Chapter 43: Lin Shuyu Remains Lin Shuyu

What the hell! Is this bastard trying to steal my wife, trying to make me wear a green hat? Hong Yu’s eyes were wide with shock. Anyone with half a brain could tell from Huang Wenhua’s words that he was making a move on someone else’s wife—a low, despicable, shameless thing to do since time immemorial!

Hong Yu was about to make his move, planning to grab Huang Wenhua from behind and throw him over his shoulder. But then he heard Lin Shuyu speak, and after a moment’s pause, he held back. He was curious what Lin Shuyu would say, but curiosity aside, he was genuinely worried. What if Lin Shuyu agreed? What if she nodded? He didn’t care much about face—he’d lost enough of that over the years. What he cared about was that he truly loved Lin Shuyu. He didn’t think he could bear such a blow. Even if she didn’t agree, even a moment’s hesitation would leave a thorn in his heart.

When it came to women, Hong Yu was still somewhat old-fashioned and possessive.

Lin Shuyu’s tone was cold as she replied, “President Huang, please have some self-respect. Don’t compare me to Huang Lili.”

“I’m just your employee, and both of us have families. Please don’t say those things again.”

Her rejection was clear, almost blunt. Hong Yu nodded repeatedly, breathing a sigh of relief. She hadn’t minced words; she’d nearly torn all pretense away. After all, Huang Wenhua had only spoken; he was still her boss, and Lin Shuyu valued her job. She’d already done more than Hong Yu had dared hope. In fact, this was even better than the answer he’d imagined.

And from what Lin Shuyu had said, Huang Wenhua had a wife. That made him even more contemptible in Hong Yu’s eyes. Judging by how practiced he was, and the way Huang Lili seemed so unconcerned with her own reputation, Huang Wenhua had likely fooled around plenty. As a company boss who wasn’t exactly unattractive, if he had the energy, he could probably have a different woman every day.

Huang Wenhua, however, seemed unbothered by Lin Shuyu’s words, as if he didn’t take them to heart at all.

He laughed and said, “You know my wife—she’s nothing special. After she had our child, her figure changed. I haven’t touched her in over a year.”

Scumbag! Absolute scumbag!

Hong Yu clenched his fists at the words.

But Huang Wenhua went on, “You’re even worse off than I am.”

“Don’t you find your useless husband disgusting? A pauper like him doesn’t deserve a beauty like you.”

“What can he give you? Can he bring you to a high-end auction like this? Can he buy you a car, a house?”

“Shuyu, just say yes. If you agree, you’ll be a manager tomorrow. You take the bus to work every day, don’t you? I’ll buy you a BMW—a 7-series at that.”

Lin Shuyu’s tone grew even colder. “President Huang, if you keep this up, I’ll resign the moment I return to the office. Show some respect.”

Huang Wenhua hesitated, then forced a laugh. “I was just joking. If you don’t agree, I won’t press the issue.”

But it was precisely this kind of woman who fascinated him even more. After all, forbidden fruit is the sweetest, and the thrill lies in conquering the unconquerable. Huang Wenhua was experienced; he’d chased after women with principles before. Having a bottom line at the start didn’t mean it would last.

As a great man once said, rules are made to be broken.

While Huang Wenhua was still pondering what to say to ease the awkwardness, a woman suddenly approached Lin Shuyu.

Damn! Could she know Shuyu?

Hong Yu was surprised, recognizing her as the woman Qian Peng had brought to the auction—the one suspected to be his mistress.

“Well, well, I thought you looked familiar! Turns out it really is you!” The woman feigned delight, but her tone was anything but friendly.

Lin Shuyu was surprised too, but recalling Shen Yue’s character, she merely nodded and managed a polite smile. “What a coincidence. How have you been these past years?”

“Good? More than good! You see I’m attending this high-end auction, aren’t I?” Shen Yue replied, then eyed Lin Shuyu up and down. “I didn’t expect you to be doing so well. It’s only been a few years since graduation and you’re already able to attend things like this. Looks like you’ve made something of yourself.”

Her words were laced with sarcasm, as if she was jealous of Lin Shuyu’s success. After all, she was here only as Qian Peng’s mistress. A greasy middle-aged man like Qian Peng would tire of her in a few years, and if she hadn’t found a better catch by then, she wouldn’t be able to attend events like this at all.

But Lin Shuyu didn’t care about such things. After a moment’s thought, she replied honestly, “I’m not doing all that well. My boss brought us along today to broaden our horizons. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to come to such an event.”

“Oh? So that’s it.” Shen Yue seemed relieved, then sneered, “I almost forgot. I heard you married a man who moved in with your family. A man with no ambition could never bring you to Christie’s auction. Lucky for you, your boss is so thoughtful, bringing his employees to see the world.”

With that, Shen Yue’s gaze shifted to Huang Wenhua.

Huang Wenhua had little interest in women like Shen Yue. He was a scoundrel, but he had his preferences—he liked respectable married women, not obvious mistresses like her. Still, he realized that if Shen Yue kept mocking Lin Shuyu, it would only help his cause. A proud woman, humiliated by an old classmate, might just let anger cloud her judgment and agree to his terms.

So he quickly stood up and extended his hand. “Hello, I’m Huang Wenhua, chairman of Huading Trading.”

Huading Trading? That was a decent company in Fengzhou—certainly more impressive than Qian Peng’s. And Qian Peng was only a CEO, an employee at the end of the day. A chairman was the real boss.

Shen Yue’s mind wandered, but she quickly dismissed her thoughts and shook Huang Wenhua’s hand politely. She let go almost immediately. If he’d been her target, she would have traced circles on his palm as a hint. She wouldn’t mind snagging a golden goose like Huang Wenhua, but she was realistic—she’d been with Qian Peng for a while now and knew big shots weren’t so easy to catch. She could still coast for a year or so on Qian Peng’s money; there was no need to risk it all for Huang Wenhua.

“Xiaoyue, what are you doing? The auction’s about to start.” Qian Peng, who’d just returned from the restroom, came over.

“I bumped into an old college classmate,” Shen Yue replied cheerfully, slipping her hand around his arm, pride and smugness written all over her face—a clear show for Lin Shuyu.

Lin Shuyu knew what kind of person Shen Yue was and intended to ignore her, but Shen Yue suddenly called out, “Honey, did you see the diamond bracelet you bought me today? I hope nobody stole it.”

Qian Peng knew his mistress wanted to show off in front of her old classmate, so he played along. “Did you put it in your bag?”

“Oh, that’s right! I think it’s in my LV.” Shen Yue pretended to have just remembered and took her LV bag off her elbow.

“Hmph! This lousy bag needs replacing—it only cost twenty thousand and after a month it’s already worn out.” With a disdainful sniff, she produced a jewelry box from her bag, opening it to reveal a dazzling diamond bracelet.

The diamonds sparkled brightly. Shen Yue made a point of waving the box in front of Lin Shuyu. It was obviously Tiffany—a piece like that would cost at least several hundred thousand.

“Honey, help me put it on.” Shen Yue handed both her wrist and the bracelet to Qian Peng, who fastened it for her. She then stretched out her hand in front of Lin Shuyu. “Isn’t it lovely? This diamond bracelet was cheap—just over seven hundred thousand. If you like it, ask your husband to buy you one.”

“But it feels a bit uncomfortable…” As she spoke, she glanced at Qian Peng, who played along. “If it’s uncomfortable, don’t wear it. I’ll buy you a new one after the auction.”

“You’re the best, honey! Mwah—” Shen Yue kissed him on the cheek, showering affection and making everyone else sick with their display.

Qian Peng now noticed how beautiful Lin Shuyu was. For a man like him, there was no such thing as too many beautiful women. So he asked, “Shen Yue’s classmate, where’s your husband? Is it this gentleman here?”

Lin Shuyu replied curtly, “No. He’s not here.”

“That’s a shame. Christie’s only comes to Fengzhou once a year, if that. It’s a rare opportunity to see the world.” As he spoke, Shen Yue leaned in and whispered the situation to him.

After listening, Qian Peng grew even more smug. “I see, he didn’t have the credentials to come. No wonder he’s not here.”

“Such a man doesn’t deserve you. Tell you what, our company is looking for security guards. Ask him if he wants the job.”

“We don’t provide meals or lodging, but it pays four thousand a month—that’s top pay for a security guard.”

Shen Yue added with a laugh, “Shuyu, this is a rare opportunity. When I went to check on the job, a bunch of old men fought over it.”

“No need,” Lin Shuyu replied, her face dark. She saw through their performance and ignored them, getting up to go to the restroom.

Standing before the washbasin mirror, Lin Shuyu could no longer hold back her tears.

But soon, she wiped her eyes dry.

When she emerged from the restroom, she was once again Lin Shuyu.