Two minutes earlier.
In the resplendent, golden corridor, Qiao Yan stood wearing a vintage white dress, her long hair cascading down her back, arms outstretched as she blocked Gu Yuzhi’s path:
“Young Master Gu, I think you might have misunderstood Zhizhi—she isn’t that kind of person. Although she has a bad temper and occasionally hits people, deep down she isn’t wicked. She would never do something like being with several men at once…”
Qiao Yan’s delicate face flushed crimson, as if she couldn’t bring herself to continue.
Yet the more she spoke this way, the more she fueled the fire.
The man she had stopped was tall and imposing, standing over 190 centimeters, dressed in a silver-gray tailored suit. His presence was darkly handsome and menacing, like an Asura.
Gu Yuzhi’s expression was cold and rigid. Qiao Yan stammered on:
“Zhizhi just has a bad temper and likes to have fun, but she isn’t a bad person… Besides, as her cousin, I have a responsibility to look after her.”
“Young Master Gu, if you’re angry, please take it out on me. Don’t blame Zhizhi—she’s used to being treated like a little princess at home, spoiled and unrestrained. She wouldn’t be able to handle it…”
The man’s sinister gaze shifted away from her face, and he strode forward.
Qiao Yan stumbled as she was brushed aside, letting out a weak, startled cry.
Unfortunately, the man walking ahead paid her no mind.
Leaning against the wall, Qiao Yan calmly dialed a number, then spoke into the phone with feigned panic:
“Auntie, you need to come quickly!”
“Zhizhi… Zhizhi has made the Crown Prince very angry. I couldn’t stop him at all…”
A woman’s questioning voice came from the other end of the line. Qiao Yan sobbed softly and shook her head.
“Auntie, please hurry…”
“Zhizhi… Zhizhi was caught fooling around with other men!”
The moment the call ended, Qiao Yan tucked a strand of smooth hair behind her ear, a mocking smile appearing on her delicate face.
Today’s banquet, hosted by the Jiang family, was ostensibly to celebrate her aunt’s birthday, but in reality, it was to announce the engagement between the Gu and Jiang families.
Calling it an engagement was merely a polite term—everyone knew that for Jiang Zhizhi to marry into the Gu family was like striking gold, a stroke of fortune accumulated over eight lifetimes.
Out of respect for the Gu family’s reputation, the guest list tonight was especially large. Her aunt’s family was the center of attention, with every move they made under scrutiny.
Her phone call had been perfectly timed—her aunt was about to give a speech, with all eyes on her.
Once others overheard this call, it wouldn’t just be her aunt rushing over in a panic.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, gossip spreads like wildfire.
She wanted to see how her aunt could possibly cover up such a disgraceful daughter.
Qiao Yan chuckled softly, wiped the lipstick from her lips in front of the mirror, and applied a layer of pale lip gloss instead, crafting an expression of delicate vulnerability and innocent helplessness—the perfect image of an innocent little white flower.
Only when everything was seamless did she hurry forward, just as hurried footsteps and clamorous voices began to approach from not far away.
Two minutes later, a certain room door was completely blocked.
The crowd buzzed with excitement, the sound of jingling keys echoed repeatedly, and the thunder outside mingled with hushed whispers, successfully darkening Gu Yuzhi’s expression even further.
Witnessing the Crown Prince’s displeasure, the noise died down slightly, though the excitement of watching the drama unfold remained palpable.
Qiao Yan stood timidly beside Gu Yuzhi, her voice filled with grievance:
“Young Master Gu, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect so many people to come… I never imagined it would turn out like this…”
The tall man cast a cold glance at her.
Having been snubbed, Qiao Yan retreated to stand beside Jiang’s mother, taking her arm for support.
"Aunt, we must believe in cousin. Although she may be a bit spoiled usually, she is after all your daughter, she wouldn't do something… so shameless…"
Mrs. Jiang, dressed in a cheongsam, patted her hand, her eyes filled with numbness.
The surroundings were chaotic, with endless murmurs:
"What's going on? Did Jiang Zhizhi really fool around with another man, and right in this room?"
"Can't be, right? With conditions like the Crown Prince's, she schemed her way into his bed to get engaged. Could she be bold enough to fool around before even entering his household?"
"Shortsighted, that's all! But then again, I heard the Crown Prince was furious about this marriage. He didn't even show up at last week's engagement party, went racing with his childhood friends to vent."
"Who would be happy? I heard something happened that night. The Crown Prince's drink was spiked. Isn't it a coincidence? As soon as the Crown Prince left, Miss Jiang of the Jiang Family disappeared from the private room… Not two hours later, the scandal broke…"
"I heard that too. Our Miss Jiang only got into that circle through her friend's connections. And now, she's dragged her friend down with her, both kicked out!"
"Ah, truly foolish. The one chance in her life to climb the social ladder, and she ruined it herself…"
"Who would have thought someone would dare to cheat on someone of Young Master Gu's status? Jiang Zhizhi must have nerves of steel!"
"Probably seeking thrills, didn't expect to mess up…"
Amidst the rising and falling voices, with a rumble of thunder, the lock clicked.
The door cracked open a sliver.
A few voices spilled from inside, faintly audible as something like "want to or not."
Gu Yuzhi's handsome face darkened like the bottom of a pot. He raised his leg, about to kick the door open.
Suddenly, Qiao Yan swiftly blocked the doorway, facing the furious Gu Yuzhi and the crowd of onlookers with her slender frame, tears welling in her eyes:
"Please, everyone, don't do this. Zhizhi may have done something wrong, but please, for the Jiang Family's sake, don't humiliate her too much, and don't take photos…"
Her reminder only made things worse.
Prompted by her words, someone quickly pulled out their phone.
Qiao Yan wept pitifully,
"Young Master Gu, I beg you, can you not go in? If this door opens, Zhizhi will be ruined!"
Gu Yuzhi, his face ashen, reached out to pull her aside.
But for some reason, the next moment, Gu Yuzhi paused, his hand frozen mid-air.
Qiao Yan wiped her tears, secretly pleased—
He must have been moved by her delicate yet resilient image.
After all, with a promiscuous and frivolous Jiang Zhizhi having a resilient and beautiful cousin like herself, it was only natural for the Crown Prince to look at her differently.
Qiao Yan, eyes brimming with tears, was about to add fuel to the fire when a voice drifted softly:
"Why would Jiang Zhizhi be ruined?"
Qiao Yan instinctively replied,
"Because she's fooling around with several men—"
The next moment, a chill ran down her spine.
Amidst the storm outside and the hushed whispers, Qiao Yan turned with difficulty to see Jiang Zhizhi's strikingly beautiful face appear in her line of sight, filled with mockery,
"Qiao Yan, my parents kindly let you stay in the Jiang household, providing you with food and shelter, and you deliberately slander me in front of everyone?"
Qiao Yan froze, her pupils dilating.
Her contrived crying expression froze on her face, like poorly applied makeup on a mask, giving off a cheap sense of dissonance.
How could this be?
She had seen Jiang Zhizhi take the drug with her own eyes and had even dragged those men inside.
Opposite her, Jiang Zhizhi's smile faded bit by bit. Her excessively exquisite, beautiful face turned icy cold, like a little demon, staring at her:
“It’s raining heavily today. Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning, you ungrateful wretch?”
Qiao Yan trembled and took a step back.
Scrutinizing gazes from all around fell upon Qiao Yan, accompanied by whispers and murmurs.
Amidst the overwhelming shock and pointing fingers, an unnatural expression surfaced on Qiao Yan’s face.
Her cheeks burned as if she had suffered immense humiliation.
She pursed her lips. In the corner of her vision, behind Jiang Zhizhi in her evening gown, was an open mahjong table. Under the bright light sat three men—
The handsome and refined Pei Henian held a teacup, his back to the boundless wind and rain. A pair of stern, cold phoenix eyes, displeased by the disturbance, glanced over;
The lean and gloomy Lu Siyan, dressed in a proper suit, had his hand suspended mid-air after just drawing a card;
The dashing and handsome Xi Jin sat with his legs crossed, a pair of peach blossom eyes fixed intently on Jiang Zhizhi, his azure-blue eyes brimming with deep affection.
It was a tidy reception room, with the fragrance of tea lingering in the air. Beyond the massive floor-to-ceiling window, howling autumn winds swept through the heavy rain. It was nothing more than an ordinary card game, devoid of any ambiguous atmosphere.
At the center of everyone’s attention, the young woman leaned against the doorway—willful, flamboyant, the very image of a spoiled and malicious young heiress.
Her almond-shaped eyes swept inch by inch over the person opposite her, finally settling on the tall, exceptionally handsome man.
[Character: Gu Yuzhi]
[Setting: A madly possessive, ruthless, and capricious Crown Prince of the Capital circle.]
[Experience: The main love interest of the Belle of the Ball Female Lead, Qiao Yan. Initially cold-hearted and manipulative, later undergoes a "chasing wife crematorium" phase, where the powerful man lowers himself for love, serving the female lead so well he’s adorned with 22 * *.]
Jiang Zhizhi’s pupils trembled, her icy expression nearly crumbling.
Serving the female lead so well?
What a niche description!