RITM - 40

The Bianchi exhibition was being held on the first floor of a luxury shopping mall. Even before their car reached the mall, it was already caught in a sea of vehicles all heading to the event. Inside the mall, the temporary fashion pavilion was surrounded by throngs of people, three layers deep. Luo Wei squeezed through the crowd, presented her invitation, and was finally ushered into a relatively spacious and quiet area. Photographers with professional DSLR cameras snapped away, the clicking growing faster and louder. In the exhibition hall, only polite applause could be heard, but from the second-floor balcony overlooking the scene came the excited screams of fans. Luo Wei turned toward the direction of the flashing ring lights and saw a man and woman walking onto the stage under the protection of security guards. The woman was about 170 cm tall, with large curls cascading over her shoulders, stunningly beautiful enough to take one’s breath away. She was accompanied by a refined-looking man, and they chatted and laughed together. It took Luo Wei at least four or five seconds to realize that this was Shen Yali, the global ambassador for Bianchi and an acclaimed actress, along with her famous architect husband, Dante.

Next, the host, senior executives from Bianchi, and Shen Yali interacted, introducing the brand’s new and classic jewelry collections, followed by the ceremonial ribbon-cutting for the opening. Half an hour later, they gradually left the stage. As Luo Wei stared intently at Shen Yali’s retreating figure, an idea about brand endorsements popped into her mind, but she quickly dismissed it as none of her business. Just then, she noticed a man in the front row turn around and glance at her. She recognized him—Xie Xiuchen, also known as Mr. Xie. He seemed startled at first, then fully turned around, pleasantly surprised: “Miss Luo Wei, truly, life is full of unexpected encounters.”

“Mr. Xie, it’s been a long time.” Luo Wei responded with a bright smile. Perhaps because she bore a resemblance to his sister, he found her very approachable, and every time he looked at her, his eyes sparkled.

“I didn’t expect you to attend this exhibition. Are you here because you like Bianchi, or do you enjoy collecting fine jewelry art?”

“I like both, especially Bianchi.”

Xie Xiuchen chuckled with interest: “Oh? Why do you like Bianchi?”

“When Hollywood was still making black-and-white films, its colorful snake-shaped jewelry was already dazzling. Countless Hollywood actresses competed to endorse it—such charm is irresistible to most women. Today’s new collection features brilliant-cut diamonds, a 70-carat cabochon sapphire, and even Byzantine-era coins—all incredibly captivating to me.”

“No wonder you’re a designer; your answers always carry depth. They just introduced several pieces of jewelry—” he pointed to the jewelry display brochure in her hand, “is there any particular piece you’re dying to buy?”

“I love every single one—it’s giving me decision paralysis. Imagine driving a sports car through the streets of Gongzhou while wearing these jewels—it would be absolutely cool. Today, I’ve already bought my sunglasses and keychains; I just need the sports car and Bianchi now.”

Xie Xiuchen laughed aloud: “Miss Luo, you’re truly witty.”

“And why are you here, Mr. Xie?”

“My sister dragged me here. But she went off somewhere else with her boyfriend just now…”

He glanced around but didn’t spot Xie Xinqi, who was quietly watching them from a corner. Instead, he noticed a friend who dealt in antiques. After chatting for a while, the antique dealer pointed to the stage. Against the backdrop of Bianchi’s logo-emblazoned black cloth, photographers were capturing models dressed in Native American and ancient Egyptian styles. Once the models left, the antique dealer wanted to pull Xie Xiuchen and their elegant female collaborators into a photo. Xie Xiuchen stepped forward gracefully, lightly holding the edge of his handbag, striking relaxed and natural poses while journalists snapped numerous photos. Luo Wei thought to herself, This is what makes him a true socialite heir. If it were He Yingze, he’d have called the bodyguards to chase the reporters away by now.

At this moment, a photographer turned his lens toward Luo Wei. Thinking she was in the way, she stepped back. The photographer followed her. Realizing she was likely mistaken for Xie Xinqi again, she continued to avoid the camera. Xie Xiuchen waved at her, signaling for her to join the photo. Seeing her hesitation, he walked over to pull her up… But appearing in the media would be too dangerous. Just as she was thinking of a way to decline, a figure suddenly stepped between her and the camera.

The luxurious scent of perfume wafted through the air. Xie Xinqi, playing with her hair, appeared in a diamond-embroidered white dress paired with a ruby necklace of her own design—she would look perfectly at home on the cover of any fashion magazine. Only then did the photographer realize he had been aiming at the wrong person and began furiously snapping photos of her instead. She clung to Xie Xiuchen’s arm, casting a faintly hostile smile at Luo Wei before walking to the stage to take photos with her brother, looking as intimate as a celebrity couple. Luo Wei sighed in relief, grabbed two slices of cake from a waiter to calm her nerves, but upon turning around, she spotted two familiar faces—Su Jiannian and Xiao Lajiao.

Su Jiannian’s face registered shock, then his brows furrowed. When Xiao Lajiao saw Luo Wei, her shriek drew the attention of passersby. Luo Wei rushed over to cover her mouth and quickly explained the reasons behind her mysterious disappearance, emphasizing that she wasn’t safe right now and urging them to keep their distance.

“Luo Wei, you clearly don’t think of us as friends!” Xiao Lajiao wasn’t buying it. She grabbed Luo Wei’s face and shook it vigorously. “You’re in such a bad situation, and yet you want us to keep our distance? How have you been surviving this past year? Who have you been with?”

“Don’t worry, I’m very safe.”

Su Jiannian, who had been silent until now, finally spoke: “Yufei, you shouldn’t be so naive—you didn’t even catch the meaning behind her words. She has someone backing her now; she doesn’t need to stay in touch with us anymore.”

“Jian Nian, that’s not what I meant at all…”

Before Luo Wei could finish her sentence, Xie Xinqi, who had just finished taking photos, walked over with a glass of champagne in hand. The two women faced each other once again, like mirrors reflecting one another. Su Jiannian pulled Xie Xinqi forward slightly: “Luo Wei, let me reintroduce you—this is my girlfriend, Xie Xinqi.”

Luo Wei blinked. So, the boyfriend Xie Xiuchen mentioned earlier was actually Su Jiannian? What on earth was going on?

Xie Xinqi waved her hand dismissively: “Luo Wei and I already know each other; no need for introductions. I don’t know why, but whenever I see a girl I like, I can’t help but talk to her more. That’s why I always feel thirsty at times like this. Hey Jian Nian, why don’t you go get me some water and wait for me over there?” She tilted her chin toward a direction.

“He’s a good man.” Once he was out of earshot, Xie Xinqi sipped her drink while casually studying Luo Wei’s expression. “During the time we’ve been together, he’s taken such meticulous care of me… I wonder if he was always like this before?”

“Su Jiannian has always been a good person, but he must treat you exceptionally well.”

“Luo Wei, I think we’re quite similar. Why did you enter this line of work? Is it because you also like shiny things?”

Luo Wei’s eyes sparkled like gemstones: “You think so too? I’ve loved shiny things since I was little—I used to collect marbles and rhinestones…”

At this, Xie Xinqi abruptly placed her glass on the table, splashing some champagne. “Excuse me, I have something urgent to attend to,” she said, excusing herself.

Xie Xinqi pushed her chair back and walked away in her high heels. But after taking a few steps, she turned back with a smile, adjusted her earrings at the table, and picked up a glass of red wine. Her walk exuded confidence, much like Tyra Banks’ final strut on the Victoria’s Secret runway. Everyone here knew her, and nearly everyone made way for her as she approached. Only the waitstaff approached her respectfully, presenting her with a fresh tray of appetizers. She paused, picking up a piece of salmon sashimi and a spring roll filled with red wine onions, popping them into her mouth. Before she had even finished chewing, she stopped in front of Su Jiannian. Turning around, she pointed in Luo Wei’s direction, her face plastered with a wide grin, and then flung the red wine in her hand directly onto his face.

The surrounding crowd gasped involuntarily. The atmosphere froze instantly, as tense as a morgue lit by flickering candles. Finally, Xie Xinqi swallowed the food in her mouth. She handed the wineglass to a waiter, turned back to face Su Jiannian, and pulled a marble—a child’s toy—from her evening bag, hurling it at his face. Su Jiannian lowered his head, letting the deep red droplets fall from his hair and chin. After about three or four seconds, he accepted a tissue offered by someone nearby and wiped the wine from his face. The staff rushed over to help. Xie Xiuchen, visibly angered, began reprimanding Xie Xinqi. She appeared indifferent, maintaining her earlier stance, insisting that Su Jiannian leave. When Xie Xiuchen tried to intervene and grab her hand, he only provoked her further. She yanked her arm away, angrier than him.

Throughout all this, Su Jiannian remained silent. After drying his face and casually brushing off his stained clothes, he tossed the tissue aside and strode over to Luo Wei. His voice was icy: “Luo Wei, you’re insatiable. You were the one who rejected me, and now that you see me with Xinqi, you’re unhappy, aren’t you?”

“She only came over to talk about our shared interests—I told her I liked shiny things, nothing else.”

“Xinqi is an excellent girl, and I love her. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Then that’s great. I hope it stays that way.” Though Luo Wei was somewhat displeased, she didn’t want to escalate the tension further. “Seeing how happy you are now, I’m genuinely happy for you. After all, it’s been over a year since we last saw each other.”

He looked no different from usual, his speech neither hurried nor slow, but his tone sent chills down her spine: “Exactly. It’s been over a year. Do you really think I still have feelings for you? Don’t joke around. As if I didn’t know—you’ve spent this whole year with He Yingze, using all your time to sleep with him. Did you really have the energy to think about me?”

At his final words, Luo Wei felt her blood boil, but she didn’t want to lose face in this setting. She grabbed a napkin from the table and threw it at him: “Stop humiliating me!”

At this moment, Xie Xinqi walked over, sneering: “Miss Luo, please don’t lecture my man on my behalf.”

Luo Wei found this baffling. To this loving couple, she was nothing more than a passerby. Yet she was being treated like this—it was utterly unfair. But anger wouldn’t solve anything. She mentally calculated how to defuse the awkwardness. Xie Xinqi pointed toward the exit and said to Su Jiannian: “Now, Su Jiannian, I’ll give you one last chance. Go outside and wait for me. Once I’m done with tonight’s event, I’ll come out and talk to you. Otherwise, you’ll never see me again in your life.”

Her tone was domineering, but the arrogance and defiance in her demeanor weakened almost instantly when she caught sight of Xie Xiuchen approaching. He stepped between them, blocking Xie Xinqi, and apologized to Luo Wei: “I’m very sorry, Miss Luo, for dragging you into this unrelated trouble. My sister is rather willful. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”

Xie Xinqi glanced at her brother. The look in his eyes as he gazed at Luo Wei was one she hadn’t seen in over a year—a mix of tolerance, apology, and protectiveness. Clutching her champagne glass tightly, she felt her blood pressure rising, her high-heeled feet struggling to stay steady. She quickly moved back between Xie Xiuchen and Luo Wei, not wanting her brother to look at Luo Wei any longer. If her earlier attitude had been one of arrogance, it now shifted to anger and hurt, her tone growing agitated: “Willful? Why don’t you ask them who started being willful first! Brother, stop treating me like I’m unreasonable all the time, okay?”

Xie Xiuchen ignored Xie Xinqi’s aggression and moved to steady Luo Wei, who was nearly knocked over by Xie Xinqi. However, this protective gesture didn’t make Luo Wei feel any better. Instinctively, she shifted her body slightly, trying to avoid his hand: “Stop talking to me—just focus on your own matters.” But Xie Xinqi turned around and splashed the cold champagne onto Luo Wei’s face!

Luo Wei looked down at her soaked clothes, her expression one of utter astonishment.

“Luo Wei, who do you think you are? Don’t talk to my brother like that!” Xie Xinqi stood firmly in front of Xie Xiuchen, her tone sharper than before, resembling a lioness fiercely guarding her den. She waved the champagne glass in front of Luo Wei: “You should know, I didn’t throw red wine at you—that’s already giving you face.”

“Xie Xinqi!” Xie Xiuchen scolded angrily, quickly pulling out the blue square handkerchief from his chest pocket to wipe Luo Wei’s face. “Miss Luo, I’m truly sorry. My sister is utterly lacking in manners.”

“Brother, I was only defending you…”

Xie Xiuchen spoke with unusual severity: “It seems we’ve truly spoiled you. Now you’re acting so arrogant and domineering toward everyone you meet! Apologize to Luo Wei immediately, and you’re grounded for a week when we get home!”

Xie Xinqi was stunned. Her brother had always been so gentle and kind-hearted—she could count the number of times he’d gotten angry on two hands throughout her entire life. And yet now, here he was, furious with her because of a stranger… She stammered, unable to form a single word for several moments.

“Apologize to her!”