The Heiress and the Illegitimate School Bully: Chapter 28

The brilliant crystal chandelier cast a radiance that transformed the entire engagement banquet venue into a dreamlike setting. On the exquisite silver candelabras, candles flickered with grace, and the air was saturated with the romantic fragrance of rose petals. Friends and family sat around round tables laden with fine food and wine, their laughter and chatter filling the space as they bore witness to this blissful moment.

Song Qian, dressed in a pristine white floor-length gown, looked like a fairy descended from the heavens. Arm in arm with Xiao Yi, she walked gracefully toward the center of the stage. Xiao Yi stood tall and proud, his deep eyes brimming with tenderness and affection.

Below the stage, Song Qian’s parents wore smiles full of comfort and blessings. However, the faces of Xiao Yi’s family were dark and gloomy. Xiao Yi’s father let out a cold snort and muttered, "A bastard child daring to climb the social ladder through the Song family—what sheer overestimation of his own worth." Although his voice was not loud, it sounded jarringly harsh in the quiet venue. Xiao Yi’s stepmother chimed in with biting sarcasm, "The Song family must be blind to have taken a fancy to him." Nearby relatives whispered among themselves, casting looks of disdain.

Hearing these insulting words, Song Qian’s expression turned icy. She released Xiao Yi’s arm and, with light, measured steps, walked up to Xiao Aiguo. "Uncle, in your disparaging remarks, have you forgotten who it was that reached out to help the Xiao family during their recent business crisis? Or perhaps you believe the Song family’s judgment is inferior to your own?" Song Qian’s voice was crisp yet carried an air of authority. Xiao Aiguo was rendered speechless, his face flushing deep red.

Song Qian then turned to Xiao Yi’s stepmother. "And you, Aunt—is your bitterness born of jealousy that your own son has yet to find true love, leaving you to wallow in such narrow-minded spite?" The stepmother’s smile froze, her eyes filled with shock and fury.

Su Yao returned to Xiao Yi’s side and held his hand high. "Today is my engagement banquet with Xiao Yi. I love him, regardless of his status or rank. That you choose to turn a blind eye to his kindness, diligence, and talent is your own loss. From this day forward, we shall walk this path together, and we will never be swayed by your malice." Thunderous applause erupted from the audience, and Song Qian’s parents beamed with pride. Xiao Yi gripped Su Yao’s hand tightly, his heart overflowing with gratitude and love.

In a dimly lit room, the scoundrel Xiao Chen looked malicious, speaking viciously to the trembling servant before him: "As long as you do as I say and slip this drug into Song Qian’s drink, you will receive the full payment once the deed is done." The servant nodded submissively, eyes wide with terror.

During a banquet not long after, the servant took advantage of a moment of distraction to pour the powder into Song Qian’s glass. However, Song Qian—Su Yao—was sharp-witted; she noticed the servant’s strange demeanor and, upon leaning near the glass, caught a faint, unusual scent. She immediately became alert.

Suddenly, a cute voice echoed in her mind: "Host, your glass has been drugged." Song Qian’s heart skipped a beat, her gaze turning cold in an instant. She continued to chat and laugh with others as if nothing were amiss, her slender fingers gently gripping the stem of the glass. She swirled the drugged wine, the dark red liquid flowing along the sides of the glass and catching the light like a burning flame, as if it were about to incinerate the conspiracy entirely.

She raised her eyes, her gaze piercing through the crowd to land squarely on Xiao Chen in the distance. The sharpness and resolve in her eyes made Xiao Chen’s heart skip a beat with inexplicable unease. He tried to look away, only to find his gaze drawn back as if by a magnet.

Song Qian’s lips curled into a cold, mirthless smile, as frigid as frost in the dead of winter. Then, she tilted her head back and drained the glass in one gulp. Xiao Chen’s eyes widened in shock and confusion; he could not fathom why she would drink it knowing it was poisoned.

The guests remained oblivious. Feigning composure, Song Qian excused herself, claiming she felt unwell, and hurried out of the banquet hall. She knew the drug would take effect soon, but before losing consciousness, she had to use this opportunity to expose Xiao Chen’s crimes. Enduring the physical discomfort, she sent the prepared evidence and a distress signal to a trusted friend before collapsing in the room, waiting for the final showdown.