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The social circle in City C is quite small; you see the same faces whether you look down or up. Although A-Zhi does not have a good opinion of Ye Jing, he still maintains the necessary courtesies. He exchanges pleasantries with Ye Jing, putting on a facade of politeness just to save face. Yan Cailing, however, does not hide her displeasure. While she may not fully understand the grudge between Cheng Qiuyi and Ye Jing, she has always valued loyalty among friends. Since Cheng Qiuyi does not like Ye Jing, she naturally sides with Cheng Qiuyi.
Among those present, aside from Yan Cailing, no one dares to disregard Ye Jing. Guests are flocking to Ye Jing, trying to ingratiate themselves with her, making it seem as though she is the center of attention.
"Should we go over?" Liu Shuhan asks. The crowd in the hall has gathered around Ye Jing, and it seems somewhat inappropriate for her and Cheng Qiuyi to hide away drinking. Liu Shuhan is unfamiliar with the rules of these wealthy circles and worries that if they offend someone from that world, it could reflect poorly on Cheng Qiuyi.
Cheng Qiuyi shakes her wine glass and sneers, "Even if we don't go over, Ye Jing will come to us." As predicted, Ye Jing indeed walks over to them.
"Qiu Yi, long time no see," Ye Jing says as she raises her glass to clink with Cheng Qiuyi's.
With so many eyes watching, the performance between Cheng Qiuyi and Ye Jing must continue. Instead of their previous cold stares, Cheng Qiuyi forces a smile and says, "You look truly radiant today, Ms. Ye."
Ye Jing smiles playfully, her gaze intentionally drifting towards Yuan Ying, who is drinking alone in another corner. "No matter how radiant I am, can I compare to her over there?" She then provocatively glances at Liu Shuhan.
Following Ye Jing's gaze, Liu Shuhan thinks Yuan Ying is indeed beautiful but seems a bit aloof and hard to approach. She cannot decipher the meaning behind Ye Jing's provocative look.
Cheng Qiuyi appears quite pleased with Yuan Ying's outfit today, her gaze towards Yuan Ying revealing an unmasked flirtation. "Only a woman like Miss Yuan can truly embody the phrase 'graceful lady.'"
Liu Shuhan is engrossed in admiring the beauty when she hears Cheng Qiuyi's generous praise and feels uncomfortable inside. Looking back at Yuan Ying makes her think that this woman is nothing special after all. Cheng Qiuyi has never praised her like this; she is generous when complimenting other women. With this thought in mind, Liu Shuhan grows increasingly annoyed by Yuan Ying and feels a tightness in her chest.
"Miss Liu doesn't look well; are you feeling sick?" Ye Jing teases Liu Shuhan.
In the past, Cheng Qiuyi would be extremely concerned even if Liu Shuhan coughed once. Today, however, she seems unfazed by Liu Shuhan's obviously gloomy expression and merely offers a perfunctory suggestion to rest in the lounge without taking her eyes off Yuan Ying.
"Cheng Qiuyi, you!" Liu Shuhan nearly erupts but holds back due to the crowd; she stomps her foot in frustration instead. "Just wait!" After saying this angrily, she storms off to the lounge on the second floor and finally understands what Ye Jing's provocation meant.
After Liu Shuhan leaves, Cheng Qiuyi glances subtly at her departing figure, her eyes dark as ink.
"You've scared away your little cabbage, and you're not going to chase after her?" Ye Jing leaned against the wall, leisurely sipping her drink. She thought to herself that she was really regressing; as the head of the Ye Family, she was acting like an inexperienced young girl. However, this feeling wasn't too bad, so she might as well indulge in it just this once.
Cheng Qiuyi frowned, a hint of impatience in his eyes. "She's been getting more and more outrageous lately, really thinking I can't live without her. It's good for her to reflect on it."
Ye Jing scoffed, "Not long ago at Master’s place, you were so adamant about her, even having a falling out with Master. I thought you were truly infatuated with her and couldn't live without her."
Cheng Qiuyi finished his drink and signaled a passing servant to take away his empty glass. He raised a new glass of champagne from a distance to toast Ye Jing. "I prefer soft and fragrant women. This woman could be Liu Shuhan or Yuan Ying; Master will find out sooner or later. Rather than letting him deal with Miss Yuan's troubles in the future, it's better to push Liu Shuhan out to block some risks, isn't it?"
"Good, very good," Ye Jing replied with a smile. "I'm just afraid that Miss Liu will find out in the future and won't let you off easily."
Cheng Qiuyi sneered, "She's just a commoner; how could she possibly hold anything against me?"
Cheng Qiuyi was verbally sparring with Ye Jing while feeling anxious inside, fearing that Liu Shuhan might suddenly appear and overhear their conversation. Liu Shuhan was a naive girl who believed whatever others said; if someone stirred up trouble, it would be problematic.
The second floor of the banquet hall was a semi-open terrace with a view of the river beyond the railing. The scenery was beautiful, but most of the attendees were there to meet more people in their circle. At least they needed to become familiar faces in front of the heads of various families; only Liu Shuhan seemed to have the leisure to enjoy the view.
The terrace was decorated romantically, with several chairs and a tea table in the center and a swing placed slightly off to one side. Liu Shuhan sat gloomily on the swing, having kicked off her uncomfortable high heels and now barefoot on the cold floor, swaying back and forth.
Cheng Qiuyi seemed to have lost his mind; he had been fine just moments ago, but as soon as Ye Jing arrived, he started speaking indiscriminately. Praising other women in front of her was one thing, but what Cheng Qiuyi said afterward was downright infuriating! The more Liu Shuhan thought about it, the angrier she became, tilting her head back and gulping down her glass of red wine.
Liu Shuhan's face flushed from drinking; soon both cheeks turned rosy like she had applied blush. While complaining about Cheng Qiuyi in the cold wind, another sound of high heels clicking approached from the terrace. Liu Shuhan turned around to see a woman in a black dress with bright red lips and an icy expression—wasn't that Yuan Ying, the one Cheng Qiuyi couldn't take his eyes off?
Yuan Ying sat quietly in a chair beside the tea table, observing Liu Shuhan without revealing any emotion. Liu Shuhan looked back at her curiously.
As she watched, Liu Shuhan felt disheartened to realize that Cheng Qiuyi was right—Yuan Ying was indeed stunning. Not only was her figure attractive, but there was also an indescribable aura about her that Liu Shuhan felt she could never emulate.
This was Yuan Ying's first time seeing Liu Shuhan. With wide eyes and an open mouth, Liu Shuhan wasn't unattractive but certainly not strikingly beautiful either. She looked like a pampered girl from an ordinary family who hadn't faced much hardship; all her emotions were written on her face. Right now, Yuan Ying could clearly see Liu Shuhan's conflicted feelings toward herself.
Liu Shuhan felt uneasy; Yuan Ying was indeed beautiful, but it was quite strange to be stared at for such a long time by a pretty stranger.
"Miss, is there something you need?" Liu Shuhan mustered the courage to ask.
Yuan Ying wanted to tease her and was about to speak when she suddenly remembered she had to maintain her aloof ice queen image. So, she arrogantly turned her face away and slightly nodded, "I am Yuan Ying."
"I know." As a powerful potential rival, how could Liu Shuhan not recognize her? She muttered, "Cheng Qiuyi praised you as a graceful lady."
Yuan Ying was almost laughing out loud internally; on the surface, she remained calm. "Thank you for relaying that from Miss Cheng." Cheng Qiuyi really went all out, saying anything to lure Ye Jing into the game. It seemed she was determined to not rest until Ye Jing was thoroughly dealt with.
"No need to thank me." Liu Shuhan held onto the iron chains of the swing and sighed softly at the moon. "She is right; you are a beauty. Besides Cheng Qiuyi, I have never seen such a pretty girl." Liu Shuhan had always loved looking at beautiful girls; they were like treasures that should be cherished in someone's hands. Yet, facing Yuan Ying, she felt a thorn in her heart.
Liu Shuhan couldn't bring herself to dislike Yuan Ying; she hadn't done anything wrong. The blame lay solely with that audacious Cheng Qiuyi, who was eyeing someone else's bowl while eating from her own!
Yuan Ying struggled to suppress her laughter. Seeing that she might give herself away, she quickly turned around and coughed several times before asking, "So, Miss Liu, who do you think is more beautiful between me and Miss Cheng?"
Liu Shuhan was caught off guard by the question and took a moment to think seriously before awkwardly replying, "Miss Yuan, you are indeed very beautiful, but I still think Cheng Qiuyi is slightly more attractive."
Cheng Qiuyi's gaze wasn't as cold as Yuan Ying's; her peach blossom eyes always held warmth. Cheng Qiuyi's face shape wasn't as slender as Yuan Ying's; her chin had a gentle curve that felt great to touch. Although Yuan Ying was beautiful, she still couldn't compare to Cheng Qiuyi.
Who could be so honest? Not even able to say something nice to cheer someone up!
Yuan Ying felt displeased; she really didn't understand what Cheng Qiuyi saw in her. This person was simply a blockhead! So dull.
Feeling dejected, Yuan Ying stood up and swayed her slender waist down the stairs. In the hallway, Cheng Qiuyi had been eavesdropping for who knows how long; she covered her mouth and laughed uncontrollably, her eyes turning into crescent moons. When Cheng Qiuyi saw Yuan Ying about to descend the stairs, she composed herself and pretended to be serious as she nodded at her. "Miss Yuan, you look truly beautiful today."
Yuan Ying shot her a glance and walked past her into the hall.
In the hall, a waitress passed by with a tray, and Yuan Ying's eyes lit up as she excitedly grabbed the waitress's arm. "A Qian!"
The waitress turned back with a confused expression, and Yuan Ying's excitement faded. "Sorry, I mistook you for someone else."
It wasn't her; that person was nearly thirty, nowhere near this young.
Cheng Qiuyi stood next to Liu Shuhan, leaning against a swing. "Aren't you not allowed to drink?"
"None of your business," Liu Shuhan replied, nestled in the swing without even looking at her.
"The baby is about to have their first birthday celebration; your sister-in-law wants you to come down."
Liu Shuhan thought Cheng Qiuyi was there to apologize and considered whether to forgive her so easily. Unexpectedly, Cheng Qiuyi was there for something else. Furious, she put on her shoes and pushed past her down the stairs, striding confidently in her high heels. Cheng Qiuyi hurried after her, worried she might trip on the stairs.
After greeting the elders from various families, Ye Jing returned to Yuan Ying's side, feeling quite pleased.
"This is the first time I've seen President Ye so happy. What good news did you receive?"
"The only thing that can make me happy is Cheng Qiuyi," Ye Jing said mysteriously.
Yuan Ying secretly loathed Ye Jing and was too lazy to engage with her, so she followed the crowd to the center of the banquet hall in front of the main stage.
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