Chapter 45

Before going to the ball, Qin Wanshu initially wanted to replace the earrings that Zuo Qinghuan had put on for her. She looked at the earrings in the mirror and hesitated for a moment, then decided against it. "Forget it, I'll just wear these earrings," she thought. Qin Wanshu then picked up her handbag and walked out. Han Shibin's car was already waiting outside.

When Han Shibin saw Qin Wanshu, he smiled. Qin Wanshu was dressed in a silver-white evening gown, her hair elegantly pinned up, exposing her fair and graceful neck. Her delicate makeup enhanced her exquisite and beautiful features. Qin Wanshu was always so noble and elegant truly worthy of being the wife he had married.

"No matter how many times I see her, it's like the first time, making my heart race," Han Shibin said as he stepped forward and opened the car door for Qin Wanshu.

"The earrings Miss Qin is wearing today are quite beautiful," Shi Yunyang remarked. Women are always particularly sensitive to changes in the appearance of other women who pose a threat to their beauty, and even such a small detail as a change in earrings was quickly noticed by Shi Yunyang.

"I think so too," Qin Wanshu replied with a smile, knowing that there was no escaping Shi Yunyang's sharp eyes.

"However, these don't quite match Miss Qin's usual style; they make you look a bit more lively," Shi Yunyang added, raising an eyebrow. It didn't seem like Qin Wanshu's typical refined and restrained look.

"Sometimes, a change in taste is a good choice," Qin Wanshu said calmly.

"Yes, I think these earrings are quite pretty too," Han Shibin chimed in, though he hadn't initially noticed the detail. To him, his wife looked beautiful no matter what she wore.

"A change in taste is good; otherwise, life gets too dull." Just like how sometimes, you need something more intense Qin Wanshu's life had been too dull before.

Qin Wanshu understood Shi Yunyang's hidden meaning, though she didn't show it. Meanwhile, Han Shibin, who had no clue, still thought the conversation was rather boring.

Shi Yunyang was always the queen of the ball, and it wasn't long before she chose one of the many men vying for her attention to start dancing, moving gracefully like a butterfly. Shi Yunyang was a natural spotlight, always attracting a crowd wherever she went. In contrast, Qin Wanshu stood quietly, with few people asking her to dance partly because of Han Shibin standing beside her, but even before their marriage, few had dared to approach Qin Wanshu. She had always exuded a distant elegance that made her difficult to approach.

"My beautiful sister, may I have the honor of your first dance?" Qin Teng bowed courteously to Qin Wanshu and asked.

Han Shibin wasn't pleased he believed the first dance should be his.

"Brother-in-law isn't so petty, right? He won't mind, will he?" Qin Teng asked with a grin, looking at Han Shibin. Qin Teng rarely called him "brother-in-law," so using this title made it hard for Han Shibin to refuse.

"Of course not," Han Shibin answered, forcing a smile.

With the two men in agreement, Qin Wanshu had no objections either.

"Sister, brother-in-law doesn't look too happy he's being petty," Qin Teng teased, taking advantage of the situation.

Qin Wanshu couldn't see Han Shibin's expression as her back was turned to him, but she could imagine that he wasn't pleased. In the past, she would have protected Han Shibin, preventing Qin Teng from going too far. But now, she allowed Qin Teng's teasing. A brother will always be a brother, but a husband might not always be a husband. Qin Wanshu had never had such thoughts before, but now they were starting to take root. When a woman changes, she can become truly heartless, and Qin Wanshu was no exception.

"You didn't used to call him 'brother-in-law,'" Qin Wanshu remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, if someone wants to marry my sister, they need to have some skill, enough to match her. If he can't even handle me, how can he deserve you?" Qin Teng replied dismissively, clearly not thinking much of Han Shibin.

"He's just being polite," Qin Wanshu replied. While Han Shibin might have been frustrated with Qin Teng, he never showed it outwardly.

"That's not certain," Qin Teng said with a shrug. At first, Han Shibin might have been polite, but after being teased by Qin Teng repeatedly, he had grown serious, though still unable to win. Now that Qin Teng knew Qin Wanshu's heart wasn't with Han Shibin, he had even less respect for his brother-in-law.

"Speaking of someone else, sister, I find Sister Shi more and more alluring," Qin Teng's gaze shifted to Shi Yunyang nearby. Shi Yunyang was truly a seductive beauty, someone unforgettable even after being with her once. Qin Teng had once considered getting serious with her, but when he saw her flirting with someone else, he got angry. However, Shi Yunyang had told him, "Qin Teng, you're not thinking of being serious, are you? If you take it seriously, you've already lost." Qin Teng had felt foolish and told himself that he couldn't be serious with her, knowing he was afraid of losing. Since then, he had only become more reckless and indulgent. He suspected that Shi Yunyang had realized his feelings at the time and had cruelly extinguished his youthful belief in love, making her seem even more heartless to him.

Qin Wanshu suddenly recalled a conversation with Shi Yunyang from ten years ago about Qin Teng.

"Miss Qin, your brother seems to be serious about me what a headache," Shi Yunyang had said back then, though she didn't seem troubled at all, more amused than anything.

"And what are you going to do?" Qin Wanshu had asked, raising an eyebrow. She had always thought that people who lived carelessly would face consequences eventually.

"Don't you think he's a lot like me?" Shi Yunyang had liked Qin Teng, but the way she looked at him was like looking in a mirror. If the mirror got too serious, it would be bad for both of them. She didn't want the mirror to disappear.

"Having someone as reckless as you around gives you a sense of connection in this world, so you don't want to lose that mirror," Qin Wanshu had observed. She knew Shi Yunyang's selfish nature, but her brother's youthful heart was destined to be crushed by her.

Shi Yunyang was a true narcissist, self-absorbed and extremely vain. Her essence was rotten, but most people were too distracted by her beauty to notice.

"That's why I respect and like you the most, Miss Qin. You always understand me," Shi Yunyang had said. Even Shi Yunyang didn't fully understand herself, so Qin Teng would never comprehend her.

"Just minimize the harm. After all, he is my brother," Qin Wanshu had said. As his sister, that was all she could do. Shi Yunyang's talent lay in wounding people without leaving a trace, causing pain without anyone knowing the reason.

"Don't worry, Miss Qin," Shi Yunyang had reassured her. She still liked this mirror.

Qin Wanshu hadn't expected that Qin Teng still couldn't let go of Shi Yunyang. He had suffered because of her, but who knew when Shi Yunyang herself would suffer? Qin Wanshu was actually looking forward to seeing who might be capable of toppling Shi Yunyang.

"Shi Yunyang is just like you always wanting to take and never willing to give. You two aren't suited for each other," Qin Wanshu said, glancing at Shi Yunyang. Whether Qin Teng heeded her advice or not was his decision, but she still wanted to give him a kind warning.

Qin Teng shrugged indifferently. At eighteen, he had the luxury of caring; at twenty-eight, he had no time for such trivialities.

After finishing the dance with Qin Teng, Qin Wanshu excused herself to the restroom and stepped outside to get some fresh air.

She took out her phone and saw a text message.

"8:51 PM, thinking of you." It was a simple message, but it made Qin Wanshu smile. When a woman feels romantic, her emotions are far more delicate than a man's.

"9:13 PM, got it," Qin Wanshu replied, though with some reluctance, she quickly deleted both messages.

Zuo Qinghuan, who received the message, smiled like a flower, her earlier gloom vanishing completely.

"Honey, why aren't you coming inside?" Han Shibin asked as he stepped outside, searching for Qin Wanshu. He couldn't help but feel that they had less and less time together recently, and that Qin Wanshu seemed increasingly distant. This feeling of unease gnawed at him.

"Just getting some fresh air," Qin Wanshu replied, putting her phone away.

"Did you get a call? Who was it?" Han Shibin had noticed the phone in Qin Wanshu's hand before she put it away.

"No one," Qin Wanshu said calmly, her tone unchanged, ignoring Han Shibin's suspicious gaze.

Han Shibin clearly didn't believe her, but he was smart enough not to confront her directly. Instead, he silently planted the seed of doubt in his heart.

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