Chapter 21.1

“Your Uncle Qiao’s second son,” said Father Han. “He’s the product of an affair, so he’s never been officially acknowledged as part of the family. But he has talent. When compared with Qiao Wenxing, his only loss is in his birth. ”

Han Yanyan pretended that she knew nothing and flipped through the papers. Liu Chengyu’s studies and career was all listed in the sheets before her, and they were exactly the same as the information downloaded to her mind. She nodded. “He seems quite good, like a man who will go places.”

Father Han tapped a finger on his desk. “Your Uncle Qiao was extremely disappointed in Qiao Wenxing, so he officially brought this son into the Qiao family. There will be a reception the day after tomorrow, and your Uncle Qiao hopes that you will be there.”

Han Yanyan looked up at her father.

“Uncle Qiao and I hope that you two young people can get to know each other,” he said.

The supposed reason for the cocktail party didn’t matter. What mattered was the blind date the two family heads had arranged.

As soon as she entered the mansion, she felt the unkind looks burning into her back. Qiao Wenxing’s breaking of the engagement had pushed Han Yanyan into the tabloid headlines.

Han Yanyan let her fur coat slide off her shoulders. In a backless evening dress, high heels on her feet, she took her father’s arm. She was slender and graceful arrayed in all her glory, as if she cared nothing for the gossip.

The robotic voice’s information was very useful. It not only allowed Han Yanyan, who was here on a mission, to know all the information pertaining to the situation and the relevant characters in advance, but also to take on everything that belonged to the “Han Yanyan” from the mission world.

For example, standing there, she instinctively knew the posture she should take, and the words she should use that were appropriate to her socialite status.

A smile on her face, she accompanied her father to mingle. When she looked up, she saw Liu Chengyu coming her way behind his own father. The two family heads had known each other for many years, and were very familiar. Having watched each other’s children grow up, they might even be called family.

Father Qiao smiled kindly at Han Yanyan as he introduced her to Liu Chengyu. “Yanyan, this is Chengyu. He is one year older than you and has been studying abroad  all this time. He’s just returned to the country.”

Liu Chengyu held out his hand to Han Yanyan. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Qiao Chengyu.”

A smile on her face, Han Yanyan took his hand and shook it. “Han Yanyan.”

It was as if they had never met before.

Father Qiao pulled Father Han aside to talk business, and told Liu, no, Qiao Chengyu enthusiastically, “Take good care of Yanyan.”

Qiao Chengyu nodded. When the two fathers had left, he turned to look at Han Yanyan. Under the light of the luxurious crystal chandeliers, her confident, flamboyant aura outshone every other lady.

He had ever only seen her in newspapers and entertainment magazines. The last time they had met, he had been too preoccupied to settle down and appreciate her beauty. But now he was standing side by side with her under the crystal lights, suffering the curious and suspicious stares, surrounded on all sides by elegant women in gorgeous clothes and the clinking of wine glasses. Qiao Chengyu knew that she would be a turning point in his life.

“Got your last name back?” Han Yanyan’s lips curved just a little.

“It’s just for show,” Qiao Chengyu said. He beckoned the waiter over, gave her a glass of wine, and the two slowly meandered to a more secluded place.

“Why do you say so?” she asked.

“On the surface, I’m being recognized as a member of the family. But in fact, I’m being used as a sharpening stone to put pressure on my brother,” he replied. “It’s just to force him to come back.”

“Come back? Where did he go? I’ve been abroad this whole time, is there some homework I’ve missed?”

“He ran away from home,” Qiao Chengyu said, deadpan.

It took a lot of effort to swallow her mouthful of red wine, but she managed not to spit it out. Qiao Chengyu stood between her and the crowd, blocking their line of sight with his body, and patted her on the back to help it go down.

A deep, backless evening dress, enchanting curves and satin skin, and butterfly bones1 to stir a man’s heartstrings.

Qiao Chengyu took his hand back and asked, “What next?”

Han Yanyan stroked her chest and waved her hand. “Let’s talk about that later. What’s up with him running away from home? He’s not a middle school student, why go through such a pain in the ass?”

“He went home and asked Father to break off the engagement, but the talks fell through,” Qiao Chengyu said coldly. “Father was furious. Mrs. Qiao was also very angry. She made a special trip out to find the woman, and offered her 5 million yuan to make herself scarce. The woman tore the check in front of Mrs. Qiao, who was so angry she slapped her right then and there. That guy rushed over and saw it with his own eyes, and had a huge falling out with his mother. Mrs. Qiao gave him an ultimatum – that woman or her. He chose the woman, they left together, and then they announced in the newspaper that he was breaking off his engagement with you. Mrs. Qiao was so angry that she was sent to the hospital, where she’s still recuperating…”

Han Yanyan held her head in her hands. “Are there seriously still such lovesick adult men in this day and age?”