Su Lu gazed at Jing Ce’s departing figure, aware that the man was filled with malice, as if each syllable and every step he took were laden with ill intent.
Yet she still stood here in front of this small hall, which felt like a Pandora’s box, and herself standing here was the hand about to open it.
Su Lu took a deep breath, steadied her spirit, and withdrew her gaze from Jing Ce’s receding back, focusing instead on the door to the small hall.
She could faintly hear the voices coming from inside.
Su Lu had good hearing, so she didn’t need to enter; just standing at the door and pulling open a small crack of this Pandora’s box was enough for her to glimpse its entire contents.
Taking another deep breath, Su Lu pushed open a crack in the door to the small hall.
The small hall wasn’t large.
It was less of a small banquet hall and more of a rather spacious private room.
Inside, everything was well-prepared, with drink stations, snack bars, and plenty of hot dishes—it was clear that this place was designed to entertain more important friends than the large banquet hall outside.
With a glance, she saw that the small hall wasn’t crowded at all, at least not as crowded as the outside, and the people inside were mostly friends.
Jiang Li and his brother Jiang Su were there, along with Ying Xi, who had come with Jiang Li. She was now standing with Su Yi, the two being of similar age and probably finding common topics to chat about.
Gu Xin was also present, standing beside Chen Yaxi, and it was unclear who had invited him in. Given his relationship, he shouldn’t have had access to this hall.
Cheng Yan and his brother Cheng Dongyu, although both working under Bo Jingshen, were quite capable in their work. They had been with Bo Jingshen since the beginning of his enterprise, rejecting high-paying poaching attempts from other big companies, waiting until Boss flourished.
Rather than subordinates, the brothers were more regarded as Bo Jingshen’s good friends.
Zhuang Cai Nan was there as well, looking very pale. She probably hadn’t anticipated the situation developing to this point today. After all, it was she who had initially informed Jing Ce in Beijing about Bo Jingshen’s affairs in Feng City, as well as the matters between Bo Jingshen and Su Lu.
Yet she hadn’t expected things to unfold to this state and had actually hoped Jing Ce would stand by her side.
Who could have predicted that Jing Ce had already arranged for someone like Xiao Cai Zi? What Zhuang Cai Nan found even more unimaginable was that, in Jing Ce’s eyes, her proud background and capabilities were utterly worthless.
Jing Ruo stood beside Zhuang Cai Nan, lowering her voice, "Are you satisfied now? What good does doing this do for you? My dad didn’t even give you money, right? You take the salary from my brother and then sell him out..."
Jing Ruo used to have a decent opinion of Zhuang Cai Nan, knowing that Zhuang Cai Nan had excellent work capabilities and had helped Bo Jingshen a great deal in his work.
Although she was aware of Zhuang Cai Nan’s clear intentions towards Bo Jingshen, she hadn’t thought much of it. After all, Jing Ruo had seen too many people who harbored designs on Bo Jingshen, many of whom did not meet with good ends...
But she never expected Zhuang Cai Nan to betray Bo Jingshen. Really, once women become emotional, even the most rational and powerful women can become irrelevant.
"In the end, you won’t get anything. What can my dad even give you? What are you really after?" Jing Ruo couldn’t help but speak in a low tone, "Are you hoping to take advantage of my dad’s old age, hoping he doesn’t bathe?"
Zhuang Cai Nan’s face turned ashen. She spoke in a subdued voice, "Stop it."
Though Jing Ruo was known for being nice and obedient, that was mainly in front of Jing Ce. When her temper rose, she could be somewhat willful.
"No, I won’t stop. What are you after? You take the salary from my brother and then sell him out; now are you happy?"
Zhuang Cai Nan couldn’t listen anymore. She hung her head, speaking softly, "I didn’t do it on purpose, I didn’t intend to hurt him. All I thought was..."
Tears brimmed in her eyes, "All I thought was that if I could spoil his chances with someone else, then perhaps the opportunity would come to me. After all, I’m not any worse, and after all, I have been... waiting for so long."
Hearing her choked voice, Jing Ruo couldn’t bring herself to be angry anymore.
She could only sigh softly and say nothing more.
She looked up towards the stage, and Zhuang Cai Nan also looked up.
Etched firmly into her eyes was the man’s tall figure and handsome face, appearing so arrestingly beautiful despite his cold demeanor.
The young woman beside him, with her lovely appearance, gentle smile, and demure stance, clinging to his arm as if they were inseparable.
It deeply pained Zhuang Cai Nan’s eyes.
Her tears almost fell from her eyes.
Zhuang Cai Nan could tell; Bo Jingshen’s entire body seemed to scream reluctance and displeasure. She still remembered the way Bo Jingshen was when he was with Su Lu.
Even when he seemed unhappy, every detail of his actions contained no resistance.
Whether a man truly sees a person in his eyes and keeps them in his heart
It’s something that can’t really be hidden.
But so what? Even if his every fiber showed his reluctance, he was still standing here, and this woman was still standing by his side. Even if he had no resistance towards Su Lu in every action, Su Lu was not the one by his side now.
The one standing on the stage with them was Zhou Xiaochu.
Zhou Xiaochu’s smile was radiant. After all, she was once a fairly famous actress who had even attracted the attention of the young Jing Ce. So now, it wasn’t difficult to make out the beautiful contours of her face and features.
But there wasn’t much nobility about her; the years of mundane life had polished away her charm. She never really had the chance to appear in such a setting.
So, she seemed out of place at this kind of event, but Zhou Xiaochu was either unaware or didn’t care.
She had a son who could turn her fortunes around.
She could stand here if she wished. She faced people of noble status she could never dream of meeting before.
People like Cai Zi, the kind of elite woman Zhou Xiaochu had dreamt of becoming, were now about to become her daughter-in-law.
The very thought made Zhou Xiaochu feel uplifted.
So she stood on the stage, assuming the position of the protagonist and began to speak.
"Good evening, everyone, welcome to Boss’s opening banquet. I am Jingshen’s mother, Zhou Xiaochu. On such a wonderful day, I wish to announce another piece of joyous news worth celebrating together today."
Everyone’s gaze turned towards the middle-aged woman on the stage.
Jiang Su, Jiang Li, and the rest of them wore the flawless polite smiles typical of high society engagements—impartial but impeccable.
Yet their eyes each held a different sentiment.