Chapter 72: Chapter 72
“Stop fidgeting, you look amazing. Relax.” YuZhi picked up TangShi’s hand in his lap and pulled it to his, glancing up At ZhengLi who was typing into his phone. A bored expression on his face. “Linlin still not replying?” he pushed ZhengLi’s foot with his to attract his attention and got a glare in return.
“For a girl who’s neither dating me nor interested in doing so, she gets crazy if I take a date to an event. Even when it’s forced by my parents. It’s not like she’s coming alone. She had a date arranged first.” ZhengLi was frustrated at Linlin’s hot and cold this past couple of weeks. One minute she wanted him, was all over him, and the next she was pushing him away and telling him she had a date with someone else. Not that he was particularly bothered if she was taking someone else, after all they were both free agents and hadn’t even had sex. She drove him crazy but for some reason he couldn’t seem to cut her loose.
“You two are strange.” TangShi shook her head at him. “The way you both behave, why are you not dating? You spend as much time together as YuZhi and I do.” She offered as way of advice and ZhengLi raised a brow and a smirked her way.
“Is that you admitting you two are actually dating now?”
YuZhi shoved his foot again, a warning frown to shut up, and went back to calming TangShi’s nerves. Interlacing their fingers and pulling her attention to him. TangShi blushed at ZhengLi’s remark and said nothing.
“Rhea might be there. Just act normally, you two are publicly best friends and she has the sense to not make a scene at something like this. Stick with me all night and you’ll be fine. We’re in love, remember? So don’t freak out with me paying extra attention and being more touchy than normal. Eagle eyes and constant photographs being taken means we have to play our roles faultlessly.”
TangShi’s nerves were tight, and her heart rate was unusually high. She as breathless and anxiety had formed a knot in her stomach that was making her uptight. Soothed by him she nodded, smiling gently.
“I can do it. I’ll be fine.” She said the words for herself, more than him and then swallowed hard and clutched his hand with an iron grip in a bid to calm herself.
This was the first time she had ever worn a ball gown type dress, and in white it was particularly eye catching. It had the basis of a wedding dress in the skirt, but the top was encrusted with gems and sparkling stones in a fitted bodice and cap sleeves. So she was elegant and princess like. Linlin had chosen it for her, to suit her body shape and normal romantic style of clothes she wore. It was hell to move around in, but the length afforded her flat shoes that were hidden since she hated heels when she could avoid them.
YuZhi and ZhengLi were in formal black tuxedos, only with black shirts, bow ties and sashes. An all one tone look that was trendy while still being traditional. They were both handsome and perfectly groomed, clean shaven with similar styled hair, and TangShi felt lucky to be accompanied by both. They were the kind of men who drew attention and not just because of how they looked. They both had this combination of ‘dude’ aura, cheeky masculine postures, and yet ‘confident boss’ about them.
“Where is your date?” TangShi asked in interest, knowing whoever it was had a hell of a night ahead if Linlin caught up to them. For a girl that denied she had feelings, she was crazy possessive of ZhengLi and didn’t care if tonight he was under orders from his father to have a pretty conglomerate heiress on his arm for his family business. Linlin was being a hard case again and flaunting another man in front of ZhengLi as punishment for neglecting her of late, but it wasn’t having the desired effect. TangShi had come to known ZhengLi a little better and while he was a laid back and funny playboy, he was immune to games and manipulation. He always seemed unbothered by her tactics and could usually guess the reason behind them. They were an infuriating pair.
“Meeting me inside. I refuse to be photographed with a date on my arm for fear my father announces my engagement. I wouldn’t put it past him.” He grimaced at the thought of it and then glanced up at YuZhi with an apologetic grin. Knowing fine well it was a touchy subject.
They arrived at the event, pulling up to a grand venue hall, and disembarked quickly. Swept up in a mass of flashes on the curbside and scrambling people as they were swept onto the red carpet in a flurry of movement. YuZhi keeping his grip around her and shielded her from the chaos as he got her into the clearing unscathed.
It was a fast walk to an area with a branded backdrop and commands were thrown to them from all directions to look this way and that. It was an overwhelming experience and TangShi pasted a bright smile on her face and remained poised while under pressure. YuZhi kept his arm around her the entire time, smiling, guiding her, nodding in the direction they were expected to look while lights popped in their faces. He pulled her with him in several directions and they posed, projecting a happy couple before finally someone in a suit ushered them past to another walkway to leave the press behind.
It was a surreal experience for a girl who had hidden her entire life and been pushed to the shadows. Someone who doubted her own looks and self-worth and it left her dazed and giddy. Tonight she felt like a princess and YuZhi on her arm gave her courage to lift her chin and walk around with him happily as though she belonged here.
TangShi was merry and slightly tipsy after an hour of being given glasses of alcohol. Having been guided around to meet so many men in suits and mingle with beautiful rich couples and known celebrities, she was relaxing enough to no longer be as reserved. ZhengLi passed them a few times with a pretty girl in a red dress on his arm but Linlin was nowhere to be seen and TangShi wondered if she had bailed at the last minute. She ha dno texts or missed calls and knew later she would find out why she wasn’t there. She spotted members of Linlin’s family in passing, even Grandfather Leng, but he was whisked away in a flurry of his burly security men before they got to him.
“You okay? You look tired.” YuZhi leaned in, ducking to her face and took her empty champagne glass from to replace with another. They hadn’t been drinking much but it was considered rude to wander around without a glass in hand. So she had been sipping them sporadically and mostly nursing it.
“I’m fine. Enjoying listening to you talking. You always sound very competent and like a real CEO when we meet business acquaintances.”
“I fake it, baby. Besides, they only want to talk to me so they can eye up my pretty date.” He winked at her and led her to another group of people who were waving his way. A nod and wave gesture to signal he saw them.
“TangShi, YuZhi!!! There you are!!” A shrill slurring voice stopped them both in their tracks and they turned in unison to see Rhea stumbling their way. TangShi was closest and despite YuZhi moving to catch her, it was TangShi who was flopped on, arms wrapped around her shoulders as Rhea tugged her in for a tight embrace and kissed her sloppily on the cheek. She reeked of strong alcohol and her weight was enough to start pulling TangShi down.
“I’ve been looking for you. I missed you soooo much. I wanted to see you, Tang!!” Rhea was intoxicated to a level where she was not able to control her own behavior anymore and TangShi couldn’t miss the veil of sarcasm in the shortened version of her name. Blinking at her unsurely and looking to YuZhi for help.
YuZhi frowned, his posture stiffening as he tried to extract her from TangShi, to relieve the most of her heaviness, but she clung on and pushed him away.
“Rhea, you’re drunk, let me take you somewhere to sit down and get you some honey water to sober up.” He lowered his voice.
“No!!” She pulled TangShi’s arm into her own and slumped her cheek on TangShi’s shoulder, gripping her and pushing between the two of them with purpose. “I want to dance and drink with my bestie. We girls have the best fun without you here… go away. You’re not needed.” Rhea pushed YuZhi’s arm off and tried to shove him in the abdomen, attracting eyes of nearby guests and he became aware of how badly this looked.