Li Family Villa.

The banquet continued amidst the lively chatter.

At this moment, Li AnCheng strode forward, stepping into the center of the hall. In a deep, resonant voice, he announced, "Ladies and gentlemen!"

Everyone in the hall instinctively quieted down, aware that the highlight of the evening was about to begin.

Pausing for a moment, Li AnCheng continued loudly, "First of all, welcome to the banquet jointly hosted by the Fang and Wang families. Thank you all for coming.

"Today, my son and JingJing will officially become engaged!"

A wave of compliments immediately filled the room.

"Haha, Mr. Li, you're too kind."

"How could we not attend the engagement banquet of Mr. Li and Miss Wang?"

"Exactly, it's our pleasure! We wish Miss Wang and Mr. Li a harmonious and everlasting relationship!"

Zhao HuiFen signaled with a look, prompting Li Ze to adjust his lapel and step forward, directly to the front of the crowd.

Standing side by side, Li Ze and Wang JingJing made a striking pair, with his handsome and resolute demeanor and her exquisite elegance forming a captivating scene.

At this moment, a faint smile appeared on Li Ze's lips.

Then, he suddenly reached out and took Wang JingJing's hand, smoothly drawing her into his embrace!

Wang JingJing's body was soft and supple, with a light fragrance that could captivate any man.

Li Shao before possessionAlthough Li Shao was nominally Wang Jingjing's fiancé, the two had never had any intimate contact. Even later, when the protagonist Ye Tian was enamored with her beauty and used by her, he never got close to her but was always kept at a distance.

In the TV series, Wang Jingjing was like a cold flower standing atop a snowy mountain, with an extremely proud and ambitious personality, making it impossible for her to be engrossed in romantic feelings. In other words, no man could catch her eye!

But now, Wang Jingjing was being embraced in front of everyone by a guy who had always been a sycophant, weak, and timid, never daring to make any bold moves.

Wang Jingjing's body stiffened, a flash of anger and surprise crossing her eyes as the temperature around her seemed to drop.

However, in front of such a large audience, Wang Jingjing couldn't openly lose her temper. She only managed to whisper a few words that only Li Ze could hear:

"What do you think you're doing?"

Her tone was icy, sending chills down one's spine.

"Warning: The character Wang Jingjing's favorability towards the host has dropped to a negative value!

Wang Jingjing's favorability towards the host has dropped to -20%!Wang Jingjing's favorability towards the host has dropped to -35%!Wang Jingjing's favorability towards the host has dropped to -45%!"

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"Warning: If the character's favorability towards the host drops to a negative value, it indicates hostility! If it drops to -100%, it will indicate a strong intention to kill, and the character is very likely to attack the host!"

"Hmm? The system can detect favorability?"

Li Ze was somewhat surprised, but he acted as if he hadn't heard anything. He had no intention of letting go, completely ignoring the system's warnings and Wang Jingjing's threats.

Wang Jingjing kept trying to break free

But Li Ze, with his enhanced physique reaching a level of 27, could restrain even a strong man, let alone a woman. She felt as if her body was tightly clamped by iron pincers, unable to move at all.

"Bastard!"

Wang Jingjing bit her silver teeth hard, almost exploding with anger, but her face still maintained a natural smile. Only with very close observation could one detect a slight stiffness in that smile.

Wang Fugui, along with Li's father and mother, saw this scene and showed gratified smiles. Their biggest worry was that Wang Jingjing and Li Ze would not get along. Now it seemed they had worried for nothing.

Many guests were a bit stunned. There had been rumors that Li Ze had been desperately pursuing Wang Jingjing like a lovesick puppy, but she had shown little interest. Now, it seemed that those were just baseless rumors.

Look at them, so affectionate!

Some gold-digging women in the crowd revealed looks of jealousy and regret, their eyes green with envy. This way, they would have no chance to climb up the Li family's social ladder.

"Ding! Host villain value +700! Protagonist luck value -700!"

The curve of Li Ze's mouth rose even higher.

The purpose of Li Ze's actions, of course, was to gain villain points; he had no real interest in Wang Jingjing.

After all, this cold and ruthless major villain is not someone who can be easily subdued.

As a typical backstabber, she ultimately eliminated most of her allies along the way, with only the protagonist Ye Tian surviving her betrayals.

Li Ze had no interest in engaging in such thankless efforts.

"Providing 700 villain points, not bad, not bad. As expected of a late-stage villain boss, her every move and mood shift can potentially twist the plot."

Li Ze released Wang Jingjing from his embrace, feeling quite pleased. Then, he glanced at her and thought, "System, check the favorability!"

"Wang Jingjing's favorability towards the host: -75%!"

"Tsk, is it really that bad? Her favorability is about to hit -100%."

Li Ze clicked his tongue inwardly. But recalling the original novel's depiction of Wang Jingjing, he felt reassured.

In the original story, Wang Jingjing had a quirk: an extreme aversion to physical contact, especially with men. To emphasize this trait, the plot introduced a young heir from a powerful foreign family. During a business meeting, he greeted her with a customary warm hug. That heir never made it back home, as Wang Jingjing had him assassinated!

Of course, the current Wang Jingjing wasn't yet as powerful and ruthless as she would become.

But Li Ze's actions had clearly enraged her.

However, Li Ze didn't care. They were never on friendly terms to begin with, so a lower favorability rating was no big deal. In fact, considering that Wang Jingjing and Ye Tian eventually teamed up to bring down the Fang family in the original story, she was undoubtedly his enemy from the start.

After Li Ze and Wang Jingjing briefly appeared, Li Ancheng continued:

"Ladies and gentlemen, besides the engagement ceremony of the Li and Wang families, tonight's banquet also includes the announcement of the Li family's partner for the Old Town project!"

With these words, the atmosphere became tense.

They knew the main event had arrived!

While the union of the Li and Wang families was noteworthy, the Old Town project directly impacted their interests. All the businesses and families involved in the bidding held their breath, watching Li Ancheng intently.

It was no exaggeration to say that whoever secured this partnership with the Li family would soar to new heights!

At this crucial moment, Li Ancheng didn't keep them in suspense and directly announced:

"I hereby announce that the winning bid goes to... Jiancheng Group!"

The crowd erupted in astonishment, with everyone casting jealous and resentful looks at Wang Jianmin.

"Hahaha, it's really me!"

Wang Jianmin stepped out from the crowd, bursting with pride and joy. The first step of his plan had succeeded. Next, he would use the Li family to clean up his mess and then make his escape!

He sneered inwardly, "The Li family is indeed powerful, but once I flee abroad, what can they do to me? Besides, someone has promised to help me leave when the time comes."