Fu Yanchi released his hand and watched her figure depart, then reached up to touch his lips, where the lingering trace of Luo Yunmian’s lipstick remained.
After waiting a while longer, he finally left for the venue.
The VIP hall for the engagement banquet cost hundreds of thousands for a single use, and this time, an even greater fortune had been spent on the decorations, making it extravagantly luxurious.
Fu Tingshen and Luo Yunmian stood on the stage, a glaring sight.
Fu Yanchi pursed his lips and glanced at them, then found a seat near the front and sat down.
Meanwhile, Luo Yunmian had noticed Shen Xin’er in the audience as soon as she entered, a flicker of something strange passing through her eyes.
The moment had arrived for the exchange of rings, and Fu Tingshen, noticing Luo Yunmian’s prolonged inaction, couldn’t help but remind her.
“Yunmian, it’s time to exchange rings.”
Luo Yunmian snapped back to reality and looked at Fu Tingshen across from her.
Today, he looked just as he had when she first met him—time had left little trace on him. His hair was neatly combed back, smooth and obedient, revealing a clean, full forehead.
Every gesture exuded the charm of a mature man, deeper and more composed than when they first met.
It was just a shame that the person himself had rotted away.
Just as Fu Tingshen was about to slip the ring onto her finger, Luo Yunmian swiftly withdrew her hand.
“Wait.”
She took the microphone beside her and, looking at Fu Tingshen’s astonished face, smiled gently.
“Thank you all for attending today’s engagement banquet, but I have a few words I’d like to say.”
“We’ve known each other for six years now. During these six years, I’ve been chasing after your footsteps, wanting to stand by your side. Finally, on this day, I have a gift I’d like to give you.”
As soon as her words fell, the large screen displayed footage of Fu Tingshen entering a hotel with a woman, followed immediately by the sounds of intimate relations.
The scene shifted.
Their conversation and their entanglement in the flower room reappeared.
“When you left without a word back then, I was heartbroken. I never loved Luo Yunmian; she was just a useful tool.”
…………
The audience erupted in an uproar, someone exclaiming in shock.
“Heavens, did Fu Tingshen cheat?”
“Poor Miss Luo, to have loved a man for so many years only to be called a tool.”
Luo Yunmian stood on the stage, completely unaffected by the discussions below, her gaze fixed intently on Fu Tingshen.
Panicked, Fu Tingshen immediately stepped forward and grabbed Luo Yunmian’s arm. “Yunmian, let me explain. It’s not what you think. I, I…”
Luo Yunmian looked at him coldly, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips.
“Are you going to say you were drunk and lost control, or that you just made a mistake every man in the world makes?”
Fu Tingshen was left speechless.
Fu Tingshen’s parents hurriedly spoke up beside him.
“Yunmian, it’s our fault for not raising our son properly. You have every right to be angry. We, we…”
Watching his parents drag Fu Tingshen down, forcing him to kneel before her, his mother even hitting him with her purse, Luo Yunmian let out a cold snort and walked up to Fu Tingshen.
“Go on, say it!”
“Yunmian, believe me, I only wanted to marry you. I…”
He spoke with genuine emotion, desperate to move Luo Yunmian, but he never expected her to say, “Fine, then let’s continue.”
Fu Tingshen scrambled up from the floor, unable to hide his joy as he prepared to put the ring on her finger, only to find it was too large and wouldn’t stay in place.
“The ring isn’t my size. I suppose you prepared it for someone else!”
Luo Yunmian’s gaze fell upon Shen Xin’er, who sat below the stage as if nothing had happened. “Miss Shen, would you like to come up and give it a try?”
Shen Xin’er sat rigidly in her chair, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her skirt. Her face was deathly pale, and fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead.
Just as she was about to refuse, she heard Fu Yanchi say, “Sister Xin’er, an honest person does nothing underhanded. Why not give it a try?”
Shen Xin’er abruptly looked up, startled to find Fu Yanchi standing beside her at some unnoticed moment.
He stood with one hand in his pocket, his tone utterly casual, yet his seemingly offhand words pierced Shen Xin’er’s ears like sharp needles.
Under the intense scrutiny of the crowd, Shen Xin’er had no choice but to steel herself, rise from her seat, and slowly make her way onto the stage.
Luo Yunmian bent down, picked up the ring from the floor, and handed it to Shen Xin’er.
Shen Xin’er reached out with a trembling hand. As the ring slid onto her finger, it fit perfectly.
“So that video was real after all! President Fu really did cheat!”
“Oh my god, this is too explosive!” Exclamations and murmurs surged like a tidal wave.
Fu Tingshen glanced at Shen Xin’er, pushed her aside, and stepped forward to grab Luo Yunmian’s hand.
“Yunmian, let’s proceed with the engagement first. I’ll explain everything to you afterward. I’ll make it up to you however you want, okay?”
Luo Yunmian forcefully shook off his hand.
“Now, every time I see you, I’ll think of the two of you carrying on behind my back. It’s disgusting.”
She paused, emphasizing her next words.
“Fu Tingshen, I don’t want you anymore.”
“I don’t want you anymore.” Those five words seemed to echo endlessly, ringing in Fu Tingshen’s ears. He stared at her in disbelief.
Then he heard her say again.
“Since the ring fits Miss Shen, you can have this wedding too. I’m calling off this engagement.”
She straightened her back and walked straight off the stage without a moment’s hesitation, quickly disappearing from everyone’s sight.
Fu Yanchi watched Luo Yunmian’s resolute figure depart and, feeling uneasy, strode after her.
He Qiulan watched as a perfectly good engagement banquet was ruined right before her eyes. Her anger flared, and she turned her gaze toward Shen Xin’er, her eyes filled with fury.
“Look at yourself! What makes you think you can climb so high? Our Fu family will never accept you.
In our hearts, Yunmian has always been the only daughter-in-law we recognize. She’s well-educated, gentle, and kind-hearted. Unlike you—all you have is a pretty face, with nothing but schemes underneath!”
A noblewoman friendly with He Qiulan also stepped forward to lecture.
“Miss Shen, the gap between you and Tingshen is vast. Look at you—already in your thirties! The two of you simply have no future together! If you know what’s good for you, leave now. Don’t embarrass yourself here any longer!”
Shen Xin’er clenched her hands tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force. She bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with humiliation as she looked toward Fu Tingshen, pleading for help.
Fu Tingshen was staring down at the diamond ring in his hand, clearly unprepared for today’s sudden turn of events.
He was currently thinking about how to explain his relationship with Shen Xin’er to Luo Yunmian.
Seeing Fu Tingshen lost in thought, Shen Xin’er called out softly, “Tingshen.”
Fu Tingshen snapped back to reality and glanced at the others. He stepped forward, shielding Shen Xin’er behind him.
“Mom, Xin’er has done nothing wrong. I won’t allow anyone to speak ill of her.”
He Qiulan stared at him as if she had heard something unbelievable, her eyes wide. Pointing a finger at Fu Tingshen, she trembled with rage.
“Tingshen, how could you speak to me like this for the sake of this woman? Has she bewitched you?”
Fu Tingshen pursed his lips. “I know exactly what I’m doing. I’ll find a way to handle Yunmian.”