Bonus Chapter: Being Tampered With at the Drinking Party (Husband and Wife Edition)
Since settling down in the country, Lu Zhenyu has often thought of one person.
Her adoptive mother, Chen Jie, had cared for and raised her like a mother since she was three years old.
Even though she has long since regained her memories, she still cannot let go of the past, start over, and accept the adoptive mother who hurt her the most.
Although Lu Zhenyu knew that it was not wrong for a mother to sacrifice her adopted daughter, who was not related to her by blood, to protect her husband and son in times of crisis.
It's simply a matter of different positions and perspectives.
Lu Zhenyu allowed her godmother to make a deal with the Zheng family for mutual benefit.
Allow her to pretend not to see the suffering she was enduring for those five years.
She was allowed to secretly manipulate and obstruct her divorce from Zheng Yaozong for the sake of the Shen family and her son's future.
This also allows me, upon learning the truth, to kick this foster mother out of my future life and never see or think of her again.
She could sever all ties with Shen's mother, but she couldn't expect her husband to do the same to his biological mother.
Just as Chen Jie said, she has only ever been worthy of the two people in her life.
A husband and a son.
On the day she received the call from the Shen family, Lu Zhenyu was leading the foundation's senior management in a discussion about the team's development plan for the next ten years.
The meeting had just ended when Feng Manman called.
"Zhenzhen, do you know that something bad has happened to the Shen family?"
Lu Zhenyu's hand, which was pressing on the doorknob, paused for a moment. "What happened?"
She was wearing a well-tailored black velvet women's suit, her long hair tied low, as she pushed open the office door and walked in.
"I don't know the specifics. Maybe both of them were away on business trips, and my mother-in-law was helping me take care of the children. That's when the Shen family called the manor."
Feng Manman calmly and methodically told Lu Zhenyu what she knew.
Finally, she added, "Anyway, you haven't been in contact with each other for the past two years, so you don't need to worry about it. My mother-in-law has already gone over to help. There are so many people in the Shen family, no one will die anytime soon. Let's wait for the two brothers to come back before we deal with the rest."
Before hanging up the phone, he emphasized, "I'm telling you this not so you can deal with them. You really shouldn't go. That old woman has finally calmed down these past few years. If you go, she'll start causing trouble again."
Lu Zhenyu didn't say anything.
But she really didn't intend to meddle in this matter.
The father-in-law cheated on his wife, and the mistress came to his door with her six-year-old illegitimate child to force him to resign.
Regardless of whether it was true or not, Lu Zhenyu had always been familiar with her godfather's character.
It's the old version of Shen Jingsi. Not to mention having an affair, back then, if it weren't for his family's needs, he wouldn't have been able to leave the country to stay with his wife and children.
Lu Zhenyu quickly snapped out of her thoughts after that phone call.
She's already dealing with her own six children's daily squabbles, so she has no time to worry about others.
After hanging up the phone, she took off her suit jacket, sat on the sofa, and video-chatted with her family of little devils.
The children have started going to kindergarten one after another, and the oldest, Shinichi, is already in the third grade of elementary school.
They were all at Shen's private elite school, which saved a lot of trouble.
No longer needing to guide them step by step, Lu Zhenyu now spends all her time working, except for helping the children with their craft projects every night with Shen Jingsi.
She has published fewer books in the past two years.
The team said she was lazy.
Actually, no.
Perhaps because I'm living such a happy life, my inspiration has gradually dwindled.
Therefore, pain is the breeding ground for inspiration.
Her current focus is on the Precious Love Foundation.
The sense of accomplishment is much greater than writing a few novels that sell over ten million copies.
But it was tiring.
In the past, publishing a book meant you could feed yourself and your whole family without worry.
Now I have endless worries and things to think about every day.
Shen Jingsi said that she's become like a little money-grubber, obsessed with money.
She can't resist money; she'll even rip off a dog dressed in fancy clothes on the street and give it a couple of hams.
What's most gratifying is that my daughter's health has been getting better and better over the past two years.
The attending physician said that a good family atmosphere and a good mood naturally lead to better physical health.
Master Fang Hui, whom Shen Jingsi has been worshipping for many years, said that it was the good fortune that he and his wife had accumulated over the years that they had bestowed upon their daughter.
Indeed, quite a lot has been accumulated.
Every year when the foundation runs out of money, Lu Zhenyu has to subsidize it out of her own pocket.
Shen Jingsi, on the other hand, also gave his full support.
His original words were: "The husband is responsible for finding ways to earn money, and the wife is responsible for finding ways to spend it. Money needs to circulate and flow to function properly."
He truly never held anything against her, and the two never had a single unpleasant encounter after their marriage.
He will respect her opinions, listen to her ideas, and be as tolerant as possible.
"Wife, do whatever you want. Your husband will take care of everything."
I remember that must have been my first year back in China.
Amidst international turmoil and ongoing conflicts, the Zhenai Foundation's rescue team traveled the world, but the excessive investment led to a break in its funding chain.
Yaya was unable to attend the banquet due to her approaching due date, so Lu Zhenyu, a half-baked person, had to step in to help with the fundraising efforts with the CEOs of various groups.
Before leaving, she called Shen Jingsi.
"Honey, what are you doing?"
The sound of turning pages stopped. "Still at the company."
Shen Jingsi glanced at his watch, a smile playing on his lips. "Calling at this hour all of a sudden, missing me?"
"Yeah, I miss you. By the way, let me check up on you and see if you've got any pretty young women hiding in your office."
A joyful laugh escaped from the receiver.
Shen Jingsi guessed that his wife was missing him.
She rarely calls him while he's working, for fear of distracting him.
Shen Jingsi said, "Then I'll leave work early tonight and go home to be with my baby."
"Hey! Please don't!" Lu Zhenyu, who had just gotten into the Rolls-Royce minivan, quickly refused. "I already asked Wang Kai, and he said you have a dinner party tonight."
"It was just a dinner party."
Shen Jingsi didn't care at all. "Whether I cancel or reschedule, nothing is more important than spending time with my wife."
Lu Zhenyu thought to herself, "If you cancel the dinner, where else can I go?"
"Don't push it, please don't push it."
Shen Jingsi realized something was wrong, his eyelids twitched slightly, and he guessed what it was.
"Did the Precious Love Foundation send someone to participate again?"
Lu Zhenyu chuckled twice, "That's right, I heard that this was a favor arrangement specially made for Chairman Shen by more than a dozen CEOs. How could our foundation not pounce on such a tempting target?"
In the past, when I was out there, others would try every means to leech off me.
Now, I'm being ripped off by my wife's team every day.
Shen Jingsi smiled, "Who did you send this time?"
You'll find out then.
He raised an eyebrow. "Alright, the same old thing?"
Their foundation does the comedy, and he plays the straight man.
Lu Zhenyu: "Of course."
What benefits will I get if this succeeds?
"What benefits does Chairman Shen want?"
"There will be a banquet the day after tomorrow, and President Delu will be dressed in his finest attire to accompany us."
Upon hearing that it was a social gathering involving interpersonal relationships, Lu Zhenyu felt a headache coming on. "Can't we choose another one?"
"No." Shen Jingsi refused decisively.
"Honey~"
Lu Zhenyu cried out in a very sweet voice, but it was no use.
After listening for a year, Shen Jingsi's tolerance for this has improved.
Unless you're face-to-face, snuggling into someone's arms and calling out to them will have a more significant effect.
Shen Jingsi clicked his tongue regretfully, "Then I'll cancel the dinner and go home to be with my wife and kids."
Lu Zhenyu: "..."
"Everyone else has a wife or female companion at these kinds of events, but I'm all alone."
With a hint of grievance, Shen Jingsi sighed, "It's causing everyone to spread rumors behind my back that the new Mrs. Shen is incredibly ugly. As her husband, I'm too proud to bring you out to meet people."
Lu Zhenyu snorted, "Am I ugly?"
“Of course she’s not ugly.” Shen Jingsi said without hesitation, “My wife is a celestial being descended to earth.”
He coaxed the girl into laughing, and then Shen Jingsi took advantage of the situation, saying, "So, I should bring my wife along to these kinds of events more often in the future, so that those people can see what a true beauty is."
"A true delicacy, almost like grilled squid."
Lu Zhenyu didn't know who had given her the nickname "the most beautiful woman in the capital" back then.
She disliked it from the bottom of her heart.
It sounds so greasy no matter how you look at it.
But after much deliberation, she finally agreed.
It's probably the mentality that mothers want their sons to have everything that other children have.
Of course, Lu Zhenyu understood that Shen Jingsi wanted to use the banquet as an excuse to let the capital know what the wife of the head of the Shen family looked like.
The reason it wasn't disclosed before was because there were still uncertain risk factors.
The reason for this announcement is that he has the final say in the entire capital city.
Before heading to the dinner party, Lu Zhenyu made a special trip to the styling studio to get ready.
Yaya repeatedly warned, "Those old guys at the dinner party are all visual creatures. If you don't show your admission ticket, you won't even be able to get into the private room."
Tonight's dinner party was quite well-attended, filled with prominent figures in the business world. Each person was accompanied by a beautiful woman.
Before Lu Zhenyu could even enter the private room, the aroma was already wafting out through the crack in the door.
Tonight, she wore a long-sleeved, fitted silver dress with padded shoulders and a small V-neck, striking the perfect balance.
Under the crystal chandelier, the rhinestones on the dress sparkled, gathered at the waist, and cascaded down the graceful curves to her fair and delicate ankles.
It is precisely because she is so well covered up that it creates a unique kind of sexiness.
Her hair was tied up low, with a little bit of the shuttlecock tail peeking out from the front, making her look like a complete career woman.
Before they came in, the private room was in complete chaos.
The men gathered together, chatting idly before the honored guests arrived, with nothing of substance to their conversation.
As soon as Lu Zhenyu walked in, the huge private room fell completely silent.
All eyes were drawn to the stunning figure standing at the doorway.
Lu Zhenyu walked in, carrying a black leather handbag, and nodded and smiled at everyone. "Hello everyone, I am a representative of the Zhenai Foundation."
Upon hearing the word "foundation," the executives' admiring gazes vanished instantly.
She averted her gaze incredibly quickly, as if afraid that if she met Lu Zhenyu's eyes, she would be skinned alive again.
The people in these charitable foundations are the most difficult to deal with.
Seeing that the atmosphere was getting cold, Lu Zhenyu didn't care.
Yaya had already given her a heads-up before she came.
If you want to take money from other people's pockets, you should be shameless enough to admit it.
She silently walked toward an empty seat where no cutlery had been placed.
As for Shen Jingsi's position, she looked around and guessed that he was at the very top center of the round table.
Even the chair was different from everyone else's.
Two stunningly beautiful women had been arranged to stand on either side of them.
She's a top-tier female star in the entertainment industry, very popular, because even people can name her.
After Lu Zhenyu introduced herself, some people only wanted to protect their wallets, while others were tempted by her beauty.
Besides, all the women in this room combined are no match for a single hair of this beautiful woman who claims to be the representative of the foundation.
The warm light shone down on Lu Zhenyu's head, highlighting her jet-black hair, snow-white skin, and rare amber eyes that seemed to have a built-in filter.
When she looked up with a slight smile, her exquisitely made-up fox-like eyes curved downwards.
There was nothing leaking, and the person was sitting upright.
She looks alluring, seductive, and captivating.
The more upright one's posture, the more it stirs up desire in others.
The men present all shared this thought, but were constrained by their status as representatives of the Lu Zhenyu Foundation.
Each side held its position and observed the situation first.
Lu Zhenyu glanced at the small watch with its delicate silver chain and diamond-encrusted dial, but she wasn't in a hurry. She took a sip of saliva and sat quietly in the corner waiting for Chen Jingsi to arrive.
Before this, she had almost never attended such drinking parties.
She was somewhat looking forward to it, wondering how her husband would react when he came in and saw her sitting there.
The man sitting third to Shen Jingsi from the right got up at this moment. He had a beer belly, a big head and a thick neck, and he walked over with his teeth showing. He sat down next to Lu Zhenyu seemingly unintentionally.
His eyes, narrowed to slits, crinkled into a smile. "What's your name, ma'am?"
Lu Zhenyu looked over, "You are..."
"Looks like you're new here. You don't even recognize our famous Chairman Li."
"Hey, how can you talk to someone's representative like that? As the saying goes, it's better to know someone at the right time than to know them early. It's not too late to get to know them now."
A few men sitting closer to the door started to jeer.
"You must be a representative of the Cherish Foundation. Everyone is familiar with your foundation; it was founded by Mr. Shen's new wife."
The man in the blue shirt who had been speaking walked between Lu Zhenyu and President Li, propped himself up on two chairs, and grinned as he acted as a peacemaker.
"Beautiful representative, this is the chairman of our Lingying Ecological Technology. It doesn't matter if you don't know us, but you must get to know Chairman Li well. If you treat her well, the meager sums your foundation is short can be settled with just a word from Chairman Li."
With someone playing the straight man, President Li acted like an emperor, his large belly lounging against the side, his lustful eyes fixed on Lu Zhenyu's graceful curves.
She was slim but not skinny; she was curvy where she should be and slender where she should be. Her waist under her skirt was so thin it was only the width of a palm.
The man's heart was starting to itch.
They completely ignored the beautiful women they brought.
Lu Zhenyu gave a polite yet elegant smile and nodded slightly, "Chairman Li, I've long admired your name."
They were polite in words, but didn't even bother to shake hands.
After greeting everyone, Lu Zhenyu turned around, picked up her water glass, and took a small sip.
That calm and dignified demeanor, in the eyes of other men, was nothing more than feigned aloofness.
They've seen plenty of women like this from foundations—using charity as a front to line their own pockets.
They act as if they're so clean and selfless, but behind the scenes, they'd probably go to great lengths to curry favor with their benefactors for that little bit of charity money.
Seeing that Chairman Li's smile was a little stiff, the young CEOs around him exchanged glances.
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