Xu Ke turned his head. A middle-aged man was standing at the top of the stairs. Wong Liqing!

Xu Ke's expression darkened instantly. He hadn't expected Wong Liqing to show up and obstruct them, especially not when his parents were here.

Wong Liqing sneered as he approached.

Just this afternoon, he'd received a message that Wong Qifu and Xu Ke were coming here for dinner. He knew immediately they must have something important to do! And seeing them now, he was proven right. Xu Ke's parents were standing right behind him!

Wong Liqing was relieved he had come out to stop them in time. Otherwise, after meeting the parents, wouldn't their engagement be all but set in stone?

Wong Liqing knew they must be up to something important because he understood the hotel's significance to Wong Qifu. Her father's name was Wang Jiangnian. The meaning behind the name Wangjiang Hotel was self-evident.

Xu Ke had bad blood with Wong Liqing. But in front of his parents, he didn't want to cause a scene. More importantly, he didn't want them to see just how strained his relationship with the Wang Family was.

So, he took a deep breath and decided to concede. "Uncle Qing…"

But Wong Liqing cut him off with a sneer. "Don't call me Uncle Qing. I, Wong Liqing, am Wong Qifu's paternal uncle, not yours. Understand?"

Xu Ke's face turned livid. Wong Liqing had no intention of giving him any face whatsoever.

The color drained from Shen Fen's face. How could she fail to see that Wong Liqing despised Xu Ke?

At this, Xu Zhenguo stepped forward. "Mister Wang, excuse me, we have a reservation…"

"Reservation?" Wong Liqing interrupted rudely. "You aren't qualified to go upstairs!"

He had already arranged for someone to delay Wong Qifu at the Wang Family Corporation. He had to get rid of these people before she arrived!

Xu Zhenguo's face tightened with suppressed anger. Xu Ke's expression had turned completely cold. "Wong Liqing, are you in charge here? Do you have the authority to bar us from going upstairs?"

Just then, a large man in a suit stepped out from behind Wong Liqing. He wore a polite smile. "I am the manager, Wang Conghu. My apologies, Mister Xu," he said. "The hotel is at full capacity today and cannot accommodate any new guests. Please leave."

Xu Ke's pupils constricted. "We already have a reservation!"

Wong Qifu had clearly given instructions beforehand!

"My apologies. I've been here all day, and I wasn't aware of any reservation you made," Wang Conghu said, his smile never faltering.

At this, Wong Liqing's smile grew even more smug. So what if I'm colluding with others to suppress you? What can you possibly do about it, Xu Ke?!

At this point, everyone in the lobby was one of Wong Liqing's men. They all folded their arms, eagerly waiting to watch Xu Ke's humiliation.

Getting stopped at the door when just bringing your parents for a meal... A loser like that has no right to be Wong Qifu's husband!

"I'm giving you three minutes to leave. Otherwise, I'll have security throw you out," Wong Liqing sneered.

Xu Zhentai stepped forward, his eyes hardening. "Mister Wang, you're open for business. There shouldn't be a problem with us being here, right?"

Wong Liqing scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "I don't care how rich or powerful you are. The hotel is full, and I refuse to do business with you. You got a problem with that?

"Besides, do you really think you have more money than our Wang Family?

"Hilarious!"

Xu Zhentai's face turned ashen. Seeing him rendered speechless, the surrounding crowd erupted in derisive laughter.

Immediately, others chimed in to support Wong Liqing.

"If you don't have the wealth and power to match the Wang Family, don't even dream of climbing the social ladder."

"Do you really think you're someone special? Stop putting on an act!"

"Take a look in the mirror, Xu Ke!"

These were all Wong Liqing's trusted subordinates. Here, even Wong Qifu's orders might not be as effective as Wong Liqing's, let alone a mere nobody like Xu Ke.

The jeers and scorn came crashing down on them like waves. Wong Liqing's intention to use his power to bully them was on full display.

Shen Fen flushed with humiliation, her eyes welling with tears. She wasn't sad because she couldn't get into the hotel, but because... It was all her fault. She wasn't powerful enough, and that's why her son hadn't been born into a better life. Now, even when he was about to get engaged, he was being publicly humiliated in a lobby.

Xu Zhenguo's fists clenched tighter. Before coming here, he had considered asking Xu Ke and Wong Qifu to call off the engagement. But that didn't mean he would disregard his son's feelings while the engagement was still on. If he blew up now, it would only make Xu Ke's life in Tianhai more difficult in the future. What could he possibly do?

Seeing all this, Xu Ke's expression was so dark it could drip ink. He stared at Wong Liqing's smug, contemptuous face… He wanted nothing more than to smash his fist into it right now.

But just then, Xu Zhenguo's strained voice cut through the noise. "Xiao Ke, if he won't let us up, let's just go."

Xu Ke turned his head, stunned. His father didn't want to make things harder for him. He was choosing to back down!

Hearing this, Xu Ke went rigid, and his eyes slowly turned bloodshot.

"That's right. Even your parents said to leave, so hurry up and get out. We're closing!" Wong Liqing taunted.

Xu Ke stared at Wong Liqing, his lips pressed into a thin line, his jaw already clenched tight.

Seeing Xu Ke's expression, Wong Liqing grew even more smug. So what if Xu Ke was strong? He'd killed Song Zhong, crippled Yuk Ming, and even caused the death of Ouyang Shuang. And so what? He was banking on the fact that Xu Ke wouldn't dare make a move in front of his family. That was the only reason he dared to suppress him now!

And if Xu Ke didn't get physical, but instead chose to mock him by calling him an 'imbecile' like last time at Wong Qifu's house... then Wong Liqing would have the perfect excuse to accuse his parents of failing to raise him properly. At that point, he wouldn't even have to say anything; Xu Zhenguo himself would be the one to tell Xu Ke to shut his mouth.

"Closing?" Xu Ke looked at Wong Liqing, his eyes filled with violent fury.

He reached into his pocket. He was going to pull out the Wang Family Black Card marked with the number "2." That card represented the highest authority, second only to the Wang Family Patriarch. Wong Liqing would be powerless to defy it!

He had never once considered using Wong Qifu's power to crush someone. But now... for his parents' sake... he would use her influence to crush Wong Liqing. He couldn't just stand by and watch them be humiliated.

But as his hand moved, Xu Zhentai noticed at once. "Don't!"

He knew what that card in Xu Ke's hand represented. But it was precisely at a time like this that they could not use it!

Xu Ke's hand froze. "Second Uncle, why?"

"If you use that card, you will never be able to hold your head high in the Wang Family again!" Xu Zhentai snapped.

Red flared in Xu Ke's eyes. "Are we supposed to just walk away like this?!"

Shen Fen's voice came from his side. "Then let's go. It's fine if we don't eat here. Your mother is okay with that."

Xu Ke looked back. Shen Fen was looking at him, forcing a smile.

A sharp pain lanced through Xu Ke's heart. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Wong Liqing. You bastard!

A terrifying aura began to rise from Xu Ke. But just then, footsteps were heard from outside. A cold shout, suppressed with anger, cracked through the lobby like thunder. "Wang Conghu, Wong Liqing, you have some nerve!"

Everyone froze. Wong Liqing and Wang Conghu instinctively turned to look.

When he saw who it was, Wong Liqing's pupils shrank and the color drained from his face. "Xiao Fu, what are you—"

But Wong Qifu cut him off brutally, shoving the rest of his sentence back down his throat. "Address me as Family Head!"

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