She always felt that their attitudes were a bit strange.
So she stood aside, planning to wait and see what would happen.
"I'm not looking for you." Lu Bochuan forcefully shook off Ouyang Hua's arm and reached out to pull Shu Qingqing, but Ouyang Hua grabbed his other arm.
Ouyang Hua acted as if she hadn't heard him at all: "Brother Bochuan, Sister Qiuyang just said that since I haven't been back in the country for a long time, she wants to take me shopping. Why don't you come with us? You can help me carry my bags."
Lu Bochuan said nothing, merely pulling his arm away relentlessly.
Ren Qiuyang forced herself not to scowl: "Huahua, what are you talking about? Bochuan has a wife now, how could he have time to go shopping with you?"
Ouyang Hua pretended not to understand, reaching out to pull Shu Qingqing over as well: "Then the three of us will go together! Sister Qiuyang, when are we meeting, and where are we going shopping?"
Is Ouyang Hua crazy?
If she likes Lu Bochuan so much, shouldn't she be tearing into Shu Qingqing? What was the point of showing off to her?
Ren Qiuyang could no longer maintain her expression and found a random excuse to leave.
As soon as she left, her group of friends also dispersed.
Ouyang Hua immediately let go of Lu Bochuan, "Borrowing your wife for a second."
Pulling Shu Qingqing to the side, Ouyang Hua looked at her with exasperation: "Are you stupid? Didn't you know Ren Qiuyang likes Lu Bochuan? And you actually invited her over?"
Shu Qingqing and Xu Lingshan both looked shocked.
Shu Qingqing: "What? Ren Qiuyang actually likes Lu Bochuan?"
Xu Lingshan: "What? Sister Qiuyang actually likes Brother Bochuan?"
Shu Qingqing quickly accepted this news. No wonder she had always felt Ren Qiuyang's attitude was weird. So she liked Lu Bochuan!
Xu Lingshan, however, was furious: "She actually likes Brother Bochuan? But she clearly said before that she liked someone else, and she kept egging me on to fight with Qingqing!"
Ouyang Hua seemed to have just noticed Xu Lingshan: "Oh right, weren't you Ren Qiuyang's little sidekick before?"
Xu Lingshan glared at her indignantly: "Not anymore!"
Shu Qingqing thought to herself, it seemed that the time the original owner was provoked into donating thirty million, Ren Qiuyang probably had a hand in it too.
But Shu Qingqing was still a bit confused: "Why are you helping me?" Yes, although Ouyang Hua had pulled Lu Bochuan to anger Ren Qiuyang, she could tell Ouyang Hua was actually helping her.
"Because I'm kind." Ouyang Hua waved her hand casually and added, "You'd better be on guard against Ren Qiuyang in the future. She looks kind but has a vicious heart."
With that, she pulled Shu Qingqing and shoved her back to Lu Bochuan: "Here, your wife is returned to you."
Before leaving, she dragged Xu Lingshan away with her.
Lu Bochuan steadied Shu Qingqing. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Shu Qingqing ask him:
"I heard you two used to be engaged?"
Lu Bochuan paused for a moment, but his expression remained normal: "Yes, it was a long time ago."
Shu Qingqing: "Then why did you break off the engagement?" She wasn't jealous; she was just suddenly very curious about Ouyang Hua.
Lu Bochuan took her hand: "The engagement was arranged by the elders of both families."
Lu Bochuan's grandfather and Ouyang Hua's grandfather were comrades-in-arms. The two old men had a good relationship back then and hoped the next generation could continue this bond, so they wanted to matchmake their grandchildren into a marriage.
Lu Bochuan didn't have anyone he liked, and at the time, Old Master Lu was in poor health. To fulfill the old man's dying wish, he got engaged to Ouyang Hua.
Later, Old Master Lu passed away, and Ouyang Hua suddenly said she didn't want to marry him anymore, so the two called off the engagement.
Shu Qingqing: "It's that simple?"
Lu Bochuan nodded: "It's that simple."
Shu Qingqing raised an eyebrow: "Then how come I also heard that the Lu family and the Ouyang family are going to collaborate on a big project recently, and the elders of both families intend to renew the marriage alliance?"
Lu Bochuan smiled helplessly: "The two families are planning to collaborate, but there is absolutely no such thing as a marriage alliance."
"It's actually Old Master Ouyang. Because he is old and confused, he can't remember things clearly and thinks Ouyang and I are still engaged, so he mentioned us getting married a few times in the hospital." Saying this, Lu Bochuan's eyes turned cold. "It seems these words have been embellished and spread by someone with ulterior motives. Don't worry, I will definitely investigate this."
"Then did you ever like Ouyang Hua?" Shu Qingqing regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. Why did that sound a bit jealous? No, she wasn't jealous at all.
Shu Qingqing turned her head and was about to walk away, but Lu Bochuan wouldn't let go.
"I never liked Ouyang. I've always treated her as a younger sister."
Since she had already asked, Shu Qingqing decided to just go all out: "Don't sweet-talk me. If Ouyang Hua hadn't said she didn't want to marry you back then, wouldn't you have married her long ago?"
Lu Bochuan suddenly pulled her closer to him, his expression solemn: "No. Even if Ouyang hadn't said she wouldn't marry me back then, I would have broken off the engagement later."
"Qingqing, believe me."
Shu Qingqing felt she might be going crazy, actually sensing a trace of pleading in Lu Bochuan's voice.
She hastily withdrew her hand: "Alright, I'll believe you for now."
The birthday banquet soon officially began.
With a professional host controlling the scene, Shu Qingqing didn't have to worry about anything; she just had to follow the schedule.
Shu Qingqing was spacing out when suddenly something was placed in her hand. Looking down, she saw an emerald green bracelet.
Shu Qingqing looked up in confusion: "Mom?" It was the old lady's birthday, why was she suddenly shoving something at her?
Old Mrs. Lu patted her hand gently: "This is a bracelet passed down from the ancestors of our Lu family. My mother-in-law gave it to me, and now I am giving it to you." Today, she was determined to let everyone know how much the Lu family valued this daughter-in-law, so no one would dare question her status in the future.
The host's impassioned voice rang out: "A century-old treasure, passed down from generation to generation. Old Mrs. Lu has given this family heirloom to Mrs. Lu on such an important occasion. It truly brings tears to one's eyes."
Shu Qingqing silently swallowed back her words of refusal.
She could really cry. The old lady was sparing no effort to legitimize her. Such a good mother-in-law was incredibly hard to find.
Shu Qingqing excitedly squeezed the old lady's hand back: "Mother-in-law! Don't worry, I will definitely take good care of this bracelet and pass it on to your granddaughter-in-law when the time comes!"
But then another problem arose. If nothing unexpected happened, her mother-in-law would definitely have two granddaughters-in-law in the future. So who would be better to pass this bracelet on to?
Unable to come up with an answer, Shu Qingqing poked Lu Bochuan: "Can you get another bracelet exactly like this one?"
"Hmm?" Lu Bochuan was puzzled.
"Well, we'll have two daughters-in-law in the future, right? I'm afraid they'll fight over this bracelet, so it's best if you get another identical one."
Lu Bochuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He held Shu Qingqing's hand and straightened the bracelet for her: "Don't give it to anyone. Just wear it yourself."
Shu Qingqing: "I guess that works too."
The people in the audience saw the couple's interaction and whispered among themselves: "Who said Bochuan doesn't like this wife of his? I think the young couple is quite sweet together. Don't you think so, Qiuyang?"
Ren Qiuyang smiled and agreed on the surface, but inside she was exploding with anger.
It was clearly Old Mrs. Lu's own birthday banquet, so why was she giving Shu Qingqing a bracelet? And a bracelet passed down from the Lu family's ancestors at that!
All of this should have been hers! How could a commoner like Shu Qingqing be worthy!
She even deliberately showed off their affection on stage, that bitch Shu Qingqing!
After a burst of laughter and chatter, the ceremony ended, and the banquet officially began.
After Shu Qingqing sat down at the head table, she kept feeling a pair of eyes staring at her. She scanned the room but did not notice anything unusual.
She paid it no more mind and ate in peace.
After the meal, the guests gradually took their leave. Lu Bochuan was pulled aside by an uncle to talk. Shu Qingqing turned around and saw Ren Qiuyang walking toward her.
"Qingqing." Ren Qiuyang resumed her usual gentle and elegant demeanor. "Huahua didn't give you a hard time, did she? Sigh, she just has that kind of temper. Even though the two of them have broken off their engagement... their childhood friendship is still there. It is inevitable that she might do some things to upset you. I know you must feel awful... but for Bochuan's sake, just bear with it."
Shu Qingqing just quietly watched her put on this act.
She already knew that Ren Qiuyang liked Lu Bochuan, but as of now, Ren Qiuyang did not know that she knew.
Everything Ren Qiuyang said was meant to provoke her into fighting with Ouyang Hua, so she could reap the benefits without lifting a finger.
Perhaps this was exactly how she had instigated Xu Lingshan to fight with the original host in the past.
Shu Qingqing sneered inwardly. Sooner or later, she would get something on Ren Qiuyang.
Seeing that she was not speaking, Ren Qiuyang was about to continue fanning the flames, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ouyang Hua walking over, so she had to excuse herself first.
Lu Bochuan also happened to return right then.
Ouyang Hua glanced at Lu Bochuan. "By the way, why do I feel like quite a few people didn't show up today?"
Lu Bochuan gave a hum of acknowledgment. "Because the birthday banquet was a last-minute decision, Pei Yu, Qin Shan, and the others are abroad and couldn't make it back in time."
"Oh, that explains it." Ouyang Hua scratched her head, looking as if she was just asking casually.
But Shu Qingqing saw disappointment in her eyes.
Shu Qingqing found it strange. Why did it seem like Ouyang Hua did not actually like Lu Bochuan?
