Lan Lan wore a peacock blue evening gown today, ordered from her usual styling studio. To match the dress, her makeup was also bright and bold, with ochre red lips and voluminous wavy hair, making her look like a great beauty from the Republic of China era.
Lan Lan met up with her colleagues, and after exchanging compliments, they went in to sign in. At the red carpet, she encountered Liang Yufeng.
Liang Yufeng was not alone; he was accompanied by a woman wearing a white evening dress, with long black hair and Japanese-style makeup, appearing petite and dependent.
There was a considerable height difference between her and Liang Yufeng, and the difference in their builds made the two of them seem more ambiguous.
Her colleagues, upon seeing this, immediately looked at Lan Lan, expecting to witness a dramatic scene. To their surprise, Lan Lan acted as if nothing had happened, holding up her skirt as she went to sign in.
Liang Yufeng, of course, saw this as well. As if to ensure Lan Lan noticed, he raised his arm and put it around the woman in his embrace.
Someone witnessing this came over to tease him. Although Liang Yufeng had many rumors surrounding him, he had never officially brought a woman to any event before. "Mr. Liang, who is this?"
"My fiancée," Liang Yufeng announced with a resounding voice, introducing Zhou Bing's identity to everyone.
"You two are truly a perfect match, talented man and beautiful woman!"
"Mr. Liang's fiancée is so beautiful, excellent taste!"
Compliments rained down, but Liang Yufeng paid them no mind. His peripheral vision was constantly directed in another direction. However, the person there showed no reaction. He withdrew his gaze, held Zhou Bing tighter, and led her into the banquet hall.
Meanwhile, Zhou Bing was still in shock from Liang Yufeng calling her his "fiancée" and hadn't quite processed it. There had been quite a few media personnel present, and with Liang Yufeng saying that, the media would surely report it extensively.
Zhou Bing couldn't help but ask him, "Mr. Liang, aren't you afraid people will misunderstand?"
Before Liang Yufeng could speak, he saw Lan Lan walking in out of the corner of his eye. He raised his hand and touched Zhou Bing's face.
Zhou Bing flinched backward in fright, only to have Liang Yufeng press down on her shoulders. He leaned in close to her and said, "Don't ask so many questions. What you need to do is cooperate with me."
Zhou Bing could only nod. Liang Yufeng's aloof demeanor chilled her to the bone.
While the people involved didn't find the scene romantic, it appeared differently to onlookers.
The moment Lan Lan stepped into the banquet hall, she saw Liang Yufeng intimately close to the woman in his arms. The woman looked like a pure and harmless little rabbit, perhaps unaccustomed to such an occasion, her innocent big eyes filled with fear. When Liang Yufeng leaned in to speak to her, her face and ears turned red with shyness.
Lan Lan smiled. Men's tastes were generally similar; such innocent, harmless, and beautiful women were always their first choice – easy to handle, easy to control, and highly cooperative.
In the end, Liang Yufeng was just a conventional man.
Lan Lan watched the two of them for a moment, like observing monkeys, then went to socialize. Her superiors had sent her to such an event not for her to watch her ex-lover flirt with his fiancée.
When Liang Yufeng saw Lan Lan turn away without a second glance, the hand resting on Zhou Bing's shoulder suddenly tightened. Zhou Bing's eyes welled up with tears from the pain, but she dared not speak out of anger, until Liang Yufeng regained his composure and released her.
"Sorry," Liang Yufeng apologized to Zhou Bing, realizing he had lost control.
Zhou Bing said, "It's okay," and subconsciously glanced in Lan Lan's direction. At that moment, Lan Lan was laughing and chatting with a man who appeared to be a distinguished gentleman.
Zhou Bing couldn't help but ask Liang Yufeng, "Aren't you going to talk to her?"
Liang Yufeng remained silent and also looked towards Lan Lan. Upon seeing the man beside her, Liang Yufeng put his hands in his pockets.
Lan Lan wasn't surprised to run into Gu Xiao at such an event. They hadn't seen each other in a long time and were chatting happily. Gu Xiao praised Lan Lan upon hearing about her promotion. Lan Lan playfully asked him, "Haven't I lived up to your cultivation back then?"
Calling it "cultivation" wasn't an exaggeration. Gu Xiao was her first boyfriend after she entered the workforce. He was also much older than her. During their relationship, Lan Lan often discussed work-related issues with him, and Gu Xiao had helped her a lot. This was also the reason they had remained in contact after their breakup.
"Have you been dating anyone recently?" After the pleasantries, Gu Xiao asked about Lan Lan's romantic life.
"No, I haven't. Why, are you planning to introduce someone to me?" Lan Lan teased.
Gu Xiao chuckled, "Saying that in front of me, I'll get hurt."
He said this, but showed no signs of being hurt. Lan Lan knew him well; it was just a joke, so she played along. Swirling her wine glass, she playfully tugged at his tie, "How about it, Mr. Gu, would you be willing to compromise and get back together with me?"
"That wouldn't be compromising," Gu Xiao said. "It would be a great thing."
"Forget it, I can't chew on old grass," Lan Lan said, feeling bored, and retreated.
Gu Xiao looked towards Liang Yufeng in the distance. He was entertaining guests, with his arm around the woman beside him.
Over the past two years, Gu Xiao had heard bits and pieces about Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng and was surprised their relationship had lasted so long.
When news broke this morning about Liang Yufeng being with another woman, Gu Xiao instinctively thought it was Lan Lan. Upon opening the news, he saw a different woman.
After a while, Gu Xiao asked Lan Lan, "When did you two end things?"
Without needing to mention a name, Lan Lan knew who he was referring to. She didn't hide anything from Gu Xiao, "Strictly speaking, last night."
Gu Xiao understood. "He cheated?"
"Not really," Lan Lan said casually, showing no sign of being wronged. "He and I were just friends with benefits, only our arrangement lasted longer than most. We agreed from the start that it wouldn't affect us finding boyfriends or girlfriends."
"Then why haven't you found anyone?" Gu Xiao asked. "Being single for so long isn't like you."
"I've been busy with work," Lan Lan replied. "I used my dating time to get promoted and earn more money."
Gu Xiao laughed. That answer was very much like her. However...
"Do you really not like him?" Gu Xiao gestured towards Liang Yufeng.
Lan Lan readily said, "I do like him, but not in the way you might think."
She had never denied her liking for Liang Yufeng, but others always assumed that liking someone meant marrying them and staying together forever. She, however, felt that liking someone was just that – liking them. It was her feeling, and it had little to do with Liang Yufeng himself.
Gu Xiao was perhaps one of the few who understood Lan Lan. They chatted for a long time, and arranged to walk their dogs in the park together the next day.
Halfway through the banquet, Lan Lan went to the restroom to touch up her makeup. Just as she finished applying her lipstick, she saw Liang Yufeng's reflection in the mirror.
She closed her lipstick, pursed her lips, and smiled at him. Without turning around, she met his gaze in the mirror and even offered her congratulations, "Your fiancée is very beautiful. Congratulations."
Then, she saw the dark, brooding look in Liang Yufeng's eyes.
What was wrong with this man? She congratulated him, and he still had a sour expression. Wasn't he smiling happily with his fiancée just a moment ago?