Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As far as I was concerned, this marriage alliance was slowly getting on the right track.

My husband and I were happy enough.

At most, Fu Jinhua was a little too clingy and a little too needy.

There was a public charity gala that Fu Jinhua and I would both be attending on behalf of our respective families.

I wore a custom-made gown. Around my neck and wrist were the pieces of jewelry Fu Jinhua had brought back for me from overseas, and I was wearing my wedding ring as well.

There were many people at the charity gala, but the event had not officially begun yet.

I looked around for my husband.

At last, I found him in a corner, together with his two good friends, Chen Jiawen and Su Chen.

I had no idea what they were saying to Fu Jinhua. They were talking nonstop, and maybe it was just my imagination, but the two of them looked rather like they were disappointed in him for failing to live up to expectations.

When I approached, Chen Jiawen saw me first. He took two agitated steps toward me, as if he had something he wanted to argue with me about.

In my memory, I had barely had any dealings with Chen Jiawen or Su Chen, and we had no real business ties either. There was no reason for there to be any bad blood between us.

My confusion went unresolved.

Because Fu Jinhua stopped Chen Jiawen. I did not know what he said, but Chen Jiawen halted in his tracks, though his expression remained cold.

Fu Jinhua walked over to me.

“What were Chen Jiawen and Su Chen saying to you? Was it about me?” I asked.

Fu Jinhua did not explain. He said, “Just a small misunderstanding. Don’t take it to heart.”

But he did not say what the misunderstanding was, and he was clearly carrying something on his mind.

At the charity gala, my husband and I were both the type to spend lavishly.

Then the auctioneer onstage began introducing the next item.

“The next lot is a work by the renowned artist Li Jun. Today, we have invited Ms. Li here in person to share with us the inspiration behind this painting. Please welcome-”

When I heard that name, I paused.

It was only when Li Jun, dressed in a white gown, stepped onto the stage that I finally confirmed I had not guessed wrong.

I could not help glancing to the side.

Li Jun, the treasured daughter of a family known for calligraphy and painting.

If I remembered correctly, she and Fu Jinhua had grown up together. It was said that she had once intended to form a marriage alliance with the Fu Family, but for some unknown reason, that had come to nothing. Not long afterward, Li Jun had gone abroad as well.

As for Li Jun returning to the country, I had not heard even the slightest hint of it.

Before Fu Jinhua and I got married, she had probably been much closer to him than I was.

The young woman onstage spoke with ease and confidence. Every gesture carried a scholarly air, very much the style of an artist.

She and I were complete opposites. I was ambitious, and I had not entered this marriage alliance for love, but for my career.

Fu Jinhua had simply happened to be the best choice among all the options.

Neither Fu Jinhua nor I bid on that painting, but I was certain the woman onstage had let her gaze fall on him.

Of course, in the end, the painting still sold for a high price.

Throughout the entire gala, especially after Li Jun appeared, more and more eyes fell on Fu Jinhua and me.

I knew people loved gossip, so I ignored it.

Only, when I opened my phone, I suddenly discovered that someone I knew had posted a photo with Li Jun.

The caption read: [The young lady has returned home to bravely pursue love.]

?

The love she was pursuing was…

Holding a glass of champagne, I looked around and only then realized that Fu Jinhua and Li Jun had both disappeared from my line of sight at some point.

After a moment’s hesitation, I immediately began searching the venue for them.

Fu Jinhua could love someone else. He could pine for someone he could never have. But he could not cheat.

I could not afford that kind of humiliation.

When I found Fu Jinhua, he was indeed with Li Jun.

A lone man and woman stood at the corner of a hallway. The woman was crying so prettily it made one pity her. I was some distance away and only heard something about “a wife having an affair.”

I could not make out Fu Jinhua’s expression. As I drew closer, I heard him say,

“There is no such thing. You misunderstood. And besides, this has nothing to do with you.”