Chapter 182 - CH: 180 Yan Ruyue: Isn't the painting meant to be given to me?

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{Chapter: 180 Yan Ruyue: Isn't the painting meant to be given to me?}

Before Mei Yuxian arrived at the venue, Lin Yuan decided to seek out Yan Ruyue first.

When he found her, Lin Yuan was slightly taken aback by the scene before him.

He had only asked Yan Ruyue to hold onto the painting for a short while. Yet at this moment, Yan Ruyue had already not only taken out the painting from its bamboo and unfolded the delicate painting scroll and was gazing at it intently, seemingly lost in admiration.

"Miss Yan, what are you doing?" Lin Yuan asked, his tone carrying a trace of confusion and amusement.

Hearing his question, Yan Ruyue blinked and lifted her eyes toward him, clearly puzzled by his strange voice.

"Looking at the painting, of course," she said, her tone innocent.

At first, when Yan Ruyue saw Lin Yuan returning, her heart raced in anticipation. She thought he had come back to say some sweet words to her, or perhaps to show more affection.

However, contrary to her expectations, the first words out of Lin Yuan's mouth were a question—one that sounded almost accusatory.

'Wasn't the painting meant for me?' Yan Ruyue thought in confusion.

If Lin Yuan had given her the painting, wasn't it normal for her to admire it?

She didn't think she had done anything wrong.

Meanwhile, Lin Yuan couldn't help but feel a little strange inside.

He had simply entrusted the painting to Yan Ruyue for safekeeping, not for her to open and admire without permission. But after thinking about it carefully, he could somewhat understand the misunderstanding.

After all, the painting originally belonged to the Yan family, so in her eyes, she might have felt a certain sense of ownership over it.

"Wasn't this painting given to me? I just wanted to take a closer look…" Yan Ruyue began explaining softly, feeling slightly wronged.

Before she could finish her sentence, Lin Yuan interrupted her, his voice calm but firm.

"Miss Yan, the painting I asked you to hold onto—could you return it to me now?"

His words were straightforward, cutting off her explanation halfway.

For a moment, Yan Ruyue stood there frozen, unable to react immediately.

Without waiting for her response, Lin Yuan reached out and smoothly took the painting from her hands, rolling it back up carefully and securing it in the bamboo cover.

"Huh?"

Yan Ruyue let out a soft sound of confusion, looking down at her now-empty hands. She stared at Lin Yuan, who was calmly tucking the painting away.

Their eyes met, and for a few seconds, an awkward silence hung between them.

In that brief moment, Lin Yuan finally pieced together what had happened.

Yan Ruyue had misunderstood the situation entirely.

Meanwhile, Yan Ruyue, her mind still reeling, could only stare blankly.

Finally, she found her voice again.

Her cheeks flushed, and with an embarrassed look, she asked hesitantly, "Weren't you giving this painting to me?"

Lin Yuan sighed inwardly, feeling a little helpless.

"No… When did I say I was giving it to you?" he replied gently. "I only asked you to help me look after it while I went to the restroom."

Lin Yuan's voice was neither harsh nor cold; rather, it was filled with a patient helplessness, as if trying not to make the situation more uncomfortable than it already was.

Hearing his explanation, Yan Ruyue stood there completely stunned.

'What?'

'The painting wasn't meant for me?'

Her heart, which had been beating rapidly with excitement just moments ago, suddenly plummeted.

Yan Ruyue realized with a sharp pang that once again, she had been too self-absorbed, too quick to fantasize.

Her face turned bright red, almost the same shade as a ripe apple.

A mixture of sadness, shame, and self-blame welled up inside her, swirling together until she could barely meet Lin Yuan's eyes.

She had misunderstood everything.

Watching Lin Yuan calmly put the painting away without a trace of sentiment, Yan Ruyue's chest tightened with an uncomfortable ache.

'Why am I like this?'

'Why am I always embarrassing myself in front of him?'

She remembered the past—how Lin Yuan had once, again and again, tried to send her gifts, how he had extended kindness toward her despite her cold attitude.

Back then, she had treated his gestures with indifference, even disdain, returning his gifts without a second thought.

Now, it seemed as though the roles had been reversed.

Today, she was the one eagerly anticipating affection that was never promised.

Today, she was the one feeling the sting of silent rejection.

Yan Ruyue bit her lip lightly, feeling her heart grow heavy.

And hadn't she also taken the initiative earlier to give Lin Yuan a pair of gloves?

Thinking back to it now, Yan Ruyue felt even more embarrassed.

Who knew whether Lin Yuan had genuinely liked those gloves or had just accepted them out of politeness?

In any case, it was just a simple pair of gloves.

How could that possibly compare to a painting worth fifty million?

A painting of such extraordinary value, exchanged—if she dared think of it that way—for something as trivial as a pair of gloves?

The more Yan Ruyue thought about it, the heavier her heart became.

Her mind kept replaying the excitement she had felt just moments ago when she had thought the painting was meant for her.

Now, that excitement had crumbled into ashes, replaced by overwhelming shame and a bitter, sour discomfort that seemed to spread through her entire body, curling up from her chest to her fingertips.

Yan Ruyue felt humiliated—by her own assumptions, by her unfounded expectations—and that humiliation stung deeply.

A strong, almost uncontrollable sense of grievance surged within her heart.

She could feel her eyes beginning to burn, her vision blurring slightly.

Before Lin Yuan could say anything else, Yan Ruyue squeezed out a trembling apology.

"I... I'm sorry..." she whispered, her voice almost inaudible.

She felt too ashamed to meet Lin Yuan's gaze, too overwhelmed to stay even a second longer.

Feeling the tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to fall at any moment, Yan Ruyue instinctively turned around.

Covering her eyes with one hand to shield her emotions, she rushed toward the women's restroom as fast as she could, her steps hurried and slightly clumsy.

Lin Yuan could only watch as she fled.

For a moment, he was speechless.

He hadn't expected such an intense reaction from Yan Ruyue.

She had gotten even more emotionally involved than he had anticipated.

A misunderstanding this small, yet it had managed to hurt her so deeply.

Although Lin Yuan hadn't foreseen this development, he remained calm.

He quickly reasoned that the situation wasn't entirely his fault—he had never promised the painting to her.

Thus, he believed the problem wouldn't be too difficult to resolve later.

It was, after all, merely a misunderstanding born from Yan Ruyue's own hopeful fantasies.

While Lin Yuan was still processing the situation, he lifted his gaze and saw a new figure approaching.

Mei Yuxian had arrived.

She approached with a soft and refreshing fragrance that gently filled the air around Lin Yuan.

In her hand, Mei Yuxian carried an exquisitely designed gift box, immediately drawing attention from everyone nearby.

Even from a distance, it was obvious that the box was no ordinary gift—it was a luxurious piece in itself, carefully chosen to suit a very important recipient.

Mei Yuxian's presence was arresting.

Wearing a loosely fitting purple dress that didn't even show her perfectly demonic curves, she exuded an elegance and charm that was difficult to look away from.

At such a close distance, the impact of her beauty was even more breathtaking.

For someone with a weak disposition, witnessing Mei Yuxian up close might have been enough to cause a nosebleed.

However, Lin Yuan remained steady and composed.

Though he was naturally drawn to her at first glance—anyone would be—he quickly shifted his attention to the gift she carried.

He was curious but also respectful, keeping his emotions in check.

The other guests, though standing at a respectful distance, craned their necks slightly, their curiosity barely concealed.

It was obvious that the gift Mei Yuxian brought to Lin Yuan was special—different from what she had given to the other juniors earlier.

The mere design of the box, the luxurious material, and the intricate details made it stand out like a treasure among ordinary presents.

Many people couldn't help but wonder what was inside.

Yet, no one found Mei Yuxian's special treatment of Lin Yuan surprising.

After all, Lin Yuan had previously helped the Mei family save face in front of the entire crowd, preventing a major embarrassment.

Moreover, Lin Yuan himself came from an influential family background, making it easy for Mei Yuxian—and others—to naturally develop a good impression of him.

Standing before her, Lin Yuan couldn't help but share in the curiosity.

He graciously accepted the gift box from Mei Yuxian's slender hands.

Without much hesitation, and feeling no need to delay, Lin Yuan decided to open the box immediately.

Whether he opened it here in public or later in private didn't really matter to him.

Right now, his own curiosity was just as strong as everyone else's.

With a smooth, unhurried motion, Lin Yuan opened the gift box in front of everyone.

The moment the lid was lifted, a collective murmur of surprise rippled through the surrounding guests.

Even Lin Yuan himself was visibly impressed by what he saw inside.

The gift Mei Yuxian had prepared was far beyond anything he had expected.

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