To Love You Again

As the couple 'discreetly' flirted by Guan Gu Ri's table, the welcoming greetings and Tang Xinyang's speech was done. Afterwards came various prepared heartwarming well-wishes from a few close friends. It was followed by the guests' interaction with Tang Yin. Everyone's curiosity about this Second Young Miss Tang had been heightened by Mistress Tang's and Tang Xinyang's introductions.

Meanwhile, the waiters smoothly swooped in to serve food and drinks, so the guests could freely take a few bites and sip wine while mingling with the other guests.

Tang Yin had been receiving greetings and praises from the guests who approached her. Her grandmother continuously introduced her to many people—some she had heard of but most were unfamiliar. Of course, not just anyone was introduced thoroughly. To avoid stressing her brain, Tang Yin simply took note of those who received his grandmother's and sister's grace of slightly lengthy introduction.

Because she needed to return to the upper circle, she did her best to smile, act courteous, and show her generosity.

Of course, she also encountered questions that she could not easily answer.

Among the people who approached her, many of them were professional musicians in her circle. Those, she could easily cope with. There were also businessmen and many young men who held intentions of riding the Tang family's coattails through marriage ties. Regarding the latter, she simply acted polite and cut off their advances smoothly with an all-purpose 'shyly quiet' smile. Silence was the key. 

They stood and mingled until Tang Yin's legs began to ache. Finally at a point, the guests tactfully left and gave them a breather. 

Tang Xinyang sat by her side back on the table, reinforcing the introduction on the key figures that Tang Yin needed to keep in mind. 

Then, her elder sister suddenly froze, looking at a direction.

"Sis?" 

Tang Xinyang suddenly whipped her head to Tang Yin, held her arm a bit hard, and looked at her with serious yet alert eyes. "Here it is, Yin. Compose yourself and act like normal no matter what. Remember, tonight is a very important occasion which the whole family prepared with a lot of effort. You cannot ruin your debut! Stay calm!"

"Huh?" So exaggerated? Why say that so suddenly? Wasn't she doing well—

Her eyes suddenly widened when she caught sight of the familiar figure approaching her.

She just saw him a few weeks ago- but it was a short encounter- yet he still glowed brightly in her sight. His tall and solid figure, his dark hair that was swept back handsomely, and inky peach blossom eyes were mesmerizing. Even his butler suit suited him well and made the rest of the men in this place appear so mediocre.

Tang Yin's wide eyes instantly sparkled with delight and joy. A happy smile broke out on her face.

"Linfeng!" If she could run to him, she would have already done so. But with Tang Xinyang's strong hand still on her arm, she stayed put. 

Then she realized.

Oh, I see! That was why her sister said she needed to act calm. The love of her life was here! 

But... they were already expecting him, right?

Linfeng walked up to them. Tang Yin's eyes only followed him and did not see the moon-like stunning woman he was escorting. After coming to them, he smiled and did not say anything but let the woman beside him speak first.

A cool and soothing voice of a female sounded. "Happy birthday, Second Young Miss Tang Yin. Congratulations on your successful debut." 

The magnetic feminine voice made her eyes finally turn away from the handsome face. 

Tang Yin's eyes only moved slightly and found a beautiful cold face, whose phoenix eyes with a deep look stared right at her.

"....?" 

Who was she?

Then her eyes dropped to the pair dainty hands gracefully holding onto Linfeng's arms.

Tang Yin: "...!!!" ʘϫʘ

Xiong Zhi saw Tang Yin stare at her hands on Linfeng's arms. Her woman's intuition was instantly alarmed. Seeing how this girl looked at her Linfeng earlier already gave her a premonition. 

Those sparkling eyes... It was how those female heroines in love looked at the male leads in K-dramas. 

She lightly pursed her lips. Her intuition was right. This Tang Yin was bad news.

Xiong Zhi tightened her hold, leaned closer against Linfeng, and greeted Tang Yin. "This is the first time we met. I am honored to be invited by the Tang family to your banquet." 

Despite her congratulatory greeting, her tone was cold as well as her face. But people did not find it weird at all, because they all knew that the Xiong heiress was always like this.

Only Linfeng glanced at her fleetingly, sensing something.

Tang Yin's brain was blank for a moment. She blinked.

"....You...are?"

Tang Xinyang immediately coughed. "Ahem, Tang Yin, she is Xiong Zhi, my friend. The one I have mentioned to you before."

The cold fairy-like woman nodded. "I am Xiong Zhi from the Xiong family's main branch. It's nice to meet you, Miss Tang Yin." 

'Xiong Zhi...' Ah! Linfeng's Master!

"Oh. Ohhh! Xiong family! Ha-ha, I see." Tang Yin's face brightened as a look of realization showed on her face. She murmured, "So that's why you are being escorted by Linfeng." 

'I thought for a moment that you are his girlfriend. Silly me.' 

She looked curiously at the beautiful woman in front of her. 'So this was the famous indifferent Young Miss of Linfeng.'

Since she was Linfeng's master, they needed to have a good relationship. Her smile became several points warmer, intending to befriend her.

Seeing the rather over-friendly smile, Xiong Zhi faintly frowned in confusion. They were rivals. No, no. Linfeng was already hers. So why was the other person acting friendly? 

The sincere smile made her waver, but she immediately gathered herself. 

No matter what, she could not give in. As long as the other person had the intention to dig corners and get Linfeng, she must always stay alert!

In fact, what she did not know was that in some cases, it was best to act like a generous lady and ward off pests tactfully like in palace conspiracy dramas. However, what could a straight-ball-low-EQ person like her know?

She could only act indifferently with polite manners and etiquette, hold onto her man, and sit down under Tang Yin's invitation on the offered seats with Linfeng.

"Miss Xiong Zhi, is it alright to call you Zhi? I heard from my elder sister before that she met a female friend. So it turns out it was you. I've actually been wanting to meet Miss Xiong Zhi for a long time! May I have the honor to be your friend as well?" Tang Yin asked hopefully with bright eyes. Just... Her eyes kept glancing at the linked arms. Until when would they keep that pose?

Xiong Zhi did not want to answer her, but she also worried that if she ignored her, Linfeng and Tang Yin would start a reminiscing talk about their childhood. Thus, she tried to keep up with the conversation. 

"I don't mind being your friend. But I have certain conditions in accepting people as my friend." She better give the other a warning now to avoid future troubles.

Tang Xinyang glanced at Xiong Zhi.

Conditions? Did she also had to fulfill those conditions in the past? She could not recall any. It had been a long time. She might have forgotten.

"Oh, conditions? It sounds interesting! It's good to carefully choose who will be your friends. People easily get influenced by the people they hang out with. So what are those conditions?" 

Tang Yin was sincere to become Xiong Zhi's friends. She had a lot of friends, but she did not have true best friend whom she could treat without holding anything back. All of her friends had a relationsh.i.p.s of 'give or take', a gentleman's friendship.

A gentleman's friendship was as smooth and shallow as stream waters. 

(E/N: A Chinese idiom which meant a tactful style of shallow friendship without deep attachments, where people simply try to get along smoothly to maintain a network of people. Of course, it is something that can be easily be dismissed.)

Xiong Zhi tilted her head thoughtfully, raised a hand, and counted. "First, do not touch each other's boyfriends."

"...!" 

"Second, one must cut off any malicious intentions for a friend's boyfriend."

"...?"

"Third, must not snatch a friend's boyfriend."

"..."

"And fourth, do not try to talk specifically to him, especially with reminding about sweet childhood memories to a friend's boyfriend."

"..." Tang Yin.

"..." Linfeng.

"..." Tang Xinyang. 'Why couldn't I remember such conditions?'

Tang Yin tilted her head. Those were strange conditions, but they made sense.

But why were they all about 'boyfriend'? Did something happen to her boyfriend and a friend before? Like, a dear friend snatched her boyfriend once.

But this Xiong Zhi... Based on what she knew about her, she was really indifferent, and she just entered the high society three years ago.

"Young Miss Zhi, I haven't heard any news or rumors about you having a boyfriend. Do you have one?" Tang Yin curiously asked.

No one had told her about the previous rumors between Xiong Zhi and Lu Yin Ze yet. Since she was absent in the upper society at that time.

Xiong Zhi smiled, faintly proud. 'Finally, she asked.'

"Isn't it obvious? My boyfriend is right here." She then patted Linfeng's arms which she had been hugging all along.

"..." Linfeng.

...Young Miss, was it really alright to announce this so simply in front of these people? 

But he did not deny it. He just smiled helplessly, his eyes showing a doting look as he gazed at the proud face.

Anyway, he did not dislike it a bit. He was actually quite happy. 

He felt like a trophy boyfriend, a person she wanted to show off to everyone proudly.

A trophy boyfriend, huh, it did not sound bad at all.

On the other hand, Tang Yin felt like she was hit by thunder.