Chapter 341: c.o.c.ktail Party (1)

Shen Jingbin played on her own in Zhao Chengning's room while he went to take a shower after logging out of the game.

She'd sped over to his home immediately after logging out without even eating a bite. Since his Grandfather wasn't home, there was no need for her to feel shy around him. So, Zhao Chengning simply instructed the housekeeper to prepare some food for them.

Upon returning to his room, Zhao Chengning saw his lady quietly sprawled across his bed with her head propped up, reading a book.

The weather was still quite chilly. Shen Jingbin was wearing a light yellow down jacket with a beige turtleneck sweater underneath when she'd arrived, looking both youthful and beautiful in it. However, Zhao Chengning was afraid she'd feel cold, so he'd set the air conditioning in the room to a rather high temperature.

She was probably feeling warm by now as her jacket was cast aside and she was only wearing her turtleneck sweater. The sweater had a form-fitting design, and it vividly outlined her exquisite curves. Her long hair cascaded down the side of her face, and it gently swayed along with the motion of her body. The sight of it stirred his heart; the feeling was similar to that of a cat pawing at his heart.

"What are you reading?" He asked as he walked over and sat by her side.

Shen Jingbin flipped the book to its cover for him to see. "I just took a book at random; I don't know what it is either. The books on your bookshelf are quite varied."

One of the walls in Zhao Chengning's room had been converted into a bookshelf, and its shelves were chock full of books. All of these books were mostly bought by him during his schooling days, and a majority of them were purchased because of their attractive cover designs. As for their content, he was still clueless about them.

Shen Jingbin held a book containing a collection of prose in her hands. Previously, during his schooling days, Zhao Chengning would kick up a great fuss over them and was interested in anything that was new and unknown to him. However, after he entered the workforce and became a shrewd businessman himself, his interest in these things waned.

"You like prose?" He placed his hands on her sides, and his shadow fell over her.

The two of them were extremely close to one another. His breath fanned her ear, and she could feel the heat coming from his breath. "I think it's alright. It's a decent read every now and then. But, I tend to get bored if I read too much of it."

"Great minds think alike."

"You don't like it? Then, why'd you buy it?"

Zhao Chengning took the book away and placed it aside. "I was young and insensible at that time, and I liked contrived things."

Shen Jingbin raised her head to look at him. The doe-eyed look that she wore caused his heart to melt in an instant. "But, I can be unreasonable at times too, will you mind?"

The affectionate gaze of lovers could really make others flush red with embarra.s.sment. "That's not being unreasonable, that's being cute."

Shen Jingbin sank back onto the bed. "You're such a sweet talker. Who on earth did you learn it from?"

Zhao Chengning slowly leaned over her, and his voice deepened. "It comes naturally the moment I see you…"

Just as the two of them were about to get intimate again, someone suddenly knocked on the door. Zhao Chengan's voice travelled through the door.

"Chengning, are you home?"

Zhao Chengning sighed. His brother sure knew how to make a 'timely' arrival. He grudgingly stood up and made for the door. "I'm here, give me a moment."

Shen Jingbin got up to put on her jacket. Although her clothes weren't in a state of disarray, she thought that it would be more proper for her to don it.

"I heard that sister-in-law is here, but I don't see her…" Zhao Chengan said as he entered the room. He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Shen Jingbin seated in the room. He stared blankly at her and said, "Did I disturb the two of you?"

Zhao Chengning was following behind his brother and very much wanted to agree with a resounding 'YES!'

However, his rationality made him hold back. "No, you didn't. Bro, shouldn't you be at the office right now? What's the matter?"

Zhao Chengan exchanged a simple greeting with Shen Jingbin before he said, "I wanted to bring along a doc.u.ment from home, so I came back to get it. By the way, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. There'll be a c.o.c.ktail party tonight, but I can't make it. Dad wants you to attend it in my stead. I was afraid that you'd be busy playing your game and wouldn't pick up your phone, so I specially came over to inform you."

Zhao Chengning frowned. "A c.o.c.ktail party?"

"Mhm. You're just in time, sister-in-law. Are you free tonight?"

Shen Jingbin wasn't quite used to being addressed as 'sister-in-law' yet, but she still meekly replied all the same. "Yes, I'm free."

"Why don't you accompany Chengning then? It just so happens that he's in need of a female companion."

Shen Jingbin looked at Zhao Chengning, and the latter gave her a helpless nod. "Sure."

"It'll be held at 7 pm tonight, on the twelfth level of Luofu Hotel. I'll be off then." Zhao Chengan said with a dismissive wave of his hand and made to leave.

"Bro, aren't you going to eat at home? I'm sure you have some time to take a break at this…this hour."

"I don't have time to eat; there are still many things that need to be done. Enjoy your time while you can, because I'll be going back to Africa soon."

"So soon?"

"Time pa.s.ses quickly for you lovebirds, but for me, each day feels like a year. I'll be off then."

He looked very busy, and they were disinclined to keep him any longer. After Zhao Chengan left, Zhao Chengning shrugged at his wifey. "Oh no, it looks like I'll have to trouble you tonight."

Shen Jingbin acted as if she was in a pickle. "What are you planning to do about this? It costs a lot for me to make an appearance."

"I'll give you all of my future earnings. Will that do?"

Shen Jingbin thought about it for a moment. "I'll consider it."

Zhao Chengning went forward and held her with a smile on his face before leading her downstairs to eat.

The two of them were suddenly faced with the task of attending a party. Zhao Chengning took time out from his afternoon to shop for a gown with Shen Jingbin. Once they were done shopping, the loving couple proceeded to the party as planned.

Those who sent invites to members of the Zhao Family typically belonged to the upper echelons of society, and a majority of the people present were familiar faces. As soon as he made his entrance, Zhao Chengning immediately became the focus of attention. Of which, a large portion of their attention was directed at the peerless beauty beside him.

Those who were unaware of Shen Jingbin's ident.i.ty thought that Young Master Zhao had merely brought an ordinary female companion, and tried to find out who she was. On the other hand, those who knew of her immediately pushed aside all other thoughts and looked at Zhao Chengning with undisguised envy.

The upper-cla.s.s had made many sacrifices to attain their current status - this, above all, included marriage. However, as they witnessed Zhao Chengning appearing in front of them with a partner who possessed the perfect appearance and family background, acting all lovey-dovey with each other, they couldn't help but feel jealous.

However, what did it matter if they were jealous? This was fate.

Chapter 342: c.o.c.ktail Party (2)

Jian Cishu spotted them the moment they appeared. Initially, she'd had no plans to attend the party. She'd only agreed to come when she heard Big Brother Zhao mention that Zhao Chengning would be making an appearance. However, she didn't expect to receive such a 'surprise' after coming here.

She knew that she had no chance with him. But, she couldn't help but want to be near him. Seeing how happy he was with this beauty as his companion pained her greatly, and she was too overwhelmed to speak. She could only use going to the washroom as an excuse to avoid them.

It looked like she really needed to give up on him.

However, she didn't expect to still be hounded by rumours even after seeking respite in the washroom.

Just as she was hesitating over whether she should go out or not, she suddenly heard the raucous laughter of various women coming from the doorway and her name being mentioned.

"Hey, did you guys see the woman that Second Young Master Zhao brought with him today? They say that she has a remarkable background. It's little wonder that someone like Second Young Master Zhao would be head over heels for her. His eyes were glued to her the whole time, and he was unwilling to look away for even a moment."

"Ugh, don't talk about it. Putting aside her family background, just look at that face! If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't be able to look away either."

"Second Young Master Zhao's life is complete with the company of a woman who's as beautiful as a flower. The Jian Family Miss sure is pitiful though. Her rumoured fiancé is openly appearing in public with another woman. I wouldn't be able to stand it if I were her."

"What, you mean the girl from the Jian Family who is besotted with Second Young Master Zhao? Second Young Master Zhao has never once acknowledged the betrothment between the two of them. The whole thing was a set-up by her. Her Mother is even more arrogant, using the Zhao Family name to make a scene everywhere. I say, this slap to their face is really satisfying!"

The women outside gossiped non-stop, though the topic of their conversation had s.h.i.+fted from being envious of Shen Jingbin to chastising Jian Cishu.

These women had previously indulged in wishful thoughts of getting together with Zhao Chengning. Now that someone had beat them to it, they were feeling a little resentful. However, their opponent was far too outstanding in every aspect and had no flaws. So, they could only swallow their resentment and bear with it.

Now, Jian Cishu had become an easy target for them to vent their frustrations on. They directed all their dissatisfaction and resentment towards her, which manifested as personal attacks.

Jian Cishu trembled with rage when she overheard their conversation. But, she couldn't do anything, and neither did she dare to go out. All she could do was hide in the cubicle as the rims of her eyes reddened.

"Lower your volume when you're talking about other people behind their backs. After all, the sound-proofing might not be as good as you think."

Just as Jian Cishu was on the verge of a mental breakdown, a female voice suddenly spoke up. It sounded a little cold but was pleasant to the ears.

It didn't take long for her to recognise who it belonged to.

The women outside quietened down, not daring to make a sound. They looked foolishly at the woman in front of them who was dressed in a black, backless gown. Her outstanding appearance and the intense aura that she projected caused their minds to go blank. Their legs instantly turned to jelly just from being subjected to her gaze.

They were only able to breathe normally when she entered the cubicle and closed the door. The women hurriedly fled the washroom without looking back.

Jian Cishu couldn't describe how she was feeling at the moment. When she stepped out of the cubicle, Shen Jingbin happened to walk out as well.

Shen Jingbin gave a polite nod upon seeing her; her manners were impeccable.

"You…" Jian Cishu walked forward haltingly, intent on saying something. However, after uttering the word "you", she was left tongue-tied as she faced Shen Jingbin's breathtaking appearance.

"Never lose your sense of self no matter what. People called me a flower vase and said that I was just a pretty face with no talent or substance. But, later on, I made all those people who said that about me come back and personally apologise." Shen Jingbin raised her head and looked at the mirror, which reflected the woman who was standing behind her. Jian Cishu's slightly red-rimmed eyes were especially noticeable when seen through the mirror.

Honestly speaking, Shen Jingbin didn't have any long-standing feud with Jian Cishu. They just happened to fall in love with the same man. The only difference between them was that this man had chosen her.

Shen Jingbin was no saint. If Jian Cishu had been the kind of villainous supporting character found in novels or dramas, she definitely wouldn't have stood up for her. However, Jian Cishu didn't do anything wrong and didn't deserve to be chastised as such.

Furthermore, as the saying goes: to the victor go the spoils. Jian Cishu had lost to her, so she was the only one who had the right to chastise her, not that bunch of ignorant women.

Disrespecting her rival meant disrespecting her. This was Shen Jingbin's way of doing things.