“Listen carefully, don’t get distracted, Young Master Ye~” The rake at the next table mimicked her, forcing his voice into a falsetto.

Sun Shuai, who had only just managed to rein in his temper, felt his scalp prickle with anger once more. He glared at Ye Tian, his teeth clenched. “If you don’t want to court death, you’d better stay away from Yang Yiqiu, do you hear me?”

Oh, what a short fuse…

Ye Tian looked at him with a mocking sneer. “And what if I don’t?”

“If you dare say no, I’ll make sure you regret it!” Sun Shuai snapped, then turned his attention to the stage.

The host took the stage first, delivering a spirited speech explaining the purpose of the night’s fundraiser—all donations would go toward helping children in impoverished mountain regions. He also promised that the flow of funds would be monitored in real time by a third party, namely the Central Capital Charity Commission. With that, he invited Yang Yiqiu up to perform.

Clad in a champagne-colored qipao, the diva’s entrance set the audience alight with cheers, especially the young heirs from noble families. Many couldn’t help but rise from their seats, toasting the beauty on stage. Some even whistled, a testament to her immense popularity.

No one was more enthusiastic than Sun Shuai, who promptly climbed onto his table and shouted Yang Yiqiu’s name at the top of his lungs. Sitting beside him, Ye Tian felt a strong sense of secondhand embarrassment. This man was truly shameless…

Amid the crowd’s excitement, Yang Yiqiu began to sing. Her voice, clear and laced with regional flavor, paired with her distinctive original songs, stunned the audience. Even the boisterous Sun Shuai fell silent.

Ye Tian sipped his wine, raising an eyebrow in appreciation. He had always had a keen ear for music, which was why he’d chosen Yang Yiqiu as his spokesperson at the earliest opportunity. Now, having inherited three hundred years of Ye Changsheng’s memories, he was even more familiar with the music of past and present. Every note Yang Yiqiu sang met with his approval.

No wonder she could become a diva in her early twenties—her talent was extraordinary indeed.

After three original songs, Yang Yiqiu gave a rousing speech, encouraging the guests before announcing that she would donate fifty million. The crowd erupted in cheers.

A single donation of fifty million—an astronomical figure! It’s important to remember this wasn’t just a number, but cold, hard cash. Suppose, as an artist, Yang Yiqiu was worth over two billion, most of which would be tied up in real estate, stocks, and other illiquid assets. The cash she could freely access might be only around ten percent—about two hundred million. To pledge fifty million at once, nearly a quarter of her available funds, was a true mark of sincerity.

With Yang Yiqiu setting the example, the young heirs present followed suit, raising their cards to announce their donations. Leading the way were several direct descendants of the Sun family. However, these heirs kept a low profile; after each donated eight million, they donned masks and quietly left the event.

“Let’s thank the Sun family for their generous eighty million donation!” the host announced warmly, prompting another round of cheers.

“The Sun family really lives up to their reputation—eighty million at a stroke, even more than the diva herself!”

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

“Cowards, the lot of them!” Sun Shuai said disdainfully. “You’re never low-key like this in normal times—it’s just because you don’t want Ye Tian causing trouble.”

His muttered complaints did not escape Ye Tian’s ears. So, they’d already prepared a strategy—lie low and play the long game.

Thank you, Sun Shuai. If not for you, I wouldn’t know so much.

Ye Tian’s lips curled into a faint smile.

“What are you smirking at, you little punk? Keep it up and I’ll kill you!” Sun Shuai noticed Ye Tian smiling, his disgust plain as he launched into another tirade.

“Sun Shuai, if you’re so useless, why take it out on others?” a rake at the next table teased. “If you have what it takes, win the diva’s heart yourself. Badmouthing her boyfriend behind his back isn’t exactly impressive, is it?”

“Shut your mouth!”

Sun Shuai slammed the table. “He’s not fit to be Yang Yiqiu’s boyfriend! This broke nobody can’t even cough up a hundred thousand for a donation!”

“Watch me—I’ll donate fifteen million!”

His words immediately drew attention.

“Isn’t he from the Sun family? Didn’t the Sun family just donate? Is Sun Shuai making a personal donation?”

“Maybe so,” someone replied.

Donating fifteen million from his own pocket earned Sun Shuai a round of applause. The socialites present stood to cheer him.

“Mr. Sun is truly magnanimous—fifteen million from his own coffers!”

The organizers on stage were delighted.

“Not bad, Sun Shuai! Didn’t think he could come up with fifteen million. We underestimated him,” the other young rakes said in amazement. After all, these side-branch heirs who spent their days at foot massage parlors and nightclubs usually blew their monthly allowances as soon as they got them on recharges or gifts for their women. Who would have thought that Sun Shuai, who used to hang out with them, could produce so much cash? It was like seeing the sun rise in the west!

Had he made a fortune with some secret investment?

As the young heirs speculated, they began to flatter Sun Shuai in unison. “You’re incredible, man—money means nothing to you!”

“Looks like our man’s turned over a new leaf and become a businessman. Keeping it so quiet, though, that’s not very brotherly…”

While they lavished praise on Sun Shuai, a lackey sidled over and jabbed a finger at Ye Tian’s nose, sneering. “What right do you have to compete with our Brother Sun for a woman?”

“Look at those rags—how did the organizers even let you in? You’re bringing down the whole event!”

“Bringing down the tone, that's for sure!”

“Exactly. Everyone here is from a well-known family—who are you, Ye Qiu? Never heard of you.”

“He probably can’t even scrape together a donation. He must’ve piggybacked in with the diva.”

The torrent of scorn made Ye Tian laugh outright. There are snobs everywhere, it seemed, and these so-called nobles were no different.

Their ridicule and sycophancy satisfied their vanity, and one of them, emboldened, pointed at Ye Tian and told the staff, “I want to report this man. He’s not on the guest list—he sneaked in here illegally!”