CHAPTER 23: 020 NOT DISAPPOINT

In her previous life, up until her last breath, Yan Song was the dream lover of every girl in Jiangzhou.

He came from a distinguished family, had handsome features, excelled academically, was cold yet sunny in temperament, and his agility on the basketball court was a marvel to behold. A single dunk photo sent his popularity skyrocketing online, earning him the title of "National School Hunk," with countless girls obsessing over him.

Yun Ya usually kept her distance from such people, though she eventually provoked him anyway.

When the boy blocked her path, he roared in a gloomy and irritable tone, "What exactly do you want from me?"

She had a high IQ but a low EQ. All she wanted was revenge, with no room for romance in her heart, so when she rejected him time and again, it only heightened the boy’s competitive spirit. From disdain to curiosity to deep love, she caused a proud and sharp-tongued golden boy to bow his noble head to her within three years.

Yet, she still didn’t love him.

Maybe her innate intelligence made her mature early and also led her to see through life’s vanities too soon. She didn’t understand what love was. Perhaps this boy meant something a little different to her, but that slight difference wasn’t enough to gain her true affections.

Memories of Yan Song from her past life had faded. She could hardly recall his face, but now, looking at the boy before her with his delicate features and contemptuous, arrogant gaze, his image gradually overlapped with that of the other face.

Indeed, he was cuter as a child.

Despite his insults, she still smiled. Yan Song grew restless. Was her skin thicker than the city walls, impervious to shame or blushing?

"Ji Yunya, what are you smiling about?" he said fiercely.

"Because I thought of something very interesting," she said with a sweet smile and twinkling eyes.

"What’s so interesting?" he would never admit that he was curious.

"Brother Yan Song, promise me one thing and I’ll tell you," she said, batting her innocent eyes. Yan Song didn’t know why, but he felt his cheeks growing warm and quickly looked away.

The delicate brows of the little boy frowned as if they could kill a fly, "Let’s hear it first."

Yun Ya’s voice was as light as a cloud, "Promise me, never to fall in love with me again."

People bustled around the ballroom, and the crystal chandelier refracted light as brilliant and dazzling as colored glaze. At that moment, seven-year-old Yan Song, still ignorant of what love meant, was struck to the core by her words. He looked at the girl before him, with her seaweed-like beautiful hair, her skin pale as milk, her eyes clear and sparkling, so black, so bright, yet so mysterious and sad.

At the time, he didn’t understand the meaning of the word "sadness." He remembered a book he had read before.

The little fox said, "You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You have tamed the rose..." The Prince remembered the rose, all the days and nights he spent with it, but he never thought he had also tamed the little fox.

He felt terrible after reading that, sharing the fox’s heartache, a feeling he couldn’t describe. He was down for days, just like he felt now. Why was that?

He should dislike her; she was so mean, her smile so fake, yet he felt sorry for her, just as he did for the little fox. What the hell...

Promise me, never to fall in love with me again.

She wasn’t a kind person, but that boy had given her the purest feelings. It wasn’t a matter of whether she deserved them but whether they were wasted. She had crawled up from hell, and her life was destined to be filled with darkness. In this life, we keep our respectful distance.

Consider this life a repayment for your sincerity in the last. I won’t provoke you again.

As Yun Ya’s eyes slowly regained their calm, becoming as still as the Dead Sea, he suddenly felt the illusory sensation of losing something. Instinctively, he reached out to grasp it, but Yun Ya had already passed by him. He grasped at nothing, watching as she moved further away, an overwhelming sense of panic nearly engulfing him.

"Brother, you said you would take me away from here," Yan Ke clung to his clothing, unwilling to let go.

Yan Song pushed him away: "Get lost."

Yan Ke’s lips puckered, ready to cry, Brother is so mean, "The pretty sister left because of you; it’s all your fault."

Yan Song pursed his lips and led Yan Ke back to Zhuang Xiyue’s side obediently.

"Where did you run off to just now? This isn’t a place to run around, stay close to me," Kang Jinse lowered her voice and said.

Yun Ya hung her head low by her side, silent.

Kang Jinse was even more infuriated seeing her like this—others would think she had been mistreated. At such a young age, quite cunning, she thought.

Kang Jinse saw that several wives, all prominent figures in Jiangzhou, had gathered around Zhuang Xiyue, and she felt a desire to join in—but they had formed an exclusive circle, and it was hard for an outsider to break in. She hesitated. Then, noticing the two little boys beside Zhuang Xiyue, she looked at Yun Ya with her head still lowered and an idea came to her.

She knew it was a gamble, but after being overshadowed by Bai Ran, she was desperate to regain her dignity.

Zhuang Xiyue was conversing with Mrs. Su and Mrs. Zhou; the seasoned officials’ wives had a harmonious atmosphere.

Just then, the sharp sound of a woman’s questioning voice pierced through the light and joyful mood of the venue.

Zhuang Xiyue frowned, "What’s going on?"

She turned to look into the crowd, where a gathering had already formed. The outlines were indistinct, but a striking red figure caught the eye.

This was her first banquet hosted in Jiangzhou—it had to be flawless. With this in mind, she excused herself with an apologetic smile to Mrs. Su and Mrs. Zhou and walked towards the disturbance.

"Yun Ya, aunty knows you don’t like her, and I have tried to change, but you can’t express your dissatisfaction this way. Be good, take it out," Kang Jinse said patiently, with an appearance of good temper.

In front of her stood a little girl with her head hung, her expression unseen.

Some became interested—Kang Jinse was making a fuss again. True to her showbiz roots, indeed she never lacked for drama.