Lan Jinyao had thought that what Jiang Cheng wanted to do was provoke Fu Bainian when they ran into him at the dinner party. However, they unexpectedly ran into him much earlier, at the shopping mall.
This encounter completely caught Lan Jinyao off guard. She recognised Fu Bainian at a glance and halted her steps.
Beside Fu Bainian stood an unfamiliar person; that must be Fu Bainian's female companion for tomorrow's dinner party. The woman looked quite happy as she browsed through the clothing racks, but Fu Bainian, on the other hand, didn't seem interested at all. He was leaning against the counter as he stared at his phone, seemingly looking through his work emails.
Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng's expression was permeated with malice as he smilingly asked, "Why aren't you going in? Could it be that you're not happy seeing Fu Bainian with another woman? Meimei, don't forget; you're already divorced."
Lan Jinyao suppressed the anger in her heart before beaming. "You're right. We're already divorced, so what's there for me to be unhappy about?"
"Then, let's go in! The clothes from this store aren't bad." Jiang Cheng firmly seized her hand and dragged her into the store.
"Bainian, look! Does this one look good on me?" the woman coquettishly asked as she held the dress in front of her.
Fu Bainian lifted his head and indifferently replied, "It's good as long as you like it."
His gaze then landed on Lan Jinyao. As their eyes met, Lan Jinyao felt that Fu Bainian's eyes had suddenly lit up. He put his phone away and walked towards her. "You're shopping for clothes?"
"Yes, Jiang Cheng has asked me to accompany him to a dinner party, so I'm here to buy a dress!" Lan Jinyao answered with a smile as if she'd just bumped into an old friend.
She was a great actress, so acting like this looked extremely genuine. In fact, when she was performing alongside a loved one, she could specifically showcase her best acting skills.
Fu Bainian indifferently nodded at her, then turned to Jiang Cheng as he provokingly said, "Do you know what kind of clothing suits her best?"
Jiang Cheng wasn't willing to back down, and challengingly responded, "No matter what Meimei wears, she'll definitely look better than the person beside you."
"You…" The woman angrily pointed at Jiang Cheng, her expression ashen as she retorted, "How can this woman compare with me?! I'm the one that President Fu currently likes, and she's just someone who President Fu abandoned."
Her last few words triggered the pent-up rage in Lan Jinyao's heart. She looked at the woman with a cold expression as she angrily asked, "Say that again? What did you mean by saying 'someone President Fu abandoned'?"
The woman smiled complacently, and cheekily replied, "I meant exactly that!"
Lan Jinyao then glared at Fu Bainian. Did he always have to find the kind of woman who liked to walk all over people? Yin Yun was like that, and now there was this woman.
"Although President Fu's taste is terrible, it doesn't mean that everyone shares the same preferences. Look at you! Your breasts are so big that they're about to touch your chin; they must be…fake, right?"
As expected of Jiang Cheng's poisonous tongue! He'd only said one sentence, and the woman's fair complexion had instantly turned red with outrage. However, what he'd said was the truth, so the woman was unable to refute him.
Then, Fu Bainian finally spoke, "You're indeed not comparable to Chen Meimei!"
"Fu Bainian, you can't treat me like this!"
However, Fu Bainian had already turned around and was now walking away. The woman quickly threw the clothes in her hands to the shop assistant and hurriedly followed him out.
Lan Jinyao stared at Fu Bainian's departing figure, and the corners of her lips arched upwards.
"Are you happy?" asked Jiang Cheng with an incomprehensible expression.
Lan Jinyao glanced at him, and said, "Of course, I am. After all, you praised me in front of them, while Fu Bainian hadn't said a word of praise to his female companion."
As long as she was willing to, she could make Jiang Cheng the happiest man on earth.
When Jiang Cheng heard her say this, his eyes lit up, and he revealed a faint smile as he said, "Quickly, go and pick out your outfit!"
The next evening, Jiang Cheng was splendidly dressed as he waited for her by the door. When Lan Jinyao saw him, she suddenly saw an after-image as if the one standing in front of her was Fu Bainian. In fact, the brand of clothing that Jiang Cheng was wearing was one of Fu Bainian's favourites, and when he wore this outfit, the air he gave off was similar to Fu Bainian's. However, if Fu Bainian were to wear the same outfit, he'd undoubtedly look more handsome in it.
"It's time for us to go." Jiang Cheng turned and beamed a gentle smile at her when he saw her walk out in her evening gown.
Lan Jinyao smiled back at him, and she then hooked her arms around Jiang Cheng's before they advanced to the gate. The car was already waiting for them there.
Her warm attitude made Jiang Cheng lower his guard around her; even his gaze appeared more relaxed now.
Jiang Cheng, just continue like this and slowly sink into oblivion. In the end, you'll be knocked down by Fu Bainian.
At the dinner party, a smile was plastered on Lan Jinyao's face as she stood beside Jiang Cheng. It seemed as if she didn't care about the weird looks people were giving her.
"You look stunning tonight!" Jiang Cheng leaned in and intimately whispered in her ear.
Lan Jinyao's smile widened as she nodded. "Of course! Chen Meimei's complexion was fair, to begin with, and she was also tall; it's just that she used to be a fatty. However, since I took over her body and slimmed down, I must say that I now look stunning."
Amidst the boisterous crowd, she spotted Fu Bainian at a glance. So, she casually asked, "You wouldn't mind me going over there to have a talk with my ex-husband, right?"
In fact, it didn't matter whether he agreed or not. Since Jiang Cheng had brought her here, he must've known that Fu Bainian was also attending. Otherwise, he would have preferred it if she stayed at home.
"If I said that I minded, would you still go?" asked Jiang Cheng in response.
Lan Jinyao thought: Even if you did, I'd still go over!
However, what came out of her mouth was, "If you truly mind, then I won't go."
Actually, Jiang Cheng was only playing mind games with her. Even if he minded, there was nothing he could do. He was the one who'd brought her here and let her face Fu Bainian.
"Go ahead and have a look at your ex-husband!" Jiang Cheng accentuated the word 'ex-husband' as he revealed a dangerous smile.
Fu Bainian saw her approaching and raised the wineglass in his hand as if he was celebrating. Lan Jinyao also brought a glass of red wine along as she walked towards him.
"Look, this is the ideal example of a successful woman. As soon as she's divorced, she's already hooked up with someone else. Moreover, her ex-husband still seems to be in love with her."
"Actors sure are heartless. It was all thanks to President Jiang that she even managed to get a chance to attend a dinner party like this!"
There were a lot of discussions going on around her, but she didn't care at all, and the smile on her face never faltered.
It was like she could only see and hear Fu Bainian. Fu Bainian wouldn't raise his glass to her for no reason. She could easily guess that this signified Fu Bainian's victory. He was about to tighten the net!
In that case, she'd be able to escape from that devil's clutches soon!
The smile tugging at Lan Jinyao's lips suddenly widened.
As soon as Jiang Cheng realised that she'd only put on a warm and gentle facade for him to see, his illusions would be shattered. When that time came, the only feeling remaining in his heart would be devastation.
Jiang Cheng's voice then reverberated in her ear, "Chen Meimei, you sure look delighted tonight."
Lan Jinyao fearlessly looked at him and replied, "Of course, I'm happy. Do you know how long it's been since I last attended this kind of party?"
In fact, she didn't like these types kind of parties, so she'd lied.