Chapter 10: I Don’t Like Older Men

“Oh!” Ruan Li really couldn’t understand what this person was thinking. The kind of care she was referring to was when Fu Xingchuan was causing trouble; helping her a bit meant that even if she got disengaged in Beijing, no one would dare provoke her because of the Fu family’s support.

Yet, Fu Huaizhou directly pulled her to his side, and she couldn’t even imagine how many trending topics she would end up on after the event aired.

Ruan Li decided to sit up straight and watch the awards ceremony, after all, sitting next to Fu Huaizhou made her too nervous to doze off. If someone captured her sleeping in the front row, the gossip accounts would claim she was disrespecting her seniors.

The ceremony was just as boring as ever. As they finally approached the end, the atmosphere lightened significantly, and Ruan Li was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open.

“Third brother, why did you pull her over?” Shi Xun, who was also about to leave, happened to pass by them.

Fu Huaizhou turned slightly to see the girl looking drowsy, trying not to rub her eyes for fear of messing up her makeup. He raised his hand and called over Assistant Qin.

“Take her home.”

“Okay, Mr. Fu.” Assistant Qin skillfully handed a shawl to the girl. Since returning to the country, he had almost become Ruan Li’s dedicated assistant.

“Um…” Ruan Li just greeted the two as a formality; all she wanted was to rush back to her bed and sleep.

As they watched her figure disappear at the door, Shi Xun and Fu Huaizhou left the venue together.

Unable to hold back his curiosity, Shi Xun asked, “Third brother, do you like Ruan Li more?”

Fu Huaizhou shot him a cold glare.

Shi Xun quickly realized the ambiguity in his question and hurriedly added, “I mean, do you prefer Ruan Li as Fu Xingchuan’s fiancée?”

Fu Huaizhou didn’t slow his pace and maintained his indifferent tone, “That’s their own business. I’m just doing what I should.”

“Just remember to control the videos from tonight; otherwise, Ruan Li will definitely get scolded. I wouldn’t even dare to sit next to you.”

Shi Xun was a well-known figure in the Beijing circle since his debut, and if he had to be cautious, Ruan Li was even more so.

Fu Huaizhou quickly understood what he meant and gave a few instructions to the people nearby.

“It’s my oversight.” He played with the ring on his finger, the jade ring that represented the head of the Fu family.

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Ruan Li was woken up the next day by the sound of Chen Jing ringing the doorbell. Of course, she only pressed it symbolically a few times before entering with the code.

“Goodness, it’s already noon and you’re still not up?” Chen Jing looked at the lump under the blanket, with Ruan Li’s long, dark hair spread across the light-colored sheets.

Ruan Li struggled to poke her head out, “Is there no shoot today?”

Chen Jing had already entered the dressing room to find a dress, saying, “Today is a big deal, your family’s recognition banquet. General Ruan called me yesterday to remind you that the makeup team is on their way. It’s still your dedicated one.”

“And didn’t you say a few days ago that you wanted to make a big splash this time? I don’t get why you didn’t take care of things when you went to the Fu family to meet your fiancé. Now you need to tidy up again.”

Ruan Li dragged herself out of bed, “That day there were just a few people from the Fu family, but this time there are so many people from Beijing, especially those who used to be afraid of me. They’re all waiting to see the joke of this fake heiress.”

She got up and took a tea-white Minuet kitten out of its bed, giving it a fierce hug, “I won’t lose.”

“By the way,” Ruan Li remembered yesterday’s events and scrambled to find her phone, “Did I occupy the trending topics today?”

Chen Jing brought out several dresses, “Not yet, Miss. You only have one trending topic with Shi Xun. When all the trending topics are about you, it’ll only mean something major happened.”

Just then, the styling team arrived, and Ruan Li obediently sat in front of the mirror to get her makeup done.

By the time they left, it was already evening, just in time for the start of the recognition banquet. The driver was waiting outside; the car that had been crashed was now scrapped, and this time they had replaced it with a more suitable SUV for her work.

On the way, Ruan Li watched a replay of the awards ceremony from last night. She couldn’t understand it, but she noticed there hadn’t been any shots of the front row. Some comments below were also speculating about it.

“I heard the front row was the investors; maybe they didn’t want to show their faces?”

“Damn, that split second of a suit pant leg I saw; I could tell it was a big boss!”

“Could it be that the big boss isn’t good-looking and is too sensitive, so they cut him out?”

Ruan Li thought that aside from Fu Huaizhou, no one else had that kind of power. She remembered she still owed him a pricey car and pondered for a moment before turning to Chen Jing.

“Tomorrow, take that card to give to Assistant Qin.”

Chen Jing was a bit surprised, “You’re not talking about that bank card you’ve had since you entered the industry, are you?”

Ruan Li nodded; even though she felt a little pain in her heart, Fu Huaizhou had already compensated her for the dress, and she couldn’t take advantage too much. This year, with her pay and some of her investments, it should be about right.

When the car stopped, many people were already gathered at the hotel entrance, all dressed to the nines. After all, this was one of the biggest news events in Beijing this summer.

“Why isn’t Ruan Li here? Did she really get kicked out?” a few girls, just dropped off by their driver, were chatting.

Ruan Shu stood on the second floor, watching the crowd below, with Zhou Min and a servant helping her adjust her dress. She innocently asked, “Mom, why hasn’t my sister come yet? Is she unhappy?”

Zhou Min looked at her daughter with satisfaction, “She wouldn’t dare not come.”

The people in the banquet hall were still chatting, and they couldn’t escape the name Ruan Li. “After all, a fake can’t truly be real; let’s see how she can still act high and mighty.” Someone next to her agreed, “Maybe she’s hiding somewhere crying?”

“Still worried about her lipstick smudging on her teeth?” A charming female voice suddenly chimed in, bright and clear.

Everyone turned to look, and the girl in a red dress, simple yet elegant in style and cut, had her long hair neatly styled, adorned with pearls and diamonds, making her look stunningly beautiful.

With her dark hair and red lips, she was captivating.

Ruan Li, wearing decorative black satin gloves, waved her hand a few times, “So concerned about me? Next time I have a bare-faced party, I’ll invite you, and you must attend!”

The girls who had just spoken turned pale, even those who usually disliked Ruan Li wouldn’t dare to confront her, especially when it came to looks, especially bare-faced.

“Hmph, she can’t be smug for long,” someone muttered.

Ruan Li raised an eyebrow and stepped closer, “Longer than your life.”

After saying that, she didn’t linger and walked straight over to the sofa, where Ye Mian sat, enjoying the show. When she saw Ruan Li approaching, she gave a thumbs-up, “Well said.”

Ruan Li replied, “Just doing my thing.”

“I couldn’t find you yesterday, but how did you end up in the front row with Fu Huaizhou sitting next to you?”

“Long story.” Ruan Li felt like she hadn’t checked the calendar before going out lately; she was a bit uneasy that morning and had a bad feeling.

Ye Mian leaned in and whispered, “I mean, Fu Huaizhou wouldn’t be one of those old cows wanting to eat tender grass, would he?”

Ruan Li was startled by her wild imagination, shaking her head vigorously like a rattle, “Impossible! He’s such a traditionalist; he definitely prefers someone dignified and graceful. Besides, I’m his nephew’s fiancée; it’s impossible!”

“Plus, I don’t like older men.”

Ruan Li’s small face was serious; she had had enough of Ruan Cheng’s lectures and would absolutely never look for a boyfriend who felt like a dad.

After she finished speaking, she noticed Ye Mian’s terrified expression. Before Ruan Li could turn around, she already felt a cold breeze blowing past the back of her neck, chilling her.

A man’s voice stood out in the noisy banquet, his tone cold and sharp.

“Aren’t you going to turn around?”