Chapter 3 The Banquet of Vipers
The Jingcheng Grand Hotel was a blinding display of wealth and excess. Crystal chandeliers the size of small cars hung from the vaulted ceilings, casting a brilliant glow over the sea of bespoke suits, haute couture gowns, and glittering diamonds.
The Centennial Gala was the event of the decade. Everyone who was anyone was here. And they were all waiting for one thing: a show.
I arrived in a sleek, hired Maybach, stepping out onto the red carpet.
I hadn't worn the flamingo monstrosity. Instead, using my newly acquired 100,000 yuan, I had marched into a high-end boutique and purchased a vintage, blood-red velvet gown.
It hugged my curves flawlessly, a high slit exposing a long, pale leg, while a delicate black lace choker adorned my neck.
I left my long hair down in loose, cascading waves, my lips painted a dark, dangerous crimson.
When I stepped into the grand ballroom, the chatter noticeably died down.
Heads turned. Gasps echoed.
"Is that... Su Yan? The country bumpkin?" "Heavens, she looks... stunning. I thought she only wore cheap rags!" "Did you hear Lu Chen didn't even arrive with her? He brought Lin Wan instead!"
I ignored the whispers. I swept my gaze across the room, and there they were. Standing near the towering champagne pyramid.
Lu Chen looked like a dark god, his devastatingly handsome face entirely impassive. Next to him, radiant in an angelic white, diamond-encrusted gown, was Lin Wan. She was holding a flute of champagne, smiling demurely as the wealthy socialites fawned over her.
Just looking at her made the phantom pain in my shattered skull throb. You cut the brakes on my parents' van. You ordered my death. I dug my nails into my palms until I felt the sting of breaking skin to keep myself from sprinting across the room and strangling her with my bare hands.
Patience, I told myself. Ruin them slowly.
As I walked deeper into the room, the System's blue screens began popping up like fireworks above the heads of the elite. It was an absolute goldmine of depravity.
[Target: Chairman Wang of Hexa Corp. Secret: Currently funding a private villa for his three mistresses. His wife thinks he is impotent.]
[Target: Socialite Meng Qiqi. Secret: Claims to be a graduate of Harvard. Actually bought a fake degree online and spent four years partying in Ibiza.]
[Target: Director Zhao. Secret: Embezzled 50 million from his charity foundation to pay off gambling debts in Macau.]
It took everything in my power not to burst out laughing. These were the people who looked down on me? These filthy, lying hypocrites who sneered at my "low-class" background? They were nothing but beautifully dressed trash.
I walked straight toward the bar, ordering a dry martini. I hadn't even taken a sip before the vultures descended.
"Well, well, if it isn't Mrs. Lu," a shrill voice rang out.
I turned. It was Meng Qiqi, surrounded by three other plastic-faced heiresses. She was looking me up and down with intense jealousy, her eyes lingering on my dress.
"Nice dress, Su Yan," Meng Qiqi sneered, swirling her champagne. "Did you rent it? I heard Lu Chen cut off your credit cards. It must be so exhausting, clinging to a man who doesn't even want to look at you. Everyone knows he's going to announce his divorce tonight so he can finally marry Wan'er."
The heiresses giggled behind their hands.
In my past life, I would have shrunk back, tears welling in my eyes, utterly defenseless against their venom.
Now, I just took a slow, elegant sip of my martini. I looked Meng Qiqi dead in the eye.
"It's a vintage Valentino, Qiqi. Bought and paid for," I said smoothly. "Unlike your Harvard degree."
The giggling instantly stopped. The silence was deafening.
Meng Qiqi's jaw dropped, the blood draining from her heavily powdered face. "Wh-what did you say?"
"I said," I raised my voice just a fraction, ensuring the nearby groups could hear, "it's a shame your father donated millions to Harvard, only for you to flunk out in your first semester, forge a degree, and spend four years taking illegal substances on yachts in Ibiza.
How is that rash you caught from the DJ, by the way? Did the penicillin clear it up?"
[DING! Target humiliated! +300 Schadenfreude Points!]
The surrounding guests gasped collectively. The three heiresses physically took a step away from Meng Qiqi, looking at her in shock and disgust.
"Sue me," I smiled, leaning in. "But I'm sure the private investigator your father hires will easily find the photos of you and DJ Pablo. Should I email them to your father's assistant right now?"
Meng Qiqi let out a choked sob, covered her face, and literally sprinted out of the ballroom, her heels clicking frantically against the marble.
I took another sip of my drink. Delicious.
But the commotion had attracted the big fish. The crowd parted.
Lu Chen was walking toward me, his aura dark and suffocating, emitting an oppressive pressure that made the surrounding guests hold their breath. Trailing just a step behind him, clutching her chest as if she had been deeply frightened, was Lin Wan.
The main event was about to begin.