Chapter 19 Attend a banquet

Chu Xing has been kept me in company at home and taking good care of me these days. During this time, I asked him, "when are you returning to S city?"

He asked me with a smile, "are you so anxious to kick me out?"

"I'm afraid my sister-in-law will be angry with you."

"She is young, and often argues with me."

My sister-in-law was younger than me. I've heard him mention her. She was indeed domineering.

But she could tell right from wrong.

She had never been irrationally domineering.

If she had run into a woman like Wen Ruyan, she would not waste her time on her at all, but order people to kick her away. For that reason, Chu Xing barely had women around him.

As for me, I had always disdained and ignored women like Wen Ruyan with disdain.

It was precisely because of my disdain that she could have the opportunity to undermine me.

I said with a smile: "since my sister-in-law is young, you should tolerate her, brother Chu Xing."

Chu Xing seemed to have recalled something, and said with a doting smile, "I have never blamed her."

Speaking of that sister-in-law, Chu Xing smiled a real smile.

"Then, the two you must be together happily."

"Sure, we well."

I said, "go back to S City early. She must have missed you."

"Then what about you? I must stay here."

I forced a smile, "brother, I also have something that I want to do. You've got to give me some private time.".

I drove him away only because I didn't want him to waste time on me.

Besides, he was having an argument with my sister-in-law, and there was no reason that he should waste his time to stay.

Chu Xing hesitated and finally compromised, "fine, but you must accompany me to a banquet tonight."

"Why do you want me to accompany you to a banquet all of a sudden?"

Chu Xing smiled and suddenly said coldly, "since Wen Ruyan thinks she is nobler than you, I'll let her know who on earth is the cheap woman tonight. Sheng er, don’t refuse me. A person should learn to respect others. Wen Ruyan has been spoiled by Gu Tingchen. That’s why she doesn’t hold the least respect to you."

"I don't care."

"I care."

¡­¡­

I wasn’t in a good spirit, but still agreed to attend the banquet with Chu Xing. I know he wanted to take it out on Wen Ruyan for me, but deep down, I really did not want to have anything to do with Gu Tingchen.

After all, it was a banquet. No matter whether Wen Ruyan behaved right or wrong on that occasion, Gu Tingchen would protect her, because it was his responsibility as a man to protect her, and also because he loved her that much.

I didn’t want to see him being gentle and tender to another woman.

I carefully put on makeup to cover the scar on my face, put a set of luxurious evening dress and a pair of gold high heels. In the mirror, I looked charming and beautiful.

I never brag about myself. The combination of my face and my figure was unique in Wu city. Those who were as slim as me were never able to be as good-looking as me. My face was well-defined; my eyes were like deep ocean; my nose was delicate. Wen Ruyan was indeed not half as beautiful as I was, but Gu Tingchen was still deeply in love with her.

I felt it ridiculous, and then applied my brightest red lipstick.

As I finished putting on makeup, Chu Xing came in. Seeing me, his eyes brightened up, and then he said with a smile: "I know you are beautiful, but never knew you are so exquisite. You are perfect, just like a flawless doll."

"What's the use of beauty?"

Chu Xing replied, "it is pleasing to the eye."

"Maybe. When are you going to the banquet?"

"Now. The banquet has already begun."

Chu Xing picked up my camel coat and put it on me. When we arrived, if was half way through the banquet. Seeing me and Chu Xing, the organizer came to greet us in person: "Mr. Chu, Miss Shi, welcome. Your presence brings light to my humble birthday party."

Chu Xing smiled: "thanks for inviting us, respected Mr. Song. I hope to cooperate more with you in the future."

"No problem, Mr. Chu. This is a great gift for me."

In Wu city, Shi family and Gu family were the most powerful, while in S city, Chu Xing’s family was the most powerful.

Years ago, my mother agreed to let Chu Xing go back to his biological parents only after Chu Xing chose to return. Chu Xing was a smart person who knew what to seize and what to let go of.

In his own opinion, he was not a real member of Shi family. Even though my mother gave him a bright future or even gave him the power of my family, he still said that he couldn’t accept it. What he needed was his own power, and a family that he could feel justified to inherit.

It was the most rightful choice he made at that time.

At this moment, all the people were flattering him and Gu Tingchen.

Because the two men were the top powers of the two cities.

As for me, my flower of power has gradually withered.

Maybe it didn’t count as withering. It was my own choice to let go of power.

But even so, almost all of the guests at the banquet knew me.

None talked much with me. Perhaps it was because I looked cold and silent.

As I and Chu Xing were having a quiet time, Gu Tingchen approached us with Wen Ruyan. Taking a cold glance at Chu Xing, and smiled ironically: "Is Mr. Chu your new boyfriend, Miss. Shi?"

I smiled but did not reply. Chu Xing hugged my shoulder and turned me around to leave.

"Wait, Shi Sheng."

Hearing Wen Ruyan call me, Chu Xing suddenly stopped.

He turned around and stared coldly at Wen Ruyan: "what did you call her?"

Chu Xing's face looked very cold and serious. Wen Ruyan answered with a bit fear: "Shi Sheng."

Chu Xing changed his expression, and berated her loudly: "since she turned up here, all other guest were calling her either President Shi or Miss Shi. What makes you qualified to call her by her name? Is she familiar with you? Wen Ruyan, don't overestimate yourself. Everyone here regards you as nothing but the third one in a relationship. Plus, I don’t believe that Mr. Gu loves you as much as you think he does."

Wen Ruyan’s face turned pale from anger. "You… "

Chu Xing had not said those in a low voice, so the guests around had heard him. Those who had known about him knew that he was a very restrained man who had never spoken against anyone, especially women. But at this moment, he was speaking against Gu Tingchen's fiancee for me.

Gu Tingchen’s expression looked cold, obscure, and hard to interpret, as if the one humiliated by Chu Xing was not his fiancee. Wen Ruyan grabbed Gu Tingchen’s arm for help, but he sneered in a low voice, and agreed with Chu Xing: "Mr. Chu is right, you have been a bit unreasonable usually. One can’t do things regardless of consequence. So, I’m not speaking up for you today. Just take this as a lesson."

Wen Ruyan’s expression changed. She might not have expected that the man she trusted most would not help her.

I was surprised, too. I thought Gu Tingchen would protect Wen Ruyan because there were many people around. If Gu Tingchen chose not to protect Wen Ruyan, then these honorable guests from the upper class would not hold too much respect toward Wen Ruyan in the future. In that case, before her marriage, she had lost her dignity as a wife of a wealthy family.

I thought that the matter would have ended like this, and that the guests would scatter and only talk about it in privacy. To another surprise of mine, Chu Xing didn’t plan to let go of it easily. His cold voice echoed in the hall: "Shi Sheng stands for my bottom line. No matter who dares to offend her, I will let him pay the price even if I may need to sacrifice my family. I’m not letting go of the matter easily. In order to give Miss Wen an impressive lesson, I hereby announce on behalf of Chu family that as long as Miss Wen has anything to do with Gu family, my family will neither have any commercial cooperation with Gu family, nor the companies that cooperate with Gu family. I don't care if Chu family will break the contracts. I hope you learn this lesson conscientiously, Miss Wen."

Chu Xing attached accent to "learn this lesson conscientiously."

Attacking Gu family economically was also an attack on Wen Ruyan. It was equivalent to putting the families from the two cities in the opposite position, and the small families would be impacted. By making Wen Ruyan the most critical factor in this confrontation, Chu Xing was forcing Wen Ruyan to give up Gu family. In this way, he was taking revenge for me.

The guests did not expect that just a call would result such serious consequences, and also didn’t expect that Chu Xing would treasure me so much. I looked at him, and he smiled and took me away.

He totally ignored Gu Tingchen, who was in a gloomy expression.

When there was no one around, I sighed, "you don’t have to act against her at all."

Chu Xing said: "I have heard you say the things between you, and have investigated it privately. Now that she has given you a hard time, I will definitely not let her be at ease. Although you do not feel it necessary, Sheng er, I must let everyone know that you are very valuable before you are gone from this world."

As he spoke, he couldn’t help sobbing.

He looked at me with his red eyes, and reached out to touch my cheek. Word by word, he said: "we have not seen each other for so many years. But when we contact each other, I still feel the way I felt in the past. I still feel that I am your brother, and you are still my sister. After mom passed away, I knew you were sad. I wanted to come to you, but you kept refusing me, and I didn't know what you were afraid of. If I hadn't come to Wu city to find you, till when would you stop avoiding me?"

What was I afraid of?

Chu Xing contacted me the year when my parents died, and wanted to come to Wu city to see me, but I refused, because at that time he had to take care of Chu family and had to fulfill his responsibility. I was afraid that I would regard him as my only support after he came and would not be able to carry on alone after he left. I also knew in my heart that even if he had come to me that year, my situation would not change.

I was afraid that he would leave after letting me feel warm in the heart, so I refused him in the beginning.

I was afraid that if I relied too much on him, I would relax myself.

I said gratefully, "thank you, brother."

The banquet had bright lights, and the spot where Chu Xing and I stood happened to be in the shade. He hesitated for a long time before whispering to me for hope: "Sheng er, did the doctor really say that your cancer is irreversible?"

He had a slight cry in his voice.

"Brother, would I joke with you about that?"

Chu Xing suddenly hugged me in his arms and cried out, "I'm sorry, Sheng er. Forgive me for coming to you so late. I'm even more sorry for mom that I haven't taken good care of you."

"Brother Chu Xing, do me another favor."

"Just tell me, I will have it done."

"I have a friend in jail… "