"Do you truly refuse to apologize?" Lu Fan clenched his fist, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Lin Ke'er was his absolute bottom line, and no one could cross it.
"What a colossal joke! Who do you think you are?" Yang Jiaqi retorted fearlessly. "Everything I said is the truth. For me to apologize, you'd need the qualifications."
Lin Ke'er quickly pulled Lu Fan back. "Brother Lu Fan, let's just drop it!"
"If he had spoken about me, I wouldn't have bothered. But he spoke about you, so how could I let it slide?" Lu Fan sneered.
"What, are you planning to resort to violence?" Yang Jiaqi scoffed. "That's just the bravery of a brute. Don't think that just because you cured Old Master Bai, you've become a honored guest! A pauper is still a pauper!"
Voices gradually rose, and many eyes in the banquet hall turned to see what was happening.
At that very moment, at the entrance of the banquet hall, Old Master Bai, supported by Bai Tianchen, arrived, with Bai Xue accompanying them.
Yang Jiaqi's voice was loud, and Bai Tianchen, having just entered, heard it clearly and saw Lu Fan.
"Mr. Lu is an honored guest of our Bai family. Does that need to be questioned?"
Bai Tianchen walked over and smiled at Lu Fan. "Mr. Lu, your presence at the Old Master's birthday banquet truly brings glory to our humble Bai family!"
"Master Bai is too kind!" Lu Fan replied with a calm expression.
Inside the banquet hall, everyone looked astonished, wondering about Lu Fan's identity that warranted such treatment from Bai Tianchen. Within Qingzhou, no one possessed such influence.
Yang Jiaqi's eyes showed embarrassment. He hadn't expected Bai Tianchen to arrive at this moment, nor had he anticipated Bai Tianchen showing such deference to Lu Fan.
That day at the Yang residence, Bai Tianchen had personally invited him for Old Master Bai's illness. But now that Old Master Bai had recovered, as the head of the Bai family, he shouldn't be so polite to Lu Fan.
"What a grand display!" Bai Xue sneered. "In our Bai family's banquet hall, what right does your Yang family have to point fingers?"
Yang Ding Tian could no longer sit still. He stood up and smiled at Bai Tianchen. "Master Bai, our Yang family is here to offer birthday wishes. One doesn't strike a smiling face. What happened earlier was indeed a bit excessive. We hope for your magnanimity."
"I don't mind, but you've offended Mr. Lu. If Mr. Lu isn't happy, how can I be happy?" Bai Tianchen stated directly.
Liu Xuanhao and the others were dumbfounded. He had already overestimated Lu Fan, believing his status was not simple, but he hadn't expected him to be this influential, to the point where even the esteemed Bai Tianchen was so courteous.
Yang Ding Tian frowned. Lu Fan had no power or influence, yet he had managed to latch onto the Bai family. This put the Yang family in a difficult position. "Mr. Lu, we were impolite earlier. We hope you can overlook it."
Lu Fan paid no attention, his gaze growing even more indifferent. He had been publicly jilted at the Yang residence, a great humiliation. He never showed any goodwill towards the Yang family members.
"Old Master Yang, today is Grandpa's birthday. I don't wish for any incidents!" Bai Xue said with a smile. "Mr. Lu's medical skills are superb; with him here, everything will be foolproof. However, since you have a past grievance with Mr. Lu, please excuse yourself first!"
"Excuse myself first?" Yang Ding Tian frowned. "Miss Yang, are you asking me to leave?"
"You could say that!" Bai Xue smiled. "My apologies!"
Yang Jiaqi's face turned ashen. Facing the gazes of everyone, he felt even more awkward. Their Yang family was, after all, a prominent family. They had specifically come to the Bai family to celebrate the Old Master's birthday, only to be asked to leave. How would their Yang family gain a foothold in Qingzhou in the future?
"Miss Bai, you must be joking," Yang Ding Tian said quickly with a smile. "We are here to pay our respects. How could the Bai family ask us to leave?"
"Our Bai family has always treated guests with courtesy, but we will not tolerate anyone causing trouble in the banquet hall," Bai Tianchen stated directly. "Mr. Lu is our Old Master's chief physician. We will have to trouble you to leave today, Old Master Yang!"
Yang Ding Tian's face turned green. He was, after all, the head of a family. Bai Tianchen's blatant disregard made it difficult for him to maintain his position in Qingzhou in the future.
"Very well, very well. I hope the head of the Bai family does not regret this!" Yang Ding Tian leaned on his cane and walked towards the exit, looking quite pathetic.
Yang Jiaqi snorted and quickly followed. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way. In his eyes, Lu Fan was nothing, yet he always managed to annoy him.
"Mr. Lu, are you satisfied?" Bai Tianchen clasped his hands in a bow and smiled. "My hospitality was lacking today."
"Boss Bai is joking. Asking someone to leave for my sake, I don't have that much influence," Lu Fan said with an awkward smile.
"Within Qingzhou, if even Mr. Lu doesn't have influence, then who does?" Bai Tianchen smiled slightly, pulling Lu Fan towards the main seats. "Mr. Lu's presence is an honor to our Bai family. You must sit in the chief seat today."
"No need. Those are seats for elders," Lu Fan said with a smile. "I'll just sit anywhere!"
"That won't do!" Bai Xue stepped forward with a smile. "You are Grandpa's savior; you rightfully deserve the chief seat!"
Lu Fan looked helpless and couldn't say much more. He was then arranged to sit in the chief seat, with Lin Ke'er sitting beside him, looking extremely uncomfortable.
Those who could sit in the chief seats were no ordinary people. Lin Ke'er had never experienced such a scene and felt involuntarily nervous.
"Don't be nervous, it's alright!" Lu Fan held Lin Ke'er's hand. "I'm here."
Lin Ke'er nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. Being held by Lu Fan, she felt more at ease.
Outside the Seven Stars Hotel, Yang Ding Tian was furious, almost fainting. He slumped onto a chair, gasping for breath.
"Grandpa, are you alright?" Yang Jiaqi stepped forward to support him.
"How can I be alright? I'm almost at death's door from anger," Yang Ding Tian cursed. "It's all your fault for being useless. You broke off the engagement back then, and now you're being trampled underfoot."
"Grandpa, why must you say that?" Yang Jiaqi smiled. "The Bai family is treating him with such respect merely because of the Old Master's illness. Once Old Master Bai passes away, he won't be so arrogant. By then, I'll deal with him personally!"
"Can you really deal with him?" Yang Ding Tian gave her a sidelong glance. "If you hadn't broken off the engagement, none of this would have happened. Today, I was expelled from the banquet hall. It will be difficult for our Yang family to establish themselves in Qingzhou in the future."
"Why is that?" Yang Jiaqi asked, confused.
"If you are not favored by the Bai family within Qingzhou, it's not a good sign. It's likely that soon, business partners who cooperate with the Yang family will find excuses to control their orders," Yang Ding Tian stated directly. "At that time, I will have to personally visit the Bai family. After all, regardless of anything else, the Bai family is the true giant in the business world."
Yang Jiaqi felt resentful but didn't know what to say. As Yang Ding Tian had said, this matter was likely not that simple. The Yang family and the Bai family were, after all, not on the same level.
Meanwhile, inside the banquet hall, everyone was singing and dancing, starting to eat and drink.
Lu Fan sat at the head table, appearing quite at ease.