goodbye

"Congratulations, Mr. Chi, you've secured another big project!"

In the bustling ballroom, heavily made-up women wearing masks surrounded Wen Xuchi, whispering softly with a hint of coquetry. The women, wearing sequined, backless bodycon dresses, displayed exceptionally graceful figures.

The first thing Wen Xubai saw when he stepped into the dance hall was a woman bending over and handing a glass of red wine to Wen Xuchi.

Even with a mask on, he could recognize the person at a glance.

Wen Xuchi smiled faintly, looking intently at the woman in front of him. After only a moment's hesitation, he put his arm around her waist, took the red wine from her hand with his other hand, and drank it all in one gulp.

The woman was startled, but quickly recovered, nestling weakly into the man's broad embrace. She lightly stroked his chest with her slender fingers and said playfully, "You're so annoying~"

Wen Xubai's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously looked away. The next second, that gaze fell on him.

Three years have passed, and Qi has lost a lot of weight. His already well-defined face looks even more rugged, and even with a mask covering him, his handsomeness is still undeniable.

The moment their eyes met, Wen Xubai felt as if his breath had stopped, but the man in front of him seemed not to recognize him, and looked away, lowering his head to tease the woman in his arms.

Startled, Wen Xubai realized that he was also wearing a mask.

"Brother Yuan!" Ruan Yun, who was originally walking alongside him, had somehow run off and was now following a tall man with a beaming smile.

No need to guess, it must be Wen Xuyuan.

Ruan Yun is like a signpost; whenever you see him, the person next to him must be Wen Xuyuan.

Similarly, wherever there is a distant place, there will surely be soft clouds.

The two had drifted apart for a while because of Chang Ning's situation, but now it seems they have completely reconciled.

Someone patted Wen Xubai on the shoulder from behind. He turned around and saw Ruan Xing, who was also wearing a blue and white mask, handing him a glass of champagne.

Gazing at the glass of champagne, Wen Xubai's thoughts drifted away.

After a long while, he finally suppressed his deep thoughts and accepted the wine.

Seeing this, Ruan Xing raised an eyebrow, clearly realizing that he had been lost in thought.

His gaze shifted past him to the distance, and the moment Ruan Xing saw Wen Xuchi, he understood.

Taking a sip of wine while leaning against the dining table, Ruan Xing patted his shoulder and said frankly, "Since you decided to come back, you should have expected this day to come."

Wen Xubai lowered his eyes, his eyelashes trembling slightly, and calmly said, "I know."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Xing's smile deepened.

Looking up again, Wen Xuchi, who had been standing not far away, was gone, along with his "female companion."

Wen Xubai himself was not sure what he was feeling. After all, three years had passed, and he couldn't possibly imagine that Qi Zui hadn't had a partner during that time, whether in bed or in a relationship.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the banquet hall, interrupting his thoughts.

Upon hearing the sound, Wen Xubai immediately spotted the refined man with thin gold-rimmed glasses through the indistinct crowd.

Wen Xushi gently pushed Wen Tingyi in his wheelchair, smiling broadly, and politely responded to those who greeted him along the way.

Wen Tingyi suffered a stroke some time ago, and his health has only recently improved. Although he is still not able to move around easily, he is still conscious.

Wen Tingyi's appearance now is merely out of politeness, to demonstrate his hospitality as the host. He will chat briefly with a few important guests, walk around the venue, and then return.

Wen Xubai never expected that after realizing how dangerous his son was, Wen Tingyi would still dare to let him serve by his side.

With a sharp look in his eyes, Wen Xubai suddenly noticed the man in blue clothes following behind the two of them.

Compared to the tall and slender Wen Xushi and the imposing Wen Tingyi, the man appeared extremely inconspicuous. He seemed somewhat impatient and tired, clearly showing signs of weakness after indulging in excessive sexual activity.

Oh.

Wen Xubai's eyes instantly turned cold.

How can a murderer who has taken a life, whose victim is still lying in the hospital, still be able to brazenly appear at a banquet?

Wen Xubai couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

Ruan Xing noticed that his hand holding the wine glass was trembling slightly, and small ripples appeared on the surface of the wine. He tightened his grip on his shoulder, signaling him to calm down.

Wen Xubai simply brushed his hand away and walked straight toward Wen Xuyi.

Wen Xuyi was yawning and rubbing his sore neck, thinking to himself that he should have known better than to agree to Da Bei and the others drinking yesterday. He was so tired that his head still hurts.

Completely unaware of the approaching danger, Wen Xuyi turned around and suddenly bumped into something. Before he could react, he was splashed with icy liquor all over his face!

"Holy crap, who is it?!" Wen Xuyi exclaimed in shock!

He wiped the wine smeared all over his face, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Wen Xubai standing in front of him, looking at him coldly.

Enraged, Wen Xuyi rushed forward, grabbed the man by the collar, and roared, "Are you blind?! Can't you see there's someone here?!"

His fist flew up instinctively, about to land on Wen Xubai's face, when Wen Xubai's eyes narrowed. The next second, a deep voice, tinged with anger, rang out:

"Xiao Yi!"

Instantly, the arrogant man looked terrified, as if waking from a dream, and quickly let go of her hand. He turned around with difficulty, and when he saw the person who came, his legs went weak again.

Wen Xuyi stammered, "Dad..."

Wen Tingyi's wrinkled, gloomy face suddenly appeared before the two of them, his sharp eyes carrying a warning.

Wen Xushi was standing behind him, and he also looked displeased.

After a long while, Wen Xu finally spoke up: "Xiao Yi, what trouble have you gotten into this time?"

Wen Xuyi was clearly unconvinced and muttered a couple of sentences, "What? He clearly bumped into me first..."

"Xiao Yi!" Wen Xushi warned, "Apologize."

His attitude was firm, and seeing Wen Tingyi's face growing increasingly grim, Wen Xuyi reluctantly turned around, glared at Wen Xubai, and angrily said, "Sorry!"

After saying that, without waiting for Wen Xubai's response, he ran out!

"Xiao Yi!" Wen Xushi called out from behind, but it was obviously too late.

Wen Tingyi slammed his hand on the wheelchair, his face instantly darkening. He growled, "Ignore him, let him go! He's getting more and more lawless! If this continues, he might not even respect me anymore!"

“Father…” Wen Xushi pretended to be reluctant, but the cunning glint in his eyes was caught by Wen Xubai.

The two then remembered Wen Xubai, who was still standing to the side. They looked up and saw another person blocking their way.

"What's all this commotion about?" Ruan Xing asked with a smile, patting Wen Xubai on the shoulder to signal him not to alert the enemy.

Upon seeing him, Wen Tingyi's eyes showed a hint of surprise, then he frowned, "What are you doing here?"

Ruan Xing shrugged nonchalantly and laughed, "Of course I should grace you with my presence at an event organized by my in-laws. Although Xiao Qing is no longer here, Xiao Chi has returned, and who knows... we might even be in-laws in the future..."

At this point, he glanced meaningfully at Ruan Yun and Wen Xuyuan, who were chatting happily not far away, his gaze sweeping over Wen Xubai before returning to his own.

In fact, since Wen Xuchi returned, the relationship between the Ruan family and the Wen family has eased a lot on the surface, and the two families often attend some events together.

Privately, Ruan Xing and Wen Tingyi had been rivals for so many years, and their mutual dislike was not something that could be changed overnight. Even though they couldn't show their emotions too much in front of outsiders, they could only treat each other with polite respect.

Upon hearing this, a dark look flashed in Wen Tingyi's eyes, as if he wanted to say something, but before he could speak, Ruan Xing spoke first: "Perfect timing, I have someone I'd like to introduce to Elder Wen."

As he spoke, Ruan Xing looked at Wen Xubai, and instantly, everyone's eyes followed his gaze and focused on Wen Xubai.

“This is my newly adopted son—Ruan Xu.”

These words caused an uproar in the room.

The cacophony of whispers was completely shut out by Wen Xubai, who said without changing his expression, "Hello, Mr. Wen, I have long admired your name."

Upon seeing him, Wen Tingyi paused for a moment, then his brows furrowed even more deeply.

Wen Xushi's expression, revealed from behind the mask, changed instantly, and he exclaimed in astonishment, "Xiao Bai?!"

Wen Xubai looked at him coldly and said calmly, "I don't know any 'Xiaobai,' Second Young Master Wen... perhaps you've mistaken me for someone else."

"How could this be...?" Wen Xushi's eyes trembled, but he quickly composed himself when he saw the increasing number of gazes coming from around him.

When she looked at Wen Xubai again, her eyes held an ambiguous look. "Is that so? What a coincidence... Young Master Ruan Xu looks remarkably like my deceased third brother."

When he said the phrase "extremely similar", Wen Xushi emphasized it.

Wen Xubai said frankly, "Oh? If I remember correctly, the Third Young Master Wen should have just returned to the Wen family. In that case, how can there be any talk of him 'dying'?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Xushi's smile faltered.

The next second, a very familiar voice came from behind.

"Second brother is talking about me?"

Wen Xubai was stunned for a moment.

Qi Zui appeared instantly with a roguish grin, striding forward with his long legs, his arm around a beautiful woman, and stopped in front of the group.

Qi Zui's gaze swept across the expressions of everyone present, finally settling on Wen Xubai.

He laughed and said, "Why didn't you let me know in advance that you were coming to the Wen family? I could have picked you up earlier."

He was speaking to Ruan Xing, but he was looking at Wen Xubai.

No, to be precise, it was looking at Ruan Xing's hand on Wen Xubai's shoulder.

Wen Xubai's throat felt like it was being choked; he opened his lips but couldn't make a sound.

Ruan Xing suddenly tightened his grip on Qi Zui's shoulder, pulling him behind him. He then met Qi Zui's gaze and smiled, "No need for that trouble."