Chapter 110: Charity Gala
Teng Yi let her hit him and scold him, neither blocking nor dodging, nor offering any defense.
The alcohol Ruan Yu had consumed seemed to have transformed into tears, soaking half his sleeve.
Her crying caught Teng Yi off guard, and so did her collapse. By the time he realized something was wrong, she had already gone limp in his arms, unconscious.
"Ruan Yu?" Teng Yi held her waist with one hand while brushing her long hair aside with the other.
Her eyes were tightly shut, her pale little face streaked with tears and smudged makeup. Over the years, she had always been the glamorous, polished celebrity host—rarely had she ever looked this disheveled.
Teng Yi held her silently, his fingers still tangled in her hair. The warmth and fragrance of her body gave him a sense of reality he had never felt before.
"Ruan Ruan? Ruan Ruan?"
Suddenly, Wang Jing's voice echoed down the hallway, followed by a large shadow looming before Teng Yi. Behind him was another figure—Luo Sheng.
Seeing Ruan Yu passed out, Luo Sheng immediately bent down to support her.
"Ruan Ruan! Oh no! How did she get this drunk? She was fine just a moment ago! How did she collapse so suddenly?" Wang Jing wanted to help too, but with someone already on either side of Ruan Yu, he couldn’t squeeze in.
Ruan Yu had been cradled in Teng Yi’s arms, but with Luo Sheng’s forceful tug, her soft body leaned toward him. Yet, Teng Yi didn’t let go.
The two men locked eyes, their gazes deep and unyielding, each exuding their own strength.
"What? Can’t bear to let go now?" Luo Sheng smirked, his smile dripping with mockery.
"She got drunk in my establishment. It’s my responsibility to ensure her safety," Teng Yi refused to back down.
"Safety? Don’t worry, Boss Teng. I care more about her safety than you do." With that, Luo Sheng pulled Ruan Yu firmly into his embrace, then lifted her horizontally before turning to hand her over to Wang Jing.
The entire sequence was swift and decisive, leaving Teng Yi no time to react.
"Wang Jing, take her to the car first," Luo Sheng instructed.
Wang Jing suddenly found himself holding a heavy weight, his arms nearly buckling under the strain. His unsteady wobble immediately drew sharp glares from both men, sending a cold sweat down his back. He quickly steadied his grip on the beauty and turned to leave, only to nearly crash into the wall in his haste.
Teng Yi, uneasy, moved to follow, but Luo Sheng grabbed his arm.
"What do you want?" Teng Yi shot him a cold sidelong glance.
"Battle me. The winner gets her."
Luo Sheng had harbored this thought since the first time he saw Teng Yi at the hospital. Back then, Ruan Yu had held him back, leaving no opportunity for a private confrontation.
But today was the perfect chance.
He wanted to face Teng Yi in a duel—no fists, no fighting—just a fair, dignified showdown in the way of street dancers, to determine who was superior.
Teng Yi shook off Luo Sheng’s grip.
"Scared?" Luo Sheng pressed.
"She shouldn’t be anyone’s wager," Teng Yi said.
"Then let’s wager ourselves. The loser walks away from her."
Teng Yi ignored him and strode forward, but Luo Sheng caught up, twisting his arm and shoving him against the wall.
"What? After six years, you’ve turned into a coward?"
"..."
"Afraid to dance? Or afraid to battle me and lose her?"
"...""Teng Yi, if you're not ready to return to her side, you shouldn't have appeared before her!"
Ruan Yu slept soundly until dawn, the alcohol giving her a deep slumber. Yet upon waking, she felt as though she'd been beaten up—every inch of her body ached from head to toe.
She messaged Wang Jing, asking how he'd managed to get her home last night and why she felt like her body had fallen apart.
Wang Jing replied quickly.
"It wasn't me who brought you back—it was Luo Sheng."
Ruan Yu frowned. "Why Luo Sheng? How did he know I was drunk?"
"I called and told him."
"Why would you call and tell him?"
"To have him pick you up, of course." Wang Jing added a cheeky little emoji. "I just wanted that heartless Teng Yi to see that you've got suitors too, okay?"
Ruan Yu sighed helplessly, clutching her phone. She typed out a reply: "Maybe he's not heartless—maybe he just doesn't love me anymore."
After a moment's hesitation, she deleted the unsent message.
She took a shower, washing away the fatigue of her hangover, then got ready and headed to work. As soon as she arrived at TG Broadcasting, she ran into Ying Wen, who hadn't been seen in a while.
Ying Wen was returning to work today, looking as composed as ever—her understated, intellectual style radiating a gentle warmth that put people at ease.
"Good morning, Ying Wen," Ruan Yu greeted her warmly.
Ying Wen smiled and nodded in return.
The two walked into the lobby together, where Ruan Yu was immediately stopped by the receptionist.
"Ruan-jie, surprise!" The young woman at the front desk pulled out a bouquet of fiery red roses from behind the counter and handed them over. "Ta-da! Ninety-nine roses—so jealous!"
Ruan Yu froze as she took the flowers.
The fragrance in her arms brought back memories of Valentine's Day six years ago, when Teng Yi had given her ninety-nine roses. The envious looks from passing girls back then mirrored the receptionist's expression now.
"Who sent these?" Ruan Yu asked.
"No idea! A florist delivered them."
Ruan Yu stayed silent, but a tiny, desperate hope flickered in her heart—could it be him?
By mid-morning, news of the mysterious admirer's gift had spread throughout the station. Wherever Ruan Yu went, she was teased about it, leaving her thoroughly embarrassed.
"Ruan-jie, every girl here envies you now," her assistant Xiu Xiu remarked during a break. "Before, everyone admired Ying Wen—her career success, her perfect family. But yesterday, I heard that Ying Wen's husband was unhappy because she neglected their home for work. After her miscarriage, they're getting a divorce. Ugh, can women really not have it all?"
"Don't spread rumors like that," Ruan Yu chided gently. "Just let gossip be gossip."
"Okay."
In the afternoon, the station held a meeting to discuss preparations for the Liaocheng charity gala.The Liaocheng Charity Gala is a prestigious philanthropic event jointly organized by TG Broadcasting, Yizhong Broadcasting, and Xiucheng Television. Held annually at the beginning of spring, the gala invites over a hundred distinguished guests, including renowned philanthropists, entertainment celebrities, outstanding entrepreneurs, major authoritative media representatives, and high-ranking government officials. Through the exemplary roles of these elites, the event aims to promote public welfare and encourage more people to engage in charitable causes. All funds raised during the gala are donated to the Liaocheng Red Cross Society to aid vulnerable groups.
In previous years, Ying Wen had always been the host of this event. However, this year, the station director suddenly announced that Ruan Yu would take over.
"Ying Wen has just recovered from a serious illness, and Shan Anxin lacks experience. Let Xiao Ruan handle it this time."
The announcement left the conference room in stunned silence. Though no one openly objected, the expressions on everyone's faces spoke volumes—especially Shan Anxin's.
After the meeting concluded, the station director and deputy director left first.
Once the higher-ups were gone, Shan Anxin didn't hesitate to shout across the conference table at Ruan Yu, "From now on, don’t call yourself 'Host Ruan.' Just go by 'Ruan the Snatcher.'"
"I never intended to snatch anything," Ruan Yu replied firmly.
"Oh, right. You didn’t snatch anything—you just got lucky. Lucky enough to climb over me and Sister Ying Wen to get ahead!"
"I—"
"Enough!" Ying Wen, who had been quietly packing her notes, stood up. "There’s no point arguing. Just follow the leadership’s decision."
With that, Ying Wen left the room, leaving everyone else in awkward silence.
After the hosting role for the charity gala changed hands, rumors began swirling within the station. The gossip spread like wildfire, eventually making its way into the public eye.
"The Battle for TG Broadcasting’s Top Female Host" trended on Weibo for days.
Eager netizens conducted a thorough 360-degree comparison of Ying Wen, Ruan Yu, and Shan Anxin—TG’s leading female hosts—and ultimately concluded that Ruan Yu came out on top.
This "victory" meant nothing to Ruan Yu. Instead, it made her relationship with Ying Wen increasingly strained.
Ruan Yu felt a pang of sadness, but she understood that even the closest friendships could drift apart over time. Moreover, beyond friendship, she and Ying Wen had another dynamic: competitors. This outcome seemed inevitable from the day they first met.
To distract herself, Ruan Yu threw herself into work, collaborating with her colleagues to prepare for the charity gala.
During this time, she began receiving mysterious bouquets of flowers—one every day, without fail for half a month. Her office and home soon turned into a sea of blossoms.
She had no idea who was sending them, nor did she have the courage to ask.
The answer wouldn’t reveal itself until the night of the charity gala.
The Liaocheng Charity Gala was divided into three segments: the red carpet entrance, guest performances, and a charity auction.
From the red carpet onward, Ruan Yu co-hosted the event with her partner, Wei Liao, a host from Yizhong Television and Luo Sheng’s childhood friend. The two were so close they could "share the same pair of pants," as the saying went. So, when Luo Sheng strutted down the red carpet in his flamboyant floral suit, Wei Liao naturally opened his arms for a hug.
After embracing the male host, Luo Sheng—ever the fair and natural charmer—leaned in to hug the female host as well.With so many cameras pointed at them, Ruan Yu couldn't afford to be coy and could only politely raise her hand to return his hug.
"Did you like the flowers I sent?" Luo Sheng whispered in her ear.
So it was Luo Sheng who sent them!
Ruan Yu instinctively froze for a moment, then an inexplicable sense of disappointment welled up in her heart.
"You look quite disappointed, Host Ruan," Luo Sheng patted her back.
"..."
Before Ruan Yu could respond, she saw a black Mercedes stop at the red carpet entrance. The door opened, and Teng Yi stepped out with his long legs, dressed in a black formal suit.
After standing straight, he first looked in Ruan Yu's direction.
From afar, the two exchanged a knowing glance across Luo Sheng standing between them.
Ruan Yu quickly pinched Luo Sheng, but by the time she pushed him away, Teng Yi had already averted his gaze.
The driver pushed forward a wheelchair, and Teng Yi helped Teng Hao out of the car.
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