A whirlwind marriage leads to doting affection; the husband pampers her every night.

Shen Nian still attended Shen Ximan and Chu Yunyi's engagement banquet.

Since someone had the audacity to invite her, she naturally had no reason not to go.

She deliberately rummaged through her trunk to find a dress, put on light makeup, splurged a little, and took a taxi directly to the hotel.

Although it was just an engagement banquet, the Shen and Chu families have some connections, so quite a few people came.

As Shen Nian entered the hall, laughter and cheerful voices filled the entire space. The melodious sound of a piano drifted into her ears, lingering and far-reaching. The venue was decorated in a magnificent style, with ornate chandeliers and flowers everywhere, making it seem like a scene from a fairy tale.

This thoughtful arrangement is enough to show that Chu Yunyi truly loves Shen Ximan.

Shen Nian looked at everything before her, momentarily dazed, but her heart remained calm.

Chu Yunyi's mother saw her first and came to greet her, "Niannian, you're here." Her tone was a mix of surprise and embarrassment.

After all, this was the daughter-in-law she had always liked, but her son had changed his mind, and Chu's mother also felt somewhat guilty towards Shen Nian.

"Auntie~"

Shen Nian took the initiative to greet everyone, and her poised and generous manner only made Chu's mother think that Shen Ximan was not a good person.

She sighed, "Sigh, I don't know what's gotten into Xiao Yi by Shen Ximan, he's so entangled with her, and..."

Chu's mother was naturally embarrassed to mention that the two had slept together, and sighed again.

Chu's father had no objection to the marriage, and Chu Yunyi herself had no objection either. She couldn't change anything, and she felt uncomfortable. Seeing Shen Nian made her feel even more sorry for her.

"Auntie, I congratulate Brother Yunyi on finally getting married to his sweetheart." Shen Nian interrupted Chu's mother, her soft voice rising in a calm and gentle tone. She really didn't seem like the little girl who used to clamor to marry Chu Yunyi.

Shen Nian didn't notice that Shen Ximan and Chu Yunyi were standing behind her, arm in arm.

Shen Nian's words reached Chu Yunyi's ears perfectly. He had initially thought she wouldn't come, and seeing her appear and hearing her say such things, he should be relieved that she wasn't there to cause a scene. But for some reason, seeing her indifferent attitude, Chu Yunyi felt uneasy, a lump forming in his throat, making him tug at his tie.

Shen Ximan was quite surprised to see Shen Nian. She had specially sent her an invitation, just to upset her and make her feel bad. She never thought that Shen Nian would actually come to the engagement party.

She naturally noticed Chu Yunyi's impatience, her eyes darkened, and she took Chu Yunyi's arm and walked towards Shen Nian. "Niannian, you're here. I thought you couldn't make it. I'm so happy that you could come to our engagement party."

Shen Ximan's laughter was so exaggerated that it seemed fake.

Shen Nian turned around and looked at the two of them; they really were quite a good match.

She smiled faintly, "Didn't you personally invite me? Of course I came."

"I just wanted you to come, but I was also worried about making you feel awkward," Shen Ximan said deliberately.

Shen Nian smiled slightly, "If you're not embarrassed, why should I be?"

Shen Ximan's smile froze on her face, but she quickly recovered. "Yunyi and I are very happy that you can come." She then turned to look at Chu Yunyi. "Right, Yunyi?"

Chu Yunyi kept his lips pursed as he looked at Shen Nian, his expression inscrutable.

Seeing Chu Yunyi's appearance, Shen Ximan's smile became somewhat stiff no matter how hard she tried to hide it. She clenched her hands and a venomous glint flashed in her eyes as she looked at Shen Nian.

Hmph, so what if she comes? The position of the young mistress of the Chu family is already hers. Her coming won't change anything.

Shen Nian had no idea what Chu Yunyi's expression meant.

He was the one who was fickle, the one who took the initiative to get closer to Shen Ximan, and the one who believed Shen Ximan's one-sided story and judged her as unclean.

He was the one who dumped her first.

What does this behavior mean? It's as if she did something to betray him and abandoned him.

Shen Nian smiled faintly, "Congratulations."

At this moment, Shen Guoqiang and Lu Jiao also came over.

Hearing Shen Nian say this, Shen's father seemed much more satisfied and nodded, "That's right. Don't pick up bad habits from outside all day long, and don't make a scene like this."

Shen Guoqiang spoke to Shen Nian in a neither too loud nor too soft tone, assuming that Shen Nian had come to seek peace, and his first words were in a reprimanding tone.

Lu Jiao was originally worried that Shen Nian would cause trouble and ruin Shen Ximan's engagement banquet.

Looking at her meek and submissive demeanor now, I realize I've been overthinking things.

Several people left one after another. Chu's mother pulled Shen Nian, "Niannian, let's go get something to eat."

Shen Nian took a small step back, subtly avoiding Chu's mother's hand that was pulling her.

"No need, Auntie, you go ahead and do your work. It's Brother Chu's engagement banquet, you must have a lot to do. I'll be leaving in a little while, the school has a curfew." Shen Nian still had a faint smile on her face, polite and courteous but somewhat distant.

Mother Chu paused for a moment, then nodded, "Okay, I'll go now."

Over there, Shen Ximan and Chu Yunyi stood on the stage, preparing to pour champagne and cut the cake.

A lively scene unfolded.

Shen Nian watched Chu's mother's departing figure, her smile fading.

Since we're not meant to be, let's keep our distance.

Shen Nian knew that Chu's mother had always been a housewife in the Chu family and didn't have much to say.

She didn't want to put others in a difficult position.

No matter what, Chu Yunyi is still his own son.

They were all strangers, and she didn't want to cause discord between the mother and son because of her.

Shen Nian stopped looking at the people on the stage and went to the buffet area to get something to eat.

Since we're already here, we can't just go back on an empty stomach.

Anyway, it's free money if you don't eat it.

Chu Yunyi, who was cutting the cake on the stage, looked down at the people below the stage and found Shen Nian.

He breathed a sigh of relief when she said she wanted to break off the engagement, but when he saw her at the bar entrance, he was more angry than anything else.

Now, she comes to his engagement party and congratulates him, but he doesn't seem happy at all.

He stood on the stage, looking at Shen Nian's somewhat frail figure, his ears filled with cheerful congratulations.

They've become like this, destined to drift further and further apart.

Shen Nian looked around and saw that the table was laden with a variety of exquisite delicacies.

It seems that both families value this engagement banquet very much.

That's true. After all, it's a marriage between Shen and Chu. The eldest daughter of the Shen family and the young master of the Chu Group are a perfect match, so how could they not be taken seriously?

Shen Nian's final decision to come was also to put a period to her youth.

Chu Yunyi's kindness towards her was genuine; the companionship they shared growing up together, the ambiguous feelings they had during their adolescence—she didn't know if Chu Yunyi felt the same way, but it didn't matter anymore. Although they had never actually been together, the happy days they spent together couldn't be faked.

These are not fake.

Therefore, she did not come here today with the intention of causing trouble.

Her congratulations were sincere.