Translator – Ink Hub
Editor – Ms. B

Qiao Qiumeng’s mind went blank. “I thought you would show some consideration for our history as classmates…” she stammered, her voice thick with embarrassment.

“Classmates? Who the hell is your classmate? Having been in the same school as someone like you feels like a disgrace!”

Lin Wanqi sneered, her eyes raking over Qiao Qiumeng. “I heard you recently married a lowly prison guard? Hahaha! I never expected that the high-and-mighty campus belle would fall to such a state.”

Qiao Qiumeng felt a surge of indignation. “If you’re unwilling, then you’re unwilling. Is there any need to intentionally toy with me or say such disparaging things?”

Lin Wanqi let out a cold snort. “I am a top-tier celebrity now, a household name!” she said indifferently. “Who do you think you are to speak to me like that? You actually had the nerve to ask me to be a spokesperson for your company? Can you even afford my endorsement fee? Besides, representing your group would only tarnish my status!”

Standing to the side, Li Yunwan could no longer suppress her anger. “Lin Wanqi, you’ve gone too far!” she said, her voice heavy with resentment. “Did you get so inflated after becoming famous that you’d actually bully an old classmate?”

Lin Wanqi sneered. “So what if I bully her? She’s incompetent, so doesn’t she deserve it? If she were as powerful as President Xiang, I’d be kneeling to lick her boots right now!”

Qi Dengxian walked over at some point, a dinner plate in his hand. “You kneeling to lick Qiumeng’s boots?” he asked calmly. “You really aren’t worthy.”

Lin Wanqi’s eyes narrowed. “You’re that prison guard?”

She didn’t wait for an answer before continuing. “You certainly live up to your name—a mediocre nobody. Actually, that’s being too kind. You’re simply a piece of trash. Look at your sense of style. It’s so atrocious I don’t even want to criticize it. Attending such a grand banquet dressed like a beggar… Is the Qiao Group about to go bankrupt? Does Qiao Qiumeng not even have the money to buy you a suit that fits?”

Lin Wanqi crossed her arms and looked at Qi Dengxian with a cold smile, her face filled with disdain and disgust. Suddenly, she burst into loud laughter. “Everyone, come look! The President of the Qiao Group is begging for alms on the spot! She asked me to give her a free endorsement out of consideration for our old school days. Is there really someone this shameless?”

Upon hearing this, the onlookers turned toward Qiao Qiumeng with looks of contempt. Everyone present was a business professional; while social favors and networking were normal, trying to get something for nothing—to “free-load” off a celebrity—was considered loathsome and pathetic.

Qiao Qiumeng hurriedly tried to explain. “I didn’t say it had to be free… I said the price was negotiable!”

“Qiao Group? What kind of trash enterprise is that? I’ve never even heard of it!” one onlooker scoffed. “Don’t tell me it’s some fly-by-night operation. Can any random company call itself a ‘Group’ these days?”

“It’s just a small company with a market value of a few hundred million,” another added. “They do some bits and pieces in real estate and run a few minor industrial shops. They have no reputation to speak of.”

“Hahaha, Miss Lin is a top-tier celebrity who films commercials for brands like Nike and Dell. Wouldn’t representing a trash enterprise like the Qiao Group be a self-inflicted demotion?”

“What’s even funnier is that Qiao Qiumeng actually expected Miss Lin to do it for free. How thick is her skin?”

The crowd clearly didn’t care about Qiao Qiumeng’s explanation. Instead, they took turns mocking the Qiao Group for overestimating its own worth. Qiao Qiumeng’s face turned bright red, and she couldn’t find a single word to say in her defense.

Seeing Qiao Qiumeng’s distress, Lin Wanqi felt a surge of triumph. Trampling this former campus belle under her feet was truly a delightful experience!

“Look at the Qiao Group’s pathetic state, yet they still want Miss Lin’s endorsement! Look at her husband, dressed like a beggar. His clothes are so tight, yet he still insists on coming to the banquet. Is he slapping his own face to look fat?”

“Haha, I didn’t quite believe it when I heard Qiao Qiumeng married a lowly prison guard, but looking at him now, the rumors are true!”

“Qiao Qiumeng is really stingy. She won’t even spend the money to buy her husband proper clothes. No wonder she wants to free-load off Miss Lin. What a shameless woman!”

Qiao Qiumeng hadn’t expected that Qi Dengxian’s attire would become the weapon these people used to attack her.

Lin Wanqi turned her gaze back to Qi Dengxian and said with a mocking grin, “Do you want to kneel down and lick my shoes? I might pick out a designer suit for you. How does Armani sound?”

Qi Dengxian turned his head and looked at Lin Wanqi seriously. “You must take responsibility for your words and actions. Apologize to Qiumeng immediately.”

“What? Did I hear that right?” Lin Wanqi shrieked. “You, a pathetic pauper, want me to apologize to this bitch Qiao Qiumeng? Is she even worthy? I’m afraid if I apologized to her, it would shave fifty years off her lifespan! You might end up a widower. Hahaha, this is too funny… A little prison guard wants me to apologize?”

Lin Wanqi laughed wantonly, tears nearly streaming from her eyes.

Qiao Qiumeng bit her lip. “Lin Wanqi, that’s enough. What do you gain from humiliating us?”

Lin Wanqi shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t gain anything, but I’m happy. Is that not allowed? Seeing an idiot like you show up at a banquet of this caliber makes me feel unpleasant.”

Qiao Qiumeng suddenly turned around and marched toward the exit of the banquet hall. Staying would only lead to more humiliation. Why not leave with some dignity? She would wait until the day she had the strength to pay them back in full!

“Mengmeng!” Li Yunwan hurried forward, wanting to comfort her.

“You don’t need to comfort me. I’m going back to calm down. Don’t worry, this level of insult is nothing to me,” Qiao Qiumeng said, her eyes rimmed with red. She bit her lip so hard it nearly bled.

Li Yunwan stopped helplessly, watching Qiao Qiumeng leave. Qiao Qiumeng turned back and snapped at Qi Dengxian, “Are you coming or not?!”

“Huh? I’m not full yet,” Qi Dengxian said thoughtfully, patting his stomach.

“You—” Qiao Qiumeng was speechless. She gave a sharp nod, turned, and left without another moment’s hesitation.

She had wanted to warn Qi Dengxian not to stay and invite more humiliation, but she hadn’t expected him to be such a glutton. He actually wanted to finish eating before leaving.

“Hahahaha!”

“Damn, this guy is too funny. Where did this hillbilly come from, crashing a banquet just to scrounge for food?”

“I don’t know where the hillbilly is from, but it’s hilarious… He and that shameless woman Qiao Qiumeng really are a perfect match!”

“There are freaks every year, but today is special! Someone really came to a high-spec banquet like this just to scrounge for food and drink?”

Qi Dengxian’s words once again drew the mockery of the elite crowd. However, he remained unhurried, picking up a piece of roasted meat and popping it into his mouth. He looked at Li Yunwan and asked, “She promised Qiumeng she’d sign the endorsement earlier, right?”

“Yes… ” But she was just toying with her,” Li Yunwan said with a sigh, nodding slightly after a brief pause.

“I toyed with her because she deserves it! She needs to understand the gap in status between us!” Lin Wanqi said with an air of supreme arrogance. “A piece of trash like her wants my endorsement? She isn’t even worthy of polishing my shoes!”

Qi Dengxian swallowed the meat and spoke slowly. “How about this. I’ll give you a chance. Go to the Qiao Group, sign the endorsement contract, and give Qiumeng a proper apology.”