Jealousy Reaches Its Peak (Part 2)

id he care for it.Li An stormed out of the airport terminal hall, dizzy and disoriented as he found his car. He got into the car, closed the door, turned on the blaring music; the car sped away.The ca...Chapter 48: A Burst of Jealousy

All entertainment news headlines were filled with pictures and articles about Ran Xu and Yan Luoxi's night out at the bar, followed by their return to the beach villa together. The news was exaggeratedly reported everywhere, especially the photos taken outside the villa entrance showing Ran Xu bare-chested while Yan Luox curled up in his arms, evoking endless speculation.

Looking at herself on TV with messy hair and a disheveled appearance huddled in Ran Xu's elegant embrace, Yan Luox forced a stiff smile at him. "No wonder your female fans are cursing me out; this photographer really made me look terrible!"

"You don't look bad, I think you're the most beautiful right now!" Ran Xu looked at Yan Luox with hidden meaning in his eyes.

Yan Luox's face turned red and she sighed. "I'm sorry, this time it was my fault for dragging you into this."

"It doesn't matter to me as long as you don't mind." Ran Xu looked deeply at Yan Luox; then he thought his words were too direct and smiled, explaining, "Gossip about actors is no big deal. Every actor has their share of gossip. What really destroys an artist's career is not scandal but major moral issues, so it doesn't matter if you take this seriously."

Ran Xu had enjoyed a good reputation since his debut and hadn’t missed any charity or public welfare activities; in the fans' hearts he was already associated with health and perfection. Even now that some gossip about him was spreading, its impact on his career wasn't significant.

Yan Luox nodded; she had become somewhat numb to her pain and didn’t care much about Ran Xu’s words regarding the scandal anymore. She had lost what she valued most in this world already, so nothing seemed worse than that now.

The gossip involving Yan Luox and Ran Xu grew even more outrageous since neither of them nor his company denied it. Even some of Ran Xu's friends called to inquire about her; he always looked at Yan Luox with a smile but didn't deny anything.

Until one of Ran Xu’s influential relatives called, wanting to meet Yan Luox in person.

Ran Xu smiled at Yan Luoxi, with a mixture of flattery and nervousness, asking: "You know, this is the only senior relative I have. Would you please come along to save face for me"

Hearing his voice, Yan Luoxi completely lost her individuality; she knew that the trouble was something she had caused herself, so she must take responsibility and resolve it.

Yan Luoxi knew she shouldn't attend such a dinner party, but only by completing this task could she transform herself and bid farewell to her past life once and for all.

The location of the dinner was at a private club that Ran Xu often visited. The environment was quiet, private, yet spacious; the waiters were as handsome or beautiful as models, with amiable smiles and courteous manners. The delicious dishes were elegantly presented on exquisite bone china plates, making them look like works of art.

The visitors clearly were relatives of Ran Xu, a family of three in attendance, including their six- or seven-year-old daughter who cheerfully called Yan Luoxi "auntie" upon seeing her. This made Yan Luoxi blush and caused her mother to gently reprimand the child.

The little girl, after being scolded, pouted unhappily; seeing this, Yan Luoxi quickly took the child into her arms, greeted her warmly, and played with her. Encouraged by Yan Luoxi, the child continued to loudly call out "auntie."

This dinner seemed like a private family gathering. After eating together, everything appeared to be settled; however, Yan Luoxi showed no intention of avoiding anything.

Although she was only twenty-two years old this year, her heart had aged after experiencing so much. She felt exhausted and wasn't a brave or strong woman anymore—now all she wanted was a quiet harbor where she could rest properly.

During the formal introductions, Ran Xu put his arm around Yan Luoxi's waist and calmly stated: "This is my girlfriend."

The couple from the other side were dressed elegantly, clearly people of status. They also treated Yan Luoxi with kindness.

When taking his seat, Ran Xu was gentlemanly and considerate, leaning forward to pull out Yan Luoxi's chair for her. When the waiter served the appetizer soup, he whispered gently, "Be careful, it’s quite hot."

Such consideration made the middle-aged woman at the table can't help but laugh in admiration: "I didn’t expect Xiao Xu to be so thoughtful and considerate; Miss Yan really is blessed."

Yan Luoxi felt very embarrassed hearing this and returned a gentle smile.

During the meal, one of Ran Xu's relatives got up to use the restroom. On his way back and while opening the door in the suite room, he ran into an acquaintance whom he greeted with great warmth and respect: "Hey, Second Young Master, did you come here for dinner too"

The refined and noble voice from outside the suite room entrance made Yan Luoxi involuntarily shiver. She felt dizzy and disoriented by this voice. By the time she snapped out of it, Li An had already leisurely walked into the suite room.

Ran Xu's relative was clearly awed and reverent towards Li An, treating him like a deity, making way for him to take the seat of honor.

This rogue also knew how to put on an act; he seemed not to recognize Yan Luoxi or Ran Xu. He held up his glass of red wine as if about to say something while glancing at everyone around the table with the corner of his eye, tilting up one side of his lips into a charming curve that made his naturally haughty demeanor appear even more alluring.

Ran Xu glanced over at Yan Luoxi and saw she had no intention of acknowledging Li An as family. So he decided to play along by treating Li An like a stranger too.

Li An’s expression always carried an extremely appropriate smile, polite yet subtle, perfectly balanced—neither too fake nor overly cold.

With such a smile, the unapproachable aura in his eyes seemed to lessen considerably. This made him appear even more composed and serene, with an air of grace and poise.

Lǐ'ān's demeanor at this moment blended seamlessly with the atmosphere of this family dinner.

Yán Luòxī couldn't help clenching her teeth inwardly. So this was how perfect he was in social situations outside. Because she had seen Lǐ'ān’s true self, she silently seethed at his impeccable behavior.

Rǎnxù's relative introduced Rǎnxù and Yán Luòxī to Lǐ'ān and clearly stated that Yán Luòxī was Rǎnxù's girlfriend.

Lǐ'ān remained expressionless, still chatting amicably with everyone.

When a young girl in the relative’s house warmly called Yán Luòxī "auntie," Yán Luòxī caught a glimpse of Lǐ'ān's sideways glance. She saw what felt like the sharpest blade in the world cutting through her, leaving her battered and bruised.

Later on, Yán Luòxī couldn't bear to eat anymore and got up to go to the bathroom outside the private room. Standing in an open space, she took deep breaths for a long time before calming down from the pressure Lǐ'ān had put her under.

She stayed in the restroom for quite some time; when she came out, she immediately saw Lǐ'ān leaning against the door of the women's bathroom.

Yán Luòxī was so surprised that her face froze. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't imagine that the noble and aloof Second Young Master Lǐ with a bit of OCD would be lurking outside the ladies' restroom to catch her.

"What do you want Are you seeing ghosts or something Didn’t you just look like a newlywed bride" Lǐ'ān narrowed his eyes, looking at Yán Luòxī's face with an increasingly enigmatic gaze. Junhe's voice was low and slightly hoarse.Yan Luoxi, already feeling sad, felt even worse seeing Shao Junhe like this.No one is made of wood or grass; how can they be without feelings Although she di...