The boy’s expression stiffened for a moment, but then he quickly returned to his gentle demeanor. “Sorry, that was rude of me.”
Lin Yiren was just about to tell him that if he knew he was being rude, he should hurry up and leave, but unexpectedly, the man sat right across from her.
What’s with this guy? Lin Yiren’s delicate brows furrowed.
“Why did your dance partner leave you here all alone? That’s so inconsiderate.” The boy seemed oblivious to her shifting mood, his tone sounding full of concern.
“It has nothing to do with you. This seat is taken, please leave.” Lin Yiren was a bit annoyed, but still kept her tone under control.
Who would have thought—among a crowd of rather gentlemanly young men, this one was a total oddball, thick-skinned as could be. “We don’t have to dance, that’s fine. There’ll be a band performing later. Want to go listen together?”
He looked utterly sincere, but Lin Yiren could still sense a gaze sweeping over her from time to time.
That insolence made her fists itch; if she were still “Lin Yi,” she would have already grabbed him by the collar for a threatening glare.
Now, though, she’d have to think of another way.
The boy regarded her with confidence. He knew that, at a ballroom, most girls wouldn’t turn down his polite approach.
Even if this girl seemed a bit prickly, once the enchanting jazz music started and they could chat over wine, he’d eventually break down her defenses step by step.
“Alright.” He heard the girl say, delight welling in his heart—it was just as he’d expected.
“But it won’t work without wine. Go get me a glass of wine, will you?” Lin Yiren pointed at the bar in the distance.
“My pleasure.”
The boy smiled at her and got up, walking away.
Lin Yiren watched him leave, making an exasperated face.
This amorous peacock made her feel utterly uncomfortable.
She picked up her phone and Chen Zhaoyue’s handbag, leaving the place without so much as a backward glance.
***
As the ballroom reached its midpoint, the atmosphere warmed, lazy jazz music flowing through the air. Distinguished men and women clinked glasses beneath the shimmer of crystal lights, an opulent scene unfolding slowly.
Yet, within this painting, a white silhouette wandered alone, like an uninhibited observer.
Lin Yiren walked and paused intermittently, holding Chen Zhaoyue’s handbag as she surveyed the surroundings. Quite a few people cast curious glances at the flower-like girl in a white dress, but she always slipped away before anyone could approach.
She never ventured into the center of the ballroom, only drifting around the periphery—watching waiters who could pour wine flawlessly even in the bustle, examining the peculiarly shaped red sculptures in the corners, and gazing from afar at the small band deeply absorbed in their performance.
This strolling among the crowd reminded her of high school evenings during class breaks—she’d roam the corridors of the teaching building, hands in the faded pockets of her school trousers, passing groups of chatting classmates, sometimes pausing to overhear their conversations.
But her current dress had no pockets, so she couldn’t stride about as freely as in high school.
And after watching for so long, it was starting to get a bit dull. Lin Yiren sighed and wandered back to the ballroom entrance.
***
At that moment, a girl rushed in at the entrance, wearing a light yellow evening dress that was a little disheveled at the edges, as if she’d put it on in a hurry.
Someone’s still arriving at this hour? Lin Yiren’s curious gaze landed on the girl.
A round, youthful face, but with a hint of spirited determination in her eyes.
Lin Yiren’s eyes widened. It was the girl she’d met the day she went to see Liu Mingjun—Shen Que.
After entering, Shen Que took a moment to catch her breath, then looked up and saw a delicate girl staring at her.
Her eyes widened, too, and delight bloomed on her adorable face, sweeping away all traces of fatigue.
“Yiren-jie! You’re here too!”
Shen Que lifted her skirt and ran over.
“I should ask you that—why are you here, and why so late?” Lin Yiren’s face broke into a smile; this lively, warm-hearted girl was truly likable.
Her earlier gloom vanished without a trace.
“My dad made me come—said I should meet some people.” Shen Que wore an exasperated look, gesturing inside. “Look at all those people in there. How am I supposed to blend in? So I hung around at the martial arts hall for ages before Dad finally drove me over.”
“That really is tough for you.” Lin Yiren laughed. She really couldn’t picture Shen Que mingling and laughing with a wine glass in that crowd.
“Hehe, but I have to thank my dad for letting me bump into you here, Yiren-jie.”
They chatted and laughed as they walked inside.
Lin Yiren recommended her favorite part of the banquet—the plates of delicious food.
Shen Que, however, wasn’t in a rush to eat. She looked at her curiously, “So, why did you come, Yiren-jie?”
“Well,” Lin Yiren looked at those big eyes that seemed to say “I want to know,” scratched her cheek, and said, a little embarrassed, “I came with… a friend.”
“A friend?” Shen Que thought Yiren-jie’s current expression was worth probing, rubbing her own chin as she asked, “Yiren-jie, did you know there’ll be a dance later?”
“Mm—yeah, I knew.”
“Hmmph, then you’re going to dance a duet with your friend, right? By the way, you look really pretty tonight, Yiren-jie.”
Shen Que looked her up and down. If, last time, Lin Yiren’s school uniform couldn’t hide her elegant charm, tonight, Lin Yiren was breathtakingly beautiful.
And she seemed to be wearing lipstick, too?
That made Shen Que even more curious about what kind of “friend” her unforgettable Yiren-jie had come with.
“She’s a girl. You’ll meet her soon.” Lin Yiren looked at the girl in front of her, cheeks puffed out, amused and a little embarrassed inside.
She’d always wanted a cute little sister like this.
Shen Que let out a sigh of relief after hearing the “friend” was a girl. In the eyes of this girl who vowed to protect all other girls, Yiren-jie dancing a duet with another lovely lady was just as it should be.
If only she could dance with her herself—but, unfortunately, she didn’t know how.
“That big sister is as pretty as you, right?”
Shen Que took a plate of steak, the same as what Lin Yiren had picked earlier, and walked to a seat with her.
“Mm, she’s even prettier than me.” Lin Yiren’s eyes curved in a smile as she recalled something.
“Yiren-jie is the prettiest person I’ve ever seen,” Shen Que insisted.
“Thank you.”
Shen Que’s gaze was clear and sincere; the compliment made Lin Yiren happy.
If only she’d praised her for being cool, too.
As Lin Yiren chatted with Shen Que, her heart felt lighter, and time seemed to pass more quickly.
She glanced at her phone now and then, checking for any messages from the young miss.
Chen Zhaoyue had left her the handbag and gone off with just her phone. Who knew if she’d need something from the handbag later.
Just as she checked her phone for the umpteenth time, a sudden commotion broke out in the distance.