After Teasing the Crazy Mermaid, He Actually Deceived Me into Marriage - Chapter 72

A moment later, the lights in the center of the venue suddenly dimmed, and a spotlight shone onto the stage. Models began to parade out one after another, adorned with jewelry.

The event quickly reached its climax. All media outlets focused their attention on the stage, eagerly awaiting the final highlight of the show.

At that moment, He Chenzhou, the CEO of the He Group, unexpectedly stepped onto the stage.

The venue fell silent instantly. He Chenzhou rarely made public appearances, and everyone was astonished by his presence.

The man exuded a restrained yet powerful aura. His strikingly handsome features were sharp and defined, and his gaze swept calmly over the crowd, yet beneath the surface lay unfathomable depths.

Si Tang didn’t notice that from the moment He Chenzhou appeared, Fan Yi’s expression beside her had darkened.

He Chenzhou scanned the room, and his gaze seemed to settle on where Si Tang was seated.

“Thank you all for attending the He Group’s new product launch,” He Chenzhou’s voice was deep and composed. “Before presenting the final piece, I have an important announcement to make.”

He continued, “The ‘Weiyang’ series is indeed one of the He Group’s key projects this year. However, today, I would like to extend special thanks to the collaborator and designer of this series, Miss Si Tang of Xing Nian.”

The room erupted in murmurs. Camera flashes instantly shifted to Si Tang’s location. Under the gaze of the entire audience, she stood up calmly, smiling at the cameras. In her line of sight, she seemed to catch a glimpse of Si Xi’s disbelieving expression.

He Chenzhou extended his hand from the stage. “Please welcome Miss Si Tang to the stage.”

Thunderous applause filled the venue. Under the astonished and admiring gazes of the crowd, Si Tang made her way to the stage. As she passed Si Xi, she heard her mutter through gritted teeth, “This can’t be.”

Si Tang’s expression remained unchanged as she calmly ascended the stage, her eyes meeting He Chenzhou’s.

When she took the microphone from his hand, she couldn’t help but whisper, “Thank you.”

He Chenzhou’s lips curved slightly a detail that Fan Yi, seated below the stage, happened to catch.

Fan Yi felt as though his entire body were burning with rage. He wished he could tie Si Tang to his side so no one else could lay eyes on her.

On stage, Si Tang was speaking, but he could no longer hear her words. All he could see was the two of them standing side by side, looking so perfectly matched that it made his heart ache with jealousy.

He could no longer restrain himself. He wanted to lock Si Tang away, so no one could see her, covet her, or take her from him.

But suddenly, a spotlight shone on him, and Si Tang’s words gradually became clear.

“I would like to thank my husband for his unwavering support.”

Si Tang intended to use this opportunity to publicly affirm the “steadfastness” of their relationship.

Little did she know what terrifying consequences she had just narrowly escaped.

Under the spotlight, Fan Yi stood up, a gentle smile gracing his face. He strode onto the stage, positioning himself directly between Si Tang and He Chenzhou, forcing He Chenzhou to take a step back. Then, he placed a hand firmly on Si Tang’s waist.

He Chenzhou’s gaze instinctively met his. In that moment, he clearly saw the warning and possessiveness in the other man’s eyes.

Without any change in expression, He Chenzhou averted his gaze. Beside him, Si Tang was focused entirely on the audience, oblivious to the undercurrents unfolding beside her.

Down below, Si Xi felt a pang of regret. She had been secretly observing from the shadows and had clearly seen the monstrous look in that creature’s eyes, as if he wanted to devour Si Tang whole. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he had reined it in and assumed a gentle demeanor.

Just you wait, Si Tang has been entangled with a monster, what good outcome could there be?

After everything had concluded, Si Tang intended to thank him in person afterward, but she learned that He Chenzhou had already left the venue.

“Alright, please convey my thanks to President He on my behalf,” Si Tang said to He Chenzhou’s assistant.

The assistant nodded politely and personally escorted Si Tang and Fan Yi to their car.

Only after watching the car drive away did the assistant take out their phone and report to the man on the other end of the line.

“President He, Miss Si and her husband have been sent off.”

The other party said nothing, merely giving a soft “Mm” before hanging up.

On the other end, He Chenzhou stood before the floor-to-ceiling window as night fell. Below him, the entire city was releasing desires unknown to others.

On the desk behind him, several documents lay spread out investigations into Si Tang before and after her engagement and marriage.

Lately, he had been having strange dreams.

In the dreams, set in an ancient backdrop, a girl of about thirteen or fourteen, who loved wearing flowing fairy dresses and had her hair tied in a bun, would always follow him timidly, gazing at him with wide eyes.

“Brother, Tang’er wants to eat ice cakes, but Mother won’t buy them for me. Will you bring me some?”

In the dream, he was also dressed in ancient black robes. He would gently stroke the girl’s head, his expression full of affection and concern, and shake his head.

“That’s too cold. Your health is poor, and the physician said you can’t eat such things.”

The girl would pout, on the verge of tears, and the dream version of himself would fluster to comfort her.

The girl in the dream seemed to be in poor health always coughing, her face pale and delicate.

“Brother, I want to go to school. I don’t want to be cooped up inside every day.”

“The physician said you need to rest quietly at home and mustn’t engage in any strenuous activities. If you’re bored, how about I take you to the courtyard to watch the butterflies?”

At the end of these dreams, he finally saw the girl’s face clearly it was none other than Si Tang.

He Chenzhou withdrew his gaze from the window, walked over to the island counter, and opened a bottle of liquor. The amber liquid poured into the glass, and he lifted it, tilting his head back to drink. He closed his eyes slightly, concealing the turmoil of emotions within. His expression remained calm throughout.

In the dream, he was her brother.

But He Chenzhou knew very well that, in the dream, his feelings for her were far from merely brotherly.

Three days later, Si Tang received an invitation to the He Corporation’s celebration banquet.

This time, she didn’t inform Fan Yi, only telling him that she had some matters to attend to. After all, men had their own careers too, she couldn’t always have him following her around.

When she arrived at the celebration banquet venue, she was surprised to see that He Chenzhou was actually there.

The crowd was lively and bustling, with the design departments of Xing Nian and the He Corporation mingling freely.

The man sat alone on a sofa in a secluded corner, quietly sipping his drink, creating an invisible barrier that kept others at a distance.

She had assumed he wouldn’t attend such events.

Everyone greeted her warmly when she arrived.

“Vice President Si, please have a seat!”

Whether by coincidence or not, they ended up pushing her toward the seat next to He Chenzhou.

None of them had any ulterior motives after all, in the eyes of others, she was married, and He Chenzhou had a fiancée.

As soon as she sat down, the man beside her poured her a drink. Amber liquid filled the glass, and a slender, jade-like hand pushed it toward her.

“You’re three minutes late, Vice President Si! You know the rules three penalty drinks!” the crowd teased.

Si Tang wanted to say she couldn’t handle alcohol, but a deep voice sounded beside her.

“It’s a soft drink. I had it swapped out.”

Si Tang turned in surprise, her eyes meeting the man’s deep, dark gaze. Under the dim lighting, his expression was calm, yet his features carried an aggressive edge that made it hard to hold his stare for long.

Pressing her lips together in a faint smile, she picked up her glass and took a sip it was indeed sweet. Her heart stirred unexpectedly; she hadn’t thought he would.

Si Tang was no longer a child, and the man’s actions inevitably led her thoughts to wander.

But as she glanced down, the plain band on his left ring finger caught her eye, and she wondered again perhaps it was just a misunderstanding, a mistaken impression?

After all, she herself was still “married.”