Xuan Rui also leaned in, seemingly out of curiosity, to take a quick look.
Little did she know, the more she watched, the harder it became to look away.
Xuan Rui rested her arm on Chen Xi’s shoulder and whispered, “You’ve got some skills. The way you edited this is so captivating. Anyone who doesn’t know better would think these two really know each other.”
Chen Xi pursed her lips slightly.
She thought to herself, they don’t just know each other.
Xuan Rui swallowed hard and, from the beginning until the progress bar reached the middle and later parts, she whispered, “This scene of sending someone off to work, with the farewell kiss through the car window from the driver’s seat, is just brilliant… I can’t believe you thought of that.”
Chen Xi silently reflected.
Inspiration comes from life.
The reality is even more intense, like the moment when he wrapped the scarf around her, but unfortunately, that couldn’t be edited in.
Xuan Rui clicked her tongue and said, “If MianMian’s husband finds out about this, he might come after you with a knife for editing his wife and another man in such a captivating way.”
Chen Xi sighed softly and whispered, “He won’t.”
Chen Xi wasn’t sure if she was just doing this for fun, but if this CP (couple pairing) were to gain attention and popularity, would it be a good or bad thing for Ren Congmian and Jing Mian?
Perhaps, when the day comes that they announce their relationship, people who are already mentally prepared or fans who are deeply invested in this CP might feel a sense of fulfillment, like “my favorite ship has actually sailed”?
But forget it, this kind of cold and unconventional CP, which seems completely unrelated, might not even attract any viewers.
With a somewhat indescribable feeling, Chen Xi lowered her gaze and, at the last second of the video editing, clicked “Send!”
—【Upload successful.】
As the wedding approached.
Even though he had known the date for a long time, Li Qiao’s heart was still quietly nervous. After all, the wedding he was about to attend would be attended by many upper-class individuals and families, and the Jing family’s position among them was almost negligible. If it weren’t for the opportunity to form a family alliance with the Ren family, those upper-class individuals might not even glance their way.
Although it was nominally a wedding, he could use this event to meet more upper-class ladies and noblewomen, thereby elevating his own status.
Bringing Jing Luo along was also a necessity.
Although Jing Luo was still young, he needed to attend such occasions more often. Even though it was unclear how long Jing Mian and the Ren family’s son’s marriage would last, this opportunity was absolutely rare.
So, several weeks in advance, Li Qiao had already custom-made his own formal attire and, through Jing Guozhen, had learned in advance about the attendees of the wedding, memorizing their names and matching them with photos.
Ensuring that he would be dressed to the nines at the wedding and would be able to interact with the guests with ease and grace, winning the favor of those upper-class individuals.
Of course, he also had a custom-made outfit for Jing Luo, a small suit with a beautiful bow tie.
However, after that incident, Jing Luo had started to ignore him.
Li Qiao thought that since Jing Luo was still young, it was unlikely he was holding a grudge. He was probably just upset about Li Qiao’s attitude towards Jing Mian, and this kind of sulking would soon dissipate. After all, there are no children in the world who hold grudges.
Seeing Li Qiao so enthusiastic, Jing Guozhen couldn’t help but tease, “It’s your son getting married, not you. Why are you so excited?”
Li Qiao glanced at him and smiled gently, “You don’t understand, do you? I’m Jing Mian’s stepmother. My appearance reflects on Jing Mian. This is Jing Mian’s big day, and the other party is such a powerful family like the Ren family. We can’t let them look down on us. The grace and elegance you see on TV, although superficial, are things I, as a mother, must not fall short of. I can’t let people laugh at us.”
Jing Guozhen listened with some emotion, “Having a wife like you is my blessing. Even though Jing Mian isn’t your child, you’ve been so dedicated for over a decade. It’s my luck, and Jing Mian’s luck.”
Li Qiao turned her head, smiling as she folded clothes, “What are you talking about? This is what I should do. No need for thanks.”
Jing Guozhen glanced sideways and suddenly said, “Why has Jing Luo been so well-behaved these past few days? He’s been talking less and doesn’t like to answer questions. Did something unhappy happen at kindergarten?”
Li Qiao’s hands, which were organizing clothes, stiffened.
She turned around and forced a smile, “Children at this age have their own little worries. Whether it’s not memorizing a poem in class or not solving a math problem, it’s enough to make them upset for a day.”
Jing Guozhen chuckled, “Jing Luo isn’t like that. This child has been smart since he was little, like a little adult. Before, in order to secretly play with the tablet, he studied it for a long time and even cracked the password.”
Li Qiao pursed her lips, feeling somewhat frustrated, and could only respond, “That just means he remembered your and my birthdays and combined them.”
Jing Guozhen said, “For such a young child to think of combining passwords is quite impressive.”
As they were talking, suddenly, the doorbell rang on the first floor.
The maid quickly wiped her hands and went to open the door.
Standing at the door were two unfamiliar men in formal attire.
These two men claimed to be from the Ren family.
Upon hearing this, the maid quickly bowed slightly, turned around, and went to inform Jing’s father and mother.
The couple quickly came downstairs, and although they were somewhat confused, they politely welcomed the two men inside.
The leader greeted them and began to introduce himself:
“Hello, I am Mr. Ren’s assistant, my name is Chen Ke.”
“This is the financial director of the Ren family, Li Yan. The expenses for this wedding, including the total expenditure, are all managed by Mr. Li, who is fully responsible.”
Jing Guozhen was slightly surprised.
After all, the interactions between the two families, apart from the occasional banquet and phone communication, were almost negligible. It was rare for them to send someone so formally, as if to hand over some notification.
Jing Guozhen shook hands with the two men and asked, “May I ask what brings you here?”
“Ah, it’s like this,” Li Yan took something out of his briefcase, like a prepared document, and handed it to Jing Guozhen, saying, “Most of the expenses for this wedding are covered by the Ren family, but the banquet food, band, and some miscellaneous items are to be paid by the Jing family. So, before the wedding, we need to go over the accounts with you again.”
Jing Guozhen understood.
But in front of Jing Luo and the other assistant, he still felt somewhat embarrassed. So he took the document, quickly glanced through it, and handed it back, saying, “No problem, thank you for coming all this way.”
Li Yan said, “Alright, you’re too kind.”
Li Yan took a step back, seemingly making room for Chen Ke beside him.
Jing Guozhen was puzzled.
Anyone could see that the Ren family’s visit this time seemed to be about more than just one thing.
So he spoke up, “Mr. Chen, is there something else you need to say?”
Chen Ke nodded, but his gaze suddenly fell on Li Qiao beside Jing Guozhen.
He said, “This is Mrs. Jing, right?”
Li Qiao tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled, “Hello, I am.”
“We came here to inform Mrs. Jing of something.”
Chen Ke smiled, lowered his gaze, and said straightforwardly, “Mrs. Jing cannot attend President Ren and Mr. Jing’s wedding.”
At that moment, the expressions of everyone present changed.
“What?”
Li Qiao thought she had misheard and said, “Why… what do you mean I can’t attend?”
“Can’t the Jing family attend?”
Chen Ke showed no expression or fluctuation as he replied, “The Jing family can attend, but you cannot.”
Li Qiao was completely dumbfounded, “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Then forgive me for being blunt. If we were in ancient times, in common terms, you would be considered an outsider.” Chen Ke smiled, but the smile had no sound or warmth, “In other words, you are not worthy of appearing at Mr. Jing’s wedding, as it belongs to the grand hall.”
“…What are you saying?”
Li Qiao’s face turned pale, and her voice trembled, “Is this how you treat people with disrespect? Is this how the Ren family bullies people?”
“I am the rightful mistress of the Jing family, married into this family. For so many years, I’ve worked hard for this family, and I raised Jing Mian. Is this how you treat your in-laws…”
“Please stop.”
Chen Ke seemed somewhat annoyed but still maintained his manners and smile as he said, “The fact that we are standing here now, listening to your hypocritical and distorted lies, is already showing you enough respect.”
Jing Guozhen was also stunned. He stood up and had Li Qiao stand behind him. He asked, “Mr. Chen… what’s going on? Has my wife done something wrong?”
Chen Ke took a step back, bent down, and took out a phone from his briefcase.
Under the confused gazes of everyone, Chen Ke swiped the screen and pressed a “play” button.
The previously quiet living room suddenly filled with a somewhat noisy and hollow recording, as if wind was brushing past the microphone.
But soon, the surroundings quieted down.
The voice from the phone gradually became clear.
…
The recording only played for a few seconds.
In an instant, Li Qiao’s face turned ashen, almost bloodless.
In the silent living room, the first voice to be heard was Li Qiao’s, filled with sarcasm and arrogance:
“Jing Mian.”
“You don’t really want to have a child with that illegitimate son of the Ren family, do you?”
Everyone present was shocked.
After all, such words, involving the man who now holds the highest power and status in the Ren family, would not be easily spoken by anyone with a bit of status and face in society.
Jing Guozhen’s face also instantly became a spectacle.
“If it weren’t for his mother who died early, he wouldn’t have been able to return to the Ren family and compete with those two brothers for the inheritance.”
Li Qiao suddenly ran towards Chen Ke, almost crazed, trying to snatch the phone that was playing the recording from his hands.
Chen Ke, being tall, raised the phone behind him and said in a deep voice, “Mrs. Jing, please show some respect. This is not proper behavior.”
Meanwhile, the voice in the recording did not stop:
“And don’t forget, this marriage was also something I fought for you… thanks to your mother, who gave you such a beautiful face.”
The volume of the recording was not low, and even from a distance, every word, even every syllable, was clearly and completely played back in the living room.
Jing Guozhen’s face also became quite colorful. He pointed to Jing Luo, who was sitting on the sofa, and said, “Jing Luo, you should go back to your room! This is adult business.”
“Why should I go back?”
Jing Luo lowered his gaze, his eyes slightly red, and whispered, “I already heard it the night before last.”
Jing Guozhen’s face turned ashen.
He slowly sat down on the sofa, stiff and almost speechless.
The vicious and malicious voice in the recording formed a stark contrast with Li Qiao’s usually gentle demeanor, and the fact that the person involved was present and listening made it all the more ironic.
Li Qiao finally said:
“You’re determined to have a baby with Ren Xingwan, aren’t you?”
…
“Jing Mian, are you worthy?”
“Are you worthy of happiness?”
The recording had reached its end, and Li Qiao’s sarcastic tone slowly and clearly came through, “MianMian, have you forgotten how you caused your mother’s death?”
At this point.
The playback automatically ended.
Li Qiao seemed to have lost all her strength and sat on the floor.
Jing Guozhen covered his head and silently lowered it onto his knees.
Chen Ke lowered his gaze and said coldly:
“We will not allow anyone who disrespects Mr. Jing to appear at the wedding.”
“From now on, Jing Mian is not only a member of the Jing family but also a member of the Ren family.”
“So, before you speak disrespectfully about Mr. Jing.”
Chen Ke seemed to be reiterating a cold and mechanical fact:
“Think first, can you afford to offend Ren Xingwan?”