The young man was taken aback, stammering, "I didn't mean anything else, I just wanted to be friends with you."
Wang Ying took a sip of her juice, her expressionless face stating, "Sorry, I don't need any friends."
The young man stood there awkwardly.
He had noticed Wang Ying as soon as she entered.
Especially the middle-aged man beside her, whose status was surely not low, and who perfectly fit his criteria for a partner.
So, the moment he saw an opportunity, he eagerly stepped forward to strike up a conversation, hoping to win the beauty's heart.
However, he never expected that he, who was usually so suave and charming, would encounter such a rebuff this time.
In front of everyone, he could only force an awkward smile: "My apologies, I was presumptuous."
After speaking, he turned, clenched his fists, and left dejectedly.
From beginning to end, Wang Ying hadn't even glanced at him.
Following that, a steady stream of people came to strike up conversations.
There were mature and steady men in their thirties, young men in their early to mid-twenties just starting their careers, and even older, greasy uncles.
For some reason, these people had all set their sights on her.
Wang Ying was thoroughly annoyed and stood up with a dark expression.
She really couldn't stay any longer.
She put down her juice and walked towards the elevators.
As she walked, she suddenly widened her eyes: "Xiao Fan?"
She truly couldn't believe her eyes.
How could she possibly run into him at an event like this?
And who was beside him?
Lin Fan also saw Wang Ying and was as surprised as she was.
He had been trying to avoid people, but he hadn't expected to be cornered here.
"You know each other?"
Tian Mengyao looked back and forth between the two, her gaze full of confusion.
Lin Fan had a flash of inspiration, stepped forward a few paces, and introduced, "Sister Wang Ying, let me introduce you. This is Tian Mengyao, the village committee secretary of our Luofeng Village. I'm temporarily her assistant."
Wang Ying took a deep breath, a hint of disdain in her eyes.
So, just a mere village committee secretary, and from a place as poor and barren as Luofeng Village.
Judging by her age, she must be a university graduate assigned to the countryside, right?
Not very capable, but putting on airs!
Wang Ying cleared her throat, extended her hand, and said, "My name is Wang Ying, I'm Lin Fan's friend. Hello."
"Hello."
Tian Mengyao shook hands with Wang Ying. "I feel like I've seen you before. Ah, I remember now, at the Construction Bureau this afternoon..."
"I work there."
Wang Ying smiled slightly.
"Wow, Sister Wang Ying is so amazing!"
Tian Mengyao felt the capable aura radiating from Wang Ying and thought, "Father probably wishes I could be like her."
She didn't think much of it.
After all, Lin Fan usually stayed at the clinic and didn't move around, not even bothering to go to the village committee.
And Wang Ying worked in the city; the two were worlds apart, and even if something were to happen between them, it was too far-fetched!
"You flatter me."
Wang Ying's attitude was noticeably cold.
Her gaze occasionally flickered to Lin Fan.
Tian Mengyao noticed this and, thinking she might have something private to say to Lin Fan, smiled and said, "I'll go say hello to some friends. You two chat."
Tian Mengyao also harbored a significant prejudice against Wang Ying in her heart.
What was she playing at?
Just a civil servant, why act so high and mighty?
After Tian Mengyao left, Wang Ying looked at Lin Fan and asked, "Xiao Fan, how did you become an assistant in just a few days?"
Lin Fan chuckled helplessly. "I was drafted. Our village is full of elderly people and women and children. We couldn't find an old man or a little kid to help her with things, could we?"
"Later, I'll still have to help her drink."
Wang Ying snorted. "She certainly knows how to boss people around."
"Alright, Sister Wang Ying, why are you here? I see a lot of people inside, what are they all here for?"
Lin Fan looked at the well-dressed men and women in the hall, his heart filled with curiosity.
"My dad insisted I come. If I hadn't run into you, I would have left."
Wang Ying didn't hide anything and told Lin Fan the true purpose of the banquet.
Lin Fan's heart felt a little heavy after hearing this.
He looked at the petite, cold, and beautiful woman before him and teased, "Aren't you thinking of finding a suitable husband here?"
"Hmph!"
Wang Ying rolled her eyes at him. "If I found a suitable husband, you'd be crying your eyes out."
"Haha!"
Lin Fan glanced around the hall; Tian Mengyao was no longer visible.
"How about... we find a place to sit for a while?"
"You're not going to manage your village committee secretary anymore?"
"I... I can't help it."
Lin Fan sighed. "Even an outsider like her is so concerned about our Luofeng Village's affairs. As someone born and raised here, it wouldn't be right for me to just neglect it."
"Are you sure you're not interested in her because she's young and pretty?"
Wang Ying scrutinized Lin Fan suspiciously.
Lin Fan shrugged. "Am I that kind of person?"
"Never mind, I won't argue with you."
Wang Ying waved her hand and said, "Let's go sit at a coffee shop. I have to wait for my dad, and then go back with him, otherwise, he'll nag me again."
After she finished speaking, she unreservedly linked her arm through Lin Fan's and walked towards the elevator.
...
Meanwhile, in the banquet hall.
The young man who had just been coldly rejected by Wang Ying was sitting in a corner, looking dejected, drinking a shot of tequila.
"Ma Yuan, you're quick on the draw!"
A young man of the same age walked over and playfully slapped his shoulder. "In the blink of an eye, you were already making a move on that Wang Ying. You're something else!"
Ma Yuan snorted. "No, Shen Xue, you're here to laugh at me, aren't you?"
Shen Xue spread his hands. "I didn't mean it like that. I was just afraid you might have said something out of anger and offended Wang Ying. Let me tell you, quite a few people are interested in her. You can't afford to make enemies!"
"What could I have said?"
Ma Yuan put on a very aggrieved expression. "I just asked if I could sit next to her and be friends."
"And she didn't give me any face at all."
"I'm starting to doubt if she's even here for a blind date."
"Logically speaking, my conditions aren't bad either!"
Shen Xue chuckled. "You're going too far there. Honestly, there are quite a few people with good conditions who are interested in Wang Ying, and you really don't rank high."
Ma Yuan shrugged. "Fine, I'm not worthy of her. Alright, tell me, are you thinking of going after her too?"
"Definitely!"
Shen Xue admitted it readily. "Don't let the fact that Wang Ying is divorced fool you. Her looks, her figure, and her family background are something ordinary people can't compare to. It's a shame you managed to anger her away."
"Don't blame me!"
Ma Yuan stood up, leaned in towards Shen Xue, and asked, "I heard a girl with a very powerful background is supposed to be here tonight. Is that true?"
Shen Xue nodded thoughtfully. "It's true, and I heard that if you manage to win her over, you can at least save thirty years of hard work."
"That's why I've been behaving myself ever since I walked in, just waiting for pie to fall from the sky."