Si Yanli went to Lin Qianxue's concert alone.
Lin Qianxue's concert was a great success.
Afterwards, she and her team held a celebration banquet.
Lin Qianxue invited Si Yanli to attend.
At the banquet, Si Yanli drank quite a bit. Lin Qianxue could tell he was in a bad mood. "Yanli, what's wrong? Did you have a fight with your wife?"
Si Yanli pressed his thin, crimson lips together tightly. "No."
Lin Qianxue sighed. "Actually, I can understand how you feel. You're a non-marriage advocate just like me. Being suddenly forced into a flash marriage by your family is something anyone would find hard to accept."
Due to some past family issues, Si Yanli had indeed developed a rejection and fear of marriage.
But after spending time with Tang Wu recently, it didn't seem as bad as he had imagined.
In fact, when faced with her teasing, he couldn't even help himself.
Si Yanli changed the subject. "Besides Ye City, which other cities do you plan to hold concerts in?"
"The next stop is Jingdu. Do you want to be my special guest? Our fans really hope to see us on stage together."
Si Yanli flatly refused. "No. Other than my primary job, I don't like to make public appearances."
A hint of gloom flashed in Lin Qianxue's eyes.
Si Yanli took another glass of wine from a waiter's tray.
Lin Qianxue could see something was weighing on his mind, but since he didn't want to say, she couldn't force him to.
As the banquet neared its end, Si Yanli had drunk a bit too much.
Lin Qianxue helped him to the lounge.
She helped him lie down on the sofa.
Si Yanli's tall, slender body leaned against the back of the sofa. His eyelids were slightly closed, and his noble, handsome face carried a hint of intoxication.
Lin Qianxue made him a cup of honey water. She reached out to shake him awake, but halfway there, she pulled her hand back.
She crouched down, looking at his elegant and handsome features. A trace of undeniable adoration revealed itself in her eyes.
She called out to him a few times, "Yanli? Yanli?"
The man was too drunk to respond.
She leaned forward, unable to resist moving closer to his handsome face.
Looking at his tightly pressed crimson lips, she couldn't help but swallow hard.
"Yanli, do you know? In order to keep in touch with you, to always be your friend, I lied against my own heart and told you I was a non-marriage advocate."
"I sacrificed so much for you, yet you broke our agreement. You had a flash marriage with another woman. Do you know how heartbroken I was when I found out?"
"I've liked you ever since our school days. The reason I chose Ye City as the first stop for my concert tour after returning to the country is because you are here."
"I wanted to show you that I am far more outstanding than your wife."
"Yanli, I really like you."
Staring at his thin lips, she couldn't hold back from leaning in for a kiss.
When he was sober, she absolutely wouldn't dare do this.
She knew his taboo.
He could not tolerate anyone touching his lips.
Because he had an unknown secret.
And she was the one who knew his secret.
That was why he chose to date her back then.
She was the most intimate and important person in his life.
Just as Lin Qianxue was about to touch Si Yanli's thin lips, the man who had his eyes closed suddenly opened them.
His eyes were crystal clear. He raised his hands and forcefully pushed the woman away.
Caught off guard, Lin Qianxue fell to the floor.
She looked at the awakened man, his phoenix eyes sharp and cold. The blood in her veins seemed to freeze into ice.
"Yan... Yanli, I... I..."
Her gentleness and elegance were gone, leaving only panic and helplessness.
Si Yanli stood up from the sofa. He looked down at Lin Qianxue condescendingly, his dark brows knitted together tightly. "Knowing full well that I have a wife, you still want to interfere?"
Lin Qianxue's face turned deathly pale. She looked at the clear, stern expression in the man's eyes, her mind buzzing.
But she wasn't stupid. It was impossible for him to be that drunk and then suddenly sober up.
Unless...
He was pretending to be drunk, in order to test her.
All these years, he had never doubted her. For him to suddenly do this, was he influenced by someone?
Did Tang Wu make him do this?
For Tang Wu's sake, he would disregard their years of friendship?
What made Lin Qianxue feel the most fear and panic was the worry that he had already fallen for Tang Wu.
No, he couldn't fall for any woman other than her.
Back in their school days, he said he liked gentle and elegant ladies from prestigious families. So, she always followed his requirements, becoming a gentle and elegant lady who smiled without showing her teeth, intellectual and demure.
But in the end, he actually liked a woman like Tang Wu?
"What wife? You have no feelings for her, and you'll divorce sooner or later! Yanli, I'm the only one who is sincere to you. Besides, I know your secret. We are a match made in heaven, aren't we?"
Hearing the word secret, Si Yanli's handsome face visibly darkened.
"Lin Qianxue, if you hadn't helped me with that incident back then, I would never have dated you, let alone become your friend. After we broke up, we agreed to just be friends. Since you've broken that promise, let's not contact each other anymore."
Lin Qianxue swayed unsteadily.
He was actually so cold-blooded and ruthless.
"Weren't you the one who broke it first? You said you would be a non-marriage advocate, yet you got married. Si Yanli, you can't be this heartless to me!"
Si Yanli looked at Lin Qianxue with sharp, icy eyes. "When did we ever have any romance?"
That single sentence left Lin Qianxue completely stunned in place.
Back when they dated, it was during his most vulnerable and helpless time. She had warmed him like a beam of light. Deep down, she knew clearly that he had never truly liked her.
Si Yanli didn't spare Lin Qianxue another glance. He stepped forward with his long legs and walked straight out.
Tang Wu was sitting in Si Yanli's Cullinan in the parking lot.
She was getting a bit anxious from waiting.
She wondered how that dog of a man's test had gone.
After another half an hour, she finally saw the man's noble and ethereal figure.
After stepping out of the elevator, he strode towards her.
From his gait, Tang Wu could tell he had drunk quite a bit.
She moved to the driver's seat, taking the initiative to be his chauffeur.
Si Yanli sat in the passenger seat. He raised his long fingers to press against his temples, his phoenix eyes looking deeply at Tang Wu. "You win."
Tang Wu looked as if she had known all along.
"What do you want me to do?"
Tang Wu pursed her lips. "I haven't decided yet."
She started the engine and drove the car away.
On the way back to the Yujing Mansion, she glanced at the man.
He was leaning back in the passenger seat, the lines of his face taut, looking unwell.
Tang Wu pondered to herself, "What's wrong? Now that you know Lin Qianxue still has feelings for you, shouldn't you be secretly thrilled about your great charm? Don't worry, if you want to marry her, I'll step aside."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she clearly felt the temperature in the car drop significantly.
Si Yanli's jawline tightened, his tone colder than ever before. "Tang Wu, are you getting a little too arrogant because I indulge you?"
