Every year during the beginning of summer, the city's socialites would find all kinds of excuses to throw parties. These events were usually held in support of various charities, or so it seemed. The truth was that they were nothing but breeding grounds for evil and promiscuity. Apparently, the mayor's wife had even invited several VIPs from the capital to her dinner party this time.
"Are you going?" Zhang Mi held the invitation card in her hand. "Those dumbass women are just jealous of you. Knowing that you and Ying Qingcang are still related by marriage, and also that you're a mother, and yet they still invite you to this kind of disgusting gatherings."
Xin Qing glanced at the invitation card before tossing it into the trash can. "I'll go. Why shouldn't I? The mayor's wife had ordered a set of bedding products last time and they are ready. I'll deliver them to her personally."
"What are you up to?"
"There'll be people from the capital attending the party, right? Well, I want to meet them, of course!" The corners of Xin Qing's lips lifted. That smile... it looked exactly like Ying Qingcang's.
In a blink of an eye, the night of the party arrived. Xin Qing had acted entirely out of character by dressing herself in a sexy, low-cut evening gown. She had even put on a conspicuous and eye-catching diamond necklace.
"I thought you usually go for cheongsams. What's gotten into you today?" Zhang Mi and Monica glanced at each other before turning their eyes to stare at the beautiful and sexually attractive woman in front of them. Worn on Xin Qing's body, that huge diamond necklace did not outshine her presence at all. Rather, it gave Xin Qing an air of affluence and sophistication.
Xin Qing laughed, rendering her immaculately made-up face prettier than ever. "There's nothing wrong with wearing dressing up once in a while. I have to live up to my current status after all!"
Even Young Master Shen was taken aback when he came to pick them up. He walked up to Xin Qing and said, "Tsk, tsk, Xiao Qingqing. Are you planning to ruin the whole event?"
"You better not let her out of your sight tonight," Zhang Mi said with a frown. "She will attract all kinds of perverts dressed like this." Zhang Mi had completely missed the look of dissapproval on Young Master Shen's face when his eyes landed on her legs.
"Why are you wearing such a short skirt again?" The man stared at those long legs; the look on his face was as if someone had outright looted his most prized possession.
Zhang Mi swayed her hips deliberately, causing her voluptuous bust to jiggle. Zhang Mi had always been beautiful. Now that she was all dolled up, she look like an outright femme fatale.
Still, Young Master Shen dared not ask her to change into another outfit. Scowling, he draped his jacket over her shoulders. Monica walked with them to the front door, but she left them there and drove off in her own car.
"Where on earth is that girl going?" Young Master Shen asked curiously.
"Dunno. Just said that she's got this other thing tonight so she won't be attending." All of a sudden, Xin Qing had a thought. She turned to Ah Che, who was their designated driver. "Where's Ah Nan?"
Ah Che shook his head. "I have no idea. Haven't seen him since he left work."
Xin Qing just winked at him and said nothing else.
Once they arrived at the venue, Xin Qing and Zhang Mi stepped out of the car, taking Young Master Shen's arm on each side. That was when Xin Qing noticed Rong Siman stepping out of the vehicle beside theirs. Rong Siman had seen them, too, judging from the sullen expression on her face. Ying Qingcang waited until the three of them had entered the hall before he got out of the car.
"Didn't you say that you won't be accompanying me?" Rong Siman said with a pout.
Ying Qingcang adjusted his necktie. "Come, let's go. I'll accompany you today."
"Really?" Rong Siman said happily, resting her hand on the crook of his elbow. Once they had entered the banquet hall, Rong Siman's face fell when she saw Xin Qing nearby. "Don't tell me you're here because of her?"
Ying Qingcang glanced in that direction with a look of contempt. "You know better than anybody else what she means to me."
Rong Siman's heart went cold. For a long while, she just stared at Ying Qingcang's face. "Could it be that he knows? No, no. That's not possible. He won't be acting like this if he knows."
"Oops! I'm sorry! Sorry! I mean, I know you no longer love her. But still, you were once married to each other. It's normal for me to feel jealous, you know," Rong Siman said, tracing his chest with her fingers playfully. Refusing to let it go, Rong Siman asked, "So, why have you decided to stay and accompany me, then? You've always hated events like this."
Ying Qingcang looked at her briefly. "Don't you want to find out why President Xin, who usually keeps a low profile, suddenly shows up dressed so flashily? Don't you find her sudden initiative suspicious?" While he had been speaking, Ying Qingcang had secretly clenched his hands into fists. Nearby, Xin Qing was smiling as she greeted a few men. That smile of hers was so bright that it made his eyes hurt.
Ying Qingcang released a harrumph, after which he turned away and walked in the opposite direction. Rong Siman hurried after him.
Everyone in attendance seemed to have noticed as well that Xin Qing was acting a bit differently today. Needless to say, the young masters from various wealthy families, who had long since been sneaking glances at her, would not want to miss this window of opportunity to make their advances at her. Putting aside the fact that Xin Qing was drop-dead gorgeous, just her status alone would suffice to get any man hooked. So what if she was a woman with children. Once a woman married, she would have to rely on her man eventually.
Considering how rare it was for Xin Qing to come out of her shell, everyone's eyes were drawn to her tonight. Safe to say that she had completely stolen the spotlight. If Young Master Shen had not been standing guard beside her all this time, she would have been asked for a dance a long time ago.
Not too long after the party began, the mayor's wife led an elegant and sophisticated woman to the center of the hall and introduced her to everyone.
"We are honored to have the daughter of the capital's Bai family joining us tonight. It is truly an honor. Now, Aunt Yu must thank you for showing up!" Yu was the surname of the mayor's wife. As for this Bai family that she had mentioned, although not as prominent as the Jiang family, the Bai family was still a force to be reckoned with within the military circle.
"They said that Miss Bai and the mayor's son were once classmates. In school, they were already lovers. They will most probably be engaged soon." Young Master Shen suddenly frowned. "Do you guys see that woman standing behind Miss Bai?"
Xin Qing and Zhang Mi glanced in said direction furtively; the woman was beautiful and gave the impression of someone pure and morally upright.
"Yeah? What about her?" Xin Qing frowned slightly. If she was not mistaken, that woman had sneaked a glance at her as well.
"That's the oldest daughter of the Li family," Young Master Shen said. "As in the Li family, the one that is as prominent as the Jiang family." All of a sudden, Young Master Shen let out an evil laugh. "And guess what? It just so happens that this Miss Li is Jiang Qianren's childhood sweetheart!"
"Huh?" Zhang Mi said. "Holy sh*t! I bet she's here to cause trouble. You better watch out!"
"Well, her appearance does seem a bit too timely, I'll give you that," Xin Qing shot back with a smile. Then, she handed her wine glass to Zhang Mi. "I'm going to the ladies room. Don't follow me."
Much to her surprise, Xin Qing ran into Ying Qingcang as she was stepping out of the ladies room.
She did not speak to him at all, since she had no idea what to say. Or to put it in another way, what could she say in this kind of situation? Especially when she considered that Ying Qingcang had taken the initiative to show himself before her...
"Trying to marry yourself into the capital?" Ying Qingcang slowly approached her, darkness swirling inside his eyes. "You won't be able to defend Xin Enterprises even if you allied yourself with the Jiang family."
Radiance swimmed within Xin Qing's eyes, and under the lights, her smile was so stunning that it rendered Ying Qingcang momentarily dazed. By the time he recovered his senses, one of Xin Qing's arms had already snaked its way up his chest to wrap around his neck. He frowned slightly and noticed that she wore stilettos. She was even standing on tiptoe. Keeping his face neutral, Ying Qingcang took a step forward, thus backing Xin Qing into the wall.
The man lowered his tall and broad shoulders while Xin Qing raised her head. The smile adorning her lips seemed even wider now and her eyes were filled with joy as she stared at Ying Qingcang relentlessly.
Ying Qingcang's eyes grew a shade darker. Without saying another word, he lowered his head and kissed her. The kiss was gentle at first, involving nothing but the slow brushing of lips. Soon, his tongue pried open Xin Qing's teeth and began exploring the inside of her mouth with wild abandon. A light trembled coursed through Xin Qing's body. At the same time, she felt the man's hand on her waist. There was considerable strength in his grip, which made her enjoy his touch even more.
The couple embraced each other tightly. All they could hear were the sounds of each others' breathing and gasps. They were so close, yet so far. When his familiar scent hit her nostrils, Xin Qing's eyes began to well up inadvertently. When Ying Qingcang felt the wet, coldness touching his cheek, he sighed soundlessly and planted a kiss on her shuddering eyelids.
"Ah!" A woman shrieked. Xin Qing buried her head in Ying Qingcang's chest whereas the man stared coldly at the woman standing nearby.
A strange emotion flashed across Li Susu's eyes. Then, she smiled politely and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't expect anyone to be here. I apologize for the interruption."
When Xin Qing raised her head, her face, which no longer held any trace of tears, was slightly red. She pushed Ying Qingcang away. "Whether or not I can marry into the Jiang family is none of your concern. The point is, Xin Enterprises is mine and nobody can take it away from me!"
After that, she walked away, deliberately stepping on Ying Qingcang's foot. Xin Qing smiled at Li Susu when she walked past the woman. Ying Qingcang was strolling away lazily too. Li Susu wondered if it was just her imagination, but she kept having this feeling that the man was smiling when he walked away...
Zhang Mi glared at Xin Qing when she noticed her return. "What, did you get stuck in the toilet bowl or something? The mayor's wife came to look for you just now!"
"What did she need me for?"
"Dunno. She wants you to go to the rest lounge after you come back."
Xin Qing pulled Zhang Mi's arm. "Come, let's go together."
"Go! Go ahead!" Young Master Shen said, more than happy to chase them away. "I sh*t you not, people. There are just way too many pervs in this d*mn*d place," he thought. He had already noticed a few douchebags ogling the legs of his woman just now. Tomorrow, he would order a bunch of guys to give them a little show-and-tell!
There was a VIP lounge behind the banquet hall. When Xin Qing and Zhang Mi entered, there were already three people inside.
The mayor's wife was showing Miss Bai the bedspread that Xin Qing had brought for her. When she noticed Xin Qing's entrance, she quickly waved her over.
"Come! Come! Now, this is President Xin. She had designed the embroidery used on this bedspread herself!"
"Thank you, President Xin. I like it very much!" Miss Bai said happily.
"Oh, so it was intended for Miss Bai, then!" Xin Qing replied courteously. "There was a bathrobe included in the original set. But it doesn't suit Mrs. Yu, so I didn't bring it with me tonight. But I guess it will be different if it's for Miss Bai. I'll have someone send it over tomorrow. I believe you'll like it!"
"Oh, my! Thank you! I'm Bai Jingjing. I've heard a lot of great things about you," Bai Jingjing said, offering her hand. Xin Qing shook the proffered hand before taking a seat.
"Make another one for me," Mrs. Yu said with a smile. "The same design as this one. Just use a slightly darker color will do. I'll leave it up to you!"
Xin Qing nodded and said, "Alright..." She was cut off before she could finish.
"You live up to your reputation indeed, President Xin. Aunt Song has been singing your praises everywhere she went. I thought she was just exaggerating!"
An awkward look instantly formed on Bai Jingjing's face, though she covered it up quickly. Smiling, she began making the introductions, "This is my friend, Li Susu."
"Nice to meet you!" Li Susu offered her hand. "Qianren has mentioned you a lot. Now I can finally meet you in person."
Xin Qing was not in the slightest bit bothered by Li Susu's provocative remarks. Xin Qing shook the woman's hand courteously. "Nice to meet you, Miss Li."
Li Susu was obviously dissatisfied with Xin Qing's reaction, or lack thereof. "Come visit the capital when you have time," she said. "Qianren and I will receive you with open arms!"
Both Bai Jingjing and Mrs. Yu were aware of what was going on, though they knew better than to say anything. All they could do was smile back at Xin Qing. Xin Qing's grin showed no signs of diminishing when she shook her head. "Qianren and I aren't close at all. I wouldn't dare be so presumptuous as to have him receive me."
Li Susu's eyes brightened instantly. Even her tone had turned jovial, "Oh, that's fine! There's still me!"