"It was like for a shanty house to encounter a night of rain, or for a flatland to be struck by a thunderclap..." Han Xiaoye cried her heart out.
"This is my companion. Is there any problem, Miss Han?" Quan Ronglian embraced the stiffened girl from behind, his lips curling into a smirk, his voice husky and bewitching, and his peach blossom eyes captivating.
"It's impossible," Han Bao'er's sharp voice rang out, "If she's your companion, why is she dressed as a waitress?"
Indeed, everyone looked at Quan Ronglian with suspicion, filled with doubt.
Yin Jue was about to step forward to intervene when someone casually explained, "Uniform temptation, Miss Han, haven't you heard of it?"
Han Bao'er's face flushed red.
Han Xiaoye's heart trembled. Had Quan Ronglian gone mad? He was currently the hottest male star in the entertainment industry. Wasn't he afraid of being exposed for saying such things in public? The more Quan Ronglian defended her now, the more unsettled she felt.
After a while, Han Bao'er managed to squeeze out a sentence, "Alright, let's say the clothing issue is explained. But why does she have a camera? There's no need for a camera at tonight's banquet, is there?"
"Who said it was for use at the banquet?" Quan Ronglian turned the person in his arms around, leaned down, and smiled devilishly, "Darling, what do you say?"
The intoxicating scent of the man's smoke wrapped around her, and Han Xiaoye didn't know what brand of cigarettes he smoked, but the smell was surprisingly pleasant. It carried a distinct masculine fragrance that could easily bewitch a person.
Monster!
Those two words echoed endlessly in her mind.
Quan Ronglian was too close to her, close enough for her to see the mockery in his peach blossom eyes...
Han Xiaoye held her breath, realizing that life is like a play, and everything depends on acting. She had to give it her all!
Quan Ronglian felt the person in his arms, who had been as stiff as a board, suddenly soften as if shy, burying her head in his embrace. "You're so annoying, why did you say it out loud?"
Quan Ronglian let out a muffled hum.
Han Xiaoye released her hand that was pinching the soft flesh at the man's waist, lifted her head, and looked at him with clear black and white eyes, full of affection. "It's all your fault. You insist on having such a perverse taste, making others think that I..."
She seemed unable to continue, choked up, and implied, "Forget it. The one who has a mind to beat a Dog will easily find a stick, right?"
Everyone's gaze simultaneously shifted to Han Bao'er. Coupled with the thrilling rumors they had heard about the Han family, their eyes were filled with amusement and scrutiny as they looked at her. Han Bao'er's face turned pale then ashen, trembling with anger. "You..."
"Enough, Bao'er!" Yan Xu's face lost its smile for the first time, and he sternly interrupted.
Han Bao'er couldn't believe her ears, her eyes widened in disbelief. "You're scolding me?"
Her eyes quickly filled with tears as she looked at Yan Xu. "For her, you're scolding me! Brother Xu, you never forgot about her, did you? Even though her reputation is tarnished and she's no longer a wealthy heiress, you still couldn't forget about her, right? Then why? Why did you agree to our engagement? What am I to you?"
Yan Xu's handsome face darkened slightly, and the whispering conversations around him annoyed him. He grabbed Han Bao'er's hysterical hand and said, "Bao'er, stop making a scene. You're drunk. Come with me."
The last sentence carried a warning.
Han Bao'er's lips turned completely pale. She turned around and glared at the person in Quan Ronglian's arms. "Han Xiaoye, don't be so smug!"
After speaking, she shook off Yan Xu's hand and ran out of the venue in tears. Yan Xu didn't immediately chase after her, but turned around and looked at Han Xiaoye with a complex gaze. Then he tightened his lips and left the venue...
This was just a small incident at the banquet, and soon the people at the venue forgot about it and resumed the lively atmosphere.
Han Xiaoye took the opportunity to break free from the man's grip and prepared to leave.
Quan Ronglian saw through her intention and raised an eyebrow, saying with a hint of playfulness, "Yin Jue."
Han Xiaoye's path was blocked by a young-looking man with a baby face. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, giving off a friendly vibe. Of course, it would be even better if he wasn't the "sugar daddy" of Quan Ronglian whom she had just photographed.
"Little minnow, where do you think you're going?"
D*mn! Minnow! She was not a minnow! His whole family were minnows! Han Xiaoye protected the camera in her arms and looked warily at the two men. She squeezed out an innocent silly smile and said, "Guys, you must have mistaken me for someone else."
"Hmm? Mistaken you?"
Han Xiaoye said firmly, "That's right, you must have mistaken me for someone else. I had a common-looking face since I was young, so I'm always mistaken. I don't know that minnow. You must have mistaken me for someone else."
Quan Ronglian sneered, took out a slender cigarette, lit it, and held it between his fingers. The smoke curled up, and the flickering embers accentuated his unruly charm.
"Are you trying to tell me that two months ago, outside Hanshan Villa, someone followed me to the men's restroom and sneakily sprinkled peppercorn powder on my face after I caught her? And that person wasn't you?"
This man actually had peppercorn powder sprinkled on his face outside the men's restroom.
The baby-faced Yin Jue couldn't hold back his laughter.
He had never seen this man suffer, let alone have peppercorn powder smeared on his face in such a classic location as the men's restroom. Hahaha, just imagining that scene was incredibly hilarious!
Yin Jue looked at Han Xiaoye with a newfound admiration in his eyes. A woman who could make Lord Lian lose face must be greatly respected!
"Peppercorn powder? Men's restroom? What are you talking about? I don't understand." Han Xiaoye stuck to her principle of never admitting and played dumb to the end.
Quan Ronglian narrowed his peach blossom eyes, preparing to "delve deeper" with her. Just then, all the lights in the hall suddenly went out, plunging the entire venue into darkness!
Oh no!
Quan Ronglian immediately took out his phone and, by the dim light, discovered that the person who had been there just moments ago had disappeared...
His thin lips curled up, displaying an exceedingly wicked and arrogant demeanor.
That slippery minnow! He was determined to catch her!
...
Han Xiaoye skillfully made her way to the restroom where Su Rui was hiding in the dark.
"Ruirui, thanks to you. You have no idea how scared I was just now. That Quan Ronglian actually recognized me. If it weren't for you cutting off the power in time, I would have messed up today."
While walking, Han Xiaoye shared her experience, still feeling lingering fear. However, when she entered the restroom, she didn't see Su Rui.
"Huh, where's Ruirui?"
Didn't we agree to meet here?
As she turned around, suddenly, the lights in the surroundings brightened, illuminating the restroom as if it were daytime.
"Fu... Fu Zhiyan!"
The color drained from Han Xiaoye's face completely.
She saw rows of black-clad bodyguards standing outside the lavishly decorated restroom, and in the middle stood a man exuding an air of nobility and freezing coldness. If it wasn't Fu Zhiyan, then who else could it be?