"..."

He had intended to treat her with the indifference of strangers, to ignore this woman's arrival, but how could Xu Fan have anticipated that she would now make a beeline for him?

Xia Yanyu smoothed the wrinkles from the back of her tight skirt and took a seat next to Xu Fan.

"Xu Fan, happy Little New Year's Eve."

As she saw Xu Fan frown and look her way, Xia Yanyu squeezed a smile onto her face and proactively struck up conversation.

It was fortunate that the group of reporters had already given up on chasing after her. Otherwise, if they saw this ice queen beauty take the initiative to chat up a man, it's likely that Xu Fan would become Jinling's headline news tomorrow.

"Oh."

With a faint "oh," Xu Fan turned his head away.

Xia Yanyu felt a wave of disappointment wash over her at this indifferent attitude and fell silent.

He was obviously still angry about the misunderstanding that night, but Xia Yanyu did not hate Xu Fan.

The reason Xu Fan was angry, the reason he was distant, was simply because he did not want to see her failing to protect her dignity.

In fact, if she were willing, she could reveal the truth of that night right now and clear up the misunderstanding.

But doing so wouldn't necessarily be for the best...

The man he loved in his heart was his own sister, not her.

If she stood in the way of him and his sister, and on that night had concealed the truth about his sister's return, would he really forgive her?

Xia Yanyu gave a bitter laugh.

"Sit down."

Perhaps she should not stay here and bother him. Xia Yanyu was about to get up and leave.

But before she could stand, Xu Fan, unexpectedly, spat out two words.

Xia Yanyu was momentarily stunned, then her eyes began to shimmer with excitement.

He... he was asking her to stay...

Overjoyed and somewhat flustered, it took Xia Yanyu a while to suppress the excitement in her heart.

He... he had forgiven her.

"Xu Fan, are you here to watch Shimeng's performance?"

She had heard about Guan Shimeng's situation. Unlike her, Xu Fan was likely not here tonight just for social niceties.

She took the initiative to make conversation with Xu Fan.

"Yes, that's right."

It was now time for the evening's events to begin. The lights in the audience dimmed as the host of the event made an appearance, and all the cameras, along with all the audience's gazes, turned toward the stage.

Yet Xia Yanyu had no interest in any of this; her entire focus was on the man beside her.

Honestly, this single sentence from Xu Fan left her unsure how to continue the conversation...

In the past, countless men had tried to pursue her, doing their utmost to chat with her, only to be defeated by her cold demeanor.

This time, with the roles reversed, Xia Yanyu frowned in frustration.

"Quite a few people from the media have come this time. Guan Shimeng has a strong background, and she's bound to be discovered."

Even business deals worth hundreds of millions hadn't stumped her, but now, figuring out how to talk to this man beside her was killing her brain cells one by one.

It was already the start of the first act by the time she forced a sentence from her lips.

"..."

Xu Fan seemed to find her somewhat annoying now and didn't engage in conversation, nor did he even glance her way.

His gaze remained fixed on the performance onstage, just like all the other audience members around them.

Disappointment washed over Xia Yanyu like waves crashing against her heart, and defeated, she lowered her head.

Suddenly, her eyes widened as her heart pounded erratically, and she found herself looking over at Xu Fan.

"Xu Fan..."

She didn't know when he had started, but now, a hand from beneath their seats stretched out and took hold of her small hand.

Feeling Xu Fan's casual fidgeting, Xia Yanyu's fair face was instantly shrouded in a flush of red.

One must realize that there were quite a few people seated around them!

Not only that, but most of those nearby were from the media.

If they were spotted, by the next day, not just Jinling, but all of Huaxia would surely be abuzz.

Xu Fan's fingers drew circles in the palm of her hand, a tingling sensation that made Xia Yanyu feel both embarrassed and nervous.

Under the gaze of innumerable eyes, she had never experienced anything like this before.

Her nervousness made her want to pull her hand away, but her careful efforts were in vain.

With her heart nearly leaping from her throat, Xia Yanyu vigilantly glanced around, confirmed no one was paying attention to them, and pleaded in a lowered voice.

"Xu Fan, please, don't..."

It seemed he took pity on her thin-skinned nature, for upon hearing her, Xu Fan indeed released her hand.

Xia Yanyu breathed a sigh of relief, akin to escaping from the tiger's jaws, but before she could completely relax, her heart jumped to her throat again.

"Xu Fan..."

Xu Fan moved carelessly, sensing her reaction, he couldn't help but frown.

Truth be told, it wasn't out of mischief or a desire for thrills under everyone's watch that he acted.

Perhaps he simply wanted to demonstrate his approachable attitude toward her in this manner.

Yet, faced with his bold move, Xia Yanyu didn't struggle at all, letting him have his way...

Xu Fan couldn't help but frown and look over at her.

What he saw was a pair of eyes brimming with emotion.

It seemed that for him, this woman who highly valued her reputation, was willing to indulge his whims.

"Hmph..."

With a disinterested snort, Xu Fan withdrew his hand without any hesitation.

Unwilling to dwell on Xia Yanyu any longer, Xu Fan tried to focus his attention on the performance happening on stage.

But before he could get absorbed, an unusual noise came from beside him.

"What's wrong with you?"

Unsure of what had happened, Xia Yanyu clutched her stomach with both hands, clenching her teeth as if enduring some pain.

Seeing the cold sweat beading on her forehead, Xu Fan couldn't help but ask.

"No... I'm fine, really..."

Xia Yanyu bit her lip, shook her head, and tried not to worry Xu Fan too much.

After persisting for a while, she couldn't withstand the pain anymore.

Xia Yanyu glanced at Xu Fan and said, "Xu Fan, I... I need to go to the restroom..."

Seemingly embarrassed to ask for help, Xia Yanyu greeted him and, with difficulty, stood up and started walking out.

"..."

She walked with difficulty, as if she might collapse at any moment—this wasn't an act to garner sympathy.

Seeing her condition, Xu Fan shook his head and stood up...

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