Cocktail party controversy

Chi Zhuo's words pierced Lin Tingyue's heart like a needle, but what he said was true, and she had no way to refute it.

After he finished speaking, he turned around and left, seemingly to get some water.

Lin Tingyue stood frozen in place, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"I see."

She spoke very softly, as if she were talking to herself.

During this period, Lin Tingyue devoted herself entirely to her work, leaving no time for anything else. She even turned down shopping opportunities arranged by Xia Xiaoran, all in order to achieve perfection.

Chi Zhuo seemed to be very busy as well. He became quiet and his aggressive pressure disappeared. However, Lin Tingyue felt uneasy, as if it were the calm before the storm.

The night before the final proposal was submitted, Lin Tingyue checked it repeatedly until she was sure it was perfect before she was finally relieved.

She went out of her room to relax, but unexpectedly, Chi Zhuo was also on the living room sofa, with a glass of whiskey on the coffee table.

Seeing her approach, Chi Zhuo turned his head and glanced at her, looking somewhat tired.

"All done?"

Lin Tingyue paused for a moment, then nodded subconsciously: "Mm..."

Get some rest.

After saying that, he looked away, picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and ignored her.

Such an ordinary sentence surprised Lin Tingyue greatly. She felt a little frightened and embarrassed, and could only quickly reply, "You should rest early too," before hurriedly slipping back to her room.

After closing the door, she leaned against it, her heart pounding. She didn't even understand why she was so nervous; all the other person had said was a word of concern, yet it had made her flustered.

A few days later, the final results of the New Sprout Exhibition were announced.

Lin Tingyue's work was successfully selected and will be presented in the exhibition as one of the key recommended works.

When she received the official notification email, Lin Tingyue almost jumped up in her office with excitement.

She couldn't wait to share this exciting news with someone, but the first person she thought of when she scrolled through her contacts was Chi Zhuo.

But soon she felt she was being silly. Why was she thinking of him at such a crucial moment? Maybe he didn't care at all whether her work was selected or not, or maybe it was just a trivial matter in his eyes.

In the end, she only sent messages to her brother and Xia Xiaoran.

Xia Xiaoran immediately called, excitedly screaming, "Yueyue, you're amazing! I knew you could do it, and you proved me right! This deserves a celebration! Oh, and I'll invite my mahjong buddies over and treat you to a big meal, how about that?"

Lin Tingyue was also happy, "No need, just bring them over to support the exhibition when it opens."

"Okay, okay, we have to support you." Xia Xiaoran chatted for a few more minutes before she was eager to tell her mahjong friends the news and hurriedly hung up the phone.

Soon, her brother replied with his blessings and expressed his pride in her.

This big event instantly boosted Lin Tingyue's mood to a perfect 100%. She even found Chi Zhuo's cold expression more agreeable than before, and her tone became more lively.

A week before the exhibition opened, the organizers held a small pre-opening cocktail party.

The invitees were shortlisted artists, judges, media personnel, and art enthusiasts.

Lin Tingyue didn't want to attend this kind of party because she was too lazy to socialize with these people, but the organizers repeatedly emphasized that it was mainly about exchanging experiences and there wouldn't be too much pressure, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.

The party was held in an art gallery, and Lin Tingyue chose a little black dress and went alone.

When she arrived at the scene, she saw many unfamiliar faces gathered in twos and threes. She was a little reserved, so she took a glass of juice, found a relatively quiet place, and tried to minimize her presence.

However, she underestimated the attention she would receive as Mrs. Chi. Many people noticed her, and soon, some recognized her, and whispers and scrutinizing glances began to circulate.

"Look, isn't that Mrs. Chi?"

"Didn't she marry Chi Zhuo? Why is she attending this little cocktail party?"

"Tsk, could it be that the Chi family is behind this exhibition? Just to make her famous?"

"Who can argue with that? After all, the Chi family is so rich and powerful..."

The whispers weren't loud, but they stung like needles.

Lin Tingyue gripped the wine glass tightly, her fingertips turning cold. This was the kind of scene she feared most. She had imagined it before coming, but now it was even more terrifying than she had imagined.

It seems that as long as she is Chi Zhuo's wife, everything she does will be labeled as having the Chi family's backing.

She also saw Qiao Wei.

Qiao Wei was chatting and laughing with several judges at the moment. When she saw Lin Tingyue, she only raised her wine glass to her from a distance, but there was a hint of contempt in her eyes.

Lin Tingyue's heart sank. Sure enough, that woman was not simple.

Just as she was feeling incredibly embarrassed and wanted to leave, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance.

The crowd automatically parted to make way.

Lin Tingyue subconsciously looked over, her pupils suddenly contracting.

Chi Zhuo!

How did he end up here?

Chi Zhuo was dressed in a well-tailored dark suit, his posture was upright, and he stood out from the crowd with a powerful aura.

His face was cold and stern. His gaze swept across the crowd and finally landed precisely on Lin Tingyue in the corner.

Then, under everyone's gaze, he stepped forward and slowly walked towards Lin Tingyue's location.

The whispers vanished instantly, and all eyes turned to this spot.

Lin Tingyue was completely stunned at this moment, her mind went blank, and she just watched helplessly as he walked towards her.

"Is it over?" He looked down at him, his tone gentle, as if he were just a husband picking up his wife from get off work.

"No...no..." Lin Tingyue answered almost subconsciously, unable to find the right words.

"Let's go home now."

He took Lin Tingyue's hand, his tone leaving no room for doubt, and with his other hand removed her wine glass. He then pulled her back to his side, while his gaze swept lightly over the crowd of onlookers.

It was just a simple gesture, a glance, yet it seemed to subtly declare ownership and warn those around who might be spying on it.

The crowd that had been discussing the matter fell silent instantly.

Qiao Wei naturally noticed everything here, and her expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

The organizer rushed out to greet the guest with utmost respect. "Oh, Mr. Chi, what brings you here?"

Chi Zhuo said calmly, "It's on my way, I'm just picking up my wife to take her home."

Now, everyone understood the key point: Chi Zhuo cared about his wife, Lin Tingyue, which emphasized Lin Tingyue's status.

The person in charge was quick-witted and immediately understood, smiling as she looked at Lin Tingyue, "Mrs. Chi's work is simply fantastic! It's well-deserved that she was selected! We are very much looking forward to seeing it on the day of the exhibition!"

Lin Tingyue, with Chi Zhuo in her arms, felt a mix of emotions as she looked at the gazes of those around her and observed the stark contrast in the organizers' attitudes.

This time, it was Chi Zhuo who came to her rescue again, in his own way.

However, she clearly wanted to solve the problem on her own.

But unfortunately...

"Let's go."

Chi Zhuo glanced down at her, then put his arm around her and turned to walk outside.

As everyone watched, Lin Tingyue was half-embraced by Chi Zhuo and left the party.

Once I got on the bus, I was finally free from those stares.

Lin Tingyue breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the man beside her with some curiosity.

How did you end up here?

Chi Zhuo leaned back in the back seat, his eyes closed. He didn't even open his eyes when he heard this, and simply said, "On the way."

On the way?

Is it really such a coincidence?

This place is not a well-known spot, but a very niche location.

Lin Tingyue didn't believe his story at all.

A thought slowly surfaced in her mind. Thinking about what had happened that day, she said softly, "It doesn't seem to be very convenient for you to get to your company or other places you frequent."

Chi Zhuo's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he finally opened his eyes slowly. His deep gaze fell on her face, carrying a hint of scrutiny that was barely perceptible.

"How do you know so much about my whereabouts?"

Lin Tingyue was suddenly startled and quickly explained, "I didn't follow you, it's just that I've ridden in your car so many times that I remembered it."

Chi Zhuo stared at her for more than ten seconds, then finally let her go and didn't continue to ask questions.

"Qiao Wei was one of the judges this time. Although she did not directly judge your work to avoid any appearance of impropriety, her influence is still there."

Chi Zhuo spoke calmly, without the slightest emotional fluctuation, as if stating a fact.

"If I don't show up today, your name will be on the front page of every media outlet tomorrow. The Chi family has a good reputation and still needs to maintain some dignity."

I see.

Lin Tingyue realized that she had been deluding herself again. She originally thought that Chi Zhuo was there to help her out of a predicament, but now it turned out that he was thinking about the reputation of the Chi family and hadn't considered her at all.

Lin Tingyue's mood plummeted instantly, and the subtle thrill she had felt from being rescued vanished in an instant.

She whispered, "So, I was just being delusional, I thought..."

She had thought that after spending so much time together, Chi Zhuo must have cared about her at least a little, but now it seemed that she was completely wrong.

"What did you think?" Chi Zhuo pressed.

"It's nothing." Lin Tingyue quickly turned her face away and looked at the night view outside the window, a chill running through her heart.

She almost forgot again that the two of them were just exchanging benefits for each other, and that not interfering with each other was the job she should really be doing, instead of wasting time getting caught up in these useless things.

Chi Zhuo looked at her profile, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, but in the end he said nothing.

-

On the opening day of the exhibition, the venue was packed with guests, and the media's flashbulbs were constantly going off.

Lin Tingyue's works were placed in the most prominent position, attracting many people to stop and admire them.

She stood beside the artwork, dressed in an elegant gown, receiving congratulations and inquiries from all sides, striving to appear poised and composed.

Xia Xiaoran indeed brought a group of friends to show their support, making it a lively and festive occasion.

Her brother, Lin Yujin, also came and gave her a big encouraging hug, praising her talent repeatedly.

Everything seemed perfect, but Lin Tingyue always felt that something was missing. She tried hard to find that person in the crowd, even though she had told herself countless times that all this expectation was meaningless.