Shame

Even after her mother parked the car, Chu Lian still had a listless expression. Anyone would feel this way if they were put in such an embarrassing situation by their own mother. Although it wasn't a big deal, it was very shameful! She might have lost her sense of propriety, but that didn't mean she was without shame. Real life isn't like anime; there aren't so many opportunities for fanservice!

However, when she saw her mother get out of the car, walk around to her side, and open the car door with a gentle smile on her lips and bright, expectant eyes, reaching out her hand to her, clearly wanting to walk to the meeting together, Chu Lian's heart softened.

So, if she didn't want to disappoint her mother's wishes and only thought about herself, she would have to go to school dressed like this whether she liked it or not.

"Just think of it as a rehearsal. There will definitely be more times when I have to dress like this in the future. I need to overcome this psychological barrier. Get used to it, get used to it..." Chu Lian took a deep breath and silently repeated to herself.

She gave her mother an annoyed glance, yet placed her small hand into her mother's palm, holding Tina in her left arm. Because her mother had gotten out of the car, the scared cat, now trembling in her arms with a look of having narrowly escaped death, made Chu Lian smile secretly.

Unnoticed by her, a car slowly pulled up behind them, and a handsome young man in a suit stepped out. Seeing her, he stood there, staring at her in a daze.

Wang Tingsi had arrived half an hour early today because he had some business to attend to, even though it was a Tuesday. Just as he got out of the car, he saw a beautiful and delicate figure appear in his field of vision, immediately capturing all his attention.

He had never seen Chu Lian dressed like this before. Compared to her usual pure and cute appearance, she now exuded a fatal allure. She was like the apple in the Garden of Eden, emitting a different kind of charm that made people want to pluck her and take a bite.

"Is that Aunt Li Mingxue? What's she doing here? And with Chu Lian..." Fortunately, he wasn't completely lost in his gaze and noticed that the person holding Chu Lian's hand was her mother.

"Could it be related to today's business?"

Before he could think further, the two had already walked far away. Afraid of losing sight of her, Wang Tingsi turned and said to the person in the car, "Uncle, I'll go on ahead. You and my sister can catch up later. I'll be there soon." Behind him, the voice of the company's general manager replied, "Tingsi, remember you are part of this negotiation too. Don't let personal matters interfere with business."

His steps paused, and Wang Tingsi answered, "I understand. I'll be there shortly." "Hmm, the chairman expects you to perform outstandingly in this task, so don't hold back," his uncle's words were like a knife, carried by the wind, stabbing into his heart.

"Don't hold back?..." His steps quickened, but he lost direction, and the figure he had been watching was no longer in sight. His mind echoed his uncle's words, recalling his recent efforts, only to be met with Chu Lian's indifference. He suddenly muttered a phrase he wasn't even aware of, "Maybe it was meant to be this way..."

Scenes of her contrasting attitudes toward him and others played back in his mind.

"First, stay at least three meters away from me; second, don't come too close; third, I don't want to see you; fourth, don't appear in my line of sight; fifth, speak only when I can't see you; sixth, don't disturb me; seventh, I won't listen to anything you say. Okay, say what you want to now..."

"Please summarize what you want to say in thirty seconds. If it's nonsense, please don't say it, thank you..."

"I understand, this doesn't concern me, but thank you for the reminder. I'm just an ordinary person, not some Daughter of Destiny. You've got the wrong person..."

"If... if the time comes, I think I can handle it..." He had told himself this and seemed to have decided as such.

Not far away, in the car, the man Wang Tingsi called "Uncle" adjusted his tie. His expression was hidden in the shadow, but when he heard Wang Tingsi's words, a smile of satisfaction or relief appeared at the corner of his mouth.

A seductive female voice came from behind him, "Wang Hao, are you really doing this for his sake? Influencing his mind like this, making him subconsciously give up on that girl, isn't it too cruel? After all, he's just a child, and that girl is qualified to be a daughter-in-law of our Wang family, my future sister-in-law."

"She is qualified, but she's also a big trouble. I have a premonition that whoever is with her in the future will face danger. You have to trust me, after all, my main job is as a fortune-teller, and I can see some people's futures."

"Also, Wang Shiyu, don't forget she's potentially the world's Daughter of Destiny. You, as a Rift Guardian, should understand better than me how troublesome a Daughter of Destiny can be. I am, after all, Wang Tingsi's uncle, and making decisions for him when necessary is within my rights. At worst, he will hate me in the future. For the Wang family, I can bear this responsibility."

"Hmph, if I weren't a Rift Guardian, just being her sister would give me the right to deal with you. Just this once, if it happens again, I won't let you off."

"If you truly opposed, you should have stopped me from using the Illusionary Sound. Now you're just trying to ease your guilt. Young people, always impatient. For the Wang family? Tsk, tsk, soon it won't be the case... As for her future, whether it is or isn't as predicted, with me around, it will be." He smiled faintly, not arguing with Wang Shiyu but thinking thoughts that would have shocked her. If she had heard them, none of what followed would have happened...

"Oh dear, that lovesick boy didn't catch up. Do you want to wait for him?" Ayase's teasing words came to her ears, and Chu Lian shook her head, "I don't think he's lovesick; it's more about possession, like you said to me last night. Honestly, I think you're right. If it weren't for your words, I probably wouldn't have figured it out yet."

"The reason he acts like this towards me is because I saved his life once and helped him fulfill a dream. That made him find me particularly attractive. As he grows, whether it's family pressure or the countless temptations of the world, his mind will waver. He doesn't have a strong will and is destined to be swayed by easily accessible things."

Chu Lian's lack of interest in Wang Tingsi wasn't just because she had a deep aversion to men; it was also due to his own issues.

He didn't understand love, but as someone who had lived a lifetime, she understood it well. She knew how easily such feelings could be mistaken for love.

To quote a song, "But dear, that isn't love. It's like an elf lost in the wrong forest. That love is transparently wrong."

Perhaps she would be the one he most wanted to possess in his life, but she would never be the only one. He would watch her distant figure, moving forward while succumbing to various temptations and feminine charms.

This was something she understood from the beginning, a common mindset among highly talented, well-connected, but immature individuals. It was a future that wasn't far off and likely to become reality.

During her conversation with Ayase, her mother had led her through a long path, passing several teaching buildings and arriving at the school's administrative building. This was where the teachers' activity center and the offices of the school leaders were located.

And it was also the starting point for the so-called literary competition, where decisions on how to hold it and in what format would be made.

Although she missed much of what her mother said due to her immersion in her conversation with Ayase, there was one benefit: she forgot about her current attire and no longer felt the shame of being looked at strangely.

"Lian, I brought you here because you're already quite famous in Suchen, and you're a genius literary beauty. This cooperation requires your involvement." Her mother held her hand and gracefully walked up the stairs. "Also, don't you think this is a great opportunity to promote your new book? I have high hopes for this competition and hope you can achieve the best results."

"I'm sure, little Lian, you can handle this, right?"

With her mother's hopeful laughter, they reached a conference room where many people were already seated...

Seeing them enter, the people inside began scrutinizing them with various gazes.

Chu Lian felt a slight chill on her skin, as if she were being watched by a pack of wolves. These gazes included not only young people but also middle-aged and older individuals.

Her mother remained calm and composed under these gazes, fully embodying her role as a strong woman, while Chu Lian felt uncomfortable. The looks were too invasive, most of them focused intently on her legs in the white stockings.

If her mother hadn't noticed her discomfort and guided her to a seat, she might have fled.

However, most of this was her own psychological reaction, exaggerating the shameful feeling of being watched. Soon, she would adapt.

Because new people had already arrived, following them into the room.

She turned to look and was surprised, yet somehow enlightened...