After Teasing the Crazy Mermaid, He Actually Deceived Me into Marriage - Chapter 42

Yet, for some reason, He Moheng couldn’t bring himself to utter the sarcastic and humiliating words he had intended. He merely shot a cold glare before turning and walking away, perfectly crafting the image of someone who had been abandoned and wronged.

However, he didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he lingered in the distance, watching. He wanted to witness the moment when this man and Si Tang would become the laughingstock of the event.

Fan Yi narrowed his eyes, gazing at the figure in the crowd.

Was this the man she had fallen for at first sight, her original fiancé?

Unconsciously, the brooch on his chest had found its way into his palm. The red gemstone brooch accentuated his flawless, pale fingers, clearly the hands of someone accustomed to a life of luxury.

Si Tang paid no mind to this small gesture, but 8856 was immediately on high alert.

Lord Fan Yi was angry.

8856 quickly understood the reason for his anger.

He heard Lord Fan Yi’s voice transmitted directly to him.

“Tsk, I really want to peel that face off!”

The icy tone held no trace of jest.

8856 knew it was because Lord Fan Yi was displeased at having his appearance mirrored. Finally, he understood why he had felt a sense of familiarity when he first saw He Moheng from afar.

For some reason, He Moheng, seated in the distance, felt a chill run down his spine, as if something in the shadows was watching him.

But consumed by resentment, he had no intention of leaving just yet. He wanted to see Si Tang thoroughly ridiculed! Choosing a male escort as her fiancé, what a joke in high society.

With Si Tang’s declaration, the crowd toned down their remarks slightly, but whispers about Fan Yi continued behind his back.

“If he really is an escort, with those looks, he must be the top choice.”

“I have to admit, that face is just too handsome.”

“I think Miss Si is blinded by lust, daring to take in just anyone. A man from that kind of place, tsk tsk, no matter how handsome, you’d worry about catching something.”

“He probably sneaked in with a stolen invitation. But with a face like that, I suppose it’s his greatest asset.”

Si Tang couldn’t hear their hushed comments, but 8856, with his superhuman hearing, couldn’t avoid them.

8856:

Humans are truly audacious, completely unaware of the devil they’re talking about.

Fearing that Fan Yi might lose his temper and slaughter them all on the spot, 8856 raised his voice sharply to stop them.

“Hey! Watch your words! We are legitimate guests with proper invitations! Lord Fan Yi is an honored guest personally invited by the ambassador. He is the founder of the Cross-Border Art Foundation and has donated thousands of first-class artifacts. His status is beyond reproach!”

The crowd responded, “We have no idea what he’s talking about.”

“He’s even got a little escort with him. Looks quite delicate and fair-skinned.”

“Must be a group operation.”

8856: “…”

He thought to himself that humans were truly ignorant creatures, dancing on their own graves without even realizing it.

Si Tang, however, felt that Xiao Liu wasn’t lying. She cast a curious glance at Fan Yi beside her. Could he really be such a big shot?

If what Xiao Liu said was true, someone capable of donating thousands of artifacts must have a background beyond imagination. Perhaps the compensation she had offered him for the fake engagement meant nothing to him.

And yet, he had helped her.

Fan Yi was well aware of Si Tang’s probing gaze. Masking the violent glint in his eyes as he looked at the crowd, he curved his lips into a gentle smile and leaned in to softly address her concerns.

“Don’t worry, I’m not a criminal, nor do I have ulterior motives.”

His tone was gentle, and he appeared every bit the refined gentleman. As he spoke, the tip of his nose lightly brushed against the girl’s temple, his cool breath grazing her cheek.

Si Tang unexpectedly caught a whiff of a familiar yet elusive cold fragrance, her thoughts drifting for a moment as she felt her heartbeat quicken.

That sensation was deeply familiar, yet hard to grasp.

Just then, someone shouted, “That’s clearly nonsense! You must have spun this tale many times before! But look around, what kind of occasion is this? Who do you think we are? Do you really think we’d fall for your tricks?”

8856 muttered under his breath, “You’re digging your own graves.”

Utterly exasperated, he said, “Haven’t any of you been following the recent news?”

Someone seemed to recall something and timidly spoke up, “I think there was a trending topic a couple of days ago about officials from the National Bureau personally inviting a mysterious individual back to the country. Rumor has it that person donated thousands of artifacts related to the sunken civilization of Atlantis from millions of years ago, a discovery comparable to the miracle of Sanxingdui. Could it be him?”

Others picked up their phones to search and were immediately stunned.

“How is that possible? Pfft, what a coincidence! Besides, the identity of that mysterious person hasn’t been revealed. Just because you say it’s you, doesn’t mean it is! I could say I’m Qin Shi Huang!”

This elicited a round of laughter from those nearby.

Amid the discussion, Lin Sui, who had been secretly observing Fan Yi, seemed to remember something. She had, in fact, ordered someone to invite that mysterious individual.

“I did indeed invite that mysterious gentleman. The invitation has a serial number, and I’ve already sent someone to verify it. Let’s compare it, and everything will be clear,” Lin Sui said calmly.

As soon as Madam Yun spoke, everyone fell silent and turned their attention to Fan Yi and Xiao Liu.

8856 straightened his back, pulled an invitation from his pocket, and waited smugly for these people to be proven wrong.

A server came over, took the invitation, and was instructed to check the serial number against the one issued to the mysterious guest.

As for Fan Yi, the center of the storm, he stood there composed and elegant, as if completely unfazed by the slander. When Si Tang glanced at him, he responded with a gentle smile, appearing utterly unruffled.

Si Tang admired his emotional stability and composure.

But only 8856 and Sancha knew the truth: Lord Fan Yi was extremely petty and held grudges. Everyone who had spoken ill of him earlier had likely been secretly added to his revenge list!

As they waited, Si Tang belatedly realized she was still holding Fan Yi’s hand. For some reason, his body temperature was icy cold, while her palm was sweating, making it feel sticky and uncomfortable. She instinctively tried to pull her hand away.

To her surprise, the moment she moved, his grip tightened forcefully! It wasn’t a gentlemanly hold in fact, after tightening, he even rubbed her hand, the motion fluid and filled with an intimate, almost teasing familiarity.

Si Tang was stunned and instinctively looked at the perpetrator, meeting a pair of deep, unfathomable narrow eyes. His expression was inscrutable, though his smile remained gentle and polite.

Seeing her startled, rabbit-like expression as she stared blankly at him, Fan Yi lowered his gaze, suppressing the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

“Ah, it wasn’t intentional.” He released his hand, wearing an apologetic expression as if it had truly been an unconscious gesture. “I just remembered a cat I used to keep at home, it was a habitual movement.”

Si Tang was momentarily speechless, saying nothing, only feeling that the sudden action from moments ago seemed oddly out of place with his gentle and composed demeanor.