"Uh, there is your prince charming," Zheng Shuang said while pointing at a man wearing a grey checkered suit with her eyes. Xia Sha, who subconsciously follow Zheng Shuang's gaze, gritted her teeth at the sight of him.
"Of course he would be here," Xia Sha rolled her eyes before sipping her champagne.
"You don't look happy," Kai Xin teased, titled her head and steal another glance at the man again. She wiggles her eyebrow at Xia Sha.
"I am." Xia Sha did not hesitate to admit it frankly.
Guan Xian did not lie when he said he would plastering Xia Sha more persistent than before. He created the so-called accidental meeting almost every day for the whole week.
Whether it was morning, afternoon, or night, social gathering, brunch, or whatever event he could pop out, he would.
Guan Xian always finds a way to talk and annoyed Xia Sha. What's more infuriating is that he refuses to help her. He added another paperwork for Xia Sha to maintain Xpods staying on Global Mart.
"Well, his presence is better than your ex," Zheng Shuang chimed it, sipping her champagne nonchalantly. Xia Sha lips twitched when she caught Meng Ran coming with Ling Guang from the west door.
"Or your another ex," Kai Xin raised her crystal glass, which Zheng Shuang replied with a clink. Both of them are mentioning to the handsomely just arrived Xiao Zhan, who is approaching them right now.
"Enough drinking lady," A baritone voice said before they watched Zheng Shuang's glass is taken away by a man. After ignoring Zheng Shuang glare at him, he turns to Kai Xin and Xia Sha and greets them.
"Ladies-" Xiao Yu, Xiao Zhan's brother and Zheng Shuang fiancee said with a faint smile. This man has always look callous and cold, Kai Xin and Xia Sha always felt he is incompatible with the sunshiny Zheng Shuang.
"Bro! I've been searching for you everywhere."
Just like that, Xiao Zhan found the perfect alibi to join the group of ladies. Xia Sha turns her body sideways indifferently. She successfully avoids Xiao Zhan's stares but stumbles into the dark brown eyes across the room instead.
He raised his glass from afar, smiling gloriously at her. Xia Sha rolled her eyes. She chooses to ignore his antics by acting dumb. "I'm going to use the ladies room," she announces to the group, preparing to distance herself.
"Come on, Xia Sha. what are you? twelve?" Xiao Zhan titled his head with the eyes that says 'I know you are avoiding me."
Xia Sha turns her head slightly to look at him with a smirk. "On the scale from one to ten, yeah, I am twelve." She said before walking away for good.
"You can't always ignore me like this, you know?" He said again, took another step closer to her.
"I can, and that is what I'll be doing right now." She answers nonchalantly, making her leg moving faster. Can see get to the ladies' room already? she did not want to speak with this man again.
Finally, he caught her wrist to stop her. But smart for Xiao Zhan, he let her hand go before she flung his hand away and cause a huge scene.
"Xia Sha, you should know your grandfather did this for your own good." Xiao Zhan lowered his voice and look at Xia Sha with his pleading eyes. Xia Sha furrowed her eyes at him, causing her long-curled eyelashes to cast a beautiful shadow under the beautiful chandelier lights.
"You mean, forcing us to be together to save the company is for good. When it's all for business, really. Thank you for that, hero." She replied sarcastically. She sipped her drinks and turn her sight, not wanting to look at Xiao Zhan.
Xiao Zhan sigh and look depressed for a moment. It's like he has an internal battle with himself before. "Okay, I lied. It's not you that your grandfather tried to save."
Now with this declaration, Xia Sha suddenly felt Xiao Zhan is less nauseating. She turns her body slightly and waited for him to finish his sentence. "Go on, tell me that I'm right, again."
"It's not for the company too. It's your father. He-"
"Xia Sha, Mr. Xiao, it's good to see you here," Ling Guang and Meng Ran come unnaturally from the side. Receive a glare from Xia Sha and Xiao Zhan, respectively.
Ling Guang looks a little tense watching Xia Sha and Xiao Zhan together. He knew they had a history before. The fact it's Xiao Zhan's uncle that bought the shares is not helping either.
If only he did not has to lend Xia Sha's name to mingle with these elites.
"Can't say the same to you," Xia Sha raised her eyebrow and look at him fiercely. Meng Ran clear her throat and tried to show her best smile to Xia Sha.
"Hahaha, you are still the same. Sarcastic as ever. But we know you don't mean to hurt us with your words." Meng Ran blabbered.
"Un-oh, I don't say things I don't mean. Unless it was sorry. Now, while I ask you nicely, can you get out of my sight? It's getting unpleasant." Xia Sha faked a nice, friendly smile and waited for them to walk away from her.
Meng Ran and Ling Guang's face turn dark almost instantly. But a smile still plastering their face. "Well, it's nice to-"
"Sho," Xia Sha furrowed her eyebrow and waving her hand. Ignore her etiquette lesson rule number twenty-something. Not be rude to people. But when did she ever stick to the rules anyway.
Completely defeated, Ling Guang and Meng Ran walk away in shames. It makes her heartfelt better, watching their dejected back with a victorious smile. She turns her head and watched Xiao Zhan still standing beside her.
Xiao Zhan opens his mouth, prepared to finish his information when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. This expensive fragrance smells stronger as the man in grey checker suits open his mouth.
"Hello to two of you again," he smiles at Xiao Zhan before shifting his gaze at Xia Sha. Xia Sha changed her empty champagne glass with a new one. She needs a lot of it to deal with this devil.
"What do you want?" she practically snaps at Guan Xian.
Guan Xian chuckles at her fierce responses as if he is watching a baby tiger roaring at him. So cute. "I see you've been gathering your ex here," he looked at Ling Guang briefly before smiling at Xiao Zhan.
"Shut up, you probably has slept with more than half woman in this room," Xia Sha replied losing her interest to talk with Guan Xian afterwards. She really need to tell this to herself everytime she see Guan Xian. This way, she could prevent herself from doing something stupid. Like prolong her crush on Guan Xian which could lead to a total disaster.
"Don't be so pissy. You don't look this furious when you asked me to catch you if you fall on a hot air balloon."
"What?" Xiao Zhan turns to them with confused looks.
"Oh, Xia Sha did not tell you she has a blast night with me?" Guan Xian turns to Xiao Zhan, faking his surprised look. When Xiao Zhan's pressed his lips and jaw tighten, Guan Xian lowered his head and fake whispering to him, "It's my most memorable first date. I bet it's hers too since she never really go on date before."
"First of all, I did not ask you to catch me if I fall. You said it yourself. Secondly, I've been on several amazing dates!" Xia Sha look pressed at Guan Xian.
"Uh, you should at least make your lie believable. The only man you date is this man over here for your high school reputations, which happen so young and I doubt he could arrange impressive dates without searching it up on Pinterest. The other man is too poor to arrange a real date for you, really."
Xia Sha and Xiao Zhan: "..."
Guan Xian smiles innocently at their deadpan faces. Realizing Xia Sha is surpassing the urge to kill him right now, he down to convey his wish. "Did I pissed you enough to be my girlfriend?"
Xia Sha glare at him wider than before. He chuckles and tilted his head, "A date at least? you know I won't stop pestering tonight before you say yes."
He looks so confident and playful. A dangerous combination that makes every girl hard to refuse their charm. It's obliviously working on Xia Sha, who's heart secretly just admits she would like a date with him again.
'But no! No Xia Sha, you can't do this again! Don't be stupid!' she scolds herself.
"Fine! One hour only, I'm busy!" She heard herself betraying her mind. She really appears powerless when Guan Xian is around. Guan Xian smiles rose widely and his face just lights up.
He nodded his head and removes his hand that burdening Xiao Zhan's shoulder this whole time. "Great, I'll ask you for a dance later. Take care of my date Xiao family boy." he patted Xiao Zhan's shoulder before sliding away and greet his several business acquaintances.
Xiao Zhan's expression is so poor that Xia Sha has not enough hard to treat him so coldly again. So she tried to smiles and asked him quietly.
"What do you want to tell me?" Xia Sha is willing to listen to him this time. These make Xiao Zhan relieved because apparently, she did not hate him as much as he thinks.
Xiao Zhan looks at their surrounding before he decided to lean closer and whisper to Xia Sha. "Your father is under watch for murdering and stealing patents from Michael Buchanan."
Xia Sha's body froze over when he finished whispering. She looks at Xiao Zhan's handsome face before she erupted into a laugh. "Who is in this room never steal patents and under police watch?"
Xiao Zhan look at her with a serious face and shook his head. "No Xia Sha, if the situations are not dire, your grandfather would not desperately want to tie our family together."
Xia Sha smiles starts to turn into a scowling face. Her knuckles on the glass start to get white as she listens to the party hostess starts their greeting speech.
"The government wanted to make your company as the black sheep. You know, with the big four almost winning against the government all the time. They suffer a lot of losses. Billions. Your company hasn't profited them much these past few years." Xiao Zhan paused to touched her arms with both of his hands. He stopped talking but Xia Sha knew what he wanted to say next.
"With me, seeing around Guan Xian, they targeted the Xia family even more." Xia Sha choked when she finished his sentence.. Her face completely loses color when she sees Xiao Zhan's sorry looks.