Jiang Qian was still bewildered as Shen Xiruo slowly began to speak.
“Why is she talking before doing anything? I thought, with the way Shen Xiruo was looking at me, she had some other intention, but she didn’t do anything…” She felt a little disappointed inside.
Jiang Qian maintained her outward composure and stood still, listening to Shen Xiruo speak.
Shen Xiruo first represented the Shen family in thanking the guests for attending, explained why the Shen family head and Shen Xizhou could not be there, and then politely mentioned the beneficiaries of the charity gala, appealing to everyone to donate at any time and thanking them for their generosity, and so on.
“So, Shen Xizhou went on an inspection trip and couldn’t make it…”
“But isn’t his new girlfriend here? Why didn’t he come back to look after his girlfriend…”
“It seems that Shen Xizhou doesn’t value this girlfriend that much, but if he doesn’t value her, he shouldn’t have invited her to the gala…”
The people around whispered, constantly glancing in Jiang Qian’s direction.
Jiang Qian tried to stand tall and straight, silently cursing in her heart: These idiots, which eye did they use to determine I have a relationship with that fool Shen Xizhou! He’s not even here, we clearly have no relationship, alright! She could only conclude that the supporting characters in dog-blood novels probably have no intelligence.
Su Xiangxue stood near the back of the crowd, scrutinizing Jiang Qian repeatedly.
She had initially thought Shen Xizhou would appear soon, but after hearing Shen Xiruo’s words, she realized he wouldn’t be showing up today.
Not only had her trip been a waste, but she had also been cut off by Jiang Qian and lost face. Furthermore, she wouldn’t be able to “stun the entire audience” as she had planned.
Her gaze repeatedly scanned Jiang Qian up and down, and she grew even angrier when she saw the dress.
She had originally paid a high price to pre-order that dress from the designer, but something went wrong. The designer returned her deposit, stating that the dress could not be sold to her.
She had learned through various channels at the time that the designer had gifted the dress to a certain important figure.
Now it seemed it was probably gifted to Shen Xizhou, who then passed it on to Jiang Qian.
Su Xiangxue’s face flushed and paled in turns, and she struggled to suppress her anger with her breeding.
She couldn’t figure out what method that woman used. Captivating Shen Xizhou was one thing, but she even managed to make the habitually aloof Shen Xiruo hold her hand and feed her food… Wait, why was Shen Xiruo being so attentive to her?
Shen Xiruo had never had any rumors for years. Her sudden kindness to Jiang Qian… could it be…
She was shocked by the thought that flashed through her mind, nearly dropping her glass.
Could it be that Jiang Qian had not only captivated Shen Xizhou but also Shen Xiruo?
In the spotlight, the graceful Shen Xiruo suddenly raised her arm and clapped her hands after finishing the necessary formalities.
“Next, please enjoy a relaxing ball.”
The music quickly started, and the dance floor was cleared.
According to tradition, the Shen family’s ball required a Shen family member to enter the dance floor first to warm up the atmosphere.
However, everyone knew that Shen Xiruo would never dance, so no one waited for her to enter. Those who wanted to dance simply walked straight in.
Couples of handsome men and beautiful women entered the dance floor one after another. A few handsome men excitedly looked at the two most striking beauties in the room.
One was the ice-queen Shen Xiruo, who would absolutely never dance. The handsome men exchanged glances and decided they wouldn’t be able to sway the ice-queen, so they automatically gave up.
The other was Jiang Qian, the young girl in the white dress with pure features and bright eyes.
A few handsome men looked at each other, and the best-looking one strode forward, bowing politely to Jiang Qian: “Hello, may I invite you to…”
His words were cut short by someone behind him: “She is my partner.”
Jiang Qian looked over the handsome man’s shoulder, managed an awkward but polite smile, and was then stunned by Shen Xiruo’s action.
All the surrounding gazes were cast upon them, but Shen Xiruo ignored them. She bowed, extended her hand to Jiang Qian, and smiled: “Beautiful lady, would you care to share a dance with me?”
Someone nearby gasped “Wow,” and a few others quietly chanted “Say yes, say yes.”
Jiang Qian placed her hand in Shen Xiruo’s, and she was led by her into the dance floor.
The couples already dancing on the floor were stunned.
Everyone there was dancing in male-female pairs, and suddenly two girls, who were the most beautiful in the room, walked in? This was a challenge to tradition!
In the center of the dance floor, Shen Xiruo bowed to Jiang Qian, then held her hand and slowly began to waltz with her to the music.
Jiang Qian was not very skilled at waltz, but perhaps the original owner’s muscle memory remained. She danced quite well, at least she didn’t step on Shen Xiruo’s foot.
Shen Xiruo’s dance moves were fluid and gorgeous. She took the female role, leaving the simpler male steps for Jiang Qian.
Jiang Qian held Shen Xiruo’s soft, boneless arm. As she spun, Jiang Qian gently pulled her close. The warmth and softness were so near. She almost couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her.
Fortunately, some sanity remained.
Cannot kiss! Where is this? This is the Shen family! There are people everywhere. Many people are watching. If I kiss her, I’ll be on the front page of every major newspaper tomorrow!
Shen Xiruo’s eyes seemed to be filled with shimmering water, gazing at Jiang Qian with a captivating look, before gracefully spinning away again.
“Oh my god… Why did I come to this gala? I feel like I’m going blind.”
“This must be the first time Shen Xiruo has ever danced with anyone since entering the social scene, right?”
“It truly is the first time. My father also said he’d never seen her dance with anyone, but her technique is quite good.”
“Is this about technique? This is about looks! Someone as beautiful as her would be a sight even if she just stood still on the dance floor!”
“So what’s Jiang Qian’s background? Why is Shen Xiruo treating her so well…”
The murmurs buzzed around the two focal points, reaching Su Xiangxue’s ears.
Watching Shen Xiruo and Jiang Qian dance together, Su Xiangxue became even more convinced of her suspicion.
However, this meant that Jiang Qian would no longer be a threat to her. As long as she found the right opportunity to tell Shen Xizhou about this… the Shen family’s internal affairs would explode, and Shen Xizhou would realize who was truly the most suitable person for him.
Su Xiangxue sneered, took a sip of red wine, and secretly calculated her plan.
Jiang Qian and Shen Xiruo danced three songs in total. Finally, Jiang Qian was too exhausted to continue, so she pulled Shen Xiruo to sit down and rest.
Her face was flushed, whether from nervousness or fatigue. After sitting down, she picked up her sparkling water and drank it in gulps, unable to speak.
Shen Xiruo patted her exposed back: “What’s wrong? Are you very tired?”
Jiang Qian finally caught her breath and asked the question that had been on her mind: “Why did you want to dance with me?”
Shen Xiruo’s eyes darkened, and she said softly: “To protect you.”
Jiang Qian was stunned by the answer.
But Shen Xiruo’s expression did not seem fake; she probably genuinely thought so.
Before she could ask again, Shen Xiruo continued: “You are a new face in the circle. If I don’t show that I value you, people in this circle will start digging into your background, spreading rumors about you everywhere, and causing you harm.”
Jiang Qian suddenly understood.
It was true. A beautiful woman who suddenly stepped into this exclusive aristocratic circle would inevitably face a lot of discrimination and even harassment if she didn’t have a powerful backer.
By treating her specially in front of everyone, Shen Xiruo would make those people dare not act rashly, and they wouldn’t dare to look down on her in the future.
Only then did Jiang Qian belatedly realize that the gala she attended was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.
And Shen Xiruo’s thoughts were extremely deep. At least in terms of protecting her, she was meticulous and gentle.
She was nothing like the male lead, Shen Xizhou, who was crude, domineering, and illogical, with a silly “My woman can only be bullied by me” mentality.
Jiang Qian looked at Shen Xiruo with great emotion, thought for a moment, and also reached out to take Shen Xiruo’s hand.
She held Shen Xiruo’s hand with both of hers, patting the back of her hand earnestly, like friends expressing sincerity: “Thank you very much for helping me this way.”
Shen Xiruo looked at the hand Jiang Qian was holding, her thin lips pursed, wondering what she was thinking.
After a while, she gently said: “It’s nothing.”
By now, the gala was almost over.
The Shen family’s silver-haired butler suddenly walked towards the door and announced solemnly to the guests in the hall: “Mr. and Mrs. Shen Bo are about to return. Please wait for a moment.”
Jiang Qian: “!!!”
Holy cow, did I hear that right? Shen Bo? Isn’t that the male lead’s father? The male lead’s father, isn’t that Shen Xiruo’s father? And the Madame? Is the Madame Shen Xiruo’s stepmother who replaced the original wife? I’m just a weak university student, why do I suddenly have to meet the parents!
Shen Xiruo: “…” She turned to look at Jiang Qian, frowning: “You should leave now.”
She didn’t want her father to see Jiang Qian, out of a protective instinct she didn’t even understand herself.
Jiang Qian immediately rushed to leave, but she was still too late, nearly bumping into a group of bodyguards walking into the house.
That’s right, a group! Of bodyguards!
The bodyguards escorted the sharply dressed Shen Bo as he strode into the room, followed by a beautiful Madame in a cocktail dress.
Shen Bo had a resolute face, was very handsome, and exuded a formidable presence.
Shen Bo glanced around, first offering some formulaic words of thanks to the guests, then walked toward Shen Xiruo: “Daughter, I heard you danced today?”
Shen Xiruo: “…” She stood up, gathered her skirt, and bowed: “Father.”
Shen Bo grabbed her arm, preventing her from bowing. To the guests, it looked like a scene of affectionate father and filial daughter.
But Jiang Qian keenly noticed that Shen Xiruo’s arm tensed up the moment her father touched her.
Shen Bo looked around and spotted Jiang Qian, the most dazzling beauty in the white dress, standing by the door.
He looked at Jiang Qian, then at Shen Xiruo, and smiled: “Ah, is that your new friend? Introduce her!”
Jiang Qian slowly walked over and stood still, bowing to Shen Bo: “Uncle Shen, good evening. My name is Jiang Qian.”
Shen Bo looked her up and down, smiling warmly: “A good child.”
Jiang Qian looked at the gently smiling Shen Bo and felt a little goosebumps on her skin.
“This person doesn’t seem as broad-minded and generous as he appears on the surface…”
