Gong Zhaoxi was completely unfazed by Zhong Chen’s accusation.
Instead, he looked utterly righteous as he said, "I understand you. This kind of pain isn’t sothing that can be erased by just beating Yun up once or twice."
"You were already struggling enough with your relationship being opposed by your family, but Yun had to stab you in the back at a ti like this."
"Even if he had grievances against you, why did he have to do this? Why did he have to pick this mont, this thod?"
"As your brother, how could I not know the bitterness in your heart right now? That guy went too far—I can’t forgive him either."
"So I wanted to vent your anger for you and make him taste your pain."
Xing Jiale was stunned by this shaless, twisted reasoning.
anwhile, Zhong Chen was so baffled by this logic that he fell silent for a long mont before finally exploding, "So , under the pretense of avenging , you decided to seduce my girlfriend?"
"Before, when we called you a freak, it was just talk—but now you’re really proving it to us, huh?"
"Am I supposed to thank you for your so-called good intentions?"
Gong Zhaoxi quickly waved his hands. "If you understand my sacrifice, then my suffering won’t have been in vain."
Seeing Zhong Chen’s fists clench, Gong Zhaoxi hurriedly added, "You know exactly how Jiale and I feel about her."
"That girl’s been playing you for a fool all this ti—haven’t I always stood by you in hating her? Do you really think I’m enjoying dealing with soone like that?"
Zhong Chen: ", you’re acting like you’re the victim here?"
Gong Zhaoxi: "At least I’m spending money on this. I was even going to ask you for reimbursent."
Zhong Chen finally snapped, grabbing Gong Zhaoxi by the throat. "Go ahead and send the bill then! You were planning to use my money to seduce my girlfriend on the company di? What kind of logic is that?"
Gong Zhaoxi was choked until his eyes rolled back, forcing Xiao Yun and Xing Jiale to step in and rescue him after watching for a while.
Gong Zhaoxi’s antics seed half-truthful, half-deceptive, and with Xiao Yun’s earlier betrayal still fresh, Zhong Chen was more inclined to believe this was just an idiot.
But Xing Jiale had seen through Gong Zhaoxi’s act long ago—how could he not know the guy was playing dumb to hide his real motives?
Furious but unable to expose Gong Zhaoxi outright and escalate things, he turned his anger toward the real instigator, who was standing on the sidelines watching the drama unfold.
He strode up to Shen Ying, snatched her ga console away, and demanded, "How can you just sit there playing gas? It takes two to tango."
"You could excuse jumping into Yun’s arms as being pressured by Mrs. Zhong, but what’s your excuse now? The mont Zhaoxi makes a move, you just go along with it?"
"What kind of lie are you going to spin this ti? Do you have no sha toward Yun?"
Shen Ying sighed helplessly at Xing Jiale’s accusations. "You heard it yourself—Gong Zhaoxi’s the one plotting sothing shady."
"Using as a tool for revenge against his own brother, all to vent another brother’s anger. I’m the victim here—how is this my fault?"
"How was I supposed to know he had these intentions when he asked out? I’m still shaken up over it!"
Xing Jiale sneered. "Shaken up? Do you really think we’re all idiots?"
"You think Yun’s as easy to fool as Chen? He sees right through your sches."
"I didn’t call you out earlier just to spare you so dignity. Did you really think you could manipulate all of us so easily?"
As he spoke, his gaze fell on Xiao Yun, signaling that Xiao Yun needed to step up and say sothing.
Since the plan was to keep her occupied and not because they genuinely liked her, they couldn’t let her get away with things the way Zhong Chen did.
True to expectations, Xiao Yun didn’t disappoint Xing Jiale. He looked at Shen Ying and spoke sternly: "From now on, stop seeing Gong Zhaoxi in private."
"No matter what he says or does, no matter what excuses he cos up with, you’re not allowed to engage with him."
"Keeping away from ill-intentioned mbers of the opposite sex is a non-negotiable obligation between partners."
Xing Jiale glanced at Zhong Chen, throwing him a look that said, "See? That’s how it’s done."
Straightening up, he was about to applaud Yun for standing his ground when Xiao Yun added, "Of course, as compensation, I’ll double your material allowances and spend more ti with you."
"Don’t worry, it won’t be less than what Zhong Chen or Gong Zhaoxi gives you."
Xing Jiale was stunned. He turned his head stiffly and stared at Xiao Yun for a long mont. "Do you all have so kind of death wish when it cos to spoiling her?"
But regardless, the little stunt Gong Zhaoxi had pulled ended in chaos without any real resolution.
Only Xing Jiale, the last one to leave the lounge, watched the figures of the other four ahead of him and the tangled ss of relationships among them.
Suddenly, he felt like the only sane person left, completely out of place.
Zhong Chen had initially looked sullen, but then a thought seed to strike him.
He turned to Shen Ying and said, "By the way, my family is hosting a banquet this weekend. You should co."
Shen Ying: "Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for to just show up in front of Mrs. Zhong like that?"
Zhong Chen chuckled. "I ntioned you to the old lady these past few days. I expected her to blow up, but surprisingly, she actually spoke quite highly of you."
"She didn’t object to you attending the banquet, so don’t worry."
Seeing Shen Ying’s lack of enthusiasm, Zhong Chen quickly added, "Our family chef’s skills are even better than Sister Qingya’s."
Shen Ying imdiately agreed: "Alright, I’ll go."
A voice cut in from the side: "No need for the trouble. I’ll be bringing my girlfriend along as your invited guest."
Zhong Chen glared at the ever-present Xiao Yun. "What does this have to do with you? Did I invite you?"
Xiao Yun: "The invitation was already sent to . I was just about to ask Ying to be my plus-one. Thanks for saving the trouble."
Zhong Chen imdiately started arguing with Xiao Yun again. anwhile, Gong Zhaoxi, seeing the commotion, pulled Shen Ying aside and said, "Let prepare your dress for the event."
By the weekend, Xiao Yun had arrived early at Shen Ying’s apartnt.
Over the past week, to prevent Gong Zhaoxi from sneaking in any opportunities, he had been spending an unusual amount of ti with Shen Ying.
Honestly, as a boyfriend, this guy was nearly perfect.
He was gentle, considerate, attentive, and incredibly patient. Dating him was an entirely different experience.
Thanks to his thoughtfulness, their initially superficial relationship had ward up quickly, to the point where it almost seed genuine at tis.
When Xiao Yun entered Shen Ying’s ho, he spotted two dress boxes already sitting in the living room. It was obvious which two had sent them.
He walked over, picked up the two large boxes, and tossed them into the corner before presenting his own dress to Shen Ying. "Try this on."
That evening, right on ti, Shen Ying appeared at the Zhong family estate with Xiao Yun's arm linked in hers.
The grand hall and the gardens outside were already teeming with guests.
The Zhong family's business banquet was attended by the crè de la crè of the country's elite.
Yet, even among such a distinguished crowd, the four of them stood out effortlessly.
This was the first ti Shen Ying had seen them dressed so formally.
The youthful flamboyance they usually flaunted at school was now subdued, replaced by a striking aura of maturity and reliability—making them seem far less easy to fool.
When Zhong Chen and the others noticed Shen Ying and Xiao Yun, they approached, though Zhong Chen shot Xiao Yun a disdainful glance. Perhaps mindful of the occasion, he ignored him entirely.
Instead, his gaze dropped to Shen Ying's dress, and he frowned. "The dress I picked wasn’t this one."
Gong Zhaoxi chid in, "Neither was mine."
Zhong Chen gritted his teeth. "You little— I’ll deal with you later."
Xiao Yun smirked. "That explains why there were two random dresses when I went to pick up my girlfriend. I thought they were hideous, so I burned them."
Zhong Chen’s voice turned dangerous. "Do you want to burn you?"
Just as the two were about to start bickering again, Shen Ying interjected, "You all look absolutely dazzling tonight. How about we grab drinks after the banquet?"
Zhong Chen’s ears conveniently filtered out the word "all." He imdiately straightened his posture, a smug grin tugging at his lips.
With exaggerated nonchalance, he rolled his eyes at her. "I always look this good. What’s so special about tonight?"
Despite his words, his eyes locked onto Shen Ying, silently demanding elaboration.
Before she could respond, a voice cut in. "A-Chen, what are you doing here?"
They turned to see Mrs. Zhong, resplendent in a sleek black satin gown, her hair elegantly coiled, a dazzling diamond necklace gracing her slender neck.
Tonight, she was even more radiant, though her imperious air remained unchanged.
She sauntered over and said to Zhong Chen, "Stop dawdling. Go attend to the guests."
Zhong Chen shot Shen Ying one last reluctant glance before obeying.
Mrs. Zhong then addressed Shen Ying. "Miss Shen, welco. I haven’t had the chance to thank you for last ti."
Shen Ying shrugged. "No need for formalities. The transfer the next day was more than enough."
Mrs. Zhong’s lips curled slightly, pleased by her pragmatism.
She continued, "I admire your level-headedness, Miss Shen. Soon, I’ll be making an announcent."
"Once it’s out, A-Chen might… overreact. I hope you’ll handle it with composure."
The unspoken ssage was clear: Whatever happens, don’t indulge him.
Shen Ying didn’t refuse. She smiled. "Of course. We’ve already broken up. Whatever unfolds in the Zhong household tonight is none of my concern."
Mrs. Zhong raised a brow, her eyes flickering to Xiao Yun beside Shen Ying—their linked arms not escaping her notice. A knowing glint passed through her gaze, but she said nothing more before gliding off to mingle.
Xiao Yun had his own social obligations to fulfill, but Shen Ying had no interest in schmoozing. Instead, she indulged in the Zhong family’s gourt spread.
Before long, Xing Jiale managed to slip away and sidled up to her. His tone was dry. "How composed. You’ve still got an appetite at a ti like this."
Shen Ying gestured to the spread. "Don’t just nurse that champagne. Try this at—the sear is perfection, and the jus is incredibly rich."
Xing Jiale was even more furious at her nonchalant attitude. "Go ahead and eat. Let’s see if you still have an appetite later."
Shen Ying rolled her eyes at him. "Why have you been so snappy with lately? I rember you used to be quite easygoing when we first t."
"You even stopped when that guy was bullying ."
Xing Jiale glanced at Shen Ying. Truth be told, he had genuinely admired her back then.
He thought she was straightforward and brave—nothing like the ss she was now.
He scoffed. "Don’t make it sound like I betrayed you. You were the one who approached with an agenda. You played your part well at first."
"I thought you were a bold, honest girl. Turns out you’re just a liar."
Shen Ying retorted, "That’s unfair. When have I ever hidden anything?"
Xing Jiale faltered, then began ntally reviewing their interactions—only to realize with shock that she hadn’t actually lied about a single thing.
The realization made him even more exasperated at how easily his three brothers had fallen into her traps.
Still, he stubbornly doubled down. "Whatever your plans are, it ends here."
"Zhong Chen won’t stay under your spell forever. The more ti passes, the further apart you two will drift."
Seeing Shen Ying’s indifference, Xing Jiale bit his lip and lowered his voice. "Do you even know what’s about to happen?"
Shen Ying replied casually, "Of course. Mrs. Zhong is going to announce an arranged marriage. She’s found a suitable fiancée for Zhong Chen."
Xing Jiale’s expression turned incredulous. Then he noticed Shen Ying scanning the crowd in the distance before nodding toward a particular direction.
"See? That girl over there."
Following her gaze, Xing Jiale spotted a tall, striking beauty who had kicked off her high heels and was now devouring desserts with unapologetic gusto.
When he turned back, his composure completely shattered. "How did you know? Even Zhong Chen has no idea about this yet."
Shen Ying flashed him a smile. "How else do you think I convinced Mrs. Zhong to willingly give 500 million?"
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