Having let Liu Hen down?
Too ashamed to face her…
Xin Yu was startled by Cheng Yuan's double entendre. Yuan stared at her with wide eyes, "Yuanzi, you…you…I remember when I ran into you in the capital, you were on a blind date!"
She was even scolded by that man's sister back then…how did it turn into a lesbian couple in the blink of an eye?
"Ayu, what are you thinking!" Cheng Yuan pushed Xin Yu, her face flushed, and scolded, "I didn't know you were so dirty-minded!"
"Huh?" Xin Yu blinked, her pretty face close to Cheng Yuan's, "Then Yuanzi, tell me, what's your relationship?"
Cheng Yuan stammered for a long time, really whetting Xin Yu's appetite. Finally, the two looked at each other and scratched their heads, "We're almost at our stop."
"Before, before, Liu Hen introduced me to her brother…"
Liu Hen's brother?!
This information is truly explosive! Xin Yu racked her brains for a long time but couldn't recall what kind of boy he was; she had absolutely no recollection. "What was he like? Handsome? Was he also an IT geek?"
"..." Cheng Yuan fell silent, offering no comment.
"Then why didn't it work out? Did he not like you? Or did you not like him?"
"..." Cheng Yuan just shook her head. Only after they left the train station did she say, "He has someone he likes."
"Huh?" Xin Yu almost didn't react, then she pouted and took Cheng Yuan's hand. "Yuanzi, since we've moved on, let's start over. Look how much weight you've lost this month; given time, you'll definitely blossom into a stunning beauty! Then, hmph! You'll crush them!"
"Pfft..." Cheng Yuan, seeing Xin Yu's comical actions, couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Looks like you really don't remember Liu Shuihan. Crush him? That's impossible for me in this lifetime."
Liu Shuihan? This name seems familiar…
"Should I contact Liu Hen? I just don't know if she remembers me." Xin Yu pulled out her contacts, then paused.
"I know where she usually stays. I'll take you directly to her."
"Yuanzi, I knew you were the best!"
Led by Cheng Yuan, the two arrived at the bookstore on the basement floor of the Liu Group Building, but after searching for a long time, they couldn't find her…
"Have you heard? President Liu's birthday party this year gathered all the socialites of Beishi!"
"That's right, I heard it too. It's said that President Liu's parents have given him a strict order: he must have a grandson…"
"Speaking of which, President Liu is thirty, right? Does he have some kind of hidden illness? I heard he's been getting very close to the rich kids in the capital!"
"…"
Listening to the lively discussion around her, Xin Yu noticed that Cheng Yuan was actually sad!
"Yuanzi, you?" Still thinking about Liu Shuihan?! "I knew it! Unless it's something incredibly important, Liu Hen would never change his ways!" Cheng Yuan said, trying to hide her true emotions.
"Yuanzi, when did you learn to hide things from me?" Xin Yu stood in front of Cheng Yuan, hands on her hips, and asked angrily, "Tell me, do you still like Liu Shuihan?"
"Ayu, don't talk nonsense, how could I..."
"Still lying to me?!" Xin Yu snorted, then, after finding out the banquet venue, pulled Cheng Yuan away. "Let's go get a free meal!"
At the Huanghao Hotel, Xin Yu looked at the magnificent lobby and murmured, "How come I didn't know Liu Hen's family was so rich!"
"They used to be about the same as yours, but they only developed rapidly in the last two years after he took over," Cheng Yuan said, also glancing around.
Xin Yu's heart ached. Her family?
She no longer had a family...
Even if the Xin family was considered wealthy in Nanshi now, it had nothing to do with her! Thinking about it, her determination to see Liu Hen grew stronger. How wonderful it would be to realize their youthful dream!
"Please show your invitations, sir." She was stopped before she could even step inside…
Where would they get invitations? Her classmate had changed so much in just a few years!
"Sir, we are Liu Hen's classmates. This is our gift money—"
"I'm sorry," the man nodded politely, "the seating for tonight's banquet is arranged in advance. Without invitations, we cannot enter."
These days… even gift money is hard to give!
The two men each called her several times, but no one answered. "They're probably busy entertaining guests."
Xin Yu nodded helplessly. "Let's go look around first, and come back when it's almost over."
Just as they reached the elevator, they heard a ding, and the elevator opened—
Their eyes met, and Xin Yu's eyes widened!
Who else could it be but Cheng Yao?! "What are you doing here?" Cheng Yao was also surprised, but his tone was flat, revealing no emotion. He took a steady step forward, pulling Xin Yu aside.
"You know Liu Shuihan?" Cheng Yao raised an eyebrow with a roguish grin. "Don't tell me you came to his birthday party without Ninth Brother's knowledge?"
What! Without Mu Yichuan's knowledge?
That jerk!
"Which eye of yours saw me hide it from him?"
"No need to look. Knowing Ninth Brother as I do, he wouldn't let you come here alone."
"..." Xin Yu rolled her eyes, glanced back at the nervous Cheng Yuan not far away, gave her a reassuring look, and then said to Cheng Yao, "Then it seems you don't know Mr. Ninth well enough!"
Cheng Yao didn't speak, his thin brows furrowing slightly, a wicked glint flashing in his eyes.
"Alright, I'm leaving now."
"Leaving?" Cheng Yao seemed to have heard a joke, a smirk playing on his lips. "You still say you didn't sneak in!"
Damn it! "Is this guy delusional?!"
"How can she get in without an invitation?"
Xin Yu's eyes darted around, her beautiful eyes widening slightly. "You have an invitation? Then take us in?"
Cheng Yao sized up Xin Yu, then glanced at Cheng Yuan, and gave a curt "Mm."
"So easy to talk to?" Xin Yu pouted, pulling Cheng Yuan along behind her.
"Call Mr. Jiu and tell him she's here with me." Before entering the hall, Cheng Yao pointed at Xin Yu to his subordinates.
"I already told him, okay!" Judging from Cheng Yao's demeanor, it was clear he was going to confine her!
"Are you sure? Domineering husband?" Cheng Yao turned around, leaning slightly closer, and asked arrogantly.
Xin Yu's face flushed red. How could Cheng Yao, that jerk, mock her in front of Cheng Yuan! But the most embarrassing part was yet to come. After reaching the most prestigious seats, Xin Yu truly understood the saying "clothes make the man." Her casual attire, along with Cheng Yuan's, made them stand out among the socialites…
"My god, who are those two women? How can they walk behind Young Master Cheng dressed like that?"
"What ugly women! How can they attend a banquet dressed like that?"
"Don't say that! That's Young Master Cheng! We shouldn't criticize the people he brought…"
Cheng Yuan sat in her seat, fidgeting with her clothes. She was always afraid of people gossiping behind her back. Suddenly, she felt Xin Yu reach out and grasp her hand.
"Yuanzi, there's a reason for this," Xin Yu reassured her. Who knew there was a birthday banquet today? "Besides, we're here to discuss business. Think about how we'll crush them in the future!"
Cheng Yuan was taken aback, then nodded.
Cheng Yao grabbed Xin Yu, placed his phone in front of her, and looked at her provocatively.
There were only three words on the screen, yet they made Xin Yu freeze in place: "Watch her."
It was from Mu Yichuan!
Good heavens! The tone was clearly hostile!
Snatching his phone, Xin Yu hurriedly sent a voice message, "I told you, I called you and texted you!"
He ignored her, and now he's colluding with Cheng Yao to question her!
"Who asked you to meddle!" Xin Yu threw the phone at Cheng Yao, gritting her teeth.
"I wasn't meddling, just reporting the facts." The little girl's flustered reaction was hilarious!
"..." Ignoring the cunning Cheng Yao, Xin Yu quickly pulled out her vibrating phone—it was a video call!
Ignoring everyone else's stares, Xin Yu answered. She couldn't afford to offend Mu Yichuan!
"I called you yesterday, but Mu Feng answered! I also texted you this morning!" Before Mu Yichuan could speak, Xin Yu explained again. Mu Yichuan looked at Xin Yu's flushed face. This girl really did go to the Liu family in Beishi!
He hadn't expected her to know Liu Shuihan!
"I know, I'll teach Mu Feng a lesson later!" Mu Yichuan's deep voice came, filled with displeasure.
Teach Mu Feng a lesson? Why?
He couldn't worry about that for now. Xin Yu breathed a sigh of relief; she was in dire straits herself!
"If I had known you received an invitation, I would have gone with you."
Faced with Mu Yichuan's unusually gentle tone, Xin Yu didn't want to lie. "I... I didn't receive an invitation. I just came to see my classmate."
"Heh." His deep laugh was short, but like freshly brewed coffee, it carried a profound aroma that spread to the heart.
Sitting beside him, Cheng Yao was also surprised. This little girl not only didn't get punished, but she even made Ninth Brother laugh?! The world has changed…
"Should I hang up?" Xin Yu asked tentatively. Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, there was no need for a video call, right? She still needed to see Liu Hen later!
"Keep it on." Mu Yichuan immediately expressed his displeasure.
"Cheng Yao! You're here." A calm voice rang out, like a spring breeze melting the snow, yet upon closer listening, it contained a hint of detachment.
Xin Yu saw Cheng Yuan's hand tighten again and knew that this person was none other than Liu Shuihan!
"Just arrived." Cheng Yao stood up, and the two men high-fived and hugged, displaying their familiarity.
"Henhen, come and say hello to your brother Cheng Yao." Liu Shuihan pulled Liu Hen in front of Cheng Yao.
But she stared blankly at Xin Yu and Cheng Yuan, completely ignoring the handsome Cheng Yao! "Yuanzi?" Liu Hen paused, calling out seemingly uncertainly, "Ayu?"
Xin Yu tilted her head and smiled, revealing her pearly white teeth. A feeling of warmth lingered, a familiar familiarity between friends after so many years.
"It's us." Xin Yu stood up, standing gracefully, like a lily, not dazzling, yet possessing its own fragrance.
Liu Shuihan was startled, his hand tightening rapidly. He hadn't noticed any other women in the room, but upon hearing the name "Ayu," his heart seemed to stop, then surged like a volcano about to erupt, intensely passionate!
His body reacted faster than Liu Hen's, stepping forward to Xin Yu and embracing her!