50. Meeting at the Rao family wedding (1)

The twilight, as dark as ink, bathed the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Royal Garden Villas. Winter dusk always arrives hastily; by five in the afternoon, the sky was already shrouded in darkness.

Even though the heating was on full blast in Xu Junxian's bedroom, she still felt a chill.

She stood in front of the full-length mirror, wearing a blue velvet gown for a banquet. The expensive fabric accentuated her still slender figure, but made her face appear even paler, and the faint blue shadows under her eyes could not be completely concealed even with the best concealer.

The woman in the mirror still had delicate features, but she resembled a precious flower that had lost its moisture, devoid of any vitality.

After a gentle knock, Xu's mother entered carrying a small white porcelain bowl with a gold rim. Inside the bowl, a dark brown medicinal liquid emitted a strong and bitter aroma, instantly shattering the delicate fragrance of the perfume in the room.

"Junxian, come, drink this while it's hot." Madam Xu placed the medicine bowl on the dressing table. The steam from the rim of the bowl created a small cloud of white mist on the cold mirror.

Xu Junxian shifted her gaze from the mirror to the bowl of thick black liquid.

Seeing that she didn't move, Xu's mother took two steps closer: "This prescription was specially prepared by an old Chinese medicine doctor. He said it's the best for warming the uterus and helping with fertility. As long as you get pregnant, Bo Yan will absolutely not be able to file for divorce for at least a year after the child is born. The law protects pregnant and breastfeeding women. This is your best chance right now."

“Opportunity?” Xu Junxian finally spoke. “Mom, he hasn’t touched me at all in the past six months. He won’t even step into my bedroom. How can I, all alone, have this opportunity?”

"What are you saying! Didn't you say you didn't want a divorce?" Xu's mother's face suddenly darkened, and her feigned gentleness vanished instantly. "Now you know you're wronged? Where were you before! Your father and I carefully selected Cheng Boyan because of his wealthy family background and steady character. He was a rare and excellent son-in-law! It was you! You didn't know how to cherish him, you were blinded by greed, and insisted on getting entangled with that good-for-nothing Gu Mengzhou!"

Madam Xu paused for a moment and continued, "Six months ago, Cheng Boyan suddenly became distant from Cheng Ximeng. He must have found out! He must have found out that Ximeng wasn't his biological daughter! He used to visit her in Singapore every month and spoil her like a little princess."

Xu Junxian's body trembled violently. How could she not feel the change in Cheng Boyan's attitude towards Ximeng? From being doted on in the past to being completely distant now.

"Mom, don't say anymore." Her voice was as soft as a sigh. "I know Boyan is a good person."

The floodgates of memory opened with a bang. She remembered that year, the sleepless figure outside the delivery room. She had a difficult childbirth, and Cheng Boyan stood in the corridor all night. The nurse later told her that Mr. Cheng wouldn't even sit down, just stood there stiffly, neither eating nor drinking, as if that could share some of her pain.

And what about her? When she was in the delivery room, in so much pain that she was losing consciousness, the name she unconsciously called out was Gu Mengzhou's.

Even when naming her child, she insisted on using the characters "Xi Meng," a homophone for "Xi Meng," which subtly revealed her obsession with that relationship.

Later, she had to undergo a C-section after trying to conceive. She remembers that after giving birth, the pain from the anesthesia wearing off kept her awake. It was Cheng Boyan who stayed by her side all night, gently wiping her forehead with a warm towel over and over again.

In contrast, Cheng Boyan's love is like the warm sun in winter—not scorching, but warm and enduring.

“Actually, before the car accident,” Xu Junxian’s voice choked with sobs, “I felt that I was gradually falling in love with Bo Yan, and I was about to make up my mind to break off my relationship with Gu Mengzhou.”

Xu's mother's tone softened: "Since you know how good he is, why do you still..."

“Because I was stupid.” Xu Junxian wiped away her tears, her voice full of self-mockery. “I was spoiled by his constant kindness and thought I would never lose him. Now I realize what I missed. I don’t want a divorce, not only for the sake of our business partnership, but also for myself. I love him.”

“Xianxian, you’ve already made a mistake once, you can’t make another one. Back then, when Boyan knew you and Gu Mengzhou had been seeing each other before your marriage, he said he wouldn’t hold it against you as long as you broke it off after the marriage. He’s not a petty person.”

"Xianxian, Mom knows you still have feelings for him." Xu's mother's voice carried an all-knowing understanding. "Last time, when the lawyer suggested that you apply for asset preservation to freeze some of his company's shares, you strongly opposed it. You were worried that his company's operations would be affected, weren't you?"

Xu Junxian nodded.

Taking advantage of the situation, Xu's mother said, "So, Xianxian, besides freezing the shares, there's only one way to keep him: have a child with him. A child who truly carries the blood of the Cheng family."

Mother Xu leaned closer: "Tonight is the Rao family's wedding. Bo Yan will definitely be a guest of honor. As an important client of Rao Zheng Group, he will be invited to speak on stage. When he goes up to speak, go to his table and add a little bit of white wine to the red wine in his glass."

"Mom, I want to win him back, but I don't want him to call the police and say I broke the law, especially with that loyal Secretary Qiao right there..."

"It's not illegal. It's just a little bit of liquor mixed in. Mixing the two kinds of liquor will only make him get drunk more easily, it's not a drug. When he goes to give a speech, I'll have someone distract Secretary Qiao. Once he's drunk, you can take him home naturally. You're a legally married couple, sharing a bed is only natural! Even if he denies it when he wakes up the next day, can he sue you?"

Thinking of Cheng Boyan's increasingly cold eyes, the voice of protest in her heart weakened.

"If you agree to a divorce, then you either won't look for someone again in the future, or if you do, it will be difficult to find someone as good as Boyan."

Xu Junxian fell silent. Perhaps her mother was right? How fragile are morality and pride in the face of cruel reality? Perhaps time can heal all wounds, as long as they have a child together?

Xu's mother picked up the bowl of medicine, which was no longer scalding hot, and held it to Xu Junxian's lips: "Be good, drink your medicine first. Tonight is all up to you."

Xu Junxian's gaze fell on the thick, unreflective medicinal liquid in the bowl. She closed her eyes and drank it down in one gulp.

*

At six o'clock in the afternoon, the sky had already darkened. Wen Xueyan pulled her camel-colored down jacket tighter around her neck and stood downstairs at the company. A black sedan smoothly pulled up in front of her, the window rolled down, revealing Ning Zhiyi's bright smile.

"Get in the car quickly, it's cold outside!"

The car was warm and inviting. Ning Zhiyi's boyfriend, Dr. Qi, greeted them with a smile from the front seat. The car merged into the evening rush hour traffic, heading towards the city's most prestigious InterContinental Hotel. Tonight was their classmate Rao Wanyi's wedding.

The hotel banquet hall was bathed in the dazzling light of crystal chandeliers, filled with the fragrance of fine clothes and the warmth that made one's cheeks slightly flushed. Wen Xueyan sat quietly beside her best friend, her gaze occasionally sweeping over the guests, and she spotted Cheng Boyan.

Cheng Boyan did not see Wen Xueyan. He sat at the main table, listening attentively to Rao's father's words. His demeanor was composed, and his dark, bespoke suit seemed to separate him from the surrounding hustle and bustle by an invisible distance.

A dozen minutes later, the emcee enthusiastically invited Mr. Cheng to the stage to give a speech to the newlyweds. Cheng Boyan nodded slightly and walked steadily towards the microphone. The spotlight shone on him, outlining his tall and straight figure.

He adjusted the microphone height, his gaze sweeping steadily across the audience, his voice coming through the speakers clearly, carrying his usual calmness and strength:

"Distinguished guests, dear friends and relatives, good evening."

"Tonight, under the bright stars, we joyfully witness Ms. Rao Wanyi and Mr. Zhou Haiyang walk hand in hand into the sacred hall of marriage. On behalf of all colleagues at Cheng's Group, and in my own name, I extend my sincerest congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Rao, and to the newlyweds. Marriage is a commitment that requires careful cultivation. It signifies responsibility, commitment, and a steadfast promise to weather storms together. Your union is a match made in heaven, and a new starting point for creating a beautiful life together in the future..."

His words were sincere, and his demeanor was composed, demonstrating both the care of a friend and the vision of a businessman, earning him a round of applause. Then, he gave a slight bow and prepared to leave the stage. His gaze casually swept across the audience, but suddenly stopped when it landed on a certain corner.

Wen Xueyan came over from the company after get off work. She wasn't wearing a formal dress; she had already hung her down jacket on the back of her chair. She was wearing a white cashmere sweater and no makeup. She sat quietly in the dim light, like a lily growing alone.

That was the person he missed day and night. Cheng Boyan's heart clenched, and he immediately looked away.

The moment his gaze fell upon her, Wen Xueyan lowered her eyelashes, staring at the untouched glass of champagne in front of her. She had heard every word of his official and formal speech.

At the same time, Secretary Qiao Lanyue was called away at the last minute. Xu Junxian took a wine glass, sat at Cheng Boyan's table for a while, greeted the people at the table, and then left. She was wearing a dark blue velvet dress and a sparkling diamond necklace around her neck.

Cheng Boyan walked off the stage with a calm expression and was immediately surrounded by several customers who came to greet him. He handled the situation with ease, chatting and laughing as if the momentary flutter of his heart had never happened.

In the brief moment the customer turned away, Cheng Boyan quickly took out his phone and sent a message.

When Wen Xueyan saw this, she checked her phone but didn't receive any messages.

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