They arrived at the banquet hotel just before 12 o’clock.
As they were about to get out of the car, Qi Chenyan’s phone rang. Shi Xing glanced at the screen and saw the caller ID: “Grandmother.”
She froze for a moment, then seemed to remember something. “You take the call. I’ll go in first.”
Qi Chenyan frowned and took her hand. “Wait for me.”
Shi Xing shook her head. “No need. Let me go in first and take a look. You can join me after the call, okay?”
Qi Chenyan looked at her for a couple of seconds before slowly nodding. “Alright.”
Shi Xing curved her lips into a smile and got out of the car alone, heading into the hotel. As she stepped out, her lips pressed together lightly.
To be honest, she was quite afraid of Qi Chenyan’s grandmother.
After all, in her past life, his grandmother had always disliked her and strongly opposed her relationship with Qi Chenyan.
Now that his grandmother was calling, it was probably about their sudden marriage. She felt it would be inappropriate for her to listen in.
Guided by a waiter, she entered the banquet hall. Several media personnel arranged by the Shi Family and waiting outside the hall immediately perked up.
Holy crap, Shi Xing actually showed up.
And she showed up so openly.
She really has guts!
The media exchanged glances and, without hesitation, followed Shi Xing inside. This was first-hand news.
If there was one female celebrity trending the most online right now, it was undoubtedly Shi Xing. After all, from last night until now, discussions about her had remained at an all-time high.
Shi Xing ignored them. She had dared to come like this precisely because she had no intention of hiding.
At that moment, the banquet hall wasn’t as lively as Shi Xing had imagined. On the contrary, the atmosphere was somewhat strange.
Originally, the Shi Family had planned this celebration banquet for a long time, intending to announce the renewed marriage alliance between the Shi Family and the He Family during the event.
However, after Shi Xing’s outburst last night, Shi Yue had been crying nonstop at home. The Shi parents were both furious and heartbroken, yet they couldn’t reach Shi Xing.
Moreover, they didn’t even know where Shi Xing was living now.
Just as they had someone look up Shi Xing’s address and were about to go find her, Qi Chenyan posted a marriage announcement on Weibo.
The Shi parents were completely dumbfounded.
They didn’t know whether it was true or false and, for a moment, had no idea what to do.
Who was Qi Chenyan? The only son of the Qi Family’s current generation. Calling him a “crown prince” wasn’t even accurate—after all, he was practically ready to ascend the throne.
The company had almost entirely been handed over to him, while the Qi couple had long since gone traveling around the world.
Faced with the Qi Family, even the He Family didn’t dare to provoke them, let alone the Shi Family!
The Shi parents held back their impulse to go find Shi Xing, deciding to observe the situation further.
Today’s banquet couldn’t be canceled either, as the invitations had already been sent out long ago.
All the prominent families in the capital had graciously attended, though most came out of curiosity, eager to witness the drama.
Everyone wanted to know whether the Shi Family’s eldest daughter, who had been kicked out of the house, had truly climbed the high branch of the Qi Family.
Shi Yue, the supposed star of today’s banquet, was instead overlooked.
Everyone who entered first asked the Shi parents:
“Where’s your Xingxing? Hasn’t she come back?”
“Did she really marry the Qi Family’s heir?”
“When did this happen? How did she even meet the Qi Family’s heir? They just got married out of the blue.”
“Such a great thing as marrying into the Qi Family, and you kept it so well hidden. Were you afraid we’d take advantage of you? Hahaha.”
The Shi parents wore awkward expressions.
After all, they couldn’t answer these questions either.They had no idea whether the marriage was real or fake; they had been kept completely in the dark by others!
As more and more people questioned them, the couple’s expressions grew increasingly unpleasant, and Shi Yue, who had been ignored, was even more affected.
She no longer bothered to greet the guests, sitting instead on a sofa in the corner, her lowered eyes barely concealing the jealousy and resentment within.
Originally, after Shi Xing and Qi Chenyan had trended on social media yesterday, she had contacted the Su family that very night, hoping to expose the planned alliance between the Qi Family and the Su family, firmly cementing Shi Xing’s reputation as the “other woman.”
But before they could even decide how to proceed, Qi Chenyan had posted their marriage certificate, disrupting their plans.
Yet Shi Yue refused to believe it. She refused to believe that Shi Xing had actually married Qi Chenyan!
How could someone as lofty and arrogant as Qi Chenyan ever take a liking to Shi Xing?
She seethed with indignation until He Sheng walked in.
Shi Yue hurriedly stood up and rushed over, her eyes red as she tried to throw herself into his arms. “Brother A Sheng~”
He Sheng coldly sidestepped her, his gaze sweeping across the banquet hall. “Where’s Shi Xing?”
Shi Yue stumbled forward, nearly falling, but her mother, Xie Lan, caught her in time.
Just as she steadied herself, she heard He Sheng ask about Shi Xing.
Her expression darkened even further.
Shi Xing, Shi Xing, Shi Xing—why did everyone have to ask about Shi Xing?!
Today was supposed to be her day to shine!
Gritting her teeth, she put on a pitiful, tearful expression. “Sister is probably still with Qi Chenyan.”
He Sheng’s brow furrowed darkly.
Yesterday, Song Zhibo had dislocated his arm, and Shi Xing had kicked him, forcing him to go to the hospital.
His arm was fine, but the spot where Shi Xing had kicked him was somewhat injured.
After all, she had put all her strength into that kick.
He Sheng truly wished he could kill Shi Xing. How dare she treat him like this? Had he been too lenient with her, allowing her to grow increasingly presumptuous in front of him?
He had spent the night in the hospital, turning off his phone to avoid everyone—though, more than anything, he didn’t want to answer Shi Xing’s calls.
He understood better than anyone how much Shi Xing despised Qi Chenyan, so he was the least likely to believe that Shi Xing would ever be with him, even if Qi Chenyan had carried her away right in front of him.
It was all just an act for his benefit.
These games Shi Xing was playing were nothing more than attempts to get his attention.
She was getting desperate.
Unfortunately, he, He Sheng, was not someone who could be fooled by such tricks. The more desperate she became, the more he would remain unmoved.
He wanted her to be utterly cornered, forced to beg him, to abandon all her pride, dignity, and shame just to plead with him!
If he didn’t teach her a proper lesson, she would never learn what it meant to be obedient.
But this morning, when he turned on his phone, there were no messages or missed calls from Shi Xing. Instead, Su Rui and the others had sent him numerous messages.
That was when he found out—Qi Chenyan had posted his and Shi Xing’s marriage certificate!
In that moment, he could no longer sit still.
How was this possible?
Shi Xing would never marry Qi Chenyan.
She hated him so much.
He Sheng tried calling Shi Xing, but her phone was off.
He called her assistant, Song Lan, but her phone was off too.
He went to Shi Xing’s home and found she hadn’t returned, but in her bedroom, he discovered the tie clip she had intended to give him.
In that moment, his heart settled a little.
Yes, Shi Xing liked him.
Her marriage to Qi Chenyan had to be fake.
He sat down to wait for her, but all morning, he waited in vain—except for that damn cat, which kept yowling at him.
Of course, He Sheng had no idea where Qi Chenyan lived. The wealthy second-generation heirs in the capital were divided into two factions, and their relationship with Qi Chenyan’s group had always been strained, so he had never bothered to find out where Qi Chenyan resided.Even if he found out where Qi Chenyan lived, going directly to Qi Chenyan’s home to look for Shi Xing wouldn’t end well for him.
He knew this very well.
He waited until nearly half past eleven but still didn’t see Shi Xing, so he had no choice but to leave the hotel, thinking she would probably come here.
Little did he know that as he went downstairs and got into his car, Qi Chenyan and Shi Xing were also coming down.
Now, after scanning the banquet hall and finding no trace of Shi Xing, and hearing from Shi Yue that Shi Xing might still be with Qi Chenyan, he turned to leave with a cold expression.
Shi Yue quickly grabbed his hand, “A Sheng, where are you going?”
Shi Kun, Shi Xing’s father, also chuckled, “That’s right, A Sheng, you just got here—why are you leaving already? Where are Mr. He and his wife? Why haven’t they arrived yet?”
He Sheng impatiently shook off Shi Yue’s hand, “They won’t be coming today.”
“What?”
The expressions of all three members of the Shi family changed.
Xie Lan’s smile stiffened, “What do you mean they won’t be coming? Wasn’t it agreed that today we would discuss the marriage alliance between our two families…”
Shi Yue also panicked, “That’s right, A Sheng, why aren’t Uncle and Aunt coming?”
“Marriage alliance with whom?”
He Sheng sneered, “The person I want to marry isn’t here, so who am I supposed to marry?”
“You…”
Shi Yue widened her eyes in disbelief, “What do you mean? Who do you want to marry?”
The commotion they caused made others stop their conversations and look over curiously.
Shi Kun’s smile also stiffened slightly, “A Sheng, Yueyue is right here. Who else do you want to be here?”
He Sheng’s smile grew even colder, “I already have a fiancée. Don’t you know who my fiancée is?”
All three members of the Shi family gasped in shock.
Before they could figure out what he meant, Shi Xing walked in, and everyone in the banquet hall turned to look at her in unison.
In that instant, the atmosphere in the hall grew even stranger.
The girl in a bright red dress looked over at them with a cool, detached expression.
She walked in slowly, casually brushing aside the soft strands of hair that fell in front of her. Every movement she made was captivatingly alluring.
He Sheng naturally saw her at a glance, his gaze flickering for a moment as he almost didn’t dare to recognize her.
The Shi Xing he remembered had almost never been this dazzling.
Overnight, she seemed even more beautiful.
He clenched his fists, his hand in his pocket touching the jewelry box he had taken from her home. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips as he stared intently at Shi Xing without moving.
Did she dress up so beautifully to please him?
He wanted to see just how Shi Xing planned to beg him.
When the Shi family saw Shi Xing, their first reaction was to look behind her. Not seeing Qi Chenyan, only a few media personnel following her in, they instantly thought the news of Shi Xing and Qi Chenyan publicly announcing their marriage must be fake.
After all, given Qi Chenyan’s status, how could he marry so casually? The Qi Family parents would never allow someone of Shi Xing’s background to enter their family.
With this thought, Shi Xing’s parents immediately felt relieved, and their gazes toward Shi Xing turned hostile.
“How dare you come back!”
Shi Kun was the first to speak, scolding her harshly, “As an older sister, you don’t know how to yield to your younger sister. In a situation like yesterday, how could you embarrass your sister in public? And to flirt openly with a man in front of everyone? The Shi Family raised you for over twenty years—did we teach you to be so disrespectful, so shameless?”
Perhaps because he had just been humiliated by He Sheng, Shi Kun seemed especially furious, eager to regain all his lost dignity at Shi Xing’s expense.Xie Lan also sneered, “You are my biological daughter, and I believe I have always loved you more. But Yueyue has a pitiful background—what’s wrong with us showing her a bit more affection?
I truly never expected to raise someone as ungrateful as you, who thinks we’ve wronged you and constantly opposes Yueyue, even daring to have her kidnapped. That’s illegal, and the only reason we haven’t reported you to the police is because we can’t bear to.
We don’t want to see you go further down the wrong path, so we sent you away from home to learn and grow. Yet, not only have you shown no remorse, you’ve become even more outrageous. Shi Xing, is this how I raised you since you were little?”
Shi Kun then followed up with a cold snort, “I heard you not only hit Yueyue yesterday but also hit Xiao Sheng. Shi Xing, you’ve really made something of yourself. Do you really think you can latch onto that person from the Qi Family?
If you’ve managed to, where is he now? In the end, you need to recognize your own place. You may be good-looking, but with your character, you’re simply not worthy of him. Do you know the Qi Family would never let someone like you in?”
Shi Xing had just walked through the door and hadn’t even had a chance to say a word before they launched into their tirade.
They were eager to pin every blame on her, to demean her into the dust, and make everyone despise her.
As for Shi Yue, she simply hung her head, whimpering and crying beside them.
As if she had suffered some great injustice.
The gazes of others in the hall fell upon Shi Xing, probing and disdainful.
The media personnel were frantically capturing the scene, and it wouldn’t be long before it was posted online for everyone to mock and insult her.
Shi Xing found it laughable.
How could these two people be her biological parents?
As for He Sheng, he remained silent while the couple spoke, his eyes fixed solely on Shi Xing.
Shi Xing smiled, her tone indifferent, “I know you have my best interests at heart, so I came here specifically to celebrate her winning the Best Actress award and to congratulate her on her upcoming engagement to the young master of the He Family.”
He Sheng’s jaw tightened.
Even now, she still spoke in such a tone?
Did she really think he couldn’t live without her?
He spoke darkly, “Shi Xing, haven’t you caused enough trouble?”
Shi Xing turned her gaze to him, her eyes devoid of any extra emotion, still icy cold, “What trouble? Is coming to congratulate you on your engagement also causing trouble?”
If nothing else, her words sounded to others as if she were jealous.
At the very least, that was how Qi Chenyan, who had just hung up the phone and followed her to the entrance of the hall, felt.
Leaning against the doorframe, Qi Chenyan closed his eyes, his hands clenched tightly.
However, inside the hall, as He Sheng looked into Shi Xing’s eyes, he suddenly felt a pang of panic.
Because in Shi Xing’s eyes, he saw no emotion at all—no affection, no regret, no jealousy. Nothing.
This version of Shi Xing felt utterly unfamiliar.
He couldn’t help but grit his teeth, “Shi Xing, do you really think I can’t live without you? Let me tell you, if you don’t apologize to Yueyue right now, our engagement is completely off!”
A look of confusion flashed in Shi Xing’s eyes, “Wasn’t our engagement called off long ago?”
Then she curved her lips into a smile, “Besides, I’m already married. I have a husband now, and there’s no longer any connection between you and me.”The words “marriage” and “husband” provoked He Sheng. He strode forward, reaching out to grab Shi Xing’s wrist, while angrily saying, “Shi Xing, playing this kind of trick once is enough. I admit you’ve really provoked me, but if you keep pulling this kind of stunt over and over again, I will truly get angry!”
It was only then that Shi Xing felt He Sheng’s mind might be a bit off.
Seeing him about to grab her, she quickly stepped back to avoid him.
Then she sensed the sudden, even more oppressive silence in the hall, and saw He Sheng’s completely darkened gaze fixed on her.
Suddenly realizing something, Shi Xing was about to turn her head when a hand with distinct knuckles already rested on her waist, effortlessly pulling her into his embrace.
The man’s cool, refreshing scent enveloped her as he half-embraced her, his hand on her waist gradually tightening. His gaze, cold as snow, fell on He Sheng as he curled his lips into a faint, icy smile. “Want to touch my wife? Are you even worthy?”