Lan Limo sat in the taxi, her joy tinged with a subtle unease. Today was not only her twentieth birthday but also the anniversary of her relationship with Ye Jingrui. To celebrate this special occasion, Ye Jingrui had booked a five-star hotel and invited all her classmates. Her best friend, Yu Yao, speculated that Ye Jingrui might take this opportunity to propose. Should she say yes or no? With this anxious question weighing on her mind, Lan Limo arrived at the hotel. Ye Jingrui, ever the gentleman, opened the car door for her and carefully helped her out. His strikingly handsome face and tender gaze turned heads and sparked envy among onlookers.
As they slowly walked into the hotel lobby, the screen opposite the entrance displayed a slideshow of their joyful moments together. All her classmates chimed in unison, wishing her a happy birthday. This was a level of happiness Lan Limo had never experienced in her twenty years of life.
Suddenly, the hotel doors swung open with a creak. Ten well-trained bodyguards in black suits entered, swiftly dividing into two neat lines. A stunningly beautiful and alluring woman walked gracefully between them. Her jet-black hair flowed, her crimson lips were striking, and she wore black high-heeled boots, a black leather mini skirt, and a black lace blouse topped with a white fox vest. Lan Limo was certain she had never seen this woman before. She was about to ask if she was a friend of Ye Jingrui’s when she turned to see him stiffen, his eyes filled with panic.
"Jingrui, do you know her?" Lan Limo asked, her voice as clear and melodious as pearls falling onto a jade plate.
Ye Jingrui opened his mouth, gazing at the woman in the distance, but words failed him.
At that moment, the beautiful woman spoke softly, "I am Ye Jingrui’s fiancée, Gong Yuelin!"
As she spoke, she had already approached the two of them, her scrutinizing gaze unabashedly sizing up Lan Limo. The hall immediately buzzed with unrest.
"What's going on here?"
"How can Lan Limo's boyfriend have a fiancée?"
Amidst the whispers of her classmates, Lan Limo's mind went blank. She blinked her clear, bright eyes, looking at Ye Jingrui in disbelief. She forced an unnatural smile, "Is this your friend? Just joking around, right?"
Under Gong Yuelin's haughty gaze, Ye Jingrui clenched his teeth, his voice trembling slightly, "Xiao Mo, she really is my fiancée."
His words exploded like a landmine in Lan Limo's mind, shattering the beautiful memories they had shared into a bloody mess.
"How can she be your fiancée?" Lan Limo asked incredulously.
She knew all of Ye Jingrui's friends and had never heard a single word about a fiancée. If he had been cheating, how could she have missed any hint of it? Was he that good at hiding, or was she just that naive?
"We got engaged three months ago. You're just the other woman," Gong Yuelin sneered at Lan Limo with a look of disdain. It was true; she and Ye Jingrui had been engaged for three months, though there was no real affection between them. Moreover, she had been abroad for the past few months, turning a blind eye to Ye Jingrui's antics.
But now that she was back, she wouldn't allow him to mess around anymore. She didn't care about him, but she cared about the Gong family's reputation.
The other woman!
Those two words stabbed painfully into Lan Limo's heart. She had always despised women who interfered in others' relationships, yet here she was, unknowingly playing that role for so long.
Her heart felt like a bottle of mixed spices had been overturned, a flood of emotions crashing over her: humiliation, disgust, anger.
She raised her hand and slapped Ye Jingrui hard across the face, "If you want to be a heartless scoundrel, don't drag me into it. I have my dignity!"
