"Scumbag!""What did you say?" Oliver narrowed his eyes, displeased, and his aura became more intense.The cold voice made Li Ping snap out of it.Damn it, didn't he just curse in his mind for some catharsis? Why did it come out of his mouth?Li Ping was speechless about himself.But relying on his experience in the workplace, he quickly came up with a response."Sorry, Mr. Qin, I wasn't talking about you. I just watched a trashy idol drama with my mom last night, and the male lead in it is a scumbag!"Yes, that's right. That's how he would explain it.A trashy idol drama?Oliver furrowed his brows, displeased, as he stared at Li Ping. "Is this what you think about during work hours?"So what if he thought about it? Wasn't Oliver associating with Serena during work hours? Heh heh heh!Of course, Li Ping wouldn't say any of that."No, Mr. Qin, it just suddenly came to mind on the way here. The drama was too trashy, and the male lead was really disgusting, entangled with two women. Mr.
Uh-oh, did she go too far with her behavior?If she had known, she would have acted more reserved. But upon hearing about Lillian's pregnancy and Oliver's entanglement with other women, Yolanda only felt sympathy and wanted to help her. She didn't have any ulterior motives."Huh?"Seeing Yolanda avoiding her gaze, Lillian's heart sank. Could she have actually heard Sophie's voice message?Yolanda, although usually timid, had a quick mind.Sensing something amiss, she immediately reacted."Well, it's because of what happened last night." Yolanda awkwardly touched the back of her head. "If it wasn't for me, Lillian wouldn't have been subjected to those words from Chen Shao. I just wanted to make it up to her."She said this, hoping that Lillian wouldn't suspect her anymore.Sure enough, after hearing her explanation, Lillian's expression improved slightly.So it was because of what happened last night. If that was the case, she could understand.With this in mind, Lillian chuckled. "Las
Until someone in the private room asked, "Will Oliver come to Mason's welcome party?""He definitely will. They used to be good buddies.""Why haven't we seen any sign of him yet?"Yeah, why hasn't he shown up yet?Serena instinctively glanced at her phone. She had sent Oliver a message before leaving, asking where he was. But he hadn't replied, so Serena guessed that he was probably driving and couldn't reply at the moment.But she had already arrived, and so much time had passed. He hadn't arrived, and he hadn't replied to her message either.Serena couldn't help but feel worried.Seeing her holding her phone, her friends' eyes gleamed with calculation. Then, in front of everyone, one of them said, "Serena, why don't you give Oliver a call? I'm sure he'll answer if it's your call."Upon hearing this, Serena subconsciously looked at the friend who spoke and noticed a wink, indicating for her to make the call.Serena knew what she meant. They just wanted to confirm her relationship wi
This comment by Serena was actually a gamble. Oliver had been behaving so strangely lately that unless she used the favor Lillian owed her to restrain her, she would begin to doubt whether Lillian had revealed her pregnancy to him. Ironically, although Lillian was her love rival, when it came to keeping her word, Serena still trusted her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone out of her way to have Lillian owe her that favor in the first place. As expected, after her remark, the crowd became even more enthusiastic.“What status?” they teased, chuckling.“Serena, surely you're not implying that Oliver is now a taken man?” one quipped.“Heaven forbid, everyone knows Oliver only has eyes for you,” another laughed.“It’s just as well, Oliver and Lillian are just childhood friends, pals since diapers; where could there be any romance between them?”The comments flew back and forth, each one like a needle to Oliver’s pride, pricking him into glancing inadvertently at Lillian.Lillian appeared u
A hush descended upon the private room. The earlier revelry and spectators now silent as mice. An icy chill seemed to permeate the air. Oliver sat with a frosty glare fixed on the boisterous blonde, his eyes like piercing swords brimming with hostility. Her brazen boldness instantly withered under his gaze; she retracted within herself, too afraid to even peep—having accidentally locked eyes with him was like staring death in the face. She scuttled behind Serena. Serena’s smile was clearly faltering. Sneaking a glance at Suo Qiao, who’d taken refuge behind her, she had no choice but to plead with Oliver. "Oliver, please don’t be angry. Suo Qiao, she's...straightforward, but she means no harm. Suo Qiao, you need to apologize to Lillian now." With reluctance flaring in her eyes, apologizing to Lillian felt worse to Suo Qiao than death itself, but recalling Oliver’s terrifying stare prompted her to face Lillian and spit out a begrudging, "Sorry." "Lillian, Suo Qiao genuinely d
Whose gaze it was, was quite evident by now. But Lillian remained indifferent, cradling her glass and taking a small sip, just as delightful as the previous one.Seated closer now, Mason could see the rosy hue of her lips as she sipped from the glass, her lips stark against the rim, causing him to feel an inexplicable dryness in his throat.Mason adjusted his glasses, forcing his eyes away and asked in a hushed tone, “Does it not bother you anymore?”Lillian paused at the question.Mason’s lips quirked up into a half-smile, voice lowered, “I mean, everyone is saying such things, do you really not care?”The truth was, indifference was key to shrugging off others’ words, wasn’t it?Reflecting on this, her lips curved slightly, “It’s simply the truth.”Their marriage was a sham; what was the point in agonizing over it? What good would it do to care?Mason’s eyes, hidden behind his lenses, darkened subtly at her response. This Lillian was different, more disconcerting than he anticipated
Lillian cupped cool water to rinse her face, her emotions settling into a cool stillness. She leaned against the washbasin, studying her reflection in the mirror while Ji Qingbei's words echoed in her mind. To feel calmly and attentively? Feel what, exactly?She didn't quite comprehend his words which, coupled with the chaos of the crowded private room, were left unprobed.It was absurd, she thought. Ji Qingbei's intentions contrasted starkly with Oliver's. Was he trying to matchmake her with Oliver? And why not Serena?But she dismissed the thought. Dwelling on it was pointless.Drying her hands with a paper towel, she made for the exit."Serena, don’t beat yourself up over what happened today. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t spoken carelessly, Oliver wouldn’t have lashed out at you."The familiar voice halted Lillian in her tracks. Standing rooted to the spot, she watched the group at the restroom entrance—Serena and her friends, including Suo Qiao, the one who’d nearly become viole
Just as Serena was about to hit her head on the steps, she realized she'd miscalculated. She’d only intended to fall gently, not mar her beauty. In a gut reaction, she threw her hands up to protect her face, but the fall was still brutal. There was a thud that echoed, arresting the attention of everyone present. "Serena!" Her friends flocked around her as the rest of the group from the private room converged. Lillian stood still, her hand frozen in the air, her heart tightening. She had not even touched Serena. So, how did she fall? A twisted ankle, perhaps? Then, an icy voice cut through the buzz. "What happened?" Oliver and Mason were here. Oliver’s gaze swept over Lillian, her disheveled hair, and his expression darkened. He grasped her shoulders, straightening her stance. "Did she hit you?" In that moment, Lillian was stunned, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and uncertainty. Could it be that Oliver not