Chapter 23: Pursuing Her Husband

It wasn’t that he was simply indulging himself or failing to respect her wishes—it was by her own will. She had snatched that box of condoms from his hand, traced the curve of his ear with her tongue, and whispered something in English, her southern accent unmistakable.

Her words were brazen, provocative, and in that moment, likely no man in the world could have refused her with any semblance of reason.

He was no exception.

The next morning, when he awoke, he found himself alone in the room. On the nightstand lay an empty box of morning-after pills.

In the past month or so, he hadn’t given this matter any thought, nor had he felt the slightest concern, until the nurse had asked that question yesterday.

But truly, his suspicions were groundless; the nurse’s inquiry was nothing more than a routine question. It was only now, as he mulled over the past, that his thoughts seemed so utterly ridiculous.

Yet even more absurd was the fact that, provoked by the images in his mind, a certain part of him stirred in response...

Beep—beep!

The car behind him honked twice. Wen Yanli snapped back to his senses, cleared away his stray thoughts, eased off the brake, and the car merged once more into the steady flow of traffic.

...

Meanwhile, Song Mi was seated at the table, quietly enjoying her breakfast.

The shredded chicken congee melted in her mouth; the crab roe crystal dumplings were succulent and savory, the rice soup sweet and refreshing.

She had always regarded the enjoyment of good food as a sacred ritual.

The people standing nearby noticed she ate heartily of every dish, and seeing that she liked the food, they finally allowed themselves a small sigh of relief.

When she set down her spoon and reached for a napkin, Uncle Zhang took the file from the manager and approached her. “Miss Song, this is the proposal prepared by A Zhe.”

As Song Mi swiftly scanned the document, her eyes moving over the pages in a single breath, a knock sounded at the door.

It was Shen Ruming, arriving at the stroke of eight, her timing impeccable.

But she wasn’t alone; someone else followed behind.

Lu Zhizhi’s chestnut curls cascaded over her shoulders, the champagne-colored dress she wore accentuating her graceful curves.

Shen Ruming’s gaze flicked between the two women, and she smoothed things over with a smile. “What a coincidence—I planned to have breakfast with Zhizhi, but then I was suddenly summoned by the chairman.”

She shrugged dramatically, glancing at Lu Zhizhi. “Ah, women! Ambition is important, but so is friendship, isn’t it?”

“One more person, one more pair of chopsticks—I hope the chairman won’t mind!”

Meeting Shen Ruming’s gaze, which was soft yet barbed, Song Mi’s lips curved with a hint of amusement. “Seventh Miss and Miss Lu truly share a remarkable bond of sisterhood.”

Lu Zhizhi offered her a poised, radiant smile. “Sorry for intruding, Miss Song.”

“You’re too polite, Miss Lu.”

Thus, the two greeted each other formally, but nothing more.

For after Song Mi spoke, she turned and instructed, “Change the table.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

But though she called for a new table, even after Shen Ruming and Lu Zhizhi sat down, Song Mi made no move to join them.

Yesterday, after the meeting, Shen Ruming had been eager to see her, but Song Mi had left her waiting all day. And today, she dared to bring an extra guest along.

Did she really think those photos would make her lose her composure?

And as for Lu Zhizhi—what a sight! The famed lawyer Wen’s allure was truly something extraordinary, to have reduced a pampered heiress into a woman whose every look brimmed with jealousy.

Yesterday, at least seven new media subsidiaries under Jiaxing Media received warning letters, and over fifteen major influencer accounts were suspended as collateral damage.

It was only natural that Shen Ruming felt anxious.

But as Song Mi had guessed, with those photos in hand, Shen Ruming was in no real rush.

To her mind, if Song Mi wasn’t worried about those pictures, why summon her so early in the morning?

As for why she brought Lu Zhizhi along—well, it was clearly about yesterday afternoon’s trending topics and the online backlash that followed.

Ah, the trouble love can cause! Lu Zhizhi, once so proud and aloof, was now willing to lower herself for a man, rushing in desperately to stake her claim.

“Zhizhi, I can’t help but say it—you really need to work on your secrecy.” After Lu Zhizhi shot her a third meaningful glance and she had finished eating, Shen Ruming finally spoke. “When we met in Paris, you didn’t breathe a word. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been such a misunderstanding!”

“I should have guessed why you were holding that art exhibition in Jinzhou—it was just an excuse, wasn’t it? You were chasing after your man!”