0037 house sparrow (1)
He Lingling blushed at Wan Qifuze's inexplicable protection, while Aria jumped behind Si Lianbo and shouted, "Mommy, Uncle is going to bully me for Auntie's sake again!"
Then he peeked out and gave Wanqi Fuze and Lingling a sly smile, like a mischievous little monkey.
Wan Qizheng smiled and embraced both mother and child. Lingling's face turned even redder because of Aria's nickname.
Si Lianbo looked at the cute and charming girl in front of him and liked her very much. He took a white gauze flower from his collar and decorated it with a pearl. Then he tucked it behind Lingling's ear.
She took Lingling's hand and looked it over from left to right, then adjusted it for her with her gloved hand.
“Perfect,” she said with a smile, looking at her “work.”
The adjustment made her originally simple and elegant outfit appear more lively and noble, yet still understated, truly "the icing on the cake".
Lingling raised her hand and touched it lightly. There was clearly no pin there; she wondered what method Si Lianbo had used to make it secure, though not tight. Wan Qifuze explained to her that Si Lianbo was currently working as a designer and could be called Polly.
Si Lianbo replied with a smile, "Just call me Sister Bobo, just like him."
As it was nearing noon, Si Lianbo, Wan Qizheng, and Aria quickly left. Before leaving, Aria called out to Lingling, "Goodbye, Auntie."
Wanqi Fuze chuckled to himself, thinking that this kid did know some manners.
Lingling gently tugged at his clothes: "You know perfectly well that I'm not..."
“Not what?” Wanqi Fuze turned to her.
He Lingling seemed reluctant to use such an intimate term of address, and after a long hesitation, she finally said, "You will get married eventually."
A faint sense of disappointment lingered in his voice.
Wanqi Fuze seemed to be taken aback by her words.
Then he reached out and pinched her chin, his knuckles sharp, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "You're not going to be my marriage partner, so what are you worried about?"
Lingling suddenly felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
The passionate scene in the room just now was all an act, and she almost got caught up in it, mistaking herself for a character. Only now did she realize she was merely a prop, a beautifully packaged vase. Stripped of this facade, separated from this person, who was she really?
Yes, she knew all along that he wanted to marry someone of similar social standing, someone who was glamorous both inside and out.
As for who he loves, what does it matter?
The blush that had just appeared on her face was quickly masked by a cold mask. Wanqi Fuze seemed to be disappointed as well, and gestured for the maid beside her to take her to the main hall.
He only came to his senses after her figure had completely disappeared among the bamboo shadows.
Lingling lost all interest after Wanqi's words, and only took a champagne from the waiter and sipped it. Surrounded by unfamiliar faces, she gradually felt a sense of self-destruction.
Some embarrassing and painful memories surfaced in her drunken state.
It's some kind of charity organization.
At that time, Wanqi Fuze's business was just starting out, and he still had to attend countless social events. After he brought her to the venue, he disappeared, leaving her to sit alone in a corner picking out small snacks to eat.
A fat man, reeking of alcohol and dressed like a boss, swayed over to her with a wine glass in hand. He reached out and patted her back, then grinned lewdly at her with his yellow teeth, saying, "Baby, keep me company."
She instantly got goosebumps. She was only a senior in college and had never experienced anything like this before. She jumped up to get away from him, yelling, "Get away from me! I have a boyfriend!"
The first person that came to mind was Chen Yixu, and her eyes searched for him everywhere.
Amidst the vast sea of people, clinking glasses, and everyone dressed in splendid attire, chatting and laughing, it seemed as if everyone looked identical, and his figure was nowhere to be seen.
The man grabbed her hand and pulled it over to look. Seeing that it was empty, he laughed almost lewdly: "What boyfriend or girlfriend? I bet it's someone's little lover."
Lingling felt uncomfortable because of the obviously contemptuous and insulting description. She tried to pull her hand away but couldn't, and the person pulled even tighter.
"Let go..." she pushed him away.
“Follow me, and I’ll give you more money.” The man was unrepentant, spraying her face with his foul breath reeking of alcohol, and then lewdly moved closer, his eyes full of undisguised lust.
"Most importantly, I'm better at it..."
Lingling's face turned bright red.
It wasn't because his words were too explicit, but because she was deeply hurt by such insulting remarks.
Seeing that the man was about to put his hand on her again, she panicked and pushed him away.
She hadn't been able to push over a fat man who looked to weigh 200 pounds, but the excessive panic and the fact that the fat man had been drinking caused him to stumble and fall backward onto his back.
When he fell, he grabbed the tablecloth next to him to try to steady himself, but it was too late.
The ear-piercing crash echoed for a long time, and all the well-dressed men and women in the hall looked in the direction of the two, including some VIPs upstairs who couldn't help but look down.
She stood in the corner, yet became the center of attention at the party.
Still reeling from the shock, she noticed a crowd of eyes scanning her.
Everyone was silent, yet it seemed as if they had all said the same blatant and offensive words as the person who had just spoken.
Silent, yet deafening.
She ran away crying in a disheveled state and turned into the bathroom.
The person she had been desperately searching for was inside; though it was just a silhouette, she could see it clearly. A woman sat on the washbasin, wearing a bright red short skirt, her long legs wrapped around his strong waist. At that moment, she was alluring, clinging to him like a bewitching enchantress.
She left quickly, feeling that even the near-violent assault she had just experienced paled in comparison to the humiliation she felt at this moment; she felt betrayed. Tears welled up, but they were cold…
In a daze, I seemed to see that woman again; she seemed a little drunk.
A voice called "Teacher He" came from beside her. Lingling turned her head and saw Guan Kai with a big smile on his face.
Before she could even think about why he was there, Guan Kai pointed out the place to her, following the direction of her gaze.
"That person is also a relative of today's host family. She is the daughter of the old general's sixth son and the elder sister of Wanqi Fuze."
After speaking, he touched the wine glass in his hand to the one in front of He Lingling, making a crisp "ding" sound, and the pale yellow wine swayed.
"Teacher He, do you know Wanqi Fuze?"
P.S.: Thank you to everyone who contributed to my beloved Old Fish project!
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