The private room was boisterous and chaotic, the lights dim and vibrant, the music deafening, and the air thick with the mingled scent of alcohol and smoke, creating a decadent atmosphere.
"Miss Xia, why are you only just arriving? You've made us wait so long—"
Xiao Yansheng had a booming voice and had been watching the door. He spotted Xia Qiong the moment she entered, and his exclamation drew most people's attention.
"You're good, kid, you actually managed to invite Xia Qiong over," someone quipped.
Xia Qiong, born into a scholarly family, was gentle and quiet, with charming dimples when she smiled. She was dressed simply and artistically, an incongruous presence amidst the opulent indulgence of the setting.
Xiao Yansheng quickly beckoned Xia Qiong to come closer.
He had truly thrown all pretense aside for his brother.
Everyone in their circle knew that Sang Fan had been smitten with Xia Qiong half a year ago. It was genuine love at first sight, astonishing many to the point of gaping.
Truth be told, Xia Qiong was quite attractive, and her social circle was clean, making her a world apart from Sang Fan.
Once, someone impudent enough to tease Xia Qiong had run into this "living Yama" – and it had been an unstoppable disaster. The offender was beaten into the hospital, confined for three months. From then on, Xia Qiong's name spread throughout their circle, indelibly marked with Sang Fan's possessive tag; no one dared to touch her.
Only Xiao Yansheng knew that Xia Qiong actually had someone she liked. Coincidentally, that person was a newly powerful figure in recent years, a self-made billionaire who had climbed his way up step by step. Rumor had it he had the Shen family as his backing, making him untouchable. And this man, inexplicably, had fallen for the Shen family's only daughter, a sickly, short-lived girl.
This was practically slapping Sang Fan in the face; his "white moonlight" was worthless in another man's eyes, not even comparable to a firefly.
This melodramatic love quadrangle was more exciting than any novel!
Thus, Xiao Yansheng concocted a terrible plan: get Sang Fan to seduce the Shen family's sickly girl and teach that boy a lesson!
The so-called "dog-headed strategist" Xiao Yansheng plotted like this: the Shen family's sickly girl rarely left home, spending her days in the hospital, surely lonely and bored. At this point, Sang Fan should proactively add Shen Yue's WeChat. A girl unsullied by the harsh realities of society could likely be swayed with a few sweet words, only to be cruelly discarded once she was caught. It was a case of "using his own methods against him."
Only a dog-headed strategist like Xiao Yansheng could come up with such a despicable, idiotic idea.
After exerting Herculean efforts, he managed to get the Shen family's sickly girl's WeChat, and then meticulously briefed Sang Fan, emphasizing every detail.
He truly worried himself sick over his good brother, moving himself to tears.
Even inviting Xia Qiong here today had taken considerable effort.
Xiao Yansheng was quite cunning, deliberately arranging Sang Fan in a quieter corner to create a more intimate atmosphere.
Xia Qiong had been quite normal until she saw the man lounging lazily against the sofa. Her heart jolted, and she instinctively took a step back. "Sang Fan?"
Her soft voice trembled slightly, filled with nervousness and uncertainty, her body tensing unconsciously.
Sang Fan indifferently took a drag from the cigarette between his fingers. Hearing the voice, he slightly raised his gaze, too lazy to open his eyelids fully. His well-defined fingers held a cigarette, and he wore only a plain black short-sleeved shirt, his strong muscles hinting at immense power.
A single glance from him was enough to make those who had been eager to watch the spectacle immediately avert their eyes. Even the murmur of discussion quieted down.
Xia Qiong probably guessed Xiao Yansheng's true intentions and frowned. She dared not meet Sang Fan's gaze and instead spoke to Xiao Yansheng, "I..."
Before she could even utter a complete sentence, Xiao Yansheng immediately interrupted, "Sit here for a bit. Don't be so scared. Old Sang won't eat you."
As he spoke, he subtly reached out and pushed Xia Qiong closer. Through the dim light, her eyes met the man's, and she felt an inexplicable suffocation. She was truly afraid of this man; the overwhelming sense of pressure almost made her gasp for air.
This time, Xia Qiong's stance was firm. She dodged Xiao Yansheng's hand and retreated several steps, widening the distance. "I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well today, so I'll be leaving now."
Xiao Yansheng frantically signaled Sang Fan with his eyes, urging him to say something, lest the girl escape. It would be difficult to invite her again next time.
Sang Fan wasn't blind; he understood Xiao Yansheng's twitching eyes. After a moment's hesitation, his voice deep and resonant, he asked, "Shall I take you?"
Xia Qiong refused without a second thought, ignoring Xiao Yansheng's pleas and everyone else's feelings. She turned and left as if fleeing a plague.
Xiao Yansheng's expression soured. He cursed inwardly, *What nerve! If it weren't for Old Sang, I wouldn't even glance at this kind of person. Dammit, acting all high and mighty, but how come she didn't act that way when she took my help back then?*
He only dared to curse internally; Xiao Yansheng wouldn't show it.
Old Sang was good in every way, except his taste in women was questionable. Perhaps the car accident had rattled his brain.
Xiao Yansheng sighed and sat down next to Sang Fan, starting to persuade him again. "Old Sang, no offense, but you can have any woman you want. Why insist on hanging yourself on one tree?"
Sang Fan shot him a look, and Xiao Yansheng immediately threw up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, consider everything I just said as if it were never spoken. Look at you, you like her, but you're not proactive. That was such a good opportunity just now, a chance to show your gentle and considerate side. Besides, it's not safe for a girl to go home alone!"
Sang Fan looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"I think she rejected me."
Xiao Yansheng cried out, clutching his head. "Brother, just because she rejected you doesn't mean you stop offering! Can't you have a little emotional intelligence? Women need to be coaxed. Often, a woman's rejection isn't a literal one; who knows, she might want you to be more persistent!"
Sang Fan didn't seem to be listening intently. He lit another cigarette, letting it dangle from his lips, finding it all rather pointless.
His phone, resting on the glass coffee table, vibrated twice. Sang Fan picked it up and looked.
Shen Yue: Had it.
Xiao Yansheng leaned in curiously, and upon seeing the WeChat contact name, he asked in surprise, "You still haven't won Shen Yue over?"
Sang Fan ignored him. Xiao Yansheng glanced at the chat history and his eyes widened in disbelief. "Old Sang, you can chat! You're quite good at finding topics. Why did you freeze up in front of Xia Qiong?"
His tone even included vocalizations like: "So cute!"
"So cute" is just "so cute."
What is "So cute!"?
He even used cute, animated emojis. It was sickeningly sweet. Just thinking that this came from Sang Fan gave Xiao Yansheng goosebumps all over.
It was too terrifying.
Utterly terrifying.