Chapter 7
587 Words
Her pallor and unease were clear in his eyes, but he gave only a fleeting glance, gently swirling the crimson liquid in his glass before returning to his calm demeanor.
Huaian suddenly felt a sense of release. A few seconds ago, she had even entertained the thought that there would be no better time than now for Gu Ye Bai to walk past Lu Youyan with her, laughing and chatting, to exact some petty revenge.
But now, she didn't feel that way anymore. If Gu Ye Bai wouldn't even stoop to such petty revenge against Lu Youyan, then she was completely shut out of his heart.
Unfortunately, her usually sharp mind had misjudged this time.
She failed to see the storm brewing in the depths of Gu Ye Bai's eyes.
That darkness was enough to swallow someone whole.
Setting his glass down on the dark wood table, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, so faint and cold it was nearly imperceptible.
"Youyan," someone called out.
Youyan was momentarily taken aback, then looked to see the chief culprit approaching.
Amidst the gaze of everyone, Xu Qing walked over, accompanied by several elegantly dressed young women.
"Qing," she murmured, inwardly sighing.
"I thought you wouldn't come. After all, if you could be so harsh to someone you were once close to, I'm certainly not someone special to you," Xu Qing said coolly.
Youyan's face paled, instinctively looking towards Gu Ye Bai. He was surrounded by a few men talking, nodding lightly, with Zhou Huaian laughing brightly beside him.
"Senior Xu, aren't you going to introduce us? Who is this senior?" A curly-haired woman asked with a smile.
Xu Qing didn't respond further, just giving Youyan a brief, enigmatic look.
The air grew tense.
Youyan, noticing the silence, quickly said, "I'm Lu Youyan, nice to meet you."
"Oh, so you're Senior Lu." She hadn't heard of her before. Out of respect for Xu Qing, the curly-haired woman was about to say something polite, especially since Xu Qing was quite influential in Gu Ye Bai's circle.
This Senior Gu, not yet thirty, was already the most renowned artist in the industry. A single painting was beyond what many could achieve in a lifetime in terms of prestige and wealth, not to mention he had inherited the astonishingly large business of the Gu family, with dozens of world-famous auction houses, galleries, advertising firms, and media companies under his belt, making him the president of a multi-billion-dollar cultural enterprise.
About this person, his mentor, Professor Xia from G University, had said one thing, and only one thing:
G University would not see another Gu Ye Bai for a hundred years.
The woman with the sharp bob quietly tugged at her friend and gave a meaningful look.
The two, along with the other women, exchanged a few words with Xu Qing before stepping aside.
Their conversation was very quiet, but Youyan's ears were sharp enough to catch it.
When they were together, he used to pinch her earlobe, calling her a little dog with keen ears.
She would protest, rubbing her face against his clothes, playfully calling out, "Xiaobai, Xiaobai."
He would frown at the sound, then kiss her fiercely, of course, no one would want to share a name with some cartoon character's pet.
But at the time, she hadn't realized that, despite his apparent dislike for the nickname, he never corrected her.
Only later did she understand that it was a term of endearment, just for her, his indulgence.
- Writer
