Chapter 15: Courtship

"Shen Tang, I know you and my sister are close friends, but I am her real sister. How could I possibly harm her?" Li Xinchu was deeply aggrieved.

To the uninformed, it seemed as if Li Jiuwei was once again bullying Li Xinchu.

Some people whispered among themselves.

Their murmuring occasionally drifted over.

Shen Tang maintained a cold expression as she defended Li Jiuwei. "With a venomous sister like you, my Weiwei is truly unlucky. Stay away from her, or my fist will land on your delicate face!"

She was a boxer; Li Xinchu had seen her in action and couldn't help but feel a little nervous. "Shen Tang, you're a woman. Don't be so violent all the time, or you'll find no man wants you."

"Heh, men are just my amusements, not necessities. I couldn't care less what they like," Shen Tang replied.

Li Jiuwei nodded in agreement. She was open-minded, able to let go—otherwise, upon discovering Jiang Huaijing and Li Xinchu's affair, she would have died of anger.

In this exchange, Li Xinchu was no match for Shen Tang.

She was a woman, but her words were coarse and unrestrained.

Li Xinchu clenched her fists, turning her attention back to Li Jiuwei. "Sister, do you not believe me either?"

"You carry the bastard child of my fiancé, and you expect me to trust you? Li Xinchu, are you overestimating yourself, or underestimating me?"

"What? She and Jiang Huaijing, they..." Shen Tang stared incredulously at Li Xinchu's abdomen, the fury in her eyes blazing.

Li Xinchu looked around anxiously, relieved that no outsiders had overheard.

"Disgusting! Filth!" Shen Tang spat contemptuously, then dragged Li Jiuwei away, afraid that if she stayed any longer near Li Xinchu, she wouldn't be able to keep from retching.

Now Shen Tang finally understood why Li Jiuwei had been so listless in their recent chats.

"Ah Tang, I don't care anymore." She no longer loved Jiang Huaijing.

"Weiwei has been wronged." Shen Tang embraced Li Jiuwei; true friends comfort each other in moments of need.

She was the star tonight, so Shen Tang couldn't stay with her the whole evening.

Li Jiuwei wandered through the venue.

Some people admired the jewelry she had designed.

After brief conversations, Li Jiuwei and these admirers exchanged contact information.

"What are you thinking about, Weiwei?"

Li Jiuwei's brows twitched.

The person who appeared was Shen Moxu—handsome, gentle, refined, exuding the aura of a leader. Only thirty years old, he was already the CEO of the Shen Group.

He certainly had the charm to captivate women.

"Little uncle, wouldn't it be more appropriate to call me Jiuwei?"

"Little uncle?"

He murmured the words.

In his presence, Li Jiuwei felt uncomfortable. She found an excuse and slipped outside the banquet.

She wandered around, frowning.

Suddenly, she spotted Feng Su. The man with him was dressed in a suit, standing respectfully at his side.

Li Jiuwei stared intently.

Feng Su sensed her gaze, his sharp eyes sweeping coldly towards her. Upon recognizing Li Jiuwei, his gaze softened instantly.

He dismissed the suited man and strode swiftly to Li Jiuwei.

"Weiwei... you look stunning tonight." Feng Su appraised her—a yellow evening gown made her look like a blooming yellow rose.

"You seem different tonight as well..."

"Ah? How am I different?" Feng Su felt a pang of anxiety.

Li Jiuwei studied him for a long moment, then shook her head with a gentle laugh. "I can't say yet."

"Whether I am or not matters little. Weiwei, I've missed you. You've been ignoring me, and I can't find peace."

Feng Su drew closer, deliberately lowering his voice.

Li Jiuwei, caught in his clinginess, found it amusing. He was so persistent.

As she was lost in thought, Feng Su wrapped his arm around her waist and led her to a secluded corner.

Pressed closely together, Li Jiuwei asked about his purpose for coming here. Feng Su chuckled lightly, "Are you jealous? Worried I have someone else?"

"Where did you get the idea that I'm jealous?"

"Weiwei, I'd rather you were jealous. It would ease my heart." He pinned her hands against the wall.

Feng Su lowered his head, attempting to kiss her, but Li Jiuwei turned her cheek away.

"We're outside."

"Try loving me. Or try being with me. I promise I'll be better than before. We can make our relationship official. We have plenty of time, Weiwei—just love me once, won't you?"

His eyes brimmed with emotion, his tone tinged with pleading.

He was undeniably attractive when sincere.

But—

Reason prevailed. She had suffered once; that was enough.

"Feng Su, how many times must I reject you? Is your heart not made of flesh? Can you not feel pain?"

"You know it hurts, and yet you still wound me. Weiwei, we've been together three years, spent three years in bed. I don't believe you feel nothing for me."

Feng Su gazed deeply into her eyes.

Li Jiuwei couldn't meet his gaze any longer.

"Let it go." All her words condensed into those three simple syllables.

She gently pushed Feng Su away.

This time, Feng Su probably wouldn't pursue her again. Even the most devoted lover awakens eventually, right?

Unexpectedly, Feng Su fixed his gaze on her and declared firmly, "Weiwei, I understand now. I will give you an answer."

An answer? What answer?

Li Jiuwei was full of questions as she watched Feng Su walk away, wordless.

She exhaled softly.

She tidied her hair and dress, gathered her skirt, and left.

Just outside, she saw someone who shouldn't have been there—Shen Moxu.

His eyes were fixed on her.

Li Jiuwei pretended not to notice, intending to pass by, but Shen Moxu caught her arm. Li Jiuwei reacted fiercely, shaking him off.

She knew she had lost control.

She didn't miss the flicker of confusion in Shen Moxu's eyes.

"Sorry."

"What is your relationship with that man?" Shen Moxu asked.

"Second Master Shen, don't you think that's a presumptuous question?"

"So now you're not calling me little uncle. Jiuwei, you're a clever woman, but being too clever is asking for trouble." There was an implicit warning in his words.

Li Jiuwei hated men who thought too highly of themselves. Her lips curved into a faint smile. "My affairs have nothing to do with you, Second Master Shen."

With that, she strode back into the banquet hall.

Standing behind, Shen Moxu lowered his gaze to his fingers, as if her scent lingered there.

He brought his finger to his lips, his mouth curving into an imperceptible smile. But when he recalled the man whose face he hadn't seen clearly, a chill rose in Shen Moxu's eyes.

Upon returning to the banquet, Li Jiuwei noticed everyone's gazes lingering on her. She looked puzzled.

What had happened while she was away?

"Jiuwei, tell me, have you done anything to disgrace the Li family name?"

Her mother was the first to speak.

Being questioned so harshly by her own mother—even if she hadn't, others would assume she had.

She didn't believe her mother was unaware of the implications.

"Sister, who were you just with? Be honest—someone saw you with a man in a secluded corner doing those things—"