Lingering On and On

Chapter 11： First Encounter with Embarrassment

After approximately a dozen minutes or so, the car finally left the bustling downtown area. Not long after that, what came into Tong Yuling's view were a series of unique street lamps that were as bright as daylight. Amidst the play of light and shadow, magnificent and beautiful villas emerged one after another. These villas were all of the same size in terms of the area they occupied and were two-story structures, exuding a rich European charm.

Long Che, out of the corner of his eye, caught a glimpse of Tong Yuling and suddenly asked, "Is this the first time you've seen villas like these?"

Tong Yuling quickly turned her head and admitted it without hesitation.

"Do you wish to own one?" Long Che inquired further, his gaze still fixed straight ahead.

Of course she did. Who wouldn't? However, Tong Yuling chose to keep her thoughts to herself.

Seeing her silence, Long Che continued, "How old are you this year?"

Tong Yuling was taken aback for a moment before replying, "Twenty-four years old."

"Is your boyfriend really studying in the UK?"

This time, instead of answering, Tong Yuling changed the subject and said, "By the way, when we arrive at the banquet venue later, what should I do?"

Long Che was momentarily stunned. After a few seconds, he said, "Just talk less and smile more. Also, you know how to dance, right?"

Tong Yuling nodded. Back in her school days, she had learned some dancing in her free time at the urging of her roommates.

"Besides, you can call me by my name tonight."

"Your name? Long Che?"

"Che!" His magnetic voice carried a tinge of annoyance.

Tong Yuling paused briefly and then tentatively called out softly, "Che... Che..."

Hearing that soft, almost involuntary murmur, Long Che's thin lips curled up slightly. His eyes once again shifted to the rearview mirror inside the car, and he stared thoughtfully at that exquisitely beautiful and refined face.

Tong Yuling then fell silent again and resumed admiring the scenery along the way. Soon, the car slowly pulled into one of the villas.

As soon as the car came to a halt, two men in uniforms promptly approached and opened the doors on both sides with an extremely respectful demeanor.

Long Che got out first and walked around to the other side of the car to assist Tong Yuling.

Just as her feet firmly touched the ground and before Tong Yuling had a chance to look around, she heard a commotion behind her. She saw two pairs of good-looking men and women strolling over casually and stopping in front of her and Long Che.

"Che, you're finally here!" Zhang Shaoqi playfully punched Long Che on the shoulder and then looked at Tong Yuling, his eyes filled with surprise, amazement, and admiration.

The others were no different. Especially Li Jun, his long and slender phoenix eyes were fixed on Tong Yuling without blinking. He whistled and teased, "Che, you're something. Having such a stunner and still asking us to find you a female companion. You're clearly pulling our legs!"

"Who is this lady? I've never seen her before." Li Jun's female companion looked at Tong Yuling with a mixture of envy and confusion.

Zhang Shaoqi's girlfriend, ELLA, said in a slightly displeased tone, "Ah Che, are you secretly keeping a woman from Jiawen?"

With their incessant chatter, Long Che suddenly felt irritated and couldn't help but explain, "Stop making a fuss. She's just my female companion for tonight."

"Is it really that simple? Are you afraid that I'll tell Jiawen? Since you have the guts to bring her out, don't be afraid of others knowing!" ELLA narrowed her eyes, clearly not believing his words. This also showed that she had a good relationship with Cheng Jiawen.

Realizing that Long Che's expression had changed a bit and seeing Tong Yuling's obvious embarrassment and discomfort, Zhang Shaoqi quickly stopped his girlfriend, "Don't talk nonsense. Don't we all know that Che is devoted to Jiawen? How could he secretly keep a woman? Since Jiawen didn't have time to come back, he had to find a female companion."

"Yes, and this lady doesn't seem like that kind of person." Li Jun's female companion, Cindy, chimed in. Her attention returned to Tong Yuling, and she asked casually, "What's your name?"

Tong Yuling first glanced at Long Che and then replied, "My surname is Tong, and my name is Yuling."

"Tong Yuling, that's a nice name." ELLA still sounded hostile. "Which group is your father from? Has the company gone public? Where did you graduate from? The UK or the US?"

Tong Yuling was left speechless and lowered her head shyly.

Just then, a man who looked like a servant walked up to Long Che and said respectfully, "Young Master Sun, the old lady has been waiting for you for a long time. Please follow me into the house."

Long Che took Tong Yuling's hand, nodded to Zhang Shaoqi and Li Jun respectively, and quickly left.

Watching Tong Yuling's beautiful figure, ELLA said scornfully, "What kind of taste does Ah Che have? To know a woman like this."

"Although her dress tonight is elegant and refined, I still feel that she's not from our circle. When you asked her those questions just now, her face changed." Cindy was simply stating the facts.

"The reason she didn't say anything must be that she's of low birth and couldn't answer."

"ELLA, how can you be like this? Anyway, she's the woman Che brought back. You should show some respect for Che." Zhang Shaoqi was a bit annoyed.

Seeing that he had spoken up for Tong Yuling several times, ELLA couldn't help but throw a tantrum, "Then what do you mean? Ah Che didn't say anything. Why are you so worked up? Don't tell me you've taken a liking to her."

"That's absurd!" Zhang Shaoqi was slightly angry.

Li Jun and Cindy quickly intervened, "Both of you, stop arguing. Tonight is Old Lady Qiu's birthday. We can't spoil the atmosphere over a trifle. Didn't Che say that she's just a temporary female companion? After tomorrow, they'll go their separate ways. Why should we let our feelings be hurt over an unrelated person?"

ELLA was still fuming, staring at Tong Yuling's slowly receding figure. Her shiny black eyes, filled with contempt, seemed to hold a hint of malice and calculation.

As they walked towards the house, Tong Yuling felt a bit uneasy. She was not used to such situations and the scrutiny from these strangers. Long Che, on the other hand, seemed preoccupied. He knew that bringing Tong Yuling here might cause some waves, but he didn't expect ELLA to be so aggressive.

Inside the villa, the atmosphere was lively yet filled with an undercurrent of tension. The guests were chatting and laughing, but Tong Yuling could sense that some eyes were still on her. She tried to compose herself and followed Long Che's lead. Long Che, sensing her discomfort, squeezed her hand gently, as if to offer some reassurance.

However, ELLA's words still lingered in the air. Tong Yuling wondered what kind of person this Cheng Jiawen was and what kind of relationship Long Che had with her. She also knew that she had to be careful in this unfamiliar and somewhat hostile environment. For now, she could only rely on Long Che and hope that the night would pass without too many more awkward moments.