Volume 1, Chapter 39: I can take you inside, but you must promise me one thing
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Behind her, Lin Xuefeng shouted unwillingly, “Xiaojie, Ruanruan...”
His behavior was already seriously disturbing the other guests.
The security guards showed him no leniency. They waved over several men and had Lin Xuefeng dragged to a secluded spot nearby.
“Leave now. If you cause any more trouble, don’t blame us for being unpleasant.” As he spoke, one of the guards rolled up his sleeves, revealing powerful, well-defined muscles.
His arm was thicker than Lin Xuefeng’s leg.
Lin Xuefeng fell silent at once.
Only after the guards had left did he complain resentfully, “Xiaowen, why didn’t you say anything just now?”
He had been the only one running his mouth.
A trace of weariness flickered through Lin Wen’s eyes. His voice was subdued. “Dad, let’s just go home.”
This was not a place they belonged.
If they insisted on forcing their way in, the only result would be humiliation and becoming a spectacle for everyone else.
But Lin Xuefeng still refused to give up.
“Aren’t you on good terms with Tang Ruan? Call her and ask her to get us an invitation.”
With an invitation, they could go inside.
Lin Wen pretended not to hear him.
Lin Xuefeng slapped him and urged, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and call Tang Ruan!”
If they went in now, they might even run into Young Master Huo.
Lin Wen shifted a little to the side, avoiding his father’s touch. “Dad, Tang Ruan won’t speak to me.”
“What happened?”
“After what happened with Xiaojie, she blocked me.”
“...Weren’t you two quite close before?”
Lin Wen was silent for a moment. “Her relationship with us was based on Xiaojie.”
Without Lin Jie, they were no different from strangers to Tang Ruan.
In fact, they were even worse than strangers.
At least Tang Ruan would not show a stranger such intense hostility.
“All right.” Lin Xuefeng stamped his foot hard and said, unwillingly, “Let’s go.”
Staying any longer would not bring them any unexpected gain. They might as well return early and think of another way.
Just then, a yellow figure appeared at the edge of his vision.
“You want to go inside?” asked a delicate female voice, filled with disdain and haughtiness.
The two of them seemed to have spotted a lifeline. Lin Xuefeng hurriedly nodded. “Of course!”
They dreamed of getting inside.
“I can take you in, but you have to promise me one thing.”
“Yes, yes!” Lin Xuefeng agreed immediately. “Forget one thing—even if it were five or ten things, we’d agree to them all!”
As long as they could get inside, the Lin family’s fortunes could change.
Let alone one thing—even five or ten, he would gladly agree!
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The other person was very pleased by Lin Xuefeng’s willingness to cooperate. “Come on. Stay close.”
—
“Jiejie, wait here for a moment. I’m going to change clothes first.” Tang Ruan glanced at the red wine stain on her dress and frowned.
On the way just now, a maid had accidentally spilled half a glass of red wine on her.
Unfortunately, the evening gown she was wearing was a pale color, making the stain especially conspicuous. She had no choice but to change.
“Go ahead,” Lin Jie said, waving her off.
“Miss Tang, this way, please.” The maid gestured toward the path.
Tang Ruan followed behind her. Looking at the unfamiliar route, she asked in puzzlement, “Has this courtyard been opened?”
The Huo family estate consisted not of a single building, but of one separate courtyard after another.
Each courtyard was neither too close nor too far from the others. They were independent, yet also afforded considerable privacy.
The Old Master lived in the main courtyard. Huo Yanchuan and the married couple Huo Qingjun and Zhang Shuqin lived in the left-side courtyard beside it, while Huo Hongjun lived in the right-side courtyard. The maids and other staff lived in the rear courtyard.
Beyond those, there were several other independent courtyards.
Whenever a descendant of the Huo family married, a separate courtyard would be assigned to them.
As far as she knew, the courtyard nearby had never been opened.
The maid nodded and explained, “There are more guests than usual today, so the Old Master had this courtyard prepared for their use.”
So that was it.
Tang Ruan did not think much of it and followed the maid inside.
The maid led her to the door of a room on the second floor. “Miss Tang, your evening gown has already been placed inside.”
“Thank you.”
After expressing her thanks, Tang Ruan pushed open the door and entered.
Sure enough, the spare gown she had brought was lying on the bed.
Most people attending an occasion like this would bring an extra evening gown in case of accidents.
After closing the door, Tang Ruan carried the gown into the dressing room.
The dressing room was enormous, with two entire walls lined with floor-to-ceiling wardrobes.
The dark glass doors offered a clear view of everything inside. Tang Ruan stared at the rows of men’s clothing and began to feel puzzled.
She knew that when a host family of the Huo family’s stature held a banquet, they would prepare spare clothing for guests in case their outfits became stained or damaged.
But what did it mean to prepare only men’s clothing and nothing for women?
At that moment, her phone rang.
She picked it up and saw that the caller was Tang Zhengguo.
She swiped to answer and held the phone to her ear. “Dad, what is it?”
“Where are you? The banquet is about to begin.”
Tang Ruan glanced at the time. It was seven fifty-five.
Only five minutes remained before the welcoming banquet began at eight.
“My gown got dirty, so I’m changing. I’ll be there in a moment.”
“All right. Be careful on the way.”
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After hanging up, Tang Ruan shook her head, casting aside her wild thoughts, and quickly began undressing to change into the new gown.
The new dress was relatively simple and easy to put on and take off. She did not need anyone’s help, which saved her considerable trouble.
Once changed, Tang Ruan set her old gown aside and glanced at her phone.
Seven fifty-eight.
She still had time!
She checked her makeup and outfit in the mirror, and after confirming that everything was in order, she turned and hurried out.
When she opened the door, the maid waiting outside froze at the sight of her. A flash of panic swept rapidly through her eyes.
“M-Miss Tang...”
Worried about being late, Tang Ruan failed to notice anything amiss. In a gentle voice, she said, “Could you please take care of my old gown? I’ll send someone to collect it later.”
“Oh, all right.”
After receiving her answer, Tang Ruan did not delay any longer and jogged away.
The maid stood there blankly, staring at her retreating figure. Only after it had completely disappeared did she turn and look into the room.
How was that possible?
She had clearly seen...
The maid drew a deep breath and stepped into the room.
It was utterly silent, save for the sound of her own footsteps and breathing.
She looked around but saw no one else. The heart that had been lodged in her throat slowly settled back into her chest.
It seemed that the person had left while she was gone.
For some inexplicable reason, she let out a sigh of relief.
She entered the dressing room and saw the gown Tang Ruan had taken off. Envy flickered in her eyes.
It was good to be rich.
The last time she had gone shopping with a friend, she had happened to see this gown in a luxury boutique display.
Two hundred and eighty thousand.
That was two years of her wages.
Even if she went without food or drink for two years, she might not be able to afford it.
Yet for Tang Ruan, the dress had been worn for only one evening. In fact, merely because a small area had been stained, it had been discarded without a second thought.
The rich were truly extravagant!
The maid sighed silently, then stepped forward and picked up the gown, intending to take it to another room to clean and arrange.
She could not linger in this room.
Click—
The sudden sound of the door opening rang out with startling clarity in the silent room.
The maid’s body stiffened violently, and a chill instantly spread through her entire body.
She turned her head stiffly and found herself facing a handsome man with a deeply furrowed brow.
The man stood in the doorway, his left hand gripping the doorknob and his right hand holding a phone. His indifferent, displeased gaze fell coldly upon her, like a message from the Grim Reaper.
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