"Zhou Moyang, what exactly do you want?" Zhang Yinan felt the gazes of everyone around her burning her cheeks.
"Don't rush, you'll know soon enough," Zhou Moyang said, flicking his hand and sitting down again.
"Waa~"
Suddenly, a sharp cry echoed from nearby. Everyone turned to look and saw Liu Wenxin lying on the ground, with Nuannuan, a small figure, standing beside her, her face a mask of confusion, as if she had done something wrong.
"Nuannuan!" Ye Jinghuai's heart tightened, and he rushed over.
"Xinxin."
"Nuannuan, are you okay? Let Daddy see." Ye Jinghuai anxiously picked up Nuannuan and examined her all over.
"I'm fiwwe, Daddy~" Nuannuan shook her head.
"Xinxin, Xinxin, how are you?"
"Wuwu~ Mommy, Xinxin hurts so much." Liu Wenxin looked at Zhang Yinan with a wronged expression, burying her face in her neck and sobbing softly.
"What's wrong? Can you tell Mommy?"
"It's nothing, Xinxin was just careless. It's not Nuannuan's fault." Liu Wenxin shook her head in her mother's embrace, not wanting to say more.
Time rewinded ten minutes earlier.
The two children sat there, playing with their own things. Nuannuan casually picked up a plush bear and held it.
"Nuannuan, is your Daddy very good to you?" Liu Wenxin asked hesitantly after a long pause.
"Yes, Daddy is very good to Nuannuan. Daddy loves Nuannuan very much."
"I wish I had a daddy like that. My daddy doesn't like me at all." Liu Wenxin's eyes were filled with envy.
"Then you just need to find a daddy who likes you!" Nuannuan blinked, not understanding what Liu Wenxin meant.
"Nuannuan, can you give me half of your daddy? I can give you half of my mommy, then we'll both have daddies and mommies who love us."
"No." Nuannuan refused without a second thought.
"My mommy is very nice, you'll definitely like her." Liu Wenxin was still persistent and leaned closer to persuade her.
"No!" Nuannuan remained steadfast, turning her back to her.
A look of jealousy filled Liu Wenxin's timid face. She circled around Nuannuan, snatched the toy from her hand, and threw it fiercely to the ground.
"I'm telling you! My mommy said she'll make your daddy her daddy in the future. If you don't agree, you won't even have a daddy anymore." Liu Wenxin deliberately leaned in close to Nuannuan and whispered.
"Daddy won't have another girl! Daddy belongs only to Nuannuan!" Nuannuan shouted in anger.
Just then, Zhou Moyang slammed the table over there, drawing everyone's attention to the three of them. For a moment, no one paid attention to the children here.
After Nuannuan finished shouting, she intended to push Liu Wenxin away, refusing to give her daddy to this bad child. However, before Nuannuan could act, Liu Wenxin fell to the ground and started crying.
Nuannuan was suddenly at a loss, standing there with a confused expression.
"It's alright, it's just children playing. Jinghuai, don't blame the child," Zhang Yinan said with an air of magnanimity and tolerance, holding her daughter and looking at Ye Jinghuai.
"Why would I blame my daughter for an unrelated child? Even if Nuannuan did something, so what?" Ye Jinghuai held Nuannuan, a storm brewing in his eyes as he stared intently at the mother and daughter before him.
"Daddy~ Nuannuan is fiwwe, it was the sister who f fell herself."
Nuannuan shook her head, her face showing no trace of sadness or fear. Ye Jinghuai's expression softened considerably.
"Exactly, Nuannuan is so well-behaved and sensible. Even if there was physical contact, it would definitely be your daughter's fault. Besides, have you forgotten about surveillance?"
Zhou Moyang pointed to the camera in the corner of the wall that was directly facing this area. Having known that Ye Jinghuai cherished his daughter, Zhou Moyang had made thorough preparations. Not only was the children's area well-equipped, but a camera was also specifically installed for real-time monitoring.
"This... we don't need the surveillance! It's just children playing." Zhang Yinan's heart skipped a beat, sensing that she shouldn't let the surveillance be checked.
"Why not? I can't let anyone falsely accuse Nuannuan. Right, Nuannuan?" Zhou Moyang winked at Nuannuan.
"Mm-hmm~" Nuannuan nodded vigorously.
A moment later, a waiter brought a USB drive. Zhou Moyang had the footage projected onto the white wall of the banquet hall.
The video had visuals but no sound, but it clearly showed Liu Wenxin, unlike the timid demeanor she had displayed upon entering. She snatched Nuannuan's toy and threw it on the ground. Then, after some exchange between them, Liu Wenxin fell to the ground herself.
"As they say! Like mother, like daughter. It's such a shame that a perfectly good child has been corrupted."
Zhou Moyang's words tonight truly resonated with Ye Jinghuai.
"Xinxin, how could you lie? Why would you do this?" Zhang Yinan, unable to maintain her composure, glared at her daughter.
"Xinxin said she was just careless." Liu Wenxin still wore a wronged and timid expression.
Leaving aside Ye Jinghuai and Zhou Moyang, everyone else present found the mother and daughter's behavior incredibly embarrassing.
"Since we've seen the video, why don't we watch another one?" Zhou Moyang felt the time was right.
Soon, the big screen changed, displaying a familiar man – Liu Zhoulu.
"Hello everyone, classmates. I know you're having a gathering today, and I don't have the face to attend. When Young Master Zhou contacted me, I was reluctant to film this video. But I've made mistakes in the past, and I must apologize."
"I'm sorry, Ye Jinghuai and Zhou Moyang. The rumors back then were spread by me. I was deeply in love with Zhang Yinan throughout our three years of high school. So when Zhang Yinan hinted that I should spread rumors, I agreed without a second thought. I never imagined that you would actually agree to pursue Zhang Yinan because of it."
"Zhang Yinan, I truly loved you back then, so I was willing to do anything for you. I never even thought you'd actually agree to be with me before graduation. I only planned to confess to you once before graduation, as a way to end my three years of youth, but I never expected you to agree."
"I admit I was a scumbag, a scoundrel, and I cheated. I found other women. But Zhang Yinan, you weren't innocent either. I invested my emotions and expected something in return. You could have not loved me, but I couldn't tolerate your family treating me like an ATM."
"I could accept your mother's greed, and I could support your mother, but I couldn't accept supporting your entire extended family, even a large group of distant relatives. I did so much for you! Why couldn't you be more considerate of my mother? I admit my mother favors sons and I don't pay much attention to my daughter. But have I ever mistreated Xinxin over the years? She always had the best in food, clothing, and necessities! You're not unable to have more children, so why are you unwilling to have another one to appease my mother? You used my money to curry favor with a bunch of distant relatives who offered you no help. Why aren't you willing to have another child to please your mother-in-law?"
"Mr. Ye, you are lucky not to have ended up with her. Considering I took Zhang Yinan from you back then, which was a good deed in a way, I hope you and Young Master Zhou can forgive this scoundrel."
The video ended, leaving everyone in the audience in an uproar. They never expected that the events of that year were like this. Ye Jinghuai had only been with Zhang Yinan because of the rumors, not out of love. Furthermore, it was Zhang Yinan who was materialistic, yet her apology speech had subtly blamed Ye Jinghuai, painting Zhang Yinan as someone forced to choose another and leave due to heartbreak.
Today's gathering had certainly provided everyone with plenty of gossip.
"No, that's not true! Why did you do this?" Zhang Yinan could no longer maintain her composure, her expression contorted.
"Why? My brother endured so much injustice for years. Even if he's in charge of Ye Corporation now, you still spread gossip behind his back. And not only that, you insist on tying him to a woman like you. It disgusts me just thinking about it." Zhou Moyang's face was filled with disdain. He had wanted to reveal the truth back then, but the Liu Zhoulu of that time wouldn't admit it, and Ye Jinghuai felt there would be no future interaction between them, so he let it go. However, even after leaving, Zhang Yinan continued to stir up trouble in their class circle. Even if these classmates had no more contact with them, and even if Ye Jinghuai didn't care, Zhou Moyang couldn't stand to see his brother so wronged. Especially now that Zhang Yinan dared to return.
"Nuannuan, tell Uncle what the sister just said to you?" Zhou Moyang intended to completely strip Zhang Yinan of her dignity today, ensuring she would never show her face again.
"Sister said her mommy wants Nuannuan's Daddy to be her Daddy. Nuannuan doesn't want that, Daddy is Nuannuan's alone!" Nuannuan pouted, clearly displeased.
"Daddy is Nuannuan's alone." Ye Jinghuai kissed his daughter's forehead to comfort her.
"Hmph hmph~ If Daddy wants another girl, Nuannuan will be a girl for Uncle Big, Uncle Three, Uncle Four, and Uncle Little."
Seeing Nuannuan finding so many backup plans for him, Ye Jinghuai felt his teeth gritting.
"Heh heh, Nuannuan, I can be one too!" Zhou Moyang seized the opportunity and chimed in, hoping for a spot in raising Nuannuan.
"Get lost!" The father in question shoved him away without hesitation. Not directly scolding him was already a testament to his good upbringing.
"I say, Miss Zhang, the former campus belle, why are you still here? Are you still dreaming of climbing a high branch?" Zhou Moyang looked at Zhang Yinan, who was still squatting on the ground, with utter contempt.
"You really dare to dream anything. Second marriage with a child and still coveting the CEO of Ye Corporation? How much fake wine did you drink to have such a thought?" The surrounding classmates had also caught on and were pointing and whispering at Zhang Yinan.
Zhang Yinan could no longer bear it. Clutching her child, she ran out crying.
This class reunion, although everyone failed to get close to Zhou Moyang and Ye Jinghuai, they went home with a belly full of gossip, which was not bad. As for Zhang Yinan, she became infamous in their class circle after this incident. The capital was vast, but people's social circles were limited. She felt she couldn't stay any longer and took her child and mother back to her hometown. The parasitic relatives in her hometown had grown accustomed to Zhang Yinan's financial support over the years. With Ye Jinghuai discreetly fanning the flames, how could they let go of Zhang Yinan, who possessed a substantial "severance package"? Zhang Yinan's fate was even more tragic than her own in her previous life, where she had left with nothing.