“What’s going on? Why are these two fighting out of the blue? This is Alice’s banquet, couldn’t Chen Li Shu at least save face for others and avoid causing trouble?”
“I just saw Chen Li Shu find a corner and sit down. Could it be that Alice deliberately came to provoke her? I heard Alice sent her subordinates to Chen Li Shu’s palace to force her to accept the banquet invitation. Could there be a conspiracy waiting for Chen Li Shu here?”
“If I recall correctly, Chen Li Shu and Alice don’t seem to have any connection. How can there be so many coincidences where everyone wants to provoke Chen Li Shu? I think Chen Li Shu must have done something that displeased Miss Alice, causing the two of them to get into a brawl.”
“…”
Amidst the guesses from the crowd, Zhang Wan Er, who was hiding among them, saw that the time was almost right. She then pushed through the crowd to stand before the two.
“Miss Alice, Miss Chen, what are you two doing? Can’t you just talk things out? Are you two arguing because of me? Actually, I never expected a resolution for many things. You don’t need to quarrel over me. No matter what, you are both my best friends!”
Alice’s eyes turned cold. She said firmly, “That won’t do. I must get you an answer for this matter!”
After speaking, Alice turned to look at Chen Li Shu behind her, took a deep breath, and then a malicious smile appeared on her face. She threatened, “I don’t think you want everything that has happened recently to be leaked, do you? Hand the person over obediently, or I’ll ruin your reputation!”
Chen Li Shu coldly pushed Alice away, saying with disdain, “What does this have to do with you? I advise you not to meddle in other people’s business. If this matter gets out, it won’t do Zhang Wan Er much good either. Do you really want everyone to know about this?”
Alice’s expression was frigid after being rejected, but she had to admit that Chen Li Shu’s words made sense. If the matter was revealed, wouldn’t everyone in the capital know that Zhang Wan Er was now a used shoe? If Gu Xing Dong was unwilling to take responsibility, how could Zhang Wan Er pursue her own happiness wholeheartedly in the future?
Just as the atmosphere became tense and deadlocked, another discussion arose from the crowd.
“Isn’t that the eldest daughter of the Zhang family? Why is her face so pale? She looks like she hasn’t been seen for days and has lost a lot of weight! What did she just say? To be honest, this is the first time I’ve seen two women fight over one woman!”
“You guys don’t know about this. I also got some inside information. I heard that Zhang Wan Er was violated by thugs in Modu a while ago, and she was hospitalized for a long time afterward. My aunt works in the hospital, and the situation at the time was terrible, tsk tsk tsk.”
“Is that really true? That’s too unlucky. The Zhang family is a prominent family, after all. If she were looking for a husband, wouldn’t she be able to pick any young master from the wealthy families in the capital? Now that she’s been defiled, people will only be choosing her!”
“Violated by thugs, one wonders if it was by one person or multiple people. Miss Zhang is ruined for life. Which man would dare to marry a used shoe? If they bring her home, wouldn’t they be subjected to gossip?”
“…”
Every word they spoke was like a knife stabbing Zhang Wan Er’s heart. Her face instantly turned pale, and her eyes became vacant.
Seeing that the situation was not quite right, Alice broke free from Chen Li Shu’s grasp, went before Zhang Wan Er, and pulled her into her arms. She whispered into her ear, “Wan Er, are you alright? Don’t pay attention to what they say. I didn’t expect something like this to happen either!
If I had known, I should have invited you to the backyard. There are fewer people there, and it wouldn’t have attracted so much attention, leading to such gossip. I’m sorry, it was my oversight. Please don’t take this to heart. It’s not you who made the mistake, it’s those thugs!”
Zhang Wan Er was already somewhat disoriented. She hid in Alice’s arms, murmuring continuously, “I’m not a used shoe, I’m not a discarded used shoe. It’s not my fault, and I didn’t want this to happen. Stop talking, stop talking!”
Seeing this, Alice tightened her grip on Zhang Wan Er and kept patting her back, saying, “It’s not your fault, it’s all their fault. Don’t be angry, I’ll help you resolve this matter.”
After speaking, Alice turned to the bodyguards behind her and said, “Why are you all still standing there? Go and fetch the doctor, and also Gu Xing Dong.”
As soon as the words fell, Zhang Wan Er, like a startled bird, pushed Alice away and frantically swept all the cups in front of her to the ground.
The harsh sound echoed in everyone’s ears. These people did not stop their discussions because of Zhang Wan Er’s tragic state; instead, they became more agitated.
“See? I was right. I said she was defiled by someone, otherwise why would she get so emotional when this is brought up?”
“I used to think Miss Zhang was aloof and untouchable. Now that she’s become a used shoe, I think I need to hurry and ask my family to propose marriage to their family. After all, Miss Zhang is not young anymore, and with this happening, if she doesn’t get married soon, she’ll truly become an unwanted old woman.”
“You’re thinking too highly of yourself. Look at your own family. It’s just a small company that just went public. How dare you let your parents propose marriage to the Zhang family? They wouldn’t deign to consider you.”
Hearing the surrounding people’s comparisons and discussions, the man was instantly enraged. He pursed his lips, disregarded the situation at hand, and loudly defended himself, “You don’t know anything! If I married her, our family would be pointed at and gossiped about for the rest of our lives. I’m just being kind. I can’t just watch Miss Zhang be depressed all day because of this. Haven’t you heard the saying? That good love can be the cure for anything!”
As soon as his words fell, everyone present cast meaningful glances at the man. No matter how defiled Zhang Wan Er was, it couldn’t change the fact that she was the eldest daughter of the Zhang family. The Zhang family’s wealth was considered significant in the capital, and who dared to offend them? This brat was truly a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger!
Chen Li Shu looked at their schadenfreude expressions, pursed her lips, then walked up to the man who had been the most vocal, and coldly questioned, “Your mouth is very loose. Which family are you from?”