Chapter 18

Heads turned to the voice. Hall entrance—a young man in white suit strode in.
Someone recognized him at once. “Young Master Zhang?”
“……”
Young Master Zhang? Zhang Changning?
The title pulled Bai Xu’s focus.
Deep brown natural curls. Doll-face pretty features—shop-window ragdoll cat energy. Genuinely beautiful.
Song Qiancheng seized the gap. Scrambled out of range. Hand on a neck with no wound. Shaky breath.
Forehead throb—no blood—but enough to bristle again.
“Bai Xu—everyone saw today. I’m not done with you!”
“……”
Bai Xu looked back. Cold laugh—flung—
Broken sharp stem traced a clean arc. Landed at Song Qiancheng’s feet. He jumped back half a step.
“Funny—I’m not done either if this doesn’t get settled.”
The “crazy” act had the room’s eyes. Time to settle accounts line by line.
Zhang Changning reached them.
Eyes met. Silent question.
Zhang Changning tilted head familiar. Low. “Relax—I’m friendly. And I hate—”
Pause. Finger at Song Qiancheng. “Rich kids who think money makes them gods—bully for fun—dirty tricks in the dark! What morons?”
Curse words—but lively from his mouth.
Bai Xu’s mouth curved. Song Qiancheng fuming. “Zhang Changning—who you cursing?”
Zhang shrugged. “Not obvious? You.”
“You—”
Chairman Song quick to his son. “Qiancheng!”
Son couldn’t swallow it. “Dad!”
Public stage—Chairman Song wouldn’t brawl with kids and lose face. Wouldn’t let it go either.
Stone face forced. “Young Master Zhang—Song family isn’t Zhang-tier—but we’ve got standing in Dijing! Insult my son in public—bit disrespectful?”
Then blame shift to Bai Xu. “And you—”
“Don’t think Shang Third House lets you run wild. Smashing and threatening my son—that’s on you!”
Third House hadn’t shown face since the crash. Rumors Old Master Shang protected them—didn’t mean he protected Bai Xu!
Who was Bai Xu? What backing—dares lecture his son—humiliate Song family?
Word gets out—Song Liwei and Song name—gone!
Chairman Song thought the ledger. Loud. “Everyone—I know the son I raised. Qiancheng plays rough—but he’d never do evil!”
Bai Xu brow up. “Chairman Song—from start to now I never said ‘Shang Group.’ You’re the one obsessed. You know the gap between Song and Shang? Know you can’t afford to poke?”
“……”
Reality named. Chairman Song’s face locked.
Eyes everywhere. Bai Xu still easy. “Song Qiancheng drugged my wine—I returned as an individual. I hit him because he earned it.”
“Yeah! Earned it!”
Zhang Changning nodded. “Chairman Song—don’t talk too big in public. Old saying—fail the son, fail the father.”
The moment he finished—the center screen snapped on. Obviously “sneak” footage played—
Song Qiancheng one hand pocket, vape in the other. Arrogance and boredom.
Server stammering. “Y-Young Master Song—I beg you—I can’t—this is illegal!”
Song Qiancheng blew smoke in his face. “Less talk. Do it.”
Friend handed a pill. “Drop it in the wine—swap to Bai Xu’s place. Relax—we dose right. Just fun.”
“You do it—money. You don’t—trouble.”
Server took the pill hesitant. “If he notices—I—”
Song Qiancheng cut in. “Him? Mouse courage.”
Friend laughed. “Me and Young Master Song pranked him plenty—every time he ate it silent. Go—stop whining!”
Video ended. Iron proof.
Bai Xu looked at Zhang Changning first. Signature shrug. Casual. “Me—I walked by. Saw by accident. Accidentally had it broadcast.”
Bai Xu rare smile. “Thanks for the accident.”
---
Looked at the frozen server at the head table. Aura dropped heavy. “I kept a little wine. Send for drug test. When results land—mastermind or accomplice—nobody runs.”
“……”
Last line woke the server.
Ran up. Pouring out. “M-Mr. Bai—please once—forgive me—sorry—I didn’t want to—you all saw! Young Master Song threatened me—to drug you!”
“They gave me the pill! I never thought they carried that stuff!”
Thunder through the room.
Guests woke—scorn at Song father and son—
Rich people’s private “games” were many—but rarely on display.
Humiliate Bai Xu—one thing. Carry that stuff in pocket—another. Cheap.
Someone gossiped loud. “‘Mood’ pills in your pocket—someone not performing?”
Zhang Changning laughed open. “Song Qiancheng—what’s wrong? Can’t get it up?”
Bai Xu followed. “Chairman Song—this is what you raised? Eye-opening.”
“……”
“……”
Two hits like a thousand slaps.
Song Qiancheng red—no word back. Never imagined—
Everything flipped. He was the joke now.
Chairman Song iron gray—never thought his proud son was this underneath. Face in the dirt.
Wanted to slap Qiancheng twice on the spot.
“Chairman Song—your say?”
“Yeah—look at tonight’s occasion. Mess.”
Voices siding with Bai Xu.
Deny now—useless.
Chairman Song forced breath. Voice back rough. “Song failed as father. We admit fault. Mr. Bai—how do you want this resolved?”
Bai Xu straight at both. “Simple. Song Qiancheng takes another pill—mixes wine—drinks. Waits in public till it hits. Then we’re done.”
“……”
Guests traded looks—new read on Bai Xu—
Cruel? Eye for eye. Not cruel?—but it strangles Song father and son’s lifeline.
Song Qiancheng eyes huge. Chairman Song nearly choked. “Mr. Bai—that’s bullying!”
“Bullying?”
When Song Qiancheng and crew mocked the original for sport—was that not bullying?
Cold in Bai Xu broke open. Soft brows turned blade. “Chairman Song loves his son that much—want to apologize his way for him instead?”
“……”
Air hit ice.
Nobody spoke for the Songs.
Bai Xu eyes flicker. Timing guess: he’d “made noise” this loud—the host should appear.
“Sorry everyone—I’m late.”
Right on cue.
Host Sun Miaochun entered with her lead. Crowd gathered. Playing dumb with knowing eyes. “What happened? Lively.”
“Chairman Chun.”
“Chairman Chun—good evening.”
Seasoned guests greeted—broke the stalemate smooth.
Sun Miaochun beside Bai Xu. Smile surface. Appreciation deep. “Mr. Bai—first meeting. Hello.”
“Chairman Chun.”
Bai Xu knew she picked this beat—drag with Song family and the dinner spoils.
“Some unpleasantness between you two?”
Sun Miaochun asked what she knew. Lead offered champagne. “Host failed your moods—I apologize. Mr. Bai and Chairman Song—for my sake—a drink?”
Chairman Song grabbed the ladder. Champagne up.
Sun Miaochun to Bai Xu. “Mr. Bai?”
Bai Xu light laugh. “Chairman Chun—this cup—for Old Master Shang’s face? Shang Third House’s face? Or mine?”
A party this size—cheap tricks reached her ears.
She knew trouble would land on him—yet delayed on purpose? Watching from the start—
One: if he drugged and humiliated—read the room’s reaction to Shang—map who’s close.
Two: rescue after disaster—Sun earns favor with Shang—size of favor tests how much he and Third House weigh with Old Master Shang.
Anyway—the drugger wasn’t her.
Too bad Bai Xu wasn’t soft. Wouldn’t enter the trap.
“……”
Sun Miaochun heard the subtext. No deny. “Mr. Bai—young—but you see a lot. Will you sell me face?”
---
Lead pushed champagne forward again.
Bai Xu was right. Sun Miaochun didn’t expect—
He caught the spiked wine. Countered Song father and son easy. Escalated till she had to surface.
Outcome set—she sided with Bai Xu.
Song face—gone. Right and wrong—clear. After tonight the Songs won’t hold their heads for a while.
Bai Xu knew what he wanted. Slow—took the champagne. “Chairman Chun’s face—I give. But I want two words at your party.”
Sun Miaochun looked higher. Corner smile. “Please.”
Bai Xu scanned the room. Public. “I know what you’re thinking. Yes—Yanxiao and I are luck-marriage bound. That doesn’t make me Shang Third House’s accessory!”
“Whatever you thought of me before—from today I act without Shang as my backbone. And I don’t need Shang to clean up my mess after!”
“Anyone trying to read Third House’s situation through me—wrong person.”
Cheap tricks and probes—use less on him.
Someone still asked. “M-Mr. Bai—Third Young Master’s state? You married him—give us straight talk?”
“Shang Group’s huge—branch companies run separate. Yanxiao handled so much—someone has to hold it?”
“Hear he still hasn’t woken. Fourth Young Master never managed affairs—now—not convenient. What if someone moves?”
Blunter words unsaid:
Who knows how the power fight ends?
If Third House falls—partners need to shift early—pick the right side!
Bai Xu hand up—quiet the noise. Didn’t deny. “Third House hit turbulence lately—needs time.”
Pause. Pivot. “But Yanxiao’s ability—everyone saw. Enterprises and projects he ran—still steady now.”
Xie Qi told him before he left—
Yanxiao’s mind and methods—top tier. Executives he raised—layered review—business rolling on schedule.
Same management style as pre-transmigration Bai Xu—weird match.
Bai Xu rhetorical block. “Who’s the snake spreading Third House collapse? Gossip Yanxiao and Queyan all day—afraid your mouth’ll cost you later?”
“Exactly!”
Zhang Changning piled on. One line. “Old Master Shang’s still alive. Who dares move?”