Chapter Sixty-Four: The Olive Branch

Li Xiaoqing was on the verge of tears. She had truly embarrassed herself beyond measure. Today was supposed to be a dazzling birthday celebration at Platinum, but her cousin had ruined her mood entirely!

Those around her tried to comfort her, urging her not to take Jiang Xiaotian’s actions to heart. Everyone believed he had acted deliberately.

Yang Feng, in particular, looked down on him. “I noticed the wristband on his arm—it’s a color I’ve never seen before. It’s obviously for staff. He’s bitter that Xiaoqing didn’t invite him to her birthday, so he came to humiliate her on purpose!”

Hearing this, Li Xiaoqing’s anger only intensified, forgetting entirely about Jiang Xiaotian’s humble circumstances. Now, the few hundred yuan in the red envelope seemed nothing but an insult.

“My father really made a mistake, raising such an ingrate!” Li Xiaoqing cursed angrily.

Yang Feng stepped forward to console her. “Come now, don’t be upset. Today is your birthday—don’t let someone like that spoil your mood! We still have a celebration ahead, and there’ll be plenty of chances to teach him a lesson later. After all, he’s just a waiter.”

Li Xiaoqing’s expression softened, and she gazed at Yang Feng with increasing tenderness.

How could the gap between people be so vast? Jiang Xiaotian was poor and ill-tempered, and all because of some trivial matter he treated her this way. In contrast, Yang Feng was outstanding—wealthy, gentle, and handsome.

Li Xiaoqing felt that finding such a boyfriend was the luckiest thing in her life, while having that cousin was the most unfortunate.

As they spoke, they reached their floor.

Stepping out, their eyes were immediately drawn to a stunning sight. Not only they, but many men present had their attention fixed on the same spot.

A girl in an evening gown stood there, clad in a jet-black dress that accentuated her tall figure and a face so exquisite it would make celebrities feel inferior.

Li Xiaoqing was considered beautiful, but next to this girl, she seemed utterly ordinary.

“No wonder this place is called Platinum… I wonder who she came with. She’s truly the best of the best!” A boy walking with Yang Feng couldn’t help but marvel—she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Many men, who appeared wealthy or influential, tried to strike up a conversation with her, but she barely acknowledged them, only shaking her head, unwilling to say a word.

Yet even so, some persisted, drawing even more attention. She alone outshone all the women present.

Yang Feng was also mesmerized, but with his girlfriend beside him, he restrained himself. He knew her identity, so he simply shook his head. “Don’t get your hopes up. If you’ve been following the Platinum forum recently, you’ll know who she is.”

Even the girls were especially curious.

Li Xiaoqing looked at her with overwhelming envy.

Every girl longed to become someone as graceful and poised as her—beautiful, with an exceptional aura, like a celestial maiden.

Yang Feng didn’t keep them in suspense and introduced her directly. “No one knows her exact identity, but people call her the Queen of Platinum. Her looks need no explanation, but her background is even more impressive. How many people can freely access every floor here? And she can book out an entire venue at will—tonight, I hear she’s reserved the rooftop restaurant. It was originally booked by someone else, but Platinum was willing to offend those clients just to give her the spot. What do you think of that?”

Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in amazement.

The rooftop restaurant!

It was the most romantic spot at Platinum, reserved for only the wealthiest young men for proposals. Even Yang Feng probably couldn’t book it.

No matter how rich he was, he wouldn’t spend tens of thousands for a single meal!

“And she has a boyfriend, so give up your fantasies,” Yang Feng said, seeing his friend practically drooling.

Of course, a woman of that caliber was only someone to dream about—they dared not even approach her. Her presence was overwhelming.

They stopped staring, reminding themselves that tonight was about Li Xiaoqing’s birthday, and this was merely a fleeting episode. They quickly found seats.

As a holder of the red wristband, Yang Feng received VIP treatment. He even treated his friends to blue wristbands with a swipe of his card—showing off his generosity.

Not far away, Ling’er was on the verge of losing her patience.

She was simply a little hungry, wanting to grab a bite to eat, but kept being approached by human men!

As a dragon, Ling’er didn’t particularly care for humans. If not for being influenced by Jiang Xiaotian, she might have burned these annoying men to ashes long ago.

So she simply filled a plate with some food and hurried upstairs.

She was quite conservative—wearing an evening gown in front of so many people made her shy.

As she left, sighs echoed on that floor, but some who knew the situation breathed a sigh of relief, knowing not to provoke Ling’er.

Ling’er didn’t return to her room but went straight to the rooftop to decorate it.

Thinking of Jiang Xiaotian’s silly grin later, she couldn’t help but smile.

She was simple—if Jiang Xiaotian was happy, she was happy.

He had endured so much, yet remained gentle with the world, even risking his life for her. How could she not treat him well?

Of course, the protagonist knew nothing of this.

Jiang Xiaotian sneezed unexpectedly and arrived at the private room he had reserved.

The moment he entered, everyone inside stood up.

“Mr. Jiang is here!”

Yang Yuanzhen cheerfully rushed to greet him, firmly shaking Jiang Xiaotian’s hand. “Ah, Mr. Jiang is so punctual—truly a hero! Please, take your seat. We’re all here!”

Jiang Xiaotian nodded and, guided to the place of honor, took his seat.

Truth be told, he was quite excited—who could have imagined he’d see such a day?

Yang Yuanzhen warmly introduced everyone present, each a top figure in Jiangzhou, holding economic sway.

All of them practiced martial arts, so their conversations were frank.

They were businessmen; after the formalities, they quickly extended olive branches, seeking cooperation with Jiang Xiaotian.

The profits they offered were generous—not just money, but shares in their companies.

But Jiang Xiaotian declined them all. It wasn’t that he wasn’t tempted, but he genuinely had no time.

He was essentially “sold” to the government; once this matter was settled, he’d have to head straight to the battlefield. He couldn’t offer them protection, nor was he irresponsible.

When he accepted Brother Long’s offer previously, it was because he was desperate for money and never intended to aid criminal elements.

Naturally, the others regretted his refusal, but such things couldn’t be forced. They didn’t dare insist and spent the evening drinking, forging friendships.

Since Jiang Xiaotian was present, he wouldn’t disrespect them—especially since they were truly wealthy, far richer than himself. Meeting them wasn’t a loss.

Among them, Yang Yuanzhen was a true old fox.

No one said it outright, but everyone suspected Jiang Xiaotian and Yang Yuanzhen were already cooperating. Why else would Jiang Xiaotian so decisively reject everyone, no matter how lucrative the offer?

Especially since he had personally invited Yang Yuanzhen to dinner.

So they remained silent, but inwardly assumed Yang Yuanzhen and Jiang Xiaotian were close.

These bigshots loved to overthink. In truth, Jiang Xiaotian knew nothing—Yang Yuanzhen was simply leveraging his presence.

Jiang Xiaotian was strong, but at the end of the day, he was still a university student, with mature judgment only because he had grown up without supervision. When faced with people who’d spent decades navigating society, he lacked experience.

He simply wanted to thank Yang Yuanzhen by inviting him to dinner. As for Yang Yuanzhen bringing his friends, Jiang Xiaotian saw it as no different from someone inviting Zhang Wei and bringing him along.

Yang Yuanzhen was no fool. At his age, he had little in common with Jiang Xiaotian, so he agreed to bring his son, hoping to find shared interests.

After three rounds of drinks, seeing the time was right, Yang Yuanzhen turned to Jiang Xiaotian. “By the way, Mr. Jiang, it’s quite a coincidence—my son is dining here tonight as well. He’s passionate about cars, like you, and happens to drive a 911. He’s a big admirer of yours. Perhaps later you can meet him.”