Han Zhiying was momentarily stunned and looked toward Wen Yunsheng.
Lin Xi glared fiercely. “Qin Jiawei, watch your mouth!”
“You chased Ji Beicun all the way to England, licking his boots—did he ever treat you as anything more than a dish? In the end, you got dumped and slunk back home with your tail between your legs. Who doesn’t know about it? If you dared to do it, why are you afraid of people talking about it?”
Qin Jiawei deliberately raised her voice, as if afraid others wouldn’t hear.
Instantly, Wen Yunsheng, who was already the center of attention, became the focus of gossip. The glances directed at her now carried much more mockery and scrutiny.
“You!”
Lin Xi was so furious she was about to charge forward, but Wen Yunsheng grabbed her arm.
Wen Yunsheng stepped forward calmly, her expression serene. “If I were afraid of what others might say, I wouldn’t have done it in the first place.”
Seeing Wen Yunsheng’s composed demeanor made Qin Jiawei seethe with anger. Since childhood, Wen Yunsheng had always pretended to be obedient and gentle. Her uncle and aunt had placed her on a pedestal, showering her with endless glory.
And all of Wen Yunsheng’s glory had been built by stepping on Qin Jiawei!
Even when people spoke of the Qin family’s young lady, they only knew Wen Yunsheng, not her, Qin Jiawei.
She was the true Qin family heiress, while Wen Yunsheng was merely an adopted daughter—a fake! What right did she have?!
During the years Wen Yunsheng was abroad, Qin Jiawei had finally been able to hold her head high. But as soon as Wen Yunsheng returned to the country, she eagerly attended such a grand banquet in full regalia, stealing all the spotlight.
Even Han Zhiying fawned over her!
“You really have no shame!” Qin Jiawei gritted her teeth.
Yet Wen Yunsheng showed not a hint of embarrassment. Instead, she replied candidly, “I simply had a relationship while studying abroad. What is there for me to be ashamed of? At least I’m honest and straightforward, not pretending to be above it all.”
Wen Yunsheng spoke her last sentence while staring directly into Qin Jiawei’s eyes.
“What do you mean?!” Qin Jiawei nearly jumped up, as if her tail had been stepped on.
Wen Yunsheng shook her head gently. “If you truly cared about the Qin family’s reputation, you wouldn’t be making a scene with me in such a setting.”
Lin Xi immediately chimed in sarcastically, “Exactly! What an embarrassment!”
“You!” Qin Jiawei was so enraged she wished she could tear Wen Yunsheng’s delicate face apart!
“Miss Wen is right.”
A man dressed in pure black walked out from the crowd. His features were refined, and his tone was steady. “A relationship pursued with all one’s heart should not be considered a stain.”
Wen Yunsheng didn’t recognize him, but Lin Xi’s eyes instantly lit up.
“Young Master Song,” Han Zhiying greeted with a smile.
Song Ye nodded slightly.
“What’s past is past. Why bring it up again? Youth is a time for making foolish mistakes,” Han Zhiying said, helping to defuse the situation.
The surrounding guests nodded in agreement.
After all, that widely known “scandal” wasn’t really much of a scandal.
For Wen Yunsheng, it was simply a failed relationship. Why should it be treated as a mark of shame?
Young girls are prone to being a bit love-struck—it’s normal. This isn’t the lingering feudalism of the Qing Dynasty; it’s just a relationship.
Seeing public opinion shift in Wen Yunsheng’s favor, Qin Jiawei’s expression grew increasingly unpleasant.
After all the commotion, she had ended up looking like the unreasonable one!
“Jiawei, you’re both sisters in the family. Why make such a scene? The banquet is about to begin,” Han Zhiying advised.
But since Han Zhiying had already stepped in to mediate, Qin Jiawei could say nothing more and had no choice but to swallow her resentment and let it go.
Han Zhiying smiled at Wen Yunsheng before leading Qin Jiawei away.The onlookers had all dispersed, and the melodious sound of the violin resumed, as if nothing had just happened.
Lin Xi glanced at Song Ye, then suddenly exclaimed, “Ouch!” She clutched her stomach and looked at Wen Yunsheng.
“I’m feeling a bit unwell. I need to go to the restroom. Shengsheng, wait here for me.”
Wen Yunsheng asked, “Are you okay? Should I come with you…”
“No need, just wait here. I’ll be back soon.” As she spoke, Lin Xi winked at Wen Yunsheng, then quickly walked away in her eight-centimeter heels.
Before Wen Yunsheng could figure out what the wink meant, she heard Song Ye speak.
“Hello, I’m Song Ye.” Song Ye extended his hand.
Wen Yunsheng paused for a moment before reaching out to shake it lightly. “Mr. Song.”
Song Ye nodded slightly. “Pleased to meet you.”
Wen Yunsheng suddenly caught sight of Lin Xi in the distance behind Song Ye, who turned around and gave her a playful, exaggerated smile.
Finally, Wen Yunsheng understood the real purpose of today’s banquet.
“Miss Wen, shall we sit and chat?” Song Ye suggested politely.
Wen Yunsheng snapped back to reality, forced a slight smile, and sat down on the sofa opposite Song Ye.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware of today’s arrangement and didn’t prepare in advance…”
“It’s fine. If you have any questions about me, feel free to ask.”
Wen Yunsheng couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but as she observed the well-dressed man’s words and actions, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Recalling the awkward scene earlier, Wen Yunsheng assumed Song Ye had witnessed everything.
She said honestly, “You probably heard about my past just now, Mr. Song.”
Song Ye nodded. “I did hear it all, but as you said, it was just a relationship. It’s really nothing, especially since…” He paused and smiled. “I admire your honesty in accepting the outcome, Miss Wen.”
Wen Yunsheng gave a dry laugh. “Thank you.”
Meanwhile, Qin Jiawei turned around and saw Song Ye and Wen Yunsheng chatting animatedly in the rest area.
Han Zhiying said, “Aunt Jin mentioned arranging for Yun Sheng and Song Ye to meet and get to know each other.”
Qin Jiawei’s face turned pale. “They set up a blind date for Wen Yunsheng with Young Master Song?”
“Uncle Qin and Aunt Jin are very concerned about Yun Sheng’s marriage. Song Ye is someone they carefully selected. Jiawei, if you have anything to say, let’s discuss it another time. Today isn’t appropriate.” Han Zhiying tactfully reminded her.
She didn’t want to get involved in the internal conflicts of the Qin sisters. Offending either side would do her no good in the future.
Although Wen Yunsheng was only an adopted daughter, she was highly valued by the Qin family. Qin Jiawei, as the eldest daughter of the second branch, also had to be handled carefully.
Qin Jiawei gritted her teeth in resentment. The match her uncle had arranged for Wen Yunsheng was even better than hers!
What right did Wen Yunsheng have?
If they really got married, wouldn’t she spend the rest of her life being trampled underfoot by this imposter?
Qin Jiawei stared intently at Wen Yunsheng, recalling her arrogant demeanor earlier, her eyes flashing with venomous resentment.
On the elevated highway, traffic flowed steadily as a Rolls-Royce Cullinan drove smoothly.
Qin Yanchuan leaned back in the rear seat, his eyes lowered as he reviewed a document.
He had just left a dinner gathering—an unimportant one, where he had only made a brief appearance before departing.
The assistant in the passenger seat glanced in the rearview mirror and asked, “Mr. Qin, where are we heading now?”Qin Yanchuan didn’t even lift his eyes. “Back to the Southern Mansion.”
“Yes.”
The assistant hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “The jewelry banquet that Miss Han invited you to is tonight.”
Qin Yanchuan’s voice was indifferent. “Not going.”
“The family arranged for Miss Yun Sheng to attend.”
Qin Yanchuan’s hand, flipping through documents, paused slightly. He didn’t respond, his handsome face hidden in the shadows, making it hard to discern any change in expression.
The assistant continued, “They also arranged a blind date for Miss Yun Sheng.”