Chapter 11: I No Longer Wish to Play Along with You

She bit her lip, struggling to force out a smile more awkward and painful than tears. Li Mengyan tried to break the suffocatingly awkward atmosphere.

“Brother Qin Ze, this lady is…”

Qin Ze furrowed his brows slightly and shot her a quick glance. The faint, perfunctory smile on his face vanished instantly.

“What do you mean ‘this lady’? Don’t call her that. She is Song Xixi, my girlfriend. She’s younger than you—my little sister. You better get that straight!”

He emphasized the words “girlfriend” with deliberate weight, subtly tightening his grip.

Song Xixi was stunned, her eyes wide as her mind went blank. She never expected him to say something so blunt at this moment.

Her face flushed red, then pale. She tried to pull her hand away, but Qin Ze held on even tighter.

If she didn’t know the story behind it, she might have believed him.

But unfortunately, she wasn’t about to be fooled by his act anymore.

Li Mengyan stood aside, tears streaming down relentlessly.

She sobbed until she was out of breath, her voice thick with grievance and resentment.

“Brother Qin Ze, how can you treat me like this? What do I have that she doesn’t? Why are you doing this to me? You… you’re being too cruel!”

Qin Ze glanced at her coldly. “Li Mengyan, I never had any feelings for you. I never did before, and I never will. So don’t harbor any thoughts you shouldn’t.”

Hearing his utterly indifferent words, Li Mengyan was struck as if by lightning, her body stiffening abruptly.

Mrs. Li, who had been holding back her anger, finally lost control.

She stood up with a sharp rustle, glaring fiercely at Qin Ze.

Her voice cut like a razor through the air. “Qin Ze, are you treating the Li family like a joke? We agreed on this matchmaking meeting, yet you’ve made a mess of it. What face do we have left to save? You owe us an explanation today!”

She had come all the way from Jing City with her daughter for this, and she couldn’t swallow this humiliation.

Her family might not be as prestigious as the Qin family, but they were no pushovers!

Qin Ze raised an eyebrow, impatience flashing in his eyes. He looked coldly at Mrs. Li and replied bluntly, “Mrs. Li, this was always just wishful thinking on your part and my mother’s. I never agreed to anything.”

He glanced sideways at the impassive Song Xixi and smiled faintly. “I already have a girlfriend, so there’s no need for this aggressive fuss. I brought Xixi here precisely because I don’t want to continue with these meaningless arrangements. If you feel embarrassed, that’s not my problem.”

Song Xixi stood quietly, appearing calm but inwardly raging like a stormy sea.

She smiled bitterly to herself, the slight curl of her lips full of self-mockery.

She laughed at being caught up in this ridiculous farce once again, and at the man’s shamelessly false display of affection.

She never imagined Qin Ze could spit out such solemn words without so much as a flicker of emotion.

His acting was nothing short of masterful.

If her heart weren’t as clear as a mirror, she might’ve been fooled by his feigned tenderness.

Mrs. Li’s face twisted with fury as she witnessed Qin Ze’s stubbornness.

She shouted at Mrs. Qin, “Mrs. Qin, look at the son you raised! This can’t just be brushed aside. The Li family is not one to be bullied!”

With that, she grabbed her daughter’s hand and stormed off in anger.

Mrs. Qin’s face darkened instantly, veins bulging on her forehead in a surge of rage.

She slammed the table with a thunderous bang, causing the teacups to tremble.

“Qin Ze, what nonsense are you spouting? Girlfriend? You brought her to this matchmaking banquet just to wreck the whole thing, didn’t you?”

She stood up, trembling with fury, finger pointed accusingly at Qin Ze, eyes blazing as if she wanted to devour him alive.

Qin Ze, however, did not flinch. Meeting his mother’s murderous gaze, he straightened his neck and remained calm.

“Mom, I’m not making things up. I brought my girlfriend here so you could meet her. That way, you won’t keep arranging all these pointless blind dates for me. Xixi and I are serious. You should stop interfering.”

Mrs. Qin’s chest heaved violently with anger, her trembling finger shaking uncontrollably.

Through gritted teeth, she cursed, “Ungrateful son, look at who you chose! A mismatch in status, no manners, and now she’s here stirring up this matchmaking affair. Are you trying to kill me with worry?”

Qin Ze’s fury flared instantly.

“Mom, I’ll say it again—I don’t care about status! Besides, I have no intention of getting married. You can forget about that!”

Mrs. Qin shot Song Xixi a sharp glare, raising her chin slightly, her voice icy as she questioned, “Miss Song, is it really your intention to latch onto the Qin family?”

Song Xixi pressed her lips together and sneered coldly. She suddenly wrenched her hand free from Qin Ze’s grip.

Rubbing her aching wrist, she looked at Mrs. Qin with a calm, unyielding gaze.

“I don’t want to cling to the Qin family. Truth be told, I was brought here today just to disrupt the event. So there’s no need to worry—I’m not desperate enough to cling to the Qin family.”

Mrs. Qin’s face flushed red with rage. “Oh really? You admit it! You know you don’t belong here, yet you follow Ze’er to cause trouble. What are your intentions? Do you think you can meddle in the Qin family’s affairs as you please?”

Song Xixi raised an eyebrow, her expression frosty. “Mrs. Qin, I have no interest in meddling in your family’s matters. Blame your son—he dragged me into this. I never wanted to get involved, but you know his temper. I couldn’t resist. But rest assured, after today, I’ll keep my distance from him, so you won’t have to worry about me bothering you anymore.”

Qin Ze’s brow furrowed deeply upon hearing this.

A shadow darkened his eyes as he suddenly reached out and tightly grasped Song Xixi’s hand.

His voice was tinged with an urgency he could barely conceal. “Xixi, what nonsense are you talking about?”

He couldn’t tell how much of his own words were genuine or just another act.

But the instant he spoke, seeing the distant, disdainful look in her eyes, a wave of disappointment surged within him.

Song Xixi shot him a cold glance and forcefully shook off his hand.

“Qin Ze, don’t pretend to be sentimental here. You know full well what our situation is. This farce is enough for today—I’m done playing along.”

Mrs. Qin snorted coldly. “Hmph, at least you have some self-awareness. Listen well, Song Xixi—the gates of the Qin family are not open to people like you. You’d better stay far away from Ze’er and stop harboring any crooked ideas.”

“Mrs. Qin, you speak as if I’m desperate for this. Goodbye.”

With that, Song Xixi turned and headed toward the door of the private room.

Qin Ze panicked and hurried after her.

Mrs. Qin shouted angrily from behind, “Qin Ze, come back here! If you dare to follow her out, don’t ever call me your mother again!”