Fu Qili was very gentlemanly.
After getting out of the car, he walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for Ling Nuan.
Ling Nuan smiled and thanked him. "Thank you, Mr. Fu."
"It's my honor to serve a beautiful lady," Fu Qili replied.
Ling Nuan got out of the car with a smile. After she stood steady, Fu Qili closed the door for her.
There was already a valet at the hotel entrance. As soon as the door was closed, the valet drove the car away.
Fu Qili said with a smile, "When your husband comes and sees us standing together, he's probably going to be jealous." As he said this, Fu Qili deliberately joked, bending his arm and raising his eyebrows at Ling Nuan. "Shall we annoy this irresponsible husband who left his wife for other things?"
Ling Nuan was amused.
Holding a man's arm was just normal social etiquette and not overly intimate.
She was indeed curious to see the expression on Huo Linsheng's face when he saw this.
"Then thank you, Mr. Fu, for being so helpful," Ling Nuan said with a smile as she held onto Fu Qili's arm.
"My pleasure."
Just as Fu Qili was about to lead Ling Nuan into the hotel, a car approached from a short distance away and stopped right where they were standing.
Fu Qili recognized Huo Linsheng's car at a glance.
"Speak of the devil," Fu Qili quipped.
Ling Nuan smiled faintly but didn't respond.
Fu Qili had already prepared what he was going to say. He was going to tease Huo Linsheng mercilessly when he saw him and then try to get something out of him.
However, instead of Huo Linsheng, the hotel staff rushed over as soon as they saw Huo Linsheng's car stop.
They opened the door for the passenger in the front seat.
Since the passenger side was closer to the hotel, Meng Shuluo got out of the car first and came into view of Fu Qili and Ling Nuan.
Fu Qili frowned slightly and then glanced at Ling Nuan beside him.
In contrast to Fu Qili's contemplation, Ling Nuan's smile remained unchanged. It was as if she hadn't seen this scene at all.
Fu Qili suddenly found it quite interesting.
By the time Meng Shuluo got out of the car, Huo Linsheng had also gotten out.
As he approached the hotel, Huo Linsheng had already seen Ling Nuan and Fu Qili. Now that he was out of the car and saw them, especially Ling Nuan holding onto Fu Qili's arm, his eyes darkened slightly.
"Ling Nuan?" Meng Shuluo was a bit surprised when she saw Ling Nuan. Then her gaze fell on Fu Qili, and she gave a helpless smile and joked, "Did we get the wrong partners?"
Fu Qili had already regained his smile. Hearing this, he replied with a smile, "Miss Meng, don't make fun of me. You have so many suitors. How dare I be your escort?"
Huo Linsheng had walked up to them.
His gaze landed directly on Ling Nuan's hand holding onto Fu Qili's arm.
Fu Qili showed no intention of avoiding suspicion, and neither did Ling Nuan, even under Huo Linsheng's intense gaze.
Huo Linsheng was really amused by the two of them.
"Not done holding on yet?" Huo Linsheng said.
Ling Nuan smiled but didn't say a word, showing her attitude.
Fu Qili was even more mischievous. He shrugged his free hand slightly. "Since you entrusted your wife to me, I naturally have to take good care of her at today's annual meeting."
Huo Linsheng: "..."
Huo Linsheng looked at Ling Nuan again.
Seeing that Ling Nuan didn't move at all, the anger in his heart started to rise.
He wasn't so irrational as to think that his friend and Ling Nuan had something going on, but her obvious behavior really annoyed Huo Linsheng.
Fu Qili didn't know what had happened between the two of them, but at this moment, he took a step forward and blocked Huo Linsheng's view of Ling Nuan. "Although Ling Nuan is your wife, it seems you have a female companion today?"
Huo Linsheng looked at Fu Qili, his eyes hinting at a warning. "Fu Qili."
Fu Qili smiled.
"Shuluo had something to do at the company and was on the same route as me," Huo Linsheng explained.
Fu Qili let out an "oh" as if he had just realized something. Then he turned to look at Ling Nuan. "Ling Nuan, are you going to forgive him this time?"
Meng Shuluo, standing beside them, quickly said, "Fu Qili, what are you talking nonsense about? How could Linsheng's female companion be me today? It was just a coincidence that we were on the same route because of something."
Then she looked at Ling Nuan and said with a smile, "Ling Nuan surely isn't as irresponsible as you. Ling Nuan, you won't misunderstand Linsheng, right?"
"I won't," Ling Nuan replied, but she still didn't take her hand back.
She could tell that Fu Qili was doing this not really to help her but to remind Huo Linsheng of something. His ultimate goal was still for Huo Linsheng.
But so what?
It was something she could use now.
She looked at Fu Qili with a smile and asked, "Shall we go?"
Fu Qili was indeed a bit surprised.
Huo Linsheng showing up with Meng Shuluo was indeed inappropriate, but it was obvious that there was nothing going on between them. With his little stunt just now, he had given Ling Nuan a chance to vent her anger. Logically, she should have stopped there.
But now...
Fu Qili's gaze swept across Huo Linsheng for a moment, and then he smiled. "Let's go."
"I'll borrow your wife for a while," Fu Qili said, not forgetting to give Huo Linsheng one more jab.
Then he led Ling Nuan towards the hotel.
Huo Linsheng didn't stop them. Instead, he watched their departing figures, his face turning almost black with anger.
Meng Shuluo looked at their departing figures helplessly and then at Huo Linsheng. "Does Ling Nuan misunderstand something? Although there's really nothing going on between us and we haven't done anything improper, girls are always a bit more sensitive to the opposite sex around their lovers. Linsheng, you need to comfort Ling Nuan and explain it to her properly."
Huo Linsheng averted his gaze and said, "Let's go. We'll talk about it inside."
As he said this, Huo Linsheng walked forward. After taking two steps, he suddenly stopped, seemingly waiting for Meng Shuluo.
Meng Shuluo was helpless. "Are you guys using me and Fu Qili to take out your anger on each other?"
Although she said this, she still walked up to Huo Linsheng and walked side by side with him in the end.
The four of them appeared in the banquet hall one after another.
When they arrived, there were already some people in the banquet hall.
As soon as they saw Fu Qili, someone came up to talk to him.
"Mr. Fu."
Fu Qili smiled at the other person. "Mr. Shen, why are you here so early today?"
Mr. Shen waved his hand and said, "I had a meeting nearby. After it ended, I decided to come here early."
As he said this, Mr. Shen's gaze fell on Ling Nuan.
The news of Huo Linsheng and Ling Nuan's marriage was no longer a secret in the circle. Ling Nuan had also been Huo Linsheng's secretary for a while, so she naturally knew Mr. Shen.
Ling Nuan smiled at Mr. Shen. "Mr. Shen."
"What's going on here?" Mr. Shen felt a bit confused.
At the same time, Huo Linsheng and Meng Shuluo arrived a few steps behind.
Ling Nuan caught a glimpse of them from the corner of her eye.
不得不說，they really were a good match, with similar family backgrounds. Even their outfits today seemed to be coordinated.
Meng Shuluo was wearing a purple dress, while Huo Linsheng was wearing a black suit with purple cuffs of the same color.
They were very well - matched, like a couple.
Mr. Shen was completely confused and repeated his question.
"What's going on here?"
Huo Linsheng first glanced at Ling Nuan and then fixed his gaze on Mr. Shen, smiling. "It's been really busy at the end of the year, and I haven't had time to take care of her. She's throwing a little tantrum."
As he said this, Huo Linsheng looked at Ling Nuan and said helplessly, "Nuan Nuan, come here."