Chapter 114: No Outsiders

Zhang Xiluo ultimately declined Ouyang Chen's invitation, opting instead to have her father secure a ticket so she could attend alone.

On the day of the exhibition, she dressed deliberately in an all-black outfit and wore a face mask, hoping to avoid being recognized. Before departing, Xiao Zhao sent her the car repair invoice. After a quick glance, she felt she had been swindled. She instructed Xiao Zhao to forward the bill to Mu Peipei and have the difference reimbursed to her.

The exhibition featured the personal collection of Master Sen, a renowned expert in traditional Chinese painting. She had always been fond of the art form; the "Four Gentlemen" paintings hanging in her father’s study were, in fact, works she had created during her school years.

The exhibition was grand and drew a large crowd. She presented her invitation and managed to get in with the first wave of attendees. As she moved from piece to piece, she was filled with admiration, particularly for a painting of blooming peonies, which possessed a richness and opulence that was striking at a single glance.

"Luoluo."

Hearing her name, Zhang Xiluo instinctively turned around to see Han Yuchao standing behind her, wearing a beaming smile. She was dressed so obscurely and wearing a mask, yet he had still recognized her. Han Yuchao’s gaze was truly sharp.

"It really is you. I thought I might have been mistaken," Han Yuchao said, stepping to her side with concern. "Do you have a cold?"

"Yes, just a bit of a cough." To hide her embarrassment, she intentionally coughed twice.

"I had a feeling you would come. Let’s go pay our respects to Master Sen together later. My father has a friendship with him. Just let me know if there’s anything you like."

How could she have forgotten? Han Yuchao was her former classmate; if she were interested in this exhibition, he was bound to be here too. She had no desire to interact with any men right now, especially Han Yuchao. He had liked her for so many years, and while he didn't seem bothered by it, she certainly felt awkward.

"No need for the trouble, I'm just here to look around."

"Let's look together."

Zhang Xiluo walked ahead, and Han Yuchao followed at a distance—not too close, not too far—avoiding any sense of intrusiveness.

"Zhang Xiluo, are you here to steal a painting?"

Suddenly, a tall figure blocked her path. The familiar voice, carrying a familiar scent, immediately sparked her anger. That scoundrel was like a ghost that refused to be exorcised. She never expected him to show up at an art exhibition, given his complete lack of interest in the fine arts. Her disguise had been a total failure!

"That has nothing to do with you. Get out of my way," Zhang Xiluo retorted sharply. He was incapable of saying a single pleasant thing.

"An ex-wife stealing things reflects poorly on my image," Li Mingye said, spouting nonsense with a perfectly straight face.

Zhang Xiluo rolled her eyes, too tired to argue, and skirted around him. She hadn't walked two steps before she spotted Ouyang Chen. His expression was grim, his eyes filled with anger and reproach, and he stared at her without saying a word. She really should have checked the almanac before leaving the house today; it clearly wasn't a good day for outings.

Li Mingye was behind her to the left, Han Yuchao behind her to the right, and Ouyang Chen directly in front. Each of them stared at her with their own unique intensity, making her feel as though she were trapped between fire and ice.

*Sigh.*

Zhang Xiluo let out a deep breath, braced herself, and continued walking, doing her best to treat the three of them as if they were transparent.

"Luoluo, wait for me." Han Yuchao called out and hurried to catch up. "Your ex-husband is quite fierce. What’s your relationship with Ouyang Chen? Don't tell me he likes you too?" Han Yuchao spoke loudly, as if he intended for those two gods to hear every word.

Zhang Xiluo offered an awkward, "Heh." Han Yuchao was just looking for trouble, determined to drag her and Ouyang Chen into the mix. Did he have any idea who Li Mingye was? Did he think Li would tolerate his ex-wife getting close to his good friend?

"You’re even cuter when you’re not talking."

"I'm serious, Ouyang Chen really likes you." Han Yuchao glanced back. Li Mingye and Ouyang Chen were still standing there, locking eyes. As a man, he could clearly feel the silent war between them.

Zhang Xiluo was truly angry now. She glared at Han Yuchao. "Stop following me."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have spoken out of turn," Han Yuchao apologized. Zhang Xiluo didn't respond and headed straight for another exit. This exhibition had turned out to be more trouble than it was worth.

She drove away feeling helpless. Because she was driving slowly, the car behind her kept honking to urge her on. After a few times, she pulled the car over to the side. *I should drive less during the day in the future,* she thought. She parked in a roadside spot, intending to take a taxi home.

Just then, a Rolls-Royce at the intersection came barreling through, seemingly having suffered a brake failure, and slammed directly into the guardrail near her. With a thunderous crash, a section of the railing collapsed, and the car skidded to a halt, its wheels still spinning for a moment before coming to a stop.

The sudden accident terrified Zhang Xiluo. She stood frozen in place, gasping for air. Passing cars didn't stop, though some drivers helped by calling the police.

"Help... me... save me," a faint plea came from inside the car, spoken in broken, accented Chinese.

"Help, help!"

Hearing the cries, Zhang Xiluo snapped out of her shock and turned toward the wreckage. The fuel tank was leaking, and sparks were already appearing nearby. The man was trapped inside, unable to move. At this rate, he would likely burn to death before rescue arrived.

She scrambled to get her fire extinguisher from her car, rushed over to put out the sparks, and pulled frantically at the car door. "Come help me! Save him!" She couldn't open it alone, so she screamed at the top of her lungs, urging several passersby to join her.

Finally, they pried the door open and dragged the man out. A second later, the fuel tank ignited, and the entire car was engulfed in roaring flames, consuming everything inside. When the paramedics arrived, they rushed the injured man to the hospital. Zhang Xiluo rested for a while before taking a taxi home.

"Luoluo, are you hurt?" Seeing her appearance, Mother Zhang jumped up from the sofa, terrified, and checked her over from head to toe.

"I’m fine, the blood isn't mine." Zhang Xiluo briefly explained what had happened, and Mother Zhang let out a sigh of relief.

"You scared me to death. Be careful in the future; protect yourself first."

Zhang Xiluo nodded. She didn't need her mother to tell her that; she would certainly do so.

At noon, her father called to ask her to join him for dinner with Master Sen that evening. He mentioned that aside from them, Master Sen had only invited one other guest. Relieved, Zhang Xiluo happily agreed. To show her respect for the master, she dressed carefully, choosing an outfit with an artistic flair. In the evening, she rode in her father’s car to the Guoyuan Hotel. Master Sen had a penchant for traditional Chinese style, and his lifestyle was elegant and steeped in history.

Zhang Xiluo followed her father upstairs, but when she pushed open the door to the private room, she went completely numb.

Master Sen sat at the head of the table. To one side sat Li Mingye, and the seat next to him was empty. Sitting next to that empty seat was Ouyang Chen...

The empty space between Ouyang Chen and Li Mingye was evidently meant for her. Upon seeing Li Mingye, her father’s expression darkened instantly, and he looked ready to lead Zhang Xiluo right back out the door.