Chapter 240
However, this small detail was still caught by Aivina, causing her heart to skip a beat.
Xia'er... does he dislike me now?
Though she was reluctant to recall it, Aivina forced herself to replay all her recent actions in her mind, gently pursing her lips.
What’s wrong with me... Why did I act so immaturely and irrationally?
In Xia'er’s eyes, didn’t she just resemble a petulant child?
She would never have behaved like this before... But in front of Xia'er, Aivina seemed to shed the facade she maintained around others, acting just like an ordinary girl—pouting when she felt like it, blushing when shy, and smiling when happy...
“Xia'er...”
After hesitating for a moment, Aivina extended her right hand, patting the sofa beside her before speaking, “Sit here.”
Xia'er obediently sat down next to Aivina, their shoulders brushing against each other. After a moment of silence, Aivina finally said, “I’m sorry, Xia'er. I was a bit unreasonable just now.”
Xia'er didn’t respond verbally; instead, he reached out his left hand, resting the back of it on Aivina’s right thigh, fingers splayed, palm facing up.
At first, Aivina didn’t quite understand what this meant, but after a moment of hesitation, she gently placed her right hand on Xia'er’s left hand, their fingers intertwining tightly.
The warmth from Xia'er’s grip sent a gentle heat rising in Aivina’s chest, as if everything was understood without words.
But Xia'er’s next question made that warmth rush straight up to her cheeks.
“So, what’s the compensation for tonight?”
Xia'er asked.
At the moment she heard this, Aivina instinctively tried to pull her hand away from Xia'er’s grasp, but his grip was too strong, leaving her almost immobile despite her efforts.
What a blunder!
“None.”
Aivina replied with a blank expression.
“What a pity.”
Xia'er didn’t push it too far and simply released his hand.
This allowed Aivina to finally pull her hand free, but after doing so, she seemed to regret it. Her right hand lingered in the air for a moment before she crossed her arms in front of her.
“We’ve wasted too much time; the banquet is about to start.”
Aivina stood up, not looking back at Xia'er, and quickly walked toward the door.
She desperately needed the cool air outside to cool her flushed cheeks.
Meanwhile, having enjoyed the sight of a shy Aivina, Xia'er stood up contentedly. He adjusted his clothes in front of the mirror, feeling quite pleased.
Seeing Aivina, who usually wore a cold expression, show so many different emotions in front of him brought Xia'er immense joy. It felt like he had discovered a new source of happiness—a new way to tease Aivina.
When Xia'er finished tidying himself up and stepped out of the room, Nia had been waiting at the door for a little while.
Upon seeing Xia'er, Nia slightly lowered her head and said, “Miss Xia'er, the young lady has already gone down. She said you prefer to keep a low profile and asked you to join me later.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Xia'er smiled and nodded at Nia.
At that moment, Nia seemed to notice a small injury on Xia'er’s lips. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, “Miss Xia'er, do you need some healing ointment? Your lips have a bit of an injury.”
“Do you have any topical medicine? The kind for bruises?”
Xia'er thought for a moment before asking.
“Yes, I’ll go get it for you.”
Nia nodded, feeling a bit sorry for the seemingly harmless Xia'er.
Despite Aivina’s usual cold demeanor, she was actually quite strong-willed and decisive, never backing down.
Poor Miss Xia'er... She must have been bullied by the young lady just now, and there might even be bruises in places that can’t be seen. Meanwhile, Aivina seemed completely fine except for a slight blush.
After all, one was an ordinary person, and the other was a second-tier extraordinary being; one had no power, while the other was a noble destined to stand at the core of power... Their relationship could hardly be equal, leaving poor Xia'er with almost no chance to fight back.
However, their matters were private, and Nia didn’t want to say too much. She quickly went to fetch the ointment and bandages.
She could only find an opportunity to remind Aivina to be gentler, considering Xia'er’s frail health.
After bringing the items to Xia'er, she spent about ten minutes in her room tending to her bruises. Once she was dressed again, she followed Nia downstairs.
By this time, the hall was devoid of nobles, with only a few unfamiliar aristocrats and merchants in the parlor smoking cigars and snuff.
Xia'er walked straight out the main door, glancing toward the garden, where she spotted Aivina surrounded by nobles.
At that moment, Aivina held a champagne glass, elegantly and calmly answering questions from those around her, chatting as if nothing had happened earlier.
If it weren’t for the slight pain from her silk dress rubbing against her chest as she walked, Xia'er might have thought nothing had occurred at all.
To her surprise, she saw Baron Hastings and Amy. Baron Hastings seemed to be surrounded by many people, chatting animatedly and clinking glasses, while Amy sat at a nearby table quietly nibbling on desserts.
If she remembered correctly, this was Baron Hastings’ first invitation, right? Yet it appeared that his area was the most crowded, aside from Aivina. Moreover, judging by their attire, most were wealthy merchants.
Xia'er walked cautiously, trying to minimize the movement of her upper body to avoid further irritation to her chest. She didn’t want to disturb Aivina and instead made her way toward Amy.
At that moment, Aivina noticed Xia'er sneaking by out of the corner of her eye. Watching her bend slightly as she walked, Aivina felt a wave of guilt wash over her, recalling her earlier actions.
Tonight... I should give Xia'er some “compensation”...
Aivina thought to herself.
Meanwhile, Xia'er had settled down next to Amy. Not many people noticed her arrival, which made her feel a bit more at ease.
Amy was pleasantly surprised to see Xia'er and started to get up to help her get a dessert, but Xia'er stopped her, only asking her to bring a glass of juice.
Xia'er had been eating since morning and couldn’t fit anything else, not even dessert.
With a friend by her side, Amy gradually relaxed and began chattering away with Xia'er.
When Xia'er asked why so many people were looking for her father, Amy shook her head, unsure of the reason.
But from Amy’s perspective, whenever someone came to see her father, it was usually related to court matters, as he was a magistrate, and most cases in Bole City passed through his hands.
Typically, her father interacted more with factory owners, but this time he was directly engaging with the true powers behind those owners, indicating a higher level of influence.
Many attendees had come from out of town for the banquet, and some had even traveled from Ansu specifically for business.
It seemed Aivina’s “business exchange meeting” had some clout.
“Don’t you know why so many people are looking for Baron Hastings?”
A soft voice suddenly interrupted Xia'er and Amy’s conversation. They turned to see a girl with a single ponytail and emerald green eyes.
“Hello, let me introduce myself. I’m Isabella Stuart, and my father owns the Stuart Art Exchange.”
Isabella smiled slightly as she introduced herself to the two.
“I’m Xia'er.”
Xia'er nodded and stated her name, though she had never heard of the art exchange.
“Just call me Amy.”
Amy didn’t know this girl either, but she responded with her name, appreciating the friendly demeanor.
“I just heard you discussing Baron Hastings... Are you curious why so many people are looking for him?”
Isabella naturally took a seat across from Amy and Xia'er.
Her familiarity didn’t come off as off-putting; rather, her friendly attitude and engaging conversation piqued Xia'er’s interest.
“Yes.”
Xia'er nodded slightly, following along, “What do you know?”
“Maybe you forgot to check the newspapers; there have been quite a few recent events.”
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