The fourth day of the Lunar New Year.
Jingdu, Hilton Hotel.
Before the main characters of the banquet had even arrived, the well-decorated hotel ballroom was already bustling with life. Many of those attending Xia Lei and Fan Fan’s wedding were high-profile military figures and billionaires. In this ceremony, the concept of social classes and income were blurred. There were ordinary people within the crowd as well.
Some of the guests busied themselves with talks about Thunder Horse Organization’s tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. Some of them opted to discuss Xia Lei’s current assets and wealth while others reminisced about their past with Xia Lei. There were also guests who were more interested in discussing Xia Lei’s looks and height, even bringing up a few celebrities as a comparison. Here, everyone was from different worlds and thus influencing the choice of their topics.
Above all, this was a great platform to get to create connections and expand one’s networking. When Xia Lei had first started out, there were many who looked down on him. Ironically, those were the ones who tried their hardest to get a hold of an invitation to Xia Lei’s wedding. They hoped to get to know a few political figures or even high-ranking business owners through this occasion.
Humans were born this way. When you were poor, your friends and relatives would rarely visit even if your house was located on the side of the road. However, as soon as you got rich, your friends and relatives wouldn’t even mind the fussy journey even if you lived in the depths of a mountain.
At this moment, two women entered the grand ballroom at the same time. One of them was Tang Yuyan and the other was Shentu Tianyin. While Xia Lei’s invitation had stated that the couple would not be receiving any gifts, both women had an intricate gift box within their palm.
The appearance of Shentu Tianyin and Tang Yuyan immediately drew the media’s attention. A round of heated discussion ensued.
“Isn’t that Vientiane Group’s Shentu Tianyin? Isn’t she Xia Lei’s ex-wife? Why is she attending his wedding?”
“Yeah? That’s quite masochistic.”
“Damn, I really pity her. Xia Lei’s current net worth has way surpassed hers. He’s such a capable man and yet she divorced him.”
“I think the problem was probably not their relationship. Perhaps Xia Lei is not that skilful in bed.”
“Haha, is this a joke? I heard that Xia Lei has a harem living with him in the Peace Mansion. A regular man wouldn’t be able to handle a single woman, let alone an entire harem.”
“Say, would it be awkward when Xia Lei’s current wife meets Shentu Tianyin?”
“Of course it’s going to be awkward. But watch your mouth. Gossiping about Shentu Tianyin is fine but never gossip about Xia Lei’s current wife. I heard she’s a governmental officer and her rank is ridiculously powerful. You better be careful with your words.”
“Okay, okay. Got it…”
In the midst of a flurry of words, the reporters swarmed towards Shentu Tianyin.
“Miss Tianyin, mind if we interview you?”
“Director Shentu, as Xia Lei’s ex-wife, how are you feeling now that you’re attending Xia Lei’s wedding?”
“Miss Tianyin…”
The reporters continued to throw questions at Shentu Tianyin who couldn’t help but frown. The divorce was a scar of hers, the pain was still fresh and the recovery was slow. It was as if these reporters had not learnt of tact, peeling apart her massive scar in the face of the public.
“What are you trying to do? Who let you in?” Tang Yuyan glared at them coldly.
“We were invited by Xia Lei’s sister. Is there a problem?” One of the reporters answered.
Tang Yuyan waved a hand, motioning a few security guards and agents over.
She turned to them and instructed, “Please see them out.”
“Who the hell are you?”
“What gives?”
“You can’t do that! We were all invited.”
Their explanation fell on deaf ears. The security guards swiftly escorted them out of the ballroom.
Shentu Tianyin regained her composure and turned to look at Tang Yuyan. “Thank you.”
Tang Yuyan replied, “No problem. We’re all women who were hurt.”
“But wouldn’t this upset Xia Xue? She was the one in charge of planning Xia Lei and Fan Fan’s wedding and yet you’ve chased away all the reporters she invited.” Shentu Tianyin couldn’t help but be concerned.
Tang Yuyan huffed. “When Fan Fan had snatched away Xia Lei from me, I said nothing. So what could Fan Fan and her little sister-in-law say about this?”
Shentu Tianyin gaped, not daring to say anything.
Tang Yuyan said, “Besides, the only female decision-maker in Xia Lei’s family is Liang Siyao.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Liang Siyao is the one managing the Thunder Horse Organization.” Tang Yuyan continued, “I know Liang Siyao better than you do. She is a former senior intelligence officer of the CIA. If it wasn’t for her exposed identity back then, your marriage with Xia Lei would not have happened.”
“Fan Fan…”
“I know what you’re trying to ask.” Tang Yuyan shifted her posture. “Her rank is higher than mine and the authority she holds is immense. Despite that, she’s docile and soft. If it wasn’t for Xia Lei’s help, she would never have gotten there. She’s gentle and not a fan of conflicts. She was able to get together with Xia Lei all because he wanted to escape me. But what began as a fake relationship had spiralled into real feelings.”
“What about Long Bing?”
“Her? Haha.” Tang Yuyan huffed a few breathy laughs. “She’s a simple one. Even if during the time when you were still together with him or now, she wouldn’t be a threat to anyone. Let me tell you something unheard of. Before your divorce had even taken place, Xia Lei and Long Bing were already involved but you were kept under the wraps. And had she threatened your position back then? No.”
Sadness surged in Shentu Tianyin’s heart. After she had married Xia Lei, the thought of shaking another man’s hand had become uncomfortable to her. Yet, Xia Lei had an affair with Long Bing. While it was the past, hearing it from Tang Yuyan filled her heart with bitterness and jealousy.
“What about Jiang Ruyi?” Shentu Tianyin no longer wished to dwell on Xia Lei’s infidelity.
“That woman is from a regular family. She’s got no remarkable achievements but she grew up with Xia Lei. They were classmates from kindergarten to high school and they were also neighbours. They were real childhood friends. From what I’ve learnt, she harboured feelings for Xia Lei but the man did not reciprocate it. I have no idea how they ended up together later on.”
“I know what kind of a person Xia Lei is. He’s blessed with everything but the ability to refuse others, especially towards women who showed him kindness,” commented Shentu Tianyin.
“I think so too. That’s why Jiang Ruyi is not suitable to be the female decision-maker of their family. She’s not intimidating and a very traditional woman. Despite that, she is still able to accept that Xia Lei has a harem. This means that her tolerance is great as long as she gets to be with Xia Lei,” said Tang Yuyan
“What about you?” Shentu Tianyin stared straight into Tang Yuyan’s eye.
Tang Yuyan’s lips curled into a smirk. “Do you wish to return to Xia Lei’s side?”
Shentu Tianyin froze a little, not expecting that to escape Tang Yuyan’s lips. She travelled back to when she met Tang Yuyan. During then, Tang Yuyan had started the conversation with the very same question. While her answer was not muttered, her heart had yearned for it strongly.
She fell for Xia Lei because of his outstanding capabilities. Some women would fall for a man because of his looks, hence a decent appearance was a requirement. Some women would fall for a man because of his skills, hence good skills was also a requirement. Xia Lei’s individual capabilities were the same as the nature of these requirements, but the things he had were way beyond the boundaries of these requirements. Falling in love was not without reason. If Xia Lei had not possessed his abilities and had remained as a construction worker and electric welder, would the queen of Vientiane Group even notice him? Of course not. She wouldn’t even spare him a single glance.
Shentu Tianyin was not an ordinary woman. She was a woman who stood in a magnificent palace. Her love could not be compared to that of civilians. She was also not an office worker who could not afford to get into a relationship for the sake of winning the favour of her boss. She was Shentu Tianyin and she only had eyes for the best male the world had to offer.
Perhaps this was precisely the reason, the reason why she fell in love with Xia Lei. That made him even more irresistible to Shentu Tianyin now. She had married Xia Lei when he was still a struggling entrepreneur. It was a time when his net worth was not even one-tenth of hers. Despite that, Xia Lei had grown to become a celebrated hero of the nation, owning more wealth than she could ever picture. In the face of such an ex-husband, how could she not have the thought of returning to him? In her heart and in her world, there was no other man who deserved her affection. Xia Lei was the only one that caught her eyes and he was her only one.
“You’re still unwilling to answer this question, huh?” Tang Yuyan’s voice brought her back to reality.
Shentu Tianyin stammered, “Well… I do wish to return but…” She chuckled airily. “There’s no point wishing for it.”
Tang Yuyan leaned over to position her lips to Shentu Tianyin’s ear. “As long as you’re willing, I’ve got a way to get you back to him.”
“What do you mean?” Shentu Tianyin could guess what Tang Yuyan had in mind but the woman had refused to acknowledge it.
“Well, I’m sure I’ve said enough since yesterday. There’s no way you hadn’t picked up my intentions, hmm?”
Shentu Tianyin remained tightlipped.
“I’m not trying to trick you, I’m not that kind of person. Xia Lei might be the only person in this world who could trick you.” With schooled nonchalance, Tang Yuyan uttered, “You should consider my offer. They say that the enemy of an enemy is a friend. We were once rivals in love but I believe that the love rival of a love rival can be friends too.”
“What are you trying to get from this?” Shentu Tianyin studied the other woman cautiously. “Tell me, what’s on your mind.”
Tang Yuyan leaned in once again and whispered, “I want justice for myself. You may think of it as revenge. Fan Fan and Liang Siyao had destroyed my relationship with Xia Lei and I’m not the kind of woman to take a beating and back down. Xia Lei was yours and he was meant to be yours. You’re not robbing him, you’re just getting back the happiness you deserve. Now tell me, what’s your resolution?”
Shentu Tianyin fell silent. “What should I do then?”
Tang Yuyan smiled. “It’s not that complicated…”
As if on cue, a loud booming voice announced, “The bride and groom have arrived!”