His gaze, filled with mockery and disdain, pierced Bai Quan's heart.
She knew her impression in his eyes was not good.
After all these years, she had been trying her best to play the role of a good wife, bringing him meals, doing his laundry, taking care of him, and never asking him for a penny. Yet, his perception of her had never improved.
"That was my friend's husband, he was just giving me a ride home," Bai Quan replied calmly. "I was only accompanying my friend for drinks today, and I absolutely did nothing out of line. If you don't believe me, you can check the surveillance footage."
After speaking, Bai Quan started walking upstairs.
But her wrist was suddenly grabbed, and she was thrown against his hard chest.
"You dare speak to me like this now?" he looked down at her, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Bai Quan remained silent.
Rong Beifeng's face grew increasingly angry. He violently threw her onto the sofa, then pressed down on her. Bai Quan immediately panicked, "What are you doing? The baby is upstairs."
"So what? They're all asleep at this hour." Rong Beifeng vented his anger on her.
The man's method of release was simple. After satisfying his desire, his anger had mostly subsided. He carried the woman upstairs to sleep.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere was ice-cold.
After Bai Quan left, the atmosphere in the car turned frigid.
Neither of them spoke. Upon arriving home, Wen Yan simply tidied herself up and lay down on the sofa.
Leng Xunze walked to her side. Seeing the girl with her eyes closed, he reached out and scooped her up in a princess carry. Wen Yan immediately began to struggle, "Let me go, I'll sleep here."
"Is sleeping on the sofa that comfortable?" His eyes were frosty.
"Sleeping alone is very comfortable," Wen Yan said faintly. Her once gentle and soft eyes were now cold, like a hedgehog bristling with quills. Leng Xunze's handsome face darkened. "Are you throwing a tantrum at me?"
"No."
Her indifferent demeanor was exceptionally distant, as if she could leave him at any moment. This made Leng Xunze feel extremely uncomfortable.
With her gentle nature, she should have been obedient and docile, cooking for him, giving him massages, and lulling him to sleep.
But now, she seemed like a different person.
"Is this fun? It's late, go to bed." Leng Xunze brought her to the bed without further ado. Wen Yan immediately sprang up. Their eyes met, their expressions equally cold. After a moment, Wen Yan spoke first, her voice tinged with a faint sob, "Is it fun to lie to me?"
"I have my reasons for doing this."
"What reasons? I don't even know who I've actually married! Are you Leng Xunze, or the esteemed Mr. Ye, or someone else?" Wen Yan looked at him with tears in her eyes. As she spoke, she started to laugh. The happy family life she had envisioned was just a dream. She hugged herself, trembling all over.
"I am just me." Seeing her cry, Leng Xunze became irritable. "Don't overthink it, go to sleep. What belongs to you won't be taken by anyone else."
"No, you are not mine..." Wen Yan murmured, "I don't deserve you."
"Do you not deserve me, or do you regret it? You went to seduce An Xi Leng back then, but you never expected my status to be no worse than his. If you hadn't done those foolish things, what would you be afraid of now?" Leng Xunze scoffed.
Wen Yan's heart felt as if it had been pierced.
At this moment, she felt that everything she had tried to protect was a deception.
Might as well let it shatter even more completely.
"That's right, you guessed it. I won't hide it anymore. The person who was supposed to marry you wasn't me, but Li Mengyao. I was forced to marry a penniless young master like you, so of course, I was unwilling. Therefore, when I saw Mr. An, I couldn't wait to seduce him."
Wen Yan looked at Leng Xunze with bright eyes. "After all, being with him is much more respectable than being with a migrant worker like you."
The next second, her neck was suddenly choked. The man's strength was immense, and Wen Yan immediately felt extreme discomfort, struggling to breathe. Yet, she stubbornly looked at Leng Xunze's cold and terrifying face.
"So, this is what you truly think!" Leng Xunze roared.
Wen Yan spoke with difficulty, "That's right, you wouldn't... really think I'd... spend my life with a pauper like you..."
Before she could finish, the man's grip intensified. Wen Yan's eyes rolled back. For a moment, she thought she was going to die there.
"Good, very good, Wen Yan, this is your true face!" Leng Xunze said. He should have felt disgusted, but a burning pain surged through his heart, searing his throat and rendering him speechless.
Wen Yan said nothing.
More accurately, she couldn't.
She was about to be choked to death by his hands.
Leng Xunze abruptly released his grip and turned away. With a "bang," the door slammed shut, and the entire house seemed to tremble.
Wen Yan lowered her head, burying it in her knees, silently weeping.
This night was so cold.
The next day.
Wen Yan went to the company and had arranged to meet Xu Rujing to look at clothes.
When Xu Rujing saw her, she was surprised.
"So you are Wen Yan."
"Yes, you know me?"
"Of course, you're so famous online. The clothes you're showing me this time, aren't they clothes that Sun Liyan rejected?" Xu Rujing joked.
Wen Yan smiled, "That's right, they are. But don't worry, the clothes are still mine. You can use them anytime if you need them."
Xu Rujing was slightly taken aback.
She actually admitted it.
It had to be said, wearing clothes that someone else had rejected would surely cause some discomfort. But this discomfort vanished instantly when she saw the dress. This white silk haute couture gown was understated yet beautiful, and would undoubtedly be a dazzling star on the red carpet.
"It's so beautiful," Xu Rujing was stunned, yet puzzled. "Why wouldn't she want such a gorgeous dress?"
"Perhaps due to some past grievances from high school."
So that was it.
Xu Rujing expressed her understanding.
She even felt a hint of relief.
If she had taken it, she wouldn't have seen such a beautiful dress.
Xu Rujing went to try it on.
When she emerged, she instantly captivated everyone.
Wen Yan, looking at how it suited her, exclaimed, "It suits you very well."
Xu Rujing was even more pleased with herself in the mirror.
This haute couture gown not only highlighted her elegant charm but also exuded grace and sexiness.
Compared to those complex and elaborate gowns, this dress was simple, grand, and perfect.
"I love it! Wen Yan, your design is so beautiful, I want to buy it!" Xu Rujing declared firmly.
"No need."
"What's wrong, are you reluctant to sell it? I'd like to wear it in the future, not just once for the red carpet," Xu Rujing said.
Seeing how much she liked it, Wen Yan pondered for two seconds and agreed.
The price was set at 550,000. Wen Yan gave her a discount of 50,000, and Xu Rujing paid 500,000.
She was clearly a bit pained, but she loved the dress so much that she swiped her card.
Xu Rujing walked out with Wen Yan.
On the way, they encountered a few familiar designers who were preparing to go for a meal.
They saw Xu Rujing and one of them paused, then reacted, "Xu Rujing?"
The others immediately looked over.
"It really is Xu Rujing. Miss Xu, why are you here?" Everyone was surprised.
Xu Rujing had been quite famous before.
After retiring from the industry for a year, everyone thought she had married a wealthy man.
Xu Rujing truthfully replied that she was looking for Wen Yan.
Liu Huanhuan's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. She clenched her fist, unable to understand why these celebrities were coming to Wen Yan one after another. Clearly, Wen Yan's designs were not much better than hers.
"Miss Xu has excellent taste. Wen Yan is a particularly outstanding designer here. Many celebrities like to have her design for them, including Sun Liyan," Liu Huanhuan said with a smile. "It's just that the two of them didn't have a very pleasant interaction, and it even made it to the trending searches... Oh dear, did I say too much? Miss Xu, Wen Yan's capabilities are still very strong, she will definitely be able to design a piece that satisfies you."