Chapter Fifteen: Can You Let Me Go Now?

When Huangpu Shenqing stepped out of the car, his gaze immediately fell upon the figure surrounded by the press. Striding forward, he pulled her into his embrace, and Shangguan Enran’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Is there some dissatisfaction with the decisions made by our mall?” Huangpu Shenqing, clad in a black suit and tie, swept the crowd with a calm, authoritative gaze—divine, commanding, and full of dignity.

The reporters, holding cameras and phones, were dumbstruck. Who could explain to them why the illustrious young master of the Huangpu family, who never attended public events, had appeared here—and was shielding someone in such a manner?

“Step aside, please! Delete all the pictures you’ve taken!” Mo Yi rushed over with his team, nearly petrified by what he saw. What was going on? Could it be that the daughter of the Shangguan family was actually involved with their president?

“Thank you,” Shangguan Enran pushed him away. She did not understand why he was helping her, but her upbringing compelled her to express gratitude nonetheless.

“Aren’t you cold?” Huangpu Shenqing’s gaze fell upon her exposed shoulders—fair and smooth, the delicate collarbone stark against her skin. The sight sent a jolt through him, stirring the urge to wrap her up.

The autumn night was chilly, with a biting wind, and she had shed her coat before leaving the car. Without waiting for her reply, Huangpu Shenqing pulled her close once more.

He held her as they entered the banquet, shielding her from most of the cold.

Shangguan Enran struggled, utterly confused by his actions. Was he planning to avenge his sister after uncovering her identity? But the situation seemed off.

Shangguan Miaomiao watched as that noble figure escorted Shangguan Enran away. That was the young master Huangpu! What had she done to deserve this? Everything Shangguan Miaomiao had ever dreamed of had fallen upon her cousin instead, and a seed of jealousy began to sprout within her heart.

As Shangguan Enran and Huangpu Shenqing entered, all eyes turned to them, the scene charged with curiosity.

That video had given her a surge of exposure, while Huangpu Shenqing was drawing attention for making his first public appearance at such an event. Now, the two of them were together.

“Could you let me go now, Mr. Huangpu?” she asked, her hand aching from his grip.

“My apologies,” Huangpu Shenqing murmured, noticing the red marks on her arm. Damn it—he had lost control of his strength.

Shangguan Enran’s skin was exquisitely delicate; even the slightest pressure would leave a mark, let alone the force he had used. She suspected he truly was seeking revenge.

She ignored him and seated herself quietly in a corner, waiting for the banquet to commence. Her timing was neither early nor late; the festivities were about to begin.

Huangpu Shenqing approached with a glass of juice, sat beside her, and offered it to her. “It’s not good to drink alcohol at night. Juice is better.”

What kind of situation was this? Shangguan Enran could make no sense of it. She accepted the glass and thanked him again.

“Do you have any plans coming up?” Huangpu Shenqing asked, his finely chiseled face devoid of expression, as if inquiring about the weather.

“Mr. Huangpu, if you have something to say, please speak plainly,” she replied. What was he trying to glean with this roundabout approach?

“Just call me Huangpu,” he said. He disliked his given name, though the surname was his father’s legacy.

“Mr. Huangpu, are you sure you understand what’s happening? If you’re here for your sister—”

“I have no sister.”

What?

“She’s nothing to me—not even a stranger in my eyes.”

“Fine. So if it’s not because of her, what do you want?” If not for Huangpu Qingyin, then for her? Ridiculous.

“I don’t want anything…” he thought, except to be near her.

“President, the banquet is starting. Shouldn’t we head in?” The assistant’s voice grew quieter as he noticed the deepening gloom on his employer’s face. He almost wanted to howl in frustration. What had he done wrong? Just before entering, his boss had seemed perfectly content chatting with someone. Why had everything changed?

“Director, the president of Fengshang Group is about to come onstage. We should go,” Shangguan Miaomiao said as she approached, dressed in a white gown that accentuated her figure, her makeup and hair immaculate.

“Let’s go,” Shangguan Enran set down her juice and headed for the center of the hall.

“Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the eightieth anniversary of Fengshang Group. Allow me to introduce our company’s president, Mr. Ye Liting. It is thanks to him that our company has taken such a great stride forward…” The host spoke eloquently from the stage, the audience murmuring and whispering in response.

Yet, for some reason, all eyes drifted from the stage to the pair below—so striking together that they outshone everyone else.

They watched as the rarely-seen Mr. Huangpu took off his own jacket and personally draped it over the woman’s shoulders.

Huangpu Shenqing wished he could gouge out their eyes, one by one. Unable to restrain himself, he had simply placed his jacket over her.

Oh heavens, could this ancestor not make such a spectacle? Did he not see the stares of everyone present? This truly was an astonishing debut, Mo Yi thought with an inward sigh. Now he finally understood why his boss had come to the banquet—it was all for the daughter of the Shangguan family.

“Hey, who is that?” a woman beside Shangguan Miaomiao whispered.

She had heard rumors online about the public apology, but why was the Huangpu heir showing such care?

“Her name is Shangguan Enran. That’s all I know,” Miaomiao replied. Revealing her identity in public was impossible, and even if it were, she would never do so herself.