Chapter 155: An Old Friend Not Seen in Many Years

Gu Yan did not like to do things that went against her heart, nor did she enjoy harboring insincere thoughts. Song Wanning was wonderful—simply wonderful. She would not demean Song Wanning or claim she was unworthy of Wen Jingxing just because she herself was infatuated with his handsome face.

Thinking this way, Gu Yan felt even more miserable. Was she really meant to let go of the person she loved just like that? She wasn’t capable of being that graceful. But if she were to compete with Song Wanning, wouldn't that make her a terrible person?

Moreover, Song Wanning was truly kind. Although she was a woman of few words, during their shopping trip that afternoon, she had not only opened the car door for her, but when they held hands, she had even gently reminded her of the steps. For a girl who paid attention to details, these subconscious gestures from Song Wanning struck a chord deep in her heart.

Just as Gu Yan was struggling with her dilemma, a phone ringtone suddenly shattered her train of thought. Picking up her phone, she saw it was Wen Yi. Her face lit up instantly, and she hurriedly answered, "Hello, Wen Yi! Why are you calling me all of a sudden?"

"You have the nerve to ask! Didn't you say you'd have me pick you up the moment you got off the plane? Instead, you snuck off to Huadu Plaza. If I hadn't seen your Weibo post, I wouldn't have even known. You’re still there, right? Stay put—I’m coming over right now to settle the score!"

On the other end, Wen Yi was curled up in a sofa, covered by a thin blanket, with her long, slender legs resting on another chair. She held the phone with one hand while toying with her shimmering earring, enjoying a leg massage from a maid and chatting comfortably with Gu Yan.

A low voice came through the phone: "Yeah, come on over."

Wen Yi sensed something was wrong immediately. "What’s wrong? Wait there, I’m coming to find you right now. Just send me your location."

"No need, I’m right here at Huadu Plaza. You’ll see me when you get here."

"Alright."

Wen Yi hung up, hurriedly called for her driver, and left. As she passed through the living room, Mrs. Wen was sitting there. Seeing her daughter wearing such high heels and moving so quickly, she immediately called out, "You child, why are you rushing so much? Slow down, watch out so you don't fall."

"I know, Mom, I'm going to see an old friend." Wen Yi shouted back, her figure already out the door, completely failing to notice Mrs. Gu sitting in the corner of the sofa.

Mrs. Wen maintained a gentle and kind expression, but inwardly, she was growing extremely impatient.

When Mrs. Gu visited, she always harped on about the past. Mrs. Wen had long grown tired of it, but it was awkward to chase her away directly, as their families still maintained regular social ties. Besides, everyone in the Gu family was quite pleasant, except for Mrs. Gu.

She had hinted to Mrs. Gu—both overtly and covertly—that it was time to leave, but the woman acted as if she couldn't understand, her seat seemingly nailed to the sofa.

Just then, Mrs. Gu brought up the tea party from a few days prior. "Mrs. Wen, why didn't you attend the tea party two days ago?"

Mrs. Wen thought to herself, *When have you ever seen me attend such gatherings?* If she had that kind of time, wouldn't it be better to read books, appreciate flowers, or go traveling? Why would she want to waste time fawning over people she didn't even know? Given her family’s status and her husband’s business influence, there were plenty of people who wanted to be her friend, but Mrs. Wen disliked such hypocritical social circles.

Still, she replied, "I wasn't feeling well a while back, so I didn't go."

"Is that so? What a pity. You wouldn't believe it—your son actually brought a woman to attend!" Mrs. Gu paused deliberately; she certainly had a knack for keeping people in suspense.

Mrs. Wen’s interest was instantly piqued. "He didn't go to attend..." She stopped herself. When Wen Jingxing first joined the reality show, Old Mr. Wen had forbidden anyone in the family from making a big fuss about it. The reason was simple: the old man believed that since the two young people didn't like each other, it was likely due to a lack of contact. He wanted them to get to know each other properly without external interference. Therefore, anyone who didn't follow entertainment news or the industry remained largely unaware.

"Which woman?" Mrs. Wen asked, though she already knew it must be Song Wanning.

"Song Wanning! That impoverished fiancée of your son's."

Mrs. Wen frowned. Even if she had opinions, why belittle the girl? While Song Wanning hadn't been very likable in the past, the child was straightforward—to put it bluntly, she just didn't know how to say pleasant things and easily offended people. But she didn't have any malicious intent. Mrs. Wen thought the girl was foolish, but not enough to slander her every time her name came up.

"Oh," Mrs. Wen replied coldly, instantly losing interest.

The two of them being there must have been because of the variety show. Ever since her son joined the show, she had been following every episode. She couldn't wait around for live streams like the younger generation, but watching the edited episodes when she had free time was perfectly fine.

However, Mrs. Wen could tell that her son was becoming more and more invested in Song Wanning. And this Song Wanning didn't seem as silly as she used to be. When facing the trouble-maker Jian An'an, she finally knew how to talk back, which spared Mrs. Wen from having to frown in frustration. Although Mrs. Wen only saw Jian An'an through the screen, she could tell she was not a simple person to deal with.

Sometimes, Mrs. Wen would look at her tablet and see the screen flooded with comments about "shipping the couple." While Song Wanning’s beauty was indeed easy to admire, Mrs. Wen truly felt that the girl was not a match for her son.

She could help Song Wanning while she was still alive, but what about after she was gone? Based on Song Wanning's past behavior, Mrs. Wen felt she was like a child who had never grown up, silly and naive. How could someone like that be Wen Jingxing’s wife? How would she help him manage family affairs in the future?

Therefore, those two must not marry!

Mrs. Gu whispered mysteriously to Mrs. Wen, "You weren't there, so you don't know. As an elder, I didn't expect Song Wanning to show me any humility, but for every word I said, she retorted with a thousand. She had no respect for me at all."

"And your son even took her side! That boy is definitely the type to forget his mother once he has a wife!"

Hearing this, Mrs. Wen’s brow furrowed tightly. Song Wanning had been impolite to elders before, but knowing Mrs. Gu’s personality, Mrs. Wen decided to trust her son. She didn't know if Song Wanning had been disrespectful at the time, but Wen Jingxing was a well-behaved child; if even he spoke up, it must have been because Mrs. Gu had said something excessive.

Seeing Mrs. Wen’s expression, Mrs. Gu thought her brainwashing was working and added fuel to the fire: "And while we were talking, she just kept eating; it was as if no one else existed. When I finally left, she didn't even say goodbye. It’s no wonder—a child raised in a poor place truly lacks any breeding."