If he could do it all over again, he would never choose Yao Ran as a fiancée candidate.

Perhaps he should meet this Yao Tangand see what kind of person she was.

Yang Ming took stepped away fromYao Ran. He didn’t have any intention of speaking to her any longer.

Sensing that he was growing distant, Yao Ranbecame alert.

It hadn’t been easy for her to obtain such powerful backing, so she refused to give up without a fight. After all, without Yang Ming, she might not have been able to make it to this banquet.

"I’m telling you, I really have no idea," she insisted in a coquettish voice. "He must have been hiding it on purpose, or maybe his company is located out of town. We’re not exactly close, and we don’t see each other very often."

This was her one chance to get close to the Yang family; she wasn’t about to let it go.

She did admit that she had lost control just now, so Yang Ming’s annoyance was justified. Besides, she was the one who would benefit the most from their liaison.

Yao Ran took comfort in this knowledge and plastered a bright smile on her face.

Yang Ming knew that the girl was trying to placate him, but he had no interest in indulging her anymore.

There were dozens of people who scrambled to please him wherever he went. Yao Ranwas not worth another moment of his attention, let alone changing his mind.He glanced at the other side of the room before asking, "Is the relationship between your family and his not good?"

Yao Yan’s identity wouldn’t have been such a secret if they were at least civil to each other.

Yang Ming’s eyes gleamed with renewed purpose as he looked over at Yao Yan.

If he could establish a relationship with Yao Yan, his standing within the Yang family would certainly improve, and would inadvertently mean that he could get his hands on more shares of the company.

Yao Ran gritted her teeth as she watchedYang Ming’s expression shift.

She could tell that he also wanted to work with Yao Yan.

At this rate, she couldn’t afford to let him know about the Yao family’s dynamics, or he would likely abandon her and her parents.

​ And if that happened, all her efforts would be for nothing.

No, she would not allow it!

She would not let the second family take the powerful connections and resources she had worked so hard to obtain.

Although Yao Ran’s mind was racing, the smile on her face never faltered. "Well, we are not really in contact very often, but we don’t necessarily have a bad relationship. We still help each other out whenever one of us is facing difficulties."

The lie rolled out of her tongue smoothly. Yao Ran had no qualms about it. It wasn’t as though someone would know about what she had just said.

In her opinion, it was perfectly fine to lie to an outsider like Yang Ming.

"Oh?" Yang Mingsaid curiously, his eyebrows raised.

People were starting to crowd around Yao Yan.

This was natural, as guests usually attended these affairs to further their connections or possibly establish a new network. Many successful ventures had started from such a setting.

As soon as they noticed how courteous President Wenwas being toward,Yao Yan, they immediately locked on the young man as their prized target.

If they could somehow catch his attention, they would be leaving the banquet without any regrets.

Socialites and businessmen alike swirled their wine in their glasses as they inched their way closer to the same goal.

Yao Yan rarely stepped out on the social scene, so they weren’t familiar with him. Whatever little impression they had of him came fromQin Man, who always badmouthed her brother-in-law’s family and calledYao Yana bum.

It didn’t take long for her stories to catch, and soon enough, practically everyone knew that the son of the second branch of the Yao familywas still unemployed.

This assumption was quickly backed up by the fact that no one had ever seen him go to work. He usually just stayed home. Wasn’t that the defining quality of a lazy bum?

But tonight, he had miraculously turned into a CEO that even President Wenacknowledged and respected.

Despite their initial shock, the ambitious and profit-minded guests were pleased with this revelation. In the blink of an eye, they started heaping praises on Yao Yan, assuring him that he would go far, all while silently praying that he would take them along in his success.

Their tepid words held some merit, as Yao Yanwas indeed young and promising. He had a bright future ahead of him.

A boss of an overseas trading company came forward and raised his cup in a toast. "President Yao, may I know what sort of business you’re in? Perhaps our companies can work together. If you need anything, feel free to give me a call."

"Me as well! My company is in the E-sports industry. I’m sure we can find a collaboration that would benefit us both."

This came from a pot-bellied, middle-aged gentleman, who rushed forward to join their conversation.