Ruan Tianxin's eyes widened, disbelieving that he would publicly reveal such a thing.
Did this man have no shame?
If such an awkward matter wasn't mentioned, and forgotten by everyone, wouldn't that be for the best?
He insisted on bringing it up. Was he shameless?
Since he was being shameless, then everyone might as well be shameless!
In a fit of pique, Ruan Tianxin also started speaking recklessly, "It's not like you're any better! Weren't you the one pretending to be poor online to trick young girls! A player like you, and you dare to call yourself a virgin... Mmph..."
After Shao Chen spoke, he realized he had been too quick with his tongue. How could he have blurted out such an embarrassing matter?
Seeing Ruan Tianxin also speaking recklessly, he immediately reached out and covered her mouth, pulling her aside.
"What are you doing?!" Ruan Tianxin pried his hand open forcefully, indignant.
"Cough, let's not talk about this matter anymore," Shao Chen coughed awkwardly, seeming embarrassed.
Ruan Tianxin was amused by his anger. "You started it, so why can't I talk about it?! This is Denmark, not China! You can't restrict my freedom of speech. If you don't want me to say it, I will say it even more. Let's see who is more shameless!"
Shao Chen's head immediately started to ache. He really shouldn't argue with women so much. Seeing her willingness to throw caution to the wind, in his desperation, he just wanted to shut her up.
"You... Mmph...!"
Ruan Tianxin looked at the man's face, magnified before her eyes, her nose filled with his familiar scent. Her lips were sealed so tightly that for a moment, she forgot to breathe, her mind going blank.
Seeing Shao Chen pull Ruan Tianxin aside and speak to her, Angela looked at Ruan's mother in surprise. "Do they two know each other?"
"They know each other, and they're ex-lovers!" Ruan's mother explained.
"Ah?! Why didn't you say so earlier?" Angela was shocked.
"It's my fault for not telling you about them beforehand," Ruan's mother blamed herself.
They had met as children while studying dance and had been inseparable best friends for decades.
However, after both of them retired, Ruan's mother entered the business world, while Angela took up photography, often venturing to remote areas to capture landscapes and local customs.
She would travel for half a year or even a year at a time, not returning, and completely disengaged from external affairs.
At that time, Ruan's mother was also busy with work and had no time to sit down with her friend to gossip. Even when they did meet, she didn't mention her daughter's relationships. After all, her daughter changed boyfriends as frequently as she changed clothes, so it was too much to discuss. She simply didn't bring it up.
It was only after Ruan Tianxin broke up with Shao Chen that she remained single for five years without dating anyone. Ruan's mother found this unusual and mentioned it to her friend, but didn't bring up Shao Chen specifically. Therefore, Angela was unaware of the news of Ruan Tianxin and Shao Chen's relationship back then.
If she had known earlier, she wouldn't have arranged for them to meet in this manner today!
"Quickly separate them..."
Their attention returned to Shao Chen and Ruan Tianxin. Seeing them kissing, Angela changed her tune. "I guess it's not needed anymore?"
"Mr. Shao, please mind your behavior!" James was also caught off guard, completely unexpected that Shao Chen would kiss Ruan Tianxin in public. He immediately stepped forward and pushed Shao Chen away.
Ruan Tianxin regained her senses, looking at Shao Chen, her heart pounding like a drum and her breathing rapid. All her anger had vanished, her mind like a frozen computer, unresponsive.
Shao Chen lightly licked his lips, as if savoring the lingering taste of the other person, his heart also racing, but his mind was clear.
He still cherished her taste.
"Auntie, your party seems to be starting," Shao Chen said, seeing more and more guests, including reporters, looking their way. To ease the awkwardness, he turned and walked towards Angela, entering the banquet hall with her.
Ruan's mother immediately led Ruan Tianxin into the banquet hall, dispersing the onlookers.
When Feng Anna caught up, she saw Shao Chen kissing Ruan Tianxin, which further confirmed her earlier suspicion: Shao Chen was indeed still harboring feelings for Ruan Tianxin.
She was furious, wishing she could rush forward and tear Ruan Tianxin's face, calling her shameless for trying to seduce another's male companion when she already had someone.
But she held back, her gaze towards Ruan Tianxin filled with resentment.
The ball soon began, with Angela hosting the event on stage, and the hall filled with guests.
Ruan's mother and Ruan Tianxin stood in a corner. Seeing her beloved daughter still dazed, Ruan's mother couldn't help but pinch her soft cheek. "What, are you stunned by the kiss? Come back to reality."
Ruan Tianxin's stuck brain finally kicked into gear. "No, no."
James rarely saw Ruan Tianxin like this. A flicker of gloom crossed his eyes. He suddenly felt that his chances of reconciling with her had drastically decreased.
It seemed Tianxin still liked Shao Chen.
"That's good then," Ruan's mother adjusted her daughter's shawl. "Alright, don't overthink it. Mom will take you to meet some of my other friends. James, you too."
"Okay." Ruan Tianxin took a deep breath, pushed the previous events out of her mind, and forced herself not to dwell on them. She followed them to mingle with the lively crowd.
As for Shao Chen.
He generally disliked attending such parties unless it was for business. He found them boring but didn't leave in a hurry. He found a corner to sit down.
His fingers unconsciously rubbed his lips, as if reminiscing about the sensation of the kiss, and his gaze searched the crowd for Ruan Tianxin.
Seeing Ruan Tianxin arm in arm with James, laughing and chatting with others, made Shao Chen feel uncomfortable.
He took out his phone, opened the camera, took a picture of James, and sent it to his assistant. "Investigate this person's detailed information."
Feng Anna came to find Shao Chen, and seeing that he completely ignored her, her resentment intensified.
Taking advantage of the party reaching its climax, she went to the food area. She looked around and saw that everyone was focused on the performance on stage, and no one was paying attention to this area. She then poured her champagne into the trash can, refilled her glass with half a glass of cola, and then scooped more than ten spoonfuls of MSG from the condiment section, stirring it together.
This seasoning method was something she had heard of as the simplest way to make an aphrodisiac.
If Ruan Tianxin drank it and the drug took effect, she would perform an overly explicit and large-scale performance with a man in public. She didn't believe Shao Chen would still have feelings for Ruan Tianxin then!
She understood men best. They only liked "clean" women. Even if they liked a woman with flaws, they would give her up out of pride, because they cared most about their own reputation.
With this thought, Feng Anna tidied her appearance and began to search for Ruan Tianxin.