acquaintance
They had barely sat down at table number four in the front row when the main lights in the banquet hall gradually dimmed, and spotlights shone on the ornately decorated stage in front.
Mr. Su walked onto the stage with a well-maintained and still charming woman.
The woman stood beside Su's father with a gentle smile and an intimate posture. She must be the white moonlight who successfully rose to power, the biological mother of Su Gutang and Su Guyang, and now Mrs. Su.
A middle-aged couple who looked quite well-off and dressed appropriately walked up from the audience; they were probably the woman's parents.
The engagement banquet began with speeches from both sets of parents.
This process is usually lengthy and full of pleasantries, with most of the guests simply listening politely.
Wanwan looked away listlessly, and when her gaze swept over her own table, the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily.
She noticed Qu Shiyao and Jin Yuxi's furtive actions.
Taking advantage of the spotlight focusing on the stage and drawing everyone's attention, Qu Shiyao swiftly and silently moved a plate of cake from the edge of the table to her front.
Her view was mostly blocked by Lin Weiwei, who was sitting upright. She saw Lin Weiwei quickly scoop out a large spoonful and put it into her mouth.
Then it immediately returned to its original position, with only its cheeks moving slightly.
Jin Yuxi was still feeling annoyed about almost embarrassing Su Wanwan earlier, but when she turned her head and saw Qu Shiyao secretly eating, her eyes widened instantly and she almost drooled.
She glanced around furtively, and seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she looked up at the stage, where her father was passionately recounting the family history and future plans of the Su family.
Don't miss this opportunity!
Jin Yuxi's hand swiftly reached for the nearest plate of snacks, quickly picked up a piece, then quickly lowered her head, covered her mouth with her hand, and devoured it.
After finishing her meal, she seemed to want more and did it again in the same way.
From Su Wanwan's perspective, Qu Shiyao's position was quite well hidden and not easily discovered.
But Jin Yuxi is different. She is almost facing the stage, and anyone on stage can easily see her little movements if they pay a little attention.
Su Wanwan thought for a moment, then gracefully turned around, gently picked up a delicate pudding with a small silver fork, and took a small bite.
Lin Weiwei, who was already feeling drowsy from the long speech on stage, vaguely heard a slight noise beside her. She turned her head in confusion and almost fainted from anger.
Good heavens! Our whole table actually started eating while the host was giving his speech!
"Qu Shiyao! What are you doing! Are you a reincarnated starving ghost?" Lin Weiwei lowered her voice, glaring at Qu Shiyao with an incredulous tone of reproach.
Qu Shiyao swallowed the cake in her mouth and blinked innocently, "Senior Lin, don't people need to eat when they're hungry? Aren't you hungry?"
As she spoke, she gestured with her eyes to Su Wanwan and Jin Yuxi, who were also eating next to her, to show that she was innocent. Why was she being singled out and scolded when the other two were also eating?
"Do you think everyone is like you?" Lin Weiwei snorted coldly and awkwardly turned her head back.
As it turned out, they saw Wang Qian, who was usually quiet, also taking small bites of a macaron.
Lin Weiwei suddenly felt an itch in her teeth. Wang Qian had been acting increasingly strangely lately; she must have been corrupted by that unreliable Qu Shiyao!
"What, aren't you going to eat?" Zhang Li, who was next to her, also reached for a piece of fruit tart. Noticing Lin Weiwei's gaze, she raised an eyebrow and asked.
Faced with provocation from her former rival (?), Lin Weiwei's competitive spirit was instantly ignited: "You all eat, why can't I!"
After saying that, she picked up a pastry in a huff and took a big bite.
So, while it wasn't too noticeable that only Qu Shiyao was sneaking a bite, now all the ladies at table number four were openly eating desserts.
Even though they didn't make a sound, the activity at this table was still particularly eye-catching among the rows of formally dressed guests who were focused on watching the show.
The guests at other tables gradually shifted their attention from the stage to the audience. Seeing how much Qu Shiyao and the others were enjoying their meal, they themselves suddenly felt a little hungry.
Even some less formal guests started reaching for the snacks on the table.
Now things got a bit awkward. The Su family had just finished speaking on stage when it was the turn of the Tang couple, the in-laws, to give their speech.
Seeing that many guests below the stage were eating with their heads down, Mr. and Mrs. Tang's enthusiasm for speaking also diminished considerably.
Su's father's face darkened slightly, and his gloomy gaze swept over table number four, especially towards Su Wanwan and Qu Shiyao.
He was now filled with deep regret. He shouldn't have made Su Wanwan attend, and he especially shouldn't have let them sit in such a prominent front row!
He decided that the procedure for such banquets should be changed in the future. Everyone should stand when giving speeches and then go to the dining area to sit down and eat after the procedure is completed!
The originally solemn and lengthy parents' speech ended hastily in this somewhat strange and rushed atmosphere.
Immediately afterwards, the two main characters of the evening, Su Yongze and his fiancée Tang Yiran, entered the banquet hall ahead of time.
Their carefully taken engagement photos began playing on the large screen in front of them.
Qu Shiyao took a moment to glance up at Su Yongze on the screen, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Strange, why does this look so familiar?
But she was certain she hadn't seen this person recently.
"Tongzi, haven't we seen this Su Yongze somewhere before?" She felt a clue flash through her mind, but she couldn't quite grasp it.
【Huh?】The system followed Qu Shiyao's gaze, and a few seconds later suddenly exclaimed in Qu Shiyao's mind:
[Host! Isn't this the mistress who was clinging to the original owner's scumbag boyfriend when we went to catch him cheating at the beginning of the story?!]
Qu Shiyao's lips twitched violently as she instantly remembered!
That's right! It's the same guy she was forced to follow the plot when she first transmigrated, the one she encountered while catching her husband cheating!
At the time, this girl was leaning weakly on the scumbag's shoulder, saying in a teasy tone, "The one who isn't loved is the mistress!"
Good heavens! So he's the son of a mistress? That's quite a family tradition!
Watching Su Yongze and Tang Yiran on stage deliver their monotonous, heartfelt confessions, Qu Shiyao's expression became quite interesting, her mind racing:
Does this marriage really need her to sabotage it? It already seems precarious!
Su Wanwan was the first to notice the strange expression on Qu Shiyao's face. She rested her chin on her hand, looked up at her, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
"Tsk, hard to say." Qu Shiyao took out her phone, skillfully pulled up a video file, and handed it to Su Wanwan.
"See for yourself, it might be a surprise for you."
Su Wanwan took the phone, and Jin Yuxi, who was closest to her, couldn't help but peek at it curiously.
Jin Yuxi's pupils dilated in shock after just one glance, and she rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
She glanced at the video on her phone, then looked up at the impeccably dressed groom on the stage, her mind racing: Holy crap! The wealthy really know how to have fun! So exciting!
It was time for the newlyweds to toast the important guests.
Tang Yiran and Su Yongze exchanged pleasantries along the way and finally arrived at table number four.
Tang Yiran looked at the legendary eldest daughter of the Su family, who had fallen out of favor and showed no manners whatsoever during her parents' speeches. She had no idea what this woman was thinking.
But she still had to maintain appearances, so she raised her small wine glass and said in a fairly polite tone, "Sister Wan, this is a toast to you."
Although she is a year older than Su Wanwan, according to the seniority on Su Yongze's side, it is reasonable for her to call her "sister".
"Yongze?" Tang Yiran noticed that Su Yongze beside her was unresponsive. She turned her head and saw that his face was pale, his eyes were flickering, and there were even fine beads of sweat on his forehead.
She asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Huh? Oh! N-nothing!" Su Yongze seemed startled, stammering as he tugged at Tang Yiran's sleeve.
"Let's... let's go to the next table quickly." He just wanted to get away from this troublesome place as soon as possible.
Qu Shiyao looked at Su Yongze with amusement. From the moment he saw her, his face looked like he had seen a ghost.
Clearly, Su Yongze recognized her as the ex-wife who had caught him and his scumbag boyfriend at the hotel.
"Hey! An old acquaintance!" Qu Shiyao said with a smile, raising her glass high towards Su Yongze.
"I didn't expect you to be getting married so soon! Aren't you going to offer a toast and catch up?"
"Yongze, do you know him?" Tang Yiran looked at Qu Shiyao, the strange woman Su Wanwan brought. She didn't seem to be from their circle. How could she know Su Yongze?
Could it be someone Yongze knew before he was recognized and returned to the Su family?
Judging from his reaction just now and his expression now, could there be some grudge between the two of them?
"I don't know him!" Su Yongze denied immediately, his tone urgent and resolute.
He was determined to deny it to the death. As long as there was no solid evidence and the other party had no proof, he could turn the tables and accuse them of mistaking him for someone else or of slander.
He forced a calm expression, frowned, and looked at Qu Shiyao, asking, "Miss, have we met before? Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"
This question really upset Qu Shiyao.
She clutched her chest, her eyes instantly filling with tears: "It hasn't even been six months since we last parted, and now you're saying you don't recognize me? This is so heartbreaking!"
Her voice carried just the right amount of grievance.
The guests who had been listening intently to the gossip suddenly turned strange, their eyes scanning back and forth between Qu Shiyao and Su Yongze.
Tang Yiran's face also darkened completely, and her gaze towards Qu Shiyao was filled with hidden anger.
"Madam! Please have some self-respect! Don't spout nonsense and spread malicious rumors here! Otherwise, I will send you a lawyer's letter!"
Su Yongze was panicking inside, but he still put on a brave face, trying to scare Qu Shiyao away.
If Qu Shiyao could be scared, then she wouldn't be Qu Shiyao.
She took a handkerchief from Zhang Li, her voice trembling with sadness, and wiped away non-existent tears.
"You don't even remember me, so you must have forgotten that deadbeat Zhao Qiu too, right? You heartless bastard!"
Upon hearing the name "Zhao Qiu," Su Yongze's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
The surrounding guests were in an uproar.
Who is Zhao Qiu?
"Zero infidelity? What is zero?"
"That sounds like there's a story behind it..."
The guests, who had initially thought it was just a typical romantic entanglement between a man and a woman, were now a little confused.
Tang Yiran originally thought that Qu Shiyao was Su Yongze's mistress, which she could barely accept, since she was looking for Su Yongze because she wanted him to be easy to control.
But after hearing what Qu Shiyao said next, she instantly understood what was going on, and a feeling of nausea welled up inside her.
Although she knows that some people in the circle have special fetishes, it doesn't mean she can accept that her husband is gay!
Seeing Tang Yiran's sudden change in expression, Su Yongze knew something was wrong and quickly turned to her to explain:
"Yi Ran! Don't listen to her nonsense! I don't know her at all! I've never heard of any Zhao Qiu! You have to believe me!"
His value is entirely tied to the Tang family.
Tang Yiran took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and looked at Qu Shiyao with icy eyes:
"Miss, words are no proof! What evidence do you have to prove what you're saying is true? If this is all fabricated and slanderous, then you'd better expect a lawyer's letter!"
"Evidence?" Qu Shiyao immediately put away her sad expression, tilted her head, and revealed a smile.
"Of course!" She skillfully unlocked her phone, opened the long-treasured video, pointed the screen at Tang Yiran and Su Yongze, and deliberately turned up the volume.
"Honey, what's all the noise outside? Who is it?"
...
"Don't you know the rules? The one who isn't loved is the mistress!"
These voices are clearly Su Yongze's!
In an instant, a deathly silence fell over the area centered around table number four.
Su Yongze's face turned ashen, and he stood frozen in place. He had planned everything, but he hadn't expected that Qu Shiyao had actually recorded the video!
Tang Yiran's eyes were so cold they could freeze someone to death as she stared intently at Su Yongze.
Mr. and Mrs. Su, who had originally intended to hand the reins over to the younger generation and were about to go to the lounge to rest, were also attracted by the commotion and quickly walked over with grim expressions.
A perfectly good engagement party is about to turn into a huge scandal!
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