“No.” Yao Tang’s voice was barely above a whisper.

She brought the glass to her lips and took a sip.

Her actions mesmerized Cheng Yan. His smile turned genuine.

Without a second thought, he held out his hand and said, “I wonder if Miss Yao would grant me the honor of a dance.”

“Sure,” Yao Tangreplied almost immediately.

She gave the wine glass back to Meng Yang, then put her hand onCheng Yan’s open palm.

Qin Jing watched the pair as they walked toward the dance floor, her lips curling upward, her eyes twinkling.

…

Yao Yuan was waiting in the living room whenQin ManandYao Ranarrived home.

He had a cup of tea in his hand, and was just about to take a sip when they burst through the front door.

“Why are you back so early?” he frowned. “The dinner party can’t be over yet. Did you even get to meet the Young Master Qin?”

His wife and daughter had taken a priceless bag to present as a birthday gift; surely the Young Miss Qin had liked it!

These luxury items were all the rage these days, weren’t they?

Faced with Yao Yuan’s expectant gaze,Qin ManandYao Ranexchanged an awkward look before averting their eyes. If he learned that they had been kicked out of the party, he would definitely blame them for it.

Yao Ran stepped forward with a smile. “We were feeling a little unwell from all the drinking, Dad, so we thought it best that we went home. But guess what? Not only did we meet the Young Master Qin, but we also ran into another big fish!”

Her face was bright with excitement, a far cry from the pitiful expression she had displayed back at the party. Indeed, Yao Ranwas basking in what she considered a triumph.

The Qin family was no match against the Cheng family, after all. They might have suffered some humiliation back there, but they had still emerged victorious.

Qin Man rushed to her daughter’s side and nodded in earnest. “Yes, yes, that’s right. The Young Master Cheng was also in attendance! All in all, I daresay that our little outing was very successful.”

Yao Yuan beamed after hearing this.

He jumped to his feet and ushered them to the sofa, then he poured them each a cup of tea. His joy was written all over his face.

‘The Cheng family, huh? Excellent!’

What an auspicious turn of events!

No other family or organization could compare to the Cheng familyin terms of wealth or power.

Not even the Young Master Qin could hope to compete with his peers from the Cheng family.

“Well, what happened? Go on, tell me everything!”

Yao Yuan sat back beside them, eager to know how they had come to meet the Young Master Cheng.

This seemed to be all the encouragement Yao Ranneeded, because she no longer felt cautious or afraid. She proceeded to spin her tale.

“We learned right after we arrived that the Young Master Cheng was also invited to the party, so Mom and I devised a plan to pour some wine into his clothes. This opened a way for us to have a conversation.”

Yao Ran paused to sigh dreamily. “He was such a gentleman. He didn’t blame me for ruining his clothes, but I insisted on compensating him, so he offered me his business card. I’m looking forward to meeting him sometime in the future!”

Yao Yuan’s grin grew wider with every word she spoke.

He slapped the table several times and would occasionally let out an effusive exclamation.

He was obviously satisfied with tonight’s events. It wasn’t easy meeting the Young Master Cheng, let alone obtaining his contact information. Yao Randeserved all the credit and praise for a job well done.

“But Dad,” she spoke again, with some hesitation this time. “Don’t you think we should reconsider letting Sister return to the household? I mean, her reputation is a little… Well, it isn’t exactly good. If the Cheng familyfinds out about her, they may not look at us favorably.

If she’s here, they might think that we tolerate her behavior. Worse, they might even assume that everyone in our family is like her.

Besides, Sister is very unpredictable. We never know what she would do in the future. It’s just too risky.”

Yao Yuan mulled this over for a moment.

“You do have a point. Our family can’t let that troublemaker ruin this opportunity. Very well, let’s not persuade her to come home for the time being.”