"Shiyu, I never expected you to be Madam Rong. While it's regrettable, I still wish you happiness."
Fang Yuan stood before Jiang Shiyu with a smile, taking her hand. She noticed Jiang Shiyu's fingers. "Huh? Where's the wedding ring? Shiyu, you married the CEO, why aren't you wearing your wedding ring yet? Did Murong Cheng not give you one? How careless of him, to forget something so important."
Fang Yuan's words reminded Jiang Shiyu about the wedding ring.
Murong Cheng not giving her a wedding ring suited her just fine.
She had been wild since childhood. Forget wedding rings, she never even wore necklaces or earrings. She hadn't had her ears pierced, finding such jewelry cumbersome and troublesome.
Mu Rufeng had once gifted her a necklace worth tens of thousands of yuan, but Jiang Shiyu never wore it. She left it in her room at the Gu residence. When she went to look for it later, it was gone. Jiang Shiyu had forgotten all about it.
Her colleagues nearby exchanged glances upon hearing Fang Yuan's comment and whispered amongst themselves.
"I knew the CEO wouldn't marry an ordinary woman. It seems he's not that invested."
"Who knows what methods she used to get into the CEO's bed..."
"A ring is just a formality," Jiang Shiyu subtly withdrew her hand from Fang Yuan's.
After a few days, Fang Yuan still looked radiant, her face showing no trace of tears, as if the events of that day never happened.
She still greeted Jiang Shiyu with a smile.
But Jiang Shiyu felt completely different about her now.
Jiang Shiyu looked at Fang Yuan coldly. "The feelings between people shouldn't be tied to material things. Formality is not something to be fixated on. Two hearts are enough. Murong Cheng and I are deeply in love, we don't need a ring to prove it."
Fang Yuan's expression shifted slightly.
The smile on her lips froze.
"Shiyu, don't you know Murong Cheng has a five-year-old son? I saw the child at the annual meeting. Are you marrying him to be a nanny and take care of his child?"
After speaking, Fang Yuan covered her mouth. "Oh dear, I was just joking. Please don't take offense!"
Jiang Shiyu truly didn't know Murong Cheng had a five-year-old son.
She thought of the boy, Cheche, from that day...
Jiang Shiyu suddenly had an epiphany.
"It's fine. Having a child is perfect, it means I won't have to give birth. That child is innocent, pure, lovely, romantic, and incredibly handsome, like a little angel. I adore him, and he likes calling me Mommy. I'll bring him to the company to play next time. He's my son now."
After Jiang Shiyu spoke, her colleagues chimed in, "That's great! She truly is the woman the CEO fancies, so magnanimous!"
Jiang Shiyu turned her gaze to Fang Yuan's face. "When you have time, come to my place for dinner. I'll introduce you to my husband. It was a pity you didn't meet him last time... but perhaps you don't need to meet him. I imagine you know him better than I do."
Both of them were smiling.
Yet, a palpable tension hung in the air.
Even the refined Fang Yuan was struggling to maintain composure. "Alright... I'm going to the restroom..."
She turned and left, her steps hurried.
Jiang Shiyu withdrew her gaze. She had initially wanted to apologize to Fang Yuan, but upon their reunion, she was met with Fang Yuan's barrage of hostility.
She knew Fang Yuan was angry, but she hadn't deliberately concealed anything.
If she had known Murong Cheng's true identity, she would never have deliberately kept it from Fang Yuan.
But it seemed no matter what she said, Fang Yuan wouldn't believe her.
She then remembered the child Fang Yuan had mentioned earlier.
Cheche.
He was Murong Cheng's biological son?
Jiang Shiyu was shocked yet found it plausible.
They were indeed father and son. Hiding identities meant a string of lies!
As she was thinking, her phone vibrated.
Jiang Shiyu saw Mu Rufeng's incoming call and immediately hung up.
A few seconds after hanging up, Mu Rufeng called again. This happened three or four times, and Jiang Shiyu, thoroughly annoyed, finally answered.
"What do you want?" Jiang Shiyu's tone was sharp.
"Shiyu, how could you do this... Even if it's to spite me, you shouldn't marry Rong Xue's brother to get back at me! Divorce him!"
As soon as Mu Rufeng answered, he launched into this accusation.
Jiang Shiyu was so amused by Mu Rufeng that she laughed. "Who are you? Mu Rufeng, what is our relationship? You're not with your wife and child, and Rong Xue is pregnant with your child, due any day now. Is it appropriate for you to call me and say this?"
"Stop fooling around, be good..."
Mu Rufeng, as before, coaxed Jiang Shiyu with a gentle tone.
Jiang Shiyu's nose twitched slightly, but it was only for a moment. "Mu Rufeng, I warn you, don't call me again. And please don't be so narcissistic. Do you think no matter what I do, I'm just being willful and unreasonable?
Before Mu Rufeng could say anything on the other end, Jiang Shiyu hung up the phone.
His call was rejected, but Mu Rufeng was persistent and bombarded her with text messages.
Jiang Shiyu, at her wit's end, added Mu Rufeng to her block list.
Unexpectedly, he then contacted Zhang Wanrong.
"Shiyu, dear, I heard from Rufeng about your situation. Although you and Rufeng broke up, in my eyes, you are like my own daughter. I don't want you to marry a stranger out of a moment's pique..." Zhang Wanrong spoke earnestly.
Jiang Shiyu knew Zhang Wanrong meant well for her and could only say, "Auntie, Mu Rongcheng and I are not strangers. We... we've known each other for a long time!"
Indeed, Murong Cheng gave her a sense of familiarity.
Jiang Shiyu couldn't recall when she had met Murong Cheng, but it felt as if she had known him for a very long time.
Zhang Wanrong sighed, understanding Jiang Shiyu's stubborn nature, and didn't press further. "Alright, you decide what's best. I hope you'll be happy and not punish yourself for Rufeng's mistakes!"
Jiang Shiyu felt a warmth in her heart. "I understand, Auntie."
She wasn't her biological mother, yet she treated her better than her stepmother.
If not for Zhang Wanrong over the years, she might not have been able to endure.
After work, Jiang Shiyu bought some tonics and went to the Mu family's residence. Unexpectedly, as she was leaving, she ran into Mu Rufeng.
"Shiyu?"
Seeing Jiang Shiyu, Mu Rufeng's face lit up with joy. He grasped Jiang Shiyu's hand. "You're here! Have you come to your senses?"
Jiang Shiyu pulled her hand away. "Don't touch me."
If Rong Xue saw them, she wouldn't be able to explain herself, even with eight mouths.
"Shiyu, you've changed. You weren't like this before," Mu Rufeng said, his eyes filled with pain.
Jiang Shiyu placed her hands on her hips, amused. "Mu Rufeng, I've always been like this! It's just that you never truly understood me!"
"Shiyu, don't go... I have so much to tell you..."
Mu Rufeng reached out, trying to pull Jiang Shiyu back.
Jiang Shiyu stopped in her tracks.