The hot pot, with its boiling water, exuded a rich aroma.
The table was laden with exquisite dishes, but it was clear they had barely been touched, while empty beer bottles were abundant.
Ye Meiyun hung up the phone, sighed, and looked at Li Ya sitting not far away.
"You heard it all just now, didn't you? Qin Chuan is looking for you."
Ye Meiyun's phone had been on speakerphone during the call, so everyone in the private room had heard the conversation.
Li Ya remained silent, but tears flowed faster down her cheeks, impossible to wipe away.
Ye Meiyun instinctively glanced at Ge Lan, neither of them knowing how to comfort her.
Ye Meiyun, in particular, felt a hint of guilt.
She had actually known about Qin Chuan's double-dealing for a while but had never told Li Ya.
She had always been unsure if she had done the right thing.
Unexpectedly, before she could make up her mind, Qin Chuan himself had a mishap, and his scummy behavior of seeing two women was exposed.
"Alas, people always say that men change once they get rich. That saying is an eternal truth, and it's absolutely correct."
Ge Lan sighed, "It's us women who suffer the most, bearing all this pain for nothing."
"What's even more infuriating is that this world has always been unfair. When men cheat or have affairs, apart from the initial anger, after a few days, many people around us will urge us women to be more magnanimous, saying that a cat can't help but steal fish.
'Just turn a blind eye.'
'But if we women do anything, we'll be drowned in spit. Whore, prostitute, slut, bitch... and other disgusting words will follow you for life.'"
Ye Meiyun raised her hand, stopping Ge Lan's complaint.
"Li Ya, did that woman named Yang Zimo go to the factory to find you personally today?"
Li Ya wiped her tears and softly replied, "Mm," a look of recollection on her face.
Let's rewind time a few hours.
Around noon, about two o'clock, a luxurious Mercedes-Benz suddenly drove up to the entrance of the Butterfly Clothing Factory and stopped beneath the office building.
The car door opened, and a woman emerged, wearing a sun hat, a white blazer, and possessing a perfectly sculpted figure.
Even though half of her face was obscured by dark sunglasses, it was evident that she was exceptionally beautiful and likely of significant status, either wealthy or noble.
As it happened, employees were coming and going from the office building at that moment. Noticing the unfamiliar car and the woman, one of them politely inquired, "Miss, who are you looking for?"
"Hello, I'm looking for your factory director, Li Ya. I'm a friend introduced by boss Qin Chuan."
The woman replied.
Hearing that she was introduced by Qin Chuan, the staff member didn't dare to delay and immediately led her to the second floor, to the director's office.
Knock, knock, knock!
After knocking, a mature voice from within replied, "Please come in!"
"Director, this young lady said she was introduced by boss Qin and wants to see you..."
The subordinate reported.
Inside the office, Li Ya was working when she looked up at the words.
The subordinate, sensing the situation, discreetly left and closed the door.
"May I ask who you are..."
Li Ya emerged from behind her desk, looking puzzled.
Someone introduced by Qin Chuan? But she hadn't received any prior notice.
At this moment, the other woman removed her sunglasses and sun hat, and Li Ya was instantly stunned, a single thought flashing through her mind: "This woman is so beautiful!"
The woman appeared noticeably younger than her, like a girl of eighteen or nineteen who had just come of age, with skin like flawless jade, but upon closer inspection, her clear, luminous eyes held a hint of wisdom and maturity.
Moreover, her demeanor was cold and elegant, like a pure white Tianshan snow lotus, exceptionally striking, evoking an involuntary sense of untouchability.
Li Ya had met many remarkable women, but none had ever made her feel such pressure, especially after her subordinate reported that this woman was introduced by Qin Chuan.
What was this woman's relationship with Qin Chuan?
The moment she saw Yang Zimo, various thoughts flooded Li Ya's mind.
However, as a factory director, she quickly regained her composure and warmly invited the woman to sit.
"My name is Yang Zimo, from Longcheng."
Yang Zimo introduced herself, "Actually, I wasn't introduced by Qin Chuan. I came to see you myself."
Before Li Ya could react, Yang Zimo's next words froze her expression.
"Because I am also Qin Chuan's girlfriend!"
Boom!!
Yang Zimo's final statement rendered Li Ya completely stunned, her expression filled with shock and disbelief.
"What? You didn't know about my existence either?"
Noticing Li Ya's change in expression, Yang Zimo said softly, with a hint of sarcasm.
Li Ya finally came back to her senses and instinctively reached for her phone in her pocket.
Unexpectedly, Yang Zimo stopped her, "Miss Li Ya, please don't rush to call that person. Do you have time? Let's find a place outside to talk properly."
...
"What did you talk about?!"
In the private room, Ye Meiyun and Ge Lan were brimming with curiosity.
Li Ya picked up her wine glass and downed it in one go, placing the glass down heavily and breathing deeply.
"We talked a lot. That woman, Yang Zimo, asked me many questions about my story with Qin Chuan, like how we met and how we got together."
Before Li Ya could finish, Ge Lan interjected, "That's not fair! She's digging into your secrets, didn't you ask her how she met Qin Chuan?"
"Of course I asked!"
Li Ya replied, "She was very honest and told me about her and Qin Chuan's process of meeting and falling in love."
As she spoke, Li Ya's face contorted in pain, and she said with a bitter tone, "Do you know, I'm actually the third party, because Qin Chuan met her before he met me!"
"At that time, they had already started dating."
This time, even Ye Meiyun couldn't hold back, anger surging, and she exclaimed, "Nonsense! How can you be the third party? You're the victim! The culprit for all of this is that scummy Qin Chuan!"
"He lied to everyone!!"
Li Ya clutched her head and sobbed softly, her face etched with pain.
"No, I am the third party, because when Qin Chuan and I got together, I was the one who initiated everything."
"It was me who couldn't help myself after drinking and made the first move..."
Ye Meiyun: ...
Ge Lan: ...
The two women exchanged glances. They had never known this detail before.
"Li Ya, let's put aside the third-party issue for now. I just want to ask you, based on what you just said, are you prepared to withdraw from this competition and give Qin Chuan to that woman Yang Zimo?"
Ye Meiyun asked with a frown.
Li Ya, tears streaming down her face, shook her head frantically, "No! I don't know!! I really don't know!"
"This afternoon, I personally saw Qin Chuan and Yang Zimo walking out of the Meitehao supermarket, laughing and talking, and then driving away together."
"I didn't receive any calls or even a text message from him all afternoon."
"Do you know how despairing I felt at that moment..."
As Li Ya spoke, she couldn't help but cry uncontrollably, her sobs heart-wrenching and sorrowful, startling Ye Meiyun and Ge Lan, who quickly got up and rushed to comfort her.
"Meiyun, Lanlan, I really don't know what to do now. I... Qin Chuan is my whole world. I can't lose him!"