If You Could Hear My Heart

Chapter 32: Strip off Her Clothes

Not long after they entered the venue, the dance started.

Xu Zhaomu selected the dimmest corner of the room and went and sat there alone. On the other hand, Liu Rumei and Shen Yanrou took seats right beneath the spotlight.

Soon after, Xu Zhaomu caught her first sight of Shen Chi.

Even Old Chen had deceived her. What had he meant by working overtime? Shen Chi was clearly here to participate in the dance.

She felt a bit sad. Had all the people of the Shen family been treating her as an outsider? After all, her family name was Xu, not Shen.

That night, Shen Chi looked extremely dazzling. He was the center of attention. He had donned a black suit that made him appear mature but still agile, allowing him to command a powerful presence. The moment he made an appearance, Xu Zhaomu had been able to spot him.

This version of Shen Chi seemed a little different than what Xu Zhaomu knew of him every day. At that moment, she could see Shen Chi as an elite of the business world. His piercing eyes and icy visage were coupled with thin lips that flashed the occasional quick smile.

Under the lights, he held a wine glass as he toasted a group of immaculately dressed men. The lighting of the room made Xu Zhaomu’s vision rather indistinct. At that moment, Xu Zhaomu felt that they were from completely different worlds.

She crossed her arms restlessly and felt like running away.

Piano music started to sound in the hall. Someone had started to play the piano at the very front of the room.

Not long after, Xu Zhaomu spotted Shen Cexian, Shen Shihan, and Li Beiting.

She didn’t even know what kind of business the Shen family did. She only knew that they were rich.

A stream of people toasted Shen Chi, one after the other. A few seductively dressed women also walked over to say hello to him. They were mostly charming and alluring women whose cleavages were exposed. A single look from them would sufficiently entice all living beings.

Shen Chi didn’t refuse to greet anybody. A vague smile was plastered on his face at all times.

Xu Zhaomu felt completely out of place among them. She finally realized that her presence was unnecessary and uncalled for.

However, if it hadn’t been for this dance, she wouldn’t have realized how well Shen Chi could hold his liquor.

Shen Chi didn’t seem to drink much at home. She had always assumed that he didn’t like drinking.

She started to have doubts. After eight years of interacting with him, how much did she actually know about him?

Half an hour into the dance, the atmosphere had lightened up considerably. Everyone started to move around in a much more leisurely fashion. Countless women invited Shen Chi to dance with them. Shen Chi declined a few, while accepting the offers of some others.

This was the first time she’d ever watched this man dance with other women. She stared without blinking, and, after each dance finished, she lowered her head.

No matter who stood by his side, they seemed like a good match for him.

She bowed her head holding her cup of lemonade. She sat there quietly without saying a word.

Halfway through the dance, she needed to use the toilet, most likely because she had drunk too much lemonade. She stood up and weaved through the crowd. She glanced around the vicinity, searching for the toilet.

She had almost reached the door when someone stepped on her dress. She instantly lost her balance and she plunged forward due to a change in her center of gravity.

She grabbed a pillar just before she fell onto the ground.

However, her actions were too sudden. The wine glass of a young woman standing at her side fell onto the ground. A clang sounded, and the wine glass shattered.

The red wine in the glass splattered all over the young woman’s yellow dress. It was almost as though a red rose had bloomed on its surface.

Xu Zhaomu was not any luckier. A portion of the red wine stained her white dress. She was very embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional.”

Xu Zhaomu grabbed a paper napkin and prepared to help her wipe off the wine.

“Don’t you use your eyes when you walk? Why are you wiping, do you think the stain will come off so easily? Don’t you know how much my dress is worth? How did you manage to sneak in?”

The woman stamped her feet unglamorously. She had initially been worried about which wealthy family’s daughter she had offended. However, when Xu Zhaomu bent over, she had caught sight of the label on Xu Zhaomu’s clothes. It was from some unknown store.

Xu Zhaomu realized that she wouldn’t be able to wipe it clean. She could only stand up.

“Just change out of it then. I’ll help you wash it.”

“How are you going to wash it? Don’t tell me you’re going to use washing powder. Let me tell you, even if you send it to the laundromat, this set of clothes has already been ruined. It’s such a huge wine stain, do you think I can still wear it in the future?” The woman was unwilling to forgive her.

“Sister Lin, calm down. She is probably a waitress who serves drinks. She won’t have money to compensate you for your dress.” Someone who was standing beside her advised.

“I will try my best to wash it. You should wait for it to be washed before judging if the stain can be removed,” Xu Zhaomu said faintly.

“I don’t want you to wash it. I’ll let you go after you compensate me.” Disdain was written all over the woman’s face. She was bent on making Xu Zhaomu pay up.

“How much?” Xu Zhaomu glanced at her.

“50 grand!” The woman flashed five fingers at her.

Xu Zhaomu froze. Was this dress worth so much money?

“I don’t have that much money. I can help you wash the dress.”

To be honest, although Xu Zhaomu didn’t share the same family name, she had never washed a single article of clothing or utensil in the Shen family ever since she was ten years old.

“I’ve already made myself clear. I don’t want you to wash it. Since you can’t pay up, what do you think you should do?” The girl stared at her with taunting eyes.

At that moment, Shen Yanrou walked over. She threw a glance at Xu Zhaomu, before whispering into the woman’s ear. “Sister Lin, I saw her sitting secretly in the corner for a long time. It appears that she snuck into the dance. Look how eager she is to climb up the social ladder. Why don’t we drag her out and strip her, before letting her serve those wealthy old men? Although she looks quite inexperienced, her figure is still quite exquisite.”

Xu Zhaomu did not hear what Shen Yanrou had said. However, she was certain that it wasn’t something good.

The woman thought that this was a good idea. She took one step closer to Xu Zhaomu.

After Shen Yanrou said this, she took advantage of the crowd and snuck away.

“Let me ask you one last time. Are you going to pay up?” the woman asked arrogantly.

“I have already apologized to you. I can help you wash your dress, but I don’t have that much money.” Xu Zhaomu felt that this woman was quite unreasonable.

“Apologized? What’s the use of saying sorry? If I killed your mother in an accident, would a single apology be sufficient?” the woman questioned maliciously.

“What makes you think you can bring up my mother! You’re not qualified!” Xu Zhaomu was enraged. She slapped her.

The sound of the slap rang out. The chattering voices instantly subsided.

One second later, the people standing around exploded in conversation.

“This girl has the guts of a beast. She dared to hit Sister Lin.”

“Oh god, Sister Lin is bleeding…”

“Everyone…everyone, hold her down!” A red handprint emerged on the girl’s fair face. Five fingers could be seen clearly. Blood had even started dripping from the corner of her mouth.

Xu Zhaomu had not fought in many years. She had almost forgotten that she was once a little hoodlum.

She had never been part of the wealthy elites. Fate had mysteriously brought her into the Shen family. Here, she was just like a fish out of water.

“F*ck, hold her down. I must teach her a lesson today.” The woman swore in a vulgar manner. Her entire body was trembling with rage.

When the woman’s two male assistants realized that she was being bullied, they immediately seized Xu Zhaomu’s arms and held her down.

Xu Zhaomu struggled with all her might. However, she was not a match for the strength of these two men. The bow on her head fell off and her jet-black hair scattered over her shoulders.

“If I can’t beat you to death today, then my family name is not Zheng. Strip off her clothes!” Anger was ignited in Zheng Lin’s eyes. Her face was burning with fury.

Someone grabbed Zheng Lin hurriedly. “Sister Lin, we’re at a dance organized by the Shen Group. If you make a scene, it might affect the dance. The Shen family would be embarrassed by your actions.”

“Mr. Shen is going to be my cousin-in-law soon, what should I be afraid of?” Zheng Lin shoved the person who had given her that advice. She pointed angrily at Xu Zhaomu. “Strip off her clothes for me. Strip everything off!”