On the day of the Qixing Business Summit.
Ruan Yao stood before the full-length mirror, wearing a pale apricot-colored dress. Its simple design perfectly accentuated the slender waist of the young girl.
She remembered that in her previous life, when she reunited with Huo Yanzhi for the first time after the Ruan family went bankrupt, she had worn a similar dress.
In the car, Ruan Sheng glanced at her through the rearview mirror and whistled.
“Wow, why are you dressed so beautifully today? How many hearts are you planning to steal later?”
The car drove smoothly along the road.
As he drove, Ruan Sheng reminded Ruan Yao, “Once we get inside later, don’t wander off, okay? Everyone there is shrewd, and their words are layered with hidden meanings. You won’t be able to handle it.”
“I know.”
“Also, don’t fall asleep during the meeting. It would be embarrassing if you were caught on camera.”
Ruan Yao nodded obediently, her fingers unconsciously stroking the black long-handled umbrella beside her leg.
The entrance to the venue was bustling with people, all dressed in suits and exuding an air of distinction.
Ruan Yao followed closely by Ruan Sheng’s side as they walked inside.
Only then did Ruan Sheng notice the black umbrella in her hand. He raised an eyebrow. “Why bring an umbrella? The weather forecast said it’s going to be sunny today.”
“Just in case it rains,” Ruan Yao replied vaguely.
Ruan Sheng gave her a look that said, “Are you messing with me?” but didn’t press further.
As soon as Ruan Yao stepped into the venue, her eyes eagerly scanned the crowd.
Soon, she found him.
In the center of the front row, Huo Yanzhi was surrounded by a group of men in suits, like stars orbiting the moon.
He wore a deep gray tailored suit, his demeanor cool and aloof.
Despite the noisy occasion, it seemed as if an invisible barrier surrounded him, isolating all the restlessness.
He listened attentively to the person beside him, his expression indifferent, occasionally nodding. His powerful presence firmly held everyone’s gaze.
Ruan Yao’s heart skipped a beat.
“Brother, where are our seats?”
“In the back. We’re just here to make up the numbers,” Ruan Sheng said as he led her through the crowd, finding their seats in a relatively remote part of the venue.
It was too far away.
From here, she could only see a faint silhouette of Huo Yanzhi’s profile, unable to make out his expression clearly.
A wave of disappointment washed over Ruan Yao, but her eyes remained fixed on that figure.
“See those people in the front?” Ruan Sheng leaned over, lowering his voice and gesturing with his chin toward Huo Yanzhi’s direction.
Ruan Yao immediately straightened up, pretending to listen attentively.
“That one is Chairman Wang of Dingsheng Group. The one next to him is Chairman Li, who’s in the new energy sector,” Ruan Sheng introduced them one by one. “People who can make Jingbei tremble with just a stomp.”
He paused, his tone tinged with emotion. “See how they’re surrounding that young man? That’s Huo Yanzhi of the Huo family. Compared to them, our family is just a small fry. In front of the Huo Clan, we don’t even rank.”
Ruan Yao pretended to be curious and asked, “Brother, is that Huo Yanzhi really that impressive?”
“Of course,” Ruan Sheng replied, his tone filled with admiration. “The young master of the Huo family is incredibly young, yet his methods are ruthless. In all of Jingbei, who wouldn’t want to get close to him?”
Ruan Yao had heard these words in her previous life as well.
Back then, she was filled with fear, seeing Huo Yanzhi only as a capricious, domineering madman.
But now, hearing them again, she felt something entirely different.
A strange sense of pride—one that felt both unfamiliar and yet somehow shared—welled up in Ruan Yao’s heart, mingled with a fine, aching regret for her past ignorance.
She gazed at the distant, blurred figure, an unconscious trace of admiration flickering in her eyes.
“Hey, snap out of it.” Ruan Sheng nudged her with his elbow. “You’re acting weird today. Why are you so engrossed in all this? Your eyes are practically glued to him.”
Ruan Yao’s cheeks flushed with heat. She hurriedly averted her gaze, lowering her head to pretend to adjust the hem of her skirt.
“I just… I just think he’s quite good-looking.”
Her reaction only made Ruan Sheng more suspicious.
He stroked his chin, a teasing smile spreading across his face. “Our little princess has high standards, picking out the top-tier one right away. But let me tell you, someone like that—just looking is enough. We can’t afford to get involved.”
Ruan Yao lowered her head and fell silent, though inwardly she felt a pang of resentment.
He was the one who provoked me first.
She stole another glance in that direction, a small wave of disappointment washing over her.
From the moment she had entered until now, Huo Yanzhi had not once looked her way.
It seemed he truly hadn’t noticed her at all.
The meeting officially began.
Ruan Yao sat up straight, but her entire focus drifted to the very front of the venue.
She watched Huo Yanzhi, observing how he crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair with a relaxed posture.
Just sitting there quietly, he seemed to exist in a world apart from everyone else.
Ruan Yao’s emotions rode a rollercoaster with his every subtle movement.
When he raised his hand, she tensed up.
When he turned his head, she began to hope.
Beside her, Ruan Sheng was still muttering complaints about the speaker’s dullness, but Ruan Yao didn’t hear a single word.
Suddenly, the host announced Huo Yanzhi’s name in an impassioned tone.
He stood up and walked toward the stage.
Ruan Yao instantly sat even straighter, her hands unconsciously clasped together on her knees.
The spotlight fell on him, enveloping his entire figure in a halo of light.
He adjusted the microphone’s height, and his deep, calm voice echoed clearly through the speakers, reaching every corner of the venue.
Ruan Yao could hear her own heartbeat, thumping once, then again.
Her eyes widened, fixed unblinkingly on the man on stage as he analyzed the market and outlined his plans.
The business jargon she had once found so tedious it would put her to sleep now carried a convincing force with every word he spoke.
She didn’t understand the professional terms, but she could see the growing approval and recognition in the eyes of the business magnates in the audience.
She could also see how the man on stage shone brilliantly in his own field.
How could her past self have ever thought that someone like him would need to resort to something as low as drugging to get a woman?
Ruan Yao didn’t blink once, more attentive than she had ever been in class.
She hoped he would see her.
But he didn’t.
Even after his speech ended, Huo Yanzhi’s gaze never strayed toward the back rows.
He nodded politely to the audience, his expression indifferent.
The small flicker of hope in Ruan Yao’s heart gradually dimmed.
Just as Huo Yanzhi stepped off the stage and was about to return to his seat—
His gaze swept casually across the audience.
It quickly passed over the back rows, then, for a moment, landed precisely on Ruan Yao.
It lingered for only a second.
Maybe even less.
Ruan Yao's heart gave a sudden leap.
But that gaze quickly shifted away, without the slightest trace of lingering, as if what she had just felt was merely an illusion.
Huo Yanzhi returned to his seat and sat down.
Feeling the fervent pounding in her chest, Ruan Yao lowered her head in disappointment, comforting herself inwardly.
It was too far, and the lights were so glaring—he definitely hadn't seen her clearly.
As the summit concluded, guests gradually rose and began to leave, chatting in small groups, filling the venue with noise once more.
Ruan Sheng yawned and stretched. "Finally over. Come on, let's go. I'll take you to grab something good to eat."
Ruan Yao didn't move, her eyes fixed on the first row.
Huo Yanzhi had also stood up, with Qin Feng bending slightly beside him, speaking softly.
He didn't glance in her direction again, turning instead to prepare to leave.
"Brother, wait for me at the entrance first."
With those words, Ruan Yao ignored Ruan Sheng's surprised calls from behind, lifted the hem of her dress, and hurried after him.
"Hey, where are you going?" Ruan Sheng's voice was swallowed by the crowd.
Ruan Yao reached the entrance of the venue, her fair face flushed from the chase.
Finally pushing her way through the crowd, she spotted Huo Yanzhi heading toward the VIP passage.
Huo Yanzhi was about to get into the car, with Qin Feng already holding the rear door open for him.
Ruan Yao took a deep breath, preparing to step forward.
Suddenly, a flamboyantly dressed man with a frivolous demeanor darted out from the side, slinging an arm over Huo Yanzhi's shoulder.
"President Huo, mind if I hitch a ride?"
Ruan Yao paused mid-step.
She recognized this man—Gu Huai.
Huo Yanzhi's childhood friend and one of his few close companions.
Qin Feng had already opened the car door, and Huo Yanzhi could get in at any moment.
She couldn't wait any longer.
Biting her lip, Ruan Yao tightened her grip on the umbrella handle, mustered all her courage, and strode forward.