Chapter 64 "One cannot have it all."
Yan Zhao looked astonished, completely unaware that the inside story was like this.
Lu Jinghuai closed his eyes with difficulty and sighed.
“Not long ago, he saw the wedding candy that Wenxi sent abroad and called to congratulate me... That’s when he found out about my fake engagement with Wenxi.”
Song Hezhou's years of unrequited love never had a chance to be revealed, and was nipped in the bud by a series of unfortunate events.
Upon returning to China, Song Hezhou's first action was to question Lu Jinghuai about what happened back then.
After learning the truth, even the best temper couldn't be tolerated, and in a fit of anger, she took action and punched Lu Jinghuai.
“Hezhou and I grew up together. When I started my business, he supported me with all his savings during the most difficult time.” Lu Jinghuai’s expression was complicated: “This matter… I’m sorry to him, and I deserved to be beaten.”
"It concerns Hezhou's privacy, so I can't tell anyone else."
Lu Jinghuai never expected that Yan Zhao would inquire about this matter and even shift the blame for their fight onto Wen Xi.
To prove that Song Hezhou liked Wenxi, she even dared to take Shang Chen to catch them in the act.
Neither of these things is something a normal person could do.
Lu Jinghuai lowered his stance and pleaded with Shang Chen, "Could you... not tell Wenxi about this?"
“I’ve already wronged Hezhou enough. If Wenxi finds out about this, he and Wenxi won’t even be able to be friends anymore.”
“Wenxi has always treated him like an older brother. If she knew that he liked her, she would probably distance herself from Hezhou... All the affection they have for each other over the years would probably be gone.”
If Song Hezhou likes Wenxi, as long as he doesn't say it out loud, everyone can be friends and get along peacefully, maintaining a basic level of decorum.
Once the scandal becomes public knowledge, no matter how deep the bond between Wenxi and Song Hezhou, their meetings will only be awkward.
For Song Hezhou, he would rather stay abroad for the rest of his life and keep his feelings for Wenxi hidden in his heart than have Wenxi, after learning the truth, keep a respectful distance and become a distant and awkward friend with him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have suppressed his feelings and chosen to go abroad without hesitation back then.
Two years ago, before Song Hezhou left, he specially sent a message to congratulate the couple on their happiness, saying that he would come back to attend their wedding.
Lu Jinghuai had no idea what Song Hezhou was feeling when he said those words.
He's already caused his good brother to leave the country for two years; he can't afford to ruin his life as well.
Shang Chen: "Wenxi has no shortage of suitors, I'm not going to bother with each and every one of them."
Lu Jinghuai curled his lips, then thought Shang Chen was being a bit pretentious.
"Mr. Shang is very generous."
Shang Chen glanced at Lu Jinghuai and finally understood why Wen Xi said that Lu Jinghuai was very similar to her.
They may seem polite, but they all actually love to be so two-faced.
Shang Chen turned his gaze to Yan Zhao: "I agreed to meet you yesterday because I've watched you grow up, and also out of respect for Uncle Yan and Aunt Yan."
Yan Zhao's eyes were red-rimmed, and she was in a state of extreme confusion and unease.
She never expected the truth to be like this!
Song Hezhou attacked Lu Jinghuai, indeed for the sake of Wenxi.
But it wasn't that the two men were fighting over Wenxi, as she thought; rather, it was Wenxi and Lu Jinghuai's fake engagement that tricked Song Hezhou.
After Lu Jinghuai revealed the truth, she suddenly felt very scared.
It seems she's done something wrong again?
It's so wrong, it's ridiculous.
Yan Zhao's voice trembled: "Brother Shang, I'm sorry."
Shang Chen spoke slowly and deliberately to Yan Zhao, as if he were an elder, yet his tone was utterly ruthless.
"Your past mistakes can be attributed to ignorance and selfishness."
"But yesterday, your heart was broken."
Upon hearing these words, Yan Zhao suddenly broke down in tears.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
"I don't want to do anything to sow discord!"
"But I thought Lu Jinghuai and Song Hezhou were fighting because they both liked Wenxi."
"Brother Shang, do you know how it feels to hear my husband fighting with another man over another woman?!"
"I feel sorry for him and want to know the truth, but he refuses to tell me. How can I not overthink it?!"
"I don't want to be jealous, I just can't control it..."
Yan Zhao was crying her eyes out, while Shang Chen and Lu Jinghuai sat on the sofa with expressionless faces, each more indifferent than the last.
Yan Zhao was crying when she suddenly laughed, "That's right."
"You're all so calm and rational, it makes me look like a madman."
Shang Chen said coldly and indifferently, "Yan Zhao, a mistake is a mistake."
People have to pay for their mistakes.
Yan Zhao slumped to the ground, numbly saying, "I will find Wen Xi, admit my mistake, and apologize to her."
"not enough."
He uttered those two words slowly in a deep tone, without any emotional fluctuations, but full of protection for Wenxi.
Yan Zhao subconsciously looked at Lu Jinghuai.
He remained expressionless and silent.
It's as if she's not his wife at all.
Shang Chen said earnestly, "Yan Zhao, an apology isn't a cure-all."
The first two times, Yan Zhao apologized and acted as if nothing had happened.
She never learned her lesson and handled things with care.
Yan Zhao: "Then what else can I do?"
Should I kneel down before her? Kneel before her? Beg for her forgiveness?
Shang Chen: "Your kneeling and kowtowing are meaningless to others."
Yan Zhao felt that Shang Chen's words were extremely harsh, like a heavy slap to her face, making her face even paler.
She never knew Shang Chen could be so venomous.
"From now on, you are not allowed to set foot in the Yan family again."
Yan Zhao looked up at Shang Chen in shock.
"On what grounds?"
"Those are my adoptive parents. Twenty-seven years of friendship with them, and they couldn't bear to say such a thing. What right do you have to forbid me from returning to the Yan family?!"
Even though it was an agreement between the two families, it only said that they would try not to have any contact, but it didn't say that they would completely sever ties or that Yan Zhao would never be allowed to go home again.
Is Shang Chen forcing Yan Zhao to sever all ties with her adoptive parents?!
Shang Chen's eyes remained calm: "You shouldn't have been so greedy for the Yan family's parents when you chose Lu Jinghuai."
"Yan Zhao, you can't have it all."
She coveted the kindness of her adoptive parents in the Yan family, and also wanted to marry Lu Jinghuai as the daughter of the Wen family. She wanted to have the benefits of both sides, but was unwilling to give anything in return.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Wenxi has already suffered several grievances because of Yan Zhao's unauthorized trip to the Yan family.
Shang Chen didn't want to see this situation again, so he decided to cut it off at the root.
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