NOVPUBChapter 118: 112: Party Turmoil, Xie Shang Publicly Bends Over Backwards for Her (Second Update)
Chapter 118: 112: Party Turmoil, Xie Shang Publicly Bends Over Backwards for Her (Second Update)
The invited guests gradually trickled in, and the crowd on the square grew larger and larger.
Xie Yanli was among those invited.
In her youth, she had also been a lawyer. After marrying her second husband, she switched to investing. Because her business acumen was average, she had lost quite a bit of money over time. In the past two years, she had been involved with medical devices, becoming close to the Great Zheng Family.
She spotted Xie Shang and walked over to him.
“Xie Shang.”
When dealing with elders, Xie Shang was always polite and respectful, “Auntie.”
“Why are you here?”
Xie Shang didn’t like attending business events; Xie Yanli rarely encountered him on such occasions.
Without waiting for Xie Shang to reply, she said directly, “Yingying is here without a companion; you should join her, she’s inside.”
A friend of Xie Yanli’s at that moment came over, a rich lady dressed very meticulously.
“This is your family’s Xie Shang, right?”
Xie Yanli turned to introduce her to Xie Shang, “This lady is the wife of President Zhang from Hetong Logistics.”
Xie Shang gave a nod.
Lady Zhang, with a smiling look in her eyes, teased, “He and Yingying really seem like a match made in heaven.”
Lady Zhang was quite friendly with Xie Yanli too.
Xie Yanli had told Lady Zhang in the past that she didn’t want to let her stepdaughter, Fang Jiyin, marry far away; she wanted to keep her within the Xie Family. Besides the four-year-old Xie Ziyu, the only one of the same generation left in the Xie Family was Xie Shang. Xie Yanli had also mentioned that the two youngsters had been connected since their youth and owed each other a life-saving debt.
Naturally, Lady Zhang assumed Xie Shang and Fang Jiyin were a pair.
Just as Lady Zhang finished her words of praise, Xie Shang denied it, “She and I are not a couple.”
A red and black tie, if not for being striking enough, would be very hard to pull off. Yet, on Xie Shang, it didn’t overshadow him in the slightest; the contrast of the red added a hint of restrained, calm elegance to him, and there was an inviolable coolness of an intellectual in his demeanor.
He maintained his composure, without arrogance or haughtiness, “Auntie, you have been a lawyer too and are friendly with Lady Zhang. How could you not have told her that spreading rumors also bears legal responsibility?”
Faced with public disgrace, Xie Yanli’s face turned dark in an instant.
Lady Zhang’s expression wasn’t pleasant either.
The Xie Family were all lawyers, and Xie Shang had also passed the bar. She had heard that Xie Shang had opened a pawnshop, which involved many gray areas. Yet, after so many years without a single incident, it proved one thing: Xie Shang not only knew the law but could also move freely through its loopholes, which is not something an ordinary lawyer could do.
Lady Zhang smiled stiffly, “Perhaps, I misunderstood.” How could she say it was her own aunt who was spreading rumors?
A figure in red appeared among the crowd.
She was looking around, not paying attention to where she was going, and bumped into a passing server.
Xie Shang’s expression was no longer as composed as before, “Excuse me, I have to go.”
Xie Shang headed towards the entrance.
Lady Zhang was somewhat dissatisfied, “Didn’t you say you didn’t want your niece Yingying to marry out, that you wanted to keep her in your own family? It seems your nephew isn’t too keen on that idea either.”
Xie Yanli, shut down by the retort, clenched her hand in silence.
Lady Zhang looked in Xie Shang’s direction, “Who is that…”
Xie Shang took Wen Changling’s hand, bringing her to his side.
“Where did you get hit?”
Wen Changling brushed off her skirt, “Just spilled some wine.”
The oppressive aura around Xie Shang was so strong that the server who had caused the accident was even more terrified and hurriedly apologized again, “I’m sorry, sir, I’m very sorry.”
Xie Shang did not let it go, his amber eyes gazed lightly at him.
Wen Changling tugged at him and turned to the server, “I’m fine, you can go.”
After repeated apologies, the server left.
“Be more careful next time.” Xie Shang helped Wen Changling straighten the skirt she had disheveled.
“I was too busy looking for you.”
Xie Shang, supporting her waist, took out a handkerchief.
With so many people coming and going, Wen Changling tugged at his sleeve, “What are you doing?”
“You got some wine on you.”
The fountain lights came on, and many gazes were involuntarily drawn to the fountain show; then, they all saw Xie Shang bending down, wiping wine off a girl’s waist.
The lights beneath the water turned apricot yellow, looking dull against the red of the dress behind it.
Zheng Lvqiao put down his arms that had been held up in anticipation of watching a scene unfold.
“Do you call that very common?”
The friend who previously commented on Xie Shang’s girlfriend’s simplicity also felt it was over-the-top, “Those were Gu Yihuan’s words, not mine.”
What Gu Yihuan had said at Guan Qingyu’s welcome party was, “Fourth Brother isn’t someone who judges by looks.”
If not by looks…
Then by figure, even more so.
Zheng Lvqiao’s gaze was unapologetically fixed, “Great chest, great waist, such an awesome figure, if only…”
His friend laughed at him, “You even dare to think about Xie Shang’s girlfriend?”
Zheng Lvqiao shrugged arrogantly, “It’s not illegal to think, can Xie Shang have me thrown in jail for it?”
The party started.
The venue was divided into two areas, an inner and an outer area.
The outer area was for socializing, with guests clinking glasses and toasting each other. The inner area was populated mostly by young people, with the Zheng Family arranging for singers and violinists to entertain. 𝓷ℴ𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝒸𝓸𝓶
It was now time for dinner, and the activities were scheduled for afterward.
However, Wen Changling noticed that the dining area was almost empty. She asked Xie Shang, “Is all that food just for show? Why isn’t anyone taking any?” Besides her colleagues.
Many chairs were arranged in the inner area.
Wen Changling didn’t like drawing attention, so she and Xie Shang sat in the dimly lit far left side.
It seemed that only her hospital colleagues genuinely came to participate in the anniversary celebration, eating food, watching the performances, and waiting for the boss to come on stage for the lucky draw.
The air conditioning in the inner area was a bit cold, so Xie Shang covered Wen Changling’s legs with his coat, “Hungry?”
Granny Zhu had made sweet soup with eggs at night, and Wen Changling, craving something sweet, had eaten before coming.
She nodded, she was hungry.
“I’ll go get you something.”
She grabbed Xie Shang and instructed, “Get a lot, please.”
“Alright.”
Xie Shang went to get her some food.
While waiting for Xie Shang, Wen Changling saw a familiar face, Zheng Lvhong’s wife, Lin Wanrong.
Wen Changling called the waiter over, “Please inform that gentleman that I’m going to the restroom.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Wen Changling stood up, neatly folded Xie Shang’s coat, and placed it on the chair. She recognized Lin Wanrong, having seen her a few times at the hospital.
Lin Wanrong went to the restroom.
She was on the phone with her lawyer, “You’ve already said all that, no need to repeat it. Zheng Lvhong and I did a financial notarization before we got married, we don’t have a joint account.”
Lin Wanrong’s emotions were somewhat agitated, the conversation with her lawyer unpleasant.
“I can give up my share of the stocks; I just want custody of Huaihuai.”
She glanced at the restroom, no one else was inside, set her purse on the washbasin, and turned on the tap, “Without proof of infidelity, how could he possibly give me evidence of his affair. That’s something you should be thinking of, I’m paying you a lot of money to fight this lawsuit for me, you should meet my demands.”
Seeing someone enter, Lin Wanrong immediately ended the call, “I’m at the anniversary celebration now, let’s talk another time, for now I can’t openly break with him.”
After hanging up, she washed her hands, her eyes briefly meeting another face in the mirror before turning off the tap and heading out.
“Lady Zheng.”
Lin Wanrong stopped, turning around.
Wen Changling picked up the handbag left on the washbasin and handed it to Lin Wanrong, “Your bag.”
She accepted it, “Thank you.”
She knew Wen Changling.
Girlfriend of the Fourth Young Master of the Xie Family, her name had been the talk of the outer area earlier; an unknown nurse of stunning beauty, it was no wonder even a noble scion like Xie Shang would fall for her.
“In fact, evidence of infidelity isn’t necessarily needed,” she said nonchalantly, pulling out two paper towels and drying her hands, “Lady Zheng, criminal evidence could work too.”
Lin Wanrong was momentarily taken aback.
Up close, Wen Changling was even more beautiful, especially her eyes.
Most people like to compare a beauty to a flower, but Wen Changling didn’t resemble a flower. Lin Wanrong felt she was like the moon bitten by a heavenly dog.
Under her beauty lay a strange and dangerous allure; her eyes seemed as if they could cast a spell.
Lin Wanrong almost blurted out, “Who are you, really?”
“Someone who can help you.”
