CHAPTER 171: CHAPTER 171: PANIC-STRICKEN

Gu Ningyue roamed through the entire hall, yet she couldn’t spot Ling Tianyou’s figure.

"Miss Gu?"

"Hello, have you seen Ling Tianyou?"

"President Ling? I just saw him, he seemed to have already left..."

"Left?"

"Yes! I just saw Ling Tianyou take a call, then he went out."

Gu Ningyue glanced in the direction of the main door, astonished that this man left without even saying goodbye?

Weaving through the crowd, Gu Ningyue extended her fair arm and pushed open the door.

The night was vast. Under the illumination of the crystalline light at the entrance, Gu Ningyue saw a man and a woman standing not far away leaning against a car.

The man was tall and straight, the woman graceful and slender. Even with just one side of their faces visible, their extraordinary looks were unmistakable.

Because she was too far away, Gu Ningyue couldn’t hear what they were saying.

But faintly, she could see Ling Tianyou’s slightly upturned lips.

Faced with the woman before him, was he genuinely happy?

And the red convertible sports car behind them, in the pitch-black night, looked like a blazing flame, stinging her eyes.

She slowly descended the steps in her silver-gray high heels, determined to see what kind of person this Chen Rui was.

Seconds later, Ling Tianyou turned his head, bewildered: "Ning Yue, why did you come out?"

Gu Ningyue glanced at him indifferently, huh, that expression, caught red-handed panic!

"Too stuffy inside, came out to get some air." Gu Ningyue directed her gaze at Chen Rui, "Hello, I’m Gu Ningyue."

Chen Rui wore a beautiful white strapless fishtail top, and a high-low white tulle skirt below, revealing a pair of long jade-like legs, looking very enticing.

Unlike the sweet and charming Chi Xingtong, who was vibrant and radiant, Chen Rui was as glamorous as a peach blossom, as beautiful as ice and snow, her aura even surpassing Shen Hanyin.

The first beauty of City A, truly lived up to her name.

At that moment, Gu Ningyue finally understood why Ling Tianyou never got married—having seen such a rare beauty, what other woman could catch his eye?

Even she, Gu Ningyue felt somewhat inferior in some respects.

She was shorter than Chen Rui by a considerable margin.

Luckily, one might lose physically, but not in spirit. Gu Ningyue’s momentum did not abate.

Chen Rui’s lips curved lightly, the allure of a beauty that could topple a city: "Hello, I’m Chen Rui, Tianyou’s childhood friend. Recently, I’ve heard him mention you a lot. Truly exceptional."

Gu Ningyue withdrew her hand, linking arms with Ling Tianyou: "Is that so? I’ve also heard quite a bit about Miss Chen."

"Oh? Is that so?" Chen Rui glanced at Ling Tianyou: "What have they been saying about me?"

Though Chen Rui’s demeanor was elegant, a woman’s sixth sense told Gu Ningyue that the woman before her held a subtle hostility towards her.

Gu Ningyue smiled faintly: "Tianyou didn’t say, I heard it from someone else."

Not long ago, Chi Xingtong returned to the country, and it seemed she and Gu Ningyue had developed a good relationship. Hearing Gu Ningyue’s words, Chen Rui quickly realized who this ’someone else’ was.

She didn’t evade, looking at Gu Ningyue, and said: "Was it Xing Tong? I haven’t had the chance to see her since I got back! If Miss Gu doesn’t mind, the three of us can arrange to have a meal together sometime."

Gu Ningyue raised an eyebrow, accepting the challenge readily: "All right."

Ling Tianyou stood aside, without even a chance to interject a word.

"Okay." He frowned slightly, clearly wanting to end the conversation immediately: "Now that you’re out here, let’s head back! I’ve already informed Mr. Lin that we’ll be leaving, we can go home."

Gu Ningyue nodded, "Okay."

Saying so, she waved at Chen Rui: "Goodbye, Miss Chen."

Leaning by the car door, Chen Rui also waved, and the scarlet polish on her nails seemed to glimmer faintly in the moonlight: "Bye-bye~!"

Her eyes remained fixed on Gu Ningyue. Although Gu Ningyue appeared a bit frail, her figure was indeed graceful, curvaceous.

If not for being slightly shorter, perhaps even she would pale in comparison.

Upon reaching the parking spot, Chen Rui’s figure had already merged into the vastness of the night.

Gu Ningyue opened the car door and sat inside, "Did I, by any chance, interrupt something just now?"

Ling Tianyou hesitated as he fastened his seatbelt, "No."

Gu Ningyue smiled slightly, looking at Ling Tianyou: "If I hadn’t stepped out, would you have left with her?"

This time Ling Tianyou answered directly, "I wouldn’t have."

"NONONO! You would." Gu Ningyue waved her jade-like finger slowly: "Let me walk you through the situation... We attended the Lin Family’s gathering; Chen Rui deliberately feigned having other plans, so you brought me along with ease. Unexpectedly, just as you informed Mr. Lin of our departure, Chen Rui messaged saying she was already outside. You wanted to see her first, then take me out the back door. But I caught you. Isn’t that right?"

Ling Tianyou: "..." Caught? That word sounded really uncomfortable.

Ling Tianyou: "You’re right, but I wouldn’t leave you to go with her."

Chen Rui’s unexpected call was both expected and unexpected.

Because he didn’t anticipate, that when she made the call, she was outside the banquet hall.

Gu Ningyue continued upon hearing this: "I haven’t finished, Chen Rui came specifically for you, with only one intention — to take you away from the gathering. And if you left, I’d naturally have to leave alone, probably carrying the loss of a boyfriend being taken. And she, seeking to take you with her, surely had her methods. After all, she should know you well. And you,’d probably send me a message, telling me ’wait here, I’ll come back to get you later’. Isn’t that so?"

Ling Tianyou found himself at a loss for how to refute because what Gu Ningyue said... was indeed highly possible.

If Gu Ningyue hadn’t returned, Chen Rui certainly would have done such a thing.

This time, Lin Wuhuan’s fifth birthday party was attended by nearly all the renowned figures of City A, invited by Mr. Lin.

At that moment, if he were seen leaving with Chen Rui, his fiancée, who was already rumored by outsiders to be ’mentally ill’, would once again become the laughing stock of everyone.

Thinking of this, Ling Tianyou felt an unexpected regret, as he seemed to have nearly hurt her.

Seeing his silence, a sharp pang of heartache passed through Gu Ningyue, inexplicably.

This heartache was sudden, unexpected even to her.

If Ling Tianyou really had done so, she’d probably be even more heartbroken!

After an indeterminate amount of time, Gu Ningyue finally exhaled a long breath, as if relieved, "...Forget it, it’s good that you didn’t leave, it’s nothing!"

Ling Tianyou felt even deeper regret, looking at Gu Ningyue: "Chen Rui and I have known each other since childhood; she has an eccentric personality. You should still be cautious and avoid engaging with her too much!"

Gu Ningyue nodded, absentmindedly replying: "All right."