Night fell.
In the opulent and bustling banquet hall, lights glittered brilliantly, wine glasses clinked, and a gathering of celebrities and dignitaries filled the space.
Lin Wanfu appeared at the birthday banquet of the Su family patriarch alongside Shen Huaijin, instantly drawing countless gazes.
Everyone involuntarily held their breath, watching as the breathtakingly beautiful woman, arm in arm with the handsome man, slowly entered the venue from the entrance.
The woman wore a wine-red off-the-shoulder mermaid gown, her slender waist cinched to a delicate curve, the skirt flowing gracefully like a fish’s tail, swaying gently with each step.
It wasn’t until the two had walked further away that the previously quiet hall erupted into a flurry of murmurs and whispers as people leaned in to gossip.
“Isn’t that the eldest son of the Shen family? Who is the woman beside him? She’s absolutely stunning!”
“That’s the eldest daughter of the Lin family. Don’t you know her?”
“Ah? I just returned to the country and haven’t seen her before. So, she’s the dream girl you all keep talking about?”
“Let’s keep this talk between us. Why are you saying it out loud? Are you trying to get me killed?”
“Is it really that serious? Can’t we even think about it?”
“Shh, keep your voice down. Let me tell you, the eldest daughter of the Lin family is the exclusive property of that person from the Shen family.”
“That person from the Shen family? You mean the eldest son?”
“Never mind whether it’s the eldest son or the second son. Just know that Miss Lin is undoubtedly the future Mrs. Shen. So, don’t go around saying things you shouldn’t.”
“……”
Meanwhile, from a distance, Lin Wanfu spotted a familiar figure.
The man’s height was simply too striking, and coupled with his exceptional presence, even amidst the dense crowd, he stood out like a crane among chickens.
Noticing Lin Wanfu suddenly stop in her tracks, Shen Huaijin followed her gaze and saw Shen Congyan conversing with someone. A flicker of darkness quickly passed through his eyes.
Then, he wrapped his arm around Lin Wanfu’s waist, as if declaring his ownership.
“Ajin, what’s wrong?” Lin Wanfu turned to Shen Huaijin, feigning confusion.
Shen Huaijin leaned close to Lin Wanfu’s ear. “There are too many people at the banquet. I’m afraid I might lose you in the crowd.”
Shen Congyan also noticed Lin Wanfu and Shen Huaijin. From his perspective, their posture was particularly intimate, almost as if they were whispering intimately to each other.
His hand holding the wine glass tightened unconsciously, and fine cracks began to spread across the glass like a spiderweb.
Didn’t she say the banquet was boring?
Why did she then turn around and attend the banquet arm in arm with Shen Huaijin, smiling radiantly?
So, in the end, it wasn’t the banquet that bored her—it was him.
Suddenly, a faint sound of shattering glass echoed as the wine glass in Shen Congyan’s hand was crushed.
Since most of the guests’ attention had been drawn to Lin Wanfu and Shen Huaijin’s arrival, no one immediately noticed Shen Congyan’s unusual behavior.
It wasn’t until someone accidentally glanced over and exclaimed, “Oh, Mr. Shen, your hand is bleeding!” that many turned to look at Shen Congyan’s hand, which was bleeding from cuts caused by the glass shards.
Shen Congyan lowered his gaze slightly and said calmly, “It’s nothing. I just didn’t hold the glass steady.”
Generally, those who served as waitstaff at such top-tier elite banquets had undergone rigorous training and naturally had experience handling unexpected situations.Before long, someone brought over a first aid kit.
“Thank you.”
Shen Congyan calmly took the disinfectant alcohol and gauze handed to him by the waiter, expressionlessly tending to the wound on his hand as if he felt no pain.
“Congyan, long time no see.”
Hearing the voice, Shen Congyan looked up and saw Shen Huaijin’s utterly hypocritical face.
Almost instinctively, he glanced beside Shen Huaijin but did not see Lin Wanfu.
After discreetly scanning the area, he finally caught sight of Lin Wanfu in the dessert section.
She was still the same as before, always fond of eating sickeningly sweet things without ever getting tired of them.
Shen Huaijin shifted slightly, blocking Shen Congyan’s view of Lin Wanfu. With a forced smile, he said, “I heard your new project ran into trouble. Although you were expelled from the Shen family by Grandpa three years ago for your mistakes, we are still brothers who share the same blood. If there’s anything you need and I can help, just say the word.”
“Lin Wanfu isn’t even here. Who are you performing for?”
Shen Congyan wrapped the gauze around his hand, layer after layer. His low voice carried no emotion, cold as ancient, unmelted ice.
Shen Huaijin had just returned to the country, and immediately afterward, the new project at Shen Congyan’s company was targeted by an unknown force and forced to halt.
Who would believe Shen Huaijin had no hand in this?
Given his formidable influence abroad, the Shen family could do nothing to him for now and could only secretly suppress his fledgling domestic company.
Similarly, he could at most inflict significant damage on the deeply rooted Shen family in the country.
To completely overthrow Shen Huaijin and finish him off would be no easy task.
“You always misunderstand your brother like this. It saddens me. I just wanted to help you.”
“A good dog doesn’t block the way.” Shen Congyan clearly had no desire to engage further with Shen Huaijin. He stepped forward, intending to head toward the dessert section.
However, before he could take two steps, Shen Huaijin reached out and stopped him.
Shen Huaijin’s gaze fell on Shen Congyan’s hand, his face still wearing a gentle smile. “Rather than going for dessert, I think you should go to the hospital instead.”
Understanding the sarcasm in Shen Huaijin’s words, Shen Congyan sneered, “You should worry about yourself. I remember your mother suspected you had a split personality three years ago and even booked an appointment with a psychiatric specialist for you. I wonder if your mind has been cured after all these years.”
A flicker of light passed through Shen Huaijin’s eyes as he replied with a half-smile, “Have you forgotten? That was just a misunderstanding, my dear brother.”
It was his own carelessness that allowed a servant at home to discover the secrets in his room, leading his mother to mistakenly believe something was wrong with his mental state.
“Don’t call me brother. It sounds disgusting.” Shen Congyan’s obsidian-like eyes gleamed with a cold light, resembling a poised leopard, exuding an aura of danger.
Watching the tense standoff between the two Shen brothers, the people around them instinctively lowered their presence, fearing they might become collateral damage in the clash of titans.
With such a commotion at the banquet, Su Yu, the young master of the host Su family, naturally rushed over.
Seeing Lin Wanfu still eating desserts, Su Yu couldn’t help but lean in and whisper to her, “Alright, stop eating. They’re about to fight over there.”He had never seen such a gluttonous villainess. While everyone else was focused on the fight over there, she was the only one eating.
Lin Wanfu used a small silver fork to pick up a piece of cake from her plate and ate it, then turned to look at Su Yu. “Will their fighting affect my eating?”
Because she was leaning in close, Su Yu was once again dizzied by Lin Wanfu’s breathtaking beauty.
“Probably…”
Lin Wanfu pouted and whined, “Then what should we do? All the desserts at your place are so delicious. Why don’t you ask them to take the fight outside so it doesn’t disturb me?”
Su Yu blushed and scratched his head. “R-really? Then eat as much as you want. I’ll go ask them to take it outside.”
After taking two clumsy steps, Su Yu suddenly realized something.
Wait, was he possessed?
How dare he, with the audacity of a dog, offend the ruthless male lead and the biggest villain in the book?
He must be out of his mind.
Damn, this villainess must know how to cast curses!