The air in the banquet hall froze, and everyone’s faces were filled with shock.
Had these two really gotten married?
He Sheng’s gaze was icy as he stared at Qi Chenyan’s hand resting on Shi Xing’s waist—an embrace full of possessiveness, as if declaring sovereignty.
Shi Kun’s breathing was also somewhat hurried, his heart racing in disbelief. “Third Young Master Qi, what do you mean by this? You and our Shi Xing…”
Qi Chenyan’s sharp gaze fixed on him, cutting him off. “Wrong.”
Shi Kun was taken aback. “Wrong?”
Had they not gotten married?
Xie Lan and Shi Yue’s eyes also lit up with hope. They knew it—Qi Chenyan wouldn’t marry Shi Xing.
But before their joy could fully surface, Qi Chenyan curved his lips and coolly added, “Not your Shi Xing.”
He said, “She’s mine.”
The unease in Shi Kun’s heart had already reached its peak. Even though Qi Chenyan’s words were crystal clear, he still refused to believe it.
His hands trembling, he suddenly glared at Shi Xing. “You tell us yourself, what exactly is your relationship with Third Young Master Qi?”
They truly refused to believe the matter between Shi Xing and Qi Chenyan. After all, even after driving Shi Xing out of the family, her every move was still under their control.
It had only been from yesterday’s red carpet until now—such a short time. How was it possible?
Absolutely impossible!
Just as Shi Xing was about to speak, Qi Chenyan spoke first. “Was what I said not clear enough, or are you so old that you’ve gone deaf? Who gave you the face to speak to my wife in that tone?”
His tone was light, even carrying a hint of nonchalance, yet it made everyone in the hall hold their breath.
Xie Lan’s face twisted, and she forced a stiff smile. “Third Young Master Qi, what are you saying? Shi Xing is our daughter. How we speak to her is only natural!”
Qi Chenyan’s lips curved slightly. “I hope you understand that from the day you drove my wife out of your home, she was no longer your daughter. You have no right to question her, blame her, or even speak to her like this. Not to mention, she is already my wife. Do I need to make this any clearer?”
Shi Kun took a deep breath, his lips stiffly twitching again. “I wonder if Third Young Master Qi’s parents know about this? You say Shi Xing is your wife, but I’m afraid Shi Xing isn’t worthy of you. Your parents wouldn’t agree, would they?”
Shi Xing’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and she suddenly felt dazed.
Were these really her parents?
They could go to such lengths to degrade her into the dust.
But wasn’t she their daughter?
When she was young, they had also cherished and loved her.
They named her Shi Xing, telling her it was because she was as precious as a star.
When she was little, Shi Kun would lift her high and laugh, saying, “Oh, whose little princess is this, so beautiful? She’s ours, from the Shi family.”
Xie Lan would also smile gently. “Be careful, don’t drop our little star.”
But those scenes had long since blurred, and Shi Xing couldn’t remember exactly when it started—when they were no longer gentle with her, when their smiles disappeared, when all their smiles and tenderness were given to another girl.
Until now, perhaps all that remained for her was their disgust.
Lost in her thoughts, Qi Chenyan’s lips curved coldly. “You’re right. As for the Shi family, you truly are unworthy of me.”
As soon as his words fell, the atmosphere in the hall grew even more silent.
The Shi couple’s faces twisted, for his words had thoroughly degraded the Shi family.The expressions of the crowd were also peculiar, and their gazes toward Shi Xing held a hint of pity.
Having listened this far, how could anyone fail to understand just how much this couple from the Shi family despised their own daughter? If even they looked down on her, how could others possibly think highly of her?
It seemed that even if Shi Xing really did marry Qi Chenyan, she wouldn’t lead a good life.
Shi Xing also frowned and turned her head to look at him. Sensing her gaze, Qi Chenyan glanced back and met her eyes. Then, looking at her, he suddenly curved his lips into a smile. “However, my Xingxing has long since ceased to be a member of the Shi family and no longer bears the surname Shi.”
The crowd: “?”
Qi Chenyan then leisurely added in a slow, deliberate tone, “She now shares my surname. From this moment on, her name is Qi Xingxing. She is a member of the Qi Family. Now, tell me—does she deserve it or not?”
The crowd: “?”
Shi Xing: “…”
Well, her name had been changed, and her surname too.
Qi Chenyan: “I believe my words should be clear enough by now. I trust you all understand. Mr. Shi, you should also know that my patience isn’t particularly great. If any of you trouble my wife again, you will bear the consequences.”
Shi Kun’s legs suddenly went weak, and he instinctively took two steps back.
Shi Yue, who had remained silent until now, steadied him, her voice trembling with tears. “Be careful, Dad.”
Shi Kun closed his eyes and shook his head with a sigh.
Xie Lan’s eyes were also red, but with Qi Chenyan’s words laid out so plainly, what more could she say?
She could only look toward He Sheng, hoping he might say something. After all, everyone knew that Shi Xing had always liked He Sheng the most.
Since Qi Chenyan’s arrival, He Sheng hadn’t spoken a word.
He simply stood there with a dark expression, the veins on his forehead becoming increasingly pronounced as Qi Chenyan spoke.
More than anyone else, He Sheng was unwilling to believe that Shi Xing would be with Qi Chenyan. Even a second before Qi Chenyan arrived, he had still believed she was just acting out against him.
Yet here was Qi Chenyan, openly declaring his claim over her, and Shi Xing offered not a single word of rebuttal.
Moreover, from the moment Qi Chenyan entered, Shi Xing’s gaze had not once fallen upon He Sheng.
Just like yesterday, it seemed she could only see Qi Chenyan, her head constantly turned toward him, her eyes bright as stars.
Rage caused He Sheng’s mind to go blank for an instant. As he watched the two of them leaning intimately against each other, for a moment, it was as if time had reversed, and the pair before him had regressed to their teenage years.
It seemed like a similar scene, only more intimate.
What had happened back then?
It must have been when their group went camping in the mountains. Shi Xing had gotten separated and lost her way, and none of them had noticed until Qi Chenyan carried her back, unconscious.
No one knew what had happened at the time, but back then, Qi Chenyan had held Shi Xing as if she were a rare treasure—just like now.
But so what?
No matter how much Qi Chenyan treasured Shi Xing, hadn’t Shi Xing still only followed He Sheng around, smiling and trying to please him? Hadn’t she still become He Sheng’s fiancée?
Hadn’t Shi Xing still despised Qi Chenyan the most?
He Sheng clenched his teeth tightly. Only now did he suddenly turn his head and let out a low laugh.
All eyes fell upon him.
He looked at Shi Xing, his tone icy. “Shi Xing, I’ll give you one last chance. Come over here, and we can forget all of this.”
Qi Chenyan’s gaze shifted toward him, but he said nothing, only tightening his arm around Shi Xing’s waist.
He didn’t know how much affection Shi Xing still held for He Sheng. Even if He Sheng had mistreated her, her feelings for him had been real.
Indeed, when it came to He Sheng, Qi Chenyan found it hardest to remain composed.Shi Xing finally looked at He Sheng, frowning at his words. “To be honest, if you’re sick, go get treatment. Your delusions seem pretty severe?”
Hadn’t she made herself clear enough? Why did He Sheng always say such things?
He Sheng felt as if he could taste blood from gritting his teeth. He couldn’t accept losing to Qi Chenyan.
“Isn’t this the birthday gift you prepared for me?”
He sneered, pulling a box containing a tie clip from his pocket. “Shi Xing, are you trying to tell me that after just one night, you don’t love me anymore? In the end, aren’t you just throwing a tantrum because you think I’m going to get engaged to Shi Yue?”
He took a deep breath, finally relenting as his tone softened. “Fine, I’ll tell you now—I never planned to get engaged to Shi Yue. The one I’ve always liked is you. Are you satisfied now?”
As he finished speaking, it was Shi Yue, who had remained silent until now, whose expression changed dramatically.
Shi Yue’s lips trembled, her face growing increasingly distorted.
Xie Lan and Shi Kun also looked displeased, but they couldn’t say anything at this moment.
The others were equally shocked that this drama kept unfolding. The He Family’s heir was truly something—he had always acted as if he liked Shi Yue and disliked Shi Xing, but now he suddenly claimed he had always liked Shi Xing?
Qi Chenyan recognized the box and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Shi Xing was also somewhat confused. Many things felt distant to her now, and she couldn’t quite remember clearly.
After a moment, she let out an “Ah” and said, “Oh, this.”
Both men stared intently at her.
Qi Chenyan pressed his lips together tightly, suddenly wanting to take her away from here.
But Shi Xing had already begun speaking. “This was indeed meant as a birthday gift for you, but I was so busy at the time that I forgot your birthday. When you suddenly called and asked me to come to your birthday party, I couldn’t show up empty-handed, could I? I happened to buy a dress that came with a tie clip, so I thought I’d give it to you.”
She smiled. “But when I arrived that day, I happened to see you and Shi Yue eating a biscuit mouth-to-mouth. So I thought, no matter how cheap this tie clip was, I shouldn’t waste it on a scumbag. That’s why I never gave it to you. Is there a problem with that?”
He Sheng seemed to recall something as well, his face alternating between pale and flushed. That night, he had only agreed to play that silly game with Shi Yue because he had caught a glimpse of Shi Xing out of the corner of his eye.
He had just wanted to make her jealous and give her a sense of urgency.
He Sheng’s breathing grew tight, and he couldn’t help but step forward again, trying to grab Shi Xing’s hand. “I can explain this…”
Before he could get close to Shi Xing, Qi Chenyan lifted his leg and kicked him squarely in the abdomen.
His movement seemed effortless, but the force that landed on He Sheng was exceptionally heavy.
He Sheng cried out in pain and stumbled backward, clutching his stomach. Cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead, and the box in his hand fell to the ground.
The others stepped back in fear, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.
He Sheng gritted his teeth until they creaked, his eyes bloodshot. “Qi Chenyan—”
Qi Chenyan merely raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you understand what my wife said? What’s the point of shamelessly clinging to someone who doesn’t want you?”
Shi Xing blinked. This man’s mouth could be quite sharp when he wanted it to be.
“What did she say? She just misunderstood me, but the one she’s always liked is me!”
He Sheng glared at Shi Xing with reddened eyes. “Shi Xing, dare you say you don’t like me?”
Qi Chenyan’s gaze darkened. Shi Xing’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly before she suddenly laughed. “Why wouldn’t I dare say it?”Her eyes curved into crescents, “I never liked you in the first place. I like my husband.”
Shi Xing hooked her arm through Qi Chenyan’s and leaned her head against his shoulder. In that moment, the earlier coolness dissipated, and her voice turned sweet.
After saying this, regardless of others’ reactions, she tilted her head to look at Qi Chenyan.
Qi Chenyan was also looking at her, surprise flickering in his eyes.
Seeing the surprise in his eyes, Shi Xing suddenly remembered him getting up in the middle of the night to smoke.
She seemed to have overlooked something. She had only thought about her own rebirth and believed that continuously expressing her love for him would make him believe.
But that wasn’t the case. He didn’t believe her.
Of course, this was normal. No ordinary person would believe that someone who disliked them in the morning would claim to love them by night.
Her gaze wavered as she tilted her head to look at Qi Chenyan. “Do you also think I like him?”
Qi Chenyan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his lips pressed together, unable to speak.
Shi Xing blinked, understanding everything now.
“Silly~”
Shi Xing leaned in, ignoring everyone’s stares, and kissed Qi Chenyan’s cheek, her voice dripping with sweetness. “Let me say it again. I like A Yan. In this world, the person I like the most, the person I love the most, is Qi Chenyan.”
In that moment, Qi Chenyan couldn’t describe his feelings.
He could no longer distinguish truth from falsehood, but he thought it didn’t matter anymore.
If she was acting, as long as she was willing to act for him for a lifetime, he would have no regrets.
There was no need to stay in this place any longer. His goal had already been achieved.
All he wanted now was to find a place to kiss her properly.
He curved his lips, wrapped his arm around her waist, and turned around—only to face the media personnel frantically snapping photos of them.
Clearly, the media was the most excited about today’s spectacle.
While others feared being caught in the crossfire and kept their distance, the media couldn’t get their lenses close enough to Qi Chenyan and Shi Xing’s faces.
However, when Qi Chenyan suddenly turned around with Shi Xing and faced them, they still felt a bit flustered. Smiling stiffly, they instinctively tried to retreat, but Qi Chenyan had already spoken, his tone calm. “Did you capture everything just now?”
The media personnel: “…”
Oh no, were they going to be forced to delete it?
Just as they were wondering how to respond, Qi Chenyan tilted his head and smiled. “Then take some more shots.”
The media: “?”
As they stood there confused, Qi Chenyan spoke into the camera. “Although my wife says she loves me, it’s clear that I love her more. I’ve liked her since my teens, and that has never changed.”
Of course, everyone in the banquet hall heard his words.
So, was this a public confession?
Shi Xing bit her lip and looked at him. Qi Chenyan also turned to look at her, a smile in his eyes. “She used to have poor judgment and bad taste, but fortunately, she woke up early.”
Shi Xing pouted.
Qi Chenyan pinched her cheek and turned back to the camera, his tone softening slightly. “It was me who pursued her relentlessly. If anyone has any opinions, come talk to me. Don’t criticize her—it would hurt me.”
With that, he paid no further attention to anyone and strode away with Shi Xing.