Chapter Twenty-six

Such a beauty, indeed impossible not to love. She calmly potted a yellow ball into the pocket. She had just said she didn't know how to play pool, and indeed, there was no pretension—her technique clearly indicated she was a beginner. But the posture was beautiful, oddly enough. No one taught her how to position herself, yet she naturally bent at the waist, her upper body pressed against the table. Her waist seemed as supple as a soft, boneless snake, and half of her hair cascaded onto the table with her movement. The delicate strands of hair gently brushed the surface, unknowingly stirring the hearts of the young men in the room.

It truly made their hearts flutter. Seeing her bewitching charm, especially in that oblivious state, with a smile of mild excitement over her small victory, was enough to drive them crazy.

What was even more dangerous wasn't just this, but the boy standing behind her, with a smile on his face that radiated indulgence. He had striking phoenix eyes, their corners gently tilted upwards, delicate without a trace of mundanity. This boy, who stretched his hands out to teach her how to hold the pool cue, was almost completely pressed against her, leaning over her back. As they both tilted towards the table, the closeness between them was unmistakable from the side, an intimate posture.

Even Xu He couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. He had been the one to rescue her, so how did Ganxin get ahead? Didn't Ganxin dislike her? But just earlier, the two had walked down together, clearly something had happened between them.

Yet Xu He pushed down these feelings, keeping his gaze fixed on Su Xiaobai. He had to admit, the combination of Ganxin and Su Xiaobai was perfect—handsome men, beautiful women—both were dazzling and alluring.

It was hard to say if they were watching the game or the person. How many in the room were focused on her delicate hands holding the cue stick, her soft waist, or her perky bottom?

There were countless beauties in the world, but she was the most complicated among them. She mixed allure with purity, cleverness with confusion, and cunning with a hint of innocence. Soft yet stubborn, these contrasting qualities blended to create a unique Su Xiaobai.

The trouble was, her charm seemed to strike right at the heart, delivering a sharp, swift blow to the throbbing heart of certain onlookers.

Anyone who saw her and Ganxin's closeness would suspect some unspoken connection between them. Moreover, those who could enter Gulin weren't ordinary—these were all players, people who played with the world, with others, and with things. They were daring, willing to play with anything.

And Ganxin, among these players, was a well-known figure. Even though he and Su Xiaobai had not met many times, everyone knew that the real power behind Gulin was none other than him. As for Zhou Qi, he was just a puppet, an accomplice to cover up Ganxin's involvement.

Su Xiaobai was now completely immersed in the game, her earlier worries forgotten. She focused entirely on the colorful balls in front of her. She made a perfect shot, and as she looked up excitedly, her lips almost brushed against Ganxin's neck. Su Xiaobai froze for a moment, her head lowering in a slightly "shy" gesture. Ganxin whispered something in her ear, and to outsiders, it only appeared as if the two were flirting.

The more intimate and affectionate they were, the more glaring it was in Fang Cheng's eyes. He said nothing, just stood aside, watching the pair in the center of attention.

Indeed, they made a great match. If she weren't his wife, Fang Cheng might have casually admired the scene for a moment. But, unfortunately, to him, that woman was supposed to be his "pure-hearted, low-key, non-competitive" wife. Though her behavior had changed recently, becoming slightly more outspoken, she hadn't done anything outrageous. Fang Cheng still "respected" her. Especially after hearing she had gone missing the previous night, he had sent people to search for her. He never expected her to show up in Gulin, and worse, it seemed like she had a strange relationship with Ganxin. The two were too close for comfort.

You have to understand, Fang Cheng was the type of person who had been raised with an elite education. After spending some time abroad, everything had always gone smoothly for him. He was used to being low-key but steady. This was why he couldn't stand being associated with people like Ganxin and Xu He. In his eyes, what they did was the behavior of spoiled brats, things beneath him. The truly capable ones didn't flaunt their skills—they didn't need to.

So Fang Cheng didn't rush over to "grab Ji," but instead stood coldly by, observing from the side. He wanted to see what his wife was like in front of others, how she appeared so different from how she was with him. Deep down, he didn't realize that this had brought forth feelings of "hate, jealousy, and envy."

He had been in a relationship with this woman for more than two years, married her, shared a bed with her, yet why had she never shown this charm in front of him?

Fang Cheng struggled with these thoughts, feeling torn inside.

"Fang Cheng!" A voice unexpectedly broke the silence. Who could have predicted that Zhang Tingting, the one still infatuated with Fang Cheng, would be the one to interrupt? Zhang Tingting wasn't someone who didn't love Fang Cheng, but after she couldn't get him, she met Gong Zheng, and somehow, the two became entangled. By the time she realized, Fang Cheng had long lost the passion he once had for her.

When Fang Cheng had left just now, Zhang Tingting had felt an empty loss, like a piece of her soul was missing. She felt like a solitary driftwood on the sea, her heart in pieces. Just as she was about to fall apart, she saw Fang Cheng return, and she immediately rushed toward him, desperately wanting to hold onto him, even if it meant pleading with him.

So, with a voice full of sorrow, regret, and pleading, Zhang Tingting pushed aside Gong Zheng, who had a dark expression on his face, and ran towards Fang Cheng.

The others were still caught up in the excitement and didn't notice this small incident, but Su Xiaobai, with her keen hearing, heard Fang Cheng's name and froze for a moment. She looked up, and at that moment, her gaze collided with Fang Cheng's sharp eyes.

Su Xiaobai's heart skipped a beat. Since Ganxin was worried she might fall, his hand was still resting on her waist. She hurriedly pulled away his hand, not expecting Fang Cheng to see this and think she was trying to cover something up.

She had felt a little guilty earlier, but after seeing Zhang Tingting rush over and grab Fang Cheng's hand, Su Xiaobai's temper flared up.

What was there to be afraid of? I didn't do anything shameful, unlike you, with your mistress right in front of you.

She casually threw down the cue stick and said, "I'm not playing anymore. Not playing anymore."

Truly capricious, but to these young masters, it seemed genuine.

Xu He laughed, "Why aren't you playing?"

"Bad mood. If I don't want to play, then I don't want to play. You guys play on your own." Su Xiaobai pouted, her hands behind her back as she leaned on the table. She glared back at him without hesitation and then lowered her head to say to Ganxin, "Can you see me out?"

Ganxin, of course, also saw Fang Cheng over there. He probably knew that Su Xiaobai had some unresolved issues with him, but he wasn't afraid of Fang Cheng. In fact, he was happy to stir the waters.

Su Xiaobai and Ganxin walked out side by side, not even bothering to look at Fang Cheng. But as they were about to pass each other, Fang Cheng suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Before Ganxin had a chance to speak, Fang Cheng's eyes darkened, filled with a mix of complex emotions. In a detached, cold tone, he said, "I'll take you back."

"I don't want to! Let go of me!" Su Xiaobai gritted her teeth, frowning, a look of deep resentment on her face.

"If you don't want me to drag you to the car, then come with me willingly," Fang Cheng said, glancing at her with a firm expression.

Xu He, who had been following behind, didn't like this one bit. He scoffed and said sarcastically, "Hey, who do you think you are? Why should she go with you?"

Xu He had barely met Fang Cheng and didn't know who he was, but he didn't like the way Fang Cheng was forcibly taking Su Xiaobai. After all, Su Xiaobai was someone he had "rescued."

But what Fang Cheng said next was enough to shut everyone up.

"Because I'm her husband." His words had a remarkable impact, putting out the flames of anger in many hearts. Even Zhang Tingting, who was trailing behind, had no courage to act. He was her husband—someone else's husband. She could only watch, tearfully, as Fang Cheng took Su Xiaobai away.

With a forceful drag, Fang Cheng shoved her into the car, then sped off, leaving Gulin. Ganxin didn't stop him. Since this man admitted that Su Xiaobai was his wife, it showed that there was still some attachment from his side. Su Xiaobai wasn't about to make an enemy out of Fang Cheng for Ganxin's sake.

However, as Su Xiaobai was taken away, Ganxin couldn't help but feel a slight discomfort in his heart.

Jiao Nan had just come out of the hotel. His flight to the ancient capital was at five in the afternoon. His secretary had already left early in the morning to prepare for the meeting. Jiao Nan preferred to travel light, so he didn't want anyone to accompany him and was planning to head to the ancient capital alone.

Little did Jiao Nan know that this trip to the ancient capital was destined not to be a solo journey. Whether he liked it or not, fate had its own plans, as it often does.