Chapter 5: The surprise was fake, the slap was real.
As Yan Zhe's biological mother, Wen Hanyun didn't believe she didn't know what kind of person Yan Zhe was.
How dare they think the Wen family is marrying above their station?
Looking at the haughty lady in front of her, Wen Hanyun felt no unease at being humiliated. She simply smiled and calmly pressed for an answer.
"Auntie, where's Yanzhe?"
"Yanzhe is entertaining friends. The house is quite busy today. Please have a seat in the side room for a while."
They weren't even allowed into the main hall, only into the side hall.
"Alright, alright, mother-in-law, you go ahead with your work, don't bother us."
Wen Fule was very satisfied with his daughter's calm demeanor and waved his hand with a chuckle.
He naturally noticed Yan's mother's disdain, but he didn't care. Compared to the benefits that a marriage alliance with the Yan family could bring, this little thing was nothing.
Wen Hanyun remained silent, her lowered eyes concealing a hint of sarcasm.
"Hanyun, who are these two...?"
As she was being led to the side hall by the maid, a familiar voice came from behind her, calling her affectionately, which made Wen Hanyun's quiet heart skip a beat.
"Hello, Uncle. These are my parents."
Looking back, it was indeed Yan Sheng—the only person in the Yan family who had ever shown her kindness.
The man had a cold, sharp look in his eyes, broad shoulders, long legs, and a strong waist. A well-tailored suit accentuated his exceptional physique. Coupled with his sculpted features, reminiscent of an ancient Greek sculpture, he was undeniably captivating, drawing everyone's attention simply by standing there.
"So it's Uncle and Aunt, nice to meet you."
Yan Sheng humbly extended his hand to Wen's father.
Wen Hanyun looked completely bewildered; this generational hierarchy...
Isn't this getting a bit messy?
"This is Yanzhe's uncle, Yansheng."
Without time to think it over, she quickly introduced the embarrassed Mr. Wen.
"Oh, it's Young Master Yan. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Wen's father's expression immediately became much more enthusiastic, clearly indicating that he had heard of Yan Sheng, the person in charge of the Yan family.
Yan Sheng smiled slightly and calmly withdrew his hand. "Where are you headed?"
"Madam requests that you please have a seat in the side hall." The servants, not daring to be negligent, bowed and reported.
Yan Sheng narrowed his eyes, remaining noncommittal.
"Since we'll be family soon, why don't you come with me to the backyard? Ah Zhe is there too, so we can have him introduce you to the Yan family's friends."
Does this mean they're going to introduce a benefactor to the Wen family?
Father Wen was even more eager.
"I'm so sorry, I hope I'm not bothering you."
He's been stuck at the university associate professor position for a long time, but with the help of connections introduced by the Yan family, he might be able to advance further.
"Of course not, what do you think, Hanyun?"
Yan Sheng gave the choice to Wen Hanyun.
Wen Hanyun didn't actually want to get more involved with the Yan family, but a strange intuition told her that Yan Sheng was an exception, and he would never push her into Yan Zhe's fire pit.
"Then... I'll have to trouble you, Uncle." She nodded.
The group, including Yan Sheng, entered the backyard. As soon as they entered, they heard a loud shout.
"Back then, there were plenty of beautiful women chasing after me. If it weren't for the bet with you guys, I wouldn't have pursued those old-fashioned and feudal women."
Wen Hanyun paused, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over her.
She recognized the voice all too well; it was the voice of the person they were looking for, Yan Zhe.
She initially thought that the allure of the world had blinded Yan Zhe, causing him to tire of their now-unpassionate relationship.
But now she suddenly realized.
It turns out that there was no genuine affection from the very beginning; even the initial passionate pursuit was merely due to a bet.
“You all don’t know, we’ve been together for seven years, and she wouldn’t even let me touch her, saying she couldn’t accept premarital sex. It’s 2025 now, how can there still be chaste women?”
"If it weren't for the fact that she's pretty and could hold her own as a wife, I would have dumped her long ago!"
Yanzhe continued his eloquent talk, which drew a chorus of teasing and agreement.
"Wow, our Brother Zhe must have had a tough time, managing to endure for seven years."
"That's not true. How could our Brother Zhe tolerate that? He's never stopped having mistresses. It's like he's keeping the red flag flying at home while colorful flags flutter outside!"
"When it comes to marriage, you should marry someone from a humble family. You can do whatever you want with her. If you marry into a powerful family through an arranged marriage, you'll be constrained and have to consider the other party's feelings. It's not as carefree as Zhe-ge's life."
These words are tantamount to belittling Wen Hanyun's character, family background, and the bottom line she has upheld over the years, making her utterly worthless.
In this warm room, she trembled like a thin piece of paper, a sight that broke one's heart.
Wen Hanyun felt a strange sense of relief.
With so many witnesses present, these conversations will be a significant bargaining chip for her to get rid of Yan Zhe.
Wen's mother couldn't listen anymore. With a stern face, she took Wen Hanyun's hand and was about to leave.
Mr. Wen's expression wasn't much better.
If Yan Zhe speaks so recklessly in front of his friends, what will the outside world say and how will they view the Wen family, who are related to Yan Zhe through marriage? Will they treat the Wen family as a complete joke?
He was indeed furious that his daughter had been so belittled, but he had to swallow his anger because he still wanted to rely on the power of the Yan family.
"Cough cough!"
He coughed twice.
It was only then that the young people sitting in a circle noticed the intruders.
When did they arrive? Or rather, how much did they hear?
Yanzhe, who had been flattered and elated just a moment ago, was clearly at a loss for words. He quickly stood up and said, "Uncle, Hanyun, what brings you here? I..."
A fragrant breeze swept by.
Snap!
A loud slap landed hard on Yanzhe's face.
Wen Hanyun was panting, the force of which made her hand ache slightly.
"Yanzhe, is this how you think of me?!"
She questioned him tremblingly, perfectly portraying a fiancée who went from shock to collapse.
Now she is no longer surprised that Yanzhe would do anything so despicable.
The surprise was fake, but the force in his hand was real.
"How many lovers have you had behind my back all these years?!"
Luckily, I never slept in the same bed with him, otherwise I might have caught some disease.
Snap!
Before he could react, Wen Hanyun slapped him again, leaving him with a pair of symmetrical red handprints.
Not only was Yanzhe dumbfounded, but even his cronies were dumbfounded.
They had all met Wen Hanyun. Although she wasn't a rich heiress, she was a proper lady from a respectable family, a virtuous wife and loving mother. She spoke gently and softly, and seemed to have no temper. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to pass Yan's mother's test.
But who would have thought that, once provoked, the gentle and understanding woman could turn into a tyrant and start fighting?
Wen Hanyun was about to wave her hand, as if she wanted to vent all the anger that had been bottled up in her heart recently.
"Enough!"
"I've been giving you way too much credit, are you still not done yet?!"
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