Li Wei noticed her before Chen Yong did.
She stood in front of a jade carving display, a glass of water in her hand. Pearl-gray dress, wooden hairpin, lips barely colored. No flashy jewelry, no heavy makeup.
Just presence.
Bai Xue.
Other guests stepped aside without being asked. Her gaze didn't seek approval; she studied the antiques as if decoding forgotten secrets. Untouchable. Elegant. Deadly, in her own way.
"There she is..." Chen Yong whispered, frozen in place.
Li Wei understood instantly.
It wasn't just beauty. It was something else. Distance. Coldness. Apparent purity. An aura that cut like fine glass.
And that made her irresistible to someone like Chen Yong.
"You still have time to walk away," Li Wei said.
"What?"
"I'm serious. Use your money, buy another kind of beauty. One who looks at you like you exist. That girl… is something else."
Chen Yong clenched his jaw, eyes still fixed on Bai Xue.
"You don't understand."
"I understand too well. Women like her don't break hearts. They break futures. They look at you like you're part of the background—and still make you want to shine for them."
"So what do you suggest? That I give up?"
"Yes. Give up while you still have some dignity left."
Chen Yong looked at him like he was a traitor. Then straightened his jacket.
"I'm not giving up. Not this time."
And he walked toward her.
Li Wei sighed. His instincts screamed something was wrong. Bai Xue wasn't dangerous in the usual way—she had no cultivation, no martial strength—but he'd seen that look before. In broken mirrors. In open graves.
That kind of beauty always came with conditions.
And the young master wasn't ready to pay the price.
Chen Yong smoothed his hair and walked toward her, white wine in hand. His steps were steady, his smile rehearsed. Li Wei watched him but didn't follow.
Bai Xue stood, perfectly poised, examining a piece of dynastic porcelain. Her posture: upright and elegant. Her expression: frozen.
"Bai Xue," Chen Yong greeted in a soft tone. "What a surprise to find you here."
She glanced at him. Only for a second.
"It's not a surprise if we're on the same guest list," she replied, unsmiling.
"Still, it's pleasant to cross paths," he insisted, ignoring the ice.
"Are you here for any particular piece?" she asked, her eyes lowering back to the antique vase.
"Actually… I came because I heard you would be."
A clean, surgical silence.
"Then you're not interested in art," she said. It wasn't an accusation. It was a fact.
Chen Yong swallowed. He wanted to say something witty, something elegant. But she had already turned away.
"Enjoy your evening, Chen Yong," she murmured.
And walked off as if the entire world were waiting for her in the next hallway.
Li Wei appeared beside him, unhurried.
"Tactical. Precise. Cold as a scalpel," he said.
"Shut up," Chen Yong growled.
"I warned you. That woman isn't a flower you can buy. She's a mirror. One that reflects who you really are."
Chen Yong didn't answer.
"You know what your offer lacks?" Li Wei went on. "Reality. Women like her don't want money. They want the world to make sense next to someone. And you don't even understand yours."
"Oh, and now you think you're wise?"
"No. I'm just someone who's bled for things worse than a cold glance."
Chen Yong stared at him, fury barely restrained. Then walked away without another word.
Li Wei remained where he stood, watching the hall, the display cases, the fake smiles.
He thought the young master had just received his first real wound.
And the worst part?He didn't even know it yet.