In the grand confines of the Bai family manor, Bai Lanyue sat across from her mother, meticulously planning the upcoming banquet. The air was thick with tension, the weight of expectations pressing down on them.
"Bai Lanyue, I understand that you want to end the Bai Zhiqi chapter for good, but aren't you afraid it would backfire?" Mrs. Bai's voice was laced with concern, her eyes searching her daughter's face for reassurance.
"The word 'backfire' is not in my dictionary," Bai Lanyue replied, her tone clipped, her resolve unwavering.
"Just be careful," her mother cautioned, a hint of worry still lingering in her voice.
Before Bai Lanyue could respond, the door burst open, and Wen Qing rushed in, her expression frantic, as if she had witnessed something she shouldn't have seen.
"What is the problem?" Lanyue asked, rising from her seat.
"Auntie, Lanyue, the Bai family banquet hall has been reduced to ashes!" Wen Qing exclaimed, her voice trembling with urgency.
Bai Lanyue's heart dropped. "What?" she demanded, disbelief washing over her as she stood abruptly.
"Lanyue!" Mrs. Bai called out, but Lanyue was already moving, her instincts kicking in.
"Mom, I'll go check it out," Bai Lanyue said, her determination flaring. Without waiting for a reply, she and Wen Qing rushed out of the house, adrenaline coursing through their veins.
---
Standing before the charred remains of the banquet hall, Bai Lanyue felt her world tilt dangerously. Flames still flickered in the aftermath, casting eerie shadows that danced across the rubble. Panic surged within her; all her plans for this event, meticulously crafted over weeks, lay in ruins.
"Who did this?" Bai Lanyue demanded, her voice rising above the crackling of embers.
"Lanyue, we need to focus on what to do next. We can't let this derail our plans," Wen Qing said, her tone a mixture of urgency and resolve.
"Bai Lanyue," a voice called from behind them, cutting through the chaos. They turned to see Ji Yanluo approaching, a casual confidence in her stride.
"Ji Lanxue. This is your doing, isn't it?" Wen Qing accused, eyes narrowing.
"What are you talking about? What doing? And what are you doing in front of reduced trash?" Ji Lanxue shot back, her expression unreadable.
"'Reduced trash'?" Bai Lanyue echoed incredulously. "You want to say you don't know this is the Bai family banquet hall?"
"Banquet hall? How am I supposed to know that? Not like you guys are relevant or something," she retorted, a smug smile creeping onto her face.
"Ji Lanxue!" Bai Lanyue shouted, frustration boiling over.
"Enough," she said, his gaze firm as she eyed them both. "Let me help you talk to my brother, if he could at least let you use the Ji family banquet hall."
As she pulled out his phone, Bai Lanyue felt a flicker of hope. She watched her type, her heart racing with anticipation.
"Bro said you should send someone to get the keys from Han Su," Ji Lanxue said, glancing up. "That's all I can do for Bai Zhiqi. Since she is my role model, after all." Her tone was mocking as she he walked toward his car.
"Ji Lanxue," Bai Lanyue called after her, her voice dripping with defiance. "Wait till Sunday. Just wait until the image of Bai Zhiqi is ruined on your face."
She paused, turning slightly, a smirk still playing on her lips. "That doesn't sound like a threat, Lanyue. It sounds like a promise you can't keep."
Ignoring her taunt, Bai Lanyue turned to Wen Qing, determination hardening in her gaze. "We need to regroup and come up with a new plan. This isn't the end—it's just a setback."
Wen Qing nodded, the fire of revenge igniting within her. "Let's make sure they know we won't be pushed aside. We'll take that banquet hall, and we'll make it our stage, not theirs."
As they watched Ji Lanxue drive away, Bai Lanyue felt the tension in her chest tighten. The battle lines were drawn, and she would not back down. The upcoming banquet would become the stage for her grandest act, and she would reclaim her narrative from the ashes of destruction.
"Let's show them what the Bai family is truly capable of," she declared, her voice steady as they turned back toward the manor, ready to plot their next move. The game was far from over, and she would ensure that the final act would be nothing short of explosive.