A second chance with my billionaire husband

Chapter 1761 - 398: Lingering Spirit: Sowing Discord (2)

Yun Ya nodded slightly, maintaining a respectful yet distant demeanor: "Miss Huo."

"I have long admired Miss Ji’s elegance, and I’ve always wanted to meet you. Unfortunately, I never had the chance. I’m thrilled to finally meet you here today."

Huo Chanyi and Tian Yan are similar in their ability to flatter without being off-putting. However, Huo Chanyi is more skillful in one aspect; while Tian Yan is an exceptional actress, Huo Chanyi truly puts her heart into it and sincerely wants to make friends. This genuine kindness makes it hard to dislike her. Moreover, her appearance is non-threatening, like a green leaf beside a red flower, unassuming yet valuable, easily endearing her to women.

"Miss Huo, you’re too kind." Yun Ya managed a polite smile, maintaining her dignity.

Huo Chanyi turned her gaze to Shiba and asked with a smile, "This young lady seems friendly but unfamiliar. May I know which family she belongs to?"

Shiba instinctively straightened her back, determined not to embarrass her lady.

"Her..." Yun Ya glanced at Shiba with a smile: "She’s a friend of mine. I brought her along to broaden her horizons. She might not know all the etiquettes, so I ask for your understanding, Miss Huo, if she makes any faux pas."

"Since she’s a friend of Miss Ji, she must have exceptional qualities. May I know her name?"

"Shi Ba, ’Shi’ as in history, and ’Ba’ as in the eighteen skills of the martial arts." Shiba quickly answered.

"Oh? That’s quite an unusual name..."

"What’s so unusual about it? My mom had eight kids and was too lazy to come up with names, so she named us by our rank."

Huo Chanyi was left speechless by this explanation.

"Chanyi." Ma Shuangshuang called out, glancing at Yun Ya as she discreetly ground her teeth.

Huo Chanyi smiled at Yun Ya and said, "Excuse me."

With that, she turned and walked toward Ma Shuangshuang.

Yan Xing, munching on some snacks, mumbled in Yun Ya’s ear, "Be careful of that woman; she’s Meng Junci’s close friend and much sharper than Meng Junci."

Yun Ya turned to look at her, noticing crumbs by her lips. With a gentle smile, she took out a handkerchief to wipe them away, saying warmly, "You’re such a big girl now, yet still so careless when eating. Several guys were watching you, and you didn’t even care about your image."

"Where, where?" Yan Xing scanned the room but found no one watching her.

"I don’t care, as long as I’m happy."

"What were you saying to her? Don’t you know she’s the one who caused Ah Ci’s state? Still hanging around her, are you even a friend of Ah Ci?" Ma Shuangshuang crossed her arms, arrogantly accusing.

Huo Chanyi remained composed, calmly saying, "Shuangshuang, the fact that Lady Meng invited her proves that the incident had nothing to do with Miss Ji. At today’s ball, mind your manners and avoid causing any trouble that would embarrass Lady Meng and Ah Ci. Most importantly, consider your own status and then think of Miss Ji’s."

Huo Chanyi’s words left Ma Shuangshuang feeling both ashamed and resentful. Yes, her father was just a cellphone seller, and though he was somewhat reputable within the industry, he was nothing compared to political and business figures. Competing with the Yan family’s prospective daughter-in-law was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

This deep sense of defeat left her frustrated and angry, which turned into bitterness.

"Huo Chanyi, I really misjudged you. I didn’t expect you to be so cowardly, just afraid of offending the Yan family. You’re unworthy of being Ah Ci’s friend." With that, she turned and stormed off.

Huo Chanyi sighed helplessly.

"Miss Ji, we seem destined to meet again so soon." Ma Shuangshuang walked up to Yun Ya with a glass of red wine, grinning bitterly as if the words were forced through her teeth.

Yun Ya smiled nonchalantly: "Indeed destined. Should I interpret this as a Lingering Spirit?"

Her indifferent manner further provoked Ma Shuangshuang, who scoffed: "Ji Yunya, you’re the one responsible for Ah Ci’s condition, yet you dare to show your face here. If I were you, I’d cut off my arms to atone."

Shiba’s eyes turned cold; this woman was courting death.

"Hahaha, since you claim to be a just person and Ah Ci’s good friend, why don’t you cut off your arms to suffer with her? Otherwise, how can you stand here accusing Yun Ya?" Yan Xing interjected, standing in front of Yun Ya and pointing at Ma Shuangshuang.

"Xingxing, step aside." Yun Ya calmly said.

"I won’t. This woman insults you as if she’s something special, eager to cause trouble."

"You... Yan Xing, have you lost your mind? You know how much Ah Ci cares for you, and yet you betray her to collude with this woman. You’re so disappointing."

"Pfft, just shut up already. Cousin is cousin, Yun Ya is Yun Ya. Colluding with her? Any more nonsense, and I’ll tear that mouth of yours apart. I see your intent to stir up trouble between me, Yun Ya, and my cousin. How are you even qualified to be here? Uncle Chen, why haven’t you thrown this troublemaker out yet?" Yan Xing’s sudden assertiveness startled everyone.

Uncle Chen immediately came over, glancing between Yan Xing and Ma Shuangshuang. Naturally, Yan Xing carried more weight, so Uncle Chen sided with her.

"Miss Yan, Shuangshuang does have a temper, but she meant no harm. Shuangshuang, apologize to Miss Yan and Miss Ji soon." Huo Chanyi approached Ma Shuangshuang, advising her in a firm voice.

"Why should I apologize to her? Does she deserve it? Fine, I’ll leave. With these two around, even breathing feels nauseating." With these words, Ma Shuangshuang swept her sleeves and left. As she passed by Yun Ya, she cast a sidelong glance and sneered, "We’ll see."

Yun Ya raised an eyebrow, responding with a serene smile, as if Ma Shuangshuang’s punch had landed on soft cotton. Ma Shuangshuang snorted coldly and quickly left the villa.

"What a bizarre woman! What did we ever do to provoke her?" Yan Xing rolled her eyes. "She’s just my cousin’s lapdog, biting whomever she sees. Whatever did my cousin feed her?"

Yun Ya smiled gently; some people are just born like this. Reasoning is futile.

"Miss Ji, Miss Yan, I apologize for causing you trouble. Shuangshuang is just like that; I hope you don’t mind."

"Forget it, I won’t bother with someone so neurotic, not worth losing my dignity." Yan Xing said disdainfully.

Shiba discreetly scanned the surroundings; something felt off. Her instincts as an expert told her there seemed to be eyes watching...

Killer intent!

She stood by Yun Ya’s side, instinctively resting a hand on her sleeve, her body tensing up to protect Yun Ya at the first sign of trouble.

Yun Ya seemed to sense Shiba’s tension, exchanging a look with her and smiling more deeply, exuding calmness and confidence.

At this moment, Lady Meng assisted Meng Junci, descending from the second floor. The lights on site suddenly went out, save for a single spotlight shining on them.

As the world plunged into darkness, Shiba held her breath, her eyes emitting a sharp, relentless light reminiscent of an eagle as she stood poised.

Her eyes and ears remained vigilant, alert to everything around them.

Yun Ya watched as the two descended the stairs, both clearly having been meticulously dressed to conceal their weariness with makeup. Lady Meng looked relatively fine, but Meng Junci... this was Yun Ya’s first time seeing her since the incident.

Wrapped tightly in a bright red cape that obscured her figure, she appeared pale and gaunt, almost to the point of distortion, with sunken eyes—truly pitiable.

Suddenly, her gaze penetrated the layers of darkness, locking directly onto Yun Ya.