Volume 1, Chapter 59: Two Women Serving the Same Husband

Shen Yuwei drifted through the crowd, exchanging pleasantries with a radiant smile.

She maintained a delicate balance of warmth, approachability, and her signature pride.

Without drawing undue attention, she effortlessly forged connections with various corporate executives, both familiar and unknown.

Even as she socialized, her gaze scanned the banquet hall for the figure of Ye Tian.

Before long, she spotted her target.

After offering a few perfunctory remarks, she excused herself from the engaged group of business partners and strode directly toward Ye Tian.

At that moment, Ye Tian was conversing with several regional representatives from the Li family, completely oblivious to Shen Yuwei's movements.

"Why isn't Ye Tian paying any attention to me?"

"Is it because my outfit isn't stunning enough, or my presence isn't captivating enough to draw more eyes?"

"Or has he simply not seen me yet?"

After waiting a moment without receiving a glance from Ye Tian, Shen Yuwei abandoned her reserve, walked right up to him, and whispered softly, "Darling..."

That endearment made Ye Tian furrow his brow.

He honestly never expected his ex-wife to approach him of her own accord, let alone address him with such an intimate nickname...

Had she forgotten that he had served time in prison for her, only to be thrown out onto the street afterward?

Had she forgotten the multiple times she had kicked him when he was down, actively trying to push him to his death?

What made it even more infuriating was that she had recently been purposely blurring the lines of their past marital relationship, using it as a pretext to swindle people outside while trying to exploit his reputation and status for her own personal gain.

Did a person like that have any right to call him darling?

...

Their interaction caused the surrounding air to fall suddenly silent.

Nearby guests halted their conversations one by one, their gazes inevitably drawn toward Ye Tian and Shen Yuwei.

The guests' appetite for gossip burned intensely as they eagerly watched the two protagonists at the center of the banquet!

What was the true nature of their relationship? Was there still a shred of their old romance left, as the rumors suggested?

Or were those stories nothing more than groundless gossip?

The answer to this question concerned the future investment decisions and various business plans of countless social elites.

Even though many guests treated Shen Yuwei with superficial politeness, they were actually observing the situation closely from the sidelines, waiting to see how their interaction would play out.

Should Ye Tian's feelings for his ex-wife turn out not to be as warm as rumored, they would immediately have to draw a clear line between themselves and Shen Yuwei to demonstrate their sincerity to Ye Tian!

Meanwhile, Shen Yuwei remained completely immersed in her own fantasies.

She believed that by dressing to the nines and attending Ye Tian's banquet, she was already giving him a graceful way out. Combined with her taking the initiative to break the ice, she had certainly given him plenty of face. Surely, she figured, he would take the opportunity to step down and welcome her back into his life.

A confident smile graced Shen Yuwei's face, and her heart overflowed with rosy visions of a future shared with Ye Tian.

It felt as though she had already reclaimed her position as Ye Tian's wife, on the verge of once again commanding all the glory that belonged to her.

Yet, Ye Tian showed not the slightest reaction. He stared at her expressionlessly, as if looking at a total stranger.

"Stupid man, still throwing a little tantrum. Doesn't he know a lady has her pride too?"

Shen Yuwei cast a reproachful glance at Ye Tian, assuming he simply wanted her to coax him a little more.

With a smile, she asked, "Darling, aren't you going to introduce me to these guests of yours..."

Her tone was utterly natural, sounding just like a long-married couple.

She even reached out instinctively, intending to link her arm through Ye Tian's as she used to do.

In the past, Ye Tian had always loved it when she held his arm like that, and would even get upset if she didn't.

These were the sweetest memories of their romance, and she wanted Ye Tian to experience them all over again.

However, before her hand could even touch him, two figures at her sides moved forward in perfect unison, swiftly slipping their arms through Ye Tian's from the left and the right.

"Huh..."

Shen Yuwei froze in place.

The two people holding Ye Tian's arms were none other than Xu Ziyao and Li Qingcheng.

Upon seeing Shen Yuwei attempt to link arms with Ye Tian, both women had instinctively reacted by rushing forward to claim his arms first.

"Abominable! How can she still have the nerve to reach out her hand!"

That was the sole thought running through both women's minds as they firmly believed that this position belonged exclusively to them!

As for Shen Yuwei, a shameless woman like her could just stay wherever it was most convenient.

Yet, realization dawned on Xu Ziyao and Li Qingcheng almost immediately.

They suddenly remembered that in this setting, their actions were hardly appropriate.

Following the astonished gazes of the surrounding guests, they finally noticed that the two of them were clinging to Ye Tian's arms simultaneously.

The sensation was entirely too bizarre.

It felt somewhat like...

Two women serving the same man?

The actions of Xu Ziyao and Li Qingcheng left quite a few people at the venue dumbfounded.

Yet the most deeply shocked person of all was undoubtedly Shen Yuwei.

At that very moment, Shen Yuwei felt as though her brain had been struck by lightning.

She was utterly bewildered.

"What is going on here..."

"Why is it like this..."

"Ye Tian... he actually has a new lover!"

Shen Yuwei found it almost impossible to believe.

Not only did Ye Tian have a new lover, but he had two of them!

This was simply too absurd!

More importantly, these two new romantic interests by Ye Tian's side were both breathtaking beauties of peerless elegance!

Shen Yuwei's eyes widened as she stared fixedly at the two women before her, as though trying to see right through their internal organs.

In truth, she was well aware of her own standing.

Even with the aid of skillful makeup techniques, her appearance was merely above average—how could she possibly compare to these two young, stunning daughters of prominent families?

Placed side-by-side with them, she had suffered a total, unmitigated defeat!

Realizing this, she felt a surge of hot blood rush straight to her head, and her mind went off with a loud "buzz."

In that single instant, her entire world seemed to collapse and spin out of control.

Looking at the intimate trio, the sourness and resentment twisting inside her spread like wild vines through the depths of her heart, wrapping around her so tightly she could barely breathe.

Jealousy, hatred, bitterness, inferiority...

A chaotic storm of emotions flooded her heart completely uninvited, like a nightmare becoming reality.

Just a moment ago, she had fancied herself standing before the mirror, meticulously styling her hair and makeup.

Her fingers had seemed to trace the flowing fabric of her gown, imagining the look of awe in Ye Tian's eyes upon seeing her, daydreaming of the warm embrace that would mark their reunion...

Recalling past sweetness, the corners of her mouth had curved upward of their own accord, filled with the eager hope of rekindling her romance with Ye Tian, of once again becoming the center of attention as they walked hand in hand through this dazzling, prosperous world.

Yet the very next second, Xu Ziyao and Li Qingcheng had barged in like phantoms, ruthlessly shattering all her beautiful dreams and reducing her grand expectations to dust.

Her gaze swept over the two great beauties before her, sharp as poison.

The two women clung affectionately to Ye Tian's arms from either side, pressing his arms tightly against their chests!

Acting as though no one else existed.

It was a display of utter psychological cruelty.

Shen Yuwei felt as though she could no longer catch her breath.

Her fingernails dug deeply into her palms of their own accord.

The sharp pain helped ground her slightly; she wanted to flee this place, but her legs refused to obey, rooted to the spot as though turned to stone...