Li Junchen spoke with a gentle smile, as if joking.
But Shen Yushu sensed a warning in his words and saw Li Junchen's strong possessiveness towards Song Qinian.
Shen Yushu knew that Song Qinian had married Shen Chiyan, but he didn't know how Song Qinian and Li Junchen had gotten together.
Although many versions circulated in wealthy circles, the most common was that Song Qinian and Li Junchen were childhood sweethearts, and Song Qinian had always loved Li Junchen, who she knew from childhood, not Shen Chiyan. Her marriage to Shen Chiyan was merely to use him as a substitute for Li Junchen.
But whether that was the truth remained to be verified.
This Li Junchen, who was a rising star in Jinghua City two years ago, had disappeared for a while. Now that he had returned, his status remained the same, which was not something an ordinary person could easily achieve.
Just as Shen Yushu was about to speak, a cold and sarcastic voice suddenly rang out, "Mr. Li and Miss Song are truly remarkable. Their own son is missing, yet they can still attend a banquet here. It seems your son isn't that important to you after all."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yushu was stunned. He hadn't expected Song Qinian and Li Junchen to even have a child.
Song Qinian hadn't anticipated Shen Chiyan's arrival. He was wearing a well-tailored black casual suit today, with a red tie against a white shirt. Judging by the color of the tie, his mood was excellent.
Song Qinian also noticed the woman beside him. She was gentle and lovely, with two small dimples when she smiled. Her slender, fair hand was linked with Shen Chiyan's arm, and they looked very intimate.
Song Qinian was somewhat surprised. Usually, at such events, Shen Chiyan would bring Lin Qiutong.
Could it be that, as Qinqin had said, he and Lin Qiutong weren't together?
Then who was this woman? His new flame?
Seeing Song Qinian's gaze fall on the woman beside him, Shen Chiyan smiled slightly, "Darling, let me introduce you. This is my ex-wife, Song Qinian."
Shen Chiyan only introduced Song Qinian, seemingly ignoring Li Junchen's presence.
The woman was also quick-witted. She smiled at Song Qinian and extended her hand, "I've heard a lot about Miss Song. Meeting you today, you are indeed like a fairy descended to earth. Hello, my name is Zhou Yuwei."
Song Qinian hadn't expected Shen Chiyan to directly refer to her as his ex-wife in front of his new companion. She knew Shen Chiyan was deliberately trying to make things difficult for her, but politeness dictated a response. Song Qinian extended her hand and shook the woman's, "Miss Zhou, you flatter me. When it comes to looks, you are the one with heavenly beauty."
After the two women exchanged pleasantries, Li Junchen, noticing Shen Chiyan's gaze fixed on Song Qinian, his eyes flickered slightly. The hand that had been around Song Qinian's shoulder now moved to her slender waist.
Song Qinian merely looked at Li Junchen with discomfort, not pushing him away directly in front of others. Shen Chiyan, however, saw this and his dark eyes instantly turned cold.
The atmosphere became tense in an instant. Shen Yushu, as the host, glanced between the three of them before breaking the silence with a smile, "Mr. Shen, Mr. Li, our guests have arrived. Perhaps we should all sit down and chat?"
Shen Chiyan let out a cold snort. He cast a profound glance at Song Qinian before walking away, his arm around the woman beside him.
After a few steps, Shen Chiyan affectionately stroked the woman's nose with his gloved hand, "Be good and stay with me later, alright?"
"I know, why are you so wordy today?"
"Only you dare to call me wordy."
Watching Shen Chiyan and the woman walk away, Song Qinian felt a stifling discomfort in her chest. She took a deep breath, constantly telling herself to remain calm.
Yes, even if Shen Chiyan wasn't with Lin Qiutong, it was impossible for him to have remained single for the past two years.
The banquet hall buzzed with activity, filled with the clinking of glasses.
Seeing several prominent figures chatting and laughing with Shen Yushu, Song Qinian realized that Shen Yushu was truly not the same person he used to be.
Soon after, Zhou Yuting arrived.
Song Qinian was greatly surprised when she saw Zhou Yuting. She remembered Zhou Yuting as being very plump and prosperous, with an arrogant and domineering expression that could be seen from her face. Wherever she was, several girls would always be fawning over her.
Furthermore, she treated Shen Yushu with utmost disregard, acting like a queen.
But now, after going through who knows what, she was emaciated, almost unrecognizable. Although her face was meticulously made up, her loose skin and haggard expression were undeniable. Her eyes, accustomed to looking down on others, were now vacant and timid.
Most importantly, her attitude towards Shen Yushu was extremely respectful; in fact, she seemed quite afraid of him.
When Shen Yushu put his arm around her shoulders, Song Qinian clearly saw her tremble.
Of course, Song Qinian was only curious about what had happened in the past two years, but she felt no sympathy for Zhou Yuting, as she hadn't forgotten how Zhou Yuting, along with the Lin sisters, had framed her back then.
Li Junchen was quite popular. As soon as he entered the banquet hall, many executives approached him for a chat.
Naturally, many people wanted to establish connections with Shen Chiyan. However, Shen Chiyan's mood fluctuated wildly; he could be smiling one moment and have a terrifying expression that could devour people the next.
Even when he smiled, no one dared to approach him because he exuded an aura of "keep out."
Shen Chiyan's status was well-established, so it didn't matter if he didn't interact with others or socialize. However, Li Junchen's career was largely based in Australia, and to establish a foothold in Jinghua City, even if he disliked socializing, he couldn't outright refuse people.
While Li Junchen was chatting with others, Song Qinian suddenly received a text message from Shen Chiyan: "Come and toast me."
Song Qinian: "..."
Song Qinian looked up at Shen Chiyan. He wasn't looking at her and was still being affectionate with the woman beside him, as if the text message hadn't come from him.
Shen Chiyan was clearly looking for trouble. Song Qinian pretended not to see the message and continued to daydream.
Immediately after, her phone rang again. She opened it and gritted her teeth.
"Didn't you tell me to take out my frustrations on you instead of your son? If you don't come and toast me tonight, I'll make your son pay when I get home."
Seven years of emotional turmoil. When Zann was by her side, she was extremely cautious and constantly compromised, fearing Li Junchen might harm Zann.
Now that Zann was in Shen Chiyan's hands, she had become so passive again.
She thought things were finally moving in a positive direction, only to find that nothing had changed.