party

party

Although Ye Fenglin and I were not in a romantic relationship, it is an undeniable fact that I was with Xie Yong behind his back.

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As Xie Yong drew closer, my face flushed slightly, and I even felt a guilty panic.

Xie Yong was completely different from me. Not only was he not afraid of Ye Fenglin discovering our relationship, he even had a shameless sense of composure. He seemed eager to let Ye Fenglin know that we had been having an affair behind Ye Fenglin's back for a long time.

"Xiao Fu?" Ye Fenglin lowered his head, noticing my expression. He frowned slightly, mistaking my guilt and unease for nervousness.

Xie Yong walked to Ye Fenglin's side, a slight smile curving his lips. I quickly looked away, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Brother Yong, is there something you need?" Ye Fenglin's tone was lazy, which contrasted sharply with Xie Yong's arrogant but calm demeanor.

Xie Yong raised an eyebrow: "Ye Zi, there's no need to be so aggressive. We haven't seen each other for so long, I was just worried about your injuries."

He really doesn't even blink when he lies.

These past few nights, he always came to my apartment while Ye Fenglin was asleep, and then stayed with me until Ye Fenglin was about to wake up before leaving. He knows more about how Ye Fenglin recovered than the doctor does...

As I was thinking, I unconsciously blushed a little. Xie Yong seemed to notice my trembling eyelashes, my biting my lip, and my guilty look. He smiled.

Xie Yong's gaze was direct and undisguised; he looked straight at me.

Ye Fenglin clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "Brother Yong, thank you for your concern. But Xiao Fu has been staying at my house and taking care of me these past few days. I don't want to say anything unpleasant, but I just hope you can be sensible and keep your distance from Xiao Fu."

Xie Yong's lips seemed to curve upwards slightly. "No."

Ye Fenglin's expression suddenly froze. Xie Yong showed him no respect, causing Ye Fenglin's usually smiling lips to tighten. His temper was unpredictable, sometimes good and sometimes bad. I was really worried that Ye Fenglin would just punch him.

Xie Yong remained calm. He lifted his thick eyelashes and locked his long eyes on my panicked, almost fleeing expression. After a pause, Xie Yong said coldly, "Ye Zi, it is my right to pursue her. Besides, she doesn't seem to have admitted that she is your girlfriend."

Ye Fenglin immediately looked at me, and after noticing my hesitant gaze, his grip suddenly loosened, and his expression grew increasingly grim. It was as if Xie Yong had cheated on him.

What I wanted was not for Xie Yong to gain the upper hand, but to create as much chaos as possible. I tried to remain calm, looked at Ye Fenglin, and then, in front of Xie Yong, gently tiptoed and kissed Ye Fenglin on the cheek, softly saying, "No, no, stop arguing, Ye Zi."

This clumsy gesture seems to be a cautious attempt to express affection for the man she likes.

Xie Yong lowered his brows slightly, his long eyes narrowed, and his smile vanished.

Ye Fenglin was also stunned.

Unconsciously, a subtle atmosphere was surging beneath the surface. I lingered between the two men's gazes, lowering my head at just the right moment.

"Brother Xie Yong? Ye Zi?" A couple dressed in light blue suits and matching Greek-style skirts walked over and greeted them warmly. Xie Yong and Ye Fenglin weren't so crazy as to lose their manners in front of strangers; they simply kept their distance from each other without prior arrangement.

The woman smiled. "Ye Zi, you're recovering well. It wasn't as serious as I thought."

"It's alright," Ye Fenglin said with a slight smile, but his eyes remained wary of Xie Yong, as if afraid that Xie Yong would take me away when he wasn't paying attention.

“You two missed our bachelor party last time, so you can’t miss our engagement party in a few days, can you?” the man said.

Then I remembered that I had gone with Ye Fenglin to the engagement party of this young couple. At that time, Ye Fenglin asked me to pursue Xie Yong, and Xie Yong and I even played that very exciting game of truth or dare.

They chatted with their friends for a while before the woman looked at me curiously and asked, "Ye Zi, is this your girlfriend?"

Before Ye Fenglin could answer, Xie Yong spoke up: "No. Ye Zi was attacked that day, and it was her boyfriend who protected her."

The woman looked a little embarrassed. She smiled gently and said, "Brother Xie Yong, I just saw Aunt Xie. Is Uncle still busy?"

"Um."

"Auntie seems to be looking for you," the woman reminded her again.

Xie Yong's expression became slightly more serious, and he nodded slightly, exuding arrogance and a sense of superiority.

The man was chatting with Ye Fenglin, and seeing that neither of them was paying much attention to me, I breathed a sigh of relief and quietly left. Strangely enough, it seemed that every time I sneaked away, as long as I didn't make a sound, these men wouldn't notice.

I walked a little further away, and there Lin Zhi'en and her brother Lin Jindong were greeting the guests with their parents. Lin Zhi'en was wearing a very beautiful starry sky dress today, which made her skin look even whiter. Her long hair was up in an updo, and she was wearing pearl earrings. She looked noble and beautiful.

Lin Zhi'en seemed to have noticed my gaze.

She gave me a gentle, elegant smile, called over a waiter from the venue, and whispered some instructions to him.

A moment later, a plate of exquisite strawberry mousse cake was brought to me. I looked at Lin Zhi'en, who was already holding a champagne glass and chatting with several people much older than her, without showing any timidity.

"As expected of the heir of the Lin family, Zhi En is truly flawless."

"Did you see her ballet solo at the Metropolitan Theatre the other day? Even the senator praised it. Where can you find such a talented girl..."

"That's Prosecutor Lin? Tsk, it's a pity he's not the Lin family's son, not their biological child. It's quite impressive that he's managed to climb to his current position."

“His status is different from his sister’s. As long as he doesn’t marry a woman with a bad reputation, no one in the family will care about him. Zhi’en is the most outstanding girl among these younger generation. She won’t marry down. I don’t think anyone else can marry her except for the heir of the Jiang family.”

The crowd was whispering among themselves, and I trembled when I heard Jiang Zhao's name.

Jiang Mingzhuo and Jiang Zhao would certainly not be absent from such an occasion. However, the relationship between the Jiang and Jiang families is extremely poor. If Jiang's father and Jiang Mingzhuo were to attend together, then Jiang Zhao and his mother would definitely not be there. Jiang Zhao is Lin Zhi'en's fiancé, so he would probably be the only one there tonight.

I'd better find somewhere to hide beforehand. I frowned slightly and took a few steps back to hide in a corner. I saw Prince Jiang surrounded by a crowd of people. He wasn't using hairspray today, and his wispy hairs hung down in front of his forehead, which did not affect his cold and sharp features at all.

Jiang Zhao was dressed casually, his suit jacket open, his eyes revealing a cold indifference, a strong aura, and a strong sense of aggression. His entire being screamed "Keep away."

It must be admitted that he is indeed very handsome. Unlike Xie Yong and Ye Fenglin, he has an arrogant and domineering air that only a powerful figure in a conglomerate possesses, someone who doesn't take anyone seriously.

Jiang Zhao turned his head slightly.

He enjoys shooting and boxing, and has always had excellent dynamic vision. He spotted me almost instantly, piercing through the crowd.

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Jiang Zhao laughed, his smile radiating an overt mockery and an undisguised ruthlessness that carried a dangerous undertone.

He seemed to be laughing at my overestimation of myself for daring to appear in front of him. I knew that once he caught me, I would have no chance of escaping.

My heart was pounding. He didn't come over immediately, but just stared at me without moving.

The calm atmosphere felt like the calm before a storm to me. My fingers trembled slightly, my heart pounded, and I almost dropped the unfinished cake.

I frantically searched for Ye Fenglin in the banquet hall. I saw his parents in the distance, and they seemed to be giving their son some instructions.

I breathed a sigh of relief and was about to go over when someone pushed me from behind. I walked straight forward and was about to bump into a waiter carrying champagne.

The other person reacted quickly, raising the tray high to avoid spilling champagne on the guests, but my cake wasn't so lucky and fell straight to the ground.

For a moment, everyone's attention seemed to be drawn to me.

I stood there anxiously with my eyes closed, feeling like I was standing there dumbfounded. Countless gazes seemed to be hitting me with force. I was scared and helpless, tears welling up in my eyes. I didn't dare to move, feeling extremely wronged.

"It's alright, don't be afraid."

A familiar voice made me slowly raise my head. A thin mist filled my vision. When I finally managed to make out who it was, my eyes narrowed and my heart pounded even harder.

Jiang Mingzhuo! It was him! I was so surprised I couldn't even cry. He stood in front of me, shielding me from those curious gazes.

He was dressed in a white suit, and his skin was so white and dazzling. His figure loomed over me, not only enveloping me but also exuding an extraordinary and undeniable sense of oppression.

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But their gazes kept falling on them.

Jiang Mingzhuo glanced at them without changing his expression, a hint of arrogance and disdain flashing in his deep eyes.

No one dared to offend him. Although the Jiang family's power was not as great as the Jiang family's, their substantial capital made him one of the most noble young masters in the entire Empire State. When the whispering guests saw him, they wisely withdrew their gazes.

Jiang Mingzhuo instructed the waiter, "Please handle this as soon as possible."

Everything proceeded as he had instructed. The earlier awkwardness seemed to have never happened, and the elegant music continued to flow throughout the banquet hall. I noticed Jiang Mingzhuo's gaze and instinctively covered my cheek with my hand; I cried again.

Not only was my makeup and styling a complete mess, but I also knew how disheveled and miserable I looked. My instinctive fear of Jiang Mingzhuo, coupled with my gratitude for his saving me, created a complex and painful mix of emotions that made my limbs weak and my body limp. It wasn't until Jiang Mingzhuo grabbed my hand that I snapped back to reality.

"No, don't..." I said softly, trying to break free.

Why? Why does it feel like I've gone back to the past? I'm always so reckless, and I need Jiang Mingzhuo to protect me... It's like I've returned to the cage he built on lies and deception, where he controls me completely.

"Don't be afraid." He stretched out his posture, lowered his arms, and a smile appeared on one side of his lips.

It was simply too perfect. The light from the crystal chandelier overhead softened his features, almost completely erasing any trace of his coldness and nonchalance.

I hesitated, almost believing it to be true.

In that moment of hesitation, I saw an unprecedented excitement and madness in Jiang Mingzhuo's eyes.

He was like a wild beast poised to pounce, concealing his true desires with a gentle and elegant demeanor.

"I... I'll go touch up my makeup first; Yezi is waiting for me." My eyes were red, my face was red, and I looked quite disheveled. This excuse was just right.

Yes, I'll find a chance to leave later. Maybe Jiang Mingzhuo was just trying to help me out of kindness, but I can't stay here any longer. I have a feeling I'll be kidnapped tonight, no matter who it is.

Jiang Mingzhuo remained calm even as he blinked, his tone extremely gentlemanly: "Do you need my help?"

"No, no need." My reason returned slightly, and the urge to survive spurred me on, making my previously stiff body begin to obey. I hurriedly left the banquet hall and tried to walk towards the door, but the staff waiting there stopped me.

“Miss, it’s snowing heavily outside. You’d better wait until the snow stops before you leave.” The other person explained to me, “If you are tired, you can also take a room key from me to go upstairs to rest. The Lin family has booked the entire presidential suite and deluxe suite of the hotel tonight so that you can rest in the hotel even in this blizzard.”

"..." I looked at the room key in my hand and hesitated for a moment.

Is it really snowing outside? The series of unexpected events left me unable to believe what was happening. I looked towards the other side of the archway in the corridor. There, the design was classical, with reliefs everywhere. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the wind and snow were pounding, and the warm lighting, though somewhat dim, sent chills down my spine.

I took the room key and turned around.

Since I couldn't leave, all I could do was return to Ye Fenglin or Xie Yong's side. Although neither of them were exactly good people, in my heart they were still safer than the others, and my pace quickened considerably.

The lights overhead suddenly flickered.

I looked up and saw a magnificent, classical white relief above me, adorned with beautiful lights. However, the light seemed to be flickering wildly, as if the voltage was unstable. In no time, darkness enveloped my vision, from above to the corridor and even the hall in front of me!

"ah……!"

I screamed in panic, my face turning pale. Someone grabbed my neck and slammed me against the wall.

He showed me no mercy, lifting my waist and pushing my legs apart. He then viciously lowered his head to kiss me, ignoring my resistance. He pried open my lips with his head, and I struggled desperately, trying to make a sound, but my mouth was completely blocked, and only faint sounds could be heard.

I was terrified, my eyes filled with panic, and my body trembled uncontrollably. The man's weight pressed down on me completely. It was less of a kiss and more of an expression of his anger. I felt like an antique doll being manipulated, as the man lifted my skirt, like a snake...

"I really want Ye Fenglin to see what you look like now." The man's tone was malicious.

Footsteps hurried past me; hotel staff were probably repairing the electrical circuits that had short-circuited due to the blizzard. In the darkness, the screams of the guests in the banquet hall completely drowned out my frantic cries for help. In my tense state, I couldn't even make out who it was.

I felt my body being put down, and in the blink of an eye, my legs gave way and I collapsed onto the carpet.

The overhead lights came back on, and the waiter noticed me, quickly came over, and reached out his hand to me: "Miss, are you alright?"

I looked up at him, my eyes filled with fear.

He helped me up, and I walked slowly back to the banquet hall. After the brief power outage, the dignitaries who had been in a panic in the banquet hall returned to normal. Although the scene was a bit chaotic, it was not out of control.

My gaze swept around the entire banquet hall in terror. Every man seemed unfamiliar and frightening to me.

Who is it?

Who was that man who kissed me so hard and played with me in the dark just now?