I don't mind being hated

No.

This had to be a mistake. A joke. A cruel trick played by her father. 

But when she looked at him, she found nothing but sincerity in his expression. He meant every word. This was no joke. Yan Rouxi swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay composed, but she failed. The air itself felt suffocated. Then, slowly, her gaze shifted to him. 

Gu Yixuan stood there, calm as ever, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, his dark eyes locked onto hers with that infuriating indifference. The dim lighting of the chandeliers cast sharp shadows over his chiseled features, but his eyes remained as cold as ever. 

He didn't seem surprised, nor shocked as if he had expected this.

As if he had been waiting for this.

Her hands clenched at her sides. Her father kept speaking, but the words blurred into meaningless noise. The murmurs of the guests, the soft clink of glasses, the whispers.... all of it faded into the background.

This wasn't happening.