Chapter 1585 - 1583: Past and Present Lives 21

Chapter 1583

When Xia Ruqing snapped out of her shock, she was already standing on the stage.

There was an uproar from the audience, with many looking at her enviously, while others glanced regretfully at the lottery tickets in their hands before leaving dejectedly.

The host was still searching for the other winner.

Wenwen and Xiaoxiao were making faces at her, while she was completely at a loss.

At the same time, in the VIP lounge.

Zhao Junyao’s secretary rushed in with a smile.

"Young master, you have a first-prize winning ticket in your hand!!"

Zhao Junyao was speaking with a few guests, with Shih Wanxin beside him.

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this, and for a moment, the atmosphere was quite awkward.

Originally, Zhao Junyao was supposed to distribute the raffle tickets to the guests, but a few were left undistributed.

The secretary casually put the leftover tickets in a handbag.

Who would have thought that during the draw, it was one of the tickets left in this handbag that won the first prize.

This... it almost seemed intentional, didn’t it? Isn’t it awkward?

"Congratulations, congratulations, Young Master Zhao is really lucky!"

After a long silence, someone spoke up first.

"Indeed! We each had a large handful, but they can’t compare to the two or three you have!"

"Right, Young Master Zhao, you should go claim your prize!"

Another few people were also being polite; after all, it was just a ticket, and they weren’t petty.

Shih Wanxin, however, wasn’t pleased.

Especially when she saw the other first-prize winner standing on the big screen; she was furious.

That woman, how is she everywhere?!

"Ah Yao! You better not go! Can you give that ticket to me?"

A trip to Europe, right? I’ll accompany you, and make sure you have a "great time."

However, just as she finished speaking,

Zhao Zongqing and a few guests and board members present turned their gaze towards her.

Especially Zhao Zongqing, whose gaze carried a slight chill.

Lovers bickering was none of his concern.

But speaking that way in front of so many guests and investors made Shih Wanxin seem too petty, not like a wealthy family’s daughter.

Realizing she was being watched, Shih Wanxin quickly felt something was wrong and hurriedly tried to smooth things over with an apologetic smile.

"I was just... making a joke!"

"Ah Yao, go ahead, the host is still waiting!"

"I’ll go with you, let’s go!"

Zhao Junyao also realized something was amiss and wanted to protect her. He greeted his father and the guests before taking Shih Wanxin outside with him.

Shih Wanxin was very touched, knowing her fiancé was shielding her.

"Ah Yao, you’re so good to me!"

"You have no idea; I nearly died of fright just now!"

Zhao Junyao thought for a moment and calmly said,

"In business, you must value fairness and integrity for others to cooperate!"

"The prize should honestly go to who it belongs to, as that gives it credibility!"

"Saying those things before so many could embarrass father; please don’t do it again, okay?"

"If you want to go somewhere, I’ll take you there!"

Seeing her fiancé’s caring and concerned expression, Shih Wanxin was nearly moved to tears.

Good heavens, Ah Yao was never this considerate before.

Since his return from the car accident, he seemed like a different person; it was just too much... she was so emotional she almost cried.

"I understand, Ah Yao, thank you!"

Clinging affectionately to his arm, Shih Wanxin stood on tiptoes and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek.

Zhao Junyao was a bit embarrassed but remembered that times were different now, and people were more open, so he got used to it.

Still, he thought for a moment that such behavior in the Chu Dynasty would be considered seducing the ruler, a crime punishable by death!

Ah, this world is indeed very... open (couldn’t think of another word to describe it).

...

When the host saw Zhao Junyao walking towards the stage with his winning ticket, his eyes lit up.

"Wow! Our other first-prize winner has appeared!"

"He is none other than Mr. Zhao Junyao, the eldest son of our Zhao Group! Let’s invite Mr. Zhao to the stage!"

Even before he finished speaking,

those waiting in line to claim their prizes couldn’t help but gather closer to watch the excitement.

"Wow!"

"The first prize winner is him!"

"How unexpected, didn’t think it would be someone from the inside!"

"Yeah, how could it be him, isn’t that a bit unfair?"

"No way, Zhao Group has a good reputation; they wouldn’t rig a raffle like this, I think it’s just a coincidence!"

"True!! Nothing like this has happened before; it must be a coincidence!"

After a lively discussion, everyone was bustling again.

"Now there’s something to see!"

"Hey, I envy that girl! Going on a Europe trip with Mr. Zhao, that’s something many girls dream of but never achieve!"

"I bet the Shih Family’s Daughter is going to be furious, what do you think?"

"Hey! They’re already engaged; they’ll definitely go together, they’re rich, after all!"

"True!"

There was envy, jealousy, even a bit of bitterness; people had all sorts of opinions.

Although Shih Wanxin was a bit angry, she eventually didn’t say anything; she knew Ah Yao loved her and that his heart belonged only to her.

Meanwhile, Xia Ruqing stood there like a block of wood, unsure if she should be happy or not, feeling even more at a loss.

She had the feeling fate was forcing her to keep running into this person.

If it wasn’t intentional, then fate was too obvious; it didn’t need to be this blatant!

They couldn’t even be friends, was there any point in these constant coincidences??

The host excitedly rambled on with a bunch of nonsense, none of which she heard.

All she knew was that she mechanically took a plaque, shook hands with Zhao Junyao and the host, and then it was over, the raffle ended.

As she stepped off the stage and was about to greet her friends, Zhao Junyao approached her with a smile.

"Xia Ruqing!"

He was about to say something but shifted the topic.

"Huh? You look a bit pale, are you feeling unwell?"

Xia Ruqing forced a smile.

"Ah? No, not at all!"

"Maybe I’m just a bit tired, congratulations on winning the first prize!"

Zhao Junyao squinted proudly.

"Though I don’t know where Europe is, I’m still looking forward to going with you!"

Xia Ruqing: "..."

I’m not looking forward to it, not one bit, I still need to work!

Embarrassed and at a loss for words, she only wanted to flee quickly.

At that moment, Shih Wanxin rushed over eagerly, grabbing Zhao Junyao’s arm.

"Ah Yao, you have to take me on your trip!"

"It’s perfect, we’re both girls, and we have lots in common!"

Zhao Junyao felt a bit awkward, thinking Shih Wanxin’s words untimely, but then he remembered her nature and didn’t bother much.

Of course, he ignored her.

He told Xia Ruqing,

"Get ready to leave, I’ll ask the butler what we need to bring later!"