Chapter 43 Determined to Win
The gate slowly opened driven by a hydraulic device. The roar of the engine was accompanied by the friction sound of the tires and the asphalt road. More than ten limited edition supercars entered one after another.
The reflection of the crystal chandelier swirled across the convertible's chrome logo, like countless tiny stars falling to earth. The French tea roses in the courtyard were in full bloom, their petals blown off by the night breeze and drifting across the white marble carvings of the central fountain, swirling with the water.
Three hundred and sixty floor lamps illuminated the entire manor in every detail; even the clouds floating in the sky were dyed a warm golden color.
"Welcome!" the butler waved his white-gloved hand, his gold-rimmed glasses reflecting a soft halo under the light. "It is truly an honor for us to have you here." As he stepped aside, the hem of his tuxedo brushed against the vines on the Persian carpet. "The gentleman is waiting in the study. Please come this way."
Amid the constant greetings, Lucas's crocodile leather heels tapped against the marble floor, making a crisp echo.
Ling Shen's black Oxford shoes seemed to have taken root. His eyes swept across the gilded and carved columns and suddenly stopped - the incense burning on the bronze candlestick in the corner was emitting a mixed aroma of rum and plums.
The French desserts on the table were covered with icing sugar. Ling Shen gently poked it with a silver fork, and the cloyingly sweet taste instantly exploded on his tongue. This was completely different from the low-sugar cookies made by Su Nian herself.
On the crystal wine rack, Bordeaux red wine slowly rotates in the decanter, but it no longer has the warm feeling of sweet-scented osmanthus rice wine.
Ling Shen rejected Lucas's invitation and stood in an inconspicuous corner with a glass of red wine. He didn't believe it. It was clearly Su Nian's voice, he couldn't have heard it wrong. But everything he saw before him proved him wrong.
"Haha, Su Nian, maybe I'm really crazy." Ling Shen raised his head and drank the wine in the glass, the sour tannins surging in his throat.
The red wine slid down the jawline, leaving a dark mark on the collar, reflecting the flickering candlelight in the distance, like a tear that had not yet dried.
The piano in the hall suddenly sounded, and along with the melodious piano music, the crisp sound of leather shoes was heard on the stairs, and a tall figure in a white suit slowly walked from upstairs to the first floor.
The originally noisy hall suddenly became quiet. Ling Shen stood in the shadows and looked at the figure in the light. The corners of his mouth began to rise uncontrollably - it was him, Su Nian.
The white suit fits his tall figure, the silk shawl collar has a dark mother-of-pearl sheen, and the slender lines of the gold-wire glasses frame stretch across his cold white skin.
The lens occasionally refracted the light spots from the crystal lamp on the dome, passing over the pair of cold eyebrows and eyes that were carefully outlined - peach blossom eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling were hidden under the thick eyelashes, and the arc that should have been affectionate was cut into a sharp angle by the metal frame.
The color of his eyes was like whiskey mixed with ice, becoming even more mysterious in the reflection of the clinking glasses.
Although the smile had disappeared from his face, Ling Shen was still extremely sure that the person in front of him was Su Nian, whom he had been thinking about all the time.
"Welcome, of course. It's my pleasure." Su Nian nodded to the middle-aged businessman in a suit, his tone ending in a perfectly languid tone. He held the champagne glass with near-perfect elegance, the watch dial peeking from his sleeves gleaming coldly under the light.
"Yes, I just came back recently. I will visit you." Facing the noble lady who took the initiative to talk to her, Su Nian gave her a smiling look at the right time, and his right hand naturally rested on the back of the other's chair. His sense of propriety was amazing.
Ling Shen watched him interacting with various guests with ease, and suddenly remembered Su Nian smiling while frying eggs in the kitchen. The perfect amount of fluidity always amazed him.
Su Nian held his wine glass high, smiling and agreeing with the guests who came one after another, his eyes and eyebrows showing an innate nobility. As he tilted his head back to drink the wine in the glass, the curve of his Adam's apple made Ling Shen's breath hitch.
Such a confident and calm look made Ling Shen's eyes seem to be firmly attracted by a magnet, and his legs felt like they were filled with lead and he couldn't move a step.
It had only been a few short months, but Ling Shen found himself feeling as if there were a thousand mountains and rivers between him and Su Nian. He had never known this side of Su Nian; he had always known her as someone approachable and approachable. Ling Shen lowered his head in thought, then suddenly smiled wryly.
He didn't understand Su Nian at all. The subtle warmth they had experienced during their cohabitation might just be a mask carefully woven by the other party. The Su Nian in front of him, who was shining brightly in the crowd, was her true appearance.
Ling Shen stared at Su Nian, surrounded by them, the fire in his eyes growing stronger. Amid the laughter of the guests, he could hear his own heartbeat pounding, causing pain in his eardrums.
No matter how many secrets Su Nian hid, no matter how many calculations they had in the past, at this moment he was only sure of one thing - this person who was as far away as a mirage, he was determined to get her.
Maybe he was not sure of his own heart before, and did not dare to face his own heart, but now, when Su Nian was so close yet seemed as if there was a galaxy between them, Ling Shen finally faced the possessive desire that was growing wildly in his heart.
He wanted Su Nian to only have his reflection in her eyes when she looked at him, he wanted that warm smile to bloom only for him, and he wanted to imprison this unreachable bright moon forever in the night sky that belonged to him.
"Ling, Ling?" Lucas's call brought Ling Shen back to his senses. Ling Shen turned his head to look at his friend beside him. The light in his eyes made Lucas a little confused.
"What's wrong? Lucas?" Ling took a deep breath, and the stinging pain from his fingertips pinching into his palm helped him regain some sanity.
He raised the corners of his mouth, revealing just the right smile, but even he could feel that the smile did not reach his eyes.
Lucas shook his head suspiciously, attributing his friend's sudden loss of composure to the alcohol. "Let's go and toast the host." He shook the whiskey glass in his hand, and the sound of ice cubes clinking was crisp and pleasant.
"Okay." Ling Shen's voice was filled with unquestionable determination as he walked towards the center of the crowd. The wine glass tilted slightly in his hand, and the amber liquid traced a winding path along the glass wall, just like his surging emotions at the moment.
With every step he took, he kept repeating in his heart: This time, I will not let you escape no matter what.
Su Nian watched Ling Shen approaching him, and for some reason, he suddenly felt the urge to run away. However, the crowd surrounding him blocked his last escape route. He could only feign composure and stand still, watching Ling Shen stop at an arm's length.
The gaze between the two was frozen in eternity amid the noisy crowd. Su Nian looked at the dark current surging in Ling Shen's eyes, like the sea before a storm, hot and dangerous.
Cold sweat trickled down his spine into his lower back, yet he forced himself to curl his lips, his dimples concealing a deliberately constructed laziness. The cool breeze from the banquet hall's central air conditioning brushed across his cheeks, carrying the aroma of wine. He was unaware that the reddened tips of his ears had become the most alluring flaw in Ling Shen's eyes.
"Hello, Mr. Su, nice to meet you." Lucas, holding a glass of wine, gestured to Su Nian first.
"Hello, Mr. Lucas." Su Nian also raised his glass and looked at Ling Shen as if he didn't know him. "Who is this gentleman?"
Ling Shen raised his hand to hold Lucas, took a step forward, and touched Su Nian's glass with his wine glass. "Hello, Mr. Su, Ling Shen."
Su Nian's pupils shrank slightly. Ling Shen's fingers, whether intentionally or unintentionally, gently touched the back of Su Nian's hand as he retreated. The scorching temperature made Su Nian's heartbeat stop for a moment.
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