Volume 1, Chapter 56: Ye Tian Still Loves Me

Treating everyone with absolute equality has always been nothing more than an ideal state.

Caught between two women, Ye Tian tried his best to keep the balance, to spread his favor evenly without offending either of them...

That was by no means an easy task.

At least for now, these two women had never once considered peaceful coexistence, joint development, or sharing favors equally...

As for the future...

Ye Tian felt that was hardly possible either.

He certainly could not commit bigamy.

And these proud daughters of heaven would never lower themselves to become someone's mistresses.

He would ultimately have to choose only one.

Therefore, he now needed to seriously consider the exact depth of the relationship he wanted to cultivate with these two women.

...

While Ye Tian was tearing his hair out in anxiety, another unexpected yet anticipated guest arrived uninvited.

It was none other than Shen Yuwei.

Standing at the entrance of the banquet hall to welcome guests, Li Cheng looked slightly surprised.

He knew that Li Qingcheng had sent an invitation to Shen Yuwei.

And he was well aware of Li Qingcheng's motive.

It was none other than to expose Shen Yuwei's various lies at today's banquet, turning her into the laughingstock of the social circle and a clown in the business community of South River City.

He had originally assumed that Shen Yuwei would not dare to show her face at today's venue.

After all, those invitations had been issued primarily in the name of the Li family.

If Shen Yuwei had even an ounce of common sense, she would certainly not appear at today's gathering.

Because the Li family clearly harbored ill intentions toward her.

Yet, whether due to sheer stupidity or being blinded by greed, she had actually come.

Not only did she fail to stay away, but she had actually rushed to attend a grand event that had nothing whatsoever to do with her.

The crucial part was that she had even arrived dressed to the nines.

At that moment, Shen Yuwei was radiating a sense of pride akin to...

A chicken.

A chicken standing proudly among a flock of cranes.

God only knew where she found such misplaced confidence and nerve.

Li Cheng chuckled inwardly.

He was eagerly anticipating the good show that was about to unfold.

...

Shen Yuwei remained completely oblivious.

Today, she had clearly gone through a meticulous process of dressing up, making herself look remarkably flamboyant and eye-catching.

A fiery red, form-fitting evening gown accentuated her curvaceous figure to perfection. The tiny, intricate diamonds embedded across the dress flickered with a dazzling brilliance under the lights, resembling brilliant stars in the night sky.

Her hair was swept up into an elaborate high bun—the classic hairstyle of a married woman.

Pinned into her hair was a gorgeous ruby hairpin that made her complexion look all the more radiant and captivating.

Her makeup was exquisite, her brows and eyes exuding an air of arrogance and unshakable confidence.

Her lips were painted with a vibrant, striking shade of lipstick, blooming like a fully open rose, exuding an allure that carried thorns.

Anyone unaware of the truth might easily have mistaken her for the hostess of today's grand banquet.

"Director Shen, long time no see! What major projects have you been busy with lately?"

A middle-aged businessman wearing a sycophantic smile was the first to greet Shen Yuwei.

He bowed slightly, the smile on his face folding into deep wrinkles while his eyes brimmed with blatant flattery.

At this, the corners of Shen Yuwei's lips curved upward into a smug smile.

"Oh, Director Li, it has indeed been a while."

A trace of haughtiness flashed through Shen Yuwei's eyes. She lifted her chin slightly, glancing at the man out of the corner of her eye, and drawled unhurriedly, "I haven't been up to much lately, just negotiating a few orders with Director Zhao from Hengyuan. Even that batch of goods your company rejected last time was taken over by Director Zhao. Nowadays, Director Zhao can be considered my most reliable partner..."

"Ahem, my company was just going through a bit of a tight spot financially back then..." Director Li said, looking slightly embarrassed. "Now that things have smoothed out, I wanted to ask Director Shen if there's any chance we might collaborate again. After all, we've been partners for many years..."

"I'd love to continue working with Director Li, of course. It's just that I've been getting too many orders lately. Director Zhao from Hengyuan, Director Liu from Kangmei, Director Zhang from Dingsheng... My hands are completely full on my end. Once my company adds another two production lines, I will definitely reach out to Director Li to discuss cooperation..."

Shen Yuwei spoke casually, radiating a triumphant air of success.

She acted as though she barely deigned to look at the man.

She was no longer some pushover director of a minor company.

Back then, suppressed by the Zhou family, all her business operations had plummeted, pushing her to the brink of bankruptcy.

Yet later, by flaunting Ye Tian's name to bluff and swindle outside, her company had instantly sprung back to life.

Orders she could only dream of before were now frantically fighting to be delivered right to her doorstep.

Not only had she gained numerous new clients, but many of the old clients who had previously kicked her while she was down and hastily severed ties were now rushing back to her doorstep, desperate to rekindle their business relationship.

Not even stopping there, many executives who operated in entirely different industries also sought to make her acquaintance, currying favor with her solely to establish a connection with Ye Tian through her...

Times had changed, and she, Shen Yuwei, was now considered a big figure!

This realization only served to inflate her vanity further, making her utterly carried away and intoxicated by her own success.

She had seen far too many instances of people flattering her like Director Li lately.

So many that she was starting to grow slightly weary of it, even feeling an urge to turn them away.

However, figuring that even a mosquito's leg is meat, and knowing she might eventually find a use for these executives or squeeze a profit out of them down the road...

She decided it was best not to completely alienate them.

She would string them along for now.

Navigating these superficial social pleasantries was second nature to Shen Yuwei, who swam through them like a fish in water.

While flaunting the connections she had cultivated and the various channels she had expanded during this period, she casually exchanged pleasantries with Director Li.

The limited-edition designer handbag in her hand swayed gently with her movements, seemingly broadcasting her current status and standing.

Shen Yuwei's appearance naturally drew the attention of quite a few people.

Perhaps it was because she was dressed too conspicuously.

Soon enough, more executives swarmed over, eagerly greeting her one after another.

"Director Shen, I haven't seen you in a few days, and you've become even more charming!"

"Happiness brings a glowing complexion; Director Shen's company is truly thriving these days, getting more prosperous by the day..."

"That goes without saying! Who wouldn't give Director Shen a modicum of respect nowadays?"

"Director Shen, look, I have a small project on my hands and I've been struggling to find a suitable investor. Since your network is so vast, could you help me pull some strings and introduce a few reliable investors?"

It seemed as though everyone was pandering to Shen Yuwei.

Not a single person dared to ignore her presence.

Shen Yuwei knew very well that the flattery directed at her on the surface was actually aimed at Ye Tian.

So what if it was?

She was, after all, Ye Tian's ex-wife, and there was always a chance she could reconcile with him.

If these people wanted to butter up Ye Tian, shouldn't they naturally start by buttering her up?

She was intoxicated.

Intoxicated by being the center of attention and basking in universal adulation.

She thoroughly relished this feeling.

Countless honeyed words and flattery.

This was the sensation of being above others.

Suddenly, a misconception took root in her mind: She was the protagonist of today's banquet!

And Ye Tian was undoubtedly the husband with whom she was about to reunite.

Otherwise, why would Ye Tian have sent her an invitation?

This must mean Ye Tian had already read her explanations and believed her.

By now, Ye Tian must have forgiven her.

Ye Tian still loved her!

That was why Ye Tian was hosting this banquet, using the occasion to announce their relationship to the public.

She had dressed up extravagantly today precisely to welcome the arrival of this crowning moment.