The three moved somewhere inside the banquet hall where they could have a little privacy to discuss Lin Qianrou's problems. An hour had passed since Tang Moyu and Li Meili arrived, but there were no other women aside from Lin Qianrou who dared to approach them, lest to even give them a greeting.
Not that Tang Moyu minded it at all. In fact, she wasn't looking forward to seeing Xing Yiyue during this event, wanting to avoid the irritating woman at all cost, but she also expected that by now, that woman would have known about her attendance tonight.
Would the empress cower in fear and let Madam Feng insult her? Definitely not, Tang Moyu was set to avoid Xing Yiyue for the latter's sake. Five years had passed since they last saw each other and according to Li Meili, the actress didn't gain much influence within the social circle even after Feng Tianhua married her.
That said a lot, in Tang Moyu's opinion. Being the Young Madam Feng wasn't as easy as being Feng Tianhua's beloved wife. There were expectations set upon her by everyone and it seemed like Xing Yiyue could barely meet it.
Wasn't this the reason why her mother pushed Tang Moyu to strive well and raised her as a perfect wife for a businessman? Wasn't this why Lin Qianrou was also here and had to attend the fundraiser events to represent her husband?
These kinds of banquets weren't just for fooling around. Wives of the businessmen in Shenzhen used these events to get acquainted with each other and to gain favors. Before her exile, Tang Moyu had attended this banquet once in a while.
Through her best friend, Tang Moyu found out that Lin Qianrou had been living with the fashion designer for a whole week now and hadn't had a good talk with her husband. What's more, she even found out that Lin Qianrou was pregnant, which the stupid Xu Wenyang possibly didn't know about.
Tang Moyu groaned and tried to suppress her irritation over the matter. Why were they divorcing when they haven't even talked to each other yet? Shouldn't they, being husband and wife, talk and sort things out and only divorce if they couldn't be true to each other anymore?
The more Tang Moyu listened to Lin Qianrou's grievances, the more the empress was set on not getting a husband of her own. This cemented her belief that being in a relationship was troublesome, and no, she'd rather keep her sanity and most of her brain cells than to make a fool out of herself because of love.
When the woman was done talking, Tang Moyu heard Li Meili snorted beside her. Knowing her personality, Li Meili would have kicked the ass of that man if he was her husband. Was this why Li Meili also remained single? Tang Moyu wondered.
"Shouldn't you be talking about your issues with him first before divorcing? I'm not trying to defend him, but Qian, you shouldn't be reckless. Especially now that you are pregnant. I hope you won't do anything you'll regret later." Tang Moyu told Lin Qianrou.
Lin Qianrou chewed her lower lip and sighed. She also didn't want to regret her decision, but what could she do? Her husband didn't seem like he was willing to change anything to accommodate her needs, which weren't a materialistic thing.
"I know but we can't stay together like this anymore. He needs to change…"
"So do you," Li Meili chimed in. "Look, Qian. I love you, but all of this self-pity won't do you nor your child any good. If you want to make your relationship work with your husband, the two of you need to come to the same page, where you can explain what you want and what you expect from him."
Lin Qianrou released a sigh she didn't know she was holding. Honestly, ever since she left the Xu Estate, her hormonal changes were starting to drive her insane. One moment, she was glad that she was finally free from her responsibilities as Madam Xu, then the next moment she would be crying because she was starting to miss Wen terribly.
"I suppose you are right. Should I give him a call and meet him?"
"You should," Tang Moyu said. "You should also inform him about your pregnancy. It's his right to know about your delicate condition."
Lin Qianrou knew that the empress had a point, but she wasn't sure if her husband wanted their baby. He barely knew what to do with a wife, what would he do then once she gave birth? She can't probably cover for him nor make excuses once their child questioned his whereabouts.
Their baby's welfare was important, but she didn't think she would be able to stay if Xu Wenyang remained the same. For once, Lin Qianrou regretted that she let her emotion get the best of her by demanding a divorce.
She wanted a husband. A husband who would love her and dote on her and their child.
"Give him a call, set a date, and for once, Qian. Don't let him get away just like that. Even if he gives you diamonds, don't forget the troubles he'd caused you." Li Meili sounded annoyed, but Lin Qianrou knew that her friend was just worried about her.
"Anyway, enough of that. It seems like the star of the night has arrived." Li Meili said before giving Tang Moyu a knowing look. They had expected that Xing Yiyue would be here tonight as well.
Xing Yiyue arrived at the banquet hall and had been swarmed with some ladies for a greeting. The actress gave each one of them a compliment, making sure to praise their dresses. She looked around and saw Tang Moyu seated with Li Meili and Madam Xu.
Excusing herself from the other guests, Xing Yiyue sauntered towards them with a smile.
"Sister Tang, it's been a while."