Chapter 193 - CH: 190 Mei Yuxian's disgust!

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{Chapter: 190 Mei Yuxian's disgust!}

Lin Yuan quietly observed the scene unfolding before him.

The man in military uniform strode into the banquet hall with deliberate, forceful steps, his posture stiffly upright as if trying too hard to appear imposing. However, despite the uniform lending him some aura of authority, it was hard to ignore his slightly pudgy frame and his notably small eyes, narrow and sharp like mung beans.

Lin Yuan narrowed his gaze slightly.

He had never seen this man in uniform before.

Judging by the military decorations—the green epaulets with pine branch designs, the two thin red stripes, and the two silver stars pinned neatly—Lin Yuan confirmed that the man held the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Kyushu military.

Glancing around, Lin Yuan noticed the wide, happy smiles spreading across the faces of Ye Feng, Gu Qingshan, and Wang Sheng. Meanwhile, snippets of conversation floated toward him from the nearby guests.

From the hints and remarks he overheard, Lin Yuan quickly pieced together the man's identity.

The man was Chen Zheng, a cousin of Chen Meng—the current head of the Chen family.

In the storyline of the original novel, Chen Zheng was never supposed to appear at the Mei family's banquet. His sudden arrival was clear evidence that the timeline had been altered, and Lin Yuan instinctively understood why.

It was because of him.

Due to Lin Yuan's continuous interference, Ye Feng had been humiliated earlier at the banquet—a situation that had robbed Ye Feng of the chance to leave a positive impression on the influential figures present.

Originally, this was supposed to be Ye Feng's grand moment: an opportunity to earn the trust, admiration, and support of key players from both the business and political worlds.

But Lin Yuan had ruined that plan.

In an attempt to salvage Ye Feng's reputation and reverse the damage, Chen Meng had no doubt sent Chen Zheng here to intervene—to prop Ye Feng back up in the eyes of the guests.

Chen Zheng wasn't just an ordinary family member either.

He had served in the military for several years, carrying some clout that could be useful in such a high-stakes social gathering.

Originally, back when the Chen family still stood firmly in Yanjing—Kyushu's mighty capital—they wielded considerable influence across the military, political, and commercial sectors. During that time, Chen Zheng, like many other privileged heirs, didn't need to work hard. He simply lived an easy life, comfortably cushioned by his family's immense power and wealth.

However, things had changed.

After a major falling-out with the powerful Ning family, the Chen family was forced to leave Yanjing. They relocated to Jiangbei, starting over from scratch after losing many of their precious connections.

Only recently had they begun to recover their strength.

And to truly rebuild their influence, every capable family member had to pull their weight—earning trust, forging alliances, and expanding their influence wherever possible.

Chen Zheng, despite his earlier aimless lifestyle, became part of this rebuilding effort.

With heavy support from the family, his military career had been carefully nurtured and accelerated. Climbing the ranks, he eventually reached the position of lieutenant colonel in Kyushu's military hierarchy—a respectable achievement, especially in a peaceful era and particularly impressive within the region of Jiangbei.

In today's society, having a military figure like Chen Zheng associated with the Chen family was a valuable asset, offering leverage in both political and business circles.

Naturally, most of the guests at the banquet recognized Chen Zheng immediately.

Lin Yuan's expression remained calm as he considered the situation.

This is the so-called "protagonist's halo," he mused inwardly.

No matter how badly Ye Feng's fortunes were dragged down, there would always be some turn of fate—some influential ally suddenly appearing to lift him back up.

As for Chen Zheng himself, Lin Yuan already had a clear impression of his character.

He was a man who loved to boast and show off.

Back when the Chen family stood tall in Yanjing, Chen Zheng had been something of a laughingstock among the younger generation: aimless, unremarkable, and lacking any particular talent. Without the Chen family's endless support propping him up, it was doubtful he would have even passed the military entrance exam, much less risen to the rank he now flaunted.

And now, even after climbing the ladder, Chen Zheng's nature hadn't changed a bit.

His every movement was exaggerated, as though he feared others might overlook his supposed importance.

His uniform seemed overly polished, and the lieutenant colonel insignia gleamed conspicuously under the hall's golden chandeliers—as if he had deliberately buffed it until it shone, desperate to draw attention.

The moment Chen Zheng stepped into the second-floor banquet hall, he put on an elaborate show.

He coughed loudly—an unnecessary, exaggerated cough—as if to formally announce his arrival.

"Ahem! Good evening, everyone! It's been far too long!" he said with a broad, self-satisfied smile.

His voice carried across the room, loud and pompous.

With an air of exaggerated familiarity, Chen Zheng immediately began weaving through the crowd. He loudly greeted acquaintances, calling them "Brother Tang" and "Sister Li," regardless of whether their relationships were truly that close.

Every few steps, he would lift his shoulders and push out his chest, deliberately displaying the lieutenant colonel insignia on his uniform, making sure it caught the eye of anyone who might not have noticed it the first—or second—time.

Though many guests found his behavior grating and undignified, none openly showed it.

After all, Chen Zheng still represented the Chen family, which remained a formidable force. Most people could only plaster fake smiles on their faces and exchange enthusiastic, if hollow, greetings.

Watching the scene, Lin Yuan chuckled quietly to himself.

The more they struggle, the more amusing it becomes, he thought.

However, according to Lin Yuan's careful observation, Mei Yuxian remained completely expressionless when Chen Zheng arrived. Not even the slightest hint of welcome or acknowledgment appeared on her beautiful, aloof face.

Lin Yuan immediately understood the reason.

In the original novel, it was mentioned that when Chen Zheng was younger, he had a notoriously bad reputation for toying with countless women. His indulgent and reckless behavior was well known among the social circles of Kyushu. However, when he first met Mei Yuxian, he was utterly stunned—captivated by her stunning beauty, strong aura, and untouchable demeanor.

From that moment on, Chen Zheng had always harbored a deep interest in Mei Yuxian.

And even after so many years had passed, it was obvious that those feelings had not faded in the slightest.

Unfortunately for him, Mei Yuxian had always looked down on men like Chen Zheng. She not only disdained his frivolous character, but also loathed him to the point of extreme disgust. To her, he was just another arrogant man whose wealth and position made him think he could get anything he wanted, including her.

After exchanging a few more greetings with other guests, Chen Zheng eventually made his way toward Mei Yuxian.

His gaze was clearly inappropriate.

When his eyes swept over Mei Yuxian's alluring figure—accentuated by the luxurious loosely purple gown—there was an unmistakable glint of desire and calculation in his eyes.

Deliberately adjusting his uniform, puffing out his chest to show off the gleaming lieutenant colonel insignia, Chen Zheng plastered a smile across his face and said with a false tone of casual familiarity:

"Xiao Xian, why didn't you call me for such an important event like your birthday? If you had invited me, I would have definitely come to celebrate with you. Happy birthday!"

His voice was filled with a pretentious sense of intimacy, as if the two were old friends.

But Mei Yuxian, still holding a glass of crimson wine, didn't even glance at him.

She remained calm and distant, slowly swirling the wine in her glass and sipping it elegantly, as though Chen Zheng were nothing more than an annoying breeze brushing past her.

Her coldness was cutting, and the rejection was evident to everyone who happened to be watching.

Lin Yuan, standing nearby, quietly smirked.

He understood perfectly well why Mei Yuxian treated Chen Zheng as if he were invisible.

Firstly, it was because she genuinely despised him—both as a person and for his repeated, unwelcome advances.

Secondly, Mei Yuxian particularly hated people who pretended to act close to her, as if they were on the same level. Such familiarity without respect was something she could never tolerate.

For her, anyone who addressed her as "Xiao Xian"—using such an intimate nickname—was immediately deemed unworthy of her attention.

If Chen Zheng wanted even a sliver of acknowledgment from her, he would have to address her properly, with respect, by calling her Patriarch Mei.

Chen Zheng, frustrated but helpless, forced a smile back onto his face.

He knew very well that although he had a powerful background, he was ultimately just a side member of the Chen family. He was not the head of the family himself.

Compared to Mei Yuxian, who ruled the Mei family as its undisputed leader, his status was still far inferior.

No matter how much he disliked being ignored, there was little he could do about it without causing a public scene—something he couldn't afford.

Suppressing his resentment, Chen Zheng adjusted his expression and said in a more formal tone:

"Master Mei, happy birthday."

(Translator's note: 'Master' here refers to 'Patriarch' or the head of a prominent family.)

This time, Mei Yuxian deigned to acknowledge him.

She took another slow sip of her wine and casually replied with a cool "Yeah."

The perfunctory response stung worse than a slap to the face.

Chen Zheng's fists clenched slightly at his sides, his teeth grinding together in anger.

A part of him burned with the urge to charge forward and force Mei Yuxian to look at him properly.

But he wasn't a fool.

He knew full well that if he made even the slightest inappropriate move toward her, the bodyguards Mei Yuxian had stationed nearby—cold, disciplined, and completely loyal—would rush forward without hesitation.

They would beat him mercilessly, crippling him before he even had the chance to lay a finger on her.

And in such a situation, no one from the Chen family could step in to defend him.

The Chen family's influence was still weaker than that of the Mei family in Jiangbei.

If he caused a scandal here, he would only bring shame and disaster upon himself and his clan.

Faced with such overwhelming disparity in status, Chen Zheng could only swallow his anger and humiliation silently.

He wisely chose to retreat.

Not willing to risk further disgrace, Chen Zheng put on a forced smile and turned around, quickly heading toward Ye Feng.

After all, he had a mission to complete tonight.

He wasn't here just for himself—he had been sent by Chen Meng to support Ye Feng and help polish his tarnished image.

Chen Zheng didn't need to do anything extravagant.

Just being seen chatting amiably with Ye Feng would be enough to influence public perception.

As he walked over, Lin Yuan watched the scene unfold with a faint smirk.

Many of the guests in the hall were already whispering among themselves, exchanging meaningful glances.

They all knew that Ye Feng had some ties to Chen Meng, the head of the Chen family.

However, they had been unsure just how deep that relationship went.

Now, after seeing Chen Zheng—the cousin of Chen Meng and a lieutenant colonel—openly associating himself with Ye Feng, the message became crystal clear:

The Chen family was firmly behind Ye Feng.

This realization immediately altered the way many people viewed Ye Feng.

Even the minor embarrassment Ye Feng suffered earlier—his loud and stinky fart during the banquet—was quickly brushed aside.

Such an incident, laughable on its own, was insignificant compared to the benefits that came with having the Chen family's backing.

Connections mattered far more than personal shortcomings.

And so, at that moment, the atmosphere shifted.

Several prominent guests who had previously avoided Ye Feng now approached him with friendly smiles, eager to strike up conversation.

Their attitudes were completely different from before.

It wasn't just because of Chen Zheng's visible support.

It was because they clearly understood that behind Ye Feng stood the full weight of Chen Meng—and by extension, the entire Chen family.

In Kyushu's high society, allegiance to powerful families was everything.

And right now, Ye Feng was a man worth getting close to.

*****

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