Cheating CEO

Chapter 5: Coming Together

Gong Shichen stared at her reflection, unable to quell the turmoil in her heart. She held no illusions that Ling Yanhong would ever see her in a new light, let alone fall in love with her. She could even endure his cold neglect, swallowing her grievances in silence. But what she could not abide was his refusal to grant her even a final shred of dignity in front of her family and the world.

If Ling Yanhong pushed her too far, only one path remained: divorce.

As she mulled this over, she selected her attire. She favored simple, elegant cocktail dresses that lent her an air of maturity and grace. As a rule, Ling Yanhong seldom found fault with her clothing; evidently, she possessed a taste that met his exacting standards.

So when Gong Shichen appeared before him in a long, elegant, moon-white gown, Ling Yanhong’s gaze, as always, swept over her. She never failed to present herself flawlessly before him. In contrast, he had never done a single thing for her.

He had believed he would never lift a finger for this woman, not even to offer a perfunctory courtesy.

But he had agreed to accompany her to Gong Jialiang's party. Of course, he had his own motives.

"We can go."

He had not spent any time on his appearance, unlike her. In fact, compared to his usual self, he was dressed far more casually today.

Yet even this casualness could not mask his handsome, captivating charm. The flicker of resentment she felt was quickly suppressed. Forgoing her usual habit, Gong Shichen did not take his arm. She knew that arm did not belong to her, and when she could avoid proximity, she chose to.

He ignored her deliberate distance, retrieved the car, and waited for her by the curb. He rarely opened the car door for her; most of the time, she had to hurry to keep up.

But the images captured by reporters always showed him bowing with a smile to open her door.

Sometimes, they even captured him placing a tender kiss on her forehead. No one knew their married life was suspended upon those first three kisses.

The newspapers lauded the Ling marriage as perfect and flawless, the envy of countless women. It was all a lie.

How long could such a lie be maintained? Was she growing too weak to bear it, or was she simply becoming accustomed to the charade? The thought of divorce had surfaced, but it always felt distant.

To her, marriage was sacred. The naive belief that they could cultivate feelings after the wedding was simply a bankrupt dream.

Now, she had to continue burnishing the facade of that sacred bond for her father and older brother.

Her mother had fallen ill and passed away when she was six. What sorrow would she feel, seeing her daughter like this now?

"Wait."

Her eyes had caught sight of a beautiful Rolex in a display window. It was a model she particularly admired.

The car stopped a full three minutes after she spoke. She didn't complain about his delayed reaction, but instead got out and ran towards the shop window, Ling Yanhong's gaze following her fleeting figure.

But his patience was thin. How much longer could this woman hold on? If she insisted on a divorce, did she understand the catastrophic price the Gong family would pay?

He held all the power in this marriage, a union devoid of any personal sentiment. His cold, sharp gaze fell on Gong Shichen as she ran back, her face flushed and her breath coming in ragged gasps.

The rise and fall of her chest with each breath was undeniably sensual. The simple dress clung to her exquisite figure, accentuating her curves to perfection.

Would this woman truly be able to endure under his watch? A severe smile touched his lips. When his eyes met her dark, luminous ones, he looked away, and the car sped off, leaving her still clutching her chest, catching her breath.

He had rarely paid much attention to the woman beside him; she was far more obedient than he had ever imagined, which made him unconsciously overlook her existence. But today, he couldn't help but steal another glance at her.

Her raven hair was soft and lustrous. She lacked the sharp arrogance of a high-society heiress; instead, she was elegant and refreshingly pure.

Within her bright eyes, beneath the veneer of compliance, did stubbornness and courage lie hidden? Ling Yanhong began to wonder. Based on her behavior today, she had concealed her true nature so perfectly that even he had overlooked it.

And her figure was superb, a perfect match for his desires...

At this thought, his body stiffened and his face grew cold, willing himself to banish any such notions about this woman. But as if bewitched, his peripheral vision caught the tantalizing glimpse of cleavage at her neckline, sensuous and alluring. In her snow-white arms, she cradled the Rolex she had just purchased. There was no trace of misery or complaint from being neglected; instead, her eyes held a quiet joy and satisfaction. Simply buying a gift for her father was enough to make her this happy.

What a dutiful, foolish woman.

A cold sneer touched his lips, just as Gong Shichen turned to look at him. Her lovely, flushed face instantly paled, and the flicker of joy in her eyes froze over. Reality was a cruel thing. Gong Shichen unconsciously pressed her lips together.

The car sped on, the two of them wrapped in a heavy silence. A strange dissatisfaction and irritation began to creep into Ling Yanhong's heart.

Her unhappiness made her look aggrieved. He had always ignored that look. What was wrong with him today? Since when had he started to care about her grievances?

"Husband—"

Though reluctant, Gong Shichen was the first to break the silence, mustering the courage to voice her thoughts.

"Speak."

The command was curt and clear. Her hesitant demeanor was met with his ruthless order. Behind his cold exterior, his mood was inscrutable. The chill in his merciless voice sent a wave of desolation through her.

"Ling Yanhong!"

The slight was too much to bear, and her temper flared again. Her fuse seemed unusually short today. Had she finally reached her breaking point?

"Didn't I tell you to call me your husband?"

He raised an eyebrow and executed a sharp, perfect turn. If not for her seatbelt, she was certain she would have been thrown against the window.

"I don't know why you married me, and I don't care how you intend to maintain this marriage. I just want a little basic respect. Just a little is enough!"

She felt she didn't even have that much.

So, she was starting to demand rights and respect? A satanic smile spread across Ling Yanhong's face, like a demon freshly awakened from the depths of hell.

He let out a cold, noncommittal snort, a sound that wounded her deeply.

"I cooperate with you, so you must also cooperate with me. No matter what, I don't owe you anything!"

Gong Shichen summoned her courage and stated her position. She could see that his motives for marrying her were not pure, that there were complex business interests involved. But whatever the case, she was the most innocent party in all of this.

She remembered when she first returned home, the faces of her brother and father, their joy tinged with solemnity and tension. It was as if they were being controlled by someone. If she guessed correctly, it had to be Ling Yanhong.

She didn't want to be too clever, fearing the truth behind the curtain would be too painful. But a month into the marriage, if she couldn't even figure this much out, she would truly be a fool.

Her gaze was firm, her expression earnest, her head tilted slightly as if daring him to refuse. He wanted to refuse, but what came out was an affirmative answer:

"Deal."

What would happen if he pushed her to the edge? He suddenly decided he didn't want to push her there so quickly. At the very least, he had to put on a show for the Gong father and son to see. This was all their debt to him, and he intended to collect every last bit of it.

He had agreed, but the merciless, cold smile in his eyes gave her a sense of foreboding. Gong Shichen didn't know what the future held, but she knew that even if their days weren't filled with open warfare, she would have to tread very carefully.

This man, she must not like, and she certainly could not love. The extravagant hope of cultivating feelings after marriage was a fantasy she had to abandon completely.

Like a perfectly matched pair of jade carvings, their appearance at Gong Jialiang's birthday banquet drew the gazes of everyone present.

He had swiftly granted her the small measure of respect she'd asked for. In her current state, Gong Shichen wore a faint, graceful smile. Though now a wife, she still possessed a youthful sweetness and purity, a beauty that was a delight to behold.

At her side, his arm gently linked with hers, stood Ling Yanhong. His tall, straight frame, even in a casual designer suit, exuded an air of noble languor. Paired with his incomparably handsome face and deep, piercing eyes, he and Gong Shichen were a study in contrasts: his domineering, wicked charisma against her docile, pleasant sweetness. They were a truly captivating sight.

"Wow, is that Ling Yanhong's new wife, Gong Shichen? Old Master Gong's daughter?"

A woman in her thirties, accompanying her fifty-eight-year-old husband, was whispering to another woman of about forty. The subject of their discussion was, without a doubt, the young couple who had just arrived at the entrance.

"Who else? Old Master Gong really dropped a bombshell on us all. To think he had a daughter as beautiful as a flower hidden away, and in one move, rescued the Gong Corporation from ruin. Tsk, tsk—"

The middle-aged woman's face was caked in thick makeup. Her tone was sour, not so much out of regret for not having such a daughter herself, but more like frustration that a prize like Ling Yanhong was beyond her grasp.

"My husband wasn't originally planning to come. We're only here to give face to the Ling family. Now that Ling Yanhong himself has shown up, who would dare not give face?" the thirty-year-old woman stated, her eyes darting around, fixated on Ling Yanhong as if his wife didn't exist.

"Hee, my husband didn't want to come either. If I hadn't given him a nudge, he'd still be clueless!" the forty-year-old woman preened, striking a pose with smug pride as Ling Yanhong's gaze happened to sweep across the room and land on her.

A fading bloom, how bold of her to preen so brazenly.

A cold smile flickered in Ling Yanhong's eyes. His impassive face appeared noble and aloof. The host of the evening, Gong Jialiang, was still unaware of his daughter and son-in-law's arrival. He was now making his way through the crowd, a look of delight on his face. It was clear his joy stemmed from the unexpected sight of Ling Yanhong and his daughter arriving together. The two of them, appearing as a devoted couple, had already become a celebrated tale. Seeing them now, the anxiety in Gong Jialiang's heart eased, and a kind, benevolent smile spread across his aged face.

"Yanhong, Shichen, you're here!"

Though it was his daughter and son-in-law celebrating his birthday, it felt more as if Gong Jialiang were the one offering congratulations to them.

Gong Shichen glanced at Ling Yanhong's unsmiling face and gently tugged his arm, trying to prompt him to say a few auspicious words. But Ling Yanhong seemed completely oblivious to her signal, merely offering a slight nod and a cold grunt.

A surge of anger, grievance, and helplessness rose within her, but she suppressed it, forcing a happy smile as she presented her gift to her father.

"Dad, happy birthday. This is for you."

Gong Jialiang didn't seem surprised by Ling Yanhong's reaction. He did, however, notice his daughter's subtle gesture and had been worried she would get angry, causing a scene. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she had held her temper.

"It's enough that you came. Why bring a gift?"

Gong Jialiang accepted the present with a genuinely happy expression. Just as he was about to invite them inside for drinks, a commotion rippled through the crowd. Before Gong Shichen could see who had arrived, she heard a woman's shrill voice cry out:

"My god, Zhuang Wentian is here too! Is that his wife?"

The lively banquet, a gathering of the wealthy, suddenly fell into a strange silence.

It was one thing for the ascendant Ling Yanhong to make an appearance, but for Zhuang Wentian, the son of Shencheng's wealthiest man, to also be here... that was truly unexpected.