Chapter 122: Side Story 18 – A Gala of Jealousy and Tears

Lu Zijin ate a little something, then changed her clothes and had her makeup artist help her with her makeup.

She planned to bid on a few items casually and then leave early.

At eight in the evening, Zhou Xiao drove Lu Zijin to the gala venue.

By the time they arrived, many luxury cars were already parked outside the hotel.

Lu Zijin got out of the car and walked into the hotel, with staff guiding her along the way.

The gala was held in the tenth-floor banquet hall.

By the time she arrived, many people were already there.

As soon as Lu Zijin entered, quite a few people came over to exchange pleasantries.

She wasn’t in high spirits, but she dealt with them one by one, then went to sit on a nearby sofa, picking up a glass of juice and taking occasional sips while waiting for the auction to begin.

Before long, there was another commotion at the entrance.

Lu Zijin didn’t pay much attention at first — she was just sitting on the sofa, feeling irritated, wanting to go home early.

But when she looked over again, she froze in place.

Was that Xiao Nanyan and Wei Lan?

Why had they come together?

Was Wei Lan Xiao Nanyan’s date?

Lu Zijin’s eyes reddened slightly.

She stared fixedly at Xiao Nanyan and Wei Lan, her chest stabbing with waves of pain.

She herself had never brought her little one to a gala — why did Xiao Nanyan get to?

She stood up and took a few deep breaths to suppress the jealousy burning inside her.

She wanted to charge over recklessly and snatch her little one back.

Wei Lan had makeup on today and was wearing a black gown.

It matched Xiao Nanyan’s — they looked like a couple’s set.

Lu Zijin’s jaw tightened even more.

She hadn’t even worn matching outfits with Wei Lan yet.

She took a few more deep breaths, then walked toward Xiao Nanyan with a cold expression.

Xiao Nanyan was just then exchanging pleasantries with several other company CEOs.

Many people were curious about who Wei Lan was, though some already knew.

“Boss Xiao, with a capable person like Little Wei on your team, your business has been really booming lately.”

“Just lucky.

But Wei Lan is indeed very talented — she’s well-suited for livestream sales.”

Xiao Nanyan smiled as she chatted.

Just as she was speaking, Xiao Nanyan felt like someone was glaring at her.

She looked up and saw Lu Zijin walking over with a cold expression.

Xiao Nanyan was momentarily surprised.

She and Lu Zijin had little interaction — their companies focused on different industries.

She had barely exchanged a few sentences with Lu Zijin, let alone offended her.

So why did the other woman look like someone who had stolen her wife?

Puzzled as she was, Xiao Nanyan still smiled at Lu Zijin.

“CEO Lu, you’ve arrived.

Long time no see.”

Lu Zijin walked closer.

She glanced at Xiao Nanyan only briefly before her gaze landed on Wei Lan, who stood beside Xiao Nanyan.

Lu Zijin’s lips parted slightly.

“It has been quite a while.”

Wei Lan hadn’t expected to see Lu Zijin here either.

She averted her gaze, not looking at Lu Zijin.

Xiao Nanyan felt the atmosphere was strange.

She smiled and said, “CEO Lu, you’re a very busy person.

It’s not easy to run into you.”

Lu Zijin’s gaze remained fixed on Wei Lan.

Her little one looked so beautiful today.

Her lips were coated with a bright lip gloss, and the gown accentuated her figure.

Lu Zijin didn’t want to take her eyes off Wei Lan for a moment.

As she looked at Wei Lan, she answered Xiao Nanyan, “So are you, CEO Xiao.

I hear your livestream business has been taking off.”

“Not at all, not at all.”

Xiao Nanyan laughed awkwardly.

By now, she had also sensed something off about the situation.

Why was Lu Zijin staring at Wei Lan like that?

What was going on here?

Wei Lan was her friend, after all — she had dragged Wei Lan here to help fend off unwanted attention, so naturally she should help Wei Lan out of a tight spot as well.

“CEO Lu, excuse us for a moment.

We’re a bit thirsty from all the talking — we’re going to grab some drinks.”

Xiao Nanyan smiled at Lu Zijin, then took Wei Lan’s wrist and walked toward the drink table.

As they walked, she asked in a low voice, “What’s going on?

Why was she staring at you like that?

Do you know each other?”

Wei Lan hadn’t seen Lu Zijin for many days either.

She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but she felt that Lu Zijin looked thinner than before.

Bitterness slowly spread through her chest.

She had been so busy these days that she often had no time to think of Lu Zijin.

But now, seeing her, the bitterness and stinging pain in her heart were undeniable.

She could still be hurt by Lu Zijin’s words.

She took a deep breath, then said quietly, “She kept me as a mistress for over a month.”

“What?!”

Xiao Nanyan was so shocked that her voice doubled in volume.

Seeing people look their way, she smiled apologetically at them, then lowered her voice again.

“Are you serious?”

Wei Lan nodded.

“Yes.

But I’ve already left her.”

Xiao Nanyan looked like she had just bitten into a huge, juicy piece of gossip.

Lu Zijin was famously the untouchable flower in Panyang’s high society — she had thought Lu Zijin was completely impervious to such things.

But it turned out she played quite wildly — keeping a college student as a mistress.

Xiao Nanyan’s mouth opened and closed, unsure what to say.

No wonder Lu Zijin had been glaring at her so coldly — she really had mistaken Xiao Nanyan for someone trying to steal her “wife.”

“Well, this is awkward.

So, are you two still in contact?”

Xiao Nanyan asked.

Wei Lan shook her head.

“She doesn’t have feelings for me.

Keeping me was just playing around.

Will this cause trouble for you?

I didn’t know she would be here.”

“It’s fine.

Lu Corporation doesn’t do jade business, and my company has no dealings with hers.

Don’t worry — just stay close to me.

She looks like she means trouble.”

Xiao Nanyan murmured.

She couldn’t let her friend get hurt.

“Okay.”

Wei Lan started to say something else, wanting to explain to Xiao Nanyan that Lu Zijin wasn’t really that kind of person, but the words stopped at her lips — she felt she had no right to explain on Lu Zijin’s behalf.

So for the rest of the time, Xiao Nanyan reliably protected Wei Lan, trying her best to take her to places farther away from Lu Zijin.

But Lu Zijin’s gaze still followed the two of them.

She took a glass of red wine from a server.

She had just recovered from gastroenteritis and really shouldn’t be drinking, but seeing Wei Lan and Xiao Nanyan together, she couldn’t help feeling jealous — and the pain in her chest was unbearable.

She would rather get drunk than watch her little one laughing and chatting beside someone else.

Her eyes reddening, Lu Zijin downed the entire glass in one go.

The dry wine entered her mouth, the alcohol stimulating her taste buds and making her feel slightly better.

She took a deep breath and had the server pour her another half glass.

Lu Zijin drank that one all at once as well.

She took several deep breaths, knowing she couldn’t drink anymore — otherwise, she probably wouldn’t be able to get through the auction.

About ten minutes later, the guests began to take their seats, and the auction started.

Lu Zijin had just drunk two glasses of wine, and her already-sensitive stomach began cramping again.

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Her face was deathly pale.

Her stomach felt like something was burning inside, churning violently.

Lu Zijin wanted to go to the restroom immediately — she felt like throwing up.

Her steps unsteady, she got up and walked out.

She was going to call Wei Ting — she wouldn’t be able to continue with the auction, so she would have Wei Ting come and bid on her behalf.

Wei Lan, meanwhile, had been secretly watching Lu Zijin’s reactions.

Lu Zijin’s complexion had been terrible, and she kept clutching her stomach.

Remembering that Lu Zijin had downed several glasses of wine at the reception, Wei Lan couldn’t help feeling worried.

Was she unwell?

And from the way Lu Zijin had been walking, she seemed unsteady on her feet.

Wei Lan pressed her lips tightly together.

She wanted to stop thinking about Lu Zijin, but she couldn’t control her concern.

Her eyes reddened slightly.

Lu Zijin had hurt her so much, yet she was still worried about her.

Why couldn’t she just forget her?

After deliberating for a moment, Wei Lan decided to go check on Lu Zijin — just to see from a distance that she was okay, not to approach her.

Thinking this, she whispered to Xiao Nanyan.

Xiao Nanyan nodded.

The auction was long, and it was normal to go to the restroom.

Wei Lan got up from her seat and walked toward the restrooms in the hallway.

Standing outside the restroom door, she heard someone vomiting inside.

Her heart clenched with worry.

But that was the women’s omega restroom — she couldn’t go inside.

She could only wait anxiously outside.

After a while, Wei Lan saw Lu Zijin come out of the restroom, her face pale.

She was about to leave when she heard a noise not far behind her.

Lu Zijin had fallen at the restroom entrance.

Wei Lan quickly turned around and saw Lu Zijin sitting on the floor, her face ghostly pale — her knee seemed to have been scraped in the fall and was bleeding.

She simply couldn’t bring herself to ignore it.

She hurried over and reached out to help Lu Zijin up.

Lu Zijin, her eyes red, was holding onto the wall.

She wanted to stand up, but after vomiting, she was dizzy and weak, unable to muster any strength in her hands or legs.

Embarrassed, she couldn’t even bring herself to look up and see if anyone was nearby.

That was why she didn’t notice Wei Lan at first.

Not until Wei Lan came closer and took hold of her arm.

“Are you alright?

Let me help you up.”

Wei Lan bent down to help Lu Zijin up.

When Lu Zijin saw that the person before her was Wei Lan, she finally couldn’t hold back any longer.

She clutched Wei Lan’s arm and whimpered softly.

“It hurts.

I feel so terrible.”

Seeing her like this, Wei Lan’s heart softened.

She helped Lu Zijin up with some effort.

“I’ll take you to get your knee cleaned up first.

Later I’ll take you to the hospital.”

But Lu Zijin didn’t register Wei Lan’s words.

Ignoring the pain in her stomach and the bleeding wound on her leg, her entire world had shrunk to Wei Lan alone.

“Wei Lan, I missed you so much.”

She whimpered softly, her voice tender and pleading as she acted spoiled with Wei Lan.

Wei Lan’s throat moved, but in the end she didn’t say anything.

She called over a hotel service staff member.

Because this was a high-end hotel, emergency medical supplies were readily available.

The staff member took them to a rest room and brought them a first-aid kit.

Wei Lan helped Lu Zijin sit down.

Just as she was about to get up and get the kit, her wrist was caught by Lu Zijin.

“Where are you going?”

Lu Zijin looked at Wei Lan with tearful eyes, as if afraid Wei Lan would abandon her.

Wei Lan sighed.

Seeing the blood still flowing from Lu Zijin’s right knee, she couldn’t help feeling a pang of sympathy.

“I’m going to get the first-aid kit.

You’re still bleeding.

Let me clean your wound.”

Wei Lan saw that Lu Zijin was still crying and softened her tone.

But Lu Zijin still held onto her hand.

“Then… then don’t leave.”

“Alright.

I won’t leave.”

Wei Lan reached for a tissue and gently wiped Lu Zijin’s tears.

She really couldn’t bear to see Lu Zijin like this.

Whenever Lu Zijin cried, her own heart ached too.

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