Chapter 283: Blood and red—there’s always a difference


    The second floor was reserved for VIPs, specifically arranged by the host of the event. Anyone who could enter this area was either of equal status to Alice or, in some cases, the host themselves.


    Alice, hearing someone greet her, turned around with a hint of curiosity in her eyes, though she kept her patience in check as she did so.


    If it had been some random rich kid daring to speak to her like that, her first move would’ve been to cut out his tongue. But the person approaching clearly didn’t fall into that category.


    “Miss Ne?”


    Ryan followed Alice’s gaze and saw a young woman, around Alice’s age, walking gracefully toward them.


    In contrast to Alice’s deep blue attire, the girl was dressed in a red gown, styled like a cheongsam. The slit in the skirt was modest, but the glimpse of her pale skin was enough to captivate anyone.


    Her features were delicate, with a well-defined nose and a long neck, though she kept her head slightly bowed, like a swan holding back its elegance.


    Her eyes, somewhere between ck and brown, had a marble-like quality—subtle, yet full of depth. Meeting Alice’s scrutinizing gaze, the girl calmly adjusted her dress and offered a wless smile—one that left no room for criticism.


    She wasn’t overly humble, nor was she arrogant. While her presence didn’t carry the same sharpness as Alice’s, she was clearly someone who could hold her own.


    Compared to Alice’s distinctly Eastern features, the most striking thing about this girl was her long, silver hair, neatly pinned up in a way that exuded both elegance and intelligence. Alice had never seen anyone who suited silver hair so well.


    But this also raised a question—this wasn’t amon hair color in their country.


    The girl, whom Ryan had called “Miss Ne,” covered her mouth and smiled softly at Alice, then nodded naturally.


    Alice had to dig deep into her memory to recall the name, but the girl didn’t seem to mind. This was their first formal meeting, and whatever had happened before didn’t really matter.


    “My name is Ne Langston, Miss Alice. We met just a few days ago.”


    Ne took a few steps forward, extending her right hand toward Alice with a calm andposed demeanor, introducing herself.


    Her gaze briefly flickered toward Ryan, but only for a second before she looked away.


    Yet, in that fleeting moment, Ryan’s heart was thrown into turmoil.


    It’s her, isn’t it? It has to be her!


    That silver hair, those eyes—they were exactly like the person he remembered. Though her appearance had changed over the years, and she had grown into a beautiful young woman, Ryan knew the moment he saw her that this was the same girl.


    “Alice…”


    Alice had no idea what Ne was thinking as she extended her hand. Their worlds didn’t ovep much, and someone of Ne’s status didn’t need to go out of her way to curry favor with her.


    But appearances had to be maintained. Alice didn’t bother removing her glove, simply extending her right hand to shake Ne’s lightly.


    Ne Langston, the third daughter of the Langston family. It was said she had spent most of her life studying abroad and had only recently returned to start managing the family business.


    If Alice’s gang was just starting to dip its toes into legitimate business, the Langston family was undoubtedly the city’smercial powerhouse.


    The city had grown around two industries: shipping and mining. The Langston family had been a giant in shipping since the beginning, and over the decades, their business had expanded into healthcare, real estate, new media, and entertainment. Their heirs were as dazzling as pearls.


    There were rumors that the third daughter’s bloodline wasn’t pure, that she wasn’t a true member of the Langston family. But that was just gossip, and Alice didn’t care about such things.


    The only reason she knew any of this was simple: today’s event was hosted by the head of the Langston family.


    “How’s the old man doing?”


    After a brief handshake, Alice’s attention shifted back to Ryan. Ever since Ne had appeared, Ryan had been acting strangely.


    Alice gently squeezed Ryan’s hand, and sure enough, his palm was damp with sweat. Clearly, he wasn’t his usual calm self.


    Her gaze flicked between Ne and Ryan, her brow furrowing slightly. Ne was attractive, sure, but Ryan wasn’t the type to be swayed by looks.


    Besides, his current state wasn’t one of excitement—it was more like nervousness or fear. Did Ryan know Ne? Otherwise, why would he be acting like this?


    “Grandfather’s health is still strong,” Ne replied smoothly. “He often tells us younger ones to spend more time with Miss Alice. Even learning just a little from you would be a great benefit.”


    Alice’s gaze sharpened after noticing Ryan’s change in demeanor, her eyes now piercing Ne like daggers.


    This hostility had no clear reason—it was just instinct. Ne had only recently returned from abroad, and Ryan had been by Alice’s side the whole time. There was no way they could’ve met before.


    But Alice didn’t need a reason to be hostile. She could do as she pleased. She was the boss of a powerful gang, and even the head of the Langston family would have to show her respect.


    Ne, however, seemedpletely unfazed by Alice’s increasingly sharp gaze, continuing to tter her as if nothing had changed.


    “Grandfather mentioned that after the banquet, he’d like to have a brief chat with Miss Alice. It seems you’ve encountered some trouble recently, something involving the legitimate business world. Our Langston family might be able to help.”


    Ne said this casually, not really concerned with Alice’s response. The answer was obvious—if Alice wasn’t interested, she wouldn’t have bothered showing up tonight. So, of course, she’d ept.


    “Hmm…”


    Alice stroked her chin thoughtfully, pulling Ryan closer to her, as if testing something, before speaking in a slightly abrupt tone.


    “The man standing next to me is Ryan, my assistant and boyfriend. The issue we’re dealing with is actually aimed at him.”


    “I’ll be bringing him along when we meet with your grandfatherter. Please inform him in advance, Miss Ne.”


    From the moment Ne appeared, Ryan had been avoiding her gaze. He was about 80% sure that the person in front of him wasn’t Ne at all, but Be—the girl he had grown up with in the orphanage.


    But the way this woman carried herself was so different from the Be he remembered. Be had been a carefree, innocent child, someone Ryan could easily read. The person standing before him now was a mystery.


    Be had always been sensitive and prone to tears. In the orphanage, she was often bullied because of her long, silver hair, and Ryan had always been the one to stand up for her.


    Be had hated her hair, even talking about pulling it out more than once. But the woman in front of him seemedpletely at ease with her appearance, as if her silver hair was a gift from the heavens, something to be proud of.


    Hearing Alice’s words, Ryan instinctively frowned, but before he could react, Alice gave him a sharp pinch at his waist, a clear warning.


    So what if it was Be? And what if it wasn’t? As Ryan had thought earlier, a few years was more than enough time to change her—and him.


    For reasons he couldn’t quite exin, Ryan didn’t argue. Instead, he followed Alice’s lead and greeted Ne with a friendly nod.


    If she wasn’t Be, then fine. But if she was, Ryan had no desire to stir up the past. What was done was done.


    “Miss Ne…”


    “Hello, Mr. Ryan.”


    After that, there was a two-second silence. In most situations, it wouldn’t have mattered, but here, those two seconds felt loaded with meaning.


    Alice’s sharp gaze bore into Ne, but Ne’s expression remained calm. After greeting Ryan, she didn’t say anything more.


    “I’ll mention this to Grandfather,” Ne said, her tone steady. “It’s really a small matter, Miss Alice. You’re overthinking it.”


    Her eyes flickered between Alice and Ryan, though they lingered on Ryan for a couple of seconds longer before she looked away.


    Throughout the entire exchange, Ne’s expression didn’t change. She maintained a perfect bnce, keeping just the right amount of distance for someone meeting strangers for the first time.


    Alice, still stroking her chin, observed Ne’s reactions closely. So far, she hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.


    But what pleased Alice more than anything was that Ryan hadn’t denied her words earlier.


    However, perhaps no one noticed that after Ne left, the red carpet where she had been standing was slightly damp. The difference in color was subtle, but if you looked closely, you could tell.


    Blood and red—there’s always a difference.