purse her lips and ponder over it deeply.At this time, J city was in an uproar. The morning paper, which went on sale early that day, prominently displayed a large photograph and a shocking headline:...With his arms wrapped around her, he took her small hand in his large palm, squeezed it gently, then looked deeply into her eyes. He hoped she could understand his pain, his longing.

"Mumu, I'm just a little worried about you!"

But she had made up her mind, she would not so easily be subdued by his amorous advances.

“My own body, I know it best. I’m fine right now, and if I feel uncomfortable later, I’ll go home and won’t cause you any trouble!”

Causing trouble!

Look, she even said something like that. If he keeps pushing, will she really have to fight him!

Faced with so many people, he couldn't honestly confess his jealousy or reprimand her. Though he felt anger and resentment in his heart, he still picked up his suit jacket and put it back on.

He could be more assertive, more heedless, and just drag her away. Then, give her a good scolding, telling her not to dress like this. At the very least, she should throw on a shawl. But he couldn't. If he dragged her out, it would practically make him the laughingstock of all the prominent people in B City's business world. He didn't care about himself, but he couldn't bear to see her become the subject of ridicule!

"In that case, you might as well stay with me tonight. If anything's wrong, I can help right away."

He will definitely keep a close eye on her, so she won't be harassed by some lecher.

She smiled and nodded, but quickly expressed her difficulty.

"Then, this female companion you brought!"

When Li Lanqiu was mentioned, she turned a blind eye to him and persisted in ignoring him!

Li Lanqiu, upon hearing this, immediately stepped forward, assuming a rather striking posture, standing before Rong Ling in a way that made it impossible for him to ignore her. She also wanted to see what Rong Ling would do. Although, the thought flashing through her mind was actually a bad premonition! Because at this time, any woman who wasn't foolish would know that without official recognition, she had no chance of competing with the legitimate wife. Especially in such a gathering of merchants!

Rong Ling's actions confirmed her worst fears.

"Xiao Yi brought you here, happened to be missing a female companion, so let him take care of you."

Raising his eyes, he looked coldly at Xiao Yi.

Xiao Yi was on Lin Meng's side. He didn't seem to care about Rong Ling just giving women away like that. It meant it was up to Li Lanqiu if she wanted to accept his offer.

Li Lanqiu's face is really quite unattractive!

The person she hated most in her life was Xiao Yi. Having him take care of her was a joke. She hated him so much she wished she could devour his flesh and drink his blood!

“No―” She coldly refused, her face flushed and awkward. She stumbled over the opportunity Rong Ling had offered her, but her eyes remained fixed on him, silently conveying something unspoken.

The atmosphere immediately became a bit stiff.

Anyone with eyes can see the scheming going on here. Now, it'll be interesting to see how Rong Ling handles this "two women vying for his attention" situation.

Lin Meng didn't speak, just stared at Rong Ling like that.

She's not afraid, he dares Then she'll make him regret it with all her being!

Rong Ling was already dressed, so Lin Meng's beautiful back was exposed again. He leaned to the side, extending his big hand at the same time, his arm circled around her snowy back, firmly embracing her small waist. At the same time, he used his own chest to shield most of her beautiful back.

She was practically half her body leaning into his arms, making the scene very intimate.

It goes without saying who would win between her and Li Lanqiu, one can simply tell by looking. Rong Ling’s words were merely a supplement.

"Then you go play by yourself. There are a lot of bigwigs here today, make good connections, and you can learn a lot of useful things."

Li Lanqiu bit down on her red lips, her eyes becoming somewhat resentful.

Lin Meng then raised a faint smile, slightly lifting his head to look at Rong Ling.

This man is okay.

A clean jawline, tilting upward, creates a beautiful arc.

Rong Ling just smiled at her.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to some people."

"Good!" she replied cheerfully, while politely smiling at the several young talents who had just spoken with her. She was then half-embraced by Rong Ling and walked away.

This was basically a competition with no suspense at all. Lin Meng won far too easily. Previous speculations about whether Rong Ling and Lin Meng had a strained relationship seem to be unfounded now. After all, the fact that a man still has such a strong possessiveness towards a woman indicates that his feelings for her are still intense.

The large hand Rong Ling placed on Lin Meng's waist fell into the eyes of many, eliciting a few subtle smiles. After all, this man, still prioritizing family, is a good choice. Men who prioritize their families are usually steady, responsible, and doing business with them offers a sense of security. Naturally, this hand also attracted envy from some. Because that creamy-smooth, fragrant back just looked so tempting...

Basically, wherever Lin Meng and Rong Ling's combination went, all eyes followed. Tonight, Lin Meng definitely shone brightly, outshining every other female guest in the room. However, whether she could maintain this brilliance until the end remains to be seen. After all, external beauty is only one aspect. Without a solid inner core, she might ultimately just become a mere decorative object.

Stay tuned!

Rong Ling brought Lin Meng to see the Rong family first. Most of the Rong family members welcomed her. At this banquet today, the Rong family mainly featured young people. As Lin Meng told Rong Ling, and as Rong Ling herself thought, the future Rong family would be a place where young people wielded power. Therefore, they wanted to use this banquet to let these talented young people come forward and get acquainted with everyone, so that they could have dealings with each other in the future. Most of the young people supported and even worshiped Rong Ling, so they also treated Lin Meng with kindness out of love for Rong Ling.

Rong Ling merely gave a brief introduction to those people. After all, this occasion was a public event for the Rong family, not specifically meant for Lin Meng to get acquainted with the younger generation of the Rong family. To meet more people from within the family, there would be plenty of opportunities after the banquet dispersed. If he introduced too many people, and Lin Meng focused solely on interacting with them, it would make her appear incapable in the eyes of others. She only had this chance today to get closer to these young people.

Lin Meng was also intelligent. While listening to Rong Ling's introduction, she silently memorized these people. She would occasionally nod lightly or say a few words, but she remained calm and composed, not showing any signs of panic or stiffness at all because she had suddenly met so many faces. This elegant demeanor was undeniable and made the Rong family view her more favorably.

Of course, there were some people who weren't too fond of Lin Meng among the crowd. However, in such a situation, even if you disliked someone, you couldn't show it outwardly. Otherwise, you would only diminish your own value.

Of all the people here, Du Caiyi takes the lead. When facing Lin Meng, she merely nodded lightly without a word, not even a smile. On the other hand, towards Li Lanqiu who was suddenly ignored and was about to become the laughingstock of everyone, she was quite generous with her smiles and friendliness.

Li Lanqiu had separated from Rong Ling, feeling as if she had lost her backbone. At this banquet, she suddenly found herself without anyone to rely on. She did have some skills, being able to investigate people and, when necessary, even secure the authority to mobilize some individuals to cooperate with her. However, in such social gatherings where the bigwigs congregated, she lacked the ability to make these powerful figures comply with her wishes. As someone who had just returned from abroad, she simply didn't have the foundation or time! And what right did she have to make others look up to her With her current status as a free spirit and meager assets, she certainly didn't have the qualifications to appear before these people.

So, after being so unceremoniously dismissed, her thoughts raced. She strained to maintain a faint smile on her face, straightening her slightly stiff posture and trying to approach Du Caixin. She could sense that Du Caixin had designs on her. If someone wanted something from her, they shouldn't ignore her.

She took a step forward, and it was the right move. She approached Du Caiyi again, and Du Caiyi didn't snub her because of what had just happened. Instead, she remained as affectionate as before. This gave her a faint feeling of warmth and gratitude.

Du Caiyi's identity was obvious; she had been the former mistress of the Rong family. When she showed favor to someone, others would follow suit out of respect for her. Some might even take the time to ponder what that person possessed that could earn Du Caiyi's attention. Even if it was just a fleeting, illusory impression, people wouldn't hesitate to flatter them in hopes of gaining a sliver of her regard.

That is to say, because of Du Caiyi, Li Lanqiu avoided the fate of being ridiculed and shunned. She grew closer to Du Caiyi, feeling a warmth around her, and thought to herself: no matter what Du Caiyi wanted, she would definitely help her if she was able.

This scene naturally didn't escape Lin Meng's eyes. But she wouldn't be angry, nor would she be jealous. She wasn't Du Caixin's legitimate daughter-in-law and couldn't stomach the kind of vinegar that pleased her mother-in-law. On the contrary, she even disliked Du Caixin a bit, so she didn't care who Du Caixin was nice to. But could Du Caixin know that Li Lanqiu was a wolf in sheep's clothing Getting this close would only invite getting bitten later on.

She hummed softly in her heart, a faint disgust rising. The only thought that came to mind was the saying "birds of a feather flock together." The way they could come together so quickly, the disgusting aura emanating from both of them, truly was too similar.

Rong Qi was the last one to be introduced. Only because he had just talked with Rong Ling, he felt that Rong Ling's attitude was wrong, as if he hadn't heard his words. After thinking about it, he still decided to give Lin Meng a call personally. This good woman shouldn't let herself lose face because of a misunderstanding, right If she didn't show up this time, it would be much harder for her to establish herself quickly in the Rong family in the future.

Because of the previous frame-up against Lin Meng and also because he genuinely had a good feeling for her, Rong Qi slipped out to make a phone call. But the final result left him deeply disappointed. Rong Ling's family member who answered the phone told him that Lin Meng had already gone out and hadn't returned yet. He had already suspected that there was a conflict between Lin Meng and Rong Ling, and hearing this, he knew that the conflict was probably quite serious. He then asked for Lin Meng's phone number. Initially, the person who answered refused to give it. It was only when he barked orders as Rong Ling's uncle that the person transferred the call to the housekeeper, finally providing him with the number. After all this trouble, when he called, he discovered that the other party had switched their phone off!

What else can he do!

Rong Qiany stared at the phone, then took it back. He thought to himself, "Nowadays, young people are really something else." He didn't expect that upon returning, he would receive such a surprise.

It's alright, it's alright!

He was thrilled inside, but he didn't show it too much on his face, so as not to be noticed by Lin Meng or anyone else.

"Hearing that Rong Ling said you weren't feeling well, I was really worried. It's admirable that you still managed to come."

A sigh of both truth and falsehood, but it helped Ronglin's two people and could further block the criticism of those with ulterior motives.

Lin Meng's beautiful eyes flickered, and her heart immediately brightened. This was Rong Qi's kindness towards her. She readily accepted the topic.

"Thank you, Uncle Qi. I'm much better now. If I get through tonight, I should be fine."

This woman is indeed intelligent!

Rong Qi was extremely pleased and laughed heartily. “That’s good, that’s good.”

"Later, I'll have Rong Ling lead you to meet some people. You're not feeling well, so don't push yourself too hard. Just get acquainted with them for now. As for the future, we can gradually develop our relationship."

Rong Qi knew Lin Meng was healthy enough to withstand such harsh words. Saying this, however, was merely an implication that Lin Meng should listen more and speak less in the future, avoiding unnecessary mistakes and potentially embarrassing situations. Feigning illness allowed her to make such a display. While she might not be a particularly outstanding hostess, she would certainly never be looked down upon.

This is a rather conservative middle-of-the-road approach.

---Aside---

Highly recommend my friend A-li's great work "The New Bride of Zhongxiao", book number 383147.

This is a highly entertaining and popular romance novel currently being serialized. Don't miss out! ^_^

Introduction:

At their first meeting, she was completely unprepared and forcefully kissed by the unfamiliar stranger.

At their second meeting, he was impeccably dressed in his military uniform, looking imposing and dashing. He was laughing and chatting animatedly with a lady.

Uh, even soldiers can be thugs She ruined his good time, and he grabbed her hand to prevent her from leaving.

She looked at his dark hand gripping her wrist, frowning displeasure. "What are you doing"

He said seriously, "You scared away my future wife."

So what

"You have to compensate me with a wife!" That instant, that domineering man forcibly took her to meet his parents as his fiancée.ploded, rushing in to question Old Madam He. "Grandma, isn't Rong Ling supposed to marry me How could he be marrying Lin Meng!"Seeing her run so quickly, Old Mrs. He was terrified and immediately sign...