Chapter 156: Lovers

Liang Jinshang's gown today was made of thin, form-fitting fabric in a stark white. When the wine splashed onto it, there was an immediate risk of a wardrobe malfunction.

Fortunately, Master Zheng reacted swiftly, blocking the gazes of the surrounding crowd.

"Thank you," Liang Jinshang murmured to Master Zheng, subtly sidestepping his hand.

Subconsciously, her gaze darted toward Le Quan.

The formidable Miss Le was entirely too preoccupied to feel jealous. She was currently seizing a waiter by the lapel, demanding, "How on earth can you be so clumsy with a tray, spilling it all over both of us!"

The waiter apologized profusely while explaining, "A balloon suddenly fell right at my feet just now. In my effort to dodge it, I accidentally tripped. I am so sorry, I am so sorry!"

Hearing the word "balloon," Liang Jinshang felt a stir in her heart.

She cast her gaze downward, scanning the crowd for a pink princess dress.

Before she could fish Gong Nian out from the gathering, a force hit her shoulder, and she instantly felt the suit draped over her begin to slide down.

Instead, hands grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her straight into a solid chest.

Catching the familiar, faint scent of cedarwood, her fingers relaxing slightly on the lapels of the suit.

The suit was swiftly yanked away by Shang Yucheng.

Yet, he blocked her damp chest area impeccably, effectively eliminating any risk of exposure.

Shang Yucheng tossed Master Zheng's suit back to him, replacing it with his own jacket draped over Liang Jinshang's shoulders.

"Keep a tight leash on your own girlfriend. My girlfriend requires no one else's concern."

Shang Yucheng escorted Liang Jinshang to the restroom to tidy up.

Liang Jinshang really didn't want to read too much into it.

However, since Gong Nian was involved, she couldn't help asking, "Shang Yucheng, did you or did you not see Gong Nian throw that balloon at the waiter?"

Shang Yucheng denied it calmly and coolly, "No."

"Did you not see it, or did Gong Nian not throw it?" Liang Jinshang pressed persistently.

"It wasn't Gong Nian."

His certainty bordered on the absurd.

Liang Jinshang let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Given the distance between them, Shang Yucheng couldn't possibly have seen who made the move.

She brushed Shang Yucheng's arm from her shoulder and took two steps back. "When it all comes down to it, my fate is still in the hands of Zheng Shan and his associates. How could I ever afford to cross them?"

She lowered her gaze to conceal the disappointment swimming in her eyes. "So you don't need to spend every waking second trying to shield Gong Nian."

Wasn't this kind of unconditional partiality supposed to be a girlfriend's exclusive privilege?

The red wine had stained Liang Jinshang's white gown beyond rescue.

Le Quan also made her way into the restroom.

The hem of her dress was black; after a quick rinse and a blow-dry, the stain vanished completely.

"I have a spare gown. You should go change into it."

Stepping out of the restroom, Liang Jinshang glanced around.

Shang Yucheng was nowhere to be seen.

He had clearly followed right behind her moments ago, only to vanish into thin air just like that.

Unbelievable.

First, he openly favored the person who had caused her humiliation right in front of her face.

And now, simply because she gave him a cold shoulder, he had departed without a single word of goodbye.

Le Quan asked with a puzzled expression, "What are you looking for?"

Liang Jinshang shook her head.

"Looking for your beloved Shang Yucheng? He went with Master Zheng to check the surveillance footage."

Liang Jinshang was baffled. "Why would they check the surveillance?"

"You don't suppose they're doing it for fun, do you?" Le Quan shot her a sidelong glance. "Naturally, they're going to see which fool dared to mess with his precious darling!"

Liang Jinshang curled her lips in a silent scoff.

Arriving at the dressing room and catching sight of the dress Le Quan handed her, Liang Jinshang's expression turned even more speechless.

"...You didn't mention that your gown is a matching set with Master Zheng's."

"What's wrong with that?" Le Quan shrugged off-handedly. "This dress isn't really my style, which is why I chose a different one. But you'll look stunning in it."

Master Zheng had always been a bit of a vain peacock, and tonight he was wearing a runway-edition suit with pale golden laurel leaves embroidered on the collar.

The matching piece was a lightweight tulle strapless gown adorned with embroidered pale golden laurel leaves.

It was gorgeous and ethereal.

Yet, wearing an outfit that matched her best friend's boyfriend felt surreal to the point of absurdity.

Le Quan remained entirely unbothered. "If I wore this dress, it would indeed be a couple's outfit with Master Zheng, but that's because we're actually in a relationship. You're different. As long as your heart harbors no guilty intentions toward Master Zheng, this is simply a case of a man and a woman wearing pieces from the exact same haute couture collection."

Right on cue, Master Zheng's call came through, announcing that they had identified the balloon-thrower on the security footage and urging the two women to hurry over.

Left with no other choice, Liang Jinshang changed into the pale gold gown.