Following the voice, Chen Ke looked over. Just like at the wedding two months ago, the person by the door was still dazzlingly radiant. Composing herself, Chen Ke smiled and said, “So sister-in-law is back in the country. You’ve misunderstood, sister-in-law. I didn’t mean it that way.”
Shen Yu had walked to Yao Yao’s side at the first opportunity. His large hand naturally came to rest on her waist, leading her to a spot he had picked out earlier. In a corner hidden from others’ view, Shen Yu had already received several glares from Yao Yao.
Zhao Yan also recognized Yao Yao and quickly tried to explain for his girlfriend, “Sister-in-law, don’t overthink it. Ke Ke really likes you. She wouldn’t speak ill of you.”
Nestled in Shen Yu’s arms, Yao Yao wore the same faint, unreadable smile. She nodded, seemingly accepting their explanation. “Oh… is that so? It seems I misunderstood.”
“Hubby, do you think I’m a petty person? Would I get angry with you over a single joke?” Yao Yao looked up at Shen Yu, her tone pleading.
Shen Yu’s eyes met Yao Yao’s, clearly expressing his stance.
“So what if you’re labeled as petty? I’m petty too. I don’t like hearing you being jokingly paired with another man. I won’t get angry with you, but you can get angry with me, because I was in the wrong. I shouldn’t have appeared at the same time as people who walk a different path. A magnanimous person and someone who affixes a magnanimous label to themselves should be truly magnanimous, able to tolerate their loved one being joked about with someone of the opposite sex. In terms of broad-mindedness, the two of us truly can’t compare to them.”
Zhang Jiaojiao: “…”
Chen Ke: “…”
Zhao Yan: “…”
When it came to being passive-aggressive, one still had to look to CEO Shen! Yao Yao was pleased.
“Oh, you’re right. It seems I am petty after all. Hubby, we’re such a good match, a match made in heaven. We’re both petty, haha~” Yao Yao’s coquettish laughter spread to every corner of the room.
Everyone in the room was shocked by the couple’s performance. A heavy silence fell over the air, lasting for a long time.
Suddenly, a crisp round of applause broke the silence. Jin Yunduo broke free from Wang Zihui’s grasp and said with a smile while clapping:
“CEO Shen is right! I’d like to add something. Some people are genuinely magnanimous, while others’ magnanimity might not be so genuine. For example, some people act very magnanimous about things that aren’t theirs, but once those things belong to them, they can’t be so magnanimous anymore.”
Shen Yu nodded in agreement. “A very reasonable addition.”
Jin Yunduo: “Thank you for the compliment, CEO Shen.”
After their exchange, no one else in the room spoke. The air seemed to freeze at that moment, and everyone’s breathing seemed to grow shallower.
Yao Yao couldn’t care less what those people thought; as long as she was happy, that was all that mattered. In a delicate, spoiled voice, she commanded Shen Yu, “Hubby, I want to eat cherries.”
“Alright.” Shen Yu reached out and brought over a plate of cherries from the coffee table. This plate had been washed and served by a waiter and hadn’t been touched by anyone yet.
One by one, Shen Yu fed the cherries to Yao Yao, his expression showing not a hint of impatience.
The crowd silently watched the couple’s public display of affection, as if no one else was there.
Wang Zihui had already cursed himself eight hundred times in his head. It was all because of his own uncontrollable mouth that tonight’s gathering had turned into a passive-aggressive showdown. Seeing how things were going, if the chaos continued, the brotherhood might just fall apart.
While Wang Zihui was tearing his hair out, Jin Yunduo was leisurely eating fruit beside him. She had no desire to pay any attention to this idiotic boyfriend who couldn’t control his mouth.
The others in the room also began to feign being busy, chatting about trivial topics or eating snacks and fruit, all trying their best to keep the atmosphere from getting any more awkward.
Chen Ke blinked her reddened eyes and looked at Zhao Yan with a wronged expression. “A’Yan, I really didn’t mean it that way. CEO Shen, he…”
Zhao Yan couldn’t bear to see Chen Ke cry and quickly pulled her into his arms to comfort her.
“Ke Ke, don’t worry. I understand what you meant, and I know what kind of person you are. I’ll explain it to Brother Yu again. Stop crying. If you keep crying, when we go home to see my father-in-law and mother-in-law tomorrow, they’ll think I’ve been bullying you. What if they don’t let you marry me the day after tomorrow?”
Chen Ke’s tears turned into a smile. “Mhm, I won’t cry anymore. I’ll wait for you to come marry me the day after tomorrow!”
Zhao Yan stroked her head. “That’s a good girl.”
Sitting alone to the side, Zhang Jiaojiao’s eyes were filled with resentment. She had always believed that Shen Yu’s marriage was a loveless alliance. When she learned that her best friend Chen Ke was with the heir of the Zhao Corporation, she was happy for her, but at the same time, she secretly fantasized that her own other half might also be some heir, especially since she was better looking than Chen Ke.
The moment she saw Shen Yu, Zhang Jiaojiao was instantly smitten. She had no other channels to get information and could only learn things from Chen Ke. Before she could even make a move, she heard that Shen Yu was going to marry the young lady of the Ji family from Shanghai in a marriage alliance. How could there be true love in a marriage alliance between powerful families? Zhang Jiaojiao couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation.
After her best friend Chen Ke attended Shen Yu’s wedding, Zhang Jiaojiao contacted her immediately and got the result she wanted: there was truly no love in the marriage alliance. She and Chen Ke tacitly cooperated. Using the excuse of wanting to see the world, she tagged along with her best friend to gatherings and met Shen Yu. Sure enough, his other half was nowhere in sight, which seemed to confirm her theory that the couple was each doing their own thing.
Zhang Jiaojiao had even discussed it with her best friend Chen Ke. One day, when she pulled Shen Yu out of the abyss of his marriage alliance and the two of them were as in love as Chen Ke and Zhao Yan, the four of them would go on a trip around the world. What a romantic and memorable event that would be!
Until today, when she was publicly slapped in the face. The veil of shame she had been hiding under was lifted, and Zhang Jiaojiao’s fantasy was completely shattered.
Their intimacy didn’t seem fake. And for the past month or so, Ji Yaoyao had been traveling abroad. Their feelings couldn’t have developed during that time. It had to be earlier—perhaps on a certain day within the first month of their marriage, or maybe even before they got married. So what exactly did Chen Ke see at the wedding? Was it a couple as sweet as honey? Or a couple who gave each other the cold shoulder, their lack of affection obvious to any outsider?
Looking again at her best friend, who was acting coquettishly in her boyfriend’s arms, Zhang Jiaojiao didn’t dare to think any deeper.