Standing amidst her cousins, Shen Youlin kept a non-changing smile on her face. She could not help but look at the doors again. A frustrated sigh escaped from her lips.

She was still not here.

Ten seconds passed and she glanced again. Then she waved to the passing waiter and picked up a glass of drink from the tray. Taking a sip of the drink in her hand, her eyes unconsciously went to the doorway again and she finally saw her.

The glass almost fell from her hands with one glance at her. She looked so beautiful. Her heart pounded crazily inside her chest. Shen Youlin swallowed and then licked her almost dry lips.

She saw the discomfort in her eyes and only found her more adorable and loving. Taking a deep breath to calm down her emotions, she walked towards Mo Roulan who also noticed her.

“Hey…” Only a breathless whisper came out as she stood in front of Mo Roulan.

Mo Roulan who didn’t notice any change in her passed a stiff smile to her. Shen Youlin eyes softened and with a bright smile, she held Mo Roulan’s arm and dragged her inside the banquet area.

The group of girls who were suddenly abandoned by her turned around to look at this scene. A few of them did not care but some girls walked towards the duo as Shen Youlin looked around for a waiter.

“So this is your new friend?”

Hearing the voice, Shen Youlin hand that was about to pick drink paused. It was her cousin, Yu Youxin.

Unnoticed from Mo Roulan eyes, Shen Youlin glanced sideways at You Youxin and warned her with her eyes to not say anything rubbish.

But You Youxin’s smirked widely and raised her eyebrows on seeing it and hugged her arm as she said.

“Youlin, you will introduce your friend to us. I wonder how attractive and beautiful she is to steal you away from us.”

The last sentence was said in a low voice and only Shen Youlin heard it and her body stiffened.

Before Shen Youlin could say anything, You Youxin continued.

“Hello, I am Youlin’s cousin, You Youxin.”

She stretched out her hand in front of Mo Roulan.

“Mo Roulan, Youlin’s classmate.”

Mo Roulan shook hands with her. She passed a polite smile to her. She could already see the dislike for herself in the other person’s eyes so she didn’t say anything else.

But You Youxin was not the one to remain silent.

“Your dress, It is very beautiful. Who designed it?”

Mo Roulan could see her purpose was to humiliate her as her dress was not a branded one.

“I don’t know. My mother bought it for me.”

She kept her answer short and precise. If she said anything else to humiliate her, then she would give the gift to Shen Youlin and leave the party.

In this life, she won’t let others look down on herself. To her, her family, her self-respect were the most precious things now.

As You Youxin was about to open her mouth, Shen Youlin held her arm tightly and dragged her away from there saying ‘Excuse us’ in low voice. Before walking away, she didn’t forget to pass an apologetic and assuring smile to Mo Roulan but felt upset when it was not reciprocated by the one. After You Youxin was dragged away, all other girls didn’t continue to stand on seeing that Mo Roulan didn’t have any will to talk to them.

As soon as they left, the banquet hall suddenly became noisy and a crowd gathered at the entrance. Mo Roulan raised her head to see but she couldn’t see anything as there were many people standing ahead of her. So she turned around to have something to moisten her dry throat.

—————–

Inside the garden, Shen Youlin was glaring at You Youxin with furious eyes.

“How dare you, How dare you to talk to her like that?”

You Youxin covered her mouth in surprise as she said

“Youlin, what are you say….”

She couldn’t complete her sentence as Shen Youlin shut her up.

“Oh please, Don’t put this innocent act in front of me.”

Uncovering her mouth, You Youxin laughed lowly, and then she held Shen Youlin’s hand with fake concern in her eyes.

“Are you angry? Is it so serious? I am really sorry. If I knew that you really like her, then I would not have done so.”

Shen Youlin jerked her hand away and couldn’t help but look at her with disgust.

You Youxin cheerful smile was replaced with a cold one when she saw Shen Youlin’s expression.

“What, why are you looking at me like this now? I didn’t see this disgust in your eyes when you were begging me for those things, hm? Neither when I ….”

Her fingers trailed down her arm from up to down and Shen Youlin instantly step back.

You Youxin chuckled at her reaction and stepped more closer as she whispered in her ears

“Or do you think now that you don’t need all those things so you decided to throw me away?”

You Youxin leaned back and looked in Shen Youlin eyes that were now red with anger.

“Do you think that if you like her, she will also like you? My dear Linlin, it doesn’t work like that.”

“or having arranged this banquet by your grandfather made you thought that you will be now a part of a loving family? Then let me tell you your illusion is soon going to fade away, very soon.”

Saying this, You Youxin walked away from there leaving the fuming Shen Youlin alone.

—————————-

Back Inside the banquet hall, You Youxin found Mo Roulan. She smiled and swaying her hips she elegantly walked in her direction. When she reached near her, she pretended to be dizzy and bumped with her resulting, Mo Roulan who was on her way to find Shen Youlin, falling sideways.

Mo Roulan shoulder hit someone’s back. The glass in her hands fell to the floor and some drops of drink fell on her white dress.

She raised her head to apologize but when the person whom she bumped with turned around, she couldn’t let out a single word.

Her words stuck in her throat. Her whole body was stiff. Her mind told her to run away but her feet seemed to be frozen.

Those painful memories she had hidden somewhere came back with full force.