Five years without pregnancy means you're too weak; I remarried a powerful man and had triplets

His gaze swept across the crowd and landed directly on Shen Zhiyi.

His gaze was filled with an overwhelming concern, as if he were afraid she might suffer the slightest injustice.

Su Manman took in all of this.

She lowered her eyes, quickly suppressing the surging jealousy within them. When she looked up again, her expression had changed to one of impending tears. She strode to Xu Zhesheng's side, her voice choked with just the right amount of emotion:

"Ah Zhe, I'm fine... I think I said something wrong and upset Sister Zhi. She spilled two glasses on me, my clothes are all wet, and my makeup is ruined... I don't know if I can stay at this banquet any longer."

She stood before him, her hair wet and clinging to her cheeks, her dress stained with juice and red wine, glistening stickily under the light.

Even though she had wiped it several times with a handkerchief, the sweet smell of fruit juice and alcohol still wafted into Xu Zhesheng's nose.

Xu Zhesheng unconsciously took half a step back, his brows furrowed tightly, and the disgust in his eyes was impossible to hide.

But this is a public place, and there are eyes everywhere.

He can't go too far.

After hesitating for two seconds, he took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulder, trying his best to keep his tone calm: "What exactly happened? Zhizhi has a very good personality. She wouldn't have thrown the liquid on you unless you said something offensive."

He seemed to care about her, but the moment he uttered the word "Zhizhi," Su Manman felt as if her heart had been squeezed tightly.

He never used to call her by that name in front of her; he always called her Shen Zhiyi.

What chilled her to the bone even more was that, although he seemed to be looking at her, his toes were slightly turned towards Shen Zhiyi.

This subtle body language did not escape her notice.

He wasn't worried about her at all.

Su Manman stood there, trembling, barely managing to maintain her pitiful expression.

She looked around; quite a few people had gathered, but not a single one of them stepped forward to say a word.

There was no sympathy or curiosity in those gazes, only a shrewd disdain, as if her little schemes had long been laid bare and exposed to the light of day.

The grievances in her heart were like a balloon being constantly inflated, about to burst, but she had to endure them.

The occasion wasn't right; she couldn't make a scene or break off relations, at least not now.

Just then, Lu Zichuan spoke again.

He remained standing in front of Shen Zhiyi, composed and his voice, though not loud, was like a knife, precisely slicing through the thin veil of paper that everyone was avoiding:

"Director Xu."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on Xu Zhesheng's face, his tone as indifferent as if he were discussing the weather:

"Others may not know, but I do. Miss Su is not only your companion, but also the woman who bore your child. I heard you two are getting your marriage certificate soon."

He paused, a very faint smile curving his lips:

"I'm letting it go for your sake, not pursuing the matter of her being rude to my people. But surely she could at least apologize?"

He said it casually, but just standing there, he was already silently supporting Shen Zhiyi. His pale eyes were cold and indifferent, but every word he spoke was a declaration of his sovereignty.

Shen Zhiyi is his person.

To harm her is to harm him.

What he was really waiting for was Hsu Che-sheng's reaction.

Only the two of them knew about that contract.

Xu Zhesheng hasn't contacted him these past few days, but he's not worried at all.

Someone who is distressed by even a 30% loss, and is being put on the spot by Su Manman's threats, would not refuse such conditions.

Moreover, the fact that he brought Su Manman to this banquet tonight is itself a statement.

But what Lu Zichuan wanted was far more than just "signing a contract".

He wanted Xu Zhesheng to acknowledge Su Manman in front of everyone.

He needed to bring this relationship out of the shadows and into the sunlight. Even if others didn't know, Xu Zhesheng had to be clear in his heart that he and Shen Zhiyi had absolutely no future together.

Only in this way can Shen Zhiyi truly and cleanly break free from the clutches of these two people.

As soon as he finished speaking, several pairs of eyes exchanged glances discreetly among the surrounding crowd.

Although the affair between Hsu Che-sheng and Su Man-man is almost common knowledge in the industry, everyone has also heard that Su Man-man gave birth at the General Hospital.

Even though Lu Zichuan tried to suppress the topic, the news still leaked out through various gaps.

Some people say that the incident involved another woman, and that woman... seems to be the one standing next to Lu Zichuan right now.

All eyes darted back and forth between Shen Zhiyi and Xu Zhesheng.

A subtle tension hung in the air, like the low pressure before a storm. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see how Xu Zhesheng would respond.

Xu Zhesheng stood there, his expression as if he had been slapped in the face in public.

He opened his mouth, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

Lu Zichuan just watched him, neither urging nor pressuring him, but simply waiting quietly.

That silence was more suffocating than any threat.

That silence, which lasted less than a minute, felt like an eternity to Xu Zhesheng.

He subconsciously looked at Shen Zhiyi. As she had done countless times before, whenever he was in a predicament, she would always step forward to smooth things over and speak up for him.

But this time, she didn't.

She didn't look at him once from beginning to end.

His gaze was steady, his expression indifferent, as if he were looking at an insignificant stranger.

He could no longer stir any emotion in her.

His throat was so dry it felt like he'd swallowed a handful of sand. After a long while, Xu Zhesheng finally heard his own hoarse voice:

"Manman, apologize to Miss Shen."

Su Manman was completely furious.

She was splashed with two cups of liquid, her hair was stuck to her face, her makeup was ruined, her dress was destroyed, and she looked like a drowned rat.

She originally wanted everyone to condemn Shen Zhiyi and make that woman the laughing stock of the night, but now, not only did she fail to achieve her goal, she also had to apologize to Shen Zhiyi.

On what grounds?

Her eyes twitched violently, her lips were bitten until they turned white, but she forced a smile onto her face:

"Of course I should apologize to Sister Zhi."

Her voice was sickeningly sweet, each word like a honey-coated knife:

"She only got so angry and threw two glasses at me because she listened to me. It's all my fault that I'm in this mess now."

She glanced around at the crowd, her eyes slightly red, her tone deliberately aggrieved:

"I just noticed there weren't many people I recognized there, and Sister Zhi was the only one I knew, so I thought I'd come over and chat with her for a bit. Who knew her status was different now, someone I couldn't possibly be close to. She got angry after just a few words, what could I do?"

She paused, the curve of her lips deepening, her voice light yet each word piercing:

"Since I don't have a powerful figure like President Lu backing me up, all I can do is apologize."

She maintained that gentle smile, but what surged in her eyes was a resolute determination that bordered on a fight to the death.

Looking into those eyes, Shen Zhiyi suddenly felt a sense of unease.

She frowned, about to speak, when Lu Zichuan beside her spoke first, slowly.

"Miss Su."

"Since you know that I'm the one backing Shen Zhiyi up,"

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze landing lightly on her face:

"Stop talking nonsense."

"Just apologize properly, and I'll arrange for someone to take you to change your clothes. If you don't apologize..."

He paused, his tone casual, yet each word was firm and unyielding:

"I'll ask you to leave this banquet on behalf of Director Zhang."