The crowd's voices rose and fell, their words crude and offensive—were these truly the descendants of prestigious families who had received higher education!?
An Ruo glanced at the man who was restraining himself, grateful in that moment for his blindness, sparing him the sight of these people's ugly faces.
As the wealthiest family in Shencheng, the Shen family had always been under scrutiny at the slightest stir, especially in the business world, where all eyes were on the future heir of the Shen Corporation.
Shen Xiaoxing, once a young upstart, had dominated the business world with his cold and ruthless tactics. His brilliance was so dazzling that it had offended many, leading to that plane crash.
Since then, Shencheng had mourned the disappearance of this iron-fisted entrepreneur, but with his fall, his hidden background was gradually exposed, and the praise he once received turned into sharp blades cutting into him.
Lin Zhao couldn't control the situation and could only vaguely explain Shen Xiaoxing's condition over the past two years, though most of it was for outsiders to hear.
An Ruo was truly enlightened, watching as these people, who had just been spewing vile remarks, instantly changed their faces to greet the man.
She recalled how, when the man had heard others discussing his background, his fist on the armrest had clenched visibly, his brows etched with deep resentment.
That hatred was one of endurance, of restraint, and of the pain from the verbal attacks of others.
An Ruo's nails dug into her palm as she looked at the man extending his hand to shake Shen Xiaoxing's. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Mr. Wang, right? I heard you and your friends making disrespectful remarks about my husband earlier. Since you look down on him, there's no need to put on a fake show of closeness. It's just disgusting."
Perhaps it was because she had spent too much time with Zhou Mingyue that even her usually tactful self couldn't hold back such sharp words.
For some reason, when she heard them sneering at Shen Xiaoxing's background, cruelly tearing open his scars, and watching him be humiliated in public... it made her deeply uncomfortable.
Maybe it was because she had once been treated the same way, and she didn't want to see him hurt, wanting to be his shield.
In the Shen family, he had no one to rely on. The only one who could legitimately stand up for him was her, wasn't it?
"You..." The man's ugly behavior was exposed in public, and his face couldn't take it. Glaring, he said, "Who do you think you are to boss me around?"
An Ruo was about to retort when the man beside her took over, saying coldly, "Mr. Wang, you might have trouble hearing. Didn't you hear what she just called me?"
So she really was the newly arrived eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen family!
Mr. Wang glared at him but showed no intention of humbling himself to apologize.
Seeing the situation deadlocked again, Lin Zhao stepped in: "Mr. Wang, although my son's health is not what it used to be, he is still the most honored eldest son of the Shen family. Until the old master says otherwise, there's no need for baseless speculation here. I don't care what rumors are spread about him outside, but I hope everyone attending this exhibition remembers one thing: judge the art, not the person. I trust you'll all mind your tongues."
Lin Zhao, after all, was the eldest madam of the Shen family, holding shares in the Lin Corporation. Though not enough to rival Shen Yu in helping Shen Xiaoxing secure the position of heir, it was more than enough to intimidate everyone present today.
---
The exhibition didn't stop because of this minor incident. Paintings flashed across the screen one by one, with some commenting and others introducing them.
An Ruo didn't understand, sitting to the side without daring to relax for a moment. Before the exhibition started, Lin Zhao had reminded her to always maintain her composure. In front of the cameras, she was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen family, and she couldn't let the media capture any unflattering photos.
A warm, large hand grasped hers. An Ruo froze, looking up to meet the man's deep, empty black eyes.
His voice was low and hoarse: "Marrying the disfavored eldest son of the Shen family, the hardships and grievances you'll endure will be far greater than this."
An Ruo wanted to say... she only had to endure three years before she could fly away. But remembering how he had just been humiliated by those people, saying that outright might hurt his pride. If he lost his temper with her in public, wouldn't that be embarrassing for her?
After a moment's thought, she said, "I'm not afraid of grievances."
Shen Xiaoxing's expression froze, the softest part of his heart feeling as though it had been warmed, sending a surge of emotion and heat through his entire being...
On stage, it was Lin Zhao's turn to display a painting. Hidden in the crowd, Shen Tingfeng smirked wickedly, sipping his red wine as he awaited the show.
Qi Ming had replaced the original painting with a video of An Ruo being kidnapped and drugged. Though the people present today weren't world-renowned elites, they were still prominent figures in Shencheng. Besides... this was Shen Xiaoxing's first public appearance since the plane crash, and he couldn't let him down.
In the final second of the countdown, Shen Tingfeng's smirk deepened. But when the video played, he was stunned!
The video showed the painting Lin Zhao had carefully prepared, with no trace of An Ruo being drugged. He stared at the screen for a long time.
In the end, he was so furious he nearly crushed his glass!
In an unnoticed corner, Shen Xiaoxing's clear eyes caught sight of Shen Tingfeng storming off in anger, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.
An Ruo had drunk too much water. Taking advantage of the crowd's focus on the paintings, she quietly excused herself to the man and hurried to the restroom.