Just before Zhao Feng could answer, a sudden prickling sensation crawled up the back of his neck. Instinctively, he stiffened, then turned. His gaze collided with Xiang's.
Though Xiang was smiling, the expression didn't reach his eyes. It was sharp, warning, anything but friendly. "Zihan is looking for you, Zhao Feng," he said, his teeth almost grinding together as he spoke.
"…Okay." Zhao Feng didn't hesitate. He stood up immediately, nodding politely to the women before excusing himself, relief washing over his face as he escaped the suffocating spotlight.
Before Ruoxi could react, Xiang's hand closed around her wrist. "Ruoxi, come with me," he said flatly, already pulling her along.
"Hey... what are you doing? Let me go!" she protested, struggling lightly, but her complaints fell on deaf ears as Xiang dragged her away, his grip firm and unyielding.
The moment they disappeared into the crowd, the atmosphere around the table shifted.
Guo Ji walked over, arm looped possessively through Luo Shuchang's. She looked radiant in her engagement glow, but the scoff that slipped past her lips ruined the image entirely. Her eyes flicked over Lixi briefly before settling on Guo Min.
"Sister Min," Guo Ji said sweetly, though the venom beneath her tone was unmistakable. "It's so good to see you. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
She chuckled softly. "Brother Zihan has really been keeping you all to himself since you got married. Thank you for attending my wedding."
Then she paused, just long enough to let the silence stretch.
Her lips curved into a slow, deliberate smirk. "So," she continued, voice dropping into something almost mocking, "how does it feel to watch your sister marry your past lover?"
She pretended to gasp lightly. "Oops. What I meant to say is… are you happy for us?"
Guo Ji's eyes gleamed as she waited, clearly expecting Guo Min to lose her composure. After all, what sister wouldn't snap at the sight of her ex, now proudly standing beside her step-sister?She waited.
However Guo Min didn't react the way Guo Ji expected.
Instead of anger, instead of humiliation, she simply lifted her gaze... slow, calm, unreadable. Her expression was soft, almost detached, as though Guo Ji's words had brushed past her without leaving a mark.
Luo Shuchang frowned slightly, unsettled by her composure.
Guo Min smiled. It wasn't wide. It wasn't warm. It was restrained, elegant in a way that made Guo Ji's smirk falter.
"Happy?" Guo Min repeated quietly, tilting her head. "Of course I am."
Guo Ji blinked. Clearly, that wasn't the reaction she'd rehearsed in her head.
"I've always believed," Guo Min continued, voice gentle but firm, "that people should end up with what suits them best. And seeing the two of you together…" She paused, eyes flicking briefly to Luo Shuchang before returning to Guo Ji. "It makes perfect sense."
The words were polite. Too polite.
Luo Shuchang's grip on Guo Ji tightened slightly, discomfort creeping into his features. Guo Ji, however, refused to back down.
"Sister Min, you're so magnanimous," she said with a laugh that rang hollow. "Anyone would think you were never hurt at all."
Guo Min's smile softened further. "Some pains don't deserve to be remembered."
That did it.
Guo Ji's jaw tightened. "You always act like you're above it all," she snapped, her sweetness cracking. "But don't pretend you didn't cry when he left you. Don't pretend you didn't beg..."
"Guo Ji." Lixi finally spoke, her tone sharp and warning. "This is your engagement party. Don't embarrass yourself."
Guo Ji turned on her immediately. "Stay out of this."
Guo Min placed a gentle hand on Lixi's wrist, shaking her head slightly before standing up. She rose slowly, meeting Guo Ji's gaze head on now, her calm turning cold.
"I didn't come here to revisit the past," Guo Min said. "I came because I was invited. And because I'm secure enough in my present not to be threatened by yours."
Her eyes drifted briefly toward the entrance of the hall, where a tall, familiar figure stood watching everything unfold, his presence silent yet suffocating.
Zihan.
Guo Ji noticed it too. The shift in Guo Ji's expression was immediate... envy, bitterness, and something dangerously close to fear flickering through her eyes.
Guo Min looked back at her, unhurried. "Congratulations on your wedding, Guo Ji. I genuinely hope you get everything you deserve."
With that, she turned away, her fingers curling lightly around Lixi's wrist as they walked off together. Their backs were straight, their steps steady, looking like women who had already won.
Behind them, Luo Shuchang let out a slow breath he hadn't realized he was holding. A strange discomfort settled in his chest, something sour and unsettling. He glanced at Guo Ji, only to find her standing stiffly, nails biting into her palm as she stared at Guo Min's retreating figure, and then doubt crept in.
From across the hall, Zihan had seen everything. His expression remained calm, composed as ever, but the darkening of his eyes was unmistakable. The moment Guo Min turned, he lifted a hand subtly, two fingers curling inward, a silent signal meant only for her.
Come here.
Guo Min noticed. She paused for half a second, glanced in his direction… and rolled her eyes. Then she kept walking.
Lixi nearly laughed at that.
Zihan's lips pressed into a thin line, though it didn't last long. A low scoff escaped him, amusement flickering beneath his irritation. His wife was a walking contradiction, gentle yet sharp, composed yet temperamental. One moment she was graceful enough to crush her enemies with words, the next she was sulking over something he hadn't even had the chance to understand.
He excused himself from the group with a brief nod and followed her outside, the noise of the hall fading behind him as the cool night air wrapped around his shoulders.
Guo Min stood near the driveway, arms crossed, staring off into nothing.
"What's wrong?" Zihan asked quietly.
She startled slightly at the sound of his voice, turning to face him, irritation flashing across her features before settling into something tired.
"I want to go home," she said flatly.
Zihan studied her for a moment, eyes tracing the tightness in her jaw, the way her shoulders were held just a little too stiff. Then he nodded.
"Okay," he said simply. "Let's go." Not questioning he turned immediately, unlocking the car and sliding into the driver's seat without hesitation. Guo Min followed, settling into the passenger side, the door closing with a soft thud.
As the engine came to life and the car pulled away from the brightly lit mansion, Guo Min leaned back against the seat, finally exhaling.
Meanwhile
"What is your problem?!" Ruoxi snapped, finally wrenching her wrist free from Xiang's grip. Her heels scraped against the marble floor as she stepped back, eyes blazing. "Why did you drag me here like that?"
Xiang turned on her, irritation sharp on his features. "Why were you talking to Zhao Feng like that?" he shot back. "It's annoying."
The sudden edge in his tone made Ruoxi flinch. She stared at him, momentarily stunned, this was the first time he had ever raised his voice at her no matter how annoying.
But Ruoxi was nothing if not stubborn. "Why does that concern you?" she fired back, lifting her chin defiantly. "I'm interested in him, so what's wrong with that?"
Xiang opened his mouth, then closed it again, jaw tightening. "…You can't be," he said at last.
Ruoxi scoffed. "And why can't I? He's my type."
Xiang hesitated. His eyes flickered, thoughts racing. Then, cornered and reckless, he blurted out, "Because..." he paused, swallowing, "... because he's gay."
The word hung heavily between them.
Ruoxi's brows shot up, shock written all over her face. "…Gay?"
"Yes," Xiang said quickly, nodding as if to convince both her and himself. "Gay."
He even forced a smile, relieved, briefly thinking he had solved the problem neatly.
Until...
"So… you two are in a relationship?" Ruoxi blurted out. Her voice wasn't accusatory. It was genuinely stunned, her eyes wide as realization dawned in the worst possible way.