He said, "Chi Huan, I can marry you, but remember, I will never love you."
......
After a long while, not until the sky had turned dark and the street lamps one by one lit up, did she expressionlessly take out a pair of oversized, tea-colored sunglasses from her bag, covering most of her face, and then she hailed a cab.
Because 1999 is by membership only, it doesn't get noisy or crowded.
She had just walked into the lobby when a figure crashed into her.
The person fell directly to the ground, and Chi Huan was also knocked back two steps.
Her brows furrowed, she looked down at the woman in disarray on the ground.
Very young, very pretty, and with a lot of presence.
Chi Huan had always been proud and vain, rarely did another woman catch her eye, let alone be worthy of her calling them pretty and charismatic.
This was… Chu Xi?
In Lancheng's high society, there was always the saying of "Chu Xi from the north, Chi Huan from the south."
Both daughters of affluent families, of similar ages, and each outstanding in beauty.
The Chi Family and the Chu Family just happened to be located in the north and south of Lancheng, respectively.
The only difference was Chi Huan was the proud and charming queen of the entertainment circle, while Chu Xi was a low-key, mysterious, and haughty beauty.
The main reason these two were often singled out was that they were —
Pretty, and famously hard to pursue.
But now these two great mountains had already collapsed.
Because Chi Huan had gotten engaged to Mo Xigu, ending her single status, and the Chu Family had recently fallen from grace, making Chu Xi no longer influential.
In this deep autumn weather, Chu Xi was wearing only a thin dress that was already wet, a faint smell of alcohol wafting from her… She must have been drenched with liquor, and it was now semi-transparent; one could vaguely make out her bra underneath, quite embarrassing.
Chu Xi got up hastily and muttered an apology, "I'm sorry…"
It wasn't until she looked up that she clearly saw Chi Huan's face, paused with a slight shock, and repeated in a clear, cold voice, "I apologize, Miss Chi."
They hadn't known each other before, although they had heard of each other's names and knew how each other looked, they had never crossed paths.
Chi Huan did not remove her sunglasses.
Before she could speak, several young gentlemen and their bodyguards had already approached.
Looking down at her side, Chu Xi's face paled slightly, her eyebrows twisted tightly.
Before Chi Huan could say anything, one of the young gentlemen started speaking in a sleazy tone, "Yo, is this a friend of Miss Chu, the beauty? Another looker. Why the sunglasses at night? Come on, come on, just one Miss Chu isn't enough to share around, having another is just perfect."
While he was saying this, the young gentleman's hand reached out toward her shoulder.
Chu Xi's frown deepened, and she said coldly, "Stop."
The young gentleman laughed lewdly, "What's the rush? You were just acting all chaste and virtuous a moment ago, and now you get unhappy when someone touches another woman?"
Chi Huan let out a snort of laughter, a laugh as clear as a bell.
Even behind the tea-colored sunglasses, her disdain and arrogance were unmistakable.
Her lips curved slightly into a smile, forming an arc, but her words were ice cold, "Touch me with your dirty hand; just try it."
As she spoke these words, the young gentleman's attention immediately shifted to her.
He had seen those who were oblivious to good and bad, but this kind of brazen arrogance that radiated from the bones was truly rare.
With a cold laugh, his hand reached directly for Chi Huan's chin.
Chi Huan frowned, intending to take off her sunglasses. Just as she raised her hand, another slender, powerful hand with well-defined joints descended from the sky, clasping the wrist that was about to pinch her, briskly and swiftly.
Then, the sound of bones being dislocated rang out clearly.
Distress painted the young master's face as he cried out in pain, his voice hoarse.
Immediately after, the twisted wrist was yanked forcefully, causing him to stagger forward two steps, and then he was struck in the abdomen. He hurriedly retreated several steps backward, then lost his balance and crashed heavily to the ground.
Chi Huan had already removed the tea-colored sunglasses from her face and glanced at the man standing beside her.
He was still dressed in simple black clothes, tall and straight. His mere presence, calm and indifferent, exuded masculinity. His features cold and expressionless.
This time, Chi Huan finally "took the opportunity" to see clearly.
Perhaps because he had been with the Chi Family for so long and had maintained that cold expression for over a decade, she had grown accustomed and yet overlooked the fact that this man actually possessed a stunningly beautiful face that could captivate many.
No wonder, over the years that he had accompanied her, even with his bodyguard status, quite a few female celebrities attempted to seduce him, even some well-born young ladies were chasing after him.
Chi Huan glanced at the young master who was groaning on the ground, pushed her sunglasses onto her hair, and took off her red coat to drape it casually over Chu Xi's shoulders.
"Going out like that, you might suffer a wardrobe malfunction. Wear this to cover up," she said.
Chu Xi looked at her, then down at the red coat on her, her voice clear and soft, "Thank you, I'll wash the coat and return it to you."
"It's just a coat, don't worry about it."
Chu Xi smiled slightly, "But this coat is much too precious."
Indeed, she was a young lady brought up amidst wealth and luxury, instantly able to assess its worth accurately.
Chi Huan raised an eyebrow, toying with her red lips, "Well, it's up to you. If you want to return it, just give it back to the owner of 1999, I come here often."
Looking into her eyes, Chu Xi said, "Thank you, I'll remember this favor."
With that, she wrapped the coat around herself, then coldly glanced at the group of people before turning and walking away.
Chi Huan removed her sunglasses, twirling them in her hand, her gaze playful and taunting as she watched them, "Aren't you leaving? Waiting to get beaten up?"
Once she had taken off her sunglasses, they naturally recognized her.
After all, there weren't many who didn't know Chi Huan's face.
The young master managed to stand up with help, his expression fierce as he gave a cold laugh, looking at Mo Shiqian, who remained silent but imposing, and then turned to Chi Huan, "You'd better hope your mayor father stays powerful or else, one day when you end up like Chu Xi, no longer a privileged daughter, I guarantee you'll have it worse than her."
Chi Huan responded with laughter rather than anger, "A bunch of you bullying one woman who's lost her standing and feeling proud of it? Seems like you're lacking something between your legs, aren't you?"
"Damn it, Chi Huan, don't think we wouldn't dare touch you just because you're the mayor's daughter. Keep insulting us, and see what happens!"
Chi Huan laughed lazily and nonchalantly, "Not satisfied that I'm the mayor's daughter? Alright then, why don't all of you come at once, if you can take down my bodyguard, I'll hang out with you tonight, but if you can't — don't let me see you at 1999 ever again!"
Mo Shiqian's brows furrowed silently.
Gripping her wrist, he strode forward, planning to leave.
Chi Huan was taken aback, wanting to struggle, but she couldn't overcome the man's strength, "Mo Shiqian, what are you doing?"
She was somewhat angry. This man had quite the nerve, daring to defy her.
She kept struggling, and Mo Shiqian indeed stopped walking as she wished.
He turned halfway towards her, his gaze falling on the group of young masters, lips thin and slightly upturned; his tone was dispassionately saying to them, "Do you want to fight with me, then?"