Lin Huowang met two pairs of scrutinizing and complex gazes—one intelligent and sharp, the other filled with pride and confusion. The faint smile on his face remained unchanged, but a trace of extremely complex emotions flashed through his eyes, a mixture of heartache and helplessness for that foolish woman, Liu Rumeng.
He did not directly answer Lu Ruirong's question. Instead, he made his own statement, his voice calm but with undeniable weight:
"My legal wife will only be Miss Liu Rumeng. This will not change in the past, present, or future."
This announcement was like thunder from a clear sky, exploding in the ears of the two girls, each with their own thoughts.
Zhu Lingling's pupils narrowed slightly, and her pride subconsciously straightened her back. Since the position of principal wife had already been determined, then these people... were they just supplementary? Some kind of tool? A feeling of humiliation surged up again.
Lv Ruirong keenly grasped the key message in Lin Huowang's words—he acknowledged Liu Rumeng's identity! And this was unshakable!
Lin Huowang paused, his tone softening slightly, as if explaining Liu Rumeng's near-madness, or analyzing his own helpless acceptance: "Miss Liu... I've never doubted her feelings for me. It's just that right now, there are some... unspeakable obstacles. As for tonight..."
His gaze slowly swept over Zhu Lingling and Lu Ruirong, then passed over the two people who were truly asleep in the bed. "After spending so much time with you, Miss Liu must have felt that you are all exceptional women, one in a million. Intelligent, beautiful, and each with his own unique qualities. She...perhaps, for some reason, facilitated tonight's situation. She wanted...to give you a chance, and also to give me...a choice. A way, in her opinion, of 'considerable.'"
Zhu Lingling and Lu Ruirong opened their mouths slightly almost at the same time, and the shock in their hearts swept over them like a tsunami.
This... totally overturned their perceptions! It was true that Hong Kong had a concubine system, and in some wealthy families, the wives tacitly acknowledged their husbands' mistresses. But what was Liu Rumeng doing?
Was it that before she even married him and even kept their relationship secret, she took the initiative to select four competitors and pushed her "future" husband into the arms of a gentle woman?
How much self-confidence does this require? Or rather... how deep is the despair and compensation? And how foolish and deep is the love required to do such a thing?
Zhu Lingling's mind was in a state of confusion: Was she so certain of her victory that she didn't care about letting others "share" in advance? Or...did she really not care about Mr. Xiaolin at all and was just helping him find someone? This logic didn't make any sense!
Lü Ruirong was in a different state of shock. She thought of Mr. Xiaolin recognizing Liu Rumeng as his only legal wife.
The four of them, including the two drunkenly lying at the table, had no better prospects than concubines. While this status was better than that of an ordinary person, it was still inferior to Liu Rumeng's. How could Liu Rumeng be so sure that Mr. Xiaolin would "remarry" her?
How could he be so sure that he would be the final winner? The calculation and confidence behind this made Lü Ruirong feel a chill and awe.
Just as the two women were slightly distracted by the shock, Lin Huowang's voice sounded again, calmly bringing them back to reality:
"I, Xiao Lin Tianwang, never force anyone to do anything," his eyes fell on Shi Jiayi and Yu Qixia who were sleeping soundly on the bed, "and I will never take advantage of others in distress. As for them," he pointed at the two unconscious girls, "I will not touch them at all tonight." His tone was firm, with a sternness that could not be tarnished.
Then, he turned his gaze back to Zhu Lingling and Lu Ruirong, who were standing before him with complicated expressions, and said calmly, "As for you two..."
He smiled faintly, a smile that carried the composure of someone in control of the situation, and a respect for choice. "If you're feeling reluctant or uncomfortable right now, there's no need to force yourself to stay because of Miss Liu's arrangements or my status. I'll call the waiter to open the door and arrange a driver to take you both home safely."
The choice was once again thrown back into the hands of the two "awake people".
The atmosphere suddenly grew frozen. The vibrant light of Victoria Harbour outside the restaurant reflected the light and shadows in the bedroom, prolonging the three people's confrontation, or rather, the tension between two standing and one sitting precariously. The only sound in the air seemed to be the soft but lingering snoring of the other two people in bed.
“I…I…”
The brief silence was broken by Lv Ruirong's urgent voice. She raised her head almost immediately, a flash of anxiety in her eyes, as if she was afraid that Lin Huowang would actually raise his hand to make a phone call.
The desire that came from struggling in a tenement building since childhood and feeling the taste of poverty in the sighs of parents overwhelmed all reserve and calculation.
"No! I do!" Her voice was clear and resolute, and she looked at Lin Huowang with burning eyes. "Mr. Lin, ever since I agreed to get in your car and come here, I've... thought it through! I'm willing to stay!"
These words hit Zhu Lingling like a stone, sending a shudder through her body. She suddenly looked up at Lu Ruirong. In the eyes of the "Most Beautiful Miss Hong Kong," there was surprise, struggle, and even a hint of admiration that she herself hadn't noticed. Lu Ruirong could be so straightforward! So humble!
Lin Huowang's expression didn't change much, as if he wasn't surprised by the answer. He nodded calmly, his gaze gentle yet scrutinizing. "But you must understand, Miss Lu. My, Xiaolin Tianwang's, legal wife, past, present, and future will only be Liu Rumeng. As for the title of concubine, it may or may not be granted, depending on the circumstances. I can only promise that I will do my best to satisfy your wishes."
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