Lu Yan took a closer look at the swimsuit Ning Anmiao was wearing. It was a small white top with lace trim, and there were small pearls adorning the back.
The little shorts were cute and dainty, hugging her hips and setting off her long, slender and dazzlingly white legs.
Lu Yan's eyes moved downward continuously. When he saw her exposed legs, his expression darkened instantly.
"Doesn't this suit look good?" Ning Anmiao blinked and asked in a small voice.
Anyway, she thought it looked quite nice.
Lu Yan took her hand and buttoned up one by one the buttons of the suit draped over her body, covering her upper body tightly. Then he slowly said, "It looks good."
Before Ning Anmiao could feel happy, Lu Yan added, "It looks so good that I want to gouge out the eyes of those guys just now."
His tone was clearly displeased. "Those who have seen what they shouldn't have seen should have their eyes gouged out."
Ning Anmiao: ...
This man is really so bloody!
The atmosphere gradually relaxed. Lu Yan calmly averted his gaze. "Can you walk on your own?"
Ning Anmiao tentatively stood up. Although the muscles in her calves still ached a bit, she could still walk on her own. So she nodded.
"Go to the dressing room to change your clothes. I'll take you to the teahouse in the back to rest later. I've already asked someone to prepare tea in advance."
His thoughtfulness warmed Ning Anmiao's heart.
She immediately forgot to ask why Lu Yan was also here.
She slowly walked into the dressing room. After changing her clothes and coming out, she saw Yin Yiyan, who had also changed her clothes in the dressing room.
"Yanyan, are you okay?" Ning Anmiao stepped forward and asked with concern in her eyes.
Yin Yiyan seemed absent - minded. She casually shook her head, and her eyes looked a bit flustered. "I'm... Ah no, I'm okay!"
Ning Anmiao rubbed her forehead. " ... Are you really okay or not?"
For some reason, Yin Yiyan seemed a bit strange.
Yin Yiyan hesitated for a while, then whispered close to Ning Anmiao, "Do you know that Gong Ming? I think he's so handsome."
Hearing this, the tension in Ning Anmiao's heart eased, and she couldn't help laughing. "Did the romantic hero - saving - the - beauty scene capture your heart?"
"Get out of here." Yin Yiyan's face got even hotter as her secret was exposed. "Don't talk nonsense. I'm just being a fangirl for a moment."
Yin Yiyan was calmer than Ning Anmiao. Since she left the Yin family, lived incognito and started to fight alone, she had seen all kinds of people and things.
Love at first sight, she thought, was unreliable and unnecessary.
However, based on the first impression, it was okay to consider getting to know him better. Such a polite and modest boy would be a good friend even if nothing else, Yin Yiyan thought.
---
In the tea - room.
Two men were sitting opposite each other. One had a cold and stern look in his eyes, while the other had a gentle expression.
The atmosphere in the tea - room was quiet.
It wasn't until Yin Yiyan and Ning Anmiao were led in by the waiter that the silence was broken.
As soon as Ning Anmiao came in, Lu Yan noticed her still half - wet hair. He asked the waiter to bring two towels for them to dry their hair.
Although it was summer, the alternation between hot and cold could easily lead to a cold or fever. One had to be careful all the time.
After the waiter brought in the towels, Gong Ming leaned back slightly and smiled faintly. "Rarely have I seen President Lu so angry. It turns out it's for a beauty."
Gong Ming smiled very charmingly. His peach - blossom eyes were extremely alluring. He was a typical gentle and courteous young master, with every gesture just right.
He made people feel fond of him.
Yin Yiyan stole several glances at him without showing it. Her earlobes were still burning hot, as if she hadn't snapped out of the previous state.
Ning Anmiao understood what was on her good friend's mind. She couldn't help but speak first. "May I ask who this is?"
"Things happened so suddenly that I forgot to introduce myself." Gong Ming gave a gentle smile, with a hint of laughter in his voice. "I'm Gong Ming. I'm sorry for not taking good care of you today. Please forgive me."
Lu Yan casually said, "He's the eldest young master of the Gong family. He also has another identity, the person in charge of the Yesheng Club."
Here, Lu Yan paused for a moment. "Don't be deceived by his good looks. He's done plenty of shady things."
"President Lu, you're spoiling my fun." Gong Ming smiled slightly. He wasn't angry at all. His smile remained gentle and elegant, with a scholarly air about him, looking very gentle.
The Gong family had extensive influence. Not only were their open - faced connections strong, but the forces they had cultivated secretly were also extremely complex, like a towering tree with strong roots.
Although their public reputation wasn't as well - known as the Lu family's, they were still a force to be reckoned with in Shanghai. A single stomp of their feet could make the whole city tremble.
Over the years, not many people had gotten close to Lu Yan, and Gong Ming was one of them.
After hearing the introduction, Ning Anmiao suddenly understood why Lu Yan was able to save the entire family's crisis and establish Xinghe when he returned to the Lu family.
Timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony were all indispensable.
Gong Ming was that "human harmony" and was also Lu Yan's benefactor.
Yin Yiyan beside her also frowned. She always felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had heard of the Gong family somewhere.
As she was thinking, Yin Yiyan suddenly couldn't help but sneeze.
The moment she looked up, a tissue was handed to her. There was a faint fragrance of tea on it.
It was from Gong Ming.
His fingers were long, his nails were neatly trimmed, and the veins on the back of his hand were clearly visible. He looked like a young master nurtured by a scholarly family.
Yin Yiyan's heart started to beat uncontrollably again.
"I still don't know this young lady's name. I've offended you a few times just now. Please don't take it to heart."
Yin Yiyan shook her head and tried to calm her breathing. "It was Mr. Gong who saved me. How can it be considered an offense? I should be thanking you. I owe you a favor."
"My name is Yin Yiyan." After she said that, she felt that her earlobes were still burning hot.
Yin Yiyan, why are you so useless!
It's just a few words with a man. Why are you so nervous!
"Yin Yiyan?" Gong Ming's voice was very pleasant. He gently repeated her name and suddenly smiled. "It's a very nice name."
After he said that, Yin Yiyan's expression froze for a moment.
"Since Miss Yin owes me a favor, would you mind doing me a favor?" His good - looking face always seemed to be deceiving people.
But Yin Yiyan still took the bait.
She took a sip of the tea on the table. After calming down, she replied, "Please tell me."
Gong Ming glanced at Lu Yan beside him. After a few seconds, he said with a smile, "The Gong family has an arranged childhood engagement. I'd like to trouble Miss Yin to pretend to be my girlfriend and help me decline this marriage."
As soon as these words were said, not only Yin Yiyan but also Ning Anmiao was stunned.
Gong Ming actually had an arranged childhood engagement?
Yin Yiyan's pupils shrank. For some reason, her heart tightened inexplicably.
Her intuition told her that the probability of getting rid of such an arranged childhood engagement was extremely small, and it might even push her into the limelight.
This wasn't a good deal.
Ning Anmiao saw that the situation was not good and quickly interrupted. "Mr. Gong, this is not a small matter. Yanyan she..."
"I agree."