Crashing into an Old Flame
Chapter 179: We promised

Chapter 179: We promised

During this time, some men approached her, trying to strike up a conversation with her. Diana tried her best to be interested in the conversation, to make a new friend at the very least if she failed to be interested in someone but everyone looked like a piece of wood.

Let alone her heart or body, even a strand of her hair was not moved by any of them.

Strange. They were good looking but in her eyes...they seemed just so-so.

They did not talk in a particular manner. They did not have an icy face that melted into a smile at some silly joke she cracked.

They did not have a dimpled smile that uplifted her mood in seconds.

They were too flirtatious. Too pushy. Not stoic enough.

They were not him!

Ah!

Diana pressed a palm on her ear. She was crazy.

At this point, she wondered if she was beginning to develop some unhealthy obsession with Maxim...

She had come here to clear her head but her head was getting further chaotic.

In the end, Diana decided to leave the place but the moment she stood up, her gaze landed on a person who caught her attention.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of Maxim, making his way past the dance floor.

She sat back on the barstool and kept her gaze on him while he looked around the place.

In his all-black formal outfit, he stood out amidst the rest of the people in the place. His fingers constantly raked through his hair when he tried to look through the crowd.

Did he come here searching for her?

Diana picked up her wine glass as the bartender filled it.

A few young girls surrounded him near the dance floor and from their actions, it seemed like they were asking him to dance.

Diana pursed her lips. Flower boy.

She was about to go to rescue him but at this moment, he looked in her direction.

Their eyes met.

Diana raised a brow and tilted her glass towards him in a ’cheers’ motion before she took a sip from it.

She noticed how his jaws clenched briefly. He dodged the girls and made his way towards her.

’’Are you here for me?" she was conscious at this point even though she had had lots of drinks. But still, the alcohol in her system wanted her to push his buttons.

She got some sort of pleasure by provoking him once in a while. And today happened to be such a day. He had annoyed her, got on her nerves, and bothered her mind and body and she wanted to reciprocate the feeling.

To bother him just as much.

She pointed her palm towards the seat next to her and watched as he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and took a seat.

’’Why are you here?" Maxim asked instead of answering her question.

She noticed how his gaze scanned her from head to toe.

And for the first time in the evening, Diana felt like it was worth it that she had dolled herself up.

She smiled, feeling a small burst of victory inside her. But his slow once-over made a strange heat rise in her body.

She raised her hands and tried to put her hair up in a messy bun as she answered him, ’’Checking out wine and men.’’

Maxim leaned towards her.

Diana’s breath fastened and she involuntarily closed her eyes. In the next moment, she felt his hands grazing by her sides and the barstool she was sitting on was pulled forward.

Her eyes snapped open. He had pulled her chair so close that she had her legs in between his. And he was still leaning towards her but unlike what she had assumed, he did not seem to have any intention of kissing her.

His gaze fell on her bare neckline for a moment. He placed his palm on the back of her head, his fingers lazily slipped into her blonde hair and her bun came cascading down.

She felt a tingling sensation on her scalp when his fingers grazed down.

Maxim adjusted her hair near her neck before he straightened up calmly, ’’I don’t see anyone around you.’’

Diana could decipher the meaning behind his words.

’Didn’t you say you were checking out men? Where are the men you are speaking of?’

She pursed her lips, ’’You came too late. I have been here for hours and let me tell you...’’ she leaned closer to him as if she was intending to tell him a secret. He looked at her nonchalantly but she still continued, ’’...I have had my fair share of fun.’’

His eyes darkened but by the time she pulled back his face was normal.

Diana felt some sort of annoyance bubbling in her chest.

As he looked to the side, the collar of his shirt moved and something caught her attention.

Maxim stiffened when Diana pressed her palm on his neck, her fingers tracing the skin gently.

’’What happened here?" she saw some bruising marks as she opened the shirt slightly wider.

’’Nothing much.’’

’’I love it when we are open with each other. It’s fine if you don’t want to say what happened, you don’t have to say it’s nothing...’’ she started taking her hand back, ’’Oh. I almost forgot that we had a rule of not meddling in each other’s private life. It was wrong of me to assume that it is invalid after so many years...’’

He grabbed her wrist, forbidding her from taking it back, ’’Why are you losing your temper?"

"You are making me,’’ she pulled her hand out of his grip.

’’It was Alex,’’ Maxim calmly said, ’’He is...’’

’’I know he is Grandpa Qin’s grandson,’’ When Maxim raised an eyebrow, she explained, ’’Moreover, he was here an hour ago. He mentioned that a dog did that to his face. I even showed my support to the dog and he was offended by my words. Who knew he was referring to you?"

"_"

After he heard she supported the dog, Maxim had no complaints about being the dog in question.

"Why does he hate you?" Diana looked at him curiously. She did not get an answer from Alex but probably Maxim could tell her about it.

Maxim shrugged a shoulder, ’’No idea.’’

As far as he remembered, Alex joined the hospital some time later after he did. He had no impression of him back then but gradually Maxim realized that Alex was hostile towards him.

And he did not even bother to hide his hostility.

’’How come?" Diana was bewildered.

’’He asks me to stay away from his grandfather,’’ Maxim sighed. When he gave it a thought, it was more like a child throwing a tantrum over some candy.

He had never taken it seriously before. If Alex had not dragged his mother’s name into this, what happened today would not have happened.

Diana traced the glass of wine with her finger and decided to change the topic, ’’Want a drink?"

"No.’’

She narrowed her eyes, ’’Why not? Now that I think about it, we have never had a drink together in a place like this. This should be our first time.’’

’’No.’’

’’You...’’ Diana never thought she would one day come to hate the word ’No’ to this extent. Sleep with her? No. Drink with her? No.

’’Fine,’’ she shrugged, deciding to give up. Who in the world can change his mind?

He was probably the calmest and most composed person in this world. Nothing fazed him, unlike her, who was easily fazed by everything.

’’Diana,’’ Maxim glanced at her.

She looked at him when he called her name, ’’Hmm?"

’’Back then, what did you do after you left?"

The moment he asked the question, she knew what he was referring to. Diana placed the glass down and straightened up, ’’You saw that?"

He did not respond to her question but the look on his face told her that he saw what she had asked Director Qin to arrange for her.

Director Qin was ready to help her with the situation with Veronica but Diana knew that even if Veronica was not there, there would be someone else.

Since Daisy was not around, Diana had wanted to keep a low profile and stay away from troubles that might lead to her parents finding her whereabouts.

But when she talked with that patient at the hospital, her mind was already conflicted. She never wanted Maxim to be implicated in such gossip.

By the time their dinner date was interrupted, she had already made up her mind.

Later, seeing Daisy left no hesitation in her heart.

What her mother cared about the most was reputation. Even though she had not let her complete her residency in medical school, she was the kind of person who would not let anyone gossip about her. For the perfect appearance, her mother got her the certificate of completion and presented it to her like it was a plaything.

Diana had never intended to use it

’’I don’t have a license. I dropped out of there halfway,’’ she said, averting her gaze.

Maxim did not stop looking at her, ’’Why?’’ Didn’t she want to study business as per her parents’ wish? Didn’t she claim to hate those practicals? Why in the world would she go to a medical school?

Diana felt slightly bitter in her heart, ’’We promised each other that we will meet in Beijing. I kept my side of that promise,’’ she blurted unconsciously.

When she looked at him, she realized that he was frowning.

Diana switched to a wide smile and patted his shoulder, ’’It’s in the past. Moreover, I wanted to try new things out. You know how I am...’’

Maxim did not say a word.

Diana was about to console him some more when her eyes caught sight of another familiar face in the distance, ’’Da...’’

’’Hmm?" Maxim looked at her, his gaze slightly unfocused by the myriad of emotions running in his heart.

’’It’s Dexter,’’ Diana quickly corrected herself.

Before Maxim could say anything, she pushed herself to her feet and rushed towards Daisy.

’’What are you doing here?" Diana grabbed her hand and pulled her to the side.

Daisy glanced at Maxim whose eyes were almost on the verge of burning holes through her body, ’’I thought I should come to pick you up in case you are drunk... but my protection seems unnecessary,’’ she raised a brow.

Diana coughed, ’’I was about to leave when he came...’’

’’Ask him to send you back. I’m off,’’ Daisy waved and turned to leave.

But thinking of something, she turned around and approached Diana again.

’’What?" Diana asked in confusion when Daisy scanned her from head to toe. Her spidey senses tingled slightly. She had a feeling that her sister was up to no good.