When she returned to the banquet hall.
Glasses clinked in toasts, and laughter and cheerful chatter filled the air.
Fu Tingshen was conversing with President Huo.
“Yunmian, come here for a moment.”
Fu Tingshen beckoned to her.
When Luo Yunmian looked over, he was dressed in a sharply tailored suit, his hair impeccably styled, his expression calm and composed. An aura of elegance and nobility radiated from him.
Luo Yunmian thought of how impatient and eager he had been just moments ago with Shen Xin’er. The stark contrast made her feel as if a massive boulder were lodged in her heart.
It was nauseating and disgusting.
If he didn’t love her, he could have told her. Why deceive her? That was what she could least tolerate.
“Miss Luo, Mr. C will be arriving shortly. We hope you can be his dance partner. Coincidentally, the gown you’re wearing was also a gift from him.”
Huo Zhou stated his purpose directly.
Luo Yunmian couldn’t help but think of what the masked man had said earlier. Could it be him…?
“Yunmian?”
Seeing her dazed expression, Fu Tingshen called out to her.
“President Huo, this…” She was about to refuse, but Fu Tingshen cut her off directly.
“President Huo, Yunmian is willing to be Mr. C’s dance partner.”
Who didn’t know of Mr. C? Young and accomplished, ranking among the top three on the global rich list, yet incredibly mysterious—he never gave interviews, so no one outside knew what he looked like.
Being able to cooperate with him, and having Yunmian serve as his dance partner, would undoubtedly lead to deeper exchanges and collaboration in the future.
Fu Tingshen was more than happy to see this happen.
Luo Yunmian hadn’t expected that Fu Tingshen would push her out for his own benefit.
“Who’s talking about me?” A clear, cool male voice rang out.
Luo Yunmian turned around—it was indeed him.
The group exchanged greetings, and the man deliberately clinked his glass with Luo Yunmian’s. “I’ll be troubling you later, Miss Luo.”
“Mr. C, I’m not very good at dancing.” Luo Yunmian was unwilling, even resistant.
“No matter, I’ll teach you, Miss Luo. President Fu surely won’t mind, will he?”
C’s gaze deliberately lingered between the two of them.
“Of course not. Yunmian will be an excellent dance partner.”
Fu Tingshen signaled with his eyes for Luo Yunmian to consider the bigger picture.
In the dance floor area, lights flickered and music began to play.
Mr. C openly stared intently at Luo Yunmian, as if eagerly awaiting her invitation.
Luo Yunmian gave a slight, reluctant smile and reluctantly extended her hand. He immediately grasped it, pulling her toward the center of the stage.
Luo Yunmian hadn’t expected the boomerang to come back so quickly.
Nearby, Shen Xin’er, seeing this, linked arms with Fu Tingshen. “Tingshen, let’s go dance too.”
Luo Yunmian looked warily at the man towering over her in front.
“Have you investigated me?”
“A beauty like Miss Luo naturally attracts admiration. It’s human nature to appreciate beauty.”
“I have a boyfriend.”
Just as they reached the center of the stage, C placed one hand around her waist and took her other hand, beginning to dance with the music.
“Can that even be called a boyfriend? Nothing more than dirty trash.”
His hand around her waist tightened deliberately, as if punishing her.
“And Miss Luo is still willing to take him back?”
“I didn’t expect Mr. C to be so sharp-tongued.”
Luo Yunmian neither confirmed nor denied his words.
It truly was dirty trash. But she had never been a recycling station.
Following the rhythm of the music, C led Luo Yunmian in the dance, guiding their steps as they spun in circles toward the dimmer edges of the stage lights.
Luo Yunmian caught a glimpse of Fu Tingshen and Shen Xin’er dancing as well. The two were quite close, and she suddenly understood—he wanted to keep her away from them.
“So, Mr. C, do you like me?”
Luo Yunmian raised an eyebrow.
Her intuition had always been sharp, but it had stumbled when it came to Fu Tingshen—quite ironic, really.
“Miss Luo is still so confident.”
C let out a soft chuckle from his throat, and Luo Yunmian inexplicably found the voice strangely familiar.
“Is President C also from Hong Kong? Have we met before?”
The latter, however, did not respond to her question. Instead, his gaze drifted downward, landing on her ankles, and after noticing the high heels she was wearing, the amusement in his eyes was tinged with an elusive emotion. Then, Luo Yunmian heard the man speak with a hint of concern.
“If the shoes don’t fit, just throw them away. Why force yourself and hurt your feet?”
Luo Yunmian’s heart trembled, a surge of bitterness and sorrow welling up inside her.
It felt as if a knife had been plunged into her heart, twisting and tearing it apart, the pain so intense she could barely stand.
The man beside her seemed to sense her distress and softened his tone.
“Can’t bear to let go?”
She gritted her teeth, forcing the words out through clenched teeth.
“Yes, letting go means cutting something away from the very core of your heart. The pain will eventually pass.”
She lowered her eyes and smiled self-deprecatingly. “Do you think I’m foolish? Letting go always requires a healing process.”
She had noticed yesterday that the shoes were the wrong size, but she stubbornly wanted to see for herself what it would feel like to wear ill-fitting shoes.
In the end, it was her feet that hurt the most.
Six years of youth, six years of love—she had always tortured herself, struggling to hold on. That was why she had retaliated that very day.
“Miss Luo is merely lost in the fog. Once it clears, the moon will shine brightly.”
Luo Yunmian was taken aback. Suddenly, this domineering man was comforting her.
Just as she was beginning to think better of him, she heard his voice take on a playful, roguish tone.
“Miss Luo, you smell so good.”
Then, he leaned in close to her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine.
He was flirting with her.
Luo Yunmian glared at him angrily, and the hand resting on her waist deliberately brushed against her back.
She lifted her high heel and stomped it down on his leather shoe.
A sharp “hiss” escaped C’s lips as he winced in pain, but he still didn’t let go of her.
“Miss Luo, I didn’t expect you to be so thorny.”
Just as the music ended, Luo Yunmian immediately released his shoulder and took a step back to create distance.
“Sorry, President C, I need to use the restroom.”
With that, she turned and walked away, clearly unwilling to engage further.
Unfortunately, she ran into Shen Xin’er again in the restroom.
“Miss Luo, do the shoes fit? Yesterday, Tingshen took me shopping for clothes, and I picked out a pair for you while we were at it.”
Shen Xin’er washed her hands, took out her lipstick, and carefully applied it, her lips curling into a pleased smile.
Luo Yunmian finished washing her hands and shook them forcefully, grabbing a tissue to dry them. She let out a light laugh.
“No wonder. I was wondering when President Fu’s taste had become so poor. These shoes really aren’t up to par.”
Without waiting for Shen Xin’er’s response, she turned and left, unwilling to stay a moment longer.
Shen Xin’er chased after her to the stairwell, grabbing Luo Yunmian’s arm, her voice sharp and aggressive. “Tingshen loves me, Miss Luo. Don’t deceive yourself.”
Luo Yunmian pulled her arm away disdainfully, her expression turning cold. “His love for you has nothing to do with me.”
“Miss Luo, let me show you whether Tingshen believes me or you.”
Before Luo Yunmian could fully process Shen Xin’er’s words, she saw Shen Xin’er suddenly lean backward.
A startled cry rang out, followed by a pained “ouch.” Everyone turned to look and saw Shen Xin’er tumbling down the stairs, only stopping when she reached the bottom.
In an instant, all eyes were drawn to the scene, and murmurs erupted around them: “Oh my god, someone fell down the stairs!”
Luo Yunmian stood frozen in shock, never expecting a scene straight out of a novel to play out in real life.
Upon hearing the commotion, Fu Tingshen rushed over and helped Shen Xin’er, her face streaked with tears, to her feet.
His eyes filled with anxiety, his voice trembling slightly, he asked, “Xin’er, are you alright? Are you hurt?”
Shen Xin’er slowly raised her eyes, tears welling up as she choked back sobs.
“I just had a bit of an argument with Miss Luo at the top of the stairs…”
The onlookers exchanged glances, casting strange looks at Luo Yunmian.