There's a saying: When you know there's a tiger in the mountains, you still head for the tiger's den.
Song Qinian knew Shen Chi'an was angry and wanted to vent his frustration on her. For Zian'an's sake, she had no choice but to do as Shen Chi'an said and go offer him a toast.
Song Qinian, holding her wine glass, approached Shen Chi'an with a remarkably amiable smile. "Mr. Shen, may I offer you a drink?"
Shen Chi'an didn't even glance at Song Qinian. Instead, he deliberately picked up a dish the woman beside him liked and placed it in her bowl. "You're too thin; you need to eat more."
"I really can't eat anymore. Please stop putting food in my bowl."
"That won't do. I need to fatten you up a bit so you feel better in my arms."
The woman blushed and giggled coyly at his words.
Everyone present was watching Shen Chi'an's movements. Seeing someone approach him with a toast, only to be ignored, they began to whisper amongst themselves.
"Who is that woman? How can she be so clueless? Didn't she see that Fifth Master Shen already has a lady by his side? Why is she bothering to join in?"
"Exactly. Does Fifth Master Shen even want to acknowledge her?"
"Hey, doesn't that woman look familiar? Ah... I remember now. A friend of mine was fortunate enough to attend Old Mrs. Shen's eightieth birthday banquet. She took a photo of Fifth Master Shen's wife for me that day. It's this woman."
"What? She's the ex-wife who betrayed Fifth Master Shen and eloped with another man?"
"The most crucial part is that the person she eloped with was Mr. Li. Damn, what kind of a vixen rebirth is this woman? She managed to attract two exceptional men."
"Then what does it mean for her to go offer Fifth Master Shen a toast now? Does she think that man is no good and wants to remarry Fifth Master Shen? Heh... how can anyone be so shameless?"
Song Qinian felt the gazes of scorn and ridicule, knowing she had become the laughingstock of the room. She waited for several tens of seconds, and seeing that Shen Chi'an still paid her no mind, while Li Junchen seemed about to finish his social obligations and return to her, she was about to turn away when Shen Chi'an suddenly spoke, "Oh, isn't this Miss Song? Apologies, I was so engrossed in talking with my precious darling that I didn't see you. What do you need from me?"
Song Qinian was furious. He had clearly told her to come offer him a toast, and now he was acting as if she were desperately trying to curry favor with him.
Seeing everyone looking at her, Song Qinian's smile widened. "I would like to offer Mr. Shen a toast."
Shen Chi'an let out a slight scoff. "A toast requires a reason. Miss Song, you wouldn't just come here for no reason to offer me a drink, would you?"
"Can't I offer you a drink without a reason?"
"No!"
Song Qinian looked at Shen Chi'an's provocative gaze and desperately wanted to splash the wine in her cup onto his face. Just then, Li Junchen suddenly walked over. He pressed close to Song Qinian, put his arm around her shoulder, and smiled faintly at Shen Chi'an. "Niannian, you want to toast Mr. Shen? Why didn't you wait for me?"
As soon as Song Qinian saw Li Junchen, her head started to ache. As expected, Shen Chi'an's expression instantly turned cold.
"Mr. Shen, this toast should be offered by both Niannian and me to you, thanking you for your care of Niannian over the past few years."
Li Junchen's words were like adding fuel to the fire. Those who heard it stared at Shen Chi'an, not daring to make a sound. Just as everyone expected a bloody incident, Shen Chi'an curved his lips and laughed. "You're welcome. After all, the years I spent with Miss Song were very pleasant."
The implication was that he had slept with Song Qinian for several years, and Li Junchen was merely the one who picked up the pieces.
Song Qinian suddenly felt exhausted, especially with everyone watching them, making her feel like a clown.
She didn't want to stay in this suffocating environment. Leaving with a simple "Excuse me for a moment," she fled to the restroom.
All she wanted now was to be alone and find a place where she could catch her breath.
Midway, Song Qinian encountered Shen Yushu. Seeing Song Qinian's distressed expression, Shen Yushu pulled her to a nearby sofa and handed her a glass of hot water.
Shen Yushu didn't ask anything. After Song Qinian had calmed down for a while and her complexion had slightly improved, he slowly began, "You, Mr. Shen, and Mr. Li..."
But before he could finish his question, Song Qinian interrupted him. "Can you please not mention those two people in front of me?"
Shen Yushu: "I apologize."
Song Qinian shook her head. "There's nothing to apologize for. Instead, I'm surprised you've climbed so quickly. And Zhou Yuting has changed a lot too."
When it came to his own matters, Shen Yushu smiled faintly. "Yes, people always change. I have, and so has Zhou Yuting."
With a simple sentence, Shen Yushu summarized his situation.
Song Qinian wasn't one to pry. She didn't ask further about Zhou Yuting but instead asked, "Are you happy now?"
"Happy, of course, I'm happy. I have everything now, why wouldn't I be happy?"
Is that so?
Song Qinian looked at Shen Yushu, feeling that he wasn't as happy as he appeared.
"That's good. Congratulations, you've finally become someone important."
Shen Yushu smiled, then looked at Song Qinian. "Niannian, regarding Lin Qiutong falsely accusing you of pushing her into the water before, it was my inability to clarify it for you. Today, my words still hold true. If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask. I will definitely do my utmost."
Song Qinian was silent for a few seconds, then looked at Shen Yushu seriously and asked, "How did you and Li Junchen meet?"
"Mr. Li? He invested in a project of our company."
Song Qinian did indeed have something she wanted Shen Yushu's help with, but she wasn't sure if Shen Yushu could be trusted. After all, Shen Yushu had framed her before.
Furthermore, since Li Junchen had invested in Shen Yushu's company's project, would Shen Yushu dare to offend Li Junchen?
Thinking of this, Song Qinian dared not act rashly. If Shen Yushu were to betray her to Li Junchen, her future actions would become even more difficult.
Shen Yushu seemed to sense something and cautiously probed, "Niannian, do you... dislike Li Junchen?"
Before she could confirm if Shen Yushu genuinely wanted to help her, Song Qinian didn't tell him the truth. Instead, she smiled and said, "Of course not. If I didn't like him, why would I be with him?"
After Song Qinian left, Shen Chi'an became somewhat absent-minded. In the end, he couldn't resist coming to find Song Qinian and overheard this conversation.
He clenched his fists, his face dark and grim.
Just then, Shen Chi'an's phone suddenly rang. It was a call from the hospital. "Mr. Shen, the DNA鉴定 results are out."
Shen Chi'an didn't inquire about the results over the phone. Instead, he said coldly, "Wait for me, I'll discuss it with you at the hospital."