Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

"Ahem, ahem—is there something a certain someone would like to say?" Huang Yan was still a young girl at heart, with no guile to speak of. Unable to hold back any longer, she began dropping hints.

"All right. If I have ever offended Miss Huang in the past, I hope you will forgive me." With that, Yang Yanzhou raised the glass before him and drained it in one go.

That was it? Huang Yan had thought Yang Ce would say something more. He expected to smooth things over with a single meaningless pleasantry? What did he mean, if he had ever offended her—did he not know exactly where he had offended her?

And so Yang Cenbin's apology would have been better left unsaid. Having said it, he only made Huang Yan angrier—angry enough to die. What sort of person was this? Why did he act as though he were some prized delicacy that everyone was clamoring for? As if anyone cared!

Who do you think you are? I, Huang Yan, am a princess of a wealthy family too, and yet you put on airs with me?

Wang Mei was at a loss as well. The way Yang Cenbin had spoken, it was hard not to be angry. She hurried to smooth things over: "All right, Lele. Yang Shuoxuan has apologized, so don't stay angry at him."

"Angry at him? Hah, as if anyone cares," Huang Yan said with a curl of her lip.

"That's right, Lele. My boss is like this—he's always been the cool type," Zhang Bin said. He had been looking for a chance to talk to Huang Yan all along, and now at last he had found one.

"And what does that have to do with me?" Huang Yan did not even glance at Zhang Bin, sitting there huffing with anger.

Zhang Bin was no fool. He had his own ways when it came to picking up young girls, and the moment he heard Huang Yan's tone, he knew there was no hope there. So he shifted his target to Wang Mei.

Wang Mei's personality was quite open. Back when she was at flight-attendant school, she had dated several boyfriends. She and Zhang Bin soon fell to joking and laughing together, entirely at ease.

Seeing that Wang Mei was easier to approach, Zhang Bin began to press his advantage, rattling off one humorous topic after another and drawing peal after peal of laughter from her.

Huang Yan, however, did not laugh. She kept glaring at Yang Ce with her teeth bared, as though she meant to devour him.

Yang Shuoxuan was utterly helpless about this. To avoid stirring up more trouble, he did not dare strike up a conversation with Huang Yan. Zhang Bin, meanwhile, was chatting warmly with Wang Mei. With nothing else to do, Yang Shuoxuan could only drink one beer after another by himself.

"I see a certain someone is trying to drink himself to death." Seeing that Yang Ce did not dare lift his head under her glare and was downing glass after glass, Huang Yan felt a little gratified and spoke with a barb.

Yang Ce had not expected Huang Yan to have the temper of a child. He shook his head helplessly and did not dare say a word.

At first, Huang Yan had been pleased to see Yang Yongjin dare not raise his head and only drink in sullen silence. But after she spoke a few times and Yang Ce remained as mute as a gourd, saying not a word, it began to feel pointless. She gave a humph: "Has a certain someone gone dumb?"

Yang Ce sighed and had no choice but to raise his head: "Lele, everything that needed to be said has really been said. The two of us truly are not suited to each other."

"You—!" Huang Yan nearly died of fury at Yang Juehuan's words. What did he mean, everything that needed to be said had been said? What did he mean, the two of them truly were not suited? Why did it sound as though she, the young lady, were shamelessly throwing herself at him?

Huang Yan had long since realized that Yang Yongjin genuinely meant to apologize—it must be that Wang Mei had happened to run into this fellow on the way. But he was far too full of himself, imagining that she had taken a fancy to him. What kind of person was he?

Huang Yan was so angry her teeth grated. She glared at Yang Ce with wide eyes, like a little lioness. After glaring for a while, her own eyes began to ache. Yang Jiyan kept his head down and said nothing. Huang Yan felt foolish and was furious besides, so she too began to drink in sullen silence.

Wang Mei was not a conservative sort to begin with. Spurred on by the wine, she began draping her arm over Zhang Bin's shoulder and leaning against him. Huang Yan saw it and did not think it improper—she had seen plenty of such people. The reason Huang Yan was not like Wang Mei was that she set her sights higher and had never met anyone she took a fancy to. Add to that her upbringing, and she always felt a girl ought to be a little more reserved.

But today Yang Jiyan had angered her into a fog, and she had no mind left for reserve. The more Huang Yan drank, the angrier she grew; the more she thought, the more furious she became. This Yang Ce really was arrogant beyond belief. Did he think she, the young lady, had no one who wanted her?

Over there, Zhang Bin and Wang Mei were chatting and laughing; over here, Yang Ce and Huang Yan sat drinking in sullen silence, facing each other.

"Lele, you two really do look like a couple—both so quiet," Wang Mei teased, emboldened by the wine.

"Wang Mei, stop joking around," Yang Jincong said with a smile.

Huang Yan had meant to say, "Who's a couple with him?" but Yang Ce beat her to it, and she was so angry she trembled.

"You two take your time drinking. I'm heading off first." A flush of spring warmth rose on Wang Mei's face, and Zhang Bin, grinning, supported her as they went.

Yang Ce shook his head. This Zhang Bin really did have a knack for this sort of thing. But Yang Ce himself was somewhat averse to one-night stands. Otherwise, this Huang Yan before him would have been a fine choice.

Yang Ce had already been somewhat taken with Huang Yan to begin with, and now, with such sordid thoughts in his head and the wine working on him, the look in his eyes as he regarded her began to grow hazy.

Huang Yan sat there stewing in silence, thinking of Yang Juehuan's attitude, and her tears nearly spilled over. From childhood to now, when had she ever suffered such humiliation?

Watching Wang Mei and Zhang Bin's receding figures, a wild notion suddenly surged into Huang Yan's mind. She seized the half-glass of liquor left on the table, downed it in one breath, then wiped her mouth with a rather pretty gesture. All at once she stood up and reached out to pull Yang Ce to his feet.

Pulled by Huang Yan like that, Yang Ce was baffled. He raised his head in astonishment and looked at her.

"Come with me." Without another word, Huang Yan dragged Yang Ce forward.

Yang Yongjin knew what Huang Yan meant to do, but held by her soft little hand, Yang Juehuan felt a stir in his heart. Yang Ce was already a little drunk, and so he followed Huang Yan in a daze.

Or rather, Yang Ce actually felt somewhat guilty about having turned Huang Yan down, and Huang Yan could not possibly bring him any danger—that was why he followed her.

Following Huang Yan upstairs, she took a card from her handbag and deftly opened the door of a lounge on the upper floor.

Clearly this was probably Huang Yan's usual room here.

Bang—once Yang Ce was inside, Huang Yan shut the door with a push and even double-locked it.

Yang Ce was a little baffled by her behavior, but he was not especially nervous. After all, with Yang Ce's current skill, Huang Yan could not possibly pose any threat to him.

Of course, Yang Shuoxuan never imagined Huang Yan could have such a wild idea. He merely guessed that she was angry with him and wanted to find somewhere quiet to have a proper talk.

Since they had come this far, it would be good to have some things out in the open. Although Yang Shuoxuan thought Huang Yan very beautiful—even a touch more alluring than Chen Shutang—he knew he could not go courting trouble anymore, or he would be finished.