In this room full of people, Xia Wan’an barely recognized anyone. Even Assistant Zhang , whom she could barely consider as an acquaintance, was too busy. So, she found a quiet corner with dim lighting and passed the time by herself. 

Perhaps due to the crowded venue and the remote location she had chosen, the network signal was weak. After briefly using her phone, she grew impatient with the slow loading webpages, so she stuffed it back into her handbag and closed her eyes. 

Although the environment around her was noisy, she could still sleep soundly. 

What eventually woke her up from her dream was the conversation between two strangers. 

“Wife, why did you come here alone?” 

“I just felt a bit tired and wanted to find a quiet place to rest for a while.” 

“In that case, dear, I’ll keep you company.” 

“No need, you came here with many things to do. Go ahead, I can manage alone.” 

“Well, dear, let me stay with you for five more minutes.” 

“…” 

Xia Wan’an couldn’t help but open her eyes and look in the direction of the voices. 

Not far from her left, there was a couple seated. 

They were quite close to her, and she could clearly hear their conversation. It was mundane chit-chat, but for some reason, Xia Wan’an felt envious. 

“Honey, it’s been five minutes already. Please go and take care of your tasks. You don’t have to worry about me.” 

“I want to stay with you for five more minutes. Don’t be upset, dear. I just want to be with you. How about this, accompany me to another area?” 

“No need, dear. It’s all men over there. Would it be appropriate for me to go?” 

“It’s okay, and besides, having you by my side makes me feel more at ease. Let’s go, dear.” 

The woman didn’t refuse and smiled, getting up with the man. 

She was wearing a long dress, and it seemed the man was worried about her tripping, so he adjusted her dress before embracing her and leaving. 

As they walked further away, Xia Wan’an still faintly heard their conversation. 

“Wife, don’t worry. I’ll definitely succeed. When I do, I’ll get you a bigger ring to replace the one on your hand.” 

As they moved farther, she lost track of their conversation. The surroundings returned to silence. 

Xia Wan’an stared at the spot where the couple had just sat, lost in thought for a while. Then, she lowered her head to look at her own hand. 

Her fair five fingers were clean and pristine, not to mention a diamond ring, she didn’t even have a wedding band. 

She raised her head and scanned the banquet hall. It didn’t take long for her to easily spot Han Jingnian. 

He stood beneath a crystal chandelier, holding a highball glass, talking with someone. He rarely spoke, mostly listening to the other person. However, he remained polite, nodding from time to time to show he was engaged. 

She found an excuse to say she was tired and needed to rest for a while. He nodded in agreement and let her go. From then on, she didn’t return, and he didn’t seem to be looking for her either. It was as if her presence or absence beside him didn’t matter to him. 

Xia Wan’an’s eyes dimmed slightly, concealing her sadness. She began to rub her left fingertips repeatedly against her right middle finger… 

Perhaps she had been daydreaming too much, or maybe she had become too absent-minded, but she didn’t notice the approaching footsteps until they were nearly upon her. 

“Hello.” 

“Hello.” 

Several “hello” greetings came in succession near her ears. Xia Wan’an slowly realized that the voices were coming from above her. She raised her head to look at the newcomer. 

The first thing she saw was a long golden dress that shimmered brilliantly under the crystal chandelier’s light. But what was even more dazzling was the face of the person who had arrived, a face that Xia Wan’an could consider somewhat familiar. 

Xia Wan’an stared at her for a couple of seconds and then remembered her name—Qin Shujian. 

The last time they met in the luxurious private room, Xia Wan’an had only glanced at her from afar. Now, up close, she couldn’t help but admit that Qin Shujian deserved her reputation as the number one leading actress in the country this year. Her looks and figure were genuinely impressive. The only drawback was that she appeared too thin, which made her look several years older than her actual age. 

Seeing that Xia Wan’an was looking at her, Qin Shujian stopped talking. She smiled, radiating confidence in her appearance, allowing Xia Wan’an to appraise her. 

However, the show only lasted for a couple of seconds. Xia Wan’an withdrew her gaze as if Qin Shujian didn’t exist, showing no intention of even speaking. 

Qin Shujian was astonished. She had always been confident in her looks, and rarely did anyone not take a second glance after seeing her. This woman… 

Observing that Xia Wan’an seemed to completely ignore her and didn’t even spare a second look, Qin Shujian furrowed her brow and, in addition to her initial arrogance, her tone now carried a hint of annoyance. “Hey, hey, can you hear me talking to you?” 

“…” 

“Are you this disrespectful? Can’t you see someone talking to you?” 

Xia Wan’an remained silent. 

“Forget it. Whether you want to talk or not, I’m not in the mood to listen to you.” 

“…” 

“I don’t care how you met Jingnian gege, but let me tell you, please stay away from my Jingnian gege¹ in the future!” 

Xia Wan’an continued to stay silent. 

“People who like Jingnian gege are numerous, but he hasn’t paid attention to any of them. Don’t think that just because you accompanied him to an event today and sat next to him in a luxurious private room last time, you have a chance to get close to him. Let me tell you, no chance!” 

“…” 

“You’ve only known Jingnian gege for a few days. Do you know that I’ve known him for a year? Do you know how well Jingnian gege treats me? He invested in my movies, sponsored all the jewelry for my films, so what do you have to compare with me? Who do you think Jingnian gege values more between the two of us?” 

Xia Wan’an remained silent. 

“Listen carefully to what I’m telling you today. I’m speaking nicely to you now. If you provoke my Jingnian gege again, let me tell you, next time, you won’t leave unscathed!” 

“Have you heard what I said?!” 

Qin Shujian vented her frustration for quite a while. Xia Wan’an still hadn’t reacted. She felt as if she was being looked down upon. Qin Shujian continued to speak, and at the same time, she extended her hand to give Xia Wan’an a gentle push. “Are you mute? Can’t you say a word even after all this time?” 

Xia Wan’an’s body swayed a bit, almost falling onto the sofa, but Qin Shujian quickly stabilized her. Xia Wan’an then yawned and opened her eyes, appearing somewhat confused as she looked at Qin Shujian. Three seconds later, as if she had remembered what had happened, she asked, “I was asleep, and you haven’t left yet?” 

T/N Ramble:
Someone’s actually been updating the chapters status on Novel Updates. Thank you. ( 〃．．)

1. “Gege” (哥哥) is a Mandarin Chinese term that means “older brother.” It is often used by younger siblings or people of a younger generation to address or refer to their older brothers or male friends who are older than them. In some contexts, it can also be used affectionately to refer to someone older without a direct sibling relationship, similar to calling someone “bro” or “big brother” in English.