Dance with you

Chapter 55

Sometimes Shen Hua really admired her husband's patience.

The way he did not laugh and tear apart the letter inviting them to an extravagant so-called 'Flower Banquet' the Jin Sect was adamant on hosting.

The way the two of them actually attended said banquet without even one impolite word lost on their hosts who were obviously just showing off their wealth and power.

How had they just watched as Jin Guangshan basically forced Sect Leader Jiang Cheng to renew the engagement of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan with the promise of financial support?
The white ribbons tied into the Jiang delegation's sashes indicated their mourning wasn't yet over, for heaven's sake!

But the Jiang Sect endured and so did the Shen Sect.

It was no surprise to anyone.

Shen Zhihao hadn't allowed Fengjiàn and Guānghe to come along for this exact reason. As much as he adored and indulged his two sons, he knew they would only cause chaos in such a setting.

Zhihao fought hard to not roll his eyes as he noticed his cousin-in-law approach his seat, a woman under each arm. And wasn't that just one of the most shameful things he has had to acknowledge in his entire life, to have Jin Guangshan as his cousin-in-law. He felt his wife shudder beside him, like she had just smelled something disgusting, before she stood, gave him a nod and disappeared somewhere.

Oh how he wanted to follow her.

But he was the Sect Leader. He could not simply walk away. At least he could hide his sneer behind the veil he usually wore.

"Cousin!"

Jin Guangshan was definitely already a bit tipsy if the volume of his voice was any indicator. His slimy gaze wandered over the entire Shen delegation present and his eyes narrowed a bit.

"How can I help you?" Zhihao tried to make his question as neutral as possible. He didn't miss how Guangshan's eyes lingered here and there on some of his female disciples and how the disciples in question shivered and huddled a bit closer to their martial siblings.

At his question, Guangshan's eyes returned to him. "Is my son not with you?"

Zhihao's brows furrowed in confusion. His son? Jin Zixuan was clearly sitting next to Madam Jin, looking way too uncomfortable to approach anyone.

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh you know, weak looking, plain, he struck down Wen Rouhan." Guangshan mentioned the last detail so casually it couldn't be more obvious he was fishing for some kind of compliment or praise.

As if he had made any contribution to that outcome.

Zhihao took a deep breath and unhurriedly took a sip out of his tea cup. "I wasn't aware Meng Yao was your son," he answered diplomatically, even though he wanted to laugh at Guangshan for not even knowing the name of the person he clearly wanted to claim for himself.

"He is. But since he is the offspring of a rather desperate...woman, I felt he should have to prove himself before accepting him into my home."

Everything in Zhihao bristled as he listened to one lie after the other pouring out of the other's mouth. He was suddenly very grateful that Meng Yao had decided to stay back at Cassia Haven. The young man may have fallen for the sugary nonsense coming from Jin Guangshan and joined the Jin Sect happily, not knowing how horrible of a place Koi Tower really was.

Like a tree stump looking healthy on the outside but completely rotten on the inside.

"He elected to stay and help my niece recover. I was under no impression he was obligated to come since the invitation asked for people to represent our Sect."