"Daddy, Mommy!"
"Xiaoyao, you're here?"
"Mommy, you look so beautiful today! People will think you're my sister if they see us together."
"What a sweet talker you are!"
Mrs. Leng, nearing fifty, showed no signs of aging. Thanks to her meticulous self-care, her skin remained taut and smooth, exuding the aura of a distinguished socialite.
"Really, Xiaoyao speaks the truth!"
Leng Feng looked at his youngest daughter, who was clinging to her mother affectionately. The whole family treated her like a treasure, hoping she would always be kind, innocent, cheerful, and happy.
"Xiaoyao!"
Pei Menglu and Sima Yuyao walked toward them. "Aunt, happy birthday!"
"Ah, thank you all for coming to my birthday party! Has your father arrived?"
"He's over there."
"Good! You girls chat with Xiaoyao while your uncle and I go greet your father."
"Alright, Aunt."
Once the Leng couple moved away, the three young women gathered to enjoy some snacks and gossip.
"Xiaoyao, have you been sleeping well these past few nights?"
Leng Xiaoyao glanced at Pei Menglu, thinking what a strange question to ask. Why would she be sleeping poorly?
"Oh come on, don't play coy! You mean to tell me you didn't dream about that handsome stranger from the other night?"
The two women fixed her with a look that screamed, *Don't even think about saying you didn't! We won't believe you for a second!*
"Of course not! How could I? Who do you think I am? I've completely forgotten about that incident!"
Pei Menglu and Sima Yuyao didn't buy it. To them, Leng Xiaoyao was a classic case of a stubborn girl who wouldn't admit the truth. They teamed up to tickle her, and she squealed, dodging them, but in her attempt to escape, she accidentally collided with a solid wall of muscle.
"Ouch! That hurt!"
Was this person made of stone? They were so solid they could probably knock down a wall!
"Miss, are you alright?"
Huh? Why did that voice sound familiar?
Leng Xiaoyao looked up in confusion and gasped. Wow, it was a dashing man! He had an elegant face, thick black hair, deep-set eyes, a strong nose, and sensual lips. Dressed in a well-tailored black suit, he exuded maturity and confidence, even more stylish than her three brothers! But why did he seem a bit familiar? She was certain she didn't know him.
"Miss?"
"Ah? What? Oh, I'm fine."
Leng Xiaoyao quickly shook herself out of her daze, scolding herself internally for being so entranced by a stranger. Get it together, Xiaoyao!
Meanwhile, Pei Menglu and Sima Yuyao were already squealing like schoolgirls. "You… you're Han Chenyu, the president of Han Group?! Ah! You're even more handsome in person than in magazines!"
Tuning out the noise from her friends, Han Chenyu simply smiled at Leng Xiaoyao, gentlemanly steadying her, but if one looked closely, a glimmer of something fierce flashed in his eyes.
Han Chenyu was also observing Leng Xiaoyao. She looked even more charming than he remembered, dressed in a soft yellow dress that accentuated her petite frame. But she was still as naive as ever.
"So you're the young and promising Han Chenyu from S City that my father often mentions?"
"Too kind of you to say."
This little woman who had forced herself on him and insulted him hadn't even recognized him. Han Chenyu felt it was time to refresh her memory of that night.
"Miss Leng, may I have the honor of asking you for a dance?"
"Me? Really?"
"Yes."
"Xiaoyao, what are you waiting for? If you don't go, we will!"
Pei Menglu and Sima Yuyao pushed Leng Xiaoyao into Han Chenyu's arms. She gasped in surprise, trying to pull back, but Han Chenyu already had his arms around her waist, leading her into the dance floor as the music began to play.
"Mr. Han, you look a bit familiar, but I don't think I know you. Why do I feel this way?"
"Is that so? Perhaps you've seen me before, spoken with me, and done things like this..."
Han Chenyu leaned closer to Leng Xiaoyao's ear, his breath warm against her skin.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
A bad feeling crept over her as she sensed the intense aura and simmering anger radiating from him.
Anger? Had she done something to provoke him? Why was he looking at her like that?
Trying to appear calm, Leng Xiaoyao lifted her chin slightly and returned his gaze defiantly.
Han Chenyu looked at the little woman in his arms, still pretending to be clueless, and a smirk tugged at his lips. It seemed he needed to jog her memory a bit more.
He held her firmly, whispering softly in her ear. From a distance, they looked like a pair of star-crossed lovers sharing sweet nothings.
"Let me remind you, last week you and those two girls over there went to 'Drunken Dreams' for drinks, then you walked into the wrong room and mistook a man for a bar handsome. You 'forced' yourself on him and left a note behind."
"Y-you… you're that bar handsome! No, the man! You're the man from that night?!"
Leng Xiaoyao was completely bewildered. Who could tell her that the bar handsome she had imagined was actually the formidable Han Chenyu, the president of Han Group, a man her father admired?