Chapter Ninety-Seven: What Are You Laughing At? Apologize!

Standing at the entrance to the grand hall, Qin Luo had not provoked anyone or caused any trouble. He had merely been watching the beauties before him with complete concentration, never imagining that someone would come running over to pick a fight with him.

And the face was vaguely familiar.

After thinking it over for a moment, Qin Luo finally remembered that he knew this woman.

The last time they met, she had worn a scorching, seductive camisole and denim shorts, her hair a mess around her shoulders as though she had just been through something indecent, giving off the air of a rebellious girl.

This time, she had suddenly changed into an entirely different look: a vest, a red evening gown, silver heels, and her hair pinned up in a bun atop her head. She looked like a refined young lady who attended all manner of banquets and cocktail parties.

The difference between her two appearances was so great that Qin Luo had not recognized her at first glance.

"It's you?" Qin Luo said with a frown. Did this woman always speak so unpleasantly? Why was he not allowed to come to a place like this? Strictly speaking, he was a man of status too, all right? This woman was far too uncultured. She clearly had not read the recent issue of the Huaxia Medicine journal.

"Of course it's me. I'm asking you a question. What are you doing here? How did you get in?" Ling Xiao asked, looking down at him as if she were interrogating a prisoner.

Qin Luo looked at her not-unattractive face with disgust and said, "I walked in. What I'm here for has nothing to do with you, and I have no obligation to explain it to you."

"Could it be you sneaked in?" Ling Xiao said with a cold laugh. "The security at the door is really irresponsible. What if someone steals a wallet in the club?"

"Enough," Qin Luo growled, his face darkening.

He was truly angry. This was the first time since he had come out that he had lost his temper so badly.

"You—" Ling Xiao was still trying to strike back, but the moment she met Qin Luo's gaze, she suddenly felt an intense sense of danger.

Because of that brief hesitation, she failed to get out even a complete sentence, and the momentum of her confrontation with Qin Luo weakened sharply. Regret flooded her heart.

What was there to be afraid of in a bumpkin like him?

"Hey, why are you two arguing the moment you meet?" Ning Sui Sui walked up to Qin Luo with a smile. Greeting him with a cheerful grin, she said, "Big brother, what a coincidence. We meet again."

Qin Luo nodded at her. He bore no ill will toward Ning Sui Sui. Compared with her companions, the girl was much more pleasant.

Only then did Guan Xu, who had been speaking to someone with his head lowered, notice that Ling Xiao was in conflict with someone. Seeing the robe that stood out so strikingly in such a formal setting, his expression also stiffened slightly.

What a narrow road for enemies to meet on. He had not expected that in the vast city of Yanjing, they would run into one another three times in just a few days.

When Ling Yun saw his younger sister arguing with someone again, a trace of bitter amusement appeared on his cool face.

This sister of his had simply been spoiled far too much by the family.

"Ling Xiao, what happened? What's going on?"

"Did he bully you? Hey, sir, do you have any manners at all?"

Seeing Ling Xiao looking upset as she faced off with someone, her two closest friends naturally assumed that it was this grown man, Qin Luo, bullying their friend. They hurried over and immediately started questioning Qin Luo without asking who was right or wrong.

Guan Xu walked over and smiled at Qin Luo. "We meet again."

"I hope next time it won't be so coincidental," Qin Luo said with a cold laugh, glancing at Ling Xiao.

"Seems there may have been some misunderstanding," Guan Xu said, quite satisfied with Qin Luo's attitude. The more agitated he appeared, the more it proved that this opponent lacked calm and maturity of mind.

A person who wore his emotions on his face so easily was very easy to exploit.

"I don't think this is a misunderstanding. I only hope this young lady will keep as far away from me as possible in the future. Of course, I'll do the same," Qin Luo said.

"That would be best. Better never to see each other again," Ling Xiao snorted.

Guan Xu smiled gently, even indulgently patting Ling Xiao on the shoulder to signal that she should say as little as possible and leave matters to him. Ling Xiao nodded with a look of happiness.

"Girls are more lovable when they have a bit of temper. Don't you think so? It's only a small misunderstanding, so please don't take it to heart. You are Miss Huan Xi's friend, and therefore my friend as well. I hope we have a chance to work together again." As he spoke, Guan Xu took the initiative to extend his large hand toward Qin Luo.

He had already obtained a file on this man from Li Lingxi. Qin Luo, grandson of the Medicine King Qin Zheng, a teacher at the School of Traditional Medicine at Capital Medical University, the rumored boyfriend of Lin Huan Xi. Of course, more importantly, he was the inheritor of the Taiyi Divine Needle.

It was not difficult to get his information. Right now, medical newspapers and magazines were full of reports about the emergence of the Taiyi Divine Needle's inheritor.

The higher one climbed, the harder one fell. The greater the fame, the worse the impact.

That was just fine. If he wanted to complete the task assigned by the Omega Research Institute in the shortest possible time, perhaps this young man was the turning point.

He had already decided how to build a good relationship with Qin Luo. Though there might still be some distance between them, none of that was a problem for him.

"I don't think I can become friends with you. And I certainly don't think there's any possibility of cooperation between us," Qin Luo said, his hand hanging at his side, showing no intention of reaching out to shake Guan Xu's hand.

He was not short of money. Why should he cooperate with this guy?

He might look charismatic, but what did that have to do with him?

Charisma? He had that too.

Your excellence is your own business. It doesn't mean everyone in the world must cheer for you, applaud you, or worship you.

Guan Xu's hand remained suspended in the air. A flash of killing intent passed through his eyes, then he gave a carefree shrug, withdrew his hand, and said to Qin Luo, "It seems there is some misunderstanding between us."

Guan Xu pretended not to care about Qin Luo's coldness, but the women who adored him could not bear to see him humiliated like this.

Yes, in their eyes, Qin Luo's behavior was already humiliation.

The first to lose her temper was Ling Xiao, who had been wholeheartedly devoted to Guan Xu since childhood and was the woman who loved him most obsessively.

If such a thing had happened to herself, perhaps she could have endured it. But when it happened to Guan Xu, she could not tolerate it.

"Bumpkins are just bumpkins. No manners at all. Someone takes the initiative to shake his hand, and he doesn't even know how to respond. No one knows who brought him here, but he came to a place like this just to make a spectacle of himself."

"Exactly. Brother Xu, why do you even bother shaking hands with someone like him? Aren't you afraid of dirtying your hand?"

"Just look at the clothes he's wearing. They're filthy. Disgusting—"

As she spoke, the round-faced girl fanned her nose with her hand, as if Qin Luo were emitting some foul stench.

"You shouldn't be like this. Let's talk things through properly. Don't argue," Ning Sui Sui said anxiously from between them.

"Sui Sui, don't interfere. Just leave it to Guan Xu and the others," Li Lingxi stepped forward and whispered into Ning Sui Sui's ear.

Qin Luo looked at the several women before him, all bristling as though ready to fight him for three hundred rounds, and smiled. "In your eyes, he's a flower. In my eyes, he's a pile of filth. On what grounds do you expect me to shake hands with a pile of filth? That's a bit much, isn't it?"

As soon as Qin Luo finished speaking, their faces changed one after another, turning dark to the extreme.

"You must apologize to Guan Xu," Ling Xiao said, pointing at Qin Luo.

The words had barely fallen when a streak of silver suddenly flew straight toward her face.

Ah—

Ling Xiao cried out, then the silver flash struck her squarely. Her face, neck, and clothes were all splashed with water, leaving her in an utterly miserable state.

Wang Jiu Jiu stood behind Qin Luo holding an empty cup, her eyes cold and sharp as she sized up the men and women before her with clear hostility. "You must apologize to Qin Luo."

"How can you just throw water at people?" Ling Yun said sharply when he saw his sister hurt. He hurried over and used his sleeve to wipe the water from her face.

"She should be grateful. If I hadn't been holding a cup, I would have slapped her instead," Wang Jiu Jiu said with a fierce gleam in her eyes, looking every inch the tough girl.

"Don't force me to lay hands on a woman," Ling Yun said, struggling to suppress his anger, his voice low.

"You're no match for me," Wang Jiu Jiu said coldly.

"—"

If his sister had not been crying against his chest, Ling Yun would have rushed over to beat someone up.

"So this is the woman of that bumpkin? Her taste is really quite strange."

"One insults people. One hits people. What a perfect pair. I just don't understand why the Ladies' Association would let people like you in."

"Why can't we come in? Does your family own the Ladies' Association?"

Hu Niu didn't know where she had appeared from as she barked out the words in a rough voice.

"Exactly. Some people don't know much, yet they love to swagger around showing off everywhere." Standing beside Hu Niu was a delicate-looking girl wearing gold-rimmed glasses, appearing very quiet and refined. Yet when she spoke, her words were as sharp as needles.

"Nine Sister, if you want to fight, just say the word. We don't go looking for trouble, but that doesn't mean we're supposed to be bullied," said a sunny young man behind them with a grin.

They all came from the same compound. Now that something had happened, of course they had to come over and back her up.

More and more people gathered around. Originally, Qin Luo had been standing at the entrance to the hall, at the very edge of the crowd.

But because of the conflict, this area had clearly become the center of everyone's attention.

Seeing Wang Jiu Jiu step forward to support Qin Luo, and then a whole group stepping forward to support Wang Jiu Jiu, Guan Xu could not help frowning. He turned to look at Li Lingxi, and when he saw Li Lingxi shake his head with a gloomy expression, he knew this woman had a formidable background.

He sighed inwardly. He had not expected that this brat would actually have such a strong backer.

Guan Xu remained composed in the face of change. A warm and charming smile returned to his face as he looked at Qin Luo and said with a chuckle, "It was only a small misunderstanding, yet it has created such a commotion. If we disturb the host's banquet, that would be our great fault. Why don't we let this matter drop? I'll treat everyone to a drink later. How about that?"

The women who knew Guan Xu naturally knew that he had been a famous heartthrob in Yanjing years ago.

Those who did not know him were also captivated by his calm, handsome, and scholarly bearing, and began quietly discussing his identity.

In an instant, Guan Xu became the center of attention in the room.

Before Qin Luo could speak, Wang Jiu Jiu beside him already snapped coldly, "What's so funny? Apologize."