This similarity on Li Zhenguan’s face was a kind of arrogance, but on Li Zhenwei’s face, it became a different kind of coldness. For people like them, this coldness often meant looking down on others.

What was she belittling?

Chen Fangli subconsciously thought about it and felt like laughing, especially after her warning to him just now. After all, warning him in front of Wang Zhao wasn’t a rational behavior. Wang Zhao was also a person with a certain sense of self-esteem or territorial awareness.

However, Chen Fangli didn’t have much liking for Li Zhenwei now. On one hand, it was because of what she had just said, and on the other hand, it was because of her identity. Just being Li Zhenguan’s sister was enough to make people dislike her. Fundamentally speaking, he didn’t have much fondness for Li Zhenguan, who married Wang Zhao, or for the Li family.

Moreover, Li Zhenwei’s words were a bit too presumptuous. Growing up relatively smoothly, she seemed to think the whole world was under her control.

So Chen Fangli stopped and smiled, retorting directly: “Miss Li’s family doesn’t seem to have such great power to make the company that hired me fire me.”

Li Zhenwei looked at the man in front of her.

Objectively, she could evaluate Chen Fangli as a very outstanding person. However, subjectively speaking, this excellence didn’t seem so pleasing.

She lowered her head to glance at the time, feeling there was no need to stand here and entangle with him. So she raised her head without responding to Chen Fangli and turned to Wang Zhao, who was still on the balcony, saying matter-of-factly: “The wedding banquet has already started in front. Zhenguan and I are waiting for you there.”

Wang Zhao nodded, and only then did Li Zhenwei leave.

Li Zhenwei’s decisive departure undoubtedly indicated that she determined Wang Zhao wouldn’t stay here long. Sometimes, a woman’s understanding of another woman is truly the most incisive. Perhaps Li Zhenwei was very similar to Wang Zhao in some ways, so she could predict some of Wang Zhao’s thoughts and actions.

And indeed, as Li Zhenwei had guessed, Wang Zhao didn’t say another word to Chen Fangli. She walked past him without even a glance, her demeanor and attitude quite cold.

She didn’t have much ability to handle such emotional entanglements, perhaps also due to her lack of emotional experiences.

Moreover, once things involve emotional entanglements, they become sticky and messy. Isn’t there a saying that even a fair official finds it difficult to settle family disputes? Wang Zhao felt that matters between lovers also had this characteristic of being difficult to resolve.

After Wang Zhao left, Chen Fangli stood alone in the same spot. The place was quiet, giving an illusion of appropriateness.

He stood there for a long time. In his mouth, there seemed to still linger the cool mint fragrance of the lady’s cigarette he had snatched from Wang Zhao’s hand, gradually cooling to the point of coldness.

Chen Fangli leaned against the wall, looking down at the ground below. There were many people standing down there, some holding phones and taking pictures everywhere. Everyone was dressed properly, but Chen Fangli felt as if his self-esteem had once again been stripped away, then thrown at his feet to be repeatedly trampled upon.

The cigarette butt in his hand was tightly clenched, the original spark burning several blisters on his palm, but he seemed not to feel it.

The whole person sank into round after round of deep pools, a sense of powerlessness enveloping his entire being. All of Chen Fangli’s stubbornness seemed to be focused on Wang Zhao.

To pay such a heavy price for making one mistake.

Chen Fangli looked at the cigarette butt in his hand, which had been crushed out of shape. His pale skin made those eyes appear especially dark and deep.

The ashes fell in a flurry, staining the clean leather shoes and trouser legs below, seeming to add a touch of indescribable gloom to this layer of cleanliness.

When Wang Zhao returned to the room, she found that there was hardly anyone left. On the way, she saw a few familiar faces, their gazes falling on her face with surprise, wondering why she was alone here, and telling her to quickly go to the wedding banquet in front, saying everyone was looking for her and the host had been talking on stage for a long time.

She got her phone and small handbag and headed to the front, while lowering her head to unlock her phone screen. Sure enough, the call log showed that several people had called her.

There was a room near the wedding venue. She walked quickly while making phone calls. Li Zhenguan had already changed into another outfit and was sitting on the sofa. Seeing Wang Zhao appear at the door, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, as did the others.

She discreetly observed that there was no other expression on Li Zhenguan’s face.

Li Zhenwei probably hadn’t told him about what had just happened. Otherwise, given Li Zhenguan’s current emotional and sensitive nature as a pregnant man, he would surely have cried and wept, seeking her comfort.

“Fortunately, Zhenguan’s sister said she found you at the balcony just now and that you’d be here soon. We were about to die of anxiety. We were going to have the hotel staff open all the building’s surveillance cameras to search for you,” Xu Yingchun and others came up to say.

Wang Zhao apologized in a low voice, looking very apologetic.

“Alright, let’s enter first,” another person said. “The host is still talking on stage, and the dishes have been served. You two should go to the front tables to toast first.”

This was someone sent by Li Zhenwei.

“There are eight tables, and you two must go toast them. Pay attention to a few people among them.” She mentioned several names along with basic appearance features. “These are the elders closer to the Li family, and a few are the Li family’s longtime friends and close business partners. The relationships are intimate. Although you two will live outside in the future, you still need to get acquainted with these people.”

Li Zhenguan and Wang Zhao nodded.

She continued, “Young Master Zhenguan knows some of these people. Miss Wang Zhao can just follow Young Master Zhenguan’s lead in addressing them. For those you both don’t know, I’ll give you hints discreetly. You don’t need to worry about this.”

Wang Zhao listened casually as they all walked out. Xu Yingchun and Xu Hao followed behind, ready to help Wang Zhao fend off some of the drinks later, though some alcohol had already been replaced with water.

Li Zhenguan’s gaze couldn’t help but fall on Wang Zhao. His hand rested on her arm, and as they walked closer, he smelled a minty fragrance. Beneath this scent, another familiar aroma wafted faintly.

He had smelled this scent once just a month ago. It had almost faded from his olfactory memory, but now it reappeared unexpectedly.

Wang Zhao had been missing for about half an hour earlier, during which many things could have happened. Li Zhenguan instinctively suspected that Wang Zhao might have met someone. Half an hour ago, she didn’t have these two scents on her.

A brief moment of distraction.

Entering the wedding hall, he instinctively surveyed the surroundings, as if looking for someone. Although he knew that marriage should avoid suspicion, Li Zhenguan couldn’t help but doubt and feel uneasy.

Wang Zhao noticed immediately and asked softly, “Who are you looking for?”

Li Zhenguan smiled nonchalantly, withdrew his gaze, shook his head, and didn’t answer the question.

Wang Zhao didn’t mind much. She turned her attention away and, led by the person sent by Li Zhenwei, walked towards the first table. Most of the people sitting here were close relatives of the Li and Wang families, elders within three generations. The younger generation sat at another table. This toast was mandatory, mainly for Wang Zhao to drink, while Li Zhenguan used juice throughout.

Eight tables weren’t few. Sometimes at a table, there would be an elder fond of storytelling, who would keep talking to Wang Zhao and Li Zhenguan endlessly, one drink after another. In such situations, Xu Yingchun and Xu Hao came in handy. Eventually, Li Zhenwei also came over and helped Wang Zhao deflect some of the drinks.

Li Zhenguan asked in a low voice, “If you can’t drink anymore, we can stop toasting. Let my sister go in our place.”

Wang Zhao smiled at Li Zhenguan’s naive words.

But Li Zhenguan was sincere. With a serious expression, he looked at Wang Zhao and said, “We can have someone go out and say I’m not feeling well.”

Not many people knew he was pregnant. Basically, all the close ones around knew he was carrying something in his belly. Even those who didn’t know should have had some thoughts seeing him drink juice all along.

Moreover, he didn’t really care about reputation, but his parents cared, and his sister Li Zhenwei cared a lot too.

“Childish words,” Wang Zhao smiled, suddenly supporting Li Zhenguan’s waist to avoid a child running by.

The child was only seven or eight years old, running like a young bull, charging straight ahead. Wang Zhao was startled just now.

Xu Yingchun was also greatly surprised.

Li Zhenguan turned his head to see the little boy sitting in his seat. Such a young child, it was the time to be naughty.

After this small incident, the toasting process was accelerated. In the next half hour, they went through the remaining tables, drinking one cup per table. Fortunately, they had been drinking water, otherwise their mouths would have been dry.

Throughout this journey, Wang Zhao’s face was almost swollen from being stared at. Regardless of gender or age, everyone liked to stare at her face. To be precise, the Li family’s side liked to stare at her face, while the Wang family’s side preferred to stare at Li Zhenguan.

Although most of the alcohol was intercepted by Xu Yingchun, Xu Hao and others, when Wang Zhao finally returned to the upstairs suite, she still felt a bit lightheaded. As soon as she entered the door, she leaned back on the sofa, pressing her brow, eyes half-closed.

She was somewhat tired.

She had dealt with too many people today. Later, even speaking became a kind of inertia. Sometimes, an appropriate smile unconsciously appeared on her face to respond to others. She didn’t want to cause any misunderstandings at the wedding due to her expression.

Actually, a few reporters had also entered the wedding venue, but they were all cooperating with the Li family and shouldn’t write recklessly. So Wang Zhao and Li Zhenguan just politely went over to say a few words.

Now they could be considered finished and could rest here for a while. Later, Li Zhenwei and others would see the guests off, so the newlyweds didn’t need to worry.

Li Zhenguan sat down next to Wang Zhao. He was also somewhat tired, after all, being pregnant. But he still mustered up the spirit to talk to Wang Zhao.

“Do you want me to give you a massage?” Li Zhenguan suggested.

Wang Zhao opened her eyes and looked at the man sitting beside her, somewhat surprised. “You know how to massage?”

Li Zhenguan made an affirmative sound. “I learned before, massaged my father for a while. It can appropriately relieve fatigue.”

Actually, he had learned it specifically because he noticed that Wang Zhao spent most of her time at the desk, sometimes unconsciously shrugging to massage her neck. It was obvious that the neck muscles were tense from bowing the head for too long.

So, he specifically went to learn some massage-related knowledge, even learning from an old doctor who understood traditional Chinese medicine.

Wang Zhao stared at the smiling Li Zhenguan for several glances, suddenly finding it interesting. After hesitating for a moment, she nodded, “Just massage for a while. You’ve been busy all day too, don’t tire yourself out.”

Li Zhenguan suddenly became much more energetic. He took off his shoes and sat on the sofa, asking Wang Zhao to face away from him. “Sitting like this will be more comfortable for you.”

He rejoiced in every moment of contact with the woman in front of him.

Wang Zhao turned her body indifferently, ready to experience Li Zhenguan’s service. This could be said to be great progress. Previously, she definitely wouldn’t have exposed her nape in front of a man, as it would have made her feel insecure.

However, she waited for quite a while, and there was no reaction from behind.

At this moment, the smile on Li Zhenguan’s face suddenly disappeared. He stared expressionlessly at two short black hairs on the back of Wang Zhao’s clothes, as if he had fallen into a bottomless vortex, his face terrifyingly gloomy.

He should have guessed.

Who Wang Zhao met during that half hour she disappeared.

After all, it was first love, so it was understandable not to let go. Li Zhenguan expressionlessly began to psychologically buffer himself in his heart, trying to soothe himself?

Sometimes he knew he wasn’t quite normal. This was rare. A madman is called a madman because he loses his rationality, but for Wang Zhao’s sake, he was willing to suppress his irrationality, suppress his madness, and try his best to restrain his stubbornness.

His fingers pinched the two black hairs on Wang Zhao’s collar, making his fingertips appear even more pale.

At this time, Wang Zhao, who had been waiting for quite a while without feeling Li Zhenguan’s movement or even sensing his presence, couldn’t help but turn her head to look at him.

Thus, her gaze happened to meet the two short black hairs between Li Zhenguan’s fingers.

And as she looked up, she met Li Zhenguan’s extremely calm eyes. He looked at her, expressionless, with those two black hairs between his pale fingertips, a strange pallor beneath his calm exterior.

As if the next moment, the whole person would shatter like a glass bottle.

In this eerie atmosphere, Wang Zhao called out the other’s name first: “Zhenguan.”