Fatal Desire

Chapter 39 Breathing and Heartbeat Go on Strike

The man's pupils were a deep color, as if one could sink into them with just a glance.

Song Xi was taken aback: "Brother?"

The girls looked disappointed when they didn't catch the bouquet, but when they turned around and saw who it was, they all exclaimed in surprise.

Amidst a series of screams, Zhao Yansen remained calm, glancing down at Song Xi to confirm that she was truly unharmed.

Countless eyes were fixed on them, but no one dared to speak loudly; they only whispered among themselves.

Although everyone was curious about the relationship between the two, none of them dared to discuss Zhao Yansen in public.

During these silent moments, Chi Wang is always there. He peeks out from the crowd and shouts, "Hey! Brother Sen, why are you catching the bride's bouquet? The girls are waiting all year for this time to have good luck!"

Zhao Yansen casually tossed the bouquet into Song Xi's arms.

Song Xi caught it instinctively.

She looked down at the bouquet in her hand, quite puzzled.

The girl who catches the bouquet is the next one to get married, right?

Does Zhao Yansen not know the meaning of holding a bouquet?
“That’s right!” Chi Wang laughed. “The bouquet should be given to the girl.”

Song Xi pondered for a few seconds, then looked up again to look for Zhao Yansen, but he had vanished without a trace, leaving her and the bouquet speechless.

Unmarried young ladies and gentlemen flocked to Song Xi, asking for her contact information, wanting to be her friend, or inquiring about her relationship with Zhao Yansen.

"Make way! Make way!" Chi Wang shouted loudly, "Anyone who doesn't move aside will be single for the next twenty years!"

"Wow, you have such a mean mouth!"

"Young Master Chi, your curse is too vicious."

Laughing and cursing, men and women quickly made way for Chi Wang.

"Look at you all, all filthy, like you've never seen an angel before." Chi Wang pointed at a few young men who were eagerly trying to curry favor with Song Xi and said in a nonchalant tone, "This is the Zhao family's precious little sister, so you all better watch yourselves."

The wealthy young men in the know crossed their arms, exchanged knowing smiles, and chuckled at Chi Wang's mascot-like behavior.

Song Xi didn't feel uncomfortable at all. She could handle anyone who tried to talk to her with ease. The only difference was that she had a bouquet of flowers in her hand—and the meaning of these flowers was quite unusual.

Does Zhao Yansen also think she should get married?

"The bride and groom are going back to the dressing room to change their clothes. The banquet will start soon." Chi Wang said to Song Xi with a beaming smile, "Come on, Brother Wang will take you to the private room."

At this moment, Meng Weixian was still busy with the groom and wouldn't be back for a while, so Song Xi nodded and said, "Okay, thank you."

"You're welcome."

Chi Wang's pronunciation is standard, with a slight Beijing accent. Apart from his mixed-race appearance, he is a true Beijing native.

Unlike the bustling scene outside, the bridal dressing room backstage was very quiet.

Jiang Shangxue sat in front of the dressing table, and the stylist praised her hair quality while giving her a new hairstyle.

Li Shuyi, sitting on the chair next to him, stared intently at her reflection in the mirror, looking dazed. Seeing this, the makeup artist didn't say anything, but instead bent down to touch up her makeup.

Jiang Shangxue's eyes were cool and aloof as she turned to look at Li Shuyi: "Shuyi, is something on your mind?"

Li Shuyi's diamond-encrusted nails pressed against the side of her phone as she asked, slightly nervously, "The girl who accepted Mr. Zhao's bouquet looks unfamiliar. Whose daughter is she?"

At a wedding, it is extremely ambiguous for an unmarried man to catch the bride's bouquet and then give it to an unmarried woman.

"You mean Song Xi? She's Zhao Yansen's sister." Although Jiang Shangxue and Song Xi went to the same high school, she only learned about Song Xi's relationship with Zhao Yansen after Song Xi went abroad. Song Xi had only told Qin Fanghao that Zhao Yansen was her brother.

As for Meng Weixian... he was discovered by chance.

At the end of the school day, Zhao Yansen went to pick up Song Xi and was spotted by Meng Weixian.

Not long ago, only those people at the golf club knew Song Xi's identity, but after tonight's incident, the entire circle probably knows of her existence.

"Sister?" Li Shuyi's eyes lit up, and she waved for the makeup artist to leave. "Is she her biological daughter? Why doesn't she have the surname Zhao? Could she be an illegitimate child?"

“No,” Jiang Shangxue said. “Aunt Song Xi is the new wife of the Zhao family.”

Song Xi's aunt married Zhao Yansen's father, and Song Xi and Zhao Yansen then lived together.
Fortunately, it was just a normal relationship.

Li Shuyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then, remembering the bouquet, she asked again with a complicated expression, "Are they very close?"

Adhering to the principle of being cautious in speech and action, Jiang Shangxue was unwilling to discuss the Zhao family's affairs too much, saying, "I don't know."

After pondering for a moment, Li Shuyi was ready to ask when a slight noise came from the doorway. Then, a waiter brought in the groom, Meng Boyu.

His gaze fell on Jiang Shangxue, and his usually stern and solemn face was now adorned with a newlywed smile.

"Madam, it's time to go and offer the toasts."

The banquet layout was comparable to that of the auditorium, with the dazzling lights illuminating the interior in a magnificent and resplendent manner. The world-class band played a soothing and gentle melody, creating a lively yet not noisy atmosphere.

In the spacious, luxurious private room, Song Xi sat on the sofa, ate a few pieces of fruit, then got up and sat down to eat.

Meng Weixian stood in front of the dining table, pulled out a chair with gentlemanly manners, looked at her from a meter away, and mouthed: "President Xi."

Song Xi came to the wedding mainly to accompany Meng Weixian. Seeing this, she turned her head and whispered to Chi Wang, "Brother Chi Wang, I'm going to my friend's place."

Hearing this, Chi Wang felt extremely regretful, but since his sister had already said so, he could only nod and say, "Next time, Brother Wang will take you to play something fun."

Song Xi smiled and said, "Okay."

She took a step toward Meng Weixian, but after only two steps, someone grabbed her arm and forcefully and calmly pushed her into a chair.

"Brother, I want to..." Song Xi tried to tell Zhao Yansen that she wanted to sit with Meng Weixian, but before she could finish speaking, she saw the man's dark eyes, which were filled with a chilling, deep pool.

“Turning one’s elbow toward outsiders.”

"I didn't," Song Xi instinctively retorted.

"Fine." Zhao Yansen tilted his head slowly, making sure to stare into her eyes as he said, "You don't. You just can't distinguish between close and distant relatives. You only care about the other men and ignore your own brother."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, with his cold and handsome face all she could see, Song Xi's breathing and heartbeat stopped.

"...Aren't you busy?"

She was simply trying to slowly distance herself from him, which is why she pretended not to see him.

But how could a man let her drift further and further away?

Seeing that she was uncomfortable, Zhao Yansen softened his tone and said, "Stay put."

Li Shuyi lifted the gauze curtain and entered, glancing up at the dining table, where she immediately spotted Zhao Yansen. She lightly brushed a stray hair behind her ear, about to walk over.

Zhao Yansen leaned down slightly, his long arm loosely draped over the back of Song Xi's chair, and leaned closer to say something to her. The latter looked completely innocent.

Seeing this, Li Shuyi felt a strange sensation.

Their relationship wasn't exactly ambiguous, but something just felt off.
(End of this chapter)