Lin Wanyi looked up, her eyes red as she gazed at Liu Renzhi.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
Liu Renzhi crouched down in front of her again.
“Keke has always been your daughter—that’s a fact I’ve known all along.
“I can’t take her mother away just because I like you.
“I’m not that kind of man, Wanyi. I can be a good father.”
Lin Wanyi could barely hold back her tears. Su Jing quickly handed her a tissue.
“Don’t cry. You’ll ruin your makeup.”
On the verge of tears, Lin Wanyi couldn’t help but laugh at that.
A genuine laugh. A happy laugh.
Keke’s biological father and grandmother had never liked her simply because she was a girl.
Yet the Liu family had accepted her completely.
She should be happy.
But then she remembered that Liu Renzhi didn’t have any children of his own yet.
What should she do?
Have another one?
Would Keke feel left out?
Or not have one?
Then she’d feel like she was letting Liu Renzhi and Su Jing down.
She didn’t know. She couldn’t find the answer.
So she decided not to think about it—just take it one step at a time.
Right now, she needed to focus on getting through tonight.
Su Jing led the way: “Let’s go. The guests are almost all here.”
When Liu Renzhi pushed Lin Wanyi into the garden, Liu Siyue and Chen Hui immediately positioned themselves beside them.
Just as expected, the wealthy ladies and young misses who had been chatting among themselves turned their attention straight to Lin Wanyi.
Whispers started.
“Wait… who is that person Mr. Liu is pushing? Is she crippled? Can’t she walk?”
“I’ve never seen her around. Does anyone know which family she’s from?”
Others shook their heads one after another.
“I don’t know her.”
“Neither do I.”
Meng Xi, the heiress of the Meng family who had once been set up on a blind date with Liu Renzhi, swirled her wine glass, sizing Lin Wanyi up from head to toe before finally looking at Liu Renzhi.
“Mr. Liu, aren’t you going to introduce her?
“Your girlfriend?”
Before Liu Renzhi could answer, someone else jumped in.
“Impossible. Mr. Liu didn’t even go for a beauty like Miss Meng. Why would he settle for a cripple as a girlfriend?”
“Exactly. Someone worthy of Mr. Liu—forget about family background or education—should at least be healthy.”
“Right. No way. She can’t be his girlfriend.”
Hearing this, Liu Siyue got angry and was about to speak, but Su Jing held her back.
Resting one hand on Lin Wanyi’s wheelchair, Su Jing said,
“Today is my birthday, and I thank you all for taking the time to come.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to announce something.
“And that is…”
She deliberately swept her gaze over the women who had just spoken, then stopped at Meng Xi.
“The lady in front of Renzhi is named Lin Wanyi. She is now Renzhi’s girlfriend.
“And of course, in the near future, she will become Renzhi’s wife—my daughter-in-law.
“So let me make this clear: do not look down on the daughter-in-law of the Liu family.
“Also, she is not crippled. She’s temporarily in a wheelchair because she hurt her foot.”
The moment she finished, the crowd gasped.
“Oh my god, she really is Mr. Liu’s girlfriend!”
“No doubt about it now. Mrs. Liu herself announced it.”
Immediately, someone raised a glass to toast Lin Wanyi.
“Miss Lin, I’m Mrs. Wang from Changhong Group.”
“Miss Lin, I’m Mrs. Wu from the Wu Corporation.”
“Miss Lin…”
“Miss Lin…”
Glass after glass was offered, but Liu Renzhi blocked them all.
“I’m sorry, my girlfriend’s foot is injured, so she can’t drink.”
Just as disappointment spread across the faces, Lin Wanyi asked for a glass of juice instead.
“Then let me raise this juice to thank you all.”
Su Jing stood to the side, watching Lin Wanyi with approval shining in her eyes.
Liu Jiannan stood next to her.
“Satisfied? Happy?
“No more regrets?”
Su Jing quietly wiped away a tear.
Of course she was happy.
She had watched Liu Renzhi grow from a five-year-old boy to a thirty-five-year-old man.
What mother wouldn’t want her son to settle down and find a wife he loves and who loves him?
She used to worry—desperately.
But she knew worrying wouldn’t help.
If the feelings weren’t there, if fate hadn’t brought them together, forcing a bond would only lead to disaster.
Just like Liu Renzhi’s biological parents—that kind of marriage only harmed themselves and their children.
Now, seeing Lin Wanyi—neither humble nor arrogant, graceful and composed—how could she not be happy?
She felt that the Liu family had hope. That Liu Renzhi had hope.
Meng Xi’s eyes were full of venom. She couldn’t accept it.
No matter how she looked at Lin Wanyi, she couldn’t accept it.
In this city, in terms of family background, looks, and even education,
the only person who could match Liu Renzhi was her, Meng Xi.
Yet Liu Renzhi had never shown even an ounce of interest in her.
Before, she had always believed that Liu Renzhi simply wasn’t into women—and that had helped her come to terms with it.
But now, she knew that wasn’t true.
Liu Renzhi did like women.
She gripped her wine glass, fuming.
Just as her irritation peaked, she received a message from Zhou Chenyu.
Opening it, she saw detailed information about Lin Wanyi.
Every word she read shocked her even more.
What was this?
A thirty-year-old rural woman, divorced with a child?
This was the woman who had beaten her to become Liu Renzhi’s girlfriend?
Ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous.
She took another hard look at Lin Wanyi before replying to Zhou Chenyu:
[Why are you sending me this?]
Meng Xi had always known that Zhou Chenyu had a crush on Liu Renzhi—it was practically an open secret in their social circle.
For years, wherever Liu Renzhi went, Zhou Chenyu followed.
But Liu Renzhi had made it very clear: she was just a little sister to him.
So women like Meng Xi—true heiresses—had always looked down on Zhou Chenyu.
And now, she didn’t trust that Zhou Chenyu had good intentions either.
That’s why she asked.
On the other end of the line, Zhou Chenyu immediately sent a string of provoking words:
[Meng Xi, don’t you find this embarrassing? With all your advantages, Liu Renzhi still turned you down—only to end up with a thirty-year-old divorced woman with a kid.
[If that’s not a slap in your face, I don’t know what is. I just can’t stand it. I can’t stand that Lin Wanyi.
[Go for it, Meng Xi. If you fight, you’ll definitely beat that cheap woman, Lin Wanyi.]
Meng Xi stared at her phone.
She knew what Zhou Chenyu was trying to do.
She knew Zhou Chenyu was being deliberate.
And she also knew that once Liu Renzhi set his mind on something—on someone—it couldn’t be changed.
But she, too, had been pampered all her life as a spoiled heiress.
Zhou Chenyu had a point: Liu Renzhi choosing someone like this was indeed a slap in her face.
A slap to the entire Meng family.
After all, everyone in high society knew that she and Liu Renzhi had gone on a blind date—and that he hadn’t been interested.
So, calmly, she finally spoke.
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried enough for everyone in the room to hear clearly.
“Miss Lin, I heard you’re divorced and have a child nearly eight years old. Is that true?”
A single stone stirs a thousand ripples.
Her words dropped into everyone’s ears like a bomb.
Someone immediately chimed in:
“No way? Mr. Liu’s girlfriend is remarried?”
“Not just remarried—she comes with a burden, too.”
“Sounds like Mr. Liu is playing the perfect fallback guy.”
Oh my god, this is just too wild. No way, I refuse to believe Mr. Liu has such bad taste.
