The woman had a graceful figure and breathtaking beauty, standing out sharply among the noble ladies present.
The waist of her pure white gauze dress was adorned with pink diamonds, while the fluffy skirt fell to her knees.
The soft, flowing fabric made her look almost like a fairy.
The flicker in Zhou Yushen’s eyes quickly calmed.
He did not move, simply sitting there quietly as he watched the scene unfold.
Lin Siwan followed his gaze.
Shen Nanyue shone like a princess among the crowd—noble, proud, and untouchable.
Almost everyone’s attention was drawn to her, including the domineering yet composed man beside Lin Siwan.
Jealousy flowed through Lin Siwan’s veins, spilling openly from her eyes.
Why would Shen Nanyue come?
With her pride, how could she possibly still appear at the banquet after receiving that kind of message?
She must have known Zhou Yushen was here and deliberately come to steal his attention!
Suppressing her anger, Lin Siwan rapidly thought of how to deal with the situation before her.
Shen Nanyue, however, knew nothing about any of this.
She did not even know Zhou Yushen was here.
Han Qingruo walked over to Shen Nanyue, while Zhou Yu continued making small gestures, nudging Shen Nanyue forward and flattering Han Qingruo.
Han Qingruo sized Shen Nanyue up from head to toe and nodded with a half-smile.
“So you really are a beauty. No wonder my Xiao Yan, such a sensible child, lost his appetite and peace of mind after meeting you once. It’s as if his soul has completely wandered off.”
Though her words sounded like praise, every sentence carried a sharp undertone.
Shen Nanyue’s reputation had long been a source of gossip in high society.
Han Qingruo’s remarks were clearly meant to humiliate her—implying that she had deliberately seduced Meng Yan and tarnished the Meng family’s reputation.
Sure enough, the surrounding spectators immediately joined in, dragging Shen Nanyue down with their gossip.
“A wild rose will always be a wild rose. Spoiled at home, then running around outside. If one man doesn’t work out, she seduces another. She’s born trash.”
“Keep your voice down. If she takes it to heart, maybe your useless son will lose his soul to her too.”
“Not long ago she rejected Meng Yan so decisively, and now she’s eagerly attending Madam Meng’s birthday banquet. Did she regret it? Or is she just playing hard to get?”
“…”
The flood of insults made Zhou Yu feel ashamed just standing beside Shen Nanyue.
She turned her head and shot her disappointing daughter a fierce glare.
Only now did she realize that Han Qingruo was still holding a grudge over Shen Nanyue publicly rejecting Meng Yan and embarrassing the Meng family.
So today’s invitation was merely revenge.
It had nothing to do with a marriage alliance between the two families.
Instinctively, Zhou Yu distanced herself from Shen Nanyue, coldly watching as the crowd mocked and humiliated her.
She was afraid of being stained by association.
Watching from afar, Lin Siwan felt half her anger dissipate.
Shen Nanyue, you brought this upon yourself.
You deserve it.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yushen stared deeply at Shen Nanyue.
Seeing her remain calm and composed, without the slightest trace of sadness or anger on her face.
Standing at the center of vicious rumors, she remained as steady as a rock amid a snowstorm.
But she was only a girl in her twenties—how could she truly not care?
A strange feeling of heartache spread through his chest.
Before he could process it, his body moved ahead of his thoughts.
He stood and strode toward Shen Nanyue.
The faint smile on Shen Nanyue’s lips did not diminish in the slightest because of the rumors.
Looking at Han Qingruo, she spoke neither arrogantly nor humbly.
“Madam Meng, I think you may have misunderstood your son. Sensible?”
She let out a soft laugh, her voice as clear as spring water yet laced with mockery.
“If Meng Yan is considered sensible, then I must be the most obedient and well-behaved daughter in the world.”
Han Qingruo had not expected Shen Nanyue to openly talk back to her, much less insult her son in public.
Her face immediately turned green with rage as her body trembled.
Pointing at Shen Nanyue, she shouted furiously:
“Shen Nanyue! Say one more word slandering my son!”
Zhou Yu grabbed Shen Nanyue and raised her hand to slap her.
Seeing this, Zhou Yushen’s eyes darkened.
He quickly stepped forward, caught Zhou Yu’s wrist, and pulled Shen Nanyue protectively into his arms.
“Mrs. Shen,” he said coldly, “what are you trying to do?”
The icy tone in Zhou Yushen’s voice revealed the displeasure buried deep within him.
Even his usually calm and composed face carried traces of anger.
Nestled in the familiar embrace, Shen Nanyue froze in surprise for several seconds before turning to stare at his profile in disbelief.
Why was he here?
And…
He seemed different today.
The custom-tailored suit he wore was far more luxurious than any she had seen him wear before.
Even the cufflinks on his sleeves were set with precious black gemstones.
His already noble aura became even more dazzling because of the meticulous styling.
So dazzling that, for a fleeting moment, she felt the distance between them was impossibly far.
“What are you doing here?” she asked instinctively.
Zhou Yushen did not answer immediately.
Instead, his fingertips gently patted her exposed, chilly shoulder, as though comforting her.
After flinging away Zhou Yu’s hand, Zhou Yu finally snapped back to her senses and roared furiously at the two of them.
“What am I doing? This unfilial daughter ruined my birthday banquet, and now she’s come to the Meng family to cause trouble too! If I don’t beat her to death, then I’ve failed as a mother!”
“Failed as a mother?”
Zhou Yushen let out a mocking chuckle, utterly devoid of courtesy.
He slowly released Shen Nanyue, then pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped the hand that had just grabbed Zhou Yu’s wrist.
His slender, jade-like fingers were elegant and refined, long like bamboo joints, while the Xiangyun silk handkerchief meticulously cleaned each finger one by one.
The humiliating gesture instantly turned Zhou Yu’s face from black to green with rage.
“Judging from your behavior, it really would’ve been better if you hadn’t raised her at all. The current Nanyue is just fine.”
He turned back and smiled gently at Shen Nanyue.
“And what exactly are you supposed to be? What gives you the right to lecture me? No matter what, Shen Nanyue is still my daughter. In what position are you speaking to me?”
Lin Siwan had never told Zhou Yu that Zhou Yushen was actually the young master of the Zhou family.
So Zhou Yu still believed he was nothing more than an ordinary investment banking manager, and thus had no guilt whatsoever in confronting him.
Shen Nanyue, however, worried about him.
After all, she believed he was merely an investment manager at the Zhou family company.
Offending these people would mean jeopardizing his carefully built business relationships.
She did not want him to suffer because of her.
Taking a step forward, she stood in front of Zhou Yushen and looked coldly at Zhou Yu.
“He’s my fiancé. So what?”
Not only was Zhou Yu stunned, but even Zhou Yushen himself looked at Shen Nanyue in disbelief.
He was getting promoted to fiancé status this quickly?
Only a small number of people at the scene knew Zhou Yushen’s true identity as the Zhou family’s young master.
To everyone else, Shen Nanyue seemed completely insane.
She rejected the young master of the Meng family, only to end up with someone who merely worked for the Zhou family.
What terrible judgment!
“You—!” After recovering from her shock, Zhou Yu pointed at Shen Nanyue, about to explode in anger again.
At that moment, Han Qingruo suddenly interrupted her.
“Shen Nanyue, what exactly do you mean by this?”
By publicly announcing that she and Zhou Yushen were engaged, what was she making of her son?
Shen Nanyue turned back toward Han Qingruo, a mischievous smile curling at her lips.
“Madam Meng, my mother was right about one thing. I didn’t come today to celebrate your birthday.”
She smiled even wider.
“I came here to cause trouble.”
— The end of the Chapter–
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