Chapter 720 Don't judge a book by its cover.

The dining venue was still set in the small courtyard.

Tian Guo has few friends, and she usually spends her time either drawing in her studio or taking care of her mother at home.

She rarely had the opportunity to go out to parties or shopping, so she appeared particularly reserved and shy among the group.

Fortunately, Sun Miao was sitting next to her. Her personality was the complete opposite of Tian Guo's. She very enthusiastically served Tian Guo food and asked her if there was anything else she wanted to eat.

Tian Guo seemed somewhat overwhelmed by her enthusiasm.

Tao Yang noticed Tian Guo's discomfort and said to her, "Don't be so polite. Now that you're here at the company, we're all family. You'll get to know each other over time."

Tian Guo nodded.

Tao Yang noticed that the little girl's state of mind was completely different when she was drawing.

Tian Guo exudes confidence when she paints, which is completely different from how she speaks to others or how she expresses herself.

Now she's like a easily startled kitten; if no one talks to her, she just sits there quietly.

As Tian Guo picked up her water glass to drink, she happened to see Tao Yang staring at her.

She was startled, quickly put down her water glass, looked down at herself, then looked up and cautiously asked Tao Yang, "Wh...what's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Tao Yang suppressed a laugh and looked away. "Eat more."

Qiao Xing was a little full, so while Sun Miao and Tian Guo were chatting, she went to the small courtyard outside. The pianist was playing the piano, and the music was long and beautiful. Qiao Xing sat on the small sofa and became engrossed in it without realizing it.

Shen Boyan came out at some point, and he walked over and sat on the small sofa next to Qiao Xing.

When Qiao Xing saw him come out, she asked suspiciously, "Why aren't you eating? You didn't seem to eat much earlier. Did you not have an appetite?"

"No, I just eat relatively little to begin with."

Shen Boyan paused for a moment, then asked, "Has your husband come back?"

Qiao Xing shook her head. "No, it should take a few more days."

Shen Boyan frowned almost imperceptibly.

Shen Boyan recalled those messy rumors again, "I remember you told me last time that he was only going on a business trip for about a week, but now it's been almost half a month and he still hasn't come back. Haven't you ever suspected what he's doing over there?"

When Shen Boyan said these words, he had actually warned himself more than once.

These things have nothing to do with him.

He also had no right to interfere in any of Qiao Xing's affairs.

But every time Shen Boyan saw Qiao Xing and her bright eyes, he couldn't control himself.

Qiao Xing paused for a moment upon hearing Shen Boyan's words, then smiled and looked at him, "Doubt? What do I doubt?"

Shen Boyan opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but then didn't say anything.

He knew that Qiao Xing would understand what he meant.

Qiao Xing understood what he meant, and she chuckled, "You think that he's been away for so long because he must be hiding something from me? Or that he's done something to betray me, right?"

Shen Boyan asked, "Isn't there any?"

Qiao Xing was about to speak, but then seemed to remember something and stared at Shen Boyan, asking, "Do you know something?"

Shen Boyan pursed his lips, unsure whether Qiao Xing was referring to Qin Ce's identity or his scandals in the capital.

After a moment of silence, Shen Boyan nodded. "Mm."

Qiao Xing was not surprised. Qin Ce's scandals in the capital were rampant, and it was difficult for others to find out Qin Ce's identity even if they didn't want to.

The reason she was unaware of those things was simply because Qin Ce was deliberately keeping them from her.

Qiao Xing suddenly understood the meaning of Shen Boyan's words earlier.

He knew Qin Ce's identity, and naturally, he also knew about those rumors.

No wonder he asked her if she had any doubts about Qin Ce.

He must have thought that Qin Ce had done something to wrong her.

Qiao Xing smiled and explained to Shen Boyan, "No matter what he did or who he was with, I won't easily believe anyone's words until I see it with my own eyes. The internet is so chaotic, and many things are both true and false. If I were to doubt my husband because of them, we would have divorced each other countless times already."

The fact that she said this means she already knows about Qin Ce's situation in the capital.

Qiao Xing was telling the truth, even though the rumors circulating online seemed more and more real than they appeared.

But she never actually believed it.

It wasn't just because she understood Qin Ce's character; more importantly, she knew how powerful online public opinion could be. So, before verifying the truth of the matter, she wouldn't be easily swayed by those people.

But Shen Boyan thought she was too naive. "There's no such thing as a rumor in this world. If your husband really treated you well, he would have already announced your relationship to the outside world. People like them always put their interests first, and they can easily abandon you if their interests are affected."

When Shen Boyan said this, his gaze was fixed on the darkness in the distance, his expression unreadable, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Before knowing Qin Ce's identity, Shen Boyan simply thought that Qin Ce was someone who neglected his wife because he was too busy with work.

But after learning Qin Ce's identity, Shen Boyan truly understood why this man had done everything he did.

Qiao Xing could tell from Shen Boyan's tone that he seemed to have a great prejudice against Qin Ce.

This prejudice wasn't simply because he disliked Qin Ce, nor was it because Qin Ce had done anything to him.

His words sounded more like he was venting his dissatisfaction through Qin Ce.

Qiao Xing didn't understand where his dissatisfaction came from, but in order to prevent him from continuing to misunderstand Qin Ce, Qiao Xing still explained it to him seriously.

“Boyan, I know you’re saying these things because you feel there’s a big gap between him and me in terms of status and family background, so you feel he can’t give me a stable life. But you can’t judge things by appearances alone.”

Shen Boyan clenched his fists silently, without saying a word.

“You only see that he was seen getting close to other women and that was posted online, but you don’t know how those dirty comments attacked him online. You think he should announce our relationship to prove himself, but online, the more you prove yourself, the less they will stop.”

“Many people only want to see the results they want to see. You know who he is and how much influence he has in the outside world. If everyone thinks I am a good match for him, then everyone will bless us. But if one person jumps out to condemn us for being incompatible, then countless people will come out to condemn us.”