Volume 1, Chapter 120: Betting on Whether They Can Mend Their Broken Bond

Ye Sheng had been spending a lot of time with Mrs. Li lately, and it was indeed to enlist her help in building up her own profile. When it came to publicity, Mrs. Li was an expert. As for Mrs. Su, Zhong Yan, Ye Sheng had known her long before she ever became Mrs. Su. In fact, it was Ye Sheng who had introduced Su Xing and Zhong Yan to each other years ago.

Mrs. Li and Zhong Yan shared quite a few scandalous secrets with Ye Sheng regarding the Qin family, Zheng Xueyao, and the mother-daughter duo of Qin Minshu. These rumors varied greatly depending on whether they were circulating inside or outside the social circle. Any news that reached the public was usually leaked intentionally by the parties involved or heavily packaged, containing far more falsehoods than truths. However, information within the inner circle was rarely told to outsiders; one had to be truly embedded to hear anything resembling the facts.

For instance, rumors claimed that Zheng Xueyao had ascended to her position as a mistress, having used numerous underhanded tactics to oust the previous Mrs. Qin and snare Chairman Qin. But the truth was—

"The previous Mrs. Qin was also a mistress who rose to power. Like Zheng Xueyao, she came from the nightlife scene; that was simply Chairman Qin’s type. The former Mrs. Qin was a piece of work herself. Although she married the Chairman, they maintained an open marriage, each playing their own games. The women on the side were actually recruited by the former Mrs. Qin herself. It’s said she had a bit of a... cuckold fetish, if you catch my drift."

Ye Sheng: "..."

"But those two wives were like sisters. They never fought over him; instead, they lived in private harmony, sharing resources."

Having spent years in the entertainment industry, Zhong Yan had seen it all and didn't even twitch an eyebrow as she spoke. "Chairman Qin plays hard and has some very dark appetites—everyone knows that. It’s no small feat that Zheng Xueyao has managed to stay by his side for so many years."

Ye Sheng’s eyes flickered, suddenly recalling the slap Chairman Qin had dealt to his wife at the entrance of the Qin residence. Making a living at the hands of such a man was never an easy task.

Mrs. Li told Ye Sheng, "I’ve encountered the current Mrs. Qin a few times. Her emotional intelligence is truly high, and she has plenty of schemes. Whenever she wants, she can get along with anyone; she is a social butterfly who knows how to handle every situation. She’s even managed her relationships with her stepchildren well, earning a reputation as a model stepmother."

"Chairman Qin is a man who prioritizes profit and has a ruthless style. Zheng Xueyao has paid a heavy price to remain in the position of 'Mrs. Qin' for this long."

Mrs. Li coughed lightly and leaned in close to Ye Sheng’s ear, whispering details that made Ye Sheng’s skin crawl.

Zhong Yan sat to the side, not joining in, showing no curiosity at all, as if she already knew what Mrs. Li was going to tell Ye Sheng. She had been brought up by Sister Zheng, fighting through the blood and gore of the entertainment industry, matching wits and schemes with capitalists. None of them were innocent; anyone truly innocent would never have survived in that circle.

Before Ye Sheng arrived, Zhong Yan had already signaled to Mrs. Li that there was no need to hide anything from her—they would share what they knew, and leave it to Ye Sheng to judge the rest.

Mrs. Li hesitated, saying, "It’s not that I’m afraid to speak, but I’m worried that she, being a young lady of status, won't be able to handle such filth."

Zhong Yan laughed at this. "Sister, you underestimate Ye Sheng. She isn't a princess living in an ivory tower. Back when I was still a naive girl, Ye Sheng had already carved out her own territory in N City."

Back then, Ye Sheng had lived a life of extreme hardship, yet she still had the heart to draw her blade and help those in need when she saw injustice. They had even shared a single pizza, splitting it in two.

"How did you and Ye Sheng meet?" Mrs. Li asked curiously. "I’ve never heard that you two were close. Are you best friends?"

"Not best friends. 'Best friend' is... too shallow." Zhong Yan smiled. "She is my savior, my benefactor. If it weren't for her back then, I would have either died on the streets or starved to death."

Mrs. Li’s eyes widened, suddenly realizing which incident Zhong Yan was referring to. "So, it was Ye Sheng who saved you back then."

Mrs. Li’s face, which was usually stern to outsiders, softened considerably. If one didn't believe in fate, how else could they explain the connections between people? Hadn't Ye Sheng saved her own son, too?

Leaving the wine cellar, Ye Sheng was still processing what Mrs. Li had told her. She had achieved her goal for the day. She had made her appearance and gathered the information she needed; it was time to leave.

Just as she prepared to call her third brother, Huo Lindong’s call came through. At the same time, Huo Mingting was frantically searching for her.

"Ye..."

He saw her and was about to speak, but Ye Sheng was already walking toward the entrance with her phone in hand. Huo Mingting heard her call out "Brother Lin" with a smile as she walked briskly in her heels.

Huo Mingting frowned, and just as he was about to remind her to slow down, Ye Sheng’s pace eased, and she said into the phone, "I know, I’ll walk slowly."

"..."

Huo Mingting’s face darkened instantly, as if someone else had snatched away his right to say those words and do those things. His gaze followed Ye Sheng, fixating on her blue dress fluttering in the wind and that slender waist he could almost span with his hands. His eyes deepened.

Why?

In three years of marriage, he had never once held that slender waist.

And now, it no longer belonged to him.

Huo Mingting felt an inexplicable surge of panic, his teeth grinding together. His feet moved uncontrollably, his pace quickening, but by the time he reached the entrance, he saw only the receding silhouette of her car. She had left his sight once again, never stopping for him.

"I told you, he’s getting anxious."

A man and a woman stood watching the scene from afar. Zhong Yan turned to Su Xing and said, "Let’s start a pool."

Su Xing raised an eyebrow. "Start what?"

"A bet on whether President Huo and Ye Sheng will reconcile and patch things up."