It Started With a Kiss: Leng Shao's Beloved Wife

Luo Yichen answered the phone, and Director Wang's voice bombarded him: "Yichen, what have you considered? Miss Zhou is well-educated, gentle and virtuous. She and you are a perfect match made in heaven! A marriage between our two families, a powerful alliance, will only benefit the development of the Luo Group!"

Mr. Wang listed the benefits of the marriage incessantly: expanding overseas markets, stabilizing stock prices, gaining government support... Every word struck Luo Yichen's heart like a heavy hammer.

His hand holding the phone tightened unconsciously, and the frown between his brows deepened.

Wu Xinyan stood quietly by the side, watching Luo Yichen's face gradually become gloomy, and her heart sank little by little.

She knew that the person on the other end of the phone was putting pressure on him with interests and responsibilities, but she was powerless to do anything.

After hanging up the phone, Luo Yichen rubbed his temples tiredly.

He looked at Wu Xinyan with complicated eyes, as if he wanted to say something but stopped.

Wu Xinyan forced a smile, gently held his hand, and silently comforted him.

At this time, Aunt Luo pushed the door open and came in. Seeing the two people holding hands tightly, her face darkened.

"Yi Chen, what are you still hesitating about? Are you really going to give up the interests of the entire family for a woman?"

Aunt Luo persuaded him earnestly, placing the family's honor, responsibility, and future in front of Luo Yichen one by one.

She tearfully recounted the history of the Luo Group's founding and the family's aspirations. Every word she spoke was like a sharp knife, piercing Luo Yichen's heart.

Luo Yichen was silent.

He loved Wu Xinyan deeply and longed to stay with her for the rest of his life, but he could not ignore the responsibilities and burdens of his family.

On one side is love, on the other side is family. He is caught in a dilemma and doesn't know how to choose.

Wu Xinyan felt heartbroken when she saw Luo Yichen struggling in pain.

She knew how much pressure Luo Yichen was facing, and she also knew that she couldn't become a burden to him.

"Yi Chen..." Wu Xinyan spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly.

However, before she could finish, Luo Yichen's phone rang again. He glanced at the caller ID and saw it was an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?" Luo Yichen answered the phone.

"Hello, Mr. Luo, I'm from the Zhou Group..." A calm male voice came from the other end of the phone, "We would like to invite you to have lunch at the Regent Hotel tomorrow at noon to discuss some cooperation matters..."

Luo Yichen's hand, holding the phone, trembled slightly. He looked at Wu Xinyan, his eyes full of struggle and helplessness. "I..."

Luo Yichen took a deep breath and accepted the invitation from Zhou Group.

The next day at noon, he showed up on time in the luxurious private room of the Regent Hotel.

Zhou's marriage partner, Zhou Ziheng, has been waiting for a long time.

Zhou Ziheng had elegant manners and eloquent conversation. During the dinner, he showed Luo Yichen the Zhou family's strong strength and extensive political and business connections, and promised that as long as the two families were married, the Zhou family would fully support the development of the Luo Group and help it reach a higher level.

He even took out a cooperation plan that had been prepared long ago, and the conditions listed on it were so generous that it was hard to refuse.

Luo Yichen looked at the plan and listened to Zhou Ziheng's talk, and his originally firm belief began to waver.

He had to admit that the Zhou family's support was a huge temptation for the Luo Group.

In the evening, Luo Yichen returned home. Wu Xinyan noticed his strange mood and asked cautiously, "Yichen, are you... okay today?"

Luo Yichen's eyes flickered and he avoided her gaze. "It's okay. I have a lot of things to do at the company." His tone was cold, completely different from his usual gentleness.

Wu Xinyan's heart sank suddenly. She held Luo Yichen's hand, trying to make him look directly at her. "Yichen, look at me and tell me, are you hiding something from me?"

Luo Yichen gently broke free from her hand, walked to the window, looked at the night view outside, and remained silent.

"Is it... because of the Zhou family?" Wu Xinyan's voice trembled. She knew she guessed right.

Luo Yichen still didn't answer, but just sighed deeply.

Wu Xinyan's eyes were red, and she felt her heart growing colder and colder, just like the dark night sky outside the window.

"Yi Chen," her voice choked, "You once said that you would always love me and protect me..."

Luo Yichen turned around and looked at her with complicated eyes, a hint of guilt and helplessness, but in the end he said nothing.

He stretched out his hand to touch her cheek, but stopped in mid-air and slowly retracted it.

Wu Xinyan's tears finally fell. She took a step back weakly and whispered, "I understand..." Turning around, she slowly walked towards the bedroom, leaving behind a lonely and desolate back.

Luo Yichen looked at her back, opened his mouth, but finally uttered only one word: "Yan..."

Luo Yichen sat dejectedly on the sofa, tightly clutching the cooperation plan proposed by the Zhou family in his hand.

Every word in the plan was like a sharp knife, piercing his heart.

He knew that accepting this plan would mean betraying Wu Xinyan and their love.

However, the pressure from his family and the future of the group were making him feel suffocated.

At this moment, the phone rang suddenly, and the words "Aunt Luo" flashed on the screen. He hesitated for a moment, but finally answered the call.

"Yichen," Aunt Luo's voice was as strong as ever, "There's a family banquet this Saturday night. You should bring Xinyan along."

Luo Yichen's heart tightened. He knew what this banquet meant. "Aunt, I..."

"Don't refuse," Aunt Luo interrupted him, "The Zhou family will be coming too, so it's a good opportunity for us to get together."

Luo Yichen clenched his phone tightly, knowing he couldn't refuse. "Okay, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, he felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

At the same time, Wu Xinyan was sitting alone in the bedroom, crying silently.

Suddenly, the phone vibrated and a piece of news popped up: "The abandoned woman from a wealthy family married into the Luo family, but she turned out to be an ominous person!" In the news, unscrupulous media people exaggerated her past of being abandoned by the Wu family, and portrayed her as a woman who would do anything for money.

Wu Xinyan's heart felt like it was being torn apart. She bit her lips tightly to prevent herself from crying out loud. At this moment, a strange number called.

"Ms. Wu, I'm a reporter from XX Weekly. What's your response to the news online?" The bad media person on the other end of the phone had a hint of joking in his voice.

Wu Xinyan took a deep breath and suppressed the grief and anger in her heart. "No comment." After that, she hung up the phone and threw it hard on the bed.

The next day, Luo Yichen told Wu Xinyan about the banquet.

"Yan," Luo Yichen said in a low voice, "There's a family banquet this Saturday, I think..."

"I know," Wu Xinyan interrupted him, her tone frighteningly calm, "The Zhou family will be here too, right?"

Luo Yichen looked at her, his eyes full of guilt, "Yan..."

Wu Xinyan suddenly stood up, walked to the closet, and began to pick out clothes. "I'll go." Her voice was emotionless.

Luo Yichen looked at her back, feeling uneasy. "Yan, you..."

Wu Xinyan turned around and gave him a sad smile.

"Yi Chen, I won't give up." She picked up a red dress with a firm look in her eyes.

"I want to go and see what they want to do." The red dress was as bright as blood, making Wu Xinyan's face look even paler.

She practiced smiling in front of the mirror over and over again, but she couldn't hide the panic in her eyes.

Fear wrapped around her heart like a vine, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

She knew that this banquet would be the final trial of her love.

On Saturday night, Luo Yichen's mansion was brightly lit, with elegantly dressed people and clinking glasses.

Wu Xinyan took Luo Yichen's arm and walked into the banquet hall step by step.

Every step she took felt like walking on the edge of a knife, causing her to feel excruciating pain.

In the hall, all kinds of eyes fell on her, some curious, some inquiring, some disdainful, and even some mocking.

She held Luo Yichen's hand tightly, as if it was her only support.

"Yi Chen, you're here." Aunt Luo's voice came from the side, with a hint of imperceptible pride.

She looked Wu Xinyan up and down, her eyes full of scrutiny.

"Xinyan is here too, and she's dressed so beautifully." This sentence sounded like a compliment, but it made Wu Xinyan feel a chill.

"Aunt." Luo Yichen's tone was a little stiff.

He felt Wu Xinyan's hand trembling slightly, so he tightened his arm imperceptibly, giving her silent comfort.

In the banquet hall, Zhou's marriage partner was chatting and laughing with several business partners, and his every move was full of confidence and arrogance.

He would occasionally look at Wu Xinyan, with a hint of provocation and contempt in his eyes.

Wu Xinyan avoided his gaze, but her heart was beating faster and faster.

Aunt Luo walked up to Zhou's marriage partner and talked to him cordially.

The interaction between the two was intimate and natural, as if they were old friends.

This scene stung Wu Xinyan's eyes, and she felt that it became difficult to breathe.

"Yichen, come here." Aunt Luo waved to Luo Yichen, her tone unquestionable.

Luo Yichen glanced at Wu Xinyan, his eyes full of apology.

"Yan, I..."

Wu Xinyan forced a smile and said, "Go ahead, I'm fine."

Luo Yichen walked to Aunt Luo and asked in a low voice, "Aunt Luo, what's the matter?"

Aunt Luo patted his shoulder, a meaningful smile on her face. "Yi Chen, some things should have a conclusion..."