Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Guess If I’ll Dodge
The banquet was held on the second floor of the Shuiyue Qingtian Hotel.
Shi Su walked out of the makeup room on the third floor, deep in thought. As she approached the staircase, she suddenly stopped and let the other guests go down first.
She picked up her phone, opened WeChat, quickly scrolled to the name of her sponsor, and opened the chat box.
Shi Su: [The apartment in Kaixing Mansion where I’m currently staying, do you need it back urgently? If not, could I stay there a bit longer?]
After sending this, she pondered for a moment and sent another message.
Shi Su: [If I stay long-term, I can sign a yearly lease. Considering my current work schedule and income, renting in Kaixing Mansion shouldn’t be a problem. The studio can help me with the rent for the first year, and I can pay it back with my film salary and advertising fees.]
Actually, Kaixing Mansion has other floors and layouts, but she noticed that not every floor has an elevator password and precise alarm systems, and not every stairwell door has a password lock. Such comprehensive security facilities are only between the 30th to 32nd floors of that building, providing a very secure and high-level anti-disturbance mode, perfectly embodying the message "strangers keep out."
She hadn’t entered other buildings and didn’t know if they were the same, but the place she currently lived in was indeed very safe. Unless authorized by Jing Jihan or herself, no one could possibly enter the 31st floor.
A few minutes passed after she sent the WeChat messages, but there was still no reply.
Perhaps Jing Jihan was busy.
Shi Su locked the screen, handed the phone to Chu Jiu, and walked down the spiral staircase between the third and second-floor banquet halls, holding her skirt.
There were two spiral staircases between the second and third floors, positioned opposite each other on one side of the hall.
As Shi Su gracefully descended the left spiral staircase, the brilliant stars on her dress seemed even more enchanting under the occasional glints of light, twinkling brightly.
Shi Su knew that in such an occasion tonight, she would inevitably encounter numerous actresses and socialites from various circles. She also knew from the invitation list that Shi Yunyin and Yi City would be attending. However, she didn’t expect the coincidence that as she descended the staircase, Shi Yunyin simultaneously appeared on the opposite spiral staircase.
Chu Jiu initially intended to help Shi Su down, but as Shi Su was quite steady in her high heels, she walked on her own.
Across from her, on the right-side spiral staircase, stood Mrs. Shi, Xv Yaru, supporting her beloved daughter Shi Yunyin, as she assisted her with adjusting the dress train while descending.
Before the two groups reached the middle of the staircases, they had already seen each other from a distance, especially Shi Yunyin, who first noticed Shi Su’s breathtakingly beautiful starry evening gown.
Their eyes met, or rather their six eyes met, considering that the mother-hen-like Xv Yaru was present too.
Shi Su, a spokesperson for Tilans, was inevitably going to meet them here tonight. It was something she wasn’t the only one aware of; otherwise, why would Shi Yunyin come, and how could Xv Yaru, a normally seldom-seen socialite, suddenly show herself publicly without reason?
Shi Su confidently smiled at the mother and daughter on the right-side staircase and halted, gesturing for them to go down first.
The intersection of the two staircases was not large, and she did not intend to walk side by side with them, maintaining some distance was necessary.
Shi Yunyin remained motionless, her gaze fixed on Shi Su’s dress.
"Aren’t we all trying on dresses? How come I can’t try it on?"
"The dress has already been reserved. That person is from Yu Jing Group, and you really can’t try it on."
The two statements echoed in her ears, combined with previous incidents, Shi Yunyin’s eyes filled with deeper disbelief as she looked at Shi Su.
Was she really affiliated with Yu Jing Group?
It couldn’t be that the low-key employee who drove a Passat actually had some substantial background within Yu Jing Group, could it?
Shi Yunyin and her mother stood still too. In such a public setting, with hidden cameras lurking in the corners, they had to maintain a graceful demeanor just as Shi Su had yielded, they too appeared willing to yield.
Seeing the mother and daughter standing there staring at her, evidently planning to let her go first, Shi Su tilted her head slightly and smiled, then unreservedly proceeded down the stairs.
Seeing Shi Su’s calm composure, and again noticing her exquisite starry evening gown, Shi Yunyin suddenly rushed down, just when Shi Su reached the intersection of the staircases. As Shi Su was turning to continue downward, Shi Yunyin lifted her foot intending to "inadvertently" step on the superb dress train of hers.
Yet Shi Su, despite having her back turned and unable to see, seemed to have eyes on the back of her head and suddenly yanked the shimmering dress train forward——
At the moment Shi Yunyin missed her step, her foot tilted on the over ten-centimeter-high heels, making her stagger precariously, almost falling from the flat stair at the staircase intersection.
"Watch out!" Xv Yaru held steady the nearly toppling Shi Yunyin, glaring at Shi Su’s back in displeasure, she remarked: "The dress train is so long, why pull it forward suddenly? Almost tripped someone! Dressed so ostentatiously, yet so arrogant? A dog will always eat its own vomit, no manners as a child, and still rude as an adult."
Shi Su remained in place without rushing on, subtly letting the dress train fall back in position, glancing back into Xv Yaru’s reproachful elder’s gaze, her elegantly arched eyebrow slightly raised, meeting Xv Yaru’s eyes directly, with a hint of a sarcastic smile emerging.
"Is the gown’s train too cumbersome, or is it that my presence here is too much of an eyesore?" Shi Su, though smiling, spoke with a chill only this mother and daughter could sense: "It seems Yunyin’s limbs are as unreliable as ever; five years ago, at the Shi Family villa, you claimed I ’pushed’ you and you tragically broke your leg, extorting me to perform that dance scene for you, now several meters away from me, you manage to sneak your foot onto my dress, five years on, even kids know to change their tricks, yet you don’t?"
Xv Yaru’s expression darkened: "What nonsense are you talking? All the servants at home pointed at you for pushing her! The injury left Yunyin unable to dance again; who would ruin their future just to frame you? Shi Su, clearly, it’s you who’ve not grown—still so defiant and unyielding—and how did the Shi Family end up with a misfit like you?"
As the words fell, Xv Yaru habitually raised her hand as if to slap Shi Su, similar to her reaction years ago.
Shi Su stood there, expressionless, observing her typical slap-raising motion without any intention to evade, she simply commented: "Mrs. Shi, this isn’t the Shi Family villa filled only with blind-hearted servants, the banquet hall is surrounded by cameras, I don’t mind joining your daughter in hitting tonight’s trending searches, and you, Mrs. Shi, will gain notorious fame, go ahead with the slap, do you think I’ll dodge?"