Chapter 27.1

In response to Cheng Lingxue’s question, Xie Shuyun only blinked in confusion.

After receiving Shang Yan’s strange look, she became even more lost. Still, she pointed toward a few alphas, betas, and omegas who had spoken more when Cheng Lingxue had been surrounded earlier.

“You seemed to like them quite a bit. Do you want to invite one of them? Mm… Maybe a beta or omega might be a little unsuitable, but you’re the birthday girl. I’m sure no one will say anything.”

Then she could find out what type Cheng Lingxue preferred.

Xie Shuyun thought this to herself.

Although Cheng Lingxue was paired with the female lead A in the book, that book had not even ended yet. Who knew if there might be some huge twist later on?

In Xie Shuyun’s heart, Cheng Lingxue was extremely outstanding. She deserved someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her.

Xie Shuyun felt that there was nothing wrong with what she had said, but for some reason, Shang Yan looked as if she wanted to rush up and hit her. Cheng Lingxue even rubbed her temples lightly, her eyes full of a smile that was not quite a smile.

Picking up a tissue beside her, Cheng Lingxue gently wiped the corner of her mouth. Only then did she face Xie Shuyun and speak softly.

“You… want me to dance with someone else?”

“Ah? This…”

Xie Shuyun scratched her cheek.

Of course she did not want that.

Such a rare opportunity—naturally, she also wanted to dance with Cheng Lingxue.

But she felt that Cheng Lingxue would not choose her, so it was better to provide the other girl with more options.

However, before she could express her thoughts, music signaling the start of the dance segment began to play. Looking around, she saw people pulling the partners they had come to the birthday banquet with into pairs.

But Cheng Lingxue, as the birthday girl, remained unmoved. Xie Shuyun grew a little anxious and urged softly,

“Lingxue, hurry and get up. It’s time to dance.”

Compared to Xie Shuyun’s nervousness, Cheng Lingxue only glanced at her and even slowly picked up the juice on the table to take a sip.

Xie Shuyun was a little dumbfounded.

Only after Shang Yan heavily smacked her shoulder and leaned close to her ear, speaking somewhat excitedly, did she understand.

“What exactly are you waiting stolen contentfor? She’s waiting for you to invite her. Didn’t they teach this in etiquette class at school?”

“Huh? She wants to dance with me?”

Xie Shuyun blinked and subconsciously asked, only to receive an eye roll from Shang Yan.

“Do you think the school beauty is familiar enough with anyone else? Besides, most people who came here already found their dance partners. It’s already this late. Are you really going to make the school beauty go invite someone herself?”

Uh…

That made a lot of sense.

Xie Shuyun finally understood what the strange looks the two of them had given her earlier meant. So it turned out she had been overthinking things.

Immediately feeling a little embarrassed, Xie Shuyun scratched her head, placed one hand behind her waist, and bent forward slightly. Extending her hand, she said softly,

“May I have this dance?”

This time, Cheng Lingxue finally reacted.

Feeling the soft, boneless hand placed in her palm, Xie Shuyun’s face blossomed into a happy smile as she watched Cheng Lingxue stand up and come to her side.

The pairing of the two girls was like the signal for the dance to begin.

Light, lively music instantly sounded, and everyone followed the music and began dancing.

At such a large dance, those who danced well would naturally attract a lot of attention. After all, social dancing was a basic skill that people in high society had to learn. Many boys and girls received quite a bit of praise for their good dancing.

Among them, the most eye-catching were naturally the two girls at the center.

Both of them had top-tier, exquisite appearances that were unforgettable at a glance. Their textbook-standard dance movements made many people forget their own steps altogether. They simply stopped to watch the two girls perform.

Xie Shuyun did not pay attention to the changes around them. She was immersed in the dance.

Her hand held the cold young girl’s slender, soft, yet elastic waist. There was nothing else in her eyes except Cheng Lingxue.

The cold young girl stepped lightly, her skirt fluttering with the dance like a beautiful bird. She held her neck proudly, not only dancing gracefully before everyone’s eyes, but also seeming to dance in Xie Shuyun’s arms and in Xie Shuyun’s heart, tugging at her heartstrings.

Every step, every movement, pulled at Xie Shuyun’s heart.

It should have been a dance where both sides cooperated with each other, but it gradually turned into a dance with Cheng Lingxue as the main stage.

Yet this change in position did not make Xie Shuyun uncomfortable. On the contrary, she was willing to become the young girl’s supporting role and give all the brilliance to Cheng Lingxue.

Because Cheng Lingxue was worth it.

She should have been the focus of everyone’s attention.

Their joined hands seemed to feel each other’s heartbeat.

No words were needed. With only one look and one movement, both sides could understand the other’s thoughts.

This was the friction and collision between heart and heart.

Xie Shuyun loved this feeling.

Only at moments like this would she not be afraid to move because of the other girl’s identity.

This was the first time she had felt Cheng Lingxue’s passion.

The heat brought by melting ice was not to be underestimated. It was scorching, yet it made people ignore the burn and still want to touch it.

As Cheng Lingxue turned, strands of hair slipped through Xie Shuyun’s fingers. She subconsciously wanted to catch those naughty strands, but realized that they had already slipped away, like flowing water that would never return once gone. Only the girl’s cold fragrance remained, proving that she had once held it, making one feel regretful.

Seeing Xie Shuyun’s frustration, the cold young girl’s brows curved slightly, and she actually let out a soft laugh.

No one knew whether she was amused by Xie Shuyun’s state of mind or something else.

She was like a mischievous little spirit, hooking someone’s soul and stealing someone’s heart. Even after being discovered, she did not run. Instead, she stuck out her tongue and made a face from afar, making it impossible to truly get angry.

As for the “bullied” Xie Shuyun, she naturally had no way to deal with it. Because of Cheng Lingxue’s soft laugh, her cheeks turned slightly red. She no longer dared chase after those strands of hair that teased her from time to time.

She let out a long breath, gathered her thoughts, and no longer dared have thoughts she should not have.

By then, the song had also reached its end, leaving no room for Xie Shuyun to think anything more.

When the final note faded away, Xie Shuyun and Cheng Lingxue bowed to each other, symbolizing the end of the first dance.

Of course, there were still other dances afterward, but whether to dance was up to personal choice.

Those who liked dancing naturally would not miss the chance, while this interval was another social feast.

Touching her chest, Xie Shuyun let out a long breath. Only then did her throbbing heartbeat calm down.

Thunderous applause came from all around, pulling Xie Shuyun’s thoughts back. Only then did she realize that at some point, a vacuum-like space had appeared around her and Cheng Lingxue.

“Let’s go.”

As if sensing Xie Shuyun’s discomfort, Cheng Lingxue took the lead and walked toward the sofa they had just left.

Seeing this, Xie Shuyun quickly followed.

The two had just arrived when Shang Yan, who had finished dancing, also returned. Looking at them, her eyes were full of envy and jealousy.

“You two really attracted everyone’s attention. How nice. When will I be able to dance with a cute omega too?”

“Shang En is also very cute. If you dance with her, she’ll be happy too.”

“That’s true…”

Shang Yan revealed an expression that was both conflicted and troubled. In the end, she could only stand to the side and sigh to herself.

Suddenly, Xie Shuyun noticed Cheng Lingxue lightly pounding her calf without leaving a trace.

She lowered her head and looked at the shoes on the girl’s feet. They had heels of about two centimeters. If Xie Shuyun were wearing them and had to stand for so long and dance too, she would probably be in terrible pain.

She had also heard that new shoes could scrape the skin badly. Although the prepared shoes probably would not be like that, Xie Shuyun still asked worriedly,

“Lingxue, are you tired? There should still be a few hours before the birthday banquet ends. If you’re tired, you can go upstairs and rest.”

“No need. I’m not tired.”

Cheng Lingxue was not lying.

Neither her mind nor body was tired. Rather, today had been full of gains.

But she had overestimated her current tolerance for heeled shoes.

Thinking back, she had once worn seven- or eight-centimeter heels for an entire day without feeling tired. Now, after only wearing two-centimeter heels for a few hours, her calves were already aching.

She could not help sighing inwardly.

The current her was far too delicate.

At that moment, Cheng Lingxue felt a hand attach itself to her calf.

The warm sensation startled her. She forcefully suppressed the impulse to kick out and widened her beautiful eyes slightly, looking at the culprit who had frightened her.

The owner of that hand was naturally Xie Shuyun.

She did not notice Cheng Lingxue’s stare. Instead, she muttered to herself while feeling around Cheng Lingxue’s calf.

“It should be here… Mm… I remember it’s around here… almost…”

Cheng Lingxue had originally reached the limit of her patience and was about to speak, but then she felt a satisfying ache come from the place Xie Shuyun was pressing.

Not only did it ease the throbbing pain in her leg, it also relaxed her tense nerves.

This feeling made Cheng Lingxue’s tightly furrowed brows loosen slightly, though her lips were still lightly pressed together.

Because right now, Xie Shuyun was bending slightly and leaning close to her.

Her scorching breath kept falling onto Cheng Lingxue’s arm. Although it did not carry the intense aggressiveness from last time, it still made Cheng Lingxue’s body tremble faintly. An uncomfortable feeling swept from her arm through her entire body.

“My massage technique isn’t bad, right? If your feet hurt in the future, you can tell me. I’ll massage them for you again.”

Satisfied as she felt the tense calf in her hand gradually relax, Xie Shuyun lifted her smiling eyes and spoke to Cheng Lingxue, her tone carrying a hint of seeking praise.

But the moment her gaze met Cheng Lingxue’s eyes, the smile at the corner of her mouth immediately stiffened.

Perhaps to avoid being heard by others, the young girl’s face was extremely close to Xie Shuyun’s.

Their hair tangled together, and they could even clearly feel each other’s breath. Like lovers, there was only each other in their eyes.

Unfortunately, although the scene looked shy and filled stolen content with bubbles of love, one of them already wanted to turn and flee.

Looking into Cheng Lingxue’s dark pupils, unable to read the emotions inside, Xie Shuyun still felt a chill surge upward. Cold sweat gradually appeared on her forehead.

Then Cheng Lingxue’s thin lips parted slightly as she spoke faintly.

“Does it feel good to touch?”

This question made Xie Shuyun become even stiffer.

Her gaze moved downward, and she saw that her lecherous hand was still resting on the other girl’s crystal-clear, snow-white calf with its perfect curve.

In comparison, her fingertips looked so rough.

With only a little force, several red marks had appeared on Cheng Lingxue’s calf, looking especially conspicuous.

The sensation in her hand was even more lingering. Smooth and tender yet elastic, softer than tender tofu and more delicate than cotton candy.

Although her heart was filled with guilt, Xie Shuyun still subconsciously touched it again.

Immediately afterward, she was served with a sharp eye knife. She meekly withdrew her hand.

“…Sorry… I didn’t mean to…”

By the end, Xie Shuyun’s eyes were already drifting, clearly guilty.

Cheng Lingxue glared at her.

Did Xie Shuyun really think she had not felt that final touch?

This person really was…

Acting so recklessly on such an occasion. If she needed to stand up later, how was she supposed to explain the marks on her calf?

Fortunately, after the dance, it became normal socializing. This was the adults’ stage.

Aside from Shang Yan finding the strange atmosphere between the two of them odd, there was nothing more for Cheng Lingxue and Xie Shuyun to do.

Several hours passed before the banquet truly ended.

By then, it was already very late outside, around eleven at night.

The two changed out of their specially custom-made clothes, and only then did Qin Yu drive them back to the Xie family residence.

In the living room, exquisitely wrapped gift boxes were piled up everywhere.

These were all gifts from the honored guests. The gift list that the host had read on stage had been sent back in advance and placed here for convenience. There were hundreds of them.

Because many of them contained jewelry and valuable items, anti-collision bubble wrap was usually stuffed inside to protect the contents. This also made the volume larger, causing the gifts to pile up like a small mountain.

Xie Shuyun casually picked one up and looked at the packaging.

Mm…

As far as she knew, it was a luxury item from some high-end brand. A single one was worth at least hundreds of thousands, even millions. It felt like these gifts alone would be enough for an ordinary person to live a luxurious life.

“Miss Cheng, would you like us to move the gifts to your room for you to personally handle, or would you prefer we open and organize them first before handing them over to you?”

After parking the car, Qin Yu walked in and also saw the mountain of gifts. However, she was not too surprised. Instead, she came to Cheng Lingxue’s side and asked for her opinion.

After all, some boys and girls liked the feeling of opening gifts and pursuing that sense of surprise.

“Then I’ll have to trouble you.”

Cheng Lingxue did not hesitate much and handed the task to Qin Yu.

She had already passed the age of getting excited over gifts. Besides, she had a good idea of what people in high society would send. There was no need for her to handle them personally.

Perhaps only seeing who had sent the gift would make her calm heart stir slightly.

“By the way, Miss Cheng, this is the gift from the Family Head.”

Taking a document from the side, the housekeeper handed it to Cheng Lingxue.

Looking at the contents of the document, Cheng Lingxue’s fingertips trembled slightly.

It was actually a company transfer agreement!

That familiar company name had once belonged to a subsidiary of the Cheng family. She did not know why it had ended up with the Xie family, but now, in the end, it had been transferred back to her.

This company was originally one of the companies Cheng Lingxue had planned to take back in the future. It could be considered one of the larger subsidiaries the Cheng family had once owned, and it also contained the results of the Cheng family’s painstaking research and development.

Now, this company had actually become a gift.

This was something Cheng Lingxue had never expected.

It was an even greater gain than everything she had received at the banquet.

She could not help sighing at Xie Yun’s generosity. A company was given away just like that.

Perhaps the person she should thank the most was Xie Shuyun.

Thinking this, Cheng Lingxue could not help glancing at Xie Shuyun, a trace of complexity flashing through her eyes.

For the past four years, Xie Yun had not held a birthday banquet for her, but the gifts that should have been given had never been lacking. Their contents had been more valuable than the gifts from other guests, but they had still only been luxury items.

This time, however, she had directly given her a company.

Thinking carefully, she was probably also benefiting from Xie Shuyun.

At the side, Qin Yu added,

“The Family Head acquired this company, and its name had already been changed. But since she planned to give it to Miss Cheng, she had it changed back to its original name, thinking that it would feel more familiar to Miss Cheng. She hopes Miss Cheng will like it.”

“I like this gift very much. I will personally thank Auntie Xie when the time comes.”

A faint flush appeared on the cold young girl’s brows and eyes. Her dark eyes shimmered with light, creating faint ripples beneath the lamp. The corner of her mouth curved slightly.

It was joy that could not be stopped.

Two different emotions intertwined, forcing a strange beauty to appear on the young girl.

Everyone present was drawn in by this scene. Only when the clock rang to signal midnight did they slowly return to themselves.

Qin Yu gave a dry cough and waved her hand.

“As long as you like it, that is good. The Family Head will surely be very happy to know. Then I’ll have people take the gifts to organize them first. When the time comes, they will be delivered to Miss Cheng’s room.”

“Alright. Thank you for your hard work.”

Cheng Lingxue nodded slightly, then carefully placed the document back into the kraft paper envelope. Holding it in her arms like some rare treasure, she shook her head and refused the maid’s suggestion to take it away first.

Xie Shuyun watched this scene from the side.

Although she did not know exactly what Xie Yun had given Cheng Lingxue, judging from the other girl’s behavior, she understood how important this gift was to Cheng Lingxue.

Curiosity was curiosity, but Xie Shuyun did not want to ask.

Instead, she sat on the sofa, propped her chin on her hand, and watched Qin Yu and the maids busily moving around the gift pile. She could not help thinking carefully.

Qin Yu and the maids seemed to have prepared gifts for Cheng Lingxue too. It seemed they got along quite well.

Sure enough, if they did not follow the scumbag bailiantales.com A route and bully the female lead, the result was simply worlds apart.

Suddenly, Xie Shuyun noticed Cheng Lingxue’s gaze landing on her.

It was faint, with no emotional fluctuation, yet it made her feel somewhat unnatural. She could not help touching her face.

“Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?”

As expected, this question did not receive an answer.

But the stare continued.

Xie Shuyun could only hold her face and look toward Qin Yu, only to receive a look from Qin Yu that said, This child has a problem with emotional intelligence.

How did her eyes manage to contain a personal attack?

Xie Shuyun pursed her lips and thought this. Then she saw Qin Yu lightly bounce the gift box in her hand.

Xie Shuyun clapped her hands.

“Right.”

As she spoke, she took a flat gift box from her pocket. It was about a finger wide and slightly longer than her palm. She handed it in front of Cheng Lingxue.

“This is from Shang Yan. She said she didn’t want it mixed in with everyone else’s, so she gave it to me and asked me to pass it to you. It’s not anything expensive, so please don’t mind.”

She did not know if it was her imagination, but Xie Shuyun seemed to feel that the corner of Cheng Lingxue’s mouth, which had originally curved up, instantly fell when she finished speaking.

Even the gaze that looked at her seemed to turn a few degrees colder.

Clatter.

A loud sound came from the side, making Xie Shuyun turn her head to look.

She saw that Qin Yu seemed to have tripped over something. She staggered, and her shoulder hit the nearby wall.

Fortunately, the gift box in her hand merely shook and did not fall.