Chapter 66 Masquerade
——＜A real dividing line＞
The charity dinner was held in the ballroom of the city's finest hotel, shimmering with crystal chandeliers, elegantly dressed people, and the clinking of glasses. It was a masquerade of Vanity Fair, where everyone wore a proper smile and their words were filled with impeccable greetings and tentative attempts.
Su Yan was wearing a white suit that Huo Shen had chosen for him. It was well-tailored, making him look even more handsome and elegant, yet also like a carefully wrapped gift. He followed Huo Shen quietly, maintaining the gentle and slightly distant smile that Huo Shen required.
Huo Shen, as always, was the center of attention. He effortlessly mingled with the various parties, chatting and laughing, maintaining command of the situation. And Su Yan, as the freshest and most intriguing "embellishment" around him, naturally drew a great deal of scrutiny, both overt and covert. There was curiosity, inquiry, envy, and even subtle contempt.
Su Yan ignored all of this. His soul seemed to have been torn out of his body, suspended in mid-air, watching with indifference the flashy and noisy drama below, and himself, who was playing the role of a well-behaved pet in the center of the drama.
Huo Shen seemed very satisfied with his current state, occasionally turning his head to whisper a few insignificant words to him in a gentle and intimate manner, like a master teasing a pet. Su Yan nodded slightly in cooperation, or revealed a light, just-right smile.
Until a figure appeared, breaking the illusion of calm that Su Yan tried hard to maintain.
Su Chen.
He had arrived, too. He was thinner than when they'd last met at the teahouse, his face an unhealthy gray. Though he tried to straighten his back, the fatigue and anxiety in his eyes were hard to conceal. He'd come with an elder who was an old acquaintance of the Su family, clearly hoping to seize this opportunity to find a way out.
When Su Chen's gaze passed through the crowd and met Su Yan's, Su Yan clearly saw the shock, heartache, and a complex emotion of almost despair that instantly surged in the other's eyes.
Su Yan's heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand, and his breathing stagnated. He subconsciously wanted to avoid that gaze, but remembering Huo Shen's warning and the "deal," he could only force himself to stay where he was, even moving closer to Huo Shen, as if seeking protection, but in reality, he was putting on a show.
Huo Shen naturally noticed Su Chen as well. A faint, cold smile curved his lips, and his arm naturally wrapped around Su Yan's waist, confining the young man even tighter to his side, like a lion asserting its sovereignty over its territory and possessions.
Su Chen paused. He looked at his brother, who was firmly under Huo Shen's control, his face calm and even submissive. The light in his eyes gradually extinguished, eventually turning into a dead ashes. He looked away bitterly, turned around and merged into the crowd, his back desolate.
At that moment, Su Yan felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out, and blood was dripping. He knew that in his brother's eyes, he had completely become Huo Shen's forbidden delicacy, and had lost all dignity and backbone.
"Are you heartbroken?" Huo Shen's low voice sounded in his ears, with a hint of mockery that seemed to know everything.
Su Yan suddenly came back to his senses, lowered his eyelashes, hid all emotions, and shook his head gently: "No."
Huo Shen chuckled and stopped talking, but the hand around his waist never loosened, with unquestionable control.
Halfway through the dinner, the customary charity auction took place. Huo Shen made a lavish purchase, winning a priceless antique brooch. When the host announced the winner, the spotlight shone on Huo Shen. He calmly stood up, but didn't immediately go on stage. Instead, he turned to Su Yan, who was standing beside him. In full view of the crowd, he personally pinned the exquisitely shaped, priceless brooch to the collar of Su Yan's dress.
"It suits you very well." Huo Shen's voice came through the microphone and was clearly transmitted throughout the banquet hall.
Instantly, all eyes, all with ambiguous meanings, focused on the gleaming brooch on Su Yan. This wasn't just a gift; it was a symbol, a clear imprint that Huo Shen had left on Su Yan in front of all the upper-class celebrities.
Su Yan felt the brooch like a red-hot iron, burning his skin and flesh. He stood there, under the gazes from all sides, the smile he tried so hard to maintain nearly shattering. He felt like he had been stripped naked, standing on a stage, for everyone to observe and criticize.
At this breathtaking moment, he caught a glimpse of Assistant Zhou standing quietly in the shadows in the corner of the banquet hall, his phone in hand, seemingly having just finished a call. His gaze, through the lens of his glasses, pierced the crowd and landed precisely on Su Yan, or rather, on the brand new brooch on his collar. His eyes were deep, devoid of any emotion.
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