C6 I'm His Wife!

"I'm convinced Du Chen isn't that kind of person. Without pictures, there's no proof. Lee Yan, stop spreading rumors."

A single message quelled the jeers and jibes of many men.

The woman in question was once the campus belle, the fantasy of countless men, known as Lau Yixiang.

She had been Du Chen's deskmate, their close bond once the envy of many.

Now, Lau Yixiang's testimony silenced the crowd with a single sentence. No one wanted to cross her. Lee Yan, with a hint of sarcasm, said, "Could it be that the one supporting Du Chen is none other than the beautiful Lau Yixiang herself?"

Lau Yixiang didn't respond, leading everyone to believe she had implicitly confirmed it, leaving the men seething with envy.

Had Du Chen saved the world in a past life to be so lucky as to have Lau Yixiang as his wife?

Even Lin Ying'er felt a pang of discomfort and impulsively typed in the group chat, "Let's not jump to conclusions. I'm Du Chen's wife."

Just then, Lau Yixiang also chimed in, "Indeed, I've heard that Du Chen and Ying'er are married. Please refrain from baseless speculation."

The group erupted into a frenzy, with Du Chen becoming the target of intense envy.

After all, Lin Ying'er was a stunning beauty in her own right!

"Achoo!" Du Chen sneezed suddenly. Unaware of the group chat, he mistook the sneeze for the onset of a cold.

"Boss, caught a cold? Need some medicine?" The finance staff offered a box of medicine solicitously.

"No need. Hand me the Creekside Bistro card. And have you reminded the restaurant not to let just anyone in?" Du Chen inquired.

The finance manager quickly assured, "I've reminded them multiple times, and I certainly haven't disclosed your real name!"

Satisfied, Du Chen nodded and called Secretary Wang to return. He planned to dress sharply and dine at the restaurant.

Meanwhile, word that the bistro had been reserved was spreading like wildfire. Many were astonished by the lavish move.

After all, Creekside Bistro was the premier lovers' restaurant in Boross City, known for its steep prices and the owner's notorious pride in never accepting reservations!

What a power move it was for this big shot to make the boss bow down!

It's common knowledge that Creekside Bistro is supported by Golden Age Entertainment, one of the top companies in the area!

Amidst rampant speculation, Sheng had already reached out to the restaurant manager, a close friend of his for many years, with whom he'd been in cahoots.

Zhao Sheng shelled out a hefty sum to persuade the manager to let him, Zhao Sheng, slip in and dupe Lin Ying'er before the actual party who reserved the venue showed up.

Lin Ying'er was in the dark about the whole scheme, assuming it was just another dinner. It was only upon her arrival that she discovered Zhao Sheng had the place to himself.

Dressed to the nines in a designer suit, Zhao Sheng greeted her at the door with a dashing smile. "Ying'er, you've made it. Take a look at the lavish feast I've put together for you. Do you like it?"

Lin Ying'er sensed Zhao Sheng's impatience to flaunt his preparations and stepped into the restaurant, driven by curiosity.

She stopped dead in her tracks the moment she walked in.

A long red carpet stretched from the entrance to their window-side dining table, sprinkled with freshly plucked rose petals.

But that wasn't all. The walls of the restaurant were adorned with numerous stunning photos of Lin Ying'er from different stages of her life: childhood, adolescence, early career, and her days as a formidable professional.

These were all painstakingly gathered by Du Chen, who had also composed heartfelt confessions on each image.

The whimsical doll balloons floating in the air, the exotic flowers and plants on the floor, and even the selection of books on the bookshelf corner were all handpicked by Du Chen to match Lin Ying'er's tastes.

After three years of marriage, Du Chen knew everything Lin Ying'er loved and loathed. He went to great lengths to cater to her every preference, except for those beyond his reach.

Yet now, Zhao Sheng was taking credit for Du Chen's efforts and using them as leverage to deceive Lin Ying'er.

Lin Ying'er couldn't deny the emotional impact, but her feelings for Zhao Sheng had long since evaporated, replaced by a growing distaste.

After all, Zhao Sheng had coerced her into coming by holding her debt over her head.

"Mr. Zhao, you've really outdone yourself, even managing to find things I enjoy," Lin Ying'er remarked with a hint of detached courtesy.

Zhao Sheng assumed the restaurant manager had pulled some strings for him, and he couldn't help but silently commend his good friend for being so resourceful. To think he even found out what Lin Ying'er liked.

Upon hearing Lin Ying'er's words, Zhao Sheng was overjoyed, yet he feigned a deep, heartfelt expression and declared, "My love for you is as unchanging as this diamond. Ying'er, please, let's start over together!"

Lin Ying'er, seeing the man on bended knee with a sizable diamond ring, felt a twinge of embarrassment.

She wasn't even divorced yet!

And this was exactly how Zhao Sheng had wooed her in the past. Lin Ying'er had been close to giving him another chance.

But then Zhao Sheng had been unfaithful, brazenly blaming it on Lin Ying'er for dragging her feet, not reciprocating his love, and refusing to sleep with him.

The mere thought made Lin Ying'er's skin crawl!

"Maybe we should just eat first," Lin Ying'er suggested, averting her eyes and stepping around Zhao Sheng to head for the dining table.

Zhao Sheng's expression darkened, and he inwardly seethed, "You brought this on yourself, bitch!"

He discreetly handed a pill to the restaurant manager, who nodded knowingly and went off to prepare the wine.

If I can't win you over, I'll drug you, have my way with you, and record it. I'll see if you dare defy me then!

Du Chen, dressed in a designer suit, arrived in a car driven by Secretary Wang himself, eager to surprise Lin Ying'er before Zhao Sheng could reach out to her.

He had already messaged Lin Ying'er and expected her to arrive shortly.

"Manager, nobody's been here recently, right?" Du Chen inquired, eyeing the flustered restaurant manager who had rushed to greet him.

"No... No one," the manager stammered.

"Good, I'll head inside then," Du Chen said, planning to wait in the restaurant and then surprise Lin Ying'er with his gift.

The manager's anxiety spiked at Du Chen's words, and he quickly interjected, "Wait... just a moment... Oh, I haven't checked your ID yet. Could you show it to me, please?"

"Didn't Secretary Wang tell you it was me?" Du Chen asked, his brow furrowing, but he handed over his ID nonetheless.

"Just a second, I need to verify this," the manager said, rushing back into the restaurant to covertly signal Zhao Sheng to speed things up—the guest of honor had arrived.

Zhao Sheng was at a loss for words, thinking to himself, How did this fool show up so quickly? Turning to Lin Ying'er, he cut to the chase, "Ying'er, there's no point in sugarcoating this. Your mother's company is in trouble, and I'm the only one who can help. We have history together, and even your mom agrees—so why won't you give us another chance?"

"Surely it's not because of Du Chen, is it? The guy's a deadbeat, living off your charity. He's got nothing to offer. What could you possibly see in him?"

Lin Ying'er gazed at the succulent steak before her, lips pressed together. She couldn't pinpoint what made Du Chen so special, but the thought of leaving him filled her with a sense of loss.

Yet she was certain she didn't want to be with Zhao Sheng. Not wanting to burn bridges, she planned to stall through the meal and figure things out later.

Zhao Sheng, growing impatient, signaled the restaurant manager with a knowing glance. The manager promptly brought over the spiked wine and stepped out to intercept Du Chen.

Du Chen, growing restless, saw the manager emerge and quickly asked, "Is everything confirmed? Can I go inside now?"

"Apologies, sir, our machine is malfunctioning—it's taken your ID card. You'll need to present another form of identification," the manager said with a forced smile.

"You're messing with me, right?" Du Chen's expression turned icy. "What kind of machine swallows an ID card? Show me!"

He made to push past into the restaurant.

The manager, now visibly sweating, was relieved he had kept two security guards on standby. He ordered, "Escort this man out! He can't provide proper ID and dares to force his way in?"

Du Chen realized they were deliberately keeping him out. A simple call to the restaurant's reservation desk would confirm his identity. Was there trouble brewing inside?

He fixed his gaze on the restaurant, desperate to understand what was happening within.

The restaurant manager was frightened but knew that as long as he could block Du Chen's entry, he could claim there was no proof of identity provided. At worst, he'd face a verbal lashing.

If Du Chen were to walk into the restaurant and discover that someone had already used the layout ahead of time, he'd be out of a job in no time!