The highly respected Mr. Qian, a prominent figure in the business world, clutched his rear in shock. "Who are you? How dare you lay a hand on me?!"
"Look at your age, still groping at young girls in their prime," Shen Qingqing scoffed, crossing her arms. "You're utterly shameless."
Veins bulged on Mr. Qian's forehead. "Insolence! Do you know who I am? How dare you speak to me like that!"
"I don't care who you are, and I don't need to know," Shen Qingqing replied. She never considered someone's status before teaching them a lesson.
Sensing the surrounding crowd, she pulled Lin You Tian behind her. "A beast in human clothing like you deserves to be beaten by everyone. That's the normal course of action."
In truth, many people had witnessed him harassing the young girl earlier. However, since it didn't concern them, they chose to stand by and do nothing. Now that someone had spoken up, others joined in.
"You're old enough to be her grandfather, bullying a young girl like this is indeed inappropriate."
"You could be her father!"
"At the very least, you could be her father, and yet you commit such despicable acts."
Hearing this, Mr. Qian flew into a rage, feeling utterly humiliated in front of everyone. "Get it straight, did I take advantage of her, or was it her choice? She hasn't even spoken, so it's not your place to stand up for her! What makes you think you can?!"
Shen Qingqing sneered, "I'll show you what I am."
She approached step by step, her movements graceful, yet an oppressive aura emanated from her, causing Mr. Qian to involuntarily step back. "What are you doing?"
Shen Qingqing smiled. She didn't intend to answer but to act.
She suddenly lifted her leg and kicked Mr. Qian's knee. With a bang, he knelt on one knee, his kneecap hitting the ground hard. The sound made everyone wince in sympathy.
Mr. Qian's face contorted. A sharp pain shot from his knee to his entire body, forcing him to bring his other leg down as well. He intended to shift the weight, but the slightest movement sent a searing pain through him.
"Bitch, you'll regret this!" he gritted out, word by word.
"Regret what? If you truly have the ability, settle the score right here and now," Shen Qingqing said, disliking drawn-out affairs. "There's no need to play this game of settling scores later."
Not only was she skilled in combat, but her words were also sharp. Mr. Qian, already advanced in age and unable to withstand the provocation, felt his blood pressure rise, and he trembled with anger.
"Lu Jun Ze."
Shen Qingqing suddenly called out.
Lu Jun Ze, who was just coming down the stairs, ran to her side as soon as he heard her voice. "Oh, Grandma, you've gotten into trouble again."
"How dare you speak to me like that?" Shen Qingqing retorted. Was this getting into trouble? This was acting in self-defense, an act of righteousness!
"Alright, Grandma, I misspoke." Lu Jun Ze shook his head helplessly. His smile vanished instantly as he faced Mr. Qian. The speed of his demeanor change astonished the onlookers. Simultaneously, they gained a clearer understanding of Shen Qingqing's position in Lu Jun Ze's heart.
Lu Jun Ze called over bodyguards. "This gentleman is injured. Take him to the hospital for treatment. I will cover all medical expenses."
And so, Mr. Qian was carried away before he could even utter a word.
Lin You Tian awkwardly said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Shen Qingqing replied coolly, her words as sharp as ever. "I wasn't doing it for you. I just didn't want such an embarrassing scene to unfold at my friend's banquet."
Lu Jun Ze rubbed his forehead in exasperation. She helped, yet refused to admit it. Lin You Tian blinked, not taking offense. Hearing Shen Qingqing's explanation, her awkwardness subsided. If the rescuer didn't care, it would be petty for the person being rescued to continue being reserved.
"Regardless, thank you today. I owe you one. If you have any requests, just ask, or I can treat you to a meal sometime."
"Let's skip the meal," Shen Qingqing said, still not fond of the two-faced young woman. Lin You Tian didn't press the matter.
Just then, Fu Jing Shu walked over. Having already learned of the events, his first concern was Shen Qingqing's leg. "Is your leg hurt?"
Shen Qingqing felt his focus was slightly off, but since someone was concerned, she answered seriously, "It's fine, don't worry."
Fu Jing Shu withdrew his gaze, and his imposing aura subsided considerably. Lin You Tian glanced between Shen Qingqing and the man she had liked for so long. She suddenly reached a conclusion: He likes Shen Qingqing!
A pang of bitterness shot through Lin You Tian. The man she had loved for so long had fallen for someone else... But after today's events, she felt that accepting him liking someone else was difficult, yet liking such a heroic woman... seemed not so bad.
With this change in perspective, her gaze towards the two shifted, and she even silently hoped they would display more affection. Thus, inexplicably, the four of them ended up together.
Lu Jun Ze looked at Shen Qingqing mournfully. "Didn't you say you were preparing a gift for me? Where is it?" He, who had called to say he wouldn't attend the birthday banquet, how could he have a gift? He was very unhappy!
To his surprise, Shen Qingqing actually took a document from her pocket and handed it to him. "Birthday present."
Lu Jun Ze vaguely guessed what it was, his hand trembling slightly. "No way, no way, this isn't what I think it is, is it?"
"You'll know if you open it," Shen Qingqing teased, drawing out the suspense. Lu Jun Ze swallowed, holding more gifts than ever before, yet he was nervous for the first time. He carefully opened the document and saw the bold characters:
HZ Group Share Transfer Agreement.
Lu Jun Ze gasped, feeling that this gift was the best he had received not only at this birthday banquet but in his past twenty years. This was something he had longed for. It was just that Shen Qingqing had always refused to give it to him, and he never expected to receive it at the banquet. He was overjoyed. "Xiao Qing, I love you."
Fu Jing Shu suddenly looked at him, then watched as Lu Jun Ze, after saying that, returned to engrossed in the precious document, clearly having spoken out of momentary excitement. He slowly withdrew his gaze and looked at Shen Qingqing. HZ Group, a Fortune Global 500 company, was on par with his own Ruisi Group. "How do you have HZ Group shares?"
Shen Qingqing let out a sound of surprise, having miscalculated. She truly hadn't expected Lu Jun Ze's reaction to be so intense. She couldn't explain it and vaguely replied, "A friend gave it to me."