It seemed like these sponsors who were eyeing Luo Xiaoxi like tigers had no plans of leaving her alone.
Luo Xiaoxi would not be considered as the hottest among all the women gathered in the banquet hall right now, nor would she be considered as the most well-dressed woman among them; however, the thing that made her stand out was her beautiful and delicate facial features. There was something special about her mien and the way she carried herself, like an inborn quality that was solely hers.
The impression she gave people was the type which made her seem a bit aloof, yet showy and open at the same time. There was an elegance to her comportment which could only be found in people with affluent upbringing. Add to this the fact that she was young, beautiful and had a face which was the perfect amalgamation of that of an angel and a demon. She was the most eye-catching person in the entire hall.
The fact that her photo had been used as the cover picture of various magazine also provided a good opening for the men who wished to chat her up.
These men would deliberately engage her in small talk. Some were subtle about it, while others not quite so. Nonetheless, Luo Xiaoxi was already used to these banal tactics. Not to mention the wandering hands which would oftentimes reach for her; she hated those with a passion.
In the past, she would have no scruples about throwing out a few sarcastic and mocking remarks in response to these advances, that was for sure. But now that she already had one foot in the world of showbiz, it was best if she did not piss off anyone.
In the end, she settled for pushing aside the hands of the gropers and excusing herself to the restroom.
She figured the restroom was the only place where she could have a moment of peace.
Then again, she never expected to see Su Yicheng’s date also in the restroom. Petite and slim, the woman stood in front of the sink, washing her hands with utmost care.
Luo Xiaoxi approached the sink instinctively. Then she twisted the tap and pretended to wash her hand, though her eyes kept glancing at the woman through the mirror.
Much to her surprise, Su Yicheng’s taste in women had changed. This woman was just over 20 years old at most. Heck, she might still be a student. The complexion of her small face was white and flawless, and her features were delicate and pure; nobody could ever hold feelings of jealousy and hatred towards a someone with that kind of face. In fact, the woman looked exactly like Su Jianan when she was still in school.
A woman like this could conquer any man’s heart and have them falling to their knees before her.
All of a sudden, Luo Xiaoxi found herself having trouble breathing. That feeling of heaviness was back again, and it pressed down on her heart with full force. She shut the tap, lowered her head and left without even drying her hands.
Due to her hasty strides and the fact that she was not paying attention to where she was going, she ran smack into someone.
“Ah!” She yelled.
Then she lowered her head quickly and muttered an apology, “Sorry.”
“…”
The other person did not make a sound. “Maybe it wasn’t a person that I ran into?” She thought.
Luo Xiaoxi raised her head and was stunned. It was Su Yicheng. “What kind of coincidence is this? Is he waiting for his date?” She thought.
For some unknown reason, the stifling sensation in her chest intensified. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I didn’t collide with you on purpose.” After that, she sidestepped Su Yicheng and began heading outside.
Su Yicheng grasped her arms, holding her in place, “Those douche bags out there are all searching for you. You’ll just be piling more trouble onto yourself by going out.”
“Well, I’m already involved in this line of work, so I’ll have to get used to all this at some point,” Luo Xiaoxi said calmly. “I’ll just think of it as training.”
She tried to pull her arm free from Su Yicheng’s grip. His grip remained firm and unwavering as he levelled an intense gaze at her. “Xiaoxi, don’t you have something to tell me?” He asked.
Luo Xiaoxi’s lips parted for a while before they were pressed together again.
She did have things to say to Su Yicheng. In fact, they were the things that she had wanted to say to him for a long time. But… His date would come out any time! This was a misunderstanding waiting to happen.
She tried to pull her arm free again, but to no avail. She felt a surge of anger, which loosened her tongue. “Fine! I’ll tell you. The reason I hugged Qin Wei that night has nothing to do with how important he is to me. It was because I didn’t want to see you two come to blows!”
“Why, then, did I not hug you instead? Because I knew there was no way I could hold you back! I tried to convince Qin Wei to stop because there was a chance that he might listen to me. If I tried to convince you, you’ll just end up beating Qin Wei to a pulp!”
“I knew for sure that Qin Wei could never beat you in a fight. But I also know that he isn’t someone to be trifled with. He will use other ways to cause trouble for you later on.”
“I hugged Qin Wei because I didn’t want you to face unnecessary troubles in the future. I’ve said my piece, can you let me go now, please?”
The corners of Su Yicheng’s lips lifted. Apparently, he was satisfied with that answer. Still, his grip on her arm remained tight, “Isn’t there something else? What about the way you seem so receptive to other people’s advances just now? Shouldn’t you explain that, too?”
No. Luo Xiaoxi did not feel like explaining anything to Su Yicheng at all. Then again, what the heck did he mean by “receptive to advances”?!
“Su Yicheng!” In her anger, Luo Xiaoxi gave him a shove. “Since when was I receptive to anyone’s advances? Those old perverts were the ones who came on to me one after the other. Not only did I reject them, but I was forced to reject them politely. Do you even know how much rage I had to surpress to avoid causing a scene?”
Su Yicheng disagreed with Luo Xiaoxi’s explanation, though a strange smile now adorned his lips.
“Now that’s more like it,” Su Yicheng thought. Luo Xiaoxi should be acting like a little lioness, not one who resorted to covering up her anger with fake smiles. He did not like the latter version one bit.
Luo Xiaoxi had no idea what was going on through Su Yicheng’s mind, though. All she felt right now was anger. “Unreasonable, pig-headed man!” She said through gritted teeth.
With a skillful maneuver of his hand, Su Yicheng got Luo Xiaoxi into his arms, “You haven’t touched a single drop of alcohol tonight. Why?”
“I…” Luo Xiaoxi trailed off, sensing that something was not quite right, “How did you know that I never drank tonight? Were you watching me the whole time?”
Su Yicheng brought his face closer. “Xiaoxi, tell me. Why?”
Luo Xiaoxi’s height had always been her source of pride. Also, she was currently wearing a pair of stilettos with a heel length of 10cm, so by right Yicheng’s 185cm frame was not supposed to intimidate her, nor could it become his advantage over her.
What was even more distracting than his stature, however, was his scent, which had infused itself into every breath she took. Every breath he released felt as if it was conveying the warmth of his body straight to her core, causing her to become weak in the knees.
Good thing she managed to regain her backbone in the end.
“Why should I tell you?” She lifted her chin. “I can drink whatever the hell I like, and it’s still none of your damn business.”
The haughtiness contained in her beautiful eyes as well as the light teasing tone of her voice were both her traits that Su Yicheng was very familiar with.
Although Luo Xiaoxi had now become more collected and restrained, she would still transform into the little lioness capable of chewing a person’s head off if provoked.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Luo Xiaoxi said, pointing at the restroom. “Your date is probably coming out soon. So you better let go of me!”
“Isn’t that supposed to be what you want? That she misunderstands and stomps away in anger?” It was like the two words “let go” did not exist in Su Yicheng’s lexicon; he was still holding on to Luo Xiaoxi’s arm, refusing to let go.
Luo Xiaoxi was furious beyond words. “Su Yicheng, what the hell is the matter with you? Don’t you think you’re acting super weird right now? Just now, while we were outside, you acted like you barely knew me at all, but now you’re holding on to me and refusing to let me go? What’s the meaning of this?”
Su Yicheng stared at her with a dark intensity. Several moments passed, and Su Yicheng said through gritted teeth, “Luo Xiaoxi, you’re really an idiot.”
Seriously? Did he just insult her intelligence? Every ounce of Luo Xiaoxi’s self-control snapped.
She lifted Su Yicheng’s hand to her mouth, wanting to bite him. But Su Yicheng’s hand cupped the underside of her jaw and tilted her chin upwards. His lips covered hers…
“Mmph…”
Luo Xiaoxi’s eyes went wide. She was in a dazed state for a long moment before she remembered to struggle.
How it did come to this? How on earth did the tables get turned on her? Argh! She was supposed to be biting Su Yicheng!
Fine. Since she was unable to bite his hand, then why not just bite him in a more tender place?
She steeled her heart and bit down on his lip; she heard Su Yicheng’s hiss, “Luo Xiaoxi!”
“Oh, so you’re not bleeding?” Luo Xiaoxi studied the red spot on his lower lip, “It means my teeth had gone easy on you. If you touch me again, though, I’ll—”
Before she could finish, she felt a pulling force on her waist. Once again, she found herself smacking face-first against Su Yicheng’s chest. The next second, her lips were viciously assaulted.
Not taking no as an answer, Su Yicheng pried open her teeth. It was a full-on assault, one that rendered all her resistance futile. She decided to bite down on his lip again. But this time, Su Yicheng did not release her.
She tasted the metallic tang of blood.
Finally, after God knows how long, Su Yicheng released her. Her immaculately done curly tresses was now a slightly bedraggled. Blood dotted Su Yicheng’s lips.
“Are you out of your mind?” She growled. For the first time in her life, she was treating Su Yicheng with such fierce aggression. Her two arms, which hung limply on her sides, twitched slightly. In the end, her hands did not touch the wound on his lips.
“Xiaoxi, I know what I’m doing,” Su Yicheng said.
“…” Luo Xiaoxi could do nothing but stare at Su Yicheng. If he knew what he was doing, then what was the meaning behind his actions now?
He had left so decisively that night. Even the next day, during their phone call, he had hung up on her without showing the slightest hint of reluctance. All that had driven her to believe that Su Yicheng no longer wanted her. But his actions and words right now were confusing as hell. What was he even trying to tell her?
“Give me some time,” Su Yicheng said. “I’ll look for you again after the final airing of Top Model.”
“I already know everything,” Luo Xiaoxi said, lowering her eyelashes. “I know about the reservation you made at the restaurant on the day of my debut. I also know that you went to see my dad. My dad told me everything. But Su Yicheng, I was responsible for leaking your company’s confidential plans. Your company had suffered losses because of me. Things are impossible between us. I don’t even have the right to show my face in Cheng An Group anymore. Isn’t it?”
“No,” said Su Yicheng. A long silence ensued as he stared at Luo Xiaoxi intensely. Then, he reached up a hand and cradled her cheek, “Xiaoxi, I’ll explain these things to you in detail in the future. All I’m asking is for you to give me some time, can you do that?”
Just then, they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat in the bathroom. Following that were the sounds of approaching footsteps.
Su Yicheng’s date was the only person in the restroom when Luo Xiaoxi entered just now. Now she was coming out!
Luo Xiaoxi shoved Su Yicheng away, and then she turned around and made a dash for the banquet hall.
“You sure did take your time.” The woman strolled out of the restroom slowly, “Did she ask about the relationship between you and me?”
Su Yicheng shrugged, “She doesn’t even see you as a rival.”
“Pfft! Yeah, right!” The girl called him out immediate, and she did so without holding anything back. “Obviously, it’s because she no longer cared whether or not you have a female companionship. In the past, the moment you brought a date with you, she’ll kick up a fuss. Right now, she doesn’t care anymore. That’s probably an unfamiliar feeling, huh?”
“Unfamiliar?” Su Yicheng frowned. “Nah, there’s none of that.”
More like a full-blown panic attack.
When Luo Xiaoxi saw him for the first time tonight, he honestly thought she would walk up to him happily. Who knew she would try to leave quietly instead.
In that moment, he felt as if he had lost a treasure that he had held on to for a long time.
He had not been planning to see Luo Xiaoxi at all before the final airing of Top Model; he had decided not to see her until he had fully dealt with that incident. However, all his resolves went straight out the window the moment he saw that she was forced to deal with the advances of a man who was practically salivating all over her. His hands had tightened into fists back then.
“Couz, I know what this is. You’re jealous!” That was what Yunyun had told him back then as she held onto his hand.
Jealous?
That word rarely, if not never, applied to Su Yicheng’s life at all.
None of his girlfriends in the past could give him a taste of what jealousy truly felt like; he never felt a thing, not even when he saw them cosy up to other men after they broke up. Despite the fact that he had once been affectionate with them and had splurged heavily on them, he never felt a thing.
Someone once asked him, “Yicheng, have you ever been jealous? Has there been anyone who makes you feel jealousy?”
His only response to that question was a shake of his head. His views on dating and relationships had always revolved around the idea of comfortable and amiable interaction between the two parties involved; no party should feel any pressure or burden as a result of the relationship. Any breakup should be clean, with neither party looking back or having any lingering emotions. They should still be able to look and smile at each other if they ever ran into each other after the breakup.
What the hell was jealousy? What did it even taste like? Did it taste sour like common vinegar?
Just now, as he watched those men putting their hands on Luo Xiaoxi, Su Yicheng had a sudden epiphany— jealousy was a type of rage that was suppressed by the rational mind.
Had he not been rational just now, he would have run up to those douche bags surrounding Luo Xiaoxi and then beat every single one of them to a pulp.
“Hey, couz. Let me teach you something else,” Yunyun said, sliding her hand into Su Yicheng’s palm. Then she looked up at him with an innocent smile. “Whether or not a person makes you feel jealous is how you can tell if you truly have feelings for that person.”
