Miss Bai Qianqian, dressed in a white linen dress, stood out conspicuously in the opulent banquet hall.
Even Song Ying was wearing a designer cocktail dress, chosen for her by Shi Li.
Song Ying had gentle features, and the soft white color accentuated her graceful demeanor.
The Second Young Master Fu knew his girlfriend wasn't favored by his parents, but he didn't care about such matters.
The last time he brought his girlfriend home before the New Year, he was naive but not stupid (though the Fu family might disagree).
He could tell his parents didn't like Qianqian, but the Second Young Master Fu believed they had misunderstood her.
Despite being past the age where love alone could sustain them, they still clung to such notions.
Having grown up in luxury, he had no concept of the daily struggles of ordinary life, where financial stability was crucial.
Shi Li's uncle had fallen out with his family over a woman. After three years of estrangement, he sheepishly returned home with his wife and stepdaughter.
This incident had made Shi Li's uncle the laughingstock of their social circle.
As Shi Li's father once said, "If he could make something of himself out there without the family's help, I'd respect him as a real man."
People mocked Shi Li's uncle because he lacked self-awareness.
The Second Young Master Fu, however, held a different opinion from his parents and others. He thought Shi Li's uncle was truly admirable.
If leaving one's family meant being with the woman you love, then so be it.
This was the advantage of being an only child - all the family wealth would be his. Unlike families with multiple children who would fight over inheritance, he didn't have to worry about such matters, no matter what he did.
The favored ones always acted with impunity.
He was really something else. Mr. and Mrs. Fu hadn't kicked him out for the sake of his health, yet he was considering leaving his family to be with his girlfriend.
He figured he could return home after a few years. After all, he was their biological son - how could his parents refuse him?
Unlike Shi Li's uncle, who had two older brothers and was dispensable to his family, he was the only son.
As long as he wanted to come back, his parents wouldn't be able to let him go.
Raising him was worse than raising roast pork. Even a dog knows who its master is, who raised it, and would guard the house instead of running off with strangers.
Yet here he was, already thinking about whether he could return home after leaving his family.
To be fair, his parents bore much of the responsibility for the Second Young Master Fu's current foolishness.
He had an older brother who was a prodigy from a young age, with exceptional intelligence and emotional quotient. The elder son had entered a top university's gifted program at a tender age, becoming the family's pride.
He was the child other parents in their circle spoke of, though they all concluded their praise with the same regretful tone: "What a pity about that child."
When he was just a teenager, he was on his way home from buying flowers for Madam Fu when he saw a four-year-old girl fall into a river. With no bodyguard or bystanders around, he jumped in to save her. By the time the bodyguard found them, there were only two cold bodies in the river.
Having lost their pride and joy, the couple became overly indulgent with their younger son, who was still a toddler at the time.
Children shouldn't be spoiled excessively, and as a result, the Second Young Master Fu was thoroughly ruined, becoming a true "second young master" in every sense.
The Second Young Master Fu's idea of "leaving the family" was still just a notion in his mind, not yet put into action.
When his parents invited him to attend a charity gala, being the lovesick fool he was, he naturally asked if he could bring his girlfriend.
Although Mr. and Mrs. Fu were displeased, they didn't object.
Lack of objection was taken as consent.
The Second Young Master Fu saw this as a milestone in his relationship with Qianqian. He believed his parents must have been moved by their love and that it wouldn't be long before he could marry his beloved Qianqian.
Excited, he shared the good news with Qianqian. Coming from a poor background, she had probably never attended a charity gala before. This would be a great opportunity to show her a glimpse of high society.
Qianqian indeed seemed very pleased.
Her happiness made him happy.
Knowing Qianqian was shy, when the Second Young Master Fu spotted a familiar face at the gala, he enthusiastically rushed over.
"Little Shi Li, you're here to play too!"
The Second Young Master Fu grinned, his foolishness palpable even from a distance.
Shi Li instructed Song Ying, "Stay close to me, don't get lost."
[Although she knew it was unlikely for Bai Qianqian to directly abduct young girls in such a setting, she couldn't help but imagine scenes of her trafficking women and children.]
Classmates: ...So, she really is in that line of work? We didn't misunderstand Shi Li's meaning.
Fu Huixing: ...
Hearing this, Song Ying firmly grasped Shi Li's hand. "Sister, I'll stay close to you. I won't wander off."
She had just found her birth mother and didn't want to be kidnapped to northern Myanmar. She'd heard it was a terrible place.
At the same moment the Second Young Master Fu spotted Shi Li, Bai Qianqian also caught sight of the beautiful face she had been longing to see.
Shi Li had a pretty face. If she could be sent abroad, it would mean a hefty sum of money.
The problem was that this girl rarely went out, and her family was influential. Trying to abduct her would be no simple task.
Although it could bring high returns, it also came with extreme difficulty and risk.
Seeing beautiful girls always made her fingers itch, as she had been in this business for many years. But Bai Qianqian knew she couldn't make a move on Shi Li.
While she couldn't act on Shi Li, it didn't stop her from being "moved" by her.
When Bai Qianqian noticed the girl beside Shi Li, her eyes lit up.
This girl was perfect!
She was beautiful, but not as eye-catching as Shi Li.
What pleased Bai Qianqian most was that, judging by her appearance, this girl seemed docile!
Docility meant she would be easier to capture and, in the future, easier to train.
The more she looked, the more satisfied she became.
She just wondered about the girl's family background. If she kidnapped her, would the family use their connections to search for her?
If it risked exposing her, she wouldn't do it.
Although she was more interested in the unfamiliar girl beside Shi Li, Bai Qianqian was patient. She decided to greet Shi Li, whom she knew, first.
"What a coincidence to run into you here, little sister Shi Li."
[What a coincidence indeed]
Miss Bai Qianqian let go of her boyfriend's hand and grasped Shi Li's other arm. "Every time I invited you out before, you said you were busy. Now I've finally caught you!"
Classmates: Oh no! Shi Li is in danger!
