novelraw Chapter 42 Encounter
Chapter 42 Encounter
Lu Xiran's breathing suddenly stopped, as if someone had grabbed her by the throat.
Lu Xueyan gave her no chance to breathe, her gaze sharp as a knife, continuing her agonizing torture: "Or is it more pitiful? When he looks at you, when those deep eyes gaze at you... is the reflection in them you, Lu Xiran, or is it another woman he sees through you?"
Her eyes, however, were chillingly cold.
"Think it over carefully, bride." She emphasized the last three words, making them sound sarcastic.
After saying that, Lu Xueyan shook off her hand without any hesitation, as if throwing away something dirty, and turned to leave.
Song Zhihe was there!
The thought exploded in Lu Xiran's mind like a thunderbolt. The pain in her ankle had long been overwhelmed by the panic surging in her chest.
Who is she? Who exactly is she?
Lu Xiran forced herself to calm down and began to search through her chaotic memories for every face at the wedding. Amidst the clinking of glasses, those sincere or polite smiles flashed by—no, no face struck her as particularly stunning, or… particularly jarring.
Except for Ling Xue.
But Ling Xue was the bridesmaid she invited herself.
Today, perhaps Grandma Gu thought her dress was too dazzling, so she sent Aunt Yun to deliver a message, leaving only Jin Qiqi standing beside her.
Then who could it be?
Lu Xiran lifted her heavy skirt and practically fled back to the lounge. Her fingertips, icy cold, unlocked her phone, and the moment the screen lit up, she gasped for breath.
On the trending topics list, the glaring keywords hung high:
#冰雪Angel歌声#
#Lingxue's stunning beauty in a gown#
#Is Ling Xue's hairstyle like a princess's?#
Each entry was followed by a deep red "Explosive" sign. Clicking on it revealed a nine-grid high-definition image—Ling Xue's profile with a slight smile as she bowed her head during the ceremony, Ling Xue's eyes slightly closed as she took the microphone and sang impromptu, the flowing curve of Ling Xue's skirt... The comment section was in an uproar, with everyone marveling at the beauty of this "bridesmaid".
Lu Xiran's unease grew stronger, and she immediately dialed Gu Yanshen's number.
The long wait continued, one tone, then two…
Ultimately, it all ended with a cold, busy tone.
He didn't answer.
She called Jin Qiqi again, but there was no answer. Perhaps Gu Yanxu hadn't returned the phone to her yet.
Finally, she could only call Lin Chen, her assistant. The call was answered quickly.
"Where is the profundity?"
"We're here in the meeting room; President Gu just left."
"Thank you." Lu Xiran hung up the phone, lifted her skirt, and walked out.
She must find Gu Yanshen, now, immediately.
I had only taken a few steps out of the lounge when I bumped into an embrace that smelled of light wood.
"slowly?"
Lu Xiran looked up and met a pair of warm eyes filled with worry.
—It was Xie Si'an. He was wearing a well-tailored light gray suit today, his tie perfectly tied, but it had loosened slightly because of her clumsy bump. Almost instinctively, he steadied her shoulders, his fingers warm and steady, before quickly and gentlemanly releasing his grip, merely offering a perfunctory gesture of protection.
"Brother Si'an..." Lu Xiran's voice was a little hoarse.
"What's wrong?" Xie Si'an frowned slightly, her gaze quickly sweeping over her pale face and slightly red eyes. "You look so pale, are you feeling unwell? Would you like to sit down?"
"I'm fine." Lu Xiran shook her head and asked anxiously, "Have you seen Yan Shen?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Si'an's eyes darkened almost imperceptibly. He turned to the side and pointed towards the other end of the corridor: "I think I just saw him and... someone go that way..."
It's the direction of the dedicated elevator.
"Thank you!" Lu Xiran didn't have time to say anything more and started running over there, lifting the hem of her dress.
"Ranran!" Xie Si'an called out from behind her, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just whispered, "Walk slowly and watch your step."
Lu Xiran didn't have time to respond; she only had one thought in her mind: to find him.
However, just as she was about to reach the elevator, a slightly shrill female voice called out to her.
"Miss Lu."
Lu Xiran paused and turned around. It was Gu Yanshen's third aunt, Su Lanzhi. She was wearing a deep purple cheongsam and an expensive fur shawl, her makeup exquisite. She was currently looking at Lu Xiran with her arms crossed, a half-smile on her face. Standing next to her was her second aunt, Lian Bichen, who was wearing a light apricot suit, her smile gentle, but her eyes calm and unwavering.
"Third Aunt," Lu Xiran said politely, steadying her breath.
"Heh," Su Lanzhi snorted, "Quite quick to change your tune." She looked Lu Xiran up and down. "Indeed beautiful, no wonder she captivated Yan Shen. But..." Her tone shifted, her gaze landing on Lu Xiran's furrowed brows. "That furrowed brow of the bride isn't very auspicious. Where is she in such a hurry to go?"
"I...I'll go find Yan Shen." Lu Xiran tried to keep her voice calm.
"Looking for Yan Shen?" Su Lanzhi drawled, exchanging a meaningful glance with Lian Bichen beside her. "How about... you wait a little longer? A man needs some space after dealing with a bunch of guests."
That sounded strange. "Third Aunt, what do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" Su Lanzhi chuckled, took a step forward, and lowered her voice, making sure every word reached Lu Xiran's ears clearly. "Miss Lu, you're not so naive as to think that Yan Shen has truly remained chaste for you for the past thirty years, waiting for you to appear, are you?" The sarcasm in her eyes was almost overflowing. "That's just something in fairy tales to fool little girls! The reality is, how could a man like Yan Shen lack women around him? You, since you've chosen to marry him, you have to learn to accept some... established facts."
Lu Xiran's face turned even paler, and her fingertips dug deeply into her palms.
"Lan Zhi!" Lian Bichen spoke up at the right moment, disapprovingly tugging at Su Lan Zhi's arm, then turning to Lu Xi Ran with a reassuring smile, "Ran Ran, don't listen to her nonsense. You're so beautiful, Yan Shen is too busy doting on you. He's probably tired, or he has some urgent business to attend to. Go back to the lounge and wait, he'll come to find you when he's done."
Lu Xiran nodded reluctantly: "Thank you, Second Aunt. I'll go take a look."
She turned and walked towards the elevator again, faintly hearing hushed conversations behind her.
"Why are you stopping me?" Su Lanzhi muttered in dissatisfaction.
"Why bring up these things at someone else's wedding?"
"I'm making her face reality! So she won't cry and whine later! Besides, what if she goes up there and bumps into us..."
"Lan Zhi! Say less!"
The sounds faded away, but the words "encountered" pierced Lu Xiran's heart like an ice pick.
The private elevator ascended smoothly, the floor numbers constantly changing. With each floor it climbed, Lu Xiran's unease grew.
"bite--"
The elevator doors slowly opened.
Lu Xiran walked over step by step, reached out her hand, her fingertips trembling coldly, and gently pushed open the door.
Gu Yanshen had his back to the door, so Lu Xiran couldn't see his expression. She could only see his tall back, with one arm around his waist, her face pressed against his chest, and her body trembling slightly, as if she were crying.