“I honestly don’t think it’s necessary, thanks,” Yan rejected the makeup artist in utter embarrassment. After that, she kept her head bowed without making conversation—it was obvious that she was shy about this.
“You are so shy. You’re already embarrassed over such a small matter. How did you manage to pursue President Han?”
Yan was rendered speechless when she heard that. Then, she looked up and into Su Jiu’s eyes. “In all honesty, I wasn’t shy at all previously when I pursued him. No, to be honest, I was shy, but…” I was probably bold in the beginning because I figured I could give it my all. Toward the end, I was rejected so many times that I lost hope. Feeling shy is a normal response, but I was previously bold because I followed whatever my heart demanded. It’s different now because I’m mostly dominated by worry and fear. I’ve placed my yearnings at the bottom of my priorities.
“But what?”
“Nothing.” Yan shook her head. She was excited just a second ago, but now, her head hung low. Seeing how dejected and disappointed Yan was, Su Jiu patted the former’s shoulders. “It’s alright. The past is the past and you are in the present now. You have the future to look forward to. There would be plenty of chances and timings waiting for you.”
Su Jiu’s words were very encouraging. As Yan repeated after her several times in silence, she finally chuckled in agreement. “Yup!”
The young lady in front of Su Jiu smiled, appearing to be full of youthful vigor. “That’s right. You should be this happy when you attend the banquet later.”
“Thank you, Secretary Su.”
Yan had excellent skin, so the makeup artist completed the task effortlessly. She lamented after she was done with Yan’s makeup, “Cute girl, you have such good skin. I’ve been working as a makeup artist for years, but I’ve seen only a handful of women with great skin. It’s so much easier for me to apply the makeup because I don’t need to bother with thick foundation layers.”
Yan smiled shyly at the makeup artist’s compliments. The makeup artist found Yan adorable the longer she stared at the latter. She almost wanted to caress Yan’s hair, but she had styled it not too long ago and stopped herself from messing up Yan’s styled hair, knowing that it would have to be redone later.
The sky turned dark by the time the two of them left. Nevertheless, the city was not engulfed by darkness—but lights flooded the city, brightening the night.
“Not bad! You are very pretty. If everything goes well, you should be the most dazzling woman tonight.”
Yan’s breath caught in her throat when she heard that because she was already practicing slow and deep inhalations due to her anxiety. “W-What? The most dazzling woman, you say?”
“That’s right.” Su Jiu winked at Yan through the rearview mirror. “Don’t you think you’re beautifully dressed right now?”
“Well, it is pretty, but… I know how I look like,” Yan hesitated before answering. I’m well aware of my appearance and I’m not a classic beauty. Why would I be the most dazzling woman? Besides, I don’t want to be the most dazzling woman tonight. I’d be extremely uncomfortable if everyone is focused on me.
However, Yan exhaled a sigh of relief—once she reassured herself that no such thing would happen based on her current appearance. Nevertheless, right after she felt relieved, Su Jiu seemed determined to provoke the former by commenting, “I suppose you have a skewed opinion about yourself. You might not have the prettiest facial features, but trust me, your youthful vigor shines bright like a diamond. Furthermore, you’ve underestimated President Han’s charm. He’s been single for so many years and he’s rejected countless celebrities and socialites throughout the years due to multiple reasons. He’s never had any female companion throughout the years. If he has one, those women whom he rejected in the past would most probably clamber forward to rip his current female companion apart.”
Rip her apart… Yan felt a chill run down her spine and she straightened her back. After that, she stared at Su Jiu steadily while the imaginary image flashed through her mind. Does that mean that the reason I’d be the most dazzling woman tonight has nothing to do with my looks nor will it be associated with my dress? Instead… it’s due to the fact that I’m standing beside Han Qing? If that’s the reason, it makes perfect sense. Besides, I’m sure there would be a 99.9% chance I’ll end up as the center of attention because Han Qing is always the center of attention. If I were to stand beside him… Yan was suddenly regretful. Why did I agree to be his date to attend the banquet? I wasn’t sure on what to do then and I ran away instinctively. However, I’ve never thought of rejecting him.
“Are you scared?” Su Jiu glanced at her while asking in amusement.
Yan never answered her.
“Why are you scared? Shouldn’t you have the courage to stand by his side if you are in love with him?”
Yan was rendered speechless and she looked up abruptly upon hearing that.
“How would you be his woman if you don’t stand with him?”
“But…” Yan bit her lower lip in hesitation. “I think I’m that great, but I… don’t think I’m good enough for him.”
“So what is good enough for him? Family background? Appearance? Or personality? From where I stand, those things aren’t issues at all. The most important thing is that the two of you have to be in love with each other and you must have the courage to solve issues together. There might be plenty of cruel things in the real world which forces us to face reality. However, in all honesty, I’ve been married for so many years and I have to say that I still believed in love when I met my husband.”
“That’s nice,” Yan commented enviously.
“You will have that one day as well, you just have to believe in yourself.”
I have to admit that Su Jiu is a very considerate person.
After arriving at the venue of the banquet, Su Jiu led Yan out from the car. Yan was unable to walk properly since she wore high heels, which reminded her of the time when she wore a pair of high heels of the wrong size while she went with Han Qing to meet some clients. Her choice of footwear had chaffed her skin badly and she was in pain for several days afterward. However, her heartache was worse.
“Well… Secretary Su…” Yan walked beside Su Jiu while appearing unsure. “Is this the venue of the banquet?”
“That’s right.”
But why don’t I see Han Qing? Has he entered the venue by himself? Didn’t he wait for me? She felt slightly disappointed when she thought of that.
“Are you very disappointed?” Su Jiu asked just beside her.
Yan reverted to her previous expression immediately while shaking her head. “No, I’m not.” She acted as if nothing happened. I might feel slightly disappointed, but I’m still happy in general. After all, Han Qing invited me to attend this banquet as his date. It’s the first step to my happiness. From now on, I just have to work harder.
“Why don’t you have a look at the entrance?”
The entrance? Yan had a look at her surroundings and she noticed a crowded spot. There was a red carpet with countless people walking along that route because an invite was needed upon entering the venue. At that moment, a tall and handsome figure appeared suddenly at the entrance. The man towered over the crowd. Han Qing! She felt her heart thumping hard against her chest. Her pink lips parted and she was so excited that she almost screamed his name, but realized that there were many people entering the venue, so she stopped herself just in time.
“Are you still disappointed now? President Han came out just to wait for you.”
