Wedding Reception!

After calming the situation, Bo Boxin descended the grand staircase, engaging with business clients as he moved through the crowd. Once his discussions concluded, he made his way toward his son, his expression darkening.

"Bo Beichen, what is this?" he demanded in a low, firm voice. "This is your wedding reception, yet here you are, enjoying the party with your mistress instead of your wife."

Bo Beichen scoffed. "Dad, Ning'r is not my mistress—she's my girlfriend. I never wanted this marriage. You forced me into it."

Before Bo Boxin could respond, a delicate voice interrupted them.

"Cheng! Here you are! I’ve been looking for you. Come, I want to introduce you to my new friends," Shao Ning said sweetly, approaching them with a radiant smile.

Bo Beichen’s expression softened, and he gently smiled back at her. However, when Shao Ning turned to greet Bo Boxin, her warmth was met with cold indifference.

"Hello, Uncle Bo," she said politely.

Bo Boxin ignored her entirely, focusing his stern gaze on his son. "Beichen, repent before it’s too late. Otherwise, you will regret it. Remember, this is your wedding reception, not a movie premiere."

Shao Ning’s face paled, her smile faltering. Tears welled in her eyes as she turned and hurried away, overwhelmed by humiliation. Without hesitation, Bo Beichen scoffed and rushed after her.

In her distress, Shao Ning wasn’t paying attention and collided with a waiter. The tray he carried tilted, and a glass of red wine splashed across Bai Xiuying’s elegant gown.

Shao Ning gasped, immediately reaching for a napkin. "I’m so sorry, Sister Ying! My mind was elsewhere, and I wasn’t paying attention. I’ll compensate you for your dress."

Bai Xiuying let out a cold scoff, her arms crossing over her chest. "First of all, I am not your sister. We are not close. Second, I don’t accept apologies so easily."

Shao Ning’s expression faltered. "Miss Bai, I thought you were Anna jiejie’s friend, so I—"

"Oh? And based on that logic, you assumed you could call me 'sister'?" Bai Xiuying interrupted, her lips curving into a smirk. "How amusing. Sometimes, you actually do use your brain."

Shao Ning bit her lip, unsure of how to respond.

"But," Bai Xiuying continued, her tone turning sharp, "you don’t deserve to call me 'sister.' You are nothing but a stranger to me. And just to clarify—Third is not your sister either. Her parents never gave her a little sister like you."

With that, Bai Xiuying grabbed a napkin from the table and handed it to her. "Here. Wipe your tears and get lost. Go cry in the arms of your beloved Brother Cheng."

Shao Ning’s face burned with embarrassment, her tears now unstoppable.

Tension in the Ballroom

As the commotion unfolded, the surrounding socialites watched in delight, murmuring among themselves as if enjoying a grand spectacle. The whispered gossip spread like wildfire.

Just then, Bo Beichen arrived. His expression darkened upon seeing Shao Ning’s tear-streaked face. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms and shot a cold glare at Bai Xiuying.

"Don't cross the line, Bai Xiuying," he warned icily.

Bai Xiuying tilted her head, unimpressed. "Cross the line?" She let out a mocking laugh. "Nice analogy, Mr. Bo, but I don’t see a zebra crossing. Why should I stay within limits?"

The entire ballroom burst into laughter at her sharp remark. Shao Ning’s humiliation deepened, her face turning ashen.

Then, the laughter abruptly ceased. The air in the room turned suffocatingly tense with just one sharp glare from Bo Beichen.

His voice was low and deadly. "Bai Xiuying, I think you no longer value your life."

Before Bai Xiuying could respond, an enraged voice cut through the air.

"No, our Big Five values her life very much," Wei Jing—also known as ‘Crazy Fourth’—spoke up, stepping forward. "But your beloved Ning'r does not."

The atmosphere thickened as Wei Jing’s gaze locked onto Bo Beichen’s. "Don’t test the power of the Bai and Wei Clans, Bo Beichen," she said coldly. "You know the terms of the treaty between us. If the treaty is broken, the Bo Family—and your little lover—will cease to exist."

Shao Ning’s face drained of all color. Panic gripped her as she realized that her small mistake had escalated into something far more dangerous. Trembling, she quickly turned to Bai Xiuying and Wei Jing, bowing deeply.

"Miss Bai, Miss Wei, I sincerely apologize for my mistake. Please don’t take it to heart and escalate the situation further."

Wei Jing narrowed her eyes. "Miss Shao, we are not the ones escalating things here. Your darling brother is making a mountain out of a molehill." She crossed her arms and smirked. "Drop the act. We’re not interested in investing in your acting career."

The tension in the air was palpable. The war had just begun.

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