Meng Ruozhao was lost in thought when a melodious piece of music suddenly filled the banquet hall.
The dance session had begun.
Yan Qiubai gracefully extended his hand and looked at Meng Ruozhao with a smile.
"Ruozhao, let's dance together."
Meng Ruozhao had a wound on her leg and didn't feel like dancing.
But if she refused now, she was afraid she'd have to explain a lot.
So after a moment of hesitation, she finally placed her hand in his.
The two slowly stepped onto the dance floor and danced gracefully to the rhythm of the music.
However, Meng Ruozhao's mind hadn't fully detached from her brief encounter with Pei Jingdu. She was a bit absent - minded.
During a spin, she casually looked up and her gaze swept across a corner of the banquet hall.
In that instant, she seemed to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure flashing by.
But when she focused her eyes and looked again, there was nothing there.
Her heart tightened suddenly, and a strange sense of unease welled up in her.
So much so that she unconsciously grabbed Yan Qiubai's arm tightly.
Noticing her strange behavior, Yan Qiubai lowered his head and softly asked, "What's wrong, Ruozhao?"
Meng Ruozhao bit her lip. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "It's nothing. I must have misseen."
Yan Qiubai followed her gaze. There was nothing but empty space there.
He patted Meng Ruozhao's hand reassuringly and gave a soft laugh.
"Are you too tired? You didn't go home last night. Were you busy at the store again?"
He did have a bit of a temper. He always got jealous and sulked for no reason, and always complained that she didn't care about him enough.
But he was also very easy to appease.
In fact, she didn't even need to console him. He would console himself.
For example, last night she stayed out all night and didn't answer his calls, and today she didn't even offer an explanation.
But as long as she was willing to come out and see him, standing obediently by his side like this, he would immediately stop being angry.
He lowered his head and looked at Meng Ruozhao's drooping eyelashes. Suddenly, he realized that all his previous actions were nothing but gilded shackles.
He knew she was averse to socializing, but he still silently brought her to the banquet.
Even though he noticed that she was distracted, he used "jealousy" to cover up his possessiveness.
Most importantly, he knew she lacked a sense of security.
But he had always been like a capricious clown, only blindly demanding her love and never truly being someone she could rely on.
When she first woke up and learned of his identity, the look in her eyes was very soft.
People are all greedy, always wanting more.
At that time, he told himself that as long as she was by his side, it would be enough.
But later, he wanted more.
"What I want is not her feigned obedience, but her whole - hearted consent."
This thought, like a devil's whisper, awakened his twisted possessiveness and control desire in his heart.
But without realizing it, he seemed to be pushing her further and further away.
As the music gradually faded, he let go of her hand.
"Next time when you plan to stay up all night at the store, remember to tell me. I'll go and keep you company."
These words felt like lifting a heavy burden.
The high - and - mighty Young Master Yan finally understood that love shouldn't be a forceful occupation, but a silent infiltration.
He should gradually leave his mark on her life.
Having figured this out, his eyes became more eager and full of love than before.
However, the absent - minded Meng Ruozhao didn't notice his rich inner activities.
She just glanced at the place where she had seen the figure again.
There was no one there.
It seemed that she really had been seeing things.
She suppressed her annoyance. Just as she was about to tell Yan Qiubai that she wanted to leave, she saw Du Feng, who had been socializing around, walking towards them excitedly.
"Mr. Yan, just now I had a few words with the eldest young master of the Pei family. He seems quite interested in our company's project!"
Du Feng couldn't hide his excitement as he looked at Yan Qiubai.
Yan Qiubai just gave a faint smile. "Really? That's good news."
Du Feng nodded repeatedly. "Yes, I didn't expect the eldest young master of the Pei family to be so approachable."
He had just been trying his luck, but unexpectedly, Pei Jingdu had really talked to him.
Although he was a bit regretful that he hadn't been able to talk to Pei Ting, getting in touch with Pei Jingdu was also quite good.
Hearing Pei Jingdu's name, Meng Ruozhao's heart stirred again.
Approachable? Pei Jingdu?
Even on their first meeting, she couldn't associate these two words with him.
From the moment he entered the banquet hall, Pei Jingdu exuded an icy aura that kept people at a distance.
When he came to talk to them, his cold and playful eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, making people unconsciously in awe.
But Du Feng described him like this. Was she wrong?
Or did Pei Jingdu have other motives for being "approachable" to Du Feng?
She remembered the conversation she had heard on the terrace and couldn't help frowning as she reminded them.
"I don't think this young Master Pei looks approachable. Instead, he seems to be very calculating and hard to deal with."
Although the voice on the terrace wasn't Pei Jingdu's, she felt that the rhythm of his pauses and every end - note when he spoke was like waiting for the other person to fall into a trap.
Perhaps the Du family had unknowingly offended the Pei family at some point.
The Pei family might be planning to ruin the Du family, but Du Feng was still smiling and currying favor stupidly.
However, she had no solid evidence and wasn't involved in the operation of Du Corporation, so it wasn't appropriate for her to remind them too much.
Hearing her evaluation of Pei Jingdu, Yan Qiubai was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly burst out laughing.
"It seems that our eldest young master Pei has left a bad impression on Ruozhao."
He was really laughing happily, as if he had let out a sigh of relief.
Meng Ruozhao shook her head seriously. "It's not exactly a bad impression. Well, how should I put it? Anyway, I just think he's a bit dangerous."
That subtle feeling during their brief encounter, upon closer inspection, was that he seemed dangerous.
It was different from the sense of danger she felt from Pei Jiangmu.
It was as if she had suffered a loss at his hands.
Yan Qiubai's smile paused slightly, but he quickly said, "Then in the future, Ruozhao, avoid him when you see him."
However, because he was too happy, Du Feng didn't notice the meaning behind Meng Ruozhao's words.
He continued to look at Yan Qiubai excitedly, hoping to get a promise from him.
"If we can cooperate with the Pei family, Du Corporation will surely reach new heights."
"And if you give me the agency rights then, it will be even more amazing."
"In the future, when you marry Ruozhao and our two families merge, it will also bring you glory, Mr. Yan."
He was really willing to do anything for profit and dared to say anything.
Marry and merge the two families?
Whether she and the Du family would be "one family" was still up for debate.
Meng Ruozhao sneered in her heart and thought her previous reminder was really unnecessary.
Yan Qiubai was actually a bit impatient too.
But he had just realized the "true meaning" of love, and his heart was now filled with tenderness for Meng Ruozhao.
Out of love for the one he loved, he naturally wouldn't make Du Feng lose face in this situation.
However, the matter of the new drug agency rights was indeed beyond Du Corporation's capacity.
Loving the one he loved and extending that love to related things was okay, but business was business.
So he politely smiled.
"Uncle Du, I've already said that I'll find time to discuss it with the company's senior management. Please don't be in a hurry."
Hearing this, Du Feng gave an embarrassed smile and didn't say anything more.