Song Ni and Tang Tang arrived at the fashion show. Just as they sat down in their seats, pre-arranged by Vivian, a man dressed to the nines approached them. He wore a silver suit with a deep V-neck, revealing his collarbones and chest muscles. To match the theme of the show, he had applied a generous amount of highlighter powder to his chest. A brooch adorned his left chest, its obsidian gem blending with the silver suit, exuding an air of noble mystery. He had beautiful golden hair, all slicked back, revealing a full and delicate forehead. His eyes were particularly striking, a clear, deep green, which further enhanced his ancient and enigmatic aura. Song Ni glanced at him once and then looked away. For some reason, despite his noble and mysterious attire, she found it rather gaudy, perhaps due to the low-cut V-neck and the excessive highlighter.
"He's the heir of SH Group, Ian," Tang Tang whispered.
"Oh, a noble young master from a venerable fashion family, no wonder he's dressed so flamboyantly," Song Ni mused. "Though I don't have much interaction with him."
Hearing this, Song Ni's eyebrows rose slightly. That made it interesting. No interaction, yet this ostentatiously dressed noble scion was walking straight towards them? Ian, a fitting name, evoking glory. Song Ni squinted slightly, appraising the man. His height and features were indeed distinguished, but she simply couldn't appreciate his chest-highlighting endeavor. In her opinion, it was rather idiotic.
She shifted her gaze, thinking of Tan Zheng again. She preferred Tan Zheng's type: arrogant and wild. Even his chest felt more satisfying to touch, oh, and it made her more desirous, and kissing him was exhilarating.
"Krist," the noble scion said elegantly, calling out Song Ni's English name.
Song Ni, still lost in thoughts of Tan Zheng and reliving their kiss, hadn't heard him. It was Tang Tang who gently patted her hand. "Nini, he seems to be looking for you."
Song Ni furrowed her brows, looked up, and met the smiling man's gaze. Confirming she had indeed never seen him before, her frown eased, and she said to Tang Tang, "My name is quite common."
Even so, the man was standing right in front of her, staring. If not looking for her, who else would he be looking for? "Sister-in-law, don't you think he's as flamboyant as Tang Qinyun?"
Tang Tang: ...Thinking about it, he did seem a bit similar.
Song Ni had no intention of engaging with this noble scion, but he stood there without moving. Because of his status, many eyes were already on them. Then Song Ni saw the noble scion frown slightly and haltingly ask in his broken Chinese, "What does... flamboyant mean?"
Upon hearing this, Song Ni and Tang Tang exchanged a glance. Then Song Ni's lips suddenly curved into a smile, her eyes brightening. Seeing her expression, Tang Tang felt a sense of foreboding. Then she saw Song Ni lean her head slightly and ask, "You know Chinese?"
The noble scion nodded. "A little."
Song Ni suddenly sat up straight and beckoned him closer with a hook of her finger. A flash of curiosity crossed the noble scion's eyes, and he leaned in. "Flamboyant means very good-looking where I come from. We usually praise our friends by calling them very flamboyant."
The noble scion frowned. "Not... handsome?"
"It means the same thing. Chinese culture is profound and extensive." The noble scion nodded in agreement. "I've learned it."
Song Ni smirked, having gotten her way, and then leaned back against her chair, continuing her conversation with Tang Tang. "Nini, that's not very nice of you."
"It's alright. Anyway, if he praises his friends, his friends won't understand anyway."
The noble scion was still standing there, watching Song Ni with no curiosity, not even glancing at her more than necessary. A hint of interest arose in his eyes. "Krist, I'm Ian. I'm finally meeting you today."
Only then did Song Ni properly look at Ian. "You know me?"
The noble scion nodded. "I once saw 'Iris'."
Song Ni straightened her posture again. Her graduation project had only been exhibited at her domestic school. How could even the heir of SH Group have seen it? Clearly, Ian also knew the story behind 'Iris'. "May I be so bold as to ask why you gave it to a vagrant back then?"
Song Ni's eyes flickered, and the corner of her mouth curved. "Since you're being so bold, perhaps you shouldn't ask."
The noble scion clearly hadn't expected such a reaction from Song Ni. Because of his status, everyone he met treated him with utmost respect and curiosity, eager to converse with him. Yet Song Ni was different. "Indeed, we cannot comprehend the thoughts of an artist."
Song Ni: ...She was just a fashion designer, not really an artist.
"Ian." Song Ni finally uttered his name, and the noble scion's eyebrows rose in pleasure. "Do you need anything else?" She couldn't be bothered to know where this noble scion had seen 'Iris'. Ian had been studying Chinese recently and had learned this phrase. He understood that the question meant the other person no longer wished to converse.
The noble scion spread his hands. "No, enjoy the show." With that, he sat down in the seat next to Song Ni.
Song Ni: ...Oh, Vivian had mentioned that this show had another significance, an act for SH Group. Since the heir was here, he naturally sat wherever he pleased.
Song Ni didn't mind. She hadn't been immune to Tang Qinyun's flamboyance before. She could endure it for the duration of a fashion show. However, this noble scion stared at Song Ni the entire time, making her increasingly annoyed. She lowered her voice. "Vivian prepared for this show for a long time, Mr. Ian. You should treat it with seriousness."
Only then did Ian retract his gaze slightly. But this incident made the other attendees even more curious about who Song Ni was. Vivian was her good friend, Bartley seemed to value her highly, and now even Ian had approached her to greet her. Most importantly, Ian seemed to be ignored by this woman.
"Who exactly is this woman?"
"Ian seemed to call her Krist. Have you heard that name?"
"No, but the woman next to her is DY, a famous jewelry designer."
"Is there a designer in China called Krist?"
"Uncertain. We'll have to find out later."
"Regardless of who she is, why is she treating Ian like this?"
Someone said this, and the other young ladies' curiosity about Song Ni suddenly turned into jealousy. Yes, why could this woman treat Ian like this? Ian was the future heir of SH Group. They didn't even have the chance to speak to him, yet this woman was so unappreciative.
Once women's discussions began, emotions were amplified. The few women were secretly speaking ill of Song Ni when a man's voice suddenly cut in. "Who is this Krist you're talking about?"