Chapter 19: I Got the Phone Number
Having received Ruan Yao's brilliant plan, Jiang Tangtang gripped her wine glass with a mixture of belief and doubt. She took a deep breath and, like a female warrior heading to battle, turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Ruan Yao knew she wouldn't be back anytime soon, and looking around, she felt somewhat lost.
She had no idea that Jiang Tangtang had invited her to this kind of banquet today. She was still wearing her usual dress, which made her stand out from the crowd of gorgeous clothes and haute couture gowns.
Not wanting to attract attention, she picked up her plate, filled it with dessert, and prepared to find an inconspicuous corner to enjoy the food while waiting for Jiang Tangtang's triumphant return.
Ruan Yao stuffed a small cream cake into her mouth, the sweet taste melting on her taste buds. Her cheeks puffed out, and she walked towards the corner with satisfaction as she chewed.
As soon as I turned the corner, I was hit head-on by a solid chest.
The plate in her hand tilted, and a delicate mousse cake precisely smeared a conspicuous cream flower on the other person's expensive dark suit.
Ruan Yao panicked for a moment.
That's so strange. She was walking perfectly fine, there was no way the person on the other side couldn't have missed her, so how could they have bumped into her?
On the contrary, the other party seemed to appear out of nowhere, suddenly appearing at such close range that she didn't even have time to dodge.
Did she run into a scammer?
She subconsciously apologized, and when she looked up, she met a pair of deep, quiet eyes.
It was Huo Yanzhi.
All the jumbled doubts that had been swirling in her mind vanished instantly.
How could Huo Yanzhi possibly try to frame her?
He couldn't even avoid her.
The man lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the mess on her chest before returning to her, his tone steady.
"Miss Ruan."
Ruan Yao looked at the cream flower and felt embarrassed, her cheeks burning.
"I'm sorry, Huo Yanzhi, I didn't mean to..."
As she spoke, she reached into her bag for tissues.
Ruan Yao felt that every step she took in pursuing Huo Yanzhi since her rebirth had been fraught with setbacks.
On their first meeting, she was cornered by thugs at the entrance of a bar, looking utterly pathetic.
Later, she lied and said she had lost her bag, hoping to hitch a ride with him.
Now, she has soiled his expensive suit in public again.
Ruan Yao dared not think that her image in Huo Yanzhi's heart was probably beyond redemption.
Huo Yanzhi lowered his eyes, looking at the top of her fluffy head, at the tips of her pink ears that were slightly red with annoyance, and finally, his gaze fell on the corner of her lips that were smeared with cream.
The thick, milky white color made her lips look delicate and dewy, as if sweet juice could overflow from them at the slightest touch.
His Adam's apple slid up and down very slowly.
Ruan Yao finally pulled out a pack of tissues with cartoon bears printed on them from her bag. She took out two tissues and looked up, only to meet Huo Yanzhi's deep gaze.
She seemed to see some thick, intense emotion in his eyes, but it was as fleeting as her illusion.
"I'll clean it for you."
She tiptoed, her hand holding the tissue reaching towards his chest.
Before her fingertips even touched the fabric of his shirt, her wrist was gently grasped by a warm, large hand.
The hand had long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles, and the palm was scorching hot. It wasn't very strong, but it prevented her from moving forward even an inch.
Huo Yanzhi took the small tissue from between her slightly parted fingers, his fingertip accidentally brushing against her palm, causing a slight itch.
Ruan Yao's heart skipped a beat.
The skin on my wrist felt like it had been branded with a hot iron, the heat spreading rapidly through my blood to every part of my body.
Huo Yanzhi didn't look at her; his voice was low.
"I'll do it myself."
Ruan Yao watched as he released her hand, then slowly unfolded the tissue with the cute little bear printed on it and carefully wiped the cream flower on her chest.
His fingers were long and clean, with distinct knuckles, and there was a strange focus in his movements. Even in such simple actions, there was a strange elegance and sexiness.
Ruan Yao stared, somewhat lost in thought.
In her past life, she feared and dreaded him, and never dared to look at him so closely.
She had never realized that even the way this man wiped things was so graceful.
Just as she was lost in thought, a deep male voice sounded above her head.
"Miss Ruan, what did you call me just now?"
Ruan Yao snapped out of her daze.
She realized that in her haste, she had habitually called him by his full name.
“We’ve met so many times, we’re practically acquaintances, right?” Ruan Yao said, but she didn’t dare look at him. “Calling him Mr. Huo feels a bit distant.”
Huo Yanzhi stopped wiping.
He threw the used tissue into the nearby trash can, turned his head to look at her, and his tone was unreadable.
"Is Miss Ruan so warm and friendly to every stranger?"
“No, that’s not true.” Ruan Yao retorted matter-of-factly.
All the warmth and initiative she showed in both her lives were reserved for him alone.
Although the cream flower on Huo Yanzhi's chest was gone, a small, damp oil stain remained on the expensive suit fabric, which was somewhat noticeable under the light.
Ruan Yao stared at the mark, pondering in her mind.
"This suit must be very expensive, right?" She tilted her head up, her words soft and gentle, yet tinged with a hint of cunning. "How about I take it to the dry cleaners and return it to you after it's clean?"
Huo Yanzhi shifted his gaze from the stain back to her face.
"Need not."
"That won't do." Ruan Yao refused to give up, leaning closer, her ulterior motives completely revealed. "How about I treat you to dinner as an apology?"
"Sorry, I don't have time."
Huo Yanzhi's refusal was polite.
Seeing him turn to leave, Ruan Yao felt anxious and suddenly became bolder, reaching out to grab his sleeve.
"etc."
Huo Yanzhi stopped in his tracks.
He lowered his eyes and looked at the hand that was tightly gripping his sleeve.
His fingers were slender, with neatly trimmed nails that had a healthy pink hue, contrasting sharply with the sharp fabric of his dark suit.
Ruan Yao went all out, her tone carrying a hint of spoiled arrogance she herself didn't realize, "Eating is not an option, washing clothes is not an option either, then... then you have to make me pay for the dry cleaning, right?"
She mustered her courage, looked him straight in the eye, and said, "Give me your contact information, and I'll transfer it to you."
Huo Yanzhi lowered his eyes and looked at her.
The girl in front of him had flushed cheeks, her doe eyes staring at him stubbornly, and her slightly pouting lips carrying a hint of naivety that wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted.
She was incredibly vibrant, like a vine growing wildly in the sunlight, boldly and unrestrainedly entwining herself around him.
This appearance was something he had never seen in his previous life.
The little girl who always kept her head down in her past life and didn't even dare to look him in the eye now dares to grab his sleeve and bargain with him confidently.
A strange, almost tingling, numbing sensation spread from his chest, making him nearly lose control.
Just then, a gentle male voice suddenly rang out, breaking the tense and delicate atmosphere.
"Yaoyao?"
Ruan Yao subconsciously turned her head to look.
It is Shen Yu.
He was holding a glass of wine, smiling as he walked towards her, a perfectly measured hint of surprise in his eyes.
Ruan Yao didn't expect to run into Shen Yu here. Her body reacted faster than her brain, and almost instinctively, she took half a step towards Huo Yanzhi.
This subtle movement did not escape the eyes of any man.
Shen Yu's smile was flawless as he slowly walked over, his gaze sweeping between the two before finally settling on Huo Yanzhi.
"Mr. Huo, what a coincidence, you're here too."
Huo Yanzhi's eyes turned cold the moment he saw Shen Yu.
Dark thoughts welled up in his eyes, but he suppressed them, letting out only a very soft "hmm" from his throat.
Then, he turned to Ruan Yao and, in front of Shen Yu, extended his hand to her.
"cell phone."
Ruan Yao was stunned for a moment, not understanding what he meant, but she still obediently took out her phone from her bag and handed it over.
Huo Yanzhi took the phone, his slender fingers quickly pressed a string of numbers on the screen, and then dialed.
His own cell phone then vibrated in his pocket.
He hung up and returned the phone to Ruan Yao.
After doing all this, he raised his eyes, his gaze passing over Ruan Yao's shoulder and looking straight at Shen Yu behind her.
Huo Yanzhi parted his thin lips slightly, a gentle curve forming at the corners of his mouth.
"Here you go."
"If you want to contact me in the future, call this number."
After saying that, he turned around and strode away.
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