Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Can I invite you to dance? ...

Chen Hongfu, old and disinclined to attend such commotions, left midway. His willingness to sit here today was a gesture of respect for his daughter-in-law.

He used to fight in the mall like a battlefield, and there was always a faint sense of oppression on him. After he left, everyone's psychological pressure was not so great, and the scene became lively for a while.

Yong Meiru usually went to bed early, but for some reason today, she watched Chen Hongfu leave but didn't join him. Instead, she occasionally whispered to Yu Xue.

Meng Zhuxing was the birthday girl, and her mood was as cheerful as a blossoming flower. She and Chen Jinghe talked about something, their eyes full of smiles.

Seeing this, Qu Lingling felt unhappy.

When she was young, she had liked Chen Xiuyun. He came from a prominent family, had outstanding looks, and was the most beloved son of Old Man Chen. Of course, she had expectations for him.

But Chen Xiuyun's heart seemed made of iron, unmoved by her. After she gave birth to Chen Baichuan, he left her and her child impatiently.

Qu Lingling had once thought herself special, but when she heard about Chen Xiujun's past, she didn't take it seriously. She possessed the confidence fostered by wealth and privilege; how could she possibly be the same as homeless Yu Xue?

However, Chen Xiuyun cowardly evaded all his responsibilities, just as he had escaped from Yu Xue back then.

He is not a good husband or a good father at all.

But she had no way to regret it. She could only focus on jewelry and power. She always dressed gorgeously. No one in this circle dared to disrespect her. She wanted to raise an outstanding son who could inherit the Chen family's huge family business.

But her son was not good enough. Chen Baichuan did not have the talent of Chen Xiuyun, nor did he have the ambition as Shengzai did.

He just went about his business as usual, playing around with the world, so innocent that even Chen Yuchu didn't take him seriously.

Did he think that the Chen family would be so easy to inherit? Did he think that someone would bring these to him?

How is that possible?! It was because she had worked so hard over the years to please the old man and beg her eldest and second brothers that they were willing to protect Chen Baichuan.

However, as Chen Yuchu's power grew, she was no longer able to cope with it.

Qu Lingling had actually heard a lot of comments about Chen Yuchu and Chen Baichuan over the past few years. When Chen Yuchu was mentioned, he was often described as a true business genius, with the potential to expand the Chen family's empire. Chen Yuchu's abilities were obvious to everyone, with tangible achievements visible to the naked eye. When Chen Baichuan was mentioned, it was mostly out of respect for the Chen and Qu families.

Even her second brother showed signs of joining Chen Yuchu.

Sometimes, she even thought, it would be great if her son was Chen Yuchu.

Qu Lingling gritted her teeth secretly and approached Chen Baichuan, "Baichuan, see? You have to give birth to the Chen family's great-grandson earlier than them."

As long as Chen Hongfu protects Chen Baichuan, they still have a chance.

Chen Baichuan's eyes dimmed, and the corners of his mouth curled up in a sarcastic arc, "Don't treat me as your father."

Qu Lingling looked at Chen Baichuan in disbelief, the corners of her mouth trembled, but she didn't say anything in the end, but her face looked visibly ugly.

Yan Jiu lowered his eyes, raised his white fingers slightly, and put the cut steak into his mouth.

She seemed too quiet, almost without a sense of presence.

The man beside her didn't make any more moves, as if the pre-meal extravagance was just her illusion.

After dinner, there was a dance party.

The fragrance of flowers is floating in the air, and the clothes are fragrant.

The music started and today's protagonist Meng Zhuxing danced the first song.

Meng Zhuxing looked at Chen Jinghe with a smile and stretched out her slender hand. Chen Jinghe had been waiting for a long time and couldn't wait to hold her hand.

Yan Jiu stood there quietly. She actually didn't know much about the people in the Chen family.

After all, she and Chen Yuchu had not been married for long, and her time with the Chen family was even shorter. The few contacts they had were mostly filled with unpleasant memories.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her hazy pupils stared blankly at the overlapping figures in the dance floor. It turned out that Chen Yuchu's parents were so loving, and their feelings overflowed passionately through the dance.

She subconsciously glanced at Chen Yuchu. The luxurious ceiling light cast a cold light on his handsome face, making her vision a little blurry. She blinked before she could see his angular outline clearly.

There was no expression on his face, and he had an air of "keep away from strangers".

It was completely different from the two people dancing passionately on the dance floor.

An unknown emotion flashed through Yan Jiu's heart, and he slowly lowered his eyes. He didn't notice Chen Yuchu's inquiring gaze looking back at him.

Yong Meiru walked up to them and covered her ears. "Xiaojiu, an old lady like me will not continue to participate. Your mother and I haven't seen each other for a long time. She will stay with me tonight."

After Yan Jiu nodded, she said to Chen Yuchu, "Don't be like a wooden stake. It's useless to be so tall. Come dance with Xiao Jiu later."

Yong Meiru was very gentle when she spoke to Yan Jiu, but she was not so polite to Chen Yuchu. She was probably the only person present who would speak to Chen Yuchu in this way.

Yan Jiu was suddenly called and looked over at a loss.

She was not a good dancer, and even though she knew there was a dance party, she wanted to avoid it if possible.

Chen Yuchu's calm and deep eyes met those nervous almond-shaped eyes. After a few seconds of pause, his angular jawline moved slightly, and he said calmly, "Yeah."

Yu Xue pursed her lips when she heard this, as if she was about to say something, but Yong Meiru patted her lightly, "Let's go."

Yan Jiu's trembling fingertips grasped her skirt. Her pupils were as beautiful as glass under the light, and her light eyes looked towards the field.

The music was winding down, and the young people were getting restless. After a day of accompanying their elders, they finally had a chance to relax. Under the bright lights, beautiful young faces smiled.

Yan Jiu subconsciously looked at Chen Yuchu. She had sensed that he was in a bad mood and was not sure whether he would listen to his grandmother.

His profile was sharp, and the light cast a cold white glow on him, making him seem even more unfathomable.

She suppressed the inexplicable thoughts in her heart, and her pupils were a little vague and out of focus. Yan Jiu thought that she was looking at him cautiously, but she didn't expect that she was caught and corrected by the man who turned around suddenly.

During the interval of the next dance music, the lights in the hall suddenly changed.

The man's eyelashes, as black as crow feathers, raised slightly. In the changing light, Yan Jiu couldn't see his expression clearly. She pursed her lips and was about to look away when she saw the man beside her lift his long legs and take a step forward. He was only a palm's distance away from her.

A deep voice fell into her ear, "Can I invite you to dance?"

The corners of Yan Jiu's eyes trembled and he stood there in a daze.

The second piece of music started, and in the dim light, Yan Jiu seemed to see a fleeting smile on Chen Yuchu's face. The next second, he was holding her hand and walking into the dance floor.

Yan Jiu swallowed and followed Chen Yuchu's gaze. His deep eyes had been fixed on her since the beginning. Following the music, he gently hooked her other hand and placed it on his shoulder.

The slender finger bones then shifted and landed on her back, outlining her graceful curves.

Her exposed white skin trembled, and she looked up at Chen Yuchu and said softly, "I'm not very good at dancing."

He was wearing a well-made suit with a solemn Windsor knot around his neck, and he had a dignified and otherworldly temperament in the middle of the dance floor.

Being so close to Chen Yuchu, she could smell the familiar woody scent on him again.

Her breath was filled with his scent, which smelled very good, but she didn't dare to smell it any longer. She tilted her head, and a light red color appeared on the tip of her ear.

Chen Yuchu stared at her face, not missing a single expression. He slowly guided her dance steps. His voice was low and had a special tone mixed with the gorgeous lights. "You didn't dance with your boyfriend in England?"

Yan Jiu's toes moved faster and she stepped on Chen Yuchu's leather shoes. Her breathing was stagnant and she quickly moved away, admitting her mistake sincerely: "I'm sorry."

She didn't expect Chen Yuchu to suddenly mention Qin Rong, but she still said honestly: "Skipped twice."

School starts once and graduates once.

Neither Yan Jiu nor Qin Rong was very good at dancing. When she stepped on Qin Rong's foot, he would always smile gently and try to comfort her, but she would still stumble and fall. She always had a resistance to dancing. As a result, they rarely attended dances, and even if they did, they would just find a place to sit.

Yan Jiu actually doesn’t like to move much. She prefers to read books or paint.

Whenever she was painting, Xiang Tianjiao would lie on the sofa bed next to her and watch movies, while Qin Rong would find ways to research recipes for them and make delicious food.

Chen Yuchu looked at her with his eyes half lowered. He was not angry because his foot was stepped on. Instead, his tone became gentler. "Follow the music. Don't be afraid."

Chen Yuchu had a relaxed demeanor, and this composure suddenly made Yan Jiu less flustered, and he found his rhythm again by following his smooth and skillful movements.

With Chen Yuchu's guidance, Yan Jiu began to relax and truly immersed himself in the dance.

After that, she didn't make any mistakes anymore.

When the song ended, she felt a little unsatisfied.

It turns out that dancing, like painting, can both help you relax.

Chen Yuchu glanced at her relaxed cheeks, and his thin lips curled up unconsciously.

"Want to dance again?"

Yan Jiu's pretty face was covered in sweat, and her face also became more pure and bright. She thought about it and looked around. Many people started to exchange dance partners, so she said in a muffled voice, "No."

She thought she could hire a dance teacher when she got home. At her age, learning to dance would inevitably make her limbs stiff, but it was better to start now than later.

There’s a saying: “The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago, the second best time is now.”

Maybe she could practice with Aunt Hui, and Aunt Hui would definitely not laugh at her.

Yan Hongsheng actually hired a dance teacher for her, but Yan Jiu knew that everything he asked her to learn was just to satisfy his need to step into the field of honor.

She didn't want to be stared at or picked, nor did she want to be forced by Yan Hongsheng to become a strange man's dance partner, so she refused with a stubborn temper.

That time, she was detained for two days.

Chen Yuchu didn't miss the sadness that flashed across his clear eyes. He half-closed his eyes, and his crow-feather-like eyelashes cast a shadow, covering up all his emotions. His tone remained steady, "Then don't jump."

After returning to his seat, Yan Jiu stared at the dance floor in a daze for a long time.

When the servant passed by, she suddenly called out.

"Give me a drink."

Chen Yuchu looked at the white wine she was holding, a sweet wine from Alsace, and refused the glass that the servant handed to him. His sharp Adam's apple rolled, but he didn't say anything in the end.

Mixing alcohol can easily make you drunk, especially for people like Yan Jiu who don’t know how to drink.

But no matter what happens, he can protect her after all.