CHAPTER 468: CHAPTER 468

This kiss, Ye Chen poured all his passion into it.

He desperately wished this kiss would awaken Yu Dingding’s memories of all the beautiful moments they shared.

But as he kissed with such realism and intensity, Yu Dingding was like a piece of wood, quiet and still, letting him kiss her without any struggle.

Ye Chen felt powerless and stopped.

"Dingding, I’ve taken some time to think things over, and I’ve realized that from the moment I took you away from Emperor City, I’ve always had various reasons to keep you by my side. It wasn’t to torment you, but because I had fallen in love with you a long time ago, I just didn’t know it."

"I’ve reflected during countless nights, pondering if I had realized my love for you sooner and stayed by your side every moment, would that tragedy have been avoided?"

As Ye Chen spoke, Yu Dingding watched him indifferently.

Then she noticed that Ye Chen had lost weight during this time.

But he was still handsome, noble, and distinguished.

But no matter how handsome, he had nothing to do with her, Yu Dingding thought to herself.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen, unaware of her thoughts, continued his confession.

"But I know that what happened is now an established fact that we can’t change. I even feel too ashamed to face you, trying to let you go. But I can’t do it..."

"Just not seeing you makes me feel like a fish on the verge of death. That’s why I’ve been drinking heavily every day; when I’m drunk, I can see you. Then, I had prepared myself to never bother you for the rest of my life. Until I went to the old house of the Yu Family, and saw the painting in your room."

"Baby, it was you who saved me that winter, not Qin Shuang! Qin Shuang lied to me, keeping me indebted with a life-saving favor and made me repay my enemy with kindness."

Yu Dingding, hearing this, suddenly remembered the incident from years ago when she saved a drowning boy in the ice hole.

After returning, she was scolded by her father, so she painted the scene.

So, by a stroke of fate, Ye Chen saw that painting and realized that it was Yu Dingding who saved him, not Qin Shuang?

Yu Dingding couldn’t help feeling a bit heartbroken: "So that’s what happened. But those things are long past; there’s no need to bring them up again, no need to dwell on them."

Yu Dingding just wanted to gloss over it, her tone light as a cloud, for to her, saving a life at that time was only a matter of convenience, and she never expected any return.

However, it was precisely her nonchalance, contrasted with Qin Shuang’s constant reminders of the life-saving event to solicit repayments from Ye Chen, that formed a striking contrast.

Ye Chen grew even more annoyed, berating himself for how idiotic he was to have identified Qin Shuang—a mere nothing—as his lifesaver.

"Dingding, I’m not telling you all this because I want your forgiveness, but because I hope you can give me a chance, a chance to redeem myself!"

Ye Chen spoke his heart, but Yu Dingding simply smiled faintly: "Even if you’re just here to redeem yourself, you’re only disgusting me in front of me. Why bother?"

With those words, Yu Dingding turned and walked toward the award ceremony stage.

Because the ceremony had already started, every designer had to go backstage to get ready.

Ye Chen watched Yu Dingding’s cold figure leaving and couldn’t help feeling disheartened.

At this moment, Fu Youhan came over, handing Ye Chen a glass of red wine, then asked, "Rejected?"

Ye Chen downed the red wine in one gulp and said, "With a mess-up as big as mine, if a few words could get her forgiveness, then there’d be a ghost."

Fu Youhan took another glass of red wine from a passing waiter and handed it to Ye Chen: "Feeling discouraged?"

Ye Chen once again finished the wine in one gulp: "Impossible. For this lifetime, I’m resigned to sticking it out with Yu Dingding."

Then Ye Chen saw that the person awarding trophies to each designer was the sponsor of today’s award ceremony, and an idea suddenly struck him.

He leaned towards Fu Youhan and whispered something into his ear.

Fu Youhan responded quietly with a reprimand: "Borrowing money to chase a girl, how admirable indeed."

*

About twenty minutes later, the award presenter announced: "The winner of this year’s Bestseller Award... Designer Ding!"

The presenter then displayed Yu Dingding’s designed works on the screen, "Designer Ding’s jewelry, unprecedentedly popular. Sold out across all branches, currently..."

After presenting the popularity of Designer Ding’s pieces, the presenter continued: "Now, may I invite Mr. Ye, the president of Fengyun International, to the stage to present the award to Designer Ding."

Hearing who the award presenter was, many people were startled.

Because the scandal between Ye Chen and Yu Dingding had caused quite a stir.

Even now when the videos and related texts from that time could no longer be found online, during leisurely chats among the people of Emperor City, the topic could still be heard.

The fact that one of them was the award winner and the other the award presenter, it was as if a grand drama of love and rivalry was unfolding, satisfying the audience’s hunger for spectacle.

But in fact, it wasn’t only the audience at the award ceremony who were stunned.

Even Yu Dingding herself was somewhat surprised to hear that Ye Chen was presenting the award to her.

She knew that today’s award presenters were the sponsors, and Ye Chen’s involvement must have cost him a pretty penny.

But the surprise was fleeting, and when Ye Chen, under the watchful eyes of the public, handed her the trophy, Yu Dingding accepted it with a smile and said:

"Ye Chen, it really wasn’t necessary. Let bygones be bygones."

Ye Chen stiffened a moment, gave Yu Dingding the prize money and the award, and then took the initiative to hug her, whispering.

"If you say let the past be the past, then just treat me as an ordinary suitor."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen felt a momentary stiffness in Yu Dingding’s body.

But Ye Chen dared not overinterpret, fearing the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

He let go of Yu Dingding, then left the scene gracefully.

Yu Dingding watched the man’s receding figure with a complex look in her eyes.

However, she too quickly left the stage under the guidance of the host.

Then the host announced: "Now presenting the Yunshang Annual Fengyun Grand Award. Do you know to whom this trophy belongs?"

Below the stage, many fans excitedly shouted: "Designer X!"

Indeed, every year at the Yunshang Designer Award Ceremony, many fans of Designer X would come to catch a glimpse of the mysterious Designer X.

This year was no different.

Taking advantage of the fans’ eager anticipation to see Designer X, the host stirred the atmosphere to its peak before announcing: "The winner of the Yunshang Annual Fengyun Grand Award is... Designer X! Please welcome Designer X to the stage to accept the award."

As soon as the host made the announcement, everyone looked around eagerly to catch the first glimpse of the true face of Designer X.

Meanwhile, Jiang Weiwei, who was watching the award ceremony online at the Jiang Family, was staring intently at the screen...