At this moment, the atmosphere at the scene was bizarrely comical, even those playing in the swimming pool stopped to stare at what was happening.
After all, this was Qi Li's party, and everyone knew him well enough to remember his only experience of being dumped.
Just moments ago, they were watching a love triangle drama unfold. They weren't sure if the wealthy patron would successfully leave with the look-alike, or if the admirer would successfully prevent the look-alike from being taken away.
But in an instant, the plot twist nearly gave everyone whiplash.
Rising above the two female characters, the true leading lady in the wealthy patron's heart had appeared.
Up to this point, things still made some sense.
But why was it the original person who came to help when the look-alike was in trouble?!!!
How could anyone even begin to comment on this?
Han Ziyu was also stunned. Having been hired to imitate Guo Yalan, she had naturally seen video footage of her, so she recognized the real deal immediately.
She wasn't sure if her heart was racing from the previous tension or if it was nervousness from meeting the original person that made her heartbeat irregular.
Either way, Han Ziyu didn't know how to react and could only stare blankly at Guo Yalan.
The real person was even more beautiful than in the videos - was she always this stunning?
Although others said they looked alike, Han Ziyu felt that Guo Yalan's excellence wasn't in her features but in the confidence and free-spirited aura that radiated from within.
That kind of charm made her the type of beautiful big sister that other women would admire without jealousy.
No wonder her former boss was so obsessed that he needed to find a look-alike, though Han Ziyu was absolutely certain that Qi Li wasn't worthy of Guo Yalan.
Guo Yalan was also looking at Han Ziyu, whom she was holding. The little girl was quite slim, barely weighing anything, with a small face...
Holy cow! How could she look so much like me?
Guo Yalan suddenly recalled hearing something about a "look-alike" when she arrived, and seeing Qi Li harassing the girl, she quickly understood the situation.
Although the feeling was a bit strange, Guo Yalan didn't think too deeply about it. She figured everyone had their own preferences and assumed Qi Li just had a type. Lily must have been jealous when she mentioned the "look-alike" thing.
After all, who in their right mind would actually hire a look-alike?
Guo Yalan smiled naturally and helped Han Ziyu up.
Han Ziyu nervously thanked her, "Thank you."
Guo Yalan found herself liking Han Ziyu more and more, feeling quite intrigued.
Just as she was about to speak, Lily exclaimed in shock: "Guo Yalan? Why are you here!"
Guo Yalan finally turned to look at them, her gaze sweeping over everyone with amusement before addressing Lily: "Ta-da! Surprised? Unexpected? I just got back to the country today."
Lily was completely caught off guard, her eyes darting nervously toward Qi Li.
By now, everyone's attention was focused on the interaction between Qi Li and Guo Yalan.
Qi Li had been staring at Guo Yalan in a daze, as if unable to process what was happening.
Ji Fei was now enthusiastically watching the drama unfold while sipping her drink. [Oh, he's been frozen since just now. Haven't seen the real person in many years - is he too overwhelmed with joy? Now this is the proper reaction to having your ex-girlfriend, your white moonlight, return from abroad. Unlike last time...]
Qin Xian: Who wasn't proper?
[Oh my, his expression is changing. Why so guilty? Is it because of the look-alike on one side and the new girl on the other? Too embarrassed to face the original?]
Qin Xian looked at Qi Li, who indeed showed a moment of panic, his eyes quickly darting between Han Ziyu and Lily.
[Weren't you just playing the forceful love interest role? Even specially arranged this party for Han Ziyu, how did your heart change so quickly? Tsk tsk tsk...]
Qin Xian was also at a loss for words.
Seeing no one responding to her, Guo Yalan looked around and complained, "What's this supposed to mean? Aren't you all happy to see me back?"
With that, everyone naturally couldn't just keep watching the drama and immediately gave her a warm welcome.
Guo Yalan had always been part of Qin Xian's social circle, and although she'd been abroad for many years, everyone except Qi Li and Qin Xian had maintained some contact with her. Especially Cen Ting.
The two women had contrasting personalities - one fiery and one cool - one designing clothes and the other designing jewelry, so they were particularly close.
"I thought you wouldn't be back until my engagement party," Cen Ting said with a smile.
"I just couldn't wait anymore," Guo Yalan said, raising her eyebrows and smirking towards Qin Xian and Ji Fei's direction.
After all, throughout the past year abroad, she'd been hearing one piece of juicy gossip after another from back home, and the drama was so exciting it had sparked her enthusiasm to return.
At her words, Qi Li finally snapped out of his daze. His whole body tensed, his eyes flickering as he looked at Guo Yalan, and his lips curled into a sudden cold smile: "Couldn't wait? Weren't you quite carefree when you left?"
He finally couldn't hold back! He knew Guo Yalan still cared about him - she must have come back to fight other women for him.
Qin Xian was frowning at this exchange, feeling like they were talking about different things, when he felt Ji Fei squeezing his arm hard.
Looking over, he saw Ji Fei's face had turned red from holding back.
[Ah ah ah, his thought process is pure narcissism, what a misunderstanding, completely missing the point... Hahahahaha]
Others also felt something was off, especially since Guo Yalan had clearly been looking towards Ji Fei and Qin Xian.
Guo Yalan paused, turning to seriously look at her ex-boyfriend for the first time.
Looks like this guy is still quite bitter about being dumped back then, speaking in such a sarcastic tone.
Guo Yalan shrugged, "There are good things about being back home too, I wanted to join in on the excitement."
If I had known there would be so much drama here at home, I wouldn't have stayed abroad for so long.
The others found this exchange even stranger, since there had been one piece of gossip after another recently that had greatly affected them. Given Guo Yalan's personality, it seemed she was referring to all the recent drama.
Qi Li gave another proud smile - was she declaring war against her love rival? So she only realized his worth when she got jealous?
But he wouldn't come running just because Guo Yalan called.
"How thoughtful of you to track down this place," Qi Li said mockingly with an air of indifference.
[Hahahahaha, no, Qi Li, please stop, I beg you to stop imagining things, you're making yourself look pitiful, I can't even bear to listen anymore.]
Qin Xian felt the grip on his arm tighten even more, and he looked at Qi Li wearily.
Aliali: 675e95b59234b3e7f2f07a3dHowever, having known each other for so many years, Qin Xian felt he had to say something, so he directly asked, "By the way, why did you arrive so late?"
This question was directed at Guo Yalan, which caught everyone by surprise.
"I was held up by something," Guo Yalan said with a smile.
Luo Fei realized something and asked, "So when you said you were bringing someone, you meant Guo Yalan?"
Qin Xian nodded.
Qi Li immediately looked over, suddenly uncertain, "How did you end up coming together?"
"We ran into each other while shopping for clothes. When she heard about the party and that everyone would be here, she decided to come join the gathering," Ji Fei explained with a smile.
Qi Li's expression became rather complex. So she hadn't desperately searched for information about him and tracked him down immediately after returning?
But she must have heard he was hosting a party and rushed over.
She wanted to see him as soon as she got back?