"Um."
"Sister Xiaoyun, you didn't even tell me about this beforehand, otherwise I would have gone over and given her a piece of my mind!" Ji Meng said excitedly.
"Alright! Look down! Your brother is looking this way!" Shi Wan pulled Ji Meng, startling her so much that she quickly turned her head to look out the window.
On stage, Zhou Jin was trembling under the weight of the crowd's "comments" on her, and her father was about to step forward to support her.
Ji Chu stepped onto the stage first, put his arm around Zhou Jin's lower back, and said in a deep and powerful voice, "There is no doubt that Zhou Jin is a daughter of the Zhou family. You have all witnessed how the Zhou family has raised Miss Zhou Yun over the years. You all know how to write the words 'gratitude and repay kindness'."
"From now on, whenever the Zhou family needs me, I, Ji Chu, will never sit idly by."
The crowd below the stage erupted in uproar.
Everyone knows the Ji family's status in Kyoto, and even in China. As long as you get on good terms with these established families, you'll never have to worry about finding partners.
It's no wonder that the daughter of the Zhou family who appeared today has this skill; no wonder she looks down on Zhou Yun, who relies on her own efforts.
The crowd that had just been looking down on Zhou Jin immediately changed their tune and stepped forward to congratulate Zhou's parents.
Zhou Yun stared intently at the two people embracing intimately on the stage. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by a hand, making it hard to breathe. A salty, metallic taste came from her throat. She opened her mouth but ultimately didn't say anything.
Every word Ji Chu spoke and every action he took was like a dull file, cutting open her wound again and again.
Watching the two people being affectionate and exchanging pleasantries with those who came forward to offer their congratulations, Zhou Yun felt as if her legs were made of lead and she couldn't move.
That night, Ji Chu came to her apartment, shattering her hopes little by little.
He probably forgot that he was the one who said he liked her first.
The mockery in Zhou Yun's eyes deepened.
Shi Wan gave Ji Meng a wink, and Ji Meng immediately understood, helping Zhou Yun leave through the back door.
Ji Meng helped Zhou Yun into the car and instructed the driver to take her back to her apartment. Just as she was about to close the car door, Zhou Yun grabbed Ji Meng's arm.
"Mengmeng, you're already in an awkward position between me and Ji Chu. Don't offend Zhou Jin for my sake in the future. I will resolve my grudges with the Zhou family. Your brother will help her then, so don't get involved, and neither should Zhao Zhilin."
“Sister Xiaoyun…” Ji Meng looked at Zhou Yun’s pale face with some pity.
"Remember! You siblings must not have any rifts with each other because of me, an outsider."
"Okay, I promise! But you have to keep in touch with me anytime. You're the only sister-in-law I have in my heart. That woman can forget about getting into my circle!"
...
In the hall, Chu Ningxuan glanced at the people in the living room as if watching a show, and said with a sneer, "Fence-sitters, boring!"
"Don't forget, these people are all on your brother's side," Shi Wan said jokingly, raising an eyebrow.
"Little Wanwan, that's why you can't trust men. Even Ji Chu can't be relied on these days, so don't easily trust Lu Jingyan, understand?"
"Oh?" Shi Wan looked at him with interest.
"You're too young to understand these things. Anyway, promise me, if Lu Gou proposes to you or confesses his feelings, you'd better be careful. Got it?" Chu Ningxuan looked at Shi Wan seriously.
"Chu Ningxuan, what nonsense are you spouting? What marriage proposal? What confession?"
"Oh dear! Anyway, you're still young. Don't step into the grave of marriage at such a young age." Chu Ningxuan straightened up and earnestly lectured Shi Wan.
Shi Wan chuckled at Chu Ningxuan's feigned seriousness. The man standing not far away stared intently at the two of them with his sinister eyes. Looking at the girl with a flushed face, a barely perceptible fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
“Yunzhou…” Lin Zhiyu’s slender fingers wrapped around the man’s large palm, feeling a slight chill. She looked up at him uneasily.
“Yunzhou, I don’t know what misunderstanding exists between you and Miss Shi. If you still have feelings for her, then we can still break off the engagement.”
Feng Yunzhou withdrew his gaze, his eyes softening with affection. "Zhiyu, do you know how many years I've waited for you? From now on, no one can separate us, not a single one."
"Hmm." Lin Zhiyu smiled knowingly and leaned gently against Feng Yunzhou's chest. When her eyes glanced at a certain spot in the hall, a cold smile appeared on her lips.
Shi Wan sat on the sofa by the window, occasionally glancing at the scenery outside, holding a nearly empty glass of red wine in her hand, which she swirled from time to time.
Ji Meng came in from outside and saw Shi Wan staring blankly in the corner. She went over and sat down next to her to keep her company.
A group of people surrounded Feng Yunzhou and Lin Zhiyu not far away, flattering and fawning over them. Ji Meng peeked out but couldn't find Ji Chu and Zhou Jin.
Looking at the crowd surrounding Feng Yunzhou and his wife, showering them with flattering words about their marriage, she curled her red lips in a mocking sneer.
Ji Meng looked at Shi Wan and said worriedly, "Wanwan, why don't we leave? This banquet is pointless anyway."
If she had known that Feng Yunzhou and that white lotus flower would also be there, she definitely wouldn't have pestered Wanwan to come with her.
Although Lu Jingyan is now by her side and even gives Shi Wan unprecedented affection, Feng Yunzhou has been with her throughout her youth, so it's not easy to get rid of those memories.
He hurt Wanwan time and time again for Lin Zhiyu's sake, and now he's showing off his love to Bai Lianhua in front of her. It's nothing more than taking a knife and cutting her flesh off piece by piece to torture her to death.
Shi Wan stared out the window and downed the red wine in her glass in one gulp. "Mengmeng, if we leave now, won't they think I'm afraid of them?"
“Mengmeng, I’m not alone now. I have you, Lu Jingyan, and people who love me. I will eventually have to face him.”
What's past is past; she's not the type to dwell on things.
No matter how much influence Feng Yunzhou had on her in the past, she would gradually eliminate his influence.
Not far behind them, An Cheng leaned back on the sofa, his narrow, eagle-like eyes watching Shi Wan with amusement.
An Chengjun's handsome face was pale and cold. Shi Wan only glanced at him. Although the man was handsome, she felt a chill in him, especially when he looked at her.
His long, slender fingers tapped the sofa armrest from time to time, a smile playing on his lips. Many single women approached him to strike up a conversation, but he politely declined them in silence.
Ji Meng and Shi Wan, who were not far away, also felt the man's burning gaze. They both frowned and turned their heads away unhappily.
"Wanwan, do you know him?"
"I don't know him."
"And he kept staring at you with a wicked look on his face!" Ji Meng glared at An Cheng unkindly.
An Cheng was not displeased by Ji Meng's attitude; he stared intently at Shi Wan with a meaningful smile on his lips.
"Which young lady has taken a fancy to this time, Young Master An?" A melodious voice sounded from behind.
"Hmm? Miss Ye knows her?" An Cheng looked away and glanced at Ye Jiajia, who was sitting next to him, with a puzzled expression.
An Cheng is from the main branch of the An family in Xindu. Due to the influence of the Lu family in Kyoto, the An family members rarely set foot in Kyoto and do not know much about people in circles like Shi Wan and Ji Meng.
"Hmm...we know each other, and we can even exchange a few words." Ye Jiajia stared intently at Shi Wan's retreating figure, her eyes filled with unyielding resentment.
An Cheng glanced at Ye Jiajia, his tone laced with sarcasm, "Have influence? I'm afraid it's not that simple, Miss Ye."
"A smart person doesn't beat around the bush. If you help me, I can help you get her."
"Oh? Interesting..." A glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes, and his gaze toward Shi Wan became even bolder and more blatant.
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