Even if Shi Xinxin didn't understand, everyone clearly knew the ambiguous relationship between the two. This would help Sheng Chenjin fend off many women who deliberately threw themselves at him at the ball.
As Shi Xinxin held his arm and formally entered the banquet hall, she could clearly feel that for a few seconds, the air froze, and all eyes were focused on the two of them.
It was as if what was being held today wasn't an ordinary ball, but an event centered around the two of them. Logically, Sheng Chenjin, like other invited guests, was merely an invitee. However, when the two of them appeared, they were naturally perceived as the main attraction.
On one hand, everyone was surprised that Sheng Chenjin would attend such an entertainment-focused ball, which was extremely rare. On the other hand, they were even more astonished that Sheng Chenjin, a wealthy magnate who never indulged in romantic dalliances, had brought a female companion with him today.
This was akin to a blooming iron tree, a rare sight once in a millennium. Furthermore, the identity of the female companion beside him was shrouded in mystery.
Everyone stared at her for quite some time. Shi Xinxin's features were not stunning, but they were exquisite. Like the dress she wore, her beauty was understated, yet it commanded attention.
All eyes were drawn to this woman, and the attention of the vast majority of women present was focused on her identity.
"Who is this woman?"
"Obscure, never heard of her. How can she be holding Mr. Sheng's arm?!"
"Looking at her, she's at most an office lady. I bet her monthly salary can't even afford a single rhinestone on her dress."
A few seconds later, hushed whispers began to circulate in the hall. The voices of these discussions were mostly from women, who were filled with anger and anxiety when they saw that Sheng Chenjin already had such a female companion by his side.
With their qualifications and their family backgrounds, how were they any less than this so-called personal assistant? They couldn't understand what Sheng Chenjin found so appealing about this woman.
Without time to think, these women's jealousy began to flare up. Jealousy breeds malice, and their tongues became sharp and unforgiving.
These voices gradually reached Shi Xinxin's ears, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on Sheng Chenjin's arm. Sheng Chenjin sensed her unease and gently patted the hand she was holding.
"It's alright, just stay by my side. They're just jealous of you." Shi Xinxin heard his words and, upon reflection, realized he was right. It was similar to how Qiqi had hated her before.
She and Qiqi, and these people, were strangers she had never met. Yet, the reason she was resented by them the moment she met them was largely because of Sheng Chenjin beside her.
Most of the strangers who resented him did so because they liked Sheng Chenjin and wanted to be the only woman holding his arm, but none of them achieved their wish.
And Shi Xinxin, a woman whose background, status, and wealth couldn't compare to theirs, had succeeded. This was their jealousy at play.
Shi Xinxin took a deep breath. "If that's the case, then I'll let you all be properly jealous." In the incident with Qiqi last time, she had learned a lot. Blindly indulging enemies was not tolerance, but weakness.
These people were directing hateful gazes at Shi Xinxin upon their first meeting. While she felt wronged, she was also very angry.
Before, she had worried at home about how she would be mocked for her background. But now, she realized, just as Sheng Chenjin had said earlier, they were jealous, simply jealous.
If she were just walking down the street, shopping in the same mall, who would care if she was an office lady or what her salary was? These ladies wouldn't have paid her any attention. The fact that they were paying so much attention to her now was solely because they couldn't stand beside Sheng Chenjin. Even though Shi Xinxin knew very well that she had entered the villa to repay Sheng Chenjin for the interview fee.
No matter how intimate their relationship appeared to outsiders, in reality, she was merely maintaining a good friendship with Sheng Chenjin, at most being called a friend.
Because Sheng Chenjin hadn't made any overly obvious gestures, and his capricious nature made Shi Xinxin very distressed, she could only temporarily define their relationship as friends to explain why they might appear close during their private time.
However, because she was misunderstood by these people who didn't understand the situation, Shi Xinxin suffered a lot of inexplicable setbacks. If she continued to appear like a timid little lamb, the same thing that Qiqi had done to her in the villa would happen again.
At the time, she had attributed the wine cellar incident to Sheng Chenjin's fault for bringing her to the villa, which had caused dissatisfaction among others. Later, when she thought about it carefully, it was all due to the jealousy of women.
They had never met, and these people didn't bother to understand the reasons. They just saw her standing close to Sheng Chenjin and inexplicably became displeased with her. What kind of logic was that?
"Aren't you all jealous? Good, then I'll make you jealous to the very end." In an instant, Shi Xinxin puffed out her chest and straightened her back, feigning the demeanor of a wealthy young lady, carrying herself with elegant poise and no fear.
Walking beside Sheng Chenjin, she looked like Mrs. Ye. Sheng Chenjin beside her clearly noticed her change and glanced down slightly, wondering what had happened.
In a flash, she suddenly exuded confidence. She was no longer a little princess who needed his protection. In fact, Sheng Chenjin had worried about this from the beginning.
The reason he disliked the women at the banquet, besides their shameless pursuit, was that these women weren't empty-headed; they possessed self-centered little universes.
They blindly believed that the whole world belonged to them. Shi Xinxin's sudden appearance in the public eye was bound to attract criticism.
The consequences of such criticism could be even greater than the pressure of public opinion. This was because Sheng Chenjin wanted to create a natural environment for the two of them and didn't want to force his feelings upon Shi Xinxin.
Therefore, seeing that the time was not yet ripe, he hadn't revealed his true feelings, but had instead forcibly kept Shi Xinxin by his side to increase their opportunities for interaction.
As a result, Shi Xinxin's identity had not been affirmed, and these people were hostile towards her, which could create considerable pressure for her.
When he mentioned this matter to the butler, the butler felt that his master was being overly worried. In his opinion, Shi Xinxin was not a fragile young woman who needed his protection for everything.