Click, click...
The short hundred-meter red carpet was constantly bathed in flashing lights, blinding Yang Chen.
Yang Chen walked the red carpet with his eyes mostly squinted shut. Only then did he understand why celebrities wore sunglasses at night during award ceremonies.
After walking the red carpet and reaching the hotel entrance, he saw Zhang Hongjie at the end of the red carpet glaring at him. He cautiously asked, "Miss Chu, I just mistook Young Master Zhang for a waiter and almost gave him a tip. Did I offend him?"
*Pfft!*
"You actually mistook the young master of the Zhang family for a waiter. You're something else!"
Chu Xiang burst into laughter before saying, "You walked the red carpet with me. Even if you didn't give him a tip, he already hates you."
"Ah... I understand."
"Understand what?"
"He's your sycophant."
"You think you know everything!"
Chu Xiang's face flushed, and she playfully threatened, "Zhang Hongjie is the eldest grandson of the Zhang family, one of the five major families in Shenzhen. If you offend him, you'd better try to appease me quickly. Otherwise, if he seeks revenge, I won't intercede for you!"
Five major families?
Such explosive news. It seemed that the 3% commission wasn't that easy to earn!
Seeing Yang Chen's bitter expression, Chu Xiang chuckled and said, "Just teasing you. You're mine, and Zhang Hongjie wouldn't dare to touch you even if he had a hundred guts. Come on, let's go inside."
As the two entered the venue, a glamorous woman in a light green strapless dress walked towards them.
Chu Xiang frowned, her displeasure evident. "Why do I see her everywhere? I really can't stand her!"
"Who is she?"
"Meng Wanting, Zhang Hongjie's lackey."
"Oh!"
Yang Chen immediately understood. This was just like many boring romance novels. Meng Wanting liked Zhang Hongjie, Zhang Hongjie fawned over Chu Xiang, and then Meng Wanting came to hate Chu Xiang.
"Chu Xiang, your presence here tonight is in vain!"
Meng Wanting stood in front of Chu Xiang, her arms crossed, and said imperiously, "Whatever you fancy tonight, I'll bid one more yuan than you. You won't take a single item away!"
"Hmph, such a big boast!"
Chu Xiang snorted, retorting, "You'd better count how many coins you have in your pocket. Don't end up failing to pay after winning a bid and embarrassing yourself!"
"...You!"
Meng Wanting, unable to win an argument with Chu Xiang, focused on the ice-green phoenix-patterned bracelet on her wrist and sneered, "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. While I, Meng Wanting, may not be extremely wealthy, I certainly wouldn't walk around wearing a fake jade bracelet!"
"Who said this is fake..."
Chu Xiang was about to retort when Yang Chen interrupted her, staring at Meng Wanting and asking, "How do you know this jade bracelet is fake?"
That's right!
The jade bracelet was switched by the assistant. She had only just found out. How did Meng Wanting know?
"You instigated Li Sen to switch my jade bracelet!"
Meng Wanting was stunned, her eyes wide with surprise. "You found out?"
"So it really was you who instructed him."
Chu Xiang said indignantly, "Meng Wanting, your methods are too despicable!"
"I'm not as despicable as you!"
Meng Wanting showed no shame, instead adopting a victim's tone. "You knew I liked Hongjie, and yet you still fought with me for him. You're more despicable and shameless than I am!"
"Who's fighting with you? I've never liked Hongjie from beginning to end!"
Chu Xiang covered her forehead, feeling a headache, and waved her hand helplessly.
"Forget it, I can't reason with a lunatic like you."
"Yang Chen, let's take our seats."
A woman blinded by love and jealousy is like someone pretending to be asleep and unable to be woken. Chu Xiang didn't want to waste any more words and turned to take her seat.
"How dare you call me a lunatic!"
Meng Wanting gritted her teeth, ignoring the public setting. She stepped forward and stomped on Chu Xiang's hemline. Chu Xiang lost her balance and fell backward.
"Careful!"
Yang Chen was quick. One arm circled her slender waist, and the other grasped her long leg that was starting to lift.
"Are you alright?"
From shock to being held in Yang Chen's arms, Chu Xiang looked at him at a 45-degree angle, feeling the strength of his embrace. For a moment, it was as if the people and things around them disappeared, with only Yang Chen's handsome and masculine face in her sight. After Yang Chen asked a few times, she finally came to her senses, quickly stood up from his arms, and adjusted her evening gown.
"N-no, I'm fine. Where's that bitch Meng Wanting?"
"She ran off long ago."
"What a lunatic!"
Though Chu Xiang was angry, she couldn't really do anything to Meng Wanting in public. She led Yang Chen to the front-row auction seats and said indignantly, "Yang Chen, please keep an eye on things for me later. If it's a truly good item, buy it for me at all costs. I want to buy it as a birthday gift for Grandpa. I absolutely cannot let Meng Wanting ruin it!"
"Yes!"