Chapter 50 I just love her like this...
Dou Xiao's appearance instantly ignited the atmosphere of the banquet, and the guests raised their glasses to congratulate the birthday celebrant.
Amidst the noisy pushing and shoving, Xie Tang and Chu Yi were squeezed into a corner.
She was actually happy to have some peace and quiet. She took two glasses of juice, sat down on the sofa in the corner, and handed one of the glasses to Chu Yi.
Chu Yi silently put down the red wine, took the glass, and lingered on her face for a long time.
Xie Tang drank half a glass of juice, and seeing that he was still staring at her, she raised an eyebrow slightly: "What?"
“You’re not quite what I imagined.” Chu Yi also took a sip of fresh orange juice, and after a moment added, “You’re also different from what Xiao Wu described…”
"Oh?" Xie Tang smiled with interest. "How is it different?"
“It’s not…that heartless.” Chu Yi carefully chose his words.
Xie Tang merely smiled slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
She never cared much about what others thought.
Suddenly, a graceful figure in the corner caught her eye—wearing a cheongsam, with an elegant posture.
She stood there quietly, her gaze piercing through the crowd, gazing at Dou Xiao, who was surrounded by a group of beautiful women.
His eyes were complex and hard to decipher, a mixture of expectation, disappointment, and resentment.
Xie Tang immediately recognized the woman as the one he had seen in the billiard room of Tang Yunsong's villa, where she had been with Dou Xiao.
I can't remember the name right now.
She possessed a scholarly air, gentle and reserved, which clashed with Dou Xiao's arrogance, domineering nature, and unrestrained spirit, as if people from two different worlds had been forcibly brought together.
At that time, Xie Tang felt it was like a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung, only adding to her regret;
Looking into that woman's eyes now, it's clear she's deeply in love.
Xie Tang glanced at Dou Xiao, who was enjoying the attention he received, completely unaware of the focused gaze from the corner.
He glanced up casually, his gaze sweeping across the crowd for a moment before finally settling precisely on Xie Tang.
Despite being surrounded by beautiful women, Xie Tang's temperament and radiance still stood out from the crowd.
A playful smile played on his lips as he walked straight toward her, wine glass in hand.
This move instantly drew everyone's attention back to Xie Tang.
"Madman!" Xie Tang cursed inwardly, knowing there was no way to avoid it.
Chu Yi had already stood up, his tall figure blocking her way, and said in a deep voice, "Young Master Dou..."
"Get out of the way!" Dou Xiao didn't even lift his eyelids.
Whether it's Shen Jialang or Chu Yi, even if they are born with outstanding looks, they are not worth a second glance in his eyes.
Illegitimate children are not worthy of his attention; they are a stain on the family bloodline and a potential threat and provocation to them, the legitimate heirs.
Xie Tang noticed the embarrassment of Chu Yi, who was hurt by the contempt beneath his calm exterior.
She raised her wine glass to Dou Xiao and smiled gently, "Happy birthday, Young Master Dou."
"I'll drink the toast offered by my sister-in-law, especially since you're such a beautiful sister-in-law..."
Dou Xiao clinked glasses with her, took a small sip, and said, "With Brother Song not around, it's so lonely hiding in this corner. It makes me, the host, seem neglected. There are quite a few scions of prominent families here tonight. Shall I introduce you to them?"
Seeing her hesitation, Dou Xiao cut her off without giving her a chance to explain, "Sister-in-law is a sensible person. In our circle, the importance of connections and resources is self-evident."
Since the matter had already been discussed, and the other party was both the birthday celebrant and the host, Xie Tang could not refuse in public. He could only take Chu Yi's arm and say with a polite smile, "Then I'll have to trouble Young Master Dou."
Dou Xiao glanced at Chu Yi sideways, his tone turning cold: "You shouldn't follow me."
“My younger brother is a bit low-key and doesn’t talk much,” Xie Tang said with a slight smile, her tone teasing, “but when it comes to charm, he’s no less charming than Young Master Dou… Is Young Master Dou afraid that he’ll steal your spotlight in front of all these socialites?”
Dou Xiao was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled irritably, "Sister-in-law, you're so funny! Why would I be afraid of that? I'm just worried that he's never seen anything like this before and might feel awkward and uncomfortable. Since you insist, let's go together."
"Young Master Dou is indeed as generous as ever." Xie Tang smiled slightly and offered a perfectly timed compliment. Seeing that Dou Xiao's expression had softened, she said no more.
Chu Yi glanced at Dou Xiao ahead, then leaned close to Xie Tang's ear, his voice low and filled with worry, "Those people he recommended are definitely not good people..."
“I know,” Xie Tang rubbed his temples, his voice tinged with helplessness, “but I can’t embarrass him in front of everyone. If I offend him, it will be even more difficult for Song Ge in the middle.”
Her gaze swept casually around her, then suddenly froze—the woman in the cheongsam was staring intently at her, her eyes so sharp they seemed to want to devour her alive.
What sent chills down her spine was that a burly man had appeared behind her at some point, with a half-smile on his face and his gaze fixed on her.
Xie Tang instantly felt a chill run down his spine.
Chu Yi's gaze was fixed on that dangerous figure—Xiang Shaoyun, and his heart sank. "Second Brother instructed me to protect you at all costs. Even if it makes things difficult for Second Brother, it's better than something really happening to you... Second Brother said that if anything happens to you, he will hold me responsible."
He quickly took a glass of wine and a glass of water from a passing waiter's tray, and under cover of the darkness, deftly poured out most of the champagne from the glass, then discreetly added mineral water.
Hearing Chu Yi say things like "Second Brother this, Second Brother that..." Xie Tang found it somewhat absurdly funny. "You're afraid of Brother Song? Even if you couldn't protect me, he wouldn't really do anything to you, would he? Besides, Grandpa is protecting you..."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Xie Tang realized that it was inappropriate.
Chu Yi was slightly taken aback, a bitter smile appearing on his lips: "What you think is none of my business. Although he is only a few months older than me, I have always regarded him as an elder brother, and I treat his mother as my own mother. This will never change."
He remained silent for a long while, then his voice lowered, "Don't be fooled by my outward success; in the Chu family, I'm nothing more than a cog in the machine..."
Xie Tang immediately realized that she had spoken out of turn and touched a sore spot: "I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize." Chu Yi smiled casually and straightened his back.
Through Dou Xiao's introduction, Xie Tang met several socialites from high society. After several rounds of toasting and being toasted, although he mostly only took small sips, his cheeks turned slightly flushed after a few drinks.
When Dou Xiao finally brought them to Xiang Shaoyun and the woman in the cheongsam, Xie Tang's temples twitched violently.
What's meant to happen will eventually come.
Whether it was due to first impressions or not, the smile on Xiang Shaoyun's lips, dressed in a suit and with slicked-back hair, seemed particularly unsettling to Xie Tang.
He glanced at her with disdain, pretending not to recognize her, as if she were a complete stranger. He extended his hand, his manner polite: "So this is Brother Song's capable wife? Such a beauty, no wonder Brother Song keeps her hidden away."
"Young Master Xiang, you flatter me." Xie Tang suppressed his discomfort, smiled, and extended his hand to shake hands with him, then turned his gaze to the woman in the cheongsam beside him.
The woman seemed preoccupied and did not respond to her gaze.
“Zuo Meng…” Dou Xiao patted the woman in the cheongsam familiarly on the shoulder and introduced her, “This is Young Master Xiang’s girlfriend, a top student from S University, who will graduate next year.”
Zuo Meng heard the voice and slowly turned her head.
The deep affection in her eyes when she looked at Dou Xiao had vanished, replaced by icy coldness.
A faint, mocking smile played on her lips as she looked directly at Xie Tang: "I remember you. We've met before."
Dou Xiao and Xiang Shaoyun chatted idly to the side. With a glance, people came in droves, ostensibly to get to know the Chu family but actually to get Xie Tang drunk.
Chu Yi saw through Dou Xiao's intentions and also realized that Xie Tang had a low alcohol tolerance, so he shielded her from several rounds of drinking.
"Excuse me, I'll be right back." Xie Tang politely declined another toast offer and walked through the crowd toward the restroom.
Chu Yi followed her closely to the door, and after she went inside, he leaned against the wall about ten meters away and lit a cigarette.
When Xie Tang came out of the restroom, she noticed a woman leaning against the wall, dry heaving.
The woman raised her pale face, which had slightly stiff features, and looked surprised when she saw her. "Attorney Xie..."
Xie Tang looked her over hesitantly, not recognizing her at first. "You know me?"
"I know..." Before he could finish speaking, he retched violently again.
Xie Tang took out a tissue and handed it over.
The woman took the wiping cloth, and after catching her breath, leaned weakly against the cold wall, forcing a grateful smile. "Thank you, you represented my family in a case before... We really owe you a lot..."
Seeing that her face was frighteningly pale, Xie Tang frowned, "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing, it's just... I drank too much, and now I feel weak all over..."
The woman was panting, her eyes pleading, "Attorney Xie, could you please take me to my friend's place? It's in this theater..."
Xie Tang hesitated and said, "Why don't you call your friend to come pick me up?"
"My bag and phone... are with a friend, and I can't remember their number..." she coughed weakly a few times.
Seeing that she didn't seem to be faking it, Xie Tang finally couldn't bear it and asked, "Where is your friend in the theater?"
"It's inside... Isn't Young Master Dou playing a game and giving away prizes? My friend wants that LV bag..."
"Let's go," Xie Tang said, reaching out to help him. "Are you sure you can manage?"
"Thank you so much." The woman leaned her weight against him.
Chu Yi waited for a while but Xie Tang didn't come out. Then, a scantily clad woman approached him, smiling seductively and probing, "You must be the third young master of the Chu family?"
Chu Yi didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, his voice light and cold: "Get lost."
The woman seemed not to hear her, instead moving even closer, "Everyone says the eldest son of the Chu family is a playboy, and the second son is handsome, but I never imagined the third son would be even more..."
Chu Yi impatiently pushed her aside and turned to walk to the other side.
The woman persisted, "Third Young Master, can I have your contact information?"
"Didn't you hear me telling you to get the hell out?" Chu Yi roared, his ferocity fully revealed.
The woman recoiled in fright, pulling her hand back and glaring at him with a wronged expression: "Fine, don't give it to me then, why are you being so fierce!"
After saying that, he left dejectedly.
Chu Yi rubbed his temples in frustration, his gaze fixed on the bathroom exit.
After waiting a few more minutes, I felt a sudden tightness in my chest.
He stubbed out his cigarette and dialed Xie Tang's number—but no one answered.
"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath and rushed into the bathroom, which was empty.
Even going to the toilet can cause trouble!
While calling Chu Song, he anxiously scanned his surroundings, searching for his target.
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