Chapter 21: Tenderness Does Not Belong to Her Alone
A familiar voice suddenly sounded in her ear. Deling turned around, staring at the man before her like in a dream, her expression blank and confused. Her gaze then caught sight of Song Zigu trailing behind Ye Hongxiao, and she suddenly snapped back to reality.
“Deling, you came? I knew you would,” Song Zigu’s sweet, cloying voice chimed, causing Deling to frown reflexively.
Song Zigu wore an off-shoulder silk gown that clung tightly to her body, but her figure was plain, making her look like a child who had borrowed an adult’s clothes.
Standing beside her, Ye Hongxiao was tall and upright, his shoulders broad and waist narrow from years of working out. His chiseled, rugged features clearly marked him as a mature man. Together with Song Zigu, the pairing looked oddly mismatched.
Deling couldn’t tell if it was her own discomfort or simply the inherent incongruity between the two. Either way, she found it unbearable to watch and turned away, continuing up the steps.
Perhaps deliberately, with each step she took, Song Zigu’s coquettish voice trailed behind her:
“Brother Ye, slow down.”
“Brother Ye, wait for me.”
“Brother Ye, will you hold me?”
A hush fell behind her, and a few seconds later Deling heard Ye Hongxiao’s low voice: “Follow me.”
Ha—Deling found her fleeting stirrings of emotion laughable.
So his tenderness was not reserved for her alone.
If he wanted to give it, that person was the treasure in the palm of his hand; if he didn’t, then that person was simply something he discarded.
---
Once inside the hall, Ye Hongxiao naturally became the center of attention. Song Zigu, as today’s main character and his date, was surrounded by admirers showering her with compliments.
Deling, seizing the chance before anyone recognized her, tried to slip to the side to find a spot and see if Shen Qingfeng was still around.
She was just about to walk along the doorframe when Song Zigu called out.
“Deling, where are you going? My mother’s still waiting over there; let’s go together.”
Song Zigu’s voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but just enough for the surrounding crowd to hear. Deling’s steps faltered.
At that moment, someone in the crowd recognized her.
“Isn’t that Chairman Chen Fusheng’s daughter? She’s really changed—hard to even recognize her.”
“Director Song really has a kind heart. She’s raised a daughter not related by blood so well.”
“Exactly. I heard they even sent her abroad to study!”
“Rumor has it she used to be with Ye…”
The murmurs were neither loud nor quiet but enough to be noticed.
Ye Hongxiao listened to the whispers with his expression slowly shifting. He cast a glance at those speaking, his brows tightening.
Those people, catching his stern look, suddenly realized something and fell silent.
---
Ye Hongxiao’s face hardened as he shot a cold glance at Deling.
Her back was rigid, hands clenched tightly at her sides, clearly restraining herself with great effort. Knowing her as he did, he suspected she might lash out at them any moment.
Sure enough, Deling’s frozen posture moved.
She strode up to the group of women who had spoken.
“Ladies, don’t believe everything you hear. If you want to know anything about the Song family, I can tell you right now. Which part would you like to hear? The filial love between father and daughter, or the mother’s loving care for her son?”
The women exchanged glances, unsure of her meaning. Just as they were about to reply, Deling continued, “But I can’t tell you those stories. In mine, there’s only brawling and selling daughters for survival...”
Song Zigu hadn’t expected Deling to suddenly lash out; hearing this, her face paled in alarm. She hurriedly grabbed Deling’s arm and pulled her away from the crowd.
“Deling, Uncle Chen is still waiting to see you.”
Deling shot her a cold look, sneering, “After all these years, does the Song family still need to build a compassionate image by flaunting how well they treat a stepdaughter?”
Song Zigu’s expression shifted slightly, falling silent.