Du Jiashu was still reeling from her previous warm and friendly demeanor towards the guests.
Seeing her undisguised aversion directed at him now, a flicker of hurt passed through his heart.
"Do I disgust you that much?"
Xia Liuyue curled her lips into a smile. "Yes, you do!"
Du Jiashu took a deep breath. "Xia Liuyue, what do I have to do to make you believe I sincerely want to make up with you?"
Xia Liuyue stared at him with a scornful laugh, just about to lose her temper when she caught sight of Meng Xiang's meaningful look from a distance.
It turned out Yan Hechuan was heading their way.
...
As soon as Yan Hechuan entered the banquet hall, he greeted Elder Zhao first, then instructed Assistant Chen to take him to find Du Jiashu.
Meng Xiang wanted to stop them but couldn't think of a good reason.
Besides, if he acted too out of line, Assistant Chen would surely notice something amiss. So, he could only give Xia Liuyue a warning look in advance.
He hoped the rich lady would understand.
Assistant Chen supported Yan Hechuan as they walked up to Du Jiashu, whispering, "Mr. Yan, this is Young Master Du and his wife."
Yan Hechuan lightly tapped the ground with the white cane he was leaning on.
A gesture of greeting.
"Young Master Du, Mrs. Du, good evening."
Du Jiashu had been hoping for a proper talk with Xia Liuyue but was interrupted by this unexpected guest.
He was full of confusion.
He recognized the man before him; they had met a few times.
It was Yao Yao's fiancé, Yan Hechuan, who he'd heard had recently lost his sight in an accident.
However, their companies had no business overlap. At past events, they had only ever exchanged nods and never went out of their way to greet each other.
Could it be... he had discovered Du Jiashu's longstanding feelings for Yao Yao?
Feeling guilty, Du Jiashu hurriedly responded,
"Good evening."
Beside him, Xia Liuyue met Assistant Chen's probing gaze and replied in her own voice,
"Good evening, Mr. Yan."
Yan Hechuan had come to see Du Jiashu to discuss matters concerning his fiancée, Tang Yinyao.
He had no particular impression of Du Jiashu's wife, but upon hearing her voice, he couldn't help but pause slightly.
The voice itself was unfamiliar, yet it carried an oddly familiar feeling.
Most importantly, it was her aura.
Once a person loses their sight, their sense of touch becomes heightened.
He touched his wrist; no rash had appeared.
Last time, he had Assistant Chen investigate the hospital, and there was no nurse named Liu Yue at all.
For a moment, the silence grew awkward.
Du Jiashu glanced at Assistant Chen and Meng Xiang beside Yan Hechuan, thinking Meng Xiang looked somewhat familiar.
As Tang Yinyao's junior, he occasionally appeared in academic circles.
Just as Du Jiashu was about to ask if he had met Meng Xiang before,
he heard Xia Liuyue suddenly speak up again:
"Mr. Yan must have something to discuss with Jiashu. I won't disturb you; I'll take my leave."
With that, she brushed past them, leaving a trail of fragrant scent in the air.
Assistant Chen instinctively moved to block slightly, fearing his boss might have another allergic reaction.
Yet, Yan Hechuan's expression shifted subtly.
The voice was different.
But the scent was familiar.
Who was she?
"Wait—!" he suddenly called out.
But Xia Liuyue's steps didn't falter; she had already walked away.
Seeing Yan Hechuan's unusual behavior, Du Jiashu felt a hint of displeasure crease his brow.
He suddenly recalled a joke Xia Liuyue had once told him: 'What if I said I plan to sleep with Tang Yinyao's man, would you believe me?'
A sense of vigilance rose within him, his gaze filling with hostility.
He immediately spoke up:
"Mr. Yan, that is my wife. Please maintain basic courtesy, thank you."
Yan Hechuan also knew his reaction just now had been impolite. He nodded slightly to Assistant Chen and Meng Xiang, signaling for them to leave first.
To give them space.
After the two had left.
Yan Hechuan's clouded eyes, lacking focus, settled somewhere in the air as he said softly:
"My apologies, that wasn't intentional. It's just that Mrs. Du gave off a somewhat familiar feeling."
Du Jiashu's eyes were filled with ill will.
Guilty conscience at work, he reasonably suspected Yan Hechuan was saying this on purpose, to get back at him.
"My wife is from Jiang City. She hasn't even been married into Haishi for a year yet. How could she be familiar? Your feeling is mistaken!"
Yan Hechuan sensitively detected Du Jiashu's displeasure.
For now, he set aside the doubts in his heart, remembering the reason for his visit today.
He took the initiative to say:
"The reason I came to find you today is actually about my fiancée, Yinyao."
"What's wrong with Yao Yao?" Du Jiashu couldn't help but sound anxious upon hearing this.
Yan Hechuan said gravely:
"Young Master Du, you are a married man. Don't you think your relationship with Yinyao has become too close?"
"She is my fiancée."
"Just as you wouldn't want strange men striking up conversations with your wife, I also don't wish to see your relationship with Yinyao being overly intimate."
Here it comes!
Sure enough, Yan Hechuan must have discovered his feelings for Yao Yao.
Du Jiashu's mind was in turmoil, alternating between panic and agitation.
He instinctively said:
"Mr. Yan, you might have misunderstood."
"Yao Yao and I are childhood friends who grew up together. Our relationship isn't just that of ordinary friends; it's more like siblings, or even family."
"To ask me to keep my distance from Yinyao... I'm afraid I can't do that."
"And I think if she knew, she would also feel that you are overly interfering in her personal space and would be unhappy."
Men understand men best.
Even if Yan Hechuan hadn't paid it much mind before, once he started to care, he would find many flaws in Du Jiashu's words.
He retorted sarcastically:
"If your wife also had a 'good brother' like me, would you also give her enough personal space to make her happy?"
As soon as these words were spoken,
Du Jiashu's face turned ugly.
Xia Liuyue and Yan Hechuan before him were in a 'good brother' relationship?! How could that be?!
That's completely different.
A scornful laugh escaped from Yan Hechuan's throat, and he delivered a definitive statement with overwhelming presence.
"It seems Young Master Du has a double standard."
"Lenient with himself, strict with others."
"My coming to you this time isn't a notification, it's a warning!"
Du Jiashu was completely stunned.
Looking at the man whose aura instantly intensified before him, even though he was completely blind and couldn't see, the intimidating force from those pitch-black pupils was still deeply unsettling.
"What do you mean?"
Yan Hechuan's thin lips curved into a faint, dismissive smile, his tone remarkably steady.
"Although my Yan family's business portfolio doesn't involve new tech companies, I am very interested. Perhaps I could collaborate with Hengtu Technology."
Hengtu Technology was the Du family's biggest competitor.
It was also the leading enterprise in the neighboring city of Heng.
If the Yan family decided to inject capital, it would be the biggest blow to the Du family.
Just as Yan Hechuan said.
This wasn't a notification, it was a warning!
And equally, a threat!
Du Jiashu let out a helpless sigh and said,
"You are Yaoyao's fiancé, I am Yaoyao's good brother. There's no need for our relationship to be so tense."
Yan Hechuan's expression remained cold and severe.
"My fiancée does not need so-called 'good brothers'."
"I've said all I need to say."
"I hope the next time we meet will be at her and my wedding."
