Xu Zixi was stunned on the spot.
Because he felt guilty, and because gentle An Nuan had never spoken to him like this before.
An Nuan didn't give Xu Zixi any face. She glanced at their linked arms and said, "Does Assistant Xu feel you are more suited to accompany my fiancé?"
Gu Yan Sheng quickly pushed Xu Zixi's hand away.
Xu Zixi was even more embarrassed and could only laugh awkwardly, "Because Miss An rarely attends events like this, I was accompanying President Gu, so she misunderstood. I'm very sorry."
"Are you saying I'm not magnanimous enough?" An Nuan raised her eyebrows.
Before Xu Zixi could explain,
An Nuan said directly, "Besides, I'm only bothered by the fact that in the 5 minutes since we entered the banquet hall, Assistant Xu has been clinging to my fiancé and not letting go. It made me think that Assistant Xu was showing me who's boss."
Xu Zixi turned pale at An Nuan's words. Because of their differences in status, he didn't dare talk back loudly, and could only keep explaining and apologizing, "No, Miss An, I just lost track of proper boundaries earlier. Next time I will be more careful."
An Nuan laughed lightly.
She didn't seem ready to forgive him at all.
Xia Qiqi was truly dumbfounded by her side. Was this still the An Nuan she knew?
She was so overbearing and impressive!
She had warned An Nuan before, saying Xu Zixi was a flirtatious fox who stuck to Gu Yan Sheng all day, obviously up to no good.
But An Nuan said she trusted Gu Yan Sheng, so Xia Qiqi didn't say more.
But she just couldn't stand Xu Zixi, taking advantage of his looks and his status as a top university graduate who became the special assistant to the CEO of Yan Group at a young age. He acted so arrogantly, looking down on the rich socialites like her, implying they were useless despite their fortunate backgrounds.
Seeing him publicly chastised by An Nuan now, she felt extremely gratified!
"Nuan Nuan," Gu Yan Sheng suddenly spoke up, taking her hand on his own initiative.
An Nuan felt repulsed inside, but still suppressed it.
"I didn't expect you would come today suddenly, I'm very happy," he didn't mention her reprimanding Xu Zixi at all.
He didn't say a good word for Xu Zixi, or explain why he had let Xu Zixi cling to him the whole time.
Gu Yan Sheng was always good at avoiding the main issues.
An Nuan was also smart enough not to say more. Chastising Xu Zixi had already undermined Gu Yan Sheng's prestige, being too impatient now would not help with what she needed to do next.
"Let's go, I'll take you to meet my parents. They must all want to see you." Gu Yan Sheng gave a faint smile, always so gentle.
An Nuan nodded. After bidding Xia Qiqi, she walked into the banquet hall with Gu Yan Sheng.
The handsome man and beautiful woman naturally attracted many gazes.
"An Nuan really lives up to being the number one beauty in Beiwen Nation, I thought it was just a rumor before."
"She rarely appears in public, this is my first time seeing her. I thought she wasn't as pretty as rumored and was afraid of disappointing people. Turns out I was too petty."
"I always thought An Nuan wasn't good enough for Gu Yan Sheng, but seeing them now, An Nuan seems even more remarkable."
...
Those discussions also reached An Nuan and Gu Yan Sheng's ears.
Because An Nuan rarely attended such events before, and Gu Yan Sheng was very good at presenting himself, the people of Qingcheng all felt she wasn't good enough for him.
Hearing these words now, Gu Yan Sheng was naturally very unhappy inside.
He always liked putting himself in the highest position, and couldn't stand anyone saying he wasn't good, or anyone comparing above him - An Nuan included.
But he was used to pretending, no one could tell.
The two of them walked together to Gu Yan Sheng's parents and greeted them.
An Nuan used to really think the Gu family treated her sincerely, caring for her, looking after her attentively. Later she realized it was only to gain her trust and swindle away her family assets.
She pretended her emotions and exchanged pleasantries with the Gu family.
With people coming and going in the banquet hall, and the Gu family being one of the four major families, there were many people trying to curry favor with them. Gradually An Nuan slipped away unnoticed, and the moment she left, Gu Yan Sheng didn't even notice her departure.
She used to always think it was understandable he neglected her for work, exhausting himself...
An Nuan turned and walked towards the backyard garden.
She really didn't like such lively places, and instantly felt much more relaxed in the garden. But in that moment--
"Miss An," a sudden voice startled her badly.
She turned to see a man emerge from the darkness.
He wore a black and ash grey suit, white shirt, and silvery grey tie. The unorthodox cut and colors, paired with his sharp and rugged features, gave a striking impression even with just a fleeting glance, and felt oppressive and dangerous.
An Nuan imperceptibly averted her gaze, and said, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here waiting for Miss An," Ye Jinghuai's attractive lips turned up.
Waiting for her to do what?
How did he know she was coming to the backyard?
"You're looking for me for something?" An Nuan asked indifferently.
"Give me back my card!" Ye Jinghuai said directly.
An Nuan's expression changed slightly.
She really shouldn't expect too much from this guy.
She said, "Aren't you usually very generous to women?"
"So is Miss An reminding me that you're my woman now?" Ye Jinghuai smiled evilly.
In that moment, his handsome face drew close with an overbearing aura, giving an oppressive feeling, seeming very dangerous.
An Nuan avoided him.
Ye Jinghuai laughed casually and arrogantly.
"Stallion," An Nuan said unhappily. "The card is at home. I'll return it next time!"
Having said that, she turned to leave.
Reborn into this world, her goals were very clear. She didn't plan to give herself too much leisure time, so she had to learn how to socialize too.
At that moment, she saw Gu Yan Sheng emerge from the banquet hall.
He seemed to have just noticed her absence at his side, so he came out looking for her.
Seeing her, his expression was clearly not very good. He probably took it for granted that no matter what he did, she should obediently stay by his side.
But in the next moment, he could instantly switch to being gentle and refined again. "Why did you come out alone? Not seeing you suddenly made me worry for a long time," he said gently.
"It was a bit stuffy so I came out for some air. I was just about to go back in," An Nuan said lightly.
"Let me accompany you next time," Gu Yan Sheng said intimately, pulling her into his embrace.
An Nuan felt a little uncomfortable, especially with Ye Jinghuai's gaze watching her creepily.
She couldn't describe his expression exactly, just that it gave her...a sense of guilt.
Clearly...
They only had a cooperative relationship.
Gu Yan Sheng also noticed Ye Jinghuai's gaze. He was still refined as he took the initiative to greet, "Master Ye is also here? Long time no see."
Ye Jinghuai glanced at Gu Yan Sheng but didn't shake his hand.
He walked past them arrogantly and left a sentence, "Young Master Gu's fiancee is as beautiful as a flower. You must watch over her carefully."
