Ning Zhiyuan had spoken entirely on impulse.
After all, she couldn’t exactly tell everyone that she was late because she had been arguing with Bai Xiaoxiao.
Besides, it wasn’t entirely a lie.
At the very least, her desire to get married sooner was genuine.
Mrs. Shen beamed with delight.
“Then it’s Shen Li who’s being unreasonable. Yuanyuan wanting to get married earlier is a good thing. How could he make you upset? I think the wedding that was originally scheduled for a year from now should be moved up to three months from now.”
“Mom, please don’t encourage her…”
Shen Li looked at Ning Zhiyuan, who had just told a lie without the slightest hint of guilt.
She had caused such a huge commotion and still looked completely unfazed.
Could it be…
Did she really intend to marry him?
Ning Zhiyuan’s father stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Three months is a little rushed. There are too many things that wouldn’t be properly prepared. My precious daughter’s wedding must be the grandest one possible.”
The male reporter’s mind was in complete chaos.
Why had Ning Zhiyuan suddenly changed her story?
He had already gambled his entire career on this.
“No! Miss Ning, this isn’t what we agreed on! You’re not planning to go back on your word, are you?”
The entire hall erupted in shock.
Ning Zhiyuan could only stubbornly deny it.
“What nonsense are you talking about? I don’t even know you.”
Her denial only reinforced everyone’s suspicion that she was refusing to pay what she had promised.
The reporter completely lost his composure.
“You promised that if I asked those questions and ruined this engagement, you’d pay me! You can’t go back on your word!”
The fact that Ning Zhiyuan and the reporter had a deal was now obvious.
As for the purpose behind it…
There was no need to explain.
The fiancée had gone to great lengths to sabotage her own engagement.
Sympathetic looks immediately fell upon Shen Li.
Ning Zhiyuan hated seeing those gazes directed at him.
Worse still, she was the one who had caused this humiliation.
“Where’s security?” she snapped. “Throw this troublemaker out!”
The reporter was frantic.
He couldn’t afford to lose.
Once he left the banquet hall, he would be blacklisted by the entire industry.
Fortunately, he had prepared a backup plan.
If Miss Ning wanted to betray him, then she couldn’t blame him for retaliating.
The reporter bent down and struggled free from the guards restraining him.
“Mr. Shen, I’m innocent! This was all Miss Ning’s idea! I have proof!”
Ning Zhiyuan couldn’t possibly admit the truth in front of everyone.
Why couldn’t she have been reborn a little earlier?
If she had, she never would have paid a reporter to ask humiliating questions and embarrass Shen Li.
Now, the one being roasted over an open fire wasn’t Shen Li.
It was her.
Ning Zhiyuan reached for Shen Li’s hand.
Using both of hers, she wrapped them around his larger hand and stubbornly said,
“You’re not allowed to believe him.”
Looking into her crystal-clear eyes, Shen Li saw something unexpected.
Panic.
Before he could react, her slender fingers slipped through the gaps between his.
Their fingers intertwined tightly.
Ten fingers locked together.
As though no matter what happened…
She would never let go.
Everyone in the hall understood the situation perfectly well.
The reporter’s words weren’t entirely unreasonable.
Rumors didn’t appear out of nowhere.
There was a high chance he was telling the truth.
But no one wanted to be the first to step forward.
A young woman who had long admired Shen Li wasn’t willing to let the opportunity pass.
“What evidence do you have? Show it. If what you’re saying is true, Mr. Shen certainly won’t blame you.”
Her words sounded impartial.
In reality, they gave the reporter tremendous confidence.
He immediately pulled out a silver voice recorder and proudly held it high.
“The recording of my deal with Miss Ning is inside this.”
Ning Zhiyuan recognized the recorder.
It was the same pen-shaped recorder clipped to his chest when they met.
A flash of panic crossed her face.
Afraid that Shen Li might shake her off, she unconsciously tightened her grip on his hand.
Their palms pressed together.
She could hear the chaotic pounding of her own heartbeat.
The old Ning Zhiyuan would never have panicked.
But this time, she was undeniably in the wrong.
In the past, she had always believed that no matter how serious her mistakes were, Shen Li would stand by her side and shoulder the blame for her.
Now…
She wasn’t so confident anymore.
If she hadn’t interrupted him earlier, Shen Li had clearly intended to use the reporter’s questions as the perfect opportunity to publicly announce the cancellation of their engagement.
She had changed the course of events and prevented herself from running away.
But could she really change the outcome of the engagement itself?
“We’ll know whether it’s true once the recording is played.”
Just as the reporter pressed the playback button, Assistant Qi moved.
Acting on a subtle signal from Shen Li, he snatched the recorder away and immediately ordered the bodyguards to restrain the man.
The young woman was unwilling to give up.
“Mr. Shen, the evidence is right there! Ning Zhiyuan and that reporter were working together from the start! She has ulterior motives. She’s not sincere toward you at all. You mustn’t let her fool you!”
Shen Li cast her a casual glance.
The pressure of someone long accustomed to power descended instantly.
“What is your name?”
The young woman thought she had gained his attention.
Delighted, she hurriedly introduced herself.
“My name is Zhao Mingzhu.”
The Zhao family had risen rapidly in the real estate industry over the past few years.
Recently, they had been involved in several conflicts of interest with the Ning family.
Because the Ning and Shen families maintained a close relationship, the Zhao family had long wanted to drive a wedge between them in hopes of securing greater profits.
Shen Li’s dark eyes turned cold.
He let out a faint scoff.
“Since when did my affairs become something others are qualified to comment on?”
A single sentence was enough to drain the color from Zhao Mingzhu’s face.
“For disrespecting my fiancée, the Shen Group will no longer cooperate with the Zhao family in any capacity.”
He turned toward Assistant Qi.
“Clear the venue.”
He didn’t say “escort the guests out.”
He said “clear the venue.”
The meaning was unmistakable.
The Zhao family had effectively been blacklisted from the industry.
The crowd collectively sucked in a breath.
In Jincheng, the Shen family stood at the very top.
Shen Li’s elegant appearance often made people forget how ruthless and decisive he could be.
At seventeen, he had taken over the Shen Group.
Within three years, he had firmly established his authority.
Within five years, he had elevated the company to heights never before seen, placing it above every major industry in Jincheng.
The higher one stood, the colder it became.
And the more enemies one attracted.
There had once been a rumor.
Someone had secretly drugged Shen Li during a business banquet.
Their plan was to obtain compromising evidence and use it to force the Shen Group into signing a lucrative contract.
The result?
That person had their arms and legs broken.
Stripped naked and tied to a yacht.
Broken shards of glass were pressed into their flesh one piece at a time.
Not a single patch of skin remained unharmed.
After that incident, the person disappeared from Jincheng entirely.
The consequences of offending Shen Li were beyond what most people could bear.
Seeing how fiercely Shen Li protected his fiancée, everyone present immediately became wary of the Ning family as well.
No one dared cause further trouble.
The compliments began pouring in.
“Mr. Shen and Miss Ning are truly a perfect match.”
“Such a talented man and beautiful woman, a match made in heaven.”
Amid the endless blessings, the engagement banquet continued smoothly.
Eventually, it reached the final segment.
The photo session.
Normally, this would be the moment when guests started chanting for the couple to kiss.
But after everything that had happened, the guests were still shaken.
No one dared stir up more excitement.
The photographer raised the camera.
“Ready, please. Three, two, one…”
Ning Zhiyuan tugged gently on Shen Li’s wrist.
Shen Li turned toward her.
“What is it?”
The moment he lowered his head—
Ning Zhiyuan rose onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss against his cheek.
Click.
The camera captured the exact moment forever.
Shen Li’s stunned expression.
Ning Zhiyuan’s triumphant smile.
For a brief instant, Shen Li felt as though his heart were a kite soaring high into the sky.
And Yuanyuan held the string firmly in her hands.
Every joy.
Every sorrow.
All of it remained under her control.
She had always been like this.
Suddenly drawing him close.
Suddenly making his heart race.
Then abruptly leaving and striking him with unbearable pain.
This time…
What was her reason?