Qianqian’s fingers tightened around her champagne flute until her knuckles turned white, but the smile on her face only deepened.
Meeting Xie Wan’s provocative gaze, she slowly spoke, her voice clear enough for the surrounding gossips to hear.
“Cousin, you really are concerned about my affairs. But other people’s excitement is only worth watching from the sidelines; you shouldn’t take it seriously. As for you…” Her tone remained calm as she changed the subject. “That painting you bought at auction in Milan last month seems to have run into some trouble during the handover. I heard the seller intends to sue. Now that kind of excitement is truly giving someone a headache, isn’t it?”
Xie Wan’s expression changed instantly. She had bought the painting with her private funds behind her family’s back, and something had gone wrong during the handover. She was currently frantic, asking people everywhere to help resolve the matter. She had believed she had kept it well hidden, never imagining that Qianqian would know.
“You… What nonsense are you talking about!” Xie Wan’s voice rose sharply, her complexion shifting from red to purple.
“Whether it’s nonsense or not, you know very well, Cousin.” Qianqian gently swirled the golden liquid in her glass, her tone indifferent. “If you need help, just say so. After all, we’re family.”
She put particular emphasis on the words “we’re family,” but her eyes held no warmth whatsoever.
Lin Jiayou really was reliable. She had happened to overhear him mention it in passing and had not thought much of it at the time, but now it had allowed her to win back a round here.
Wonderful!
Xie Wan looked as if someone had seized her by the throat. Her face flushed and paled in turns as she glared at Qianqian, unable to say anything for a moment.
The two female companions beside her exchanged glances, no longer daring to blindly chime in.
The whispers around them grew more distinct, but the direction of the gossip seemed to have shifted subtly.
It seemed that Miss Lin, who had just returned from Haicheng, was not the “fallen heiress” who could be casually pushed around as the rumors claimed.
Just then, a considerable commotion arose at the entrance to the banquet hall, as though some important figure had arrived.
Many people instinctively turned to look, including Qianqian, Xie Wan, and Xu Weizhou.
At the place where the lights converged, a man in a pure-black suit was walking slowly into the hall.
He was tall and straight, with broad shoulders and long legs. The perfectly tailored suit gave him an air of cold severity and noble reserve.
His complexion was cool-toned and pale, his features deep-set, his nose straight, and his thin lips pressed lightly together.
Most striking were his eyes—deep and tranquil, like a lake frozen over in winter. Wherever his gaze fell, it seemed to lower the temperature of the air by several degrees.
Lu Shilin.
It was him—the gentleman who had driven her back to the ancestral home that night.
Later, she had asked her brother about him and learned his name. His surname was Lu: Lu Shilin. He was a few months older than her brother and would turn thirty after the New Year.
He had no female companion and had come alone. Nor was he surrounded by an entourage. He simply walked in, without fanfare, yet instantly drew the attention of more than half the room.
Many people’s expressions became respectful or eager. They all wanted to step forward and greet him, yet seemed to be held back by the invisible distance surrounding him, and for a moment, none dared approach rashly.
His gaze swept indifferently across the entire hall, then paused almost imperceptibly in a certain direction.
Qianqian’s heartbeat skipped without warning.
She had not expected to encounter him here again.
That brief interaction in the car that night, the scent of pine, the unlit cigarette, his deep-set eyes… all of it surged into her mind in an instant.
Lu Shilin’s gaze seemed to linger in her direction for half a second before naturally moving away. He headed toward several highly respected elders deeper inside the banquet hall.
His steps were unhurried. He inclined his head in greeting to others and kept his conversations brief. His manner was neither arrogant nor warm, maintaining a sense of distance that was precisely measured.
“Lu Shilin actually came…” Xie Wan had already forgotten her earlier embarrassment. She murmured as undisguised amazement flashed through her eyes. “He rarely appears at events like this.”
“Wanwan, did he just look this way?” asked the girl in pink sequins excitedly.
The corners of Xie Wan’s lips curved slightly, and her smile spread. “Oh, don’t say things like that. Shilin has always kept a low profile. If someone with ulterior motives catches wind of it, they’ll make a huge fuss again.”
As soon as she said this, discussion broke out all around them.
People assumed that Lu Shilin had come for Xie Wan and felt that there was something unusual about their relationship.
Xu Weizhou glanced at Qianqian and saw that she had lowered her eyes slightly, staring at the wineglass in her hand. The lines of her profile appeared somewhat hazy beneath the lights.
He fell into thought.
Xie Wan clearly still wanted to say something, but Lu Shilin’s appearance had drawn most of her attention like a magnet.
She adjusted her dress and outfit, shot Qianqian a fierce glare, then pulled her companions toward Lu Shilin, trying to find an opportunity to strike up a conversation.
The surroundings temporarily returned to a superficial calm.
“Are you all right?” Xu Weizhou asked quietly.
Qianqian shook her head, drew a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. “I’m used to it.”
She raised her eyes toward Lu Shilin, who was surrounded by people.
He was listening to an elderly man with his head turned slightly to the side, the contours of his profile cold and hard, his expression focused.
Perhaps her gaze was too intense, because the man seemed to notice. He suddenly tilted his head ever so slightly, his eyes passing over the shifting figures and meeting hers once again.
Through the fragrance of clothing, the gleam of jewelry, and the flowing radiance of the lights, those eyes, deep as an unfathomable pool, looked toward her. They were calm and unruffled, yet made Qianqian’s fingertips tremble slightly.
He gave her an almost imperceptible nod, and the curve of his lips lifted for an instant.
Yet Qianqian felt as though the surrounding din had receded slightly in that moment.
Xu Weizhou saw everything, his eyes shifting faintly, but he said nothing. He merely smiled warmly. “Would you like to go out to the terrace for some air? It’s a little stuffy here.”
“All right.” She nodded.
The two of them walked toward the relatively quiet terrace.
As they passed a long table covered with exquisite desserts, Qianqian’s steps slowed slightly, her gaze falling on a uniquely shaped chocolate mousse.
It was a flavor she had once loved—the signature dessert of a long-established Western pastry shop in Haicheng.
A well-defined hand suddenly reached in from the side, picked up the mousse, and placed it on a delicate bone-china saucer.
Lin Qingqian looked up in surprise and once again met Lu Shilin’s eyes.
At some point, he had finished speaking with the elders and walked over nearby.
“Girl, give it a try.” He held the small saucer out to her, his movements so natural that it seemed as though they were already familiar with each other. “The pastry chef here was recruited from an old shop in Haicheng at a high salary.”
His tone was indifferent, yet it stirred waves in Lin Qingqian’s heart.
An old shop in Haicheng?
Could it be the dessert shop whose sweets she liked?
Hearing him, Xu Weizhou turned his head toward Lu Shilin, who had suddenly appeared. When he heard Lu Shilin speaking with Lin Qingqian, surprise surfaced on his face.
Lu Shilin quietly watched her, waiting for her to accept it.
Lin Qingqian suppressed the flutter in her heart and reached out to take the saucer. Her fingertips inevitably brushed against his slightly cool fingers, and the contact ended at once.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“My name is Lu Shilin, Lin family girl. I’m pleased to meet you again.” Lu Shilin’s gaze rested on her face for a moment. In the depths of his eyes, something extremely faint and almost impossible to detect seemed to pass clearly through them—so quickly that it could have been an illusion.
“Try it and see if you like it.”
He added that last sentence, his eyes filled with expectation.