Everyone looked expectantly at Cheng Xuan's... pocket.
Cheng Xuan: "?"
Living up to everyone's expectations, Cheng Xuan's phone actually rang.
Everyone: "!"
Lin Xiawan said, "A-Xuan, your phone's ringing. Aren't you going to answer it?"
Cheng Xuan instinctively felt something was wrong. This time, he had brought the phone Lin Xiawan had given him. Only Lin Xiawan and a handful of people close to him knew this number, and they were all here today.
Who could be calling him, then?
With all eyes on him, Cheng Xuan could only take the phone out of his jacket pocket.
The Lin family's banquet hall was so large that, out of concern that others might not hear the engaged couple speaking, both Lin Xiawan and Cheng Xuan were wearing microphones.
Once Cheng Xuan answered, everyone heard a sultry voice come through the receiver.
And that sultry voice sweetly called him "hubby."
Lin Tingyue: [Wow.]
Everyone: Wow.
What kind of wild spectacle had they stumbled into?
Cheng Xuan frantically hung up and explained to everyone, "Wrong number."
Lin Tingyue nearly passed out from fury at that explanation.
[Aaaaaah, everyone, don't let this filthy man off the hook!]
In the blink of an eye, Lin Tingyue bounded onto the stage. With her head held high and her spirits soaring, she pulled Lin Xiawan behind her and tipped her chin at Cheng Xuan. "Call her back."
How could Cheng Xuan possibly call back? Through gritted teeth, he said, "Lin Tingyue, don't go too far. This is your sister's engagement party. Do you want to ruin even such an important moment for her? Who doesn't know my feelings for Xiawan are genuine?"
[Oh, oh, oh, who doesn't know his feelings for Xiawan are genuine~ Genuine, my ass! You finish deceiving Lin Xiawan, then go off to deceive someone else.]
Not wanting to waste any more words on this filthy man, Lin Tingyue snatched the phone out of Cheng Xuan's hand while his guard was down. In his panic, he hadn't even closed the screen.
One tap of her slender finger, and the call went out.
Cheng Xuan tried to grab it, but Fan Qing, who had followed her onto the stage, blocked him. Seizing the opening, Lin Tingyue went ahead and pulled off his microphone too.
Cheng Xuan stamped his feet in fury, but Fan Qing stood motionless in front of him.
Fan Qing and Lin Tingyue stood united against their common enemy. Cheng Xuan had intended to simply shove Fan Qing off the stage and pass it off as a misunderstanding.
But just as he was about to act, the call connected.
Pitching her voice sweetly, Lin Tingyue asked, "Sorry, I found this phone. May I ask who your husband is, so I can return it to him?"
The woman on the other end sounded a little confused, but still said, "Cheng Xuan."
[Oh dear, I'd better get this clear. What if it's a different Cheng Xuan? I'm so considerate!]
Everyone: How is that considerate? You're trying to nail his coffin shut!
Lin Tingyue asked, "Which Cheng Xuan?"
"The Cheng Xuan who graduated from A University and now works at Lin Enterprises."
"Sorry, beautiful, but this Cheng Xuan of yours seems to be cheating on you."
With that, Lin Tingyue hung up.
[Hahahahaha, that's what you get for straddling two boats! This young lady won't leave you a single one!]
Watching Lin Tingyue fiddle with his phone, Cheng Xuan finally reached the end of his patience. "Lin Tingyue, what are you trying to do? Don't think you can ruin my relationship with Xiawan by hiring someone to put on an act."
"Mm-hmm." Lin Tingyue nodded perfunctorily, while letting out a piercing shriek inside.
[Aaaaaah, I remembered wrong! It wasn't two boats, it was loads and loads of boats! Are you an octopus???]
Lin Tingyue's pretty brows knitted. Unable to help herself in the end, she pulled Lin Xiawan and Fan Qing a little farther away.
[I need to wash and disinfect my hands when I get back. Hopefully this filthy man won't affect my money luck.]
And the very next second after everyone heard Lin Tingyue's thoughts, Cheng Xuan's phone rang again.
Lin Tingyue tirelessly answered the calls. In the end, there was even a rough male voice...
[Aaaaaaaah, so filthy, so filthy, so filthy!]
Chapter 3
The farce ended after Lin Tingyue switched off Cheng Xuan's phone.
Unable to bear it a moment longer, Lin Tingyue tossed the switched-off phone back to Cheng Xuan.
From the look of her, even another second of contact with that phone would have been a grievous sin.
[Waaah, I need to wash my hands! A hundred times!]
[Does disinfecting with alcohol work on scumbags and filthy men?]
[Why hasn't anyone invented a spray to get rid of this stuff!!!]
Although his phone was back in his hands, Cheng Xuan was still running around in anxious circles. He wanted to take Lin Xiawan's hand and explain, but Fan Qing and Lin Tingyue stood like two walls between him and Lin Xiawan.
Everyone was watching them now, so Cheng Xuan didn't dare resort to any more dirty tricks.
[Huh, what's wrong with Cheng Xuan? If you're itchy, go take a shower, okay?]
[But who blew up his fishpond, anyway? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Beautifully done.]
Everyone: ?
Girl, it wasn't you?
They had thought Lin Tingyue had orchestrated all of this, but now it seemed... there was another master behind this juicy drama.
They could watch it another hundred times!
Lin Xiawan frowned and asked, "Cheng Xuan, what exactly is going on?"
"Xiawan, let me explain."
Cheng Xuan gritted his teeth as he stared at Lin Tingyue, whose eyes were shining as she waited to watch him make a fool of himself. It wasn't as though she had only done one or two bad things anyway, so he decided to stick to his story and pin everything on her.
There was already a rift between Lin Xiawan and this younger sister of hers. As long as he muddied the waters further, Lin Xiawan would forgive him.
He still had a chance to become the Lin family's son-in-law and pull off a glorious comeback.
Cheng Xuan pointed at Lin Tingyue. "It must be her! It must be Lin Tingyue! Xiawan, you know she's never wanted you to be happy. She-she staged this whole elaborate act to frame me! Lin Tingyue, how can someone as vicious and ruthless as you exist? You're even jealous of your own sister."
Lin Tingyue: "Huh?"
[Me?]
[From a dessert's perspective, I suppose I really am vicious and ruthless.]
Someone in the crowd couldn't help laughing.
Without Lin Tingyue's thoughts, Cheng Xuan's speech might have led them astray. After all, everyone knew Lin Tingyue deliberately made things difficult for Lin Xiawan.
But now...
Cheng Xuan felt something strange about the atmosphere. He looked at Lin Xiawan, his gaze full of affection and his expression stoic. "Xiawan, you have to believe me. I've been wronged!"
[Wronged? Did I wrong you by putting men on your boats too?]
Everyone laughed again.
The laughter cracked Cheng Xuan's expression for an instant, but he quickly composed himself again.
Lin Xiawan said, "You're saying Tingyue hired people to frame you?"
Cheng Xuan nodded emphatically.
Lin Xiawan's gaze landed on Lin Tingyue. She asked, "Is that true, Tingyue?"
[He's obviously acting, you idiot, Lin Xiawan! It's just acting, isn't it? Let's see who can be more heartfelt.]
Lin Tingyue threw caution to the wind, and her beautiful eyes instantly misted over. The thought that she hadn't even received her overtime pay
before she had kicked the bucket filled Lin Tingyue with overwhelming grief.
Damn capitalists. Damn Cheng Xuan.
Looking pitiful and helpless, she said, "Xiawan, I didn't."
[Lin Xiawan, you have to believe me!]
The onlookers: Whoa, even here we get to watch
a best actor
and best actress go head-to-head.
They were getting a little impatient. Cheng Xuan, hurry up and keep acting!
Cheng Xuan said, "Does saying you didn't do it mean you didn't?"
Lin Xiawan nodded, her expression calm. "I believe you."
Cheng Xuan's mind went blank for a moment. He couldn't help asking, "Who do you believe?"
Lin Xiawan's lips curved. "My sister, of course. Who else? A man like you with one foot on n boats?"
After speaking, Lin Xiawan looked around at the people below the stage. "I'm sure everyone heard what happened just now. I hereby announce that today's engagement party between me, Lin Xiawan, and Cheng Xuan is canceled. Our Lin family will break off the engagement with the Cheng family."
[Yes, yes, yes, Lin Xiawan! That's exactly right! So satisfying! All the mammary ducts clogged by love-brained idiots over the years have cleared up in this moment!]
Lin Xiawan glanced at Lin Tingyue.
Bai Yaxin, who had wanted to rush over earlier but had been held back by Lin Rusong, now walked over from the other side of the stage with him.
The host, who had been enjoying the drama, silently handed Bai Yaxin a microphone. Her words rang firm and clear. "We will also terminate all cooperation with the Cheng family."
Afterward, Bai Yaxin handed the microphone to Lin Rusong, signaling for him to say a few words. Lin Rusong said, "My wife is right."
Bai Yaxin: "..."
[Sure enough, a love brain never disappears. It just transfers from Lin Xiawan to my dad.]
Smiling, Bai Yaxin stroked Lin Tingyue's head and praised her. "Our Tingyue did beautifully."
Lin Tingyue thought Bai Yaxin meant her charge onto the stage. She was as proud as a little cat, missing only an upturned tail.
[Of course! I'm super brave, Mom.]
Hearing the word "Mom," Bai Yaxin couldn't help being moved, and stroked Lin Tingyue's hair.
Lin Tingyue didn't know why her mother was doing this, but she loved it. Tentatively, she nuzzled Bai Yaxin's palm.
So this was what having a mother felt like?
After the banquet ended, the Cheng family was thrown out. Lin Tingyue glanced at Cheng Xuan and shook her head repeatedly.
[Sigh, Cheng Xuan probably thinks today is the worst day of his life. In reality, his worst days haven't arrived yet. Will those fish of his let him off? And that man who sounded so strong...]
[He won't punch Cheng Xuan into a wall so hard they can't peel him off, will he? How scary.]
As the departing guests passed Cheng Xuan one after another, they all silently lit a candle for him.
Then Lin Tingyue, who had been enjoying the show, suddenly remembered something. Her expression changed, and she rushed into the restroom on the first floor.