Chen Li lay on the table, trembling as she cried.
Jing Shen stood there, staring at her in shock. He had never seen Chen Li like this before. In front of him, she had always been proud and strong; even when wronged, she would never shed a tear. But now, she cried like a child.
His heart twisted painfully, making it hard to breathe. He looked at her and murmured, "Lily, what's wrong?"
Chen Li remained silent, burying her face in her arms and crying until her voice was hoarse.
Jing Shen moved closer to her and gently patted her shoulder. "Lily, what’s going on?"
Her shoulders shook slightly as she slowly lifted her head, tears glistening in her eyes as she looked at him. "Jing Shen, I..."
Before she could finish her sentence, she caught sight of Gu Jingchen behind Jing Shen. Her breath hitched, and her tears flowed even more fiercely.
Jing Shen watched her with deep concern. He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from her face.
Chen Li looked at him, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside her. She remembered the words he had said on their wedding day: "Lily, I will treat you well." And he truly had.
For five years of marriage, he had always been good to her. No matter what happened, he stood by her side, protecting and supporting her. A wave of gratitude washed over her.
She gazed at him and softly said, "Jing Shen, I'm fine."
Jing Shen frowned. "What’s really wrong?"
Chen Li pressed her lips together and whispered, "I really am fine; please don’t ask anymore."
He looked at her, his gaze growing deeper with concern. After a long silence, he sighed. "Alright."
As he spoke, he turned his head. It was only then that he noticed Li Xue had somehow moved next to Gu Jingchen and was talking to him about something.
Gu Jingchen looked at Li Xue, his gaze gentle as water. He squinted slightly, recalling the information he had gathered about her earlier. The data indicated that Li Xue had a boyfriend of four years. In other words, she was straddling two boats. A hint of disdain flickered in his eyes; he did not like women like that.
He said coldly, "Miss Li, who bullied Lily just now?"
Li Xue replied flatly, "I don’t know."
"How could you not know?" Jingchen retorted sharply. "Haven't you been by her side all along?"
Li Xue frowned slightly. "Am I her nanny?"
Jingchen was momentarily taken aback. He looked at her, anger flashing in his eyes. "Miss Li, what kind of attitude is this?"
Li Xue responded coolly, "This is just my attitude."
Jingchen's voice turned icy. "Don't forget, Lily invited you here today."
Li Xue met his gaze. "So what?"
Jingchen's tone hardened. "You are her sister; you should take care of her."
Li Xue smiled, looking at him with a sarcastic glint in her eyes. "I am her sister, not her nanny. I am not obligated to be with her all the time and take care of her."
Jingchen's expression darkened significantly as he stared at her with a frosty demeanor. "Miss Li, are you shirking responsibility?"
"I am not shirking responsibility; I am just speaking the truth," Li Xue replied calmly.
"If anything happens to Lily, I won't let you off," Jingchen warned coldly.
Li Xue merely smiled and said nothing further.
Chen Li sat nearby, listening to their exchange with a heavy heart. Jingchen was right; it was Lily who had invited Li Xue today. She didn’t want to create a rift between them.
She thought to herself, pulling at Jing Shen's sleeve, and whispered, "Jing Shen, I'm fine. Please don't say anything more."
"..." Jing Shen looked at her, his gaze softening a bit. "Are you really okay?"
"..." Chen Li nodded. "Yes, I'm really fine."
"..." Jing Shen was silent for a moment before softly saying, "Alright then."
Chen Li looked at him and smiled.
She turned to Li Xue, hesitating for a few seconds before whispering, "Xiao Xue, I'm sorry. Jing Shen..."
"..." Li Xue shook her head. "It's fine."
Chen Li looked at her, feeling a warmth in her heart.
Suddenly, she realized that all these years, she had grown accustomed to Li Xue's tolerance and understanding.
She felt that Li Xue should accommodate her, should be forgiving towards her.
Because she believed she was the older sister and Li Xue was the younger sister.
The younger sister should listen to the older sister.
But she forgot that they were merely cousins.
She had no right to demand anything from Li Xue.
As this thought crossed her mind, guilt washed over her.
She looked at Li Xue and softly said, "Xiao Xue, thank you."
"..." Li Xue nodded slightly but said nothing.
Gu Jingchen stood nearby, watching them with an amused expression.
Just then, Old Master Jing approached.
Upon seeing Gu Jingchen, he immediately broke into a smile. "Gu Jingchen, you're here!"
"..." Gu Jingchen replied flatly, "Yes."
Old Master Jing smiled and said, "Welcome! It's truly an honor."
"..." Gu Jingchen responded with a blank expression, "I'm just here with Xiao Xue."
"..." Old Master Jing paused for a moment before reacting.
He turned to Gu Jingchen, his expression darkening. "Jing Shen, did you upset Mr. Gu again?"
"..." Jing Shen pressed his lips together and quietly said, "Dad, I..."
"Did you offend Mr. Gu over some actress again?" Old Master Jing asked sternly.
"..." Jing Shen remained silent for a moment before softly replying, "Dad, you've misunderstood."
"I misunderstood something?" Old Master Jing said coldly. "I see you only offended Mr. Gu for the sake of a celebrity."
Jing Shen remained silent, his head lowered, not uttering a word.
Old Master Jing looked at him and sighed. "Jing Shen, don't forget that where you are today is all thanks to Gu Jingchen."
"I know," Jing Shen replied quietly.
"That's good to hear," Old Master Jing said coldly. "Don't do anything that would bring shame to the family."
Jing Shen stayed silent, his fists clenched, his face pale.
Chen Li sat beside him, watching Jing Shen with a heavy heart. She couldn't understand why he had to endure such humiliation. After all, he was the heir of the the Jing Family!
Thinking this, she took Jing Shen's hand and said coldly, "Dad, Jing Shen didn't offend Mr. Gu; don't accuse him."
Old Master Jing frowned slightly. "Lili, what do you mean by that?"
Taking a deep breath, Chen Li replied calmly, "Dad, Jing Shen didn't offend Mr. Gu; I did."
Old Master Jing was taken aback. "You offended Mr. Gu?"
Chen Li nodded. "Yes."
"Why?" Old Master Jing asked in confusion.
Chen Li paused for a moment before whispering, "It's about some personal matters."
Old Master Jing furrowed his brow. "What personal matters do you have with Mr. Gu?"
She pressed her lips together and said softly, "Dad, it's complicated; I can't explain it clearly right now."
Old Master Jing gazed at her, his expression growing serious. After a long silence, he sighed. "Since you don't want to talk about it, I won't press you."
Chen Li looked at him and said gently, "Thank you, Dad."
Old Master Jing shook his head without responding. He turned to Gu Jingchen and smiled. "Mr. Gu, since you're here, why not stay and enjoy yourself a little longer?"
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