The curtain fell

"I know I wronged you, but you had so many chances to tell me. Or you could have gone ahead with your plan, and I wouldn't have been deceived by you for so long." Gong Yong looked at Wu Yuan, tears spilling down his face before he realized it.

Gong Yong's father had no idea what plan his son meant. Seeing how much Wu Yuan had hurt him, he stood up and swung a hand at her face.

Smack!

Everyone was stunned all over again. What was happening now?

As Gong Yong's father swung at her, Wu Yuan closed her eyes. Before her parents could react, a figure darted out from behind him and shielded her, taking the slap in her place.

"You ungrateful son! Are you trying to kill me? She deceived you like that, and you're still taking a slap for her!" Gong Yong's father was beside himself with anger. He clutched his chest and doubled over.

Ignoring the pain in his face, Gong Yong hurried over and helped his father into a chair. "Dad, don't get worked up. I wronged her first. I've taken this slap for her. From now on, neither of us owes the other anything."

Wu Yuan opened her eyes. Listening to Gong Yong, she slowly nodded. All right. Neither of us owes the other anything. Seeing her nod, Gong Yong helped his father up. "Grandpa Bo, Hanmo, I'm sorry we ruined your banquet. I'll come by tomorrow to apologize properly."

"It's fine. The banquet was almost over anyway. Take your father home and have a doctor look at him." Old Master Bo waved a hand, unconcerned.

Gong Yong glanced at Wu Yuan, then supported his father as they left. "We'll take our leave."

"Take care."

With Gong Yong and his father gone, only the unresolved matter of the Yang father and his two sons remained.

Yang Qi pushed his older brother aside and stood before Wu Yuan, looking into her eyes. "Wu Yuan, did you ever love me? Truly, without any ulterior motives?"

At his question, Wu Yuan lifted her head. "I did. Without any ulterior motives. I wasn't after your family's wealth or status. I simply fell in love with you."

Yang Qi smiled. His father saw that his younger son was about to fall hopelessly under that scheming woman's spell again.

An uproar swept through the room.

Fang Yao stepped in front of Yang Qi's father and older brother, holding up a plate to block their path.

The Bo family thought, When did my granddaughter-in-law [our sister-in-law] [my wife] get over there? And when did she pick up that plate?

A server had noticed a plate missing from the table and searched everywhere, nearly crying with panic. o(╥﹏╥)o When the missing plate was recovered, the server wept with relief, cradling it and muttering, "Do you know how expensive you are? Even my whole day's wages wouldn't cover you."

"Let them talk."

Once the two men stopped, Fang Yao lowered the plate.

[Let them get everything out in the open and bring their relationship to a close. Then they can each move on with their own lives.]

Those who heard Fang Yao's thoughts fell silent. Seeing this, everyone else quieted down too, watching the couple.

"What about now? Was there ever a moment when you thought about telling me the truth?" Yang Qi stroked Wu Yuan's hair, his voice gentle.

Wu Yuan could no longer hold back her tears. "Yes, but I was scared. After what had happened to my body, how could I ever deserve you?"

"If I'd told you the truth back then, would you have despised me?"

Wu Yuan touched Yang Qi's face. She truly loved him. Even now, she still did. In taking revenge on him, hadn't she been punishing herself too?

Yang Qi pulled Wu Yuan into his arms. "I don't know. If I'd known the truth back then, I would have been furious with myself for failing to protect you. Why did I have to let our argument stop me from answering your calls? I might have broken up with you too. Why didn't I do what Gong Yong did and make sure where my parents stood before taking you to meet them? But the person I am now can tell you that I wouldn't despise you."

Yes, back then, neither of us could tolerate even the slightest flaw. There's no knowing what we would have decided. But at that moment, Wu Yuan let go of the hatred in her heart.

They simply savored the embrace.

Yang Qi and Wu Yuan released each other at the same time.

Yang Qi said, "Let's each live well, in our own separate lives."

"All right. I hope the next girl you meet won't be like me."

"Then I hope your future partner will always protect you, cherish you, and believe in you."

Yang Qi and Wu Yuan smiled at each other, then both stepped back and looked away.

"Mom, Dad, let's go. Let's find somewhere beautiful to settle down." Wu Yuan took her parents by the arms.

It had been a long time since her parents had seen their daughter smile so happily and freely. Madam Wu choked up. "All right. Whatever you want, Xiao Yuan. We'll take some time to relax. Dear, let's go."

Mr. Wu lowered his head and wiped away his tears, then looked up with a smile. "All right. Let's go. Our apologies."

After leaving the Bo family's home, the Wu household left A City. No one knew where they went.

Yang Qi watched Wu Yuan leave. She knew he was watching, but she didn't turn back. There was no going back for them. Yang Qi's father sighed. "Son..."

"Dad, don't worry. I'm fine. This is a good ending, isn't it, Dad?" Yang Qi smiled.

His father studied his younger son in silence for a while. "It is. It is."

Yang Qi knew his father would no longer pursue the matter against Wu Yuan and her parents. He took a deep breath and turned to Fang Yao. "Thank you for stopping my dad and my brother just now. I'm a little overwhelmed at the moment. Let's get together in a few days."

"You're welcome."

[I won't ask this cannon fodder for a thank-you gift. Poor guy. He's lost his wife.]

"All right, the banquet is almost over anyway. Thank you all for coming today." The last sentence was addressed to Bo Hanmo, who nodded.

The guests left along with the Yang family. Coming to today's banquet had been more than worth it. On the way home, all sorts of news set their social circle ablaze. Those who hadn't received invitations, or who had been too busy out of town or overseas to attend, bitterly regretted missing out.

They hadn't witnessed the drama firsthand, and secondhand gossip just wasn't satisfying enough.

When one man received the news, he hurried to finish his work and asked for leave. No one knew where he went.

After seeing off the guests, the Bo family was mentally and physically exhausted. Well, except for Fang Yao, who sat at the dining table eating at a leisurely pace. Gossip couldn't fill an empty stomach.

(⊙o⊙)...

At the table, everyone kept sneaking glances at Fang Yao, their ears pricked.

[Oh, so that's where Wu Yuan chose to settle down. Pretty nice. Let me see whether she'll fall in love again and get married. Oh~ So that's how it turns out. That's good.]

Fang Yao set down her spoon and clapped her hands, then went back to eating. Her unfinished thoughts left the Bo family itching with curiosity. They wanted to know whether Wu Yuan would get married too~~

Fang Yao didn't notice their anxious faces at all. She was too busy digging into her food to realize anyone was looking at her.

Bo Hanmo thought, ...Are you going to eat, or are you just going to sit there waiting for gossip?

The Bo family thought, Yes, yes. We're eating now.

[●´Å｀●]

Only the clink of chopsticks against bowls remained at the table. It was exceptionally quiet.