Xu Xinchen didn't know how she got here with Gu Yan, but the fact was that she was sitting next to him. He was wearing a casual shirt and looked more relaxed than usual, but his noble air was still undeniable, making him stand out from the crowd. The girls in the two rows behind them kept looking at them with burning eyes and pushing each other.

This person attracts attention wherever he goes.

Xu Xinchen doesn't often watch stage plays, but she was a film and television actress in that era, and performing arts are all interconnected, so she can easily become engrossed in them.

On stage, a moment later a person dressed in a white lace dress, like a princess, emerged from behind the curtain. Xu Xinchen was a bit far from the stage and couldn't see the person's face clearly, but the frequent commotion around her when the girl came out suggested how beautiful she must be.

A young couple sat in the row in front of her. The girl, probably annoyed that her boyfriend had been staring at the actress for too long, grabbed his shoulder and said fiercely, "Still looking? Is she prettier than me?"

The boy looked away and reassured her, "I was watching a play, I wasn't looking at her, I wasn't looking at her."

"Still trying to deny it? The play she took me to last time was also hers. I was waiting for her autograph after the show. Every time she appears on stage, my eyes practically pop out of my head. You still won't admit it?"

"Okay, okay, I won't look anymore." Seeing his girlfriend getting angry, the boy quickly stepped in to appease her, promising, "Next time I won't look at her, I'll only look at you, okay..."

The girl snorted and muttered, "Didn't you know Chen Bailing has a fiancé? Everyone else is getting married soon, don't be a toad trying to eat swan meat..."

She had no interest in listening to what was said after that. The girl on the stage stood gracefully in the center, attracting everyone's attention, like a noble white swan.

Her eyes were lowered, shadows beneath them, and her thoughts were in turmoil.

She turned her head slightly and saw that Gu Yan was still standing tall and straight, looking straight ahead, focused and immersed in the performance on stage.

He seemed to sense her gaze, leaned slightly closer to her, his eyes still fixed on the stage, and whispered in her ear, "This girl is beautiful, but she has no soul. What do you think?"

Her heart skipped a beat, and she opened her mouth slightly, unconsciously looking at his profile.

Gu Yan suddenly turned his head, gave her a meaningful look, and smiled.

When the play ended, Xu Xinchen finally snapped out of her daze. She had been spacing out for the entire performance and barely remembered what happened afterward.

I took the time to look at it.

As the curtain fell on the performance, the actors on stage thanked the audience. Someone ran up to them and enthusiastically presented them with flowers. Xu Xinchen wanted to leave quickly, but Gu Yan stopped her.

“I’m going to see an old friend.” He raised his chin and pointed towards the stage.

Without waiting for her consent, he took her hand and led her toward the stage. The stage was already nearly empty. Chen Bailing, holding a large bouquet of roses, was about to walk backstage with a smile on her face when she heard someone call her name.

She turned around in confusion and saw Gu Yan walking towards her.

"Cousin!" she exclaimed in surprise upon recognizing him.

Gu Yan, pulling a woman along, walked towards her. Chen Bailing stood still, about to speak to Chen Ningsheng behind her.

At that moment, his body paused.

She saw the woman behind Gu Yan clearly.

Lu Minshi.

She was startled and quickly looked at Chen Ningsheng's expression. He was indifferent, his eyes were slightly dark, and he exuded a cold aura.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them were already beside her.

Her mind was in turmoil, and she couldn't help but glance at Xu Xinchen, who was wearing a red short dress and had put on makeup today. Standing in front of Gu Yan, the two looked very well-matched.

She snapped out of her reverie, forced a smile, and asked Gu Yan, "Cousin, what brings you here? Didn't you say you weren't coming to see my play?"

“How could I possibly miss your play?” Gu Yan put his arm around Xu Xinchen’s lower back and pushed her forward slightly, introducing her, “Lu Minshi, my colleague.”

Chen Bailing stared unblinkingly at Xu Xinchen and teased the two of them, "What colleagues? Bro, is this your girlfriend?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Gu Yan patted her head, then turned his gaze to the tall man beside him, extending his hand, "President Chen, we meet again."

Chen Ningsheng remained motionless, his aura completely out of place with his surroundings. Just as he saw Chen Bailing's expression about to change, he finally slowly extended his hand.

The two men shook hands lightly. Chen Ningsheng looked at them meaningfully, "It's quite a coincidence that I always seem to see President Gu and Miss Lu with him."

Chen Bailing's previously energetic expression suddenly changed after hearing these words. She glanced at Gu Yan, smiled apologetically, and said, "Cousin, I'll bring Asheng to visit you another day. We have an appointment today, so we'll have to go now."

She grabbed Chen Ningsheng's hand and left before they could even say goodbye.

On the way back, Xu Xinchen, head down, suddenly spoke, "That's your cousin, and you still say she has no soul?"

Gu Yan's heart stirred, and he said thoughtfully, "I have very high standards for women. Ordinary women really don't meet my standards. Not just her, most women in the world are soulless."

If any other man had said this, Xu Xinchen would probably have thought he was incredibly narcissistic, but when Gu Yan said it, it seemed perfectly natural to her.

She gave him a strange look. "So what kind of woman do you think has a soul?"

Gu Yan suddenly chuckled softly, the sound so loud it made her bridal chamber tremble. Caught off guard, she watched as Gu Yan stopped, lowered his head, and leaned close to her ear, his breath tickling her skin.

"I think," a deep, sexy male voice sounded in my ear, "that you're pretty good."

As soon as Gu Yan finished speaking, he saw Xu Xinchen blush and take several steps back.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips as he continued walking forward without making a sound. A few seconds later, Xu Xinchen followed him as if nothing had happened.

"And you?" he asked, turning to her. "What kind of man do you like?"

"I like a lot of men," Xu Xinchen said, blushing as she tried to sound tough.

"Oh." Gu Yan nodded understandingly. "Then what about men like me and President Chen? If you had to choose, who would you pick?"

Xu Xinchen's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately looked up at him. His expression was calm, as if he had just asked the question casually.

Xu Xinchen suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and snorted softly, "I won't choose anyone."

In an Italian restaurant in the city center, the melodious sound of a violin drifted out. Inside the elegantly decorated interior, only Chen Ningsheng and Chen Bailing were quietly eating their steaks.

Having just finished a successful performance, Chen Bailing was not at ease. Instead, she felt a mix of unease and confusion. Perhaps it was because the woman's appearance not only disturbed her mood but also made the man sitting opposite her equally distracted.

Holding her knife and fork, she gazed at the man's cold face through the candlelight, lost in thought. Suddenly, she smiled and said easily, "Ah Sheng, do you have time this weekend? Our wedding dress is finished. How about we go try it on?"

The girl's sweet face looked even more alluring in the night, but Chen Ningsheng didn't spare her a single glance. His head was down, and he didn't see her expectant gaze. He said casually, "I have something to do this weekend. I'll have the driver go with you."

Chen Ningsheng's cold words chilled her to the bone. A wave of resentment washed over her. What was supposed to be a wedding for two had turned into a one-woman show. She pouted, feeling wronged, and muttered, "Other boyfriends are always by your side. Are you really that busy at work...?"

Her words trailed off as Chen Ningsheng abruptly looked up. His gaze, sweeping over her, startled her. She remained silent, then heard the man's cruel, mocking laugh, "If you find it unacceptable, you can find another boyfriend..."

"Ah Sheng, that's not what I meant..." she stammered, deeply regretting her slip of the tongue, and tried to salvage the situation, "It's okay if you don't come, I can manage on my own..."

However, Chen Ningsheng's face remained sour until the end of dinner, without showing a single smile.

Xu Xinchen had been extremely busy with several cases these past few days, and she was not affected at all by meeting Chen Ningsheng that day, quickly putting the little incident behind her.

However, while she was still working overtime at the company over the weekend, a phone call came in.

It was Gu Yan who asked her to deliver an important document to his house.

She thought for two seconds, then put down her work and took a taxi to the address Gu Yan had given her.

In the shady villa area surrounded by green trees, an SUV drove up and stopped beside her. Xu Xinchen stood in front of the villa and opened the door of the SUV that had just stopped.

Gu Yan walked downstairs in a suit, a faint smile on his face. She stared at him as he approached, her eyes wide. "Why didn't you come to the company to pick it up?"

Since they're not home, why did she have to go all that way to deliver it? This person is really too lazy.

Gu Yan seemed stumped by her question, stopped in his tracks, and touched his nose.

Xu Xinchen handed him the documents and was about to leave when he grabbed her wrist.