Chapter 493: 493: Pick Her Up Sideways
He had said so! But he hadn’t anticipated Li Shengxiao would come out of nowhere, nor did he expect Rong Yan to somehow climb up to Li Shengxiao. Now, it was clear that the Mayor of Lin City didn’t want to give him face. Was he supposed to shamelessly pester him? Shi Mufeng’s lips tightened with displeasure, “Weiwei, I didn’t want this either. But things have turned out this way. You saw, I just tried to speak up for you. But if Mr. Ye doesn’t want to give in, there’s nothing I can do.”
They were still at the banquet, surrounded by so many onlookers; their every move was under scrutiny. Hence, their argument was also very restrained.
Rong Weiwei was flooded with feelings of unwillingness, disappointment, and jealousy at his “nothing I can do.” She no longer had the courage to stay, her lips quivered as she said with a pale face, “I’m not feeling well, I’m going back first.”
Without looking back, she turned on her heel and left.
Watching her throw down those words without waiting for him and just march off, Shi Mufeng felt snubbed in terms of face. But today, he had lost face himself, and seeing Rong Weiwei walk away, he followed suit.
They left the party quietly, one after the other.
The grandeur with which they had arrived was matched only by the awkwardness of their departure.
Even after they had gone, their humiliating episode from earlier in the evening could still be heard being mocked and discussed by the bystanders—
*
When the banquet ended, Rong Yan’s calves were so tense from standing all night that they were cramping.
She was never comfortable in high heels, especially the kind with thin, tall heels. Yet, pretty much all stylish shoes these days were of this design. Gu Ming had prepared the most fashionable strapped high heels for her. She had worn such shoes for hours in the morning. Wearing the same type of shoes, she had stood for several more hours in the evening. One could only imagine the searing tightness under her feet.
She forced herself to play the role of an elegant vase, standing with this man throughout the event until they reached a place out of sight. Only then did she stop.
“Wait a minute, I need a rest.”
Her instep was so tense it was painful to even walk; her calf muscles were spasming. Rong Yan bent over to massage her calves, hissing in pain as she drew in a sharp breath of cold air.
She was pressing on pressure points, trying to relax her calf muscles.
Just then, the man who had been leading the way suddenly turned around, walked back to her, bent down, and lifted her into a princess carry.
“Li Shengxiao.” Rong Yan was startled, instinctively hooking her arms around his neck to maintain her balance for fear of falling.
But after hooking her arms, she realized he was holding her securely; each step he took was firm and steady, and she faced no risk of falling.
The night breeze wafted over, carrying the scent of Dragon Sandalwood from his body mixed with the faint smell of the cocktail he had earlier, which was mysteriously not unpleasant.
Rong Yan relaxed, allowing the tall man to carry her into the car. Once inside, she released her grip and sat next to him.
“Mr. Li, where shall we go now?” The driver asked cautiously from the driver’s seat.
Li Shengxiao turned to close the car door before replying with a touch of his thin lips, “To the nearest shoe store!”