Chapter 173 The Girls Are Going Crazy

Zac and Essie were both absent during Ivy's birthday party, but had all their gifts delivered to arrive on
time.

Ivy however, was not disappointed at all. She didn't even seem to notice as she had been completely
distracted by Hanson's attendance to her party.

Hanson was not interested in Ivy's party whatsoever. He attended simply thinking that Essie would be
there. When he arrived there, he looked all over for her, but was told that Essie had other matters to
attend. Hanson was completely disappointed and was left with a sullen expression. He had initially
intended to leave right when he found out, but when he realized that forming a bond with Ivy might
have some good use for him in the future, he reluctantly decided to stay.

This man was breathtaking, gentle and elegant. Subjectively, he looked even more stunning than he
did on television. He seemed like a prince charming straight out of a fairytale. All the girls in the party
were so excited that they nervously came up to greet him.

From the other corner of the room, there was a pair of beautiful round eyes observing and watching
over him.

Hanson had caught the eyes of a woman with beauty beyond compare. She had a small oval face,
delicate features and a honey toned skin that looked just like sunshine. Any person who was looking at
her would think she was like a flower just about to bloom.

Her name was Christina Qin, and she was Leila's little sister. She developed a close relationship with
the Rong family because of her sister and because she was Ivy's senior classmate. They had a healthy
and close relationship and were fond of each other.

Hanson had apparently caught Christina's attention from watching him on television, and because of
his graceful demeanor, she fell in love with him immediately. Hanson was right in front of her eyes at



that moment and she could not miss her opportunity to get to know him.

However, she was clever enough not to join the other girls, as Hanson would surely not notice her
amongst them.

Ivy came out of the make-up room and was shocked to find that her charming man was being invaded
by countless girls. So she quickly rushed over to help him out of a ridiculous situation. She came up to
them and said, "Today is my birthday and I had personally invited Hanson to this party. You girls cannot
come over to harass him."

These words were a declaration of her possession of him, and all the girls proceeded to leave with
sullen expressions.

She handed him a glass of champagne and said, "My friends are fans of yours so they might be a little
over-excited to see you. I hope you don't mind."

"It's not a problem." Hanson shrugged. He didn't really care for such things. He took a sip of his
champagne and asked her, "Does your cousin treat my junior well?"

"He treats her okay, but he has never treated any other woman as well as his wife," Ivy said with a little
giggle, completely oblivious to Hanson's malicious expression. However, he didn't believe a single word
that Ivy had just said. He knew Essie the most amongst anyone and she never had been a woman of
vanity. Hanson was sure that Zac had forced her into leaving him.

"I thought she would be attending here today," he answered passively, pretending he didn't really care.

"She went out on a romantic date with my cousin. They think that going to a party is too crowded and
noisy and wanted to spend time together alone." Ivy spoke with a big smile on her face, feeling happy
about her cousin's relationship. She was unaware that Hanson was so angry that he clenched his teeth
tightly. The hatred was spreading like a torrent wave from his heart.



Around this time, Christina walked towards the two and looked straight at Hanson. She smiled with a
graceful ambience and said, "You must be Hanson. I have come across you in the show Beauty on
Runway. I'm glad to see you here today."

"This is Christina, my senior schoolmate," Ivy cheerfully introduced.

"Hello," replied Hanson with a completely stoic expression.

Christina didn't think much about it. Since it was the first time they met, it would be natural for some
people to feel a bit distant. She simply smiled gently and said, "Everyone is singing in the
entertainment room upstairs. Would you like to join us?"

"Sure." "Hanson, you should sing with us. You have a very pleasant and magnetic voice."

Everyone had seen Essie and Hanson's performance together in the show. They were all excited and
full of ears when they sang and were able to hear Hanson's pure voice.

Hanson had some pent-up anger and thought that singing would be a good way to vent out his
emotions. So he nodded in agreement and followed them upstairs.

As soon as he started singing, the girls asked to join in as well.

"Since today is my birthday, I'll be the first one to sing with Hanson. You guys could play Rock! Paper!
Scissors! and winner will have a chance to sing with Hanson." After making the suggestion, Ivy faced
towards Hanson and asked, "Are you okay with that, Hanson?"

"It doesn't matter," Hanson said with a passive shrug.

So the two of them sang a song together and Ivy's eyes were glued to Hanson's stunning face the
whole time.



She spent her life surrounded by good looking men like Zac, who was invincible, cold and bearing, and
men like Jim who was also ravishing in his own way. Despite that, neither of them were the kind of man
she appreciated. They were far too cold and cruel.

However, Hanson's facial features were as gentle as a precious jade with beautiful eyes and a bright
face. His picturesque features outlined his stunning face. He was delicate, gentle and just plain perfect.
All of these qualities dissipated a soft light in the air that inspired the spirit of anyone who was around
him.

Across the room, Christina also observed Hanson in awe. She had a special kind of admiration towards
him, just as much as Ivy did.

When the two finished their song, the girls began to play Rock! Paper! Scissors!, waiting to see if they
would win a chance to sing a song with Hanson. Christina joined the girls and turned out to win in
victory.

She faced towards Hanson with an adoring look on her face and asked him with respectfully, "May I call
you Hanson?"

Hanson nodded.

This made her smile with charming eyes that curved into a crescent moon. "Hanson, let's sing
Sparrow's Nest, shall we?" she asked with delight.

"Sure," said Hanson, while he forced a subtle smile on the corners of his mouth. He couldn't care less
about anything that was happening in that moment.

When they started to sing, their voices were melodious and sang in perfect unison. Christina was the
Queen of Pop Music in their university, and she had an angelic voice. Hanson was clearly swayed from
her voice and also immersed his soul into his singing.



When Ivy caught glimpses of Christina looking at Hanson with a pair of affectionate eyes, she started to
get riled up from jealousy.

She wondered if Christina had also fallen in love with Hanson.

Christina would be a strong and tough rival when it came to love, and it would be unfortunate for Ivy to
have to fight against her for Hanson's heart.

When Ivy saw the two of them headed for their seats on the sofa after their duet, she quickly rushed
towards them and squeezed herself in between the two of them.

"You should drink some juice to hydrate and moisten your throat, Hanson," Ivy said as she picked up a
glass of orange juice to Hanson to show some hospitality.

"Thank you." Hanson smiled politely and took the glass.

"Hanson, would you like to stay in Dragon City for another day? There are a lot of beautiful and
interesting places in this city and I would be delighted to show you around," she asked hopefully with
bright shimmering eyes.

Hanson simply shook his head apologetically and replied, "I have a lot of things to deal with in the
company, so I have to head back home tonight." Besides, the longer he was apart from Essie, knowing
that Zac was by her side, the more he felt like he was losing his hope. His priority now was to work
harder and faster to turn Bella into a stronger company. This would be the only way he could compete
with Zac's powerful family and take Essie back.

A sulky expression appeared in Ivy's previously bright eyes. "I'm going to have a dance party tonight. It
will be a bore if you leave so soon."



"That's true, and besides that Yang City and Dragon City are not so far apart. It only takes two hours to
go back and forth. Why don't you stay here just for tonight and leave tomorrow morning?" Christina
quickly suggested.

"I'll visit you guys another time when I have free time," said Hanson in a casual manner. Since Essie
wouldn't be attending, there was no reason for him to stay any longer.

Ivy was clearly disappointed, but was aware that it would be completely inappropriate to convince him
to stay. After all, they were just newly acquainted. So she had to suffer from her sadness in silence.

They had enough of singing in the entertainment room, and by this time, it was time to cut the cake. As
soon as Ivy blew out the candles, a new guest suddenly arrived.

When Valery walked into the room, Ivy was surprised at the reason for her visit. She asked with wide
eyes, "Valery, what are you doing here?"

"Am I not welcome to this party?" Valery asked looking down on her. She clearly was in no good state
to be attending a foolish party but only came to see Hanson. Valery was aware that he would be an
excellent pawn to defeat Essie, so she had to find a way to make use of him.

"Of course you're welcome! I was just afraid that you would be too tired from your pregnancy," Ivy said
with a giggle while she sliced a piece of cake for her.

When everyone finished their plate of cake, everyone headed to the barbecue in the backyard. Finding
her perfect chance, Valery went straight towards Hanson.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hanson."

"I apologize, but do we know each other?" Hanson asked while looking at her reflectively.



"I know we're just meeting for the first time, but I have heard a lot about you. Not from television, but
from Essie." A strange, cruel intention flashed through her eyes.

"Are you acquainted with Essie?" Hanson asked in surprise.

"My name is Valery and I am a good friend of Essie. She has often talked to me about you, so I think I
know more about you than anyone else in here." Valery deliberately released a heavy sigh and
continued, "I didn't expect things to turn up like this."

Hanson looked at her, seemingly dominated with sadness. Since he had been spending so much time
worried about Essie, he didn't take a second to doubt Valery's words. He knew Essie had friends like
Eva and Mandy from university, but it was completely normal for her to make new friends from other
places. Besides, Essie had always been an outgoing and cheerful person who could develop a good
relationship with a lot of people.

Hanson didn't utter a single word. When Valery realized he wasn't going to say anything, she
continued, "Essie has put her heart on you ever since. She still loves you very much. As a good friend
of hers, I wouldn't allow myself to see her so sad. Rest assured, I will find a way to help you out,
Hanson," she said, imitating a compassionate demeanor.

"Thank you, Miss Valery," whispered Hanson.

"Let's exchange contact details with each other so we can talk about this conveniently another time."
She took out her phone.

Hanson nodded in agreement and gave his phone number to her.

A sinister smile appeared on Valery's face, feeling like she had just found herself a puppet for her future
plans. When she saw Ivy walking towards them, she quickly stood up and said, "I'll go ahead. I'll help
arrange a meeting between you and Essie." She walked away soon after. She smiled sinisterly as she



had just accomplished the first step of her plan. She only had to act like she was trying to help him out,
so that they could realize that they were actually the perfect match and would run away to get married.
That way, Valery could have Zac for herself.

"I'm feeling a little tired, Ivy. I better go ahead. Happy birthday," she said with a gentle smile.

"No problem. Be careful on your way back," said Ivy with a short nod. She held on her hands a grilled
steak she supposedly brought for Hanson.

"Hanson, let's have this before you go. It's been roasted especially for you."

"Thank you." Hanson released a genuine smile. Maybe it was because he finally found someone to
help him out with Essie, so he started to feel a little bit of comfort in his heart.

Christina brought him some baked chicken wings and said, "Hanson, have a taste of mine. The flavor
profile Ivy brought for you was from cumin while mine is from honey."

"Thank you, Miss Christina," Hanson said politely.

"Since we've all been acquainted with each other, there's no need to be so polite. Just call me
Christina." Christina beamed a pretty smile while her misty eyes twinkled with hope.

Ivy felt a little sad when she realized what Christina was trying to do.

She was the one who invited Hanson to the party and openly told everyone that he was her guest. It
disappointed Ivy that a close friend like Christina attempted to compete with her.

"Christina, you might have baked better than me, but I am still the master of barbecue." She pouted.

Christina smiled, completely indifferent about her words. "Today is your birthday. Your food is definitely
the most delicious. I won't dare compete with you," she said poking fun at Ivy.



Despite feeling a little hurt with Christina's words, Ivy didn't act out on her emotions. She had to act with
discretion and show a positive image in front of Hanson.

"Christina, how has your sister been lately? Has she been affected by my cousin's sudden marriage?"
she asked casually.


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