CHAPTER 262: CHAPTER 262

It was Si Lin.

He was still wearing a silver-gray three-piece suit, tall and straight, a feast for the eyes.

Casually holding a cigarette between his lips, he was puffing smoke rings, his eyes half-closed as if enjoying himself.

But upon seeing Jiang Moxi, his deep eyes instantly regained clarity, and he immediately extinguished the cigarette butt.

"Why are you here?" Si Lin looked at Jiang Moxi, a trace of hidden restraint lurking in his dark eyes.

Ever since Jiang Moxi had launched a major offensive and was stopped by Fu Youhan, Si Lin felt a pang of jealousy and actively cut off all contact with her.

During this time, Si Lin took the initiative to take over countless business sectors of the Si family, skyrocketing the business and elevating the Si family’s status once again.

But watching the Si family’s commercial empire expand continuously, Si Lin felt no joy.

He didn’t even understand why he had suddenly become so career-driven.

He just felt that a busy life seemed to help him forget everything, and he wouldn’t be constantly thinking about that bad woman, Jiang Moxi.

Only now, encountering Jiang Moxi again did Si Lin realize that the sharpened edges of the memories he thought were worn away had abruptly sprung back to life.

His concern for her was not, as he had thought, long faded, but merely buried deep within his heart.

As soon as Jiang Moxi appeared, all the memories and thoughts became fiercely alive, threatening to tear him apart.

At this moment, Si Lin truly realized that what he thought was forgetting was in vain.

He even understood that his sudden focus on his career was also for Jiang Moxi, hoping that she would see his dazzling side...

The pathetic thing was that she seemed oblivious to his jealousy and to him unilaterally cutting ties.

She responded as usual, coolly indifferent, "I was called out."

Despite feeling helpless, Si Lin couldn’t help wanting to get closer to Jiang Moxi.

"Who called you out? Who could possibly compel you?"

He covered the sadness in his heart with a mischievous smile, drew near Jiang Moxi, raised his eyebrows and asked, "Third Master Fu?"

In his mind, it seemed only Fu Youhan had that kind of influence over Jiang Moxi.

He stared at Jiang Moxi’s lips, which were so close, and couldn’t resist wanting to try and pressure her into doing something, to prove he was on equal footing with, or even surpassed Fu Youhan...

"Come any closer, and I might start throwing punches."

Jiang Moxi had a vague idea of what Si Lin intended and her voice grew colder.

"I’ve been hit before, it’s nothing new," Si Lin replied with a rebellious smile, ready to persist in his obstinance.

Just then, a gentle female voice interrupted: "Moxi?"

The sound made both Jiang Moxi and Si Lin turn to look.

There stood Fu Wangning, looking surprised.

"Young Master Si?" Fu Wangning looked at Si Lin, then at Jiang Moxi.

She seemed unable to believe that Jiang Moxi was mixed up with Si Lin.

Si Lin simply nodded slightly towards Fu Wangning, then leaned in to Jiang Moxi’s ear and asked, "So, it was Fu Wangning who called you out?"

"Uh-huh," Jiang Moxi whispered back to Si Lin, then turned her gaze to Fu Wangning, who was still observing them.

Fu Wangning, having regained her composure, quickly smiled, "I’ve been waiting for you in the private room for a long time. When you didn’t come back, I came out to find you."

Fu Wangning added, "Since you’re alright, I’ll go back and wait for you in the room."

After saying this, she nodded slightly to Si Lin in greeting, then turned and headed back to the private room.

Fu Wangning’s arrival was sudden and her departure just as swift, but it disrupted Si Lin’s probing mood.

"I’m going back," said Jiang Moxi, turning to leave.

But Si Lin grabbed her, "Do you know the relationship between Fu Wangning and Third Master Fu?"

"A betrothed bride? Fiancés?" Jiang Moxi arched her eyebrows.

Si Lin laughed, his nonchalant demeanor tinged with indifference, "Seems like you’re well-informed. Then how can you coexist peacefully with her? Not seizing the chance to pull her hair out?"

Si Lin had witnessed women fight over jealousy, rivals leaving each other battered.

Yet, he had never seen someone like Jiang Moxi, who could dine with her rival calmly, as if they were close as sisters.

"She hasn’t done anything to me, why would I pull her hair?"

Jiang Moxi added a playful touch to her tone and asked Si Lin, "Are you interested in her? How about I ask her what she thinks for you?"

Si Lin didn’t know what he had said wrong to make Jiang Moxi think he was interested in Fu Wangning.

He hurriedly said, "Forget about it. Haven’t you heard the saying, ’Don’t be the go-between, don’t guarantee affairs, and don’t be a matchmaker for happiness lasts three generations’?"

Afraid that Jiang Moxi would bring it up again, Si Lin added, "Plus, that woman... is not simple!"

Everyone else thought highly of Fu Wangning, praising her excellent education and good looks, and she always wore a gentle smile on her face.

But Si Lin felt that someone like Fu Wangning, who was overly perfect and displayed no emotion, was precisely the one harboring the deepest schemes.

You could never guess what kind of ambition hid beneath her purest of facades!

So, Si Lin purposely avoided contact with Fu Wangning, not just because of Si Ruo, but because he was wary of her.

Seeing that Si Lin was not interested in Fu Wangning, Jiang Moxi made some idle talk and then went back to the private room.

Si Lin wanted to continue the conversation with Jiang Moxi, but then he thought better of it.

After all, he would no longer confine himself from seeing her from now on...

*

Upon returning to the private room, Fu Wangning asked Jiang Moxi with interest, "Are you and Young Master Si on good terms?"

Jiang Moxi frankly replied, "No. We have a terrible relationship."

She and Si Lin even had a huge fight with each other once.

So, in Jiang Moxi’s view, she and Si Lin were far from having a good relationship.

But Fu Wangning was unaware of these things and silently tagged Jiang Moxi as hypocritical.

Look, Jiang Moxi was just so close to Si Lin a moment ago.

If she, Fu Wangning, hadn’t appeared just now, the two might have even kissed.

And yet, Jiang Moxi had the nerve to brazenly lie and say their relationship was terrible?

If this wasn’t hypocrisy, then what was it?

However, after assigning Jiang Moxi such a label, Fu Wangning’s sense of crisis also instantly faded.

After the meal, Fu Wangning suggested to Jiang Moxi, "Brother Chen is hosting a gathering at Night Color later, do you want to join us for fun?"

"Not tonight, I have other plans," Jiang Moxi declined directly.

Apart from not wanting to interact too much with Fu Wangning, Jiang Moxi was even less inclined to face Ye Chen.

Fu Wangning did not insist further because after witnessing the ambiguous ties between Jiang Moxi and Si Lin, she genuinely felt that Jiang Moxi, this slut, was not worthy of being her rival.

After bidding farewell to Jiang Moxi, Fu Wangning went to Night Color.

Many people from the circle were there for the gathering organized by Ye Chen, including Fu Youhan.

As usual, Fu Youhan sat at the innermost host seat with a casual yet clearly superior demeanor over everyone else.

After greeting everyone, Fu Wangning sat next to Fu Youhan.

However, the organizer, Ye Chen, seemed out of sorts today; within just ten minutes of Fu Wangning’s arrival in the private room, she watched him down three shots of strong liquor.

"Brother Chen, what’s wrong with you today? Drinking so much?"

Fu Wangning had always perceived Ye Chen as the ultimate playboy.

To Ye Chen, alcohol and women were just playthings for amusement, and he never let these things consume too much of his energy or emotion.

But today, Ye Chen’s behavior somewhat overturned Fu Wangning’s impression of him.

Ye Chen continued drinking without paying any attention to Fu Wangning, but Yuan Zhou took it upon himself to speak for him.

"Miss Fu, Brother Chen’s darling pet is lost; he’s in a bad mood," Yuan Zhou said.

Fu Wangning was somewhat surprised, "Brother Chen has a darling pet?"

In Fu Wangning’s eyes, Ye Chen treated every woman more or less the same.

While with them, he would indulge every woman to the heavens, but after breaking up, he never looked back.

He was ever affectionate, yet utterly heartless!

"Yes, I do," Ye Chen responded to Fu Wangning, then suddenly slammed his glass down onto the table and fixed his seductive, peach blossom eyes straight onto Fu Youhan.

"But my baby isn’t lost; Brother Han knows where she is!"

As soon as Ye Chen uttered these words, Fu Wangning sharply turned her gaze toward Fu Youhan...