Shen Jianxi walked with Wen Huaizhi, accompanying him in conversation, but a scorching gaze remained fixed on her hand. Without turning, she knew who it was. Wherever they went, that gaze followed, making her uneasy and restless. Unable to bear it, she found an opportunity to slip away.
As expected, the moment she and Wen Huaizhi separated, the gaze softened considerably.
Shen Jianxi: "..." Utterly speechless.
"Shen Jianxi, long time no see," Meng Ning approached, holding two glasses of wine.
Facing the friendly smile on her face, Shen Jianxi recoiled with disdain. "Long time no see. Is there something you need?"
Her movement was blatant, showing no intention of hiding it. To her surprise, Meng Ning showed no anger. Instead, she smiled apologetically, handed one glass to Shen Jianxi, and said, "Nothing much, I just wanted to apologize. I was immature in freshman year. I'd like to toast you."
When something is out of the ordinary, there's usually a reason. Shen Jianxi didn't believe Meng Ning was being sincere. "77, check this wine for any issues."
"Host, this wine has no problems whatsoever."
This surprised Shen Jianxi. Taking the wine glass, Meng Ning toasted her. "Let bygones be bygones. I'll be going now." She turned and left.
"Host, are you overthinking things?" 77 felt Meng Ning was quite normal, perhaps she genuinely wanted to reconcile.
"Do you believe a clean hand doesn't get dirty?"
"I don't."
"Hmm, neither do I."
77: ...
"Welcome everyone to my daughter's birthday banquet. I, Liang Nian, will first propose a toast to all of you. I wish you all a happy meal and a delightful evening!" Just as 77 was pondering whether the two had any hidden motives, the birthday banquet officially began.
Nestled in a corner, she quietly watched Liang Chengyin shyly approach Ye Chuanzi, her intentions obvious.
Ignoring Liang Chengyin's hint, Ye Chuanzi walked directly towards the corner. All eyes followed him, eventually landing on Shen Jianxi.
"Young Master Ye is openly slapping the Liang family's face!"
"Exactly, has the cooperation between the Ye and Liang families fallen apart?"
"Whose daughter is this? I haven't seen her before."
"I heard she's a classmate of Young Master Ye."
"This woman is quite something!"
"Stop talking! Don't you see how dark Miss Liang's face has become?"
Everyone looked. Liang Chengyin's face contorted with a malevolence that was chilling. Even the more timid averted their gaze, afraid to look.
The whispers reached Shen Jianxi's ears. She maintained a proper, polite smile, while her mind calculated how to leave. After all, she was Wen Huaizhi's date tonight!
Sensing Shen Jianxi's thoughts, Ye Chuanzi quickened his pace and blocked her path. He bowed and extended his hand with utmost gentlemanliness. "May I have the honor of inviting Miss Shen for a dance?"
Miss Shen. As he uttered these three words, Ye Chuanzi's heart was filled with bitterness. Now, he could only address her so formally. They were once a couple envied by all.
"I..."
"I hope I have the honor of inviting this beautiful lady for a dance." Wen Huaizhi also extended his hand to her, looking at her with a smile.
The two men exchanged glances, their eyes filled with provocation and anger.
"Huaizhi, you should understand the concept of 'first come, first served.'"
"A'ci, I recall you two have already broken up. It would be better to not make Xi Xi uncomfortable and be more sensible."
"Heh, at least we were boyfriend and girlfriend. What about you? A dog licking its owner's boots?"
"You said it yourself, 'were.'"
After a verbal sparring match, both men looked at Shen Jianxi, awaiting her choice.
"77, 77, ex-boyfriend or current target of strategy, which do you choose?"
"I choose death, thank you." With that, 77 immediately went offline, refusing to emerge no matter how Shen Jianxi called for it.
What a joke. Why should a small system like itself endure such a dramatic confrontation? Wouldn't it be better to sleep and replenish its energy?
Cursing 77 for its disloyalty, Shen Jianxi apologized to Ye Chuanzi with a look and offered her hand to Wen Huaizhi.
They left hand in hand, leaving Ye Chuanzi standing there blankly.
"Ye Zi, don't be sad. Let's go, I'll accompany you for a drink, brother." Qiu Xing placed a hand on his shoulder, his eyes showing evident concern.
Ye Chuanzi managed a smile that was more like a grimace at the two of them and nodded slightly. He glanced back at the couple dancing gracefully, then turned and left.
"Xi Xi, I'm so happy you chose me." Heaven knows how nervous Wen Huaizhi was just now. His hands behind his back were covered in sweat. He was terrified they still had feelings for each other, but thankfully, that wasn't the case.
Shen Jianxi smiled but didn't reply. Anything she said now might be misinterpreted.
"Xi Xi, will you be my girlfriend?" Taking a deep breath, Wen Huaizhi asked the question he had been wanting to ask for a while.
Shen Jianxi understood. He must have been provoked by Ye Chuanzi tonight. Thinking of the last remaining bit of affection points, she finally nodded. "Okay, I'll be counting on you, my boyfriend." Sudang Novel Network
Overwhelmed by ecstatic joy, Wen Huaizhi froze in place. It wasn't until someone bumped into him that he snapped back to reality. He immediately hugged her. "Thank you, Xi Xi, thank you."
77: "Ding! Affection +3, current Wen Huaizhi affection: 100."
"Congratulations, Host! 100 affection achieved!"
Hearing the announcement, Shen Jianxi hugged him back, a smile gracing her lips. "Thank you too, Brother HuaiZhi."
All of this was witnessed by Jin Ke, who had just arrived at the banquet hall looking for Shen Jianxi. He stood frozen, veins bulging on his hands.