"She has liked me for many years." Ye Qingliu's tone was calm, as if he was stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.
He withdrew his gaze and looked back at Bai Zhiye, who was quiet and gentle beside him, and his eyes softened.
"But I already have Naizi." He gently held Bai Zhiye's hand which was in his arm.
Chao Youye's gaze also fell on Bai Zhiye, with a hint of evaluation.
He chuckled softly, his tone neither praising nor criticizing. "Miss Bai is quite suitable for you. At least... she's much less of a worry than those wealthy daughters with complicated backgrounds and deep thoughts."
He glanced meaningfully in Ye Fanshuang's direction.
Ye Qingliu did not respond immediately, but just watched silently as the waiter refilled the glass with wine.
The light filtered through the crimson liquid, casting a dark shadow in his eyes.
In the corner of the banquet hall closest to the huge viewing porthole, away from the hustle and bustle of the dance floor, several elders or people in power from wealthy and powerful families who truly hold power gathered together.
They held wine glasses that symbolized their status in their hands and talked in low voices. Their voices were so low that they were almost drowned out by the sound of the band, but every syllable was heavy.
"The Ye family's recent actions... are quite significant." A middle-aged man with slightly frosted temples and eyes as sharp as an eagle narrowed his eyes. His sharp gaze penetrated the crowd and landed accurately on Ye Qingliu's tall figure. There was a hint of imperceptible fear in his tone.
"Ye Qingliu, that kid, is only about eighteen or nineteen, right? He's incredibly resourceful, quietly taking control of the Ye family. Even his second uncle, who has deep roots and is incredibly shrewd, has been... 'invited' to retire and live out his days."
He used the word "please", but the chill in his tone was evident.
"Humph, that young master of the Chao family, Chao Youye, looks gentle and modest, a gentleman. Do you think he's just a pushover?"
A serious-looking man with meticulously combed hair nearby sneered and spoke, his knuckles tapping unconsciously on the wall of the cup.
"On the surface, he's gentle and polite, courteous to everyone, but behind the scenes, his tactics...tsk tsk, he's ruthless. Regarding the ownership of that piece of land in the east of the city last month, those competitors suddenly 'voluntarily' withdrew from the bidding. Do you think it was truly voluntary?"
He paused meaningfully.
"Gu Yuxiao?" Another slightly wealthy man immediately lowered his voice, as if the name itself carried an ominous aura.
"He's an absolute lunatic! I heard that last month, Lao Liu from Huaxin confronted him at the negotiation table. What happened? Less than three days later, Lao Liu was 'accidentally' attacked outside his garage. He's still in the ICU, and the doctors say his chances of waking up are slim."
He made a gesture of wiping his neck, his eyes full of fear.
The few of them exchanged a knowing glance, the air thick with a heavy, lingering sense of grief and deep dread. The wine in their glasses seemed to have lost its flavor.
——These young people are no longer someone they can easily control.
Ye Fanshuang stood on the terrace, the sea breeze blowing through her long hair.
She heard footsteps behind her and turned around. Su Xinghui was leaning against the door frame, holding a slender ladies' cigarette in her hand.
"Why are you hiding here alone?" Su Xinghui lit a cigarette, and the scarlet flame was particularly eye-catching in the night.
"Get some fresh air." Ye Fanshuang said lightly, "What about you? Didn't you say you were going to the bathroom?"
Su Xinghui exhaled a puff of smoke and chuckled: "I met a few acquaintances and chatted for a while."
Ye Fanshuang stared at her profile and suddenly said, "Xinghui, what do you want to do when you come back this time?"
Su Xinghui's fingers paused slightly, then she flicked the ash off her cigarette as if nothing had happened: "Why, I can't come back?"
"No." Ye Fanshuang shook his head, "I just feel that... you have changed."
Su Xinghui was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "People always change."
She put out her cigarette, turned around and prepared to leave, but as she took a step, her fingertips lightly brushed Ye Fanshuang's wrist.
"Fan Shuang." She whispered, "If one day, I did something unforgivable... would you hate me?"
Ye Fanshuang was stunned, and before he could answer, Su Xinghui had already walked away.
——She didn’t see the determination that flashed across Su Xinghui’s eyes when she turned around.
The banquet reached its climax and the band played the last dance music.
Ye Qingliu took Bai Zhiye's hand and walked onto the dance floor. Chao Youye and Mu Xinrong stood aside and talked in a low voice. Gu Yuxiao leaned alone at the bar, scanning the entire audience with a cold look.
Ye Fanshuang stood next to the champagne tower and suddenly felt his heart tighten inexplicably.
——Something is wrong.
The next second, a deafening explosion sounded!
The first explosion, like the roar of a sleeping giant, erupted without warning from deep within the cruise ship's depths!
It did not come from the outside, but from the heart of this steel giant. The floor under his feet suddenly lifted up and then fell down heavily.
The entire huge hull made a teeth-grinding, metallic groaning sound and shook violently from side to side.
The nearby champagne tower bore the brunt of the impact, emitting a deafening crash. Hundreds of crystal glasses collapsed and shattered in an instant, as if swept down by an invisible giant hand!
Crystal clear fragments and golden wine shot out in all directions like a deadly rainstorm.
The lights emitted a harsh "hissing" sound, flickering wildly for a few times, like a dying eye, and then with a "pop", the entire banquet hall fell into a terrifying, pure darkness!
Only a few bright red emergency lights suddenly lit up, casting a weird and hideous light and shadow like hell.
"Get down!" Ye Qingliu's roar was like thunder in the chaos. His reaction was extremely fast. The moment the shock wave of the explosion hit, he instinctively threw Bai Zhiye beside him to the ground and completely covered her with his body.
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