Chapter 25: Shoving One's Own Parasites into Another's Home

With Su Zhihan’s words, Song Miaoke suddenly felt her heart settle.

Zhihan was a good person who had helped her many times and even saved her life once; with her around, nothing could possibly go wrong.

Ji Han, standing nearby, felt exceptionally helpless. He couldn't believe that the sense of security he provided to Miaoke was inferior to that of Su Zhihan. Aside from coming up with terrible ideas and watching the chaos unfold, what else was that wild girl good for?

The Tang family banquet was held that evening, but many guests had arrived as early as noon. The hotel belonged to the Ji family, and for Su Zhihan, the Ji family was synonymous with her own—it was basically her home turf. Since she was at home, she had even less to worry about.

Ji Han: *Did I ever agree that my home is your home?*

Su Zhihan dressed herself in a dazzling, vibrant outfit. Combined with her striking face and her explosive, larger-than-life aura, it felt as though she, not Elder Tang, was the one hosting the banquet. With Su Zhihan there to command all the attention, the number of people focusing on Song Miaoke decreased significantly.

The Tang family was truly numerous; their entire clan could host a banquet all on their own. When Su Zhihan and her group went to meet Elder Tang, they immediately noticed two young women standing behind him. One was eyeing Ji Han, and the other was eyeing Song Yu.

Su Zhihan suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, managed a few pleasantries, and then fell silent. *What kind of elite family is this? This is clearly a pimping operation! This old man has no morals at all.*

Elder Tang spoke with a kind facade, pulling his two granddaughters forward. "Ji Han, my youngest granddaughter here has always admired you. She wants to start her own business, and I heard you did the same when you were in college. You two must have a lot in common. Why don't you go off and have a chat?"

The Tang girl’s face turned bright red, and her eyes shimmered with shyness. That didn't look like a conversation about entrepreneurship; it looked like she wanted to head straight to the bedroom!

Ji Han replied coldly, "There are plenty of entrepreneurs out there. I understand your intentions, Elder Tang, but I already have a girlfriend. I suggest you show some self-respect!"

Elder Tang’s expression soured instantly. At home, he was the patriarch, and practically no one dared to defy him. Outside, people gave him face, so he hadn't been spoken to in such a tone for many years. Since the first plan failed, he moved on to the second—Song Yu was still a target.

Before the Elder could speak, Song Yu cut him off. "Elder, I have no intention of looking for a partner right now. My parents aren't worried, so there's certainly no need for an outsider to be."

Nearby, guests watching the interaction between Ji Han, Song Yu, and Elder Tang were both impressed and eager to see how the drama would unfold. Although the Tang family wasn't as powerful as it once was, it was still an established, deep-rooted elite family with vast connections. Most people were willing to show them respect; it was rare to see young people stand their ground so firmly.

Seeing that Elder Tang could no longer maintain his composure, Su Zhihan couldn't help but laugh out loud. She didn't mean to, but she simply couldn't hold it in. Song Miaoke, who had been nervous, felt that tension vanish instantly. The attitudes of Ji Han, Song Yu, and Su Zhihan gave her the confidence she needed.

Su Zhihan’s laughter drew Elder Tang’s attention. Looking at the beautiful, radiant young woman, he forced a smile and asked with feigned concern, "Miss Su, I wonder if you have a partner? Since your parents are not in the country, it is only right that we elders take care of you."

Su Zhihan made a "stop" gesture. "Oh, please don't. I don't need elders from other families looking after me. Elder, I’m a very blunt person, so I hope you don't mind."

Ji Han and Song Yu, hearing this, had a bad premonition. They quickly grabbed Su Zhihan’s hands, intending to cover her mouth, but they were one step too slow.

Su Zhihan continued, "You’re at your age, surely there’s no need to use your own birthday banquet as a platform for pimping, right? I know you have many grandsons and granddaughters, and perhaps some of them can't find a spouse, but that’s your family’s problem. You shouldn't try to pawn that problem off on others!"

The entire banquet hall gradually fell silent. Aside from the music still playing in the background, not a single person was speaking. Everyone slowly drifted closer, all leaning in with the same posture, ears pricked to catch every bit of gossip.

Ji Han and Song Yu exchanged a glance, their expressions filled with shared despair. They knew exactly how this would go.

Elder Tang was so angry that his hands began to tremble, and his two granddaughters behind him looked furious. But Su Zhihan acted as if she didn't see their expressions and kept going. "It’s not that I’m being mean, but I really can't stand this 'relying on your age to bully others' attitude of yours."

"Everyone came to the Tang banquet to give you face, but we all know the reputation your youngsters have outside. If you can't afford to keep these 'parasites' in your own family anymore, trying to dump them into other people's homes is a bit immoral, don't you think?"

As soon as Su Zhihan said this, the surrounding guests could barely suppress their laughter. What she said was incredibly reasonable; they had harbored these thoughts for a long time but had never dared to say them aloud. The Tang family had indeed been doing things that harmed others without benefiting themselves, all while relying on the Elder’s status. People gave them face because the Elder was still around, but if he were gone and they continued like this, the Tang family would be finished sooner or later.

Now, everyone wanted to applaud Su Zhihan. She was a warrior who had voiced what they all wanted to say!

Elder Tang pointed a finger at Su Zhihan, so furious he couldn't get a word out for a long time. Su Zhihan let out a "hey," and took a large step back. "Pointing your finger at people? How very impolite of you!"

Ji Han, Song Yu, and everyone else present: *...As if you’re the picture of politeness.*

Ji Han immediately called for a doctor, just in case—the Elder was old, and they were at his hotel, so it would be troublesome if something actually happened. However, the Elder was in robust health; even after being enraged to this extent, he was completely fine.

With the scene becoming so chaotic, the head of the Ji family and his wife appeared, determined not to let their children be wronged. The Tang family was forced to swallow their anger. Because the Ji, Song, and Su families were deeply intertwined and they couldn't afford to offend any of them, they had to take the loss and remember Su Zhihan’s name.

The 80th birthday banquet ended in extreme awkwardness. The news that the Tang family acted as matchmakers for their own gain spread throughout the elite circles. Many admired Su Zhihan’s courage, while most felt the Tang family had been far too desperate. The claim that they were trying to offload their own "parasites" onto others was seen as spot-on.

The current head of the Tang family even called Su Zhihan specifically. It was supposedly an apology, but it was actually a threat. "Young lady, you shouldn't offend people so easily. You’ll know you were wrong once you suffer the consequences."

Su Zhihan chuckled and replied, "You don't need to worry about me. Since it’s the Elder’s birthday today, I hope your family is blessed with many children and much fortune."

The head of the Tang family was so angry he hung up the phone. *Many children and much fortune?* Their family had so many children he couldn't even remember half of their names.