Standing Next To You-Chapter 461: Cross the Distance

As if the world had stopped moving, every sound vanished except for her heavy breathing and the deafening thump of her heart. Bei Sangyun’s entire body went rigid; she couldn’t react right away.

Fei Chuan’s hand was still in the air, inviting her to take it.

He looked at her with an intense gaze, luring her to accept.

That look—familiar, yet distant—stirred memories in her mind. It had been the same back then. He’d approached her on the dancefloor, offering his hand even while she stood in another man’s arms. He had gazed at her just like this.

Bei Sangyun took a deep breath. The memory overlapped with the scene before her.

"Get in line, Fei Chuan. I haven’t finished my dance yet." William’s teasing voice broke the silence between her and Fei Chuan.

Fei Chuan lowered his hand, his gaze settling on William’s arm around Bei Sangyun’s waist. His smile was polite, but his tone was cold.

"There’s a long line of ladies and madames waiting for you, William. Are you sure you want to keep them waiting?"

"They’ll understand. After all, I’ve made a new friend." William winked at Bei Sangyun, who hadn’t spoken a word since Fei Chuan’s arrival. "Right, Ms. Bei?"

Bei Sangyun lowered her gaze, avoiding Fei Chuan’s eyes. "...Yes."

The joy she’d felt upon realizing Fei Chuan had come to her first vanished instantly, knowing she couldn’t reciprocate and could only refuse him at this moment.

Her answer made William glance at her in surprise. He had thought she’d deny it.

Fei Chuan’s gaze turned colder. "Is that so?"

Bei Sangyun swallowed the lump in her throat. Of course, she couldn’t accept his invitation to dance, though she longed to reach out and take his hand.

She nodded.

Fei Chuan smirked, and the air around him grew several degrees colder. "I see. Then I must have interrupted you two. I only asked because William looked like he might be hurting after all the stepping. I’ll return to my dance partner, then."

When Fei Chuan turned away, Bei Sangyun finally raised her eyes to watch him.

She must have hurt him. She hadn’t meant to, but she couldn’t accept the dance. Dancing would mean standing close, holding hands—touching in a way that felt too intimate.

These were luxuries she couldn’t afford right now.

All she could do was exist in the same space as him—to watch him from across the room, let him sense her presence, and, little by little, draw closer to his world. That was all she would allow herself today.

But it surprised her that Fei Chuan had invited her to dance. She thought he was still angry with her.

"Dang. He looks mad. I didn’t mean to upset him. I just wanted to spend more time with you," William commented.

Bei Sangyun snapped out of her thoughts and noticed how close William had gotten. She shook his hand off her waist and took a step back.

"He’s angry with me. This was our first conversation in so long, and even after everything I’ve done, he still came to me and asked me to dance. But I rejected him. I barely even gave him an answer." Bei Sangyun was truly annoyed with herself. Refusing his invitation had been necessary, but she could at least have spoken to him properly.

Had she just made things worse?

William observed her expression. "Do you still like him?"

Bei Sangyun glared at him. "Didn’t anyone tell you it’s rude to ask such personal questions to someone you’ve only known for ten minutes?"

William shrugged. "If you answer me, I might be able to help you."

Bei Sangyun hesitated, considering his offer for a moment before shaking her head. She couldn’t trust someone like William, who seemed to treat people’s lives as entertainment.

"Really? Then Fei Chuan might just get too attached to his dance partner, then."

’Dance partner?’

Bei Sangyun turned toward Fei Chuan’s direction and spotted Sophia by his side. Her eyes widened.

’Is he going to dance with Sophia? Of all people?!’

That b*tch Sophia didn’t take her threats seriously.

But thankfully, it looked like Fei Chuan had turned down Sophia and was walking away, seemingly about to leave the event.

"Wait..." Bei Sangyun muttered.

Is he really going to leave? She had only managed to say one word to him. Their first proper meeting after so long couldn’t end like this.

A surge of courage propelled Bei Sangyun forward. She quickly left William on the dance floor, her gaze fixed on Fei Chuan’s retreating figure.

"Hey, Ms. Bei. Where are you going? We aren’t done talking yet!"

Bei Sangyun ignored him and continued to follow Fei Chuan.

The latter was making his way toward a less crowded area. She saw him stop at the bar and take a stronger drink from the bartender.

Bei Sangyun halted, stopping about ten steps away from him. She didn’t approach; she simply watched him drink from a distance.

Every time she saw Fei Chuan, it was as if an invisible wall automatically rose between them, halting her and subconsciously urging her to maintain her distance. Perhaps it was the force of habit forged over the past four years.

Rooted to the ground, Bei Sangyun wrestled with how to mend things with Fei Chuan without getting too close.

How could she apologize? How could she explain that she hadn’t meant to reject him—that she’d refused only because she couldn’t, not because she wanted to?

She glanced around, and an idea struck her.

She flagged down a server and asked for some paper and a pen. After quickly jotting down a note, she handed it to the server.

"Could you give this to that person discreetly? Make sure he reads it."

"Yes, ma’am," the server replied, taking the folded note. "But ma’am, he’s currently with someone else. Should I wait to give it to him later?"

Bei Sangyun looked over and noticed familiar faces around Fei Chuan.

She frowned. Fei Ying Zhi and Fei Hua Juang had found him, and from the looks on their faces, it seemed they were here to cause trouble for Fei Chuan.