"She’s your older sister? She looks quite capable, huh." The speaker didn’t care to conceal the hostility in her words. A fine man like Shi Chengxuan had always been coveted by many women -- even if they couldn’t obtain him, they wouldn’t be happy to have him taken away. In particular, the one taking him away was still inferior to them in each and every way.
Feeling awkward, Tang Qi didn’t know what to say. She only left the sentence “she’s the assistant of President Shi” and then escaped.
After Tang Qi left, the speaker snorted lightly. “She should look at herself in the mirror. She’s just an illegitimate child.”
“Forget it. Since her mother has the capabilities to marry into the Tang family, we should at least give face to the Tang family.” A low voice at the side said.
All the girls in that group came from equally prestigious families. Tang Qi had initially been introduced by a few seniors and had barely met them thereafter. Adding her background, she had always been despised by the rest.
“Looks like the Tang family is getting more and more pathetic. I’ve heard about that young lady from the Tang family; she has long been chased out of the family.”
“Really?” Someone exclaimed.
“Yes. My brother even mentioned previously that the Tang family has dropped a message to not employ Tang Susu in our company.”
“Tsk. Then how did she get into Di Jiang?”
“What else can it be? Though her looks are ordinary, she does have some capabilities. But without the Tang family, she definitely isn’t able to step into the Shi family’s doors.”
“Haha. Who knows. Maybe she’s a gold digger? After all, that’s Shi Chengxuan. Being his lover isn’t a bad deal after all.” Someone smirked.
The group of girls commented one after another, as they became more excited.
Yet, they didn’t know that their words could be clearly heard from behind. When their conversation topic changed, that person behind them stepped forward and headed towards them.
“Susu.”
Suddenly hearing her name being called, Tang Susu’s brows narrowed. She turned around and saw an elegant young man in a white suit standing right behind her.
The color of his eyes was lighter than normal peoples’. When he looked at a person deeply, it was as if the world was condensed in his eyes.
Tang Susu had once fallen deep into the wormhole of this pair of eyes.
“Bai Le?” Her tone was cold; there was no trace of the warmth of meeting a familiar person.
“Susu, you’ve changed a lot.” Bai Le smiled, his eyes carrying a trace of nostalgia.
“Have I?” Her tone was bland, as she had no desire to chat with the other party.
People were always changing. If they didn’t, the same mistakes would be made over and over again. Only winners were willing to look back to the past, and being a loser herself, she only felt that the mistakes made in the past were shameful.
“I have something to tell you. Shall we talk separately after the banquet?” Bai Le didn’t seem to mind her coldness as he looked at her with gentleness, as if he was tolerating a young lady who was throwing a tantrum.
“You’ll have to ask my male companion.” As she spoke, Tang Susu lifted her head slightly and looked towards Shi Chengxuan.
Shi Chengxuan hooked his lips. Looking at Bai Le, he replied on her behalf. “No.”
The smile on Bai Le’s face froze for a moment, a ray of coldness brushing past his eyes. “Isn’t President Shi butting in too much?”
“Does Susu think the same, too?” Lowering his gaze, Shi Chengxuan asked her.
“Of course not.”
Someone familiar with him would be able to instantly and clearly feel the aura around Bai Le becoming gloomy. He stared at Tang Susu for a while, before turning around and leaving.
After he had left, Tang Susu looked down, expressionless.
After Bai Le left them, he headed towards the stage. He took over the emcee’s microphone, recovering back to his initial gentle and elegant young master appearance.
He stood under the lights and smiled at the people below the stage, causing a small gasp amongst the masses. Then, he said, “Welcome. Now, if I may, I invite my good friend, Shen Shengxing, and my younger sister, Bai Mian.”
Gentle music was played. Everyone’s gaze followed the spotlights and shifted to the spiral staircase at the side. A good-looking pair of man and woman slowly walked down from above. Standing next to Shen Shengxing and wearing a light pink tube top long dress, Bai Mian came into the sight of the masses.
The shining diamonds on the long skirt gleamed like stars under the light. Her beauty captivated the eyes of the people.
Only Tang Susu was staring at her good friend without blinking, her brows remaining frowning.
The soon-to-be-wedded couple wore smiles on their faces. But with a closer look, one could tell that the smiles hanging on their faces were like masks and there was no joy in their eyes.
As the ceremony continued, the two exchanged their engagement rings on the stage. When a heart-shaped pink diamond ring appeared, many girls by the stage couldn’t help but exclaim.
Even Tang Susu who didn’t have much fancy for gems couldn’t help but take a few more glances. “Is that The Princess’s Heart?” She softly asked Shi Chengxuan who was standing next to her.
The world-famous pink diamond, that she had once heard Bai Mian mention, was going to land in the hands of the Shen family.
Shi Chengxuan shook his head, revealing an odd smile. “It’s not, although it resembles it closely.”
“It’s not?” Tang Susu was startled, then her head turned to the rest who were on the stage.
Bai Mian’s father’s expression was normal, whereas it was the Shen family’s Shen Han whose expression became odd the moment he saw the ring.
Shen Shenxing picked up the ring and carefully slipped it onto Bai Mian’s finger. At this moment, the door of the banquet hall was pushed open from the outside and a person appeared at the door.
“Mian Mian--”
When a shout rang out, everyone turned their heads and looked at the uninvited young man.
That man was in a pair of plain jeans and a T-shirt. His long hair was brushed behind his head. His figure looked like a model’s on the T-stage. He raised his pair of peach blossom eyes slightly, where there was a slight redness at their ends, and his gaze swept across the hall, making people tremble.
"Ah-Yang..." Bai Mian looked at the man who had appeared at the door, her eyes filled with surprise. Ignoring Shen Shenxing who was helping her wear a ring, she picked up the skirt and ran down.
The ring that hadn’t been worn was swept to the ground, rolling a few circles on the ground. It was completely ignored.
Bai Mian ran past Tang Susu, leaving a scented breeze, and plunged into the man’s embrace.
The engagement banquet was staged with such a dramatic scene. The Shen and Bai families who were on the stage wore the same ugly faces. They, who had never been embarrassed by their daughter, Bai Mian, now wore pale faces.
Whereas, Bai Mian didn’t even bother giving her father a second look and left the banquet hall with the man who had suddenly appeared.
At the same time when his daughter’s figure vanished, the Bai family head swayed, holding his chest, and fell onto the ground.
The hall turned into chaos instantly. Tang Susu watched the entire situation unfold quietly, with Shi Chengxuan by her side, and walked out.
Her hand shook slightly, not because of the cold, but because of the words Gou Dan had said next to her ear just earlier on.