The Empty Bridal Chamber

Chapter 20: Substitute

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lin Wanmeng had just told He Yan about her thought process for her proposal. The other party nodded as he listened. He was a good listener.

She couldn’t help but speak for a while.

As she spoke, He Yan suddenly stared at the red dress she was wearing today.

“President Lin, since you have such a concept of design, why don’t you tell me if there can be any improvements made to the dress you’re wearing today?”

The other party’s tone was not frivolous at all, as if he was really asking her about the design. Lin Wanmeng carefully observed her dress.

“The color is a little monotonous. Perhaps people who like red will like this dress very much, but in my opinion, too much vividness will make the scene discordant.”

Yan nodded, his eyes filled with praise. He stood up and broke off a white rose from the side, placing it at Lin Wanmeng’s waist.

“How about this?”

His behavior was as if he was playing with a model. Lin Wanmeng was stunned and replied, “Very good.”

Yan smiled. “President Lin, you’re amazing.”

When Lin Wanmeng returned to the banquet hall, she happened to see Lin Bo walking down the stairs dejectedly.

Following closely behind her was Ye Lingxiao. The other party gave her a cold look and did not speak.

“Mengmeng, where did you go?” Old Madam Ye pulled Lin Wanmeng’s hand and patted it worriedly. She kindly pulled her into her circle and introduced her.

Lin Wanmeng did not refuse Old Madam Ye’s good intentions.

Ye Lingxiao stared at He Yan who had just returned like a wolf. He took two steps forward and asked, “What did you say to Lin Wanmeng just now?”

Yan was also taken aback. He did not expect Ye Lingxiao to notice this. Instead, he pretended to smile ambiguously. “Are you very concerned, President Ye?”

Their emotions were reversed.

The person who was originally calm and composed seemed to have exploded. Meanwhile, the person who kept provoking him previously was now strolling leisurely in the banquet hall with a glass of wine in his hand.

“She’s Mrs. Ye.”

Yan’s drinking speed paused for a moment before he asked in confusion, “Is that so? I didn’t see President Ye announcing the marriage.”

He took a sip of wine and chuckled. “I’m afraid even the employees in CEO Ye’s company might not know her identity, right?”

Ye Lingxiao’s eyes turned bloodshot. He Yan was speechless when he saw this.

After interacting with this person for so many years, this was the first time he had seen Ye Lingxiao’s emotions fluctuate.

Although he felt sorry for Lin Wanmeng, He Yan could not bear to miss such a good opportunity.

“Excuse me, I still have to talk to President Lin.”

He Yan brushed past Ye Lingxiao and said to himself, “President Lin is really capable. It would be great if we could get such a talent to work at our company.”

After the conversation in the back garden, Lin Wanmeng was no longer resistant to talking to He Yan. The two familiar faces were very glaring in Ye Lingxiao’s eyes.

Although he felt that this woman was not worth cherishing, when he really saw this scene, he still found it unbearable.

Ye Lingxiao was not someone who was good at making things difficult for himself. After thinking for a moment, he decisively walked forward and wrapped his arm around Lin Wanmeng’s waist.

In any case, she was still Mrs. Ye now. No one could say anything about what he wanted to do.

Lin Wanmeng was stunned by this hug for a moment, but she did not resist anymore.

She knew her place.

He Yan still had a gentle smile on his face. His eyes swept across the two of them, and then he understood.

“President Ye, you’d better let go.”

Ye Lingxiao lowered his head and looked at Lin Wanmeng’s waist. A white rose had been pinned there.

Although some of the thorns on the rose had been removed, they were not completely removed. It was originally loose and did not matter. Now that he wrapped around it tightly, the thorns had already penetrated the fabric.

Lin Wanmeng was probably surprised that she did not sense the faint pain.

Ye Lingxiao let go. “There’s a first aid kit upstairs. Treat the wound.”

His attitude was firm. Lin Wanmeng bit her lower lip and did not refuse.

In the room on the second floor.

Lin Wanmeng tactfully rejected Ye Lingxiao’s idea of treating her wound. In fact, there were only a few red dots on her waist. It was fine after disinfecting it with alcohol.

When Lin Wanmeng came out of the room, she saw Ye Lingxiao holding a necklace in his hand and handing it to her stiffly.

Ye Lingxiao was not someone who would make things difficult for himself. Since he was interested in Lin Wanmeng, it was better for him to accept this emotion calmly than to resist.

He even thought that if Lin Wanmeng was really arrogant because of his favor, as long as it was within reason, it was fine for the Ye family to let her be pampered.

He handed over the jewelry he had prepared. The other party’s lips twitched, but she could not even squeeze out a gentle expression.

“Thank you, President Ye.”

Lin Wanmeng recognized that this was Huashe and recalled what Assistant Zheng had said before.

Wasn’t this jewelry prepared by Ye Lingxiao for his elusive love?

The original gifts were all hidden in the box. Could it be that he had found a substitute that he could rely on this year?

As a substitute, Lin Wanmeng was not happy.

Her emotions had obviously affected Ye Lingxiao as well. The gentleness in Ye Lingxiao’s eyes gradually dissipated and turned into a coldness that was no different from when he was working.

“Is something wrong?”

Lin Wanmeng couldn’t say any more words of gratitude. What should she say? Thank you for treating me as a substitute and giving me such expensive jewelry?

She was aware that she had not fallen to this extent.

Ye Lingxiao clearly misunderstood her silence. He took a step forward and approached her. “President Lin, are you eager to be with someone else that’s why you’re putting on such an attitude?”

Ye Lingxiao’s sarcastic tone provoked Lin Wanmeng. She opened her mouth to say something, but her rationality told her not to let things worsen.

“Do you know what just happened here?”

Ye Lingxiao seemed to have suddenly thought of something and said maliciously, “Your father came upstairs and announced that we’re in-laws. He hoped to use this opportunity for the Ye Corporation to help the Lin Corporation tide over the crisis.”

This was Lin Bo’s style. Lin Wanmeng lowered her eyes. “President Ye, you rejected him.”

Ye Lingxiao sneered, “Of course. Can we be considered in-laws?”

“However, from this, it would appear that you and your father truly have the same character and conduct.”

“You’re all so capricious and greedy.”

Ye Lingxiao tore the white rose into pieces in front of Lin Wanmeng as if he was punishing her for having designs on someone else.

He was angry and ignored Lin Wanmeng’s emotions. He turned around and left.

Assistant Zheng wanted to stop him, but when he turned around, he saw Lin Wanmeng holding her head high. Her tears flowed from the corner of her eyes to her temples like crystals, moistening the roots of her hair.

Lin Wanmeng wasn’t that unwilling to be Mrs. Ye.

However, she was no longer a qualified substitute. She had tarnished the pure and flawless image in Ye Lingxiao’s heart, so it was only right for him to be angry.

She took a deep breath and said self-deprecatingly, “Looks like there will be a new Mrs. Ye soon.”