Madam Sheng has always been very laid-back about her grandson's affairs. None of her former female companions had become grandmothers, so she wasn't in a hurry. However, now that Lady Chu has suddenly become a grandmother, Madam Sheng is both envious and jealous as she watches her holding Little Liu Yi and laughing uncontrollably. She can no longer maintain her laid-back attitude.
Ye Ling purses her lips and remains silent. She thought that Sheng Junlie would come up with an excuse to appease Madam Sheng as he had done before, but he doesn't say anything this time. She looks up at him, and in the brightly lit banquet hall, his handsome and sharp eyebrows and eyes are reflected. He stares at her silently, with no intention of helping her out.
"I'm talking to you. Why are you looking at Junlie?" Madam Sheng becomes impatient and her tone becomes sharp. "You'll go to the hospital to check your body tomorrow, and then stay at home to prepare for pregnancy."
"Mom," Ye Ling feels bitter in her heart. Her mother and brother have opposite views on her having a child. She is caught in the middle and feels helpless. "The company is very busy lately, and I can't take time off. Can I wait for two more months?"
"What's so important in the company? Can't it operate without you?" Madam Sheng interrupts her forcefully. "Ye Ling, don't forget that we agreed to let you marry into the Sheng family because you were pregnant with Junlie's child. We didn't want the Sheng family's bloodline to be lost outside."
Of course, Ye Ling wouldn't forget. Being pregnant before marriage had pinned her to the pillar of shame. Every time Madam Sheng brought up this matter, she felt ashamed.
Sheng Junlie glances at her pale face and says lightly, "I'll take her to the hospital tomorrow. You don't have to worry. Aunt Chu seems to be looking for you."
Madam Sheng's attention is suddenly diverted. She looks at Lady Chu, who is looking in their direction, and says, "She's looking for me just to show off her grandson. You two have to give me face and have triplets or quadruplets to make her jealous!"
Sheng Junlie: "..."
After Madam Sheng leaves, Ye Ling's stomach starts to ache. She says in a low voice, "I'll go to the bathroom."
Sheng Junlie frowns as he watches her walk away, feeling inexplicably annoyed. He takes a glass of wine from the waiter and drinks it in one gulp.
The strong liquor burned his stomach, fueling his anger. As he lifted his gaze, he saw a familiar figure leaving the banquet hall. Wasn't that Chu Qin?
Leaving the restroom, Ye Ling heard Bach's piano piece echoing in the hallway. She didn't want to go back to the banquet hall, so she turned and headed for the courtyard.
The night enveloped the courtyard, but the lights were bright. Unfortunately, someone was already there when she arrived. She was about to turn and leave when she heard a familiar voice behind her, "Little Ling."
Ye Ling shuddered all over, and the warning from Sheng Junlie earlier rang in her ears. She hurriedly quickened her pace to leave.
She heard hurried footsteps behind her, and a shadow swept past her side, blocking her way.
"Little Ling, don't you want to see me?"
Ye Ling looked up at the familiar figure with reddened eyes. He looked at her with injured and aggrieved eyes, and her heart ached.
"Chu Qin, we shouldn't be meeting like this."
Chu Qin and Ye Ling had known each other since childhood. Chu Qin was half a month older than her, and after his mother gave birth to him, she was too weak to breastfeed him, so she had to give him up. Later, when Ye Ling's mother gave birth to her, she ate too little, so Chu Qin's mother brought him over to be fed by Ye Ling's mother. Perhaps it was this unique intimacy that made their relationship special.
Until the accident happened later on...
The hallway was dark, and Chu Qin's eyes shone brightly and passionately as he looked at her. He grabbed her wrist excitedly, "Little Ling, don't go, I...I miss you so much."
Earlier in the banquet hall, he saw her with the Sheng family. He could tell that Sheng Junlie wasn't treating her well.
He regretted it. Three years ago, when she needed him the most, he chose to let go.
"Chu Qin, you've had too much to drink." Ye Ling forcefully pulled her wrist out of his grasp and walked past him.
"Ye Ling!" Chu Qin stood behind her, distressed, "I know you're not happy at all. You used to smile a lot, but tonight I haven't seen you smile once. Are you still pretending to be happy in front of me?"
Ye Ling stiffened, before she could say anything, she saw a tall figure slowly walking out of the darkness into the light.
The light and shadow changed, and the person had a cold and sharp look, like a demon from hell.
"Oh?" Shen Junlie stood beside Ye Ling, his big hand wrapped around her waist, forcefully pulling her into his arms, and then turned to face Chu Qin, "Is she happy or not? It seems that Chu Second Young Master cares more about her than her own husband."
As he spoke, he lowered his head to look at Ye Ling, pinching her chin with his hand, his pitch-black eyes full of malice, "Why don't we show our love for each other and put his mind at ease?"
Ye Ling was scared, her stomach spasmed, and the pain worsened. She hadn't forgotten Shen Junlie's warning to her. Now that he had caught her alone with Chu Qin, she didn't know how he would deal with her.
Chu Qin saw that he was almost going to kiss Ye Ling, and he was jealous to the point of having red eyes, "Shen Junlie, you don't love Little Ling at all, why don't you let her go?"
"Who said I don't love her?" Shen Junlie tightened his grip on Ye Ling's waist, and their bodies were tightly pressed together. His tone was light, "Come on, baby, let me tell you how I love and cherish you every night."
Ye Ling's face turned pale. She could tell that this love was not the same as the other love. He wanted to humiliate her.
Chu Qin wasn't a fool, and he naturally understood that Shen Junlie was deliberately humiliating Ye Ling in front of him. He was furious, "Shen Junlie, you bastard..."
"Chu Qin, could you leave first?" Ye Ling interrupted Chu Qin.
She smelled the strong smell of alcohol on Shen Junlie, and knew that he was in a bad mood now. She was afraid that if Chu Qin continued to stay here and stimulate him, she would be the one who would suffer in the end.
"Little Ling, are you going to let him humiliate you like this?" Chu Qin was distressed. The person he cherished was being treated like this by another man. He regretted it deeply.
"This is a matter between husband and wife," Ye Ling said, emphasizing the words "husband and wife".
Like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, extinguishing the raging anger in his heart, Chu Qin stared in disbelief at the two people tightly entwined like conjoined twins.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have interfered." Chu Qin stumbled away.
The sound of chaotic footsteps followed him, but soon disappeared from his ears.
Feeling upset, Ye Ling suddenly felt a wave of nausea rising from her stomach. She pushed away Sheng Junlie and rushed to the trash can to vomit.
Sheng Junlie was stunned for a moment, then exploded in anger. He glared at Ye Ling, who was still retching, and said without restraint, "What, you find me disgusting just because you met your ex-lover?"