"Your fiancé gave it to me himself." Lihua shrugged as she said it.
"What?" A mixture of surprise and irritation welled up within Mengrui as she observed the scene. It seemed that Lihua had made herself even more intertwined with Lingyun's life, boldly claiming his belongings as her own. "Why...Why would Brother Yang give it to you?"
"I am not sure," Lihua replied to Mengrui, adding fuel to the fire. "Ask him. This isn't the first time your fiancé has let me borrow his coat."
Mengrui saw that Lingyun was gently holding Lihua's nervously curled fingers and jealousy surged through her veins, searing her heart like a toxic poison.She forcefully pulled Lihua's hand away from Lingyun and positioned herself at his side. "You scheming bitch, are you trying to seduce my future husband?"
Yang Lingyun knitted his brows as he peered down at Xia Mengrui. "What do you think you are doing?"
"Why are you here in the first place? You should have been in the ballroom, Brother Yang", Xia Mengrui said, her voice laced with a gentle affection as if she wasn't truly upset with him for leaving without informing her, but rather teasing him in a lighthearted manner.
Only Lihua knew how tensed and jealous Mengrui was behind the facade of coquettishness. That lifted Lihua's spirits. "If the man is not married, I still have a chance," she remarked, her smile returning. "Not like I would go after a used man whom I have already let go, anyway."
As the tension thickened, the dynamics between the trio grew more complex.
Yang Lingyun's face darkened when he heard that.
A used man? Does she see him as a discarded object? A fool to be used and thrown away?
Mengrui's anger flared up even further. "Watch your words! How can you talk to brother Yang like that? Honey, who do you love more?"
'Honey?!' Lihua felt like she was about to gag. Sike!
As soon as she laid eyes on Xia Mengrui entering the ballroom, she knew it meant trouble. When you combine it with Yang Lingyun, you have a full-blown disaster. What a dreadful day!
Xia Mengrui leaned into Yang Lingyun's arms, trembling and shedding tears like a baby as if she had hurt her foot.
In a gentle tone, Yang Lingyun tried to comfort Xia Mengrui amidst her sobs. "It's all right... Stop crying."
Yang Lingyun's anger still lingered from Xia Lihua's earlier remarks, and he found himself unable to look into her eyes.
Lihua interpreted Lingyun's words and actions in a different light. To her understanding, Lingyun's stance was clear—he stood firmly by Mengrui's side, refusing to side with her in the midst of the turmoil they found themselves in.
Xia Lihua's lips quivered slightly as she bore witness to the affectionate display between the couple before her, reflecting the ache in her heart. The bitter taste of regret swept over her, leaving her to confront the consequences of her past choices and the pain they had inflicted upon her. In that moment, a self-mocking smile surfaced on her face, tinged with a mix of bitterness and self-disdain.
This was the man she loved? How stupid for her!
"Mr Yang, why did you come find me? Do you probably have some business with me?" Xia Lihua knew that that Yang Lingyun's personal visit held a deeper purpose. She found it difficult to believe that his true intentions were solely to check on her well-being due to her being drenched and in need of assistance. The only thing she desperately wanted right now was for this melodramatic scene to come to an end so that she could hurry back home.
"Did you hit Mengrui at the restaurant?"
Hah, so he knew that it was me he met at Shangri-la? Well, Xia Mengrui must have told him.
A wry smile formed on her lips, "What do you mean?"
"Did you strike my fiancée in the restroom?"
The endearment Yang Lingyun used was a stab in Xia Lihua's heart.
She held little concern for the actions of this shameless couple who seemed determined to put on a show. In response, Xia Lihua made up her mind to play along with their charade.
A single tear fell down Xia Lihua's cheek, glistening like a dewdrop and its impact could create ripples within one's heart. "Why would I ever commit such an evil act? You stumbled and fell in the bathroom, and I merely offered a helping hand to lift you up."
Yang Lingyun: "..."
Xia Mengrui: "...?!!"
Earlier, Lihua had made a promise to Feiyi that if Mengrui shed tears, she would also start crying. Lihua intended to remain true to her words, determined to uphold her self-imposed commitment.
Mengrui became hysterical when she saw Lihua welling up with tears. "This bitch is a liar!"