Chapter 20: Pardon the Intrusion

Lin Lu was feeling a bit hungry as well, so she picked a few of her favorite dishes and started eating.

“How do you know so much?” she asked.

Zhou Ruikang, having had a bit to drink, became noticeably more talkative. “What do you mean, how do I know? Everyone in this circle knows about it.”

“Oh.” Lin Lu nodded thoughtfully.

“You know, back when the two of them were together, it was always Su Yi who coaxed Xu Yancheng. But Xu Yancheng was generous with her too—he’d do anything she wanted.”

“If they were so good together, why did they break up?” Lin Lu asked casually.

“That was Su Yi’s own doing, you can’t blame Xu Yancheng. Xu Yancheng just has a bad temper, but what can you do? His status is what it is. But to be honest, he really cared about Su Yi. When they were abroad, no one dared mess with her.”

“Because everyone who tried got wrecked by Xu Yancheng. After that, no one dared lay a finger on her again. Xu Yancheng isn’t the type to be hopelessly devoted, but while he was with Su Yi, there was only her around him.”

“Maybe Su Yi is just that impressive, but Xu Yancheng was definitely self-disciplined too. He didn’t want to upset her.”

Lin Lu clinked her glass against his. “You still haven’t told me why they broke up.”

“I’d rather not gossip about that. It’s not exactly something honorable, so let’s not spread it around.”

“Boring,” Lin Lu shot him a glare.

“Say, why are you so interested in their affairs?”

Lin Lu feigned nonchalance. “Can’t a girl enjoy a bit of gossip?”

“So even the great dancer Lin likes to gossip? But I really admire you, you know. The way you stood up to Xu Yancheng at Charm Night was gutsy—I was so impressed.”

“But it’s a pity you’re about to get swept away by Xu Mingchuan. I’m actually a little heartbroken.”

Zhou Ruikang spoke with surprising sincerity; he was quite taken with Lin Lu—she was both beautiful and wild.

Lin Lu laughed lightly. “There are plenty of people who like me. Heartbroken? That’s impossible. It’s all just talk anyway—just lust, nothing more.”

Zhou Ruikang swallowed hard. That smile of hers was truly bewitching.

Meanwhile, Su Yi found Xu Yancheng in the back garden of the banquet hall.

He was leaning against a stone pillar, a cigarette between his fingers.

Su Yi approached, fixing her gaze on his back. “Why aren’t you inside?”

Xu Yancheng glanced back at her, then stubbed out his cigarette.

He was clearly in a foul mood.

Su Yi reached for his hand. “Are you upset?”

“If you want, I can stay with you for a while.” She tugged him to sit on a bench, speaking quietly to herself. “I don’t plan on going back this time. I’ll stay and develop my career in Tianyun.”

“If I’m not mistaken, you haven’t finished your dance courses abroad,” Xu Yancheng remarked, withdrawing his hand and casually draping it over the back of the bench.

“I’ve already taken a leave of absence.”

Xu Yancheng looked at her, puzzled. “And your reason?”

After so long together, he knew exactly what mattered most to Su Yi.

“I want to stay with you, Xu Yancheng.”

“There’s no need for that.”

Su Yi smiled gently. “It’s my own choice. No matter what, I want to be by your side.”

The sincerity in her words brought Xu Yancheng back to the beginning of their relationship.

That day, he’d been in a terrible mood, drinking alone in a bar.

Su Yi had found him, taken his hand, and said, “Xu Yancheng, I want to stay with you. Let me stay by your side.”

He remembered the sweat-soaked face looking up at him, and he’d thought, why not?

So they’d gotten together.

During those solitary days abroad, it was Su Yi who had calmed his restless heart.

Even now, Xu Yancheng was grateful to her—for her companionship during that time, for making him feel less alone.

Gradually, his mood settled.

Again and again, Su Yi had simply stayed by his side, comforting him with her quiet, everyday words.

“Xu Yancheng, let’s get back together.”

The sound of high heels came to an abrupt halt.

Lin Lu stood before them, still holding a glass of wine. “Sorry to interrupt.”