vstars Chapter 513 You've Never Been My Opponent
Chapter 513 You've Never Been My Opponent
Who wouldn't want to know Xu Fangye's preferences?
"That's right. Last time, a famous model wanted to ask Brother Xu to dance, but he directly had his assistant refuse. Although he has had many scandals over the years, he has never admitted to any of them. I really don't know who he will end up with."
"My mom even said she'd like to find an opportunity for me to have a meal with Brother Xu..."
Fang Li stirred the juice in her glass, then looked up with a faint smile: "My brother never lets me get involved in his affairs. I really don't know what kind of person he likes."
Her tone was frank, and her eyes were clear, leaving no room for doubt that she was being perfunctory, yet she didn't reveal any useful information.
The girls, having been rebuffed, awkwardly changed the subject, talking about the recent fashion week and new perfumes.
Fang Li listened half-heartedly when she suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure walking towards her.
It is Sheng Qianrui.
Her fishtail skirt accentuated her slender figure, and she wore a perfectly timed smile, holding a glass of champagne as she approached step by step.
As she approached, she nodded to Zhao Manqi and the others before turning her gaze to Fang Li, her tone warm as if they were old acquaintances: "President Xu, it's been a long time. I never expected to see you here."
Fang Li's fingers, which were holding the cup, paused slightly.
She truly hadn't expected Sheng Qianrui to appear at this banquet hosted primarily by the Xu family.
Judging from her familiarity with Zhao Manqi and others, she had obviously been doing quite well in Haicheng's socialite circle recently.
"Does Miss Sheng know Fang Li?"
After their conversation, Zhao Manqi and the others had become familiar with how to refer to pears.
"Of course, we've met many times in the capital."
Some people, recalling those previous news gossips, immediately huddled together and whispered meaningfully.
Seeing Sheng Qianrui's composure, Fang Li's lips curved into a faint smile, her tone neither warm nor cold: "Miss Sheng."
These three simple words carry an invisible sense of distance.
Sheng Qianrui's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal, and she sat down in the empty seat next to Fang Li.
His gaze seemingly casually swept over her skirt, and he casually mentioned, "Speaking of which, Mr. Xu and I are quite destined to meet. I thought we'd never see each other again after we parted ways in Beijing, but I didn't expect to meet again tonight..."
Fang Li looked up at her but didn't reply.
She raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes calm like a deep pool, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.
Fang Li's sudden silence weighed heavily on Sheng Qianrui's heart, like a sponge soaked in ice.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Manqi and the others wisely kept quiet, leaving only the distant music in the air, like a gently suspended thread, making the surrounding atmosphere instantly indescribable.
Sheng Qianrui gripped the champagne glass stem with her fingertips, her knuckles turning white as she barely managed to maintain the carefully crafted smile on her lips. But the smile had long lost its warmth, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes concealed a surging embarrassment.
The air around them seemed to be filled with thorns. Zhao Manqi and the others exchanged awkward glances. Their gazes fell on her, each one filled with intense inquiry, making the skin on the back of her neck burn.
Even so, Sheng Qianrui still refused to reveal the slightest bit of her disheveled state.
When she looked up at Zhao Manqi and the others, her eyelashes deliberately trembled, her tone was as soft as if coated with icing sugar, but the end of her voice carried an undeniable tone:
"Sisters, could we speak in private for a moment? Fang Li and I... have some private matters to discuss."
His words were a request, but his eyes were like cold, sharp knives, slowly sweeping over them, the sense of superiority in them impossible to conceal.
It was as if to say—you rich girls who only know how to compare yourselves, do you even deserve to stay here and watch her make a fool of herself?
The blows were all struck by her gaze, and some people, not wanting to cause trouble, obediently got up.
Some people tried to argue back, but were pulled away by those around them.
Zhao Manqi, who was the last to get up, felt uncomfortable under Sheng Qianrui's gaze, so she didn't respond to her comment. Instead, she reached out and patted Fang Li's hand, her palm warm.
When she leaned close to Fang Li's ear, her voice was extremely low, with a hint of protectiveness in her earnestness: "Call me if you need anything, I'll go find your brother for you right now."
When Fang Li looked up, she caught a glimpse of a deep meaning flashing in her eyes.
Fang Li knew that although she might have some intention to help her, her main motivation was probably to find an opportunity to talk to Xu Fangye.
These girls in Haicheng were all deceived by Xu Fangye's good looks.
Zhao Manqi was no exception.
Fang Li noticed it, but didn't point it out.
They meant well, after all, so she simply smiled and gave a soft "Mmm".
That unspoken understanding, like a cup of warm water, quietly soothed the slight tension in Zhao Manqi's heart.
Once everyone had left, the silence around the corner sofa instantly turned sharp.
Sheng Qianrui's smile shattered with a "crack." She slammed her wine glass on the table, splashing a few drops of bright yellow liquid that left unsightly stains on the snow-white tablecloth.
"Xu Fangli, does pretending to be weak to fool others make you feel superior?"
She gritted her teeth, each word seemingly squeezed out from between them, "Back then, when you and Song Yuchen were signed to Yaoxing, everyone thought you were just an ordinary college student. You were slandered like that in the industry, and you actually managed to endure it?"
"Yu Wei schemed against you so much, and you endured it. Song Yuchen betrayed you, and you didn't care. You faced so many false accusations and crises while running your studio, yet you never revealed your identity? Why?"
She became more and more agitated as she spoke, her chest heaving violently, her eyes filled with a stubbornness like a red-hot wire, taut and unyielding.
"You are clearly the daughter of the Xu family. You could easily have obtained everything just by virtue of that identity. Why do you have to watch me act like a clown, using all my tricks in front of you, only to end up making myself look so pathetic? Does that make you feel good?!"
Fang Li remained silent, simply watching her with eyes as calm as a deep pool.
After she finished speaking, he slowly asked, "Want to know why?"
Fang Li's voice was very soft, as light as a feather, yet it carried a weight of a thousand pounds: "Because in my heart, you, Sheng Qianrui, have never been my match."
"..."
She paused, her gaze sweeping lightly over Sheng Qianrui's flushed face. "I don't need to compete with you in these matters, much less do I need to."
These words were like a slap in the face, landing hard on Sheng Qianrui's cheek.
She stood up abruptly, her high heels screeching on the floor.
"What makes you say that?!"
Her voice trembled, but she still held her head high, her eyes brimming with humiliation and defiance. "Xu Fangli, don't think you're so great just because you're the daughter of the Xu family! I, Sheng Qianrui, am no less than you!"
That's how it should have been.
In recent years, the overall strength of Shengshi Group has been declining, and it is indeed no match for Xu's Group, which has been steadily developing and growing year by year.
But if we go back ten years, Shengshi Group was also one of the leading large groups in China.
Sheng Qianrui, as the daughter of Shengshi Group, is also a favored daughter of heaven.
Unfortunately, everything has changed.