When Hearts Collide: From Ashes to Love

Liang Meiqi finished ordering, and Mao Quan'an raised his voice to the server, "That's all. Please serve the dishes."

In the entire private room, no one had bothered asking Marian's preference.

Liang Meiqi blinked at Marian, surprised that the latter showed no sign of disappointment or anger. She was about to be momentarily dazed when Aaron pushed the door open and entered, causing her distraction to vanish instantly.

She stood up, greeting him with a sweet voice, "Mr. Fu~"

Aaron responded with a nod. He then took off his coat and handed it to a server, loosened his tie and cuffs, and finally sat down. Every motion was smooth and pleasing to the eye, leaving Liang Meiqi staring in admiration.

Marian sipped her tea. Seeing him arrive, she simply joined everyone else in saying, "Mr. Fu."

Soon, various dishes were served, along with beverages.

Julian, on behalf of Xinruan, tried to propose a toast to Aaron, only to be declined—everyone had driven here, so it was better not to drink. Tea would replace alcohol.

"Oh my, Mr. Fu is so considerate," Liang Meiqi gushed, voice soft and sweet.

Aaron either didn't hear her or chose not to respond. The others ignored it too, busy pouring tea and water, leaving her hanging awkwardly.

Normally, toasting would just be between the big bosses, leaving the rest to focus on enjoying the meal. But Liang Meiqi was determined to strike up a conversation with Aaron. After some thought, she made her move the moment Julian took his seat.

She stood up, holding a cup of tea, and approached Aaron with her long, curled eyelashes batting. "Mr. Fu, I'd like to offer you a toast," she said before drinking in one gulp, cheeks blushing shyly.

She assumed that, like many men, he'd find it impossible to resist a sweet, charming girl. Yet her plan immediately fell flat.

Aaron looked up, scanning her from head to toe with cool indifference, saying nothing.

Despite his silence, his imposing aura and natural authority were more intimidating than actual harsh words.

Under his icy gaze, Liang Meiqi unconsciously retreated a step. Flustered, she mumbled, "I'll just…go to the restroom," and dashed out the door.

Without a word, Marian quietly followed her out.

She found Liang Meiqi in the restroom, sobbing pitifully.

"Already can't handle this?" Marian asked, handing her a tissue.

Liang dabbed at her tears, sniffling, "He's just so heartless, doesn't know how to treat a lady at all."

Marian let out a cold snort. He's more than just heartless to someone he's not interested in; he can be downright cruel. If being ignored already upset her, well… Marian recalled how she herself couldn't lift her head in front of the entire school back then.

"You think these wealthy types don't have brains? They're all crafty. He saw right through your little ploy ages ago," Marian said.

"Huh?" Liang froze, tissue in hand, eyes red as a rabbit's.

"So you're saying… he did that on purpose?" she asked, biting her lip, a flicker of resentment in her gaze.

Marian replied, "Whether it was on purpose, I can't say. But it's pretty clear he knew what you meant."

Liang crushed the tissue. "Then why would he do that? Does he get a kick out of seeing me make a fool of myself?"

Marian rolled her eyes. Who do you think you are? Does Aaron have time to toy with you? Probably he just wasn't interested, plain and simple.

She kept that truth to herself, choosing more tactful words instead: "Maybe he's already taken."

"That's impossible! I've observed him carefully. One, he doesn't wear a wedding ring, so he's not married or engaged; two, I've scoured social media and even asked friends in the U.S.—he doesn't have a girlfriend."

This information did surprise Marian. She had assumed Aaron and his "white moonlight" must have long since gotten together.