"Really, you"re not?" Hu Xuan asked from the corner of the hall.
After Xia Rou had answered their questions, she felt there was no reason for her to continue staying there, so she excused herself to return to the main hall.
Hu Xuan chased after her. Translated by The Novelst
"Don"t worry about her. Her uncle is Yang Naicheng, not in the same circles as Uncle Cao. It"s normal for her to have tried to start something with you," he comforted.
If this guy didn"t show his perverted side, then he actually seemed like quite a gentleman when trying to coax someone.
Xia Rou had been blinded by his harmless, polite act in the past.
Then she heard him ask again, "You"re really not?"
Xia Rou couldn"t help but find him amusing. She nodded and said firmly, "Nope."
Hu Xuan was shocked for a moment, before lifting his brows, "Then the Cao Family really treats you very well." d.a.m.n, even his arm had been dislocated!
"Mn," she responded softly. "The people of the Cao Family are all very nice."
Under the lights, her brows seemed very light. When she was speaking of the Cao Family, her eyes seemed to gentle, the corner of her mouth lifting in a faint smile.
Hu Xuan felt his heart beat faster all of a sudden.
He pulled at his necktie and asked suddenly, "Xia Rou, consider being my girlfriend one more time."
Xia Rou was shocked by the sudden change in topic. Then she glared at him, "You want to get beaten up again?"
"I"m serious this time," Hu Xuan said, dead earnest.
Was this a joke?
So before, he was just being a playboy?
Xia Rou was so infuriated she was tempted to laugh.
She didn"t respond but instead looked directly behind him.
Hu Xuan found it odd. When he went to turn his head around, an arm suddenly came from behind to wrap lightly around his neck.
"Are you trying to joke with our Xiao Rou?" Cao An grinned, his teeth bared. "But I just heard from your brother that you"re planning to study abroad?"
"T-T-T-That, it"s still a few months from now? Y-Youth is very short, I shouldn"t have any regrets before I leave! Brother An!"
"Short my a.s.s! If you dare put your hands on our Xiao Rou again, believe me, I"ll cut you off!"
"I believe it! I believe it! Bro, release me, my suit"s getting all wrinkled!"
Cao An let out a tsk, releasing his hold on Hu Xuan. He pushed Hu Xuan"s head and told Xia Rou, "I had things to do and will leave first. You can find big brother when you want to leave later. I already let him know."
Xia Rou found it odd. "Is it urgent?"
Cao An took a glance at Hu Xuan"s bitter expression before saying, "One of my friends is sick. I"m going to go check up on him."
Xia Rou could tell that friend was obviously He Chengzhe.
Cao An and He Chengzhe had been so on and off. In those brief off moments they had gone through quite a few girlfriends, but there was no one but He Chengzhe that would make him so concerned.
"Alright," said Xia Rou. "Say h.e.l.lo for me."
Cao An nodded his head, patting Hu Xuan"s head before he left.
Hu Xuan grimaced in pain. "Which beauty is Brother An hooking up with this time?"
Xia Rou was speechless. "Can"t you use a better word?"
Hu Xuan responded, "Tsk! There are no other words. Of the Cao Family men, only Brother Cao Yang and Brother Cao Bin are serious. For Cao Xing and Cao An, I can only use the words hook up to explain."
Xia Rou rolled her eyes and didn"t bother with him any longer.
But she knew what he said was true.
In this huge hall, the men dressed in western styles and with leather shoes were all from wealthy families. These kinds of men rarely had any romantic affairs.
It was just that Cao Yang and Cao Bin weren"t flirty playboys like Cao Xing and Cao An.
In her past life, she had desired to remain in the wealthy circles and get married to that sort of man.
Big brother had told her back then that those people and those things, she wouldn"t be able to handle them. In the end, reality proved his words correct.
That was why back then he had chosen a normal white-collar working man for her. Though he was from the normal cla.s.s, he was still an excellent man.
He had wanted her to have a simple, peaceful life, if she were to guess.
But she hadn"t wanted his good intentions back then.
When the banquet came to an end, Xia Rou sat in Cao Yang"s car to go back home.
As for Cao Xiong and Cao Bin, she didn"t know where they went, nor did she ask about it. They all had someone to entertain.
If it wasn"t that Cao An had thrown her to Cao Yang, Cao Yang would also probably be out being social.
Xiao Yang drove the car.
Cao Yang had had a few cups. He was sitting back with his eyes closed to rest.
When he opened his eyes again, he could see Xia Rou"s profile. The planes of her face were much more gentle. Even the pointy jaw she used to have was much more tender now.
It was like she was beginning to develop the aspects of a woman.
Again she was s.p.a.cing out.
"Xiao Rou," he called her.
"Hm?" Recovering her senses, she turned her head.
Because she had needed to attend the banquet, she had put on some light makeup.
Under the dim lights she didn"t look so young any longer.
Her lips were as delicate as flower petals.
Such a feminine woman.
It was probably because of the alcohol, but there was an instant that Cao Yang felt his heart speed up like a scampering monkey and his mind ran like a galloping horse.
"Big brother?"
The girl"s soft, gentle voice woke him from his daze. He recollected his thoughts quickly.
"Hm?" Translated by The Novelst
"Did you call me just now?"
"I saw you s.p.a.cing out again," he patted her head. "You"re always doing that."
Xia Rou smiled in embarra.s.sment before turning her head back to look out the window.
She had been thinking about w.a.n.g Man ever since getting in the car.
The marriage between her and Cao Yang had not ended well. In the end they had cut their ties.
Xia Rou could see it all coming again and wanted to stop the marriage, but she also knew that this… wasn"t something she could stand in the way of easily.
The strong attraction between two outstanding people, and a strong alliance to tie two powerful families together. Standing before all that she, Xia Rou… seemed insignificant.
She couldn"t help but lower her head and sigh about her incompetence.
Even though she had rebirthed, she was just as powerless as before.
Proofread by: Hannah