Li Caiyi looked up and saw an unknown man standing beside her with his hand outstretched. There was a smell of alcohol coming from him, and she had to resist the urge to grimace.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine with just watching. I can't dance anyway." She politely refused him, but the guy mistook her rejection as some kind of playing-hard-to-get attitude.
He smirked before grabbing her hand. "Don't say that. It makes me sad to see a beauty like you only stand by and watch as everyone is having fun. I saw you when you came in earlier. You don't have a partner with you and feel lonely, right? Let me ease that worry from you."
Li Caiyi shuddered to hear those cringe-worthy lines. The sensation of his hand over hers was unpleasant; she wanted nothing but to fling his hand away. But she suppressed herself from flaring up and said coldly, "Sir, I think you have drunk too much. It's impolite for you to touch me like this when I have clearly refused your invitation. Please let me go."
The drunk man was taken aback when she scolded him politely like that. But that surprise was quickly replaced by anger.
"I kindly offered to accompany you, but you want to refuse? Don't you know who I am? You think you are great just because you have a pretty face. My father is the chairman of Ding Enterprise, and a nobody like you dared to act high and mighty in front of me?!"
His voice gathered some of the guests' attention. Some guests even took out their phones to record this despite the dim lighting.
Thankfully, it didn't seem like Li Chunhua noticed anything. Li Caiyi was relieved because everything would escalate if her sister got involved.
Ding Enterprise was a start-up tech company up until 3 years ago. Still, their business had been doing well in recent years, gaining a significant amount of name and wealth. Of course, their influence couldn't be compared to Meng Pharmaceutical or Glorious Days, but they weren't to be underestimated either.
But why should Li Caiyi care about that? Unlike him, she didn't need her father to protect her reputation.
Li Caiyi flung his hand away harshly, all while shooting him a warning look. "I will pretend I didn't see you tonight. When you sobered up, I wish you remembered how you offended me tonight and reflected on yourself."
The Young Master Ding got even more furious when she talked down to him like he was an ant. "Y-you arrogant woman! I want to see if you can still act high and mighty after I finish having my way with you!"
He raised his hand and swung it down to slap her, but someone had grabbed the man's arm from behind before she could avoid it.
"What? Who are—AAAGGHHH!!!"
Not only Li Caiyi but almost everyone in the vicinity was startled by the sound of bone cracking, followed by his ugly scream. The music came to a complete hall due to disturbance, while the guests became more and more uneasy.
A loud scream was suddenly heard in the dark room; anyone would feel too unsettled to continue what they were doing.
Young Master Ding crumbled to the ground while clutching his poor hand. Li Caiyi could see someone wearing a waiter outfit standing behind him. However, she couldn't see his face because he lowered his head.
Before she could thank him, the waiter suddenly turned around and mingled in the crowd.
"Wait! Just a moment, please!" Li Caiyi shouted while trying to catch up with him, but this darkness made it hard for her to maneuver her way. That waiter didn't seem to have any problem with it, though.
Just as she was about to give up, the venue was illuminated by light once again.
The organizer turned on the light while trying to calm the guest down. Later some people entered to take the Young Master Ding out of the venue, but Li Caiyi was more concerned about finding the waiter who had just helped her.
She looked around and glimpsed upon his back as he tried to slip outside. Li Caiyi dashed to chase after that person. Her chest tightened as a wild thought flashed in her mind.
No, there was no way.
What would he be doing in a place like this?
He was the one who said they wouldn't meet each other anymore in the future. He dumped her and broke her heart, even mercilessly disappearing from her life after that.
But then, why would he run away like that? She had to know if this waiter was trying to run from her or something else.
Li Caiyi knew this was probably just wishful thinking on her part. There was a one million chance that she would meet him again like this, but she wanted to bet on that one chance!
Li Caiyi panted hard after running around the garden. The stiletto she wore made this chasing super difficult, so she casually tossed it aside and held it in her hands. If someone saw her like this, they would probably think she had gone crazy.
Bare-footed, Li Caiyi kept looking for that waiter. But it was like he had disappeared along with the night wind because she couldn't find him. Did he already leave the venue? If yes, then he probably had long gone by now. She wasted too much time searching for him in the garden.
Feeling frustrated, Li Caiyi threw her shoes and plopped down on the ground. Hugging herself into a ball, she didn't care if her new dress got dirtied. She felt inexplicably upset.
"It's been six years, Li Caiyi. Why can't you just move on? You foolish woman." She weakly scolded herself.
It was upsetting because she wouldn't know if her guess was correct or not. She felt like she wouldn't be this disappointed even if that waiter wasn't him.
Li Caiyi hated to admit it, but in the past 6 years, there was never a day passed when she didn't miss him.
He would appear in her mind at random times. When she was studying for her final year in high school, during the launching of her second book, or on Sunday morning when she finally had time to cook for herself.
The more she tried to forget, the more she missed him. It made her angry that she was probably the only one who felt this way.
"Dai Zhiqiang, you liar. Men's promises are all unreliable. So hateful."
Li Caiyi stayed still for some time before she finally calmed down. Sighing deeply, she raised her head, planning to return to the venue. However, she was stunned when she saw a man standing a few meters away.
Her breath hitched when she realized who he was. His hair was slightly longer than in the past. The aura around him got sharper, but his deep black eyes were the same as always. His expression was stoic, devoid of any longing or attachment.
Clad in waiter uniform, Dai Zhiqiang looked exquisite yet down-to-earth as he stepped towards her.
"It's been a long time, Li Caiyi."
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