Return to the City: The Strongest King
Chapter 169 I Made Him Kneel

Chapter 169: Chapter 169 I Made Him Kneel

Tianfu Grand Hotel, Song Xiaodong, dressed in a sharp suit, his hair meticulously styled, looked considerably more spirited and impressive than usual, the very image of a successful man.

Miao Qingqing wore an off-white, off-the-shoulder knee-length dress, with a delicate diamond necklace adorning her neck, and her hair was also specially done up, making her appear even more graceful and luxurious than normal.

Miao Qingqing, arm in arm with Song Xiaodong, displayed a faint smile on her face, presenting the perfect image of a harmonious and refined couple to onlookers.

"Song Xiaodong, don’t you cause any trouble later, alright? The attendees this time are all important business partners for our company. If something goes awry, it could very well lead to a failed collaboration and result in significant financial losses," she warned.

Song Xiaodong turned his head and whispered in Miao Qingqing’s ear, "I mean, Qingqing, you’ve said that so many times. Aren’t you tired of nagging?"

"Fine, I won’t say it anymore," Miao Qingqing shook her head lightly, though deep down, she lacked confidence. For some reason, she felt that Song Xiaodong could bring her trouble. She really didn’t know whether agreeing to let him act as her boyfriend was right or wrong.

Had Miao Qingqing fully explained the situation to her father, she could have cleared it up, but with many ardent admirers lately, and one in particular whom Miao Qingyuan favored, although Miao Qingyuan had said he wouldn’t interfere with her love life, Miao Qingqing felt that her father was attempting to matchmake them.

Even though the man was quite outstanding, Miao Qingqing wasn’t interested in him; her focus was on her career, without any room for romance on her agenda.

This misunderstanding seemed like a good excuse to use Song Xiaodong for cover, as it would allow her to concentrate on her career without other men bothering her, and her father wouldn’t meddle in her marital affairs. All these considerations seemed better than clearing up the misunderstanding.

Alright, Miao Qingqing had to admit that, having grown up, Song Xiaodong was the only one who had taken advantage of her. If she had to find someone else to pretend to be her boyfriend, she’d have to let another man benefit. She’d rather let only Song Xiaodong take advantage, especially since he was her life-saving benefactor. She felt that let him benefit a bit was somewhat acceptable to her conscience.

The banquet hall hosting the reception was on the third floor. As they arrived at the elevator, two men approached; one of them immediately called out excitedly, "Qingqing, what a coincidence to catch the same elevator."

Miao Qingqing looked at the man and frowned slightly, but greeted him politely, "Good evening, President Xiao."

The man beamed with a smile and said, "Qingqing, forget this President Xiao business. Just call me Zhiming, it sounds much friendlier, doesn’t it?"

While waiting, Miao Qingqing had let go of Song Xiaodong’s arm, but now she took his arm again and said, "President Xiao, let’s not be too friendly, shall we? Otherwise, my boyfriend might get unhappy."

"Boyfriend?" The man immediately looked at Song Xiaodong, and his expression darkened in an instant.

"What a coincidence to meet again," said Song Xiaodong, beaming at Xiao Zhiming. This guy was Xiao Yingying’s cousin; during that incident when Song Xiaodong went to save Xiao Yingying, Xiao Zhiming had been rude to him, ultimately resulting in Xiao Haiqing forcing Xiao Zhiming to kneel and apologize to Song Xiaodong.

"Yes... quite a coincidence," Xiao Zhiming said through gritted teeth, his face clouded with resentment. That event had been a huge humiliation for him and he had harbored a grudge against Song Xiaodong ever since.

Miao Qingqing said with some surprise, "You two know each other?"

Song Xiaodong nodded and said, "I have only seen him a couple of times, but we don’t have any relationship."

Xiao Zhiming snorted and remained silent. He couldn’t share what happened last time. If others found out, how would he have the face to mingle in this social circle?

Seeing Xiao Zhiming’s expression, Miao Qingqing became curious; there clearly was some unpleasantness between these two. She really wondered when Song Xiaodong managed to offend someone like Xiao Zhiming.

The elevator arrived quickly, and Miao Qingqing, not asking further, hooked Song Xiaodong’s arm and entered the lobby. Greetings echoed from all around, and inevitably, some asked about Song Xiaodong’s identity. Upon learning he was Miao Qingqing’s boyfriend, many young men couldn’t help but look at Song Xiaodong with envy.

Everyone knew that Miao Qingyuan had two daughters. Miao Xuanxuan was like a dragon that didn’t show its tail, not part of this social circle, hence hard for anyone to approach. But Miao Qingqing was the target of many people’s secret pursuits.

Since Miao Qingyuan had no sons, whoever won over Miao Qingqing would hit the jackpot both in wealth and in marriage. Even the sons of wealthy families couldn’t resist feeling tempted.

Now that the "belle of the ball" was taken, Song Xiaodong, this guy returning with the beauty in his arms, caused envy in others.

After greeting everyone, Miao Xuanxuan led Song Xiaodong to the food area, where there were fewer people, making it easier to talk. He sighed in relief and said, "You did well just now."

"It’s just acting a part, playing the social elite. That’s no big deal," said Song Xiaodong as he picked out food for his plate.

"Then keep it up," praised Miao Qingqing before leaning closer and asked, "Do you have some kind of grudge against that Xiao Zhiming?"

"A grudge..." Song Xiaodong chuckled and replied, "I just don’t like the look of him, that’s all."

"Is it that simple?"

"What do you want me to say? That I once made the kid kneel before me, would you believe that?"

Miao Qingqing immediately gave Song Xiaodong an unamused look and said, "Xiao Zhiming is the nephew of Xiao Haiqing from the Xiao Corporation. Xiao Haiqing has only one daughter who is seriously ill. Xiao Zhiming has always been highly regarded by Xiao Haiqing and might very well be the heir to the Xiao Corporation in the future. You making him kneel, are you joking?"

Song Xiaodong just shrugged and said, "If you don’t believe me, let it be." He thought to himself with a sigh that people are less likely to believe the truth; ironically, lies are sometimes easier to believe.

Then Miao Qingqing added, "By the way, no matter what issues you have with Xiao Zhiming, try to restrain yourself later on. Our two companies are currently in talks about a cooperation, so don’t mess it up."

"Your companies are cooperating?" Song Xiaodong looked a bit puzzled. It seemed he was also a shareholder in the Xiao Corporation, although owning only a small percentage, but a shareholder nevertheless.