Pet Ancient Husband

Chapter 3: The Banquet

By the time we had everything in order, it was already past seven. Ye Jun's car was waiting at the entrance. Perhaps understanding my personality, he had arranged for two cars. As I came out, he opened the door for me. Glancing past him, I saw Bei Bei and Ye Jie sitting in the back seat of the first car, their eyes filled with amazement. I smiled at them and handed my hand to Ye Jun. It was just a Western polite gesture, yet I caught the gleam in Ye Jun's eyes and the dimness in Ye Jie's. I dared not look back, fearing to meet Ah Yi's gaze again.

About half an hour later, the car pulled up in front of the Ye family villa in the affluent hillside district. The villa was brightly lit, and I saw socialites from all walks of life. I felt a bit at a loss; such a scene was somewhat intimidating, not out of fear but simply because I was disinclined to deal with it. The glitz and glamour completely overshadowed the warmth of the Ye family home. I had no choice but to put on my social mask again. It seemed the Ye family cared for me but didn't really understand me. I felt a sense of loss...

"Here comes our guest of honor," someone whispered, and all eyes turned towards me. Praise and congratulations enveloped me. I wanted to escape, but seventeen years of upbringing forced me to put on that perfect smile. At that moment, I felt rather pitiful. I glanced up at Ye Jun standing beside me. With a beaming smile, he introduced me to the so-called dignitaries crowding around. It dawned on me then; he didn't love me. He loved the sense of achievement my beautiful face brought him. What he wanted wasn't a wife but a piece of fancy clothing to show off, a beautiful accessory to add to his glory, and nothing more.

Music began to play, and the dignitaries around me each took their dance partners, gliding across the magnificent dance floor. Ye Jun was chatting with someone who seemed to be called President Lei, his gaze occasionally drifting towards me, and so did President Lei's. It appeared my beauty had stolen another man's heart. Bei Bei was following her mother, and I knew tonight her mother was going to select a future husband for her, so she had to play the part of a well-behaved young lady. I didn't seem to spot Ye Jie anywhere.

"Strange, where are Xiao Shuang and Ah Yi?" I muttered, puzzled that I hadn't seen them since getting out of the car. I declined a man who wanted to invite me to dance and picked up my wine glass, heading towards the lawn behind Bei Bei's house, as she had once told me it was a hidden gem. I thought I needed a place to catch my breath.

Moving away from the dazzling lights behind me, my heart gradually calmed down. I continued walking when suddenly a shrill female voice came from not far ahead. It sounded like Xiao Shuang. I was curious; what could have made the usually calm Xiao Shuang so agitated? I pushed aside the neatly trimmed hedge in front of me and saw Xiao Shuang and Ah Yi, who hadn't shown up at the banquet. Feeling a bit guilty, I squatted down. I discovered that behind the neat hedge was actually a natural cliff. From my perspective, the moon seemed to hang right above the cliff, so beautiful it seemed almost unreal. Unfortunately, Xiao Shuang's shouting spoiled the tranquility of the night. I shook my head regretfully, preparing to leave. After all, eavesdropping wasn't a glorious thing to do, and I had no interest in prying into others' privacy. As I stood up to leave, I tripped over a dead branch on the ground. I let out a cry and knelt on the lawn, the wine glass in my hand falling and shattering. My foot was cut by a shard of the glass. Having been afraid of pain since childhood, tears welled up in my eyes. I scrunched up my face, trying to stand up, but apparently, I wasn't as brave as I thought. At that moment, a pair of hands lifted me into their embrace. I looked up, "Ah Yi! I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation with Xiao Shuang. Thank you for helping me up. I can go back by myself; you two continue!" I awkwardly clutched the hem of my dress, struggling to get down from his arms, but accidentally bumped my wounded foot, causing tears to fall uncontrollably. My whole face contorted with pain.

"Don't you know how to take care of yourself? Don't you realize how much it hurts me to see you like this?" Ah Yi held me tightly in his arms, sighed, and then gently placed me back on the lawn. With a pained expression, he lifted the hem of my now slightly bloodstained white dress, took out a handkerchief, and bandaged my leg. He treated me as if I were the most precious treasure, so carefully that it made my heart ache. He lifted my face and gently kissed away the tears on my cheeks. I was either scared or touched by his tenderness, and I forgot to resist, allowing him to lightly kiss my cheek.