Chapter 26: A Rare Opportunity

Inside the banquet tent, the event was nearing its end. Li Wangcheng and Shang Xingbing had both consumed a fair amount of alcohol, though both remained prudent, consciously limiting their further intake.

Ma Zhen, on the other hand, had drunk herself into a stupor while pressuring others to join her. Right in front of everyone, she not only teased Li Wangcheng but even openly confessed her feelings to him. The spectacle left Ma Qibo’s face looking ghastly. This time, Li Wangcheng could hardly be blamed; after all, it was Ma Zhen who had lost control due to intoxication. The fact that he remained silent and merely watched her make a fool of herself, without uttering a single harsh word, was already a great concession to Ma Qibo.

Those familiar with such social settings understood the situation perfectly, and Ma Qibo promptly ordered someone to drag Ma Zhen away.

Ji Qingwan watched as Ma Zhen was hauled out of the tent, feeling both anxious and furious. Their plan had yet to be completed; why was Ma Zhen dropping the ball at such a critical moment? However, she glanced around the tent and noticed the absence of Fang Yun and Chen Yuanlin. Shortly after, a man walked in silently and whispered something into Ma Qibo’s ear. The look of displeasure on Ma Qibo’s face vanished, replaced by a much more satisfied expression. The lecherous glint in his eyes signaled to her that Chen Yuanlin must have succeeded, which allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief.

Her gaze drifted to Li Wangcheng. He was undoubtedly superior to Chen Yuanlin in every respect; it was no wonder Ma Zhen was so desperate to possess him. Yet, why was this the case? Fang Yun, an orphan, had first won Chen Yuanlin’s heart and was now able to flirt with Li Wangcheng. Were all men so shallow, only concerned with a pretty face? Burning with resentment, Ji Qingwan subconsciously walked toward Li Wangcheng.

Ma Zhen’s public embarrassment had temporarily distracted Ma Qibo from probing Li Wangcheng, giving the latter and his companions a moment to breathe. Before he could search for Fang Yun, Ji Qingwan suddenly appeared before him. Recognizing the woman, he could not help but frown slightly. Ji Qingwan, only then realizing where she was standing, felt a moment of awkwardness.

"President Li, I’ve long admired your reputation. I am—"

Before she could finish, Li Wangcheng interrupted her. "I know who you are."

"Isn't this the mistress of Fang Yun's ex-husband?" Shang Xingbing’s remark shattered her smile.

Her expression stiffened. The uncontrollable anger and humiliation left her face ashen, yet she dared not vent her frustration, causing her to look quite distorted.

"I am no mistress. I was never with Chen Yuanlin." After a long moment, Ji Qingwan took a deep breath and offered a pale explanation. But after meeting the eyes of Li Wangcheng and Shang Xingbing, she realized neither of them believed her. Or rather, they simply did not care. Whether she was or was not was of no consequence to them, and their impression of her would not change based on her words. This realization left her feeling tortured and irritable.

Losing the desire to curry favor, Ji Qingwan found a random excuse and turned to leave. Her actions were observed by many, and as she walked away with an ugly expression, the crowd watched her with mockery. They likely thought her too presumptuous, believing she could win Li Wangcheng’s favor, only to end up humiliated. Even the Ji family members glared at her with reproach, but she had no energy to care about their judgment and sat in a corner, looking completely distracted.

Li Wangcheng, now undisturbed, realized that Fang Yun was missing. After confirming it multiple times, he disregarded the fact that he was on Ma Qibo’s territory and immediately ordered Shang Xingbing to go find her.

At that moment, Fang Yun held a knife against Chen Yuanlin’s neck, the tip hovering a mere 0.1 millimeters from his skin. She tilted her head toward the tent entrance.

"Let me go! I’m not drunk! Brother Wangcheng! Why won't you accept me?"

The commotion outside saved Chen Yuanlin’s life. Fang Yun heard the voices drawing nearer and, uncertain if they were heading for her tent, decided not to take the risk. She straightened up, sheathed the knife, and dragged Chen Yuanlin behind a crate.

No sooner had she hidden than she heard the tent flap open. The howling wind intensified, and a chill swept through the tent. Chen Yuanlin, at her feet, began to stir restlessly. Fearing he would make a sound and expose her, Fang Yun stepped on his mouth and pressed down firmly.

"Whew, this tent is empty, right?" a voice outside asked.

"This whole area is for resting. The Young Miss just needs to sleep off the alcohol. There are other programs later."

"The Young Miss is really quite heavy."

"Shut up! Do you want to die? Get out, get out now."

Soon, the tent fell silent. To be safe, Fang Yun waited a while longer before cautiously poking her head out. Seeing that it was truly empty, she emerged from behind the crate.

She walked to the bed and saw Ma Zhen, clearly drunk, still muttering "Brother Wangcheng" in her sleep. Fang Yun felt a wave of disgust. Suddenly, she heard a heavy thud behind her. Turning around sharply, she saw that Chen Yuanlin had somehow emerged from behind the crate. Perhaps due to the drugs, he had tripped and, after struggling on the floor, was now trembling as he stood up.

"Hot... so hot," he muttered, fumbling with his clothes as he staggered toward her.

Seeing his state, Fang Yun knew things had taken a turn for the worse. One drug had worn off, and another was taking effect. If she stayed here, she would be the one in danger. Thinking this, she strode toward the tent flap, narrowly avoiding his reaching hand.

"Xiao Yun..." Chen Yuanlin murmured her name with lingering affection.

Fang Yun felt nauseated. She stopped, turned back to glare at him, then stepped forward and kicked him hard, sending him sprawling onto the bed on top of Ma Zhen.

"Didn't you say the Chen family couldn't afford to fall? Then sacrificing yourself for the family shouldn't be a big deal, right? Becoming Ma Qibo’s son-in-law is a decent choice."

With that, she turned and walked out of the tent. The biting cold wind hit her face, helping her flushed brain regain its composure. From the tent behind her came sounds that made her heart race—partly from the situation, and partly from hearing the mix of "Xiao Yun" and "Brother Wangcheng" being called out, which disgusted her even more.

However, she quickly regained her focus, realizing this was a golden opportunity. No one had noticed her absence. If the scandal between Ma Zhen and Chen Yuanlin were discovered, it would surely cause chaos. When that happened, she could slip to the edge of the cliff and secure the supplies. It was a risk, but the opportunity was too rare to pass up.