As Shen Mu Qing's cousin, she should be on up stair right now, joining the other family members. But no, she couldn't bring herself to see her mother. One that she always thought to be the victim from Xia Qi Feng's adultery.
Her eyes travel across the room slowly, when she saw Zheng Shuang waving at her at the door her face lifted up. Her long hand clutches her long draped gown, preparing to walk her way to Zheng Shuang. However, just when she about to take her first step, a sturdy body blocking her view.
"Have you fall in love at first sight with me, or should I walk by again?" The unknowingly familiar voice rang out to her ear.
Xia Sha looked up and look grim as he said to the man wearing a big checkered dark blue suit. "Move, you are blocking my view!"
"Excuse me, I am the view." Guan Xian tilted his head, faking offended expression. Xia Sha ignore him and took one step to the right. Guan Xian follows her every move without any hesitation. Xia Sha's face darkens as she finally stops and took a deep breath.
"What do you want?" she asked with a chilly voice and expression.
Guan Xian chuckles and rubbed his square jaw. "Whoa, you got irritated so easily, this is fun more than I thought!"
Xia Sha says nothing but her sharp-pointed looks say make it clear that how annoyed she was right now. Guan Xian clears his throat did not forget to show his smile in the end.
"I don't want anything, I came here alone, felt a little bit depressed and lonely. When I spotted you looking like a lost child in the crowd my heart hurt for you. So I decided to be your hero and make you appear less lonely."
Xia Sha scoffed. Yeah, of course, he would felt pity towards her. They always meet in an undesirable situation where she always looks pathetic and pitiful. It could be said that he's there at her most vulnerable.
"I am not your charity case Mr.Guan Xian. Now could you stop annoying me and move the hell away!" she pushes him to the side and take steady steps to Zheng Shuang. To her disappointment, Guan Xian is not someone who will let something he wants so easily.
He held her wrist gently but enough to stop her to take another step away.
"I know you are someone who burns the bridge after crossing over it, but could you at least fake it a little bit?" He musing out loudly, staring innocently at Xia Sha. Xia Sha lower her gaze to look at the hand that holding her hand right now, she frowned.
Guan Xian realized and quickly let go of her hand.
"At this rate, people will misunderstand us having a feud if you keep pushing me away. I'm sure you don't people to think you are enemy of Guan Corporation." He said casually, acting it all logic when both of them know he is pressuring her to stay with him.
Xia Sha gritted her teeth, mildly throw him a cold glance.
She forgot this annoyingly handsome man that keep testing her patience is the young master of Guan. The face of the mighty Guan Corporation. Making enemies with him is equally as making enemies with Guan Corporation. Even a fool knows no to make such an idiotic move.
People want to curry favor with him everywhere he goes, so without any saying, he's the last person who will feel depressed and lonely just because he comes alone.
Upon Xia Sha's sudden calmness, Guan Xian lips curled into a smile. He takes a two glass of champagne from the wandering around waitress, smoothly offering one to Xia Sha. Unexpectedly she takes the glass without throwing a fuss and even sips it gently.
Guan Xian could not stop himself from asking a cheesy question.
"Aren't you afraid I'll spike your drink?"
"Been there, done that. What're the big matters about it? It will be just another one-night mistake." Xia Sha answers nonchalantly as if she did not care about that. Making an impression that she has done it a lot of times before.
Guan Xian looks surprised, but quickly hold his chuckles when he saw her stop drinking from the glass.
"Interesting. So you don't mind spending your night with me?" he playfully asks her, raising one of his thick eyebrows.
Xia Sha smirked and make a small circular motion with the champagne glass. "Of course not. Not when I will get another billion of investment. However, won't Mr.Guan Xian's current girlfriend accuse me of being a third party?"
"I am single, I have no girlfriend." He answers lightly without any pressure at all when he has dated half of the woman in this ballroom alone. "But you don't have to worry, I won't get so low just for my pants."
"Unbelievable! But thank you, I prefer wine over champagne." Xia Sha answer sarcastically before put her champagne of glass to the busy waitress tray and changed it with red wine. Guan Xian looked down, his tonged rolling inside his cheek, effortlessly looking hot.
"I heard you have signed a contract with Mr.Lemiere?" he tried to open another topic discussion.
"Is this the other way for remind me that I owe you?" Xia Sca scoffed icily after hearing Guan Xian chuckling beside her.
"How could you know me so well?" he asked.
"I might have stalked you several times." She did not bother to answer him seriously, keeping them walking in circles.
Guan Xian clicked his tongue. Instead of thinking Xia Sha is a weird woman, he plays along with her. Even go as far as put his hand around her shoulder. Xia Sha jolted by his sudden action, goosebumps all over her hand and nape, she tried to push him away.
"You are one lucky stalker you know." He teases her as she let go of Xia Sha. They just did not realize how many pairs of eyes look at them with mixed looks. Xia Sha sneers at Guan Xian which he replied with a devilish smirk.
He didn't know how she needs to calm her heart that thumping so wildly right now.
They don't talk again afterward because the room darkens and the spotlight lamp was showing off a dazzling man walking down the stair. He stops in the middle of the stair and smiles, with a clear loud voice he said, "C Nation, I am back!"
A loud cheer and clapping coming from the crowd. Shen Mu Qing, the dazzling main protagonist tonight raised his glass of wine before drink it in one go, making the crowd go wider than before. Xia Sha has a faint smile as he looks at the man in the stair.
How fast time goes? His most mischievous cousin has graduated. Everyone seems to achieve something big in their life. Even the slow thinker Zheng Shuang has opened a new branch of her bookstores. She is the one who stays in one spot, even moving backward.
It's laughable, really.
How much time and energy she invested in Bright Electronic Company and Ling Guang. At that time, she was certain she choose the right thing, the right person, the right place to be. Without any slight hesitation, she threw away her family, friends, privileges, even her status at Queen of society for a scumbag.
She holds her breath and looks mellow as she dazes off. Her beautiful face, shadowed by the dim light right now has to make Guan Xian stop moving. His eyes grew tender subconsciously. Out of the blue, he has the impulse to take her to the dance.
The music surrounds the place, building up the sweet atmosphere around the couple swarming around in the center of the crowd. Suddenly Xia Sha felt someone pull her hand with enough force to make her fall. She closed her eyes, thinking she might have humiliated herself in the public, again.
But she froze when a hint of masculine man perfume and warmness hit her face. Her eyelash quivered, when she looked up and realized Guan Xian has pulled her to dance. None of them spoke, but it was clear the tension between them began to heat up.
Xia Sha tried to avert her gaze, but Guan Xian has something under his eyes that locked her gaze. As if he was trying to connect their soul. What nonsense she is talking about. Xia Sha just admits it, this dangerous man indeed has charmed you.
***
Xia Sha quickly runs away from Guan Xian after the dance. She walks so quickly and never look back.
"Oh My God! You are dancing with senior Guan Xian!" Zheng Shuang's squeals almost broke Xia Sha's ear. Xia Sha quickly covers Zheng Shuang's lips with her hand, as if her little action could make people stop talking about her dance with Guan Xian.
"Shh… It's no big deal, just…" Xia Sha tried to find a perfect alibi. "Business things," She continued. The more she looks panic the more Zheng Shuang sees through her mind.
Zheng Shuang pretended to yawn and said, "Yayaya, These days, business partner looks so intimate. Pretend they have 'boundaries' when everybody witnesses how they almost eat each other."
Xia Sha's eyes flare-up, she glares at Zheng Shuang. "I did not!" she proclaims.
"Pfft, relax I'm not talking about you. There is a lot of business partner here..." Zheng Shuang is holding back her laugh so bad. She needs to walk to the food bar to contain herself. Xia Sha trails her from behind, pursing her lips slightly.
"Sister Sha Sha! Sister Shuang! I'm glad you came, where is Sister Kai Xin?" Shen Mu Qing approaches them with a big grin.
"Of course we come. Anything for my favorite cousins." Xia Sha smiles and hugs Shen Mu Qing dearly.
Kai Xin couldn't come, she drags Ruan Jing Tian to Ting City, finding some antiques for her new collections." Zheng Shuang explains as it's her turn to hug the handsome young man.
"Oh…" Shen Mu Qing murmured, almost sounds disappointed. But he quickly hides it with a happy smile.
"Sister, Aunty still getting ready in her room." He said to Xia Sha, thinking she will be wondering why she hasn't seen her mother around. Xia Sha shows a faint smile and nodded, did not reveal the chilliness on her heart at the mention of her mother.
"So, what's your plan after graduating?" Zheng Shuang asked Shen Mu Qing. Shen Mu Qing graduated from medical school, so he should work at the hospital after settling some procedures.
"The reason I come back is to study traditional medic in C nation. But I'm considering working at Su Zhen public hospital." Mu Qing answers casually, enough to satisfied Zheng Shuang's curiosity.
"Ckckck, people could do anything for love~" Zheng Shuang murmured with a low voice, give Shen Mu Qing a look full of meaning. Xia Sha frowned and hit Zheng Shuang's arm lightly.
"Are you drunk? You keep spouting nonsense."
"Hey! I haven't even forgiven you for choosing a man over your friend. You dare to hit me already!"
Zheng Shuang gasp and brush her arm lightly, she furrowed and look pointedly at Xia Sha. Xia Sha ignores her and instead talks about Shen Mu Qing's future plans. Zheng Shuang sighs, this friend of hers is really insensitive sometimes.