004 Cold and Thin

Slim fingers lifted, and Fu Han's fingertips glided over his cold and handsome profile, but her voice carried a trace of contempt, "Then, I must truly be flattered."

He Xing's long fingers suddenly tensed, his lips thinned, pursed tightly, and his gaze deepened further.

Fu Han remained unaffected, simply smiling innocently at He Xing.

After looking at her deeply for a moment, He Xing slowly loosened his grip and said, "The wedding won't be called off. Stay at home obediently, I will hold a banquet later and announce our wedding date."

Having said that, he turned and left the room with a cold face.

Watching He Xing's frosty retreating figure, Fu Han, with a thoughtful smirk, scoffed lightly, "Pathetic, aren't you?"

That very evening, the He Family villa held an extremely grand banquet.

Fu Han dressed casually, throwing the evening gown prepared by He Xing into the corner of the room, and leisurely sat in the back garden, drinking tea and admiring the moon.

The cool moonlight reflected off the vast swimming pool, and Fu Han, deep in thought, leaned against the pool's edge, her lowered lashes hiding the dark light in her eyes.

"Fu Han!" He Xing found her, and from a distance saw her sitting by the pool, lost in thought.

A sharp sting pierced his heart, and his pupils contracted as he strode over to Fu Han and yanked her up forcefully.

"What are you doing!" He Xing's face was tense, his gaze on Fu Han unusually shrouded with hostility.

Taken by surprise, Fu Han spilled her tea on He Xing, instantly ruining his expensive suit.

"What do you think I'm doing," Fu Han said, her voice devoid of emotion, watching him, "Afraid I'll get desperate and jump in?"

She set the tea cup aside with a laugh, "Have you ever heard of someone committing suicide in a swimming pool?"

The incident where she fell into the water three years ago hadn't left her with a psychological shadow; it seemed more like it had become a psychological shadow for He Xing.

"He Xing," Fu Han said nonchalantly, a slight curve to her lips, "I've learned to swim."

He Xing's long finger suddenly paused, his breathing slightly hurried and his restraint more evident, as he dragged Fu Han towards the lobby, "It's time for the banquet."

"I'm not going," Fu Han said slowly, sitting back down, "I hate crowded places."

She tilted her head with a smile, "Are you going to force me to go?"

He Xing's breathing tightened again as he stared at Fu Han, "You are the lady of the banquet."

Ever since Fu Han returned to the He Family, He Xing had noticed a stark change in her.

No longer was she self-deprecating or overly sensitive; it was as though she had grown a layer of sharp spines, yet she wore a mask of mellowness, her behavior casual and indifferent, seemingly unprovocative yet just as aggressive.

This new Fu Han seemed strange to him, almost unreachable, as if she sat before him, enveloping He Xing in a sensation of grasping at void.

"The lady of the banquet, huh?" Fu Han tasted those words, chuckling, "Suit yourself. I don't know any of those political and business elites in the lobby, and I can't deal with those scenes either."

Looking at Fu Han's serene expression, He Xing couldn't help but frown tightly, yet he did not insist on her attending anymore.

He went back to his bedroom to change his clothes, then brought a few young masters and ladies to the back garden.

"Miss Fu, long time no see."

A familiar voice reached Fu Han's ears. She turned her head and saw a man with gentle features walking up, arm in arm with Xia Ning, his gaze turning colder by the second.

It was Xia Cheng, the eldest son of the Xia Family and the brother who doted on Xia Ning the most.

Xia Cheng looked over Fu Han from top to bottom, his smile gentle and polite, yet his brows cloaked with a hostility unbecoming of his demeanor.

The He Family was regarded as the leading family among A City's four major clans, and those who had come were all long-time friends of the family, and childhood friends of He Xing.

Xia Ning grew up surrounded by these elite young masters, always the center of attention, and regarded as A City's number one lady.

She and He Xing seemed an ideal match, and everyone thought she would surely marry him, until Fu Han appeared out of nowhere.

Xia Cheng glanced at Xia Ning in his arms, noticing the sorrow that lingered in her eyes and thus darkening his expression further as he addressed Fu Han, "Miss Fu, you disappear without a trace for years on end. Where have you been 'highly situated'?"

The atmosphere in the garden abruptly tensed under the night sky, becoming all the more silent, as the two people following Xia Cheng let out a snicker.

Fu Han's humble origins were her deep-seated insecurity; the slightest hint would make her jump.

Everyone could tell that Xia Cheng was mocking Fu Han.

"Photographer," Fu Han replied nonchalantly, "Looking at scenery, taking photos, nothing compared to the busy lives of all the young masters and ladies here."

Xia Cheng and the others were taken aback.

Fu Han used to always be evasive about her background, any hint of her low status making her contort her face into an awkward grimace as if she had been maliciously targeted.

But now, that sensitivity and sharpness were gone from her; it was as though her edges had been smoothed over, or perhaps she had concealed them altogether, making her even more impenetrable.

"Is the banquet over?"

Fu Han turned her head to He Xing, "Did you bring these noble sons over for a small gathering? It's a bit like the night Xia Ning and I fell into the water three years ago, aren't you afraid of another accident?"

The air around tensed once more.

With her candid teasing about the past conflicts, Fu Han unintentionally added a layer of awkwardness to the gathering.

He Xing sat down beside her indifferently, his left hand instinctively wrapping behind her, as if he was bringing her under his wing, afraid she might fall into the pool, "As you wish."

His casual tone made Fu Han raise an eyebrow.

As you wish?

What exactly was He Xing trying to imply by bringing these people before her...

"Fu Han."

Xia Ning broke the stagnant air, mustering a smile and taking a couple of steps forward, "Let's not bring up past events. It's been a long time since we've seen each other, and we really should catch up. Don't dwell on the old days..."

"Xia Ning," Fu Han interrupted her directly, lifting her hand and beckoning Xia Ning with her fingers, "Come here."

Xia Ning hesitated, and Xia Cheng, with a stern face, said, "What do you want to do?"

"What do you think I want to do," Fu Han laughed coldly, "after all, Xia Ning is your cherished little princess, isn't she?"

"Brother, it's okay," Xia Ning reassured Xia Cheng with a smile, then glanced at He Xing, but his gaze remained fixed on Fu Han, not sparing her even a sliver of attention.

Suppressing the full extent of her resentment, Xia Ning approached Fu Han and asked, "What is it?"

Fu Han's lips curled into a smile, and she suddenly stood up, grabbed Xia Ning by the collar, and, with a swift movement, flung her into the swimming pool.