Chapter 437: Chapter 437; Orchid Charity Event

The woman opened her mouth, but no clever retort came. Flustered and humiliated, she spun on her heel and hurried toward the washroom, clutching her ruined dress.

A brief, heavy silence settled over the circle.

Then another woman’s gaze dropped to Shuyin’s left hand. Her eyes narrowed on the striking blue diamond that caught the light with every subtle movement.

"Miss Lin... are you married?"

The question cut through the quiet like a blade.

Shuyin glanced down at the ring, then lifted her gaze slowly, meeting the woman’s eyes with serene confidence. "Look at me," she said calmly. "Do I not look like someone worth marrying?"

A few women nodded instinctively before they could stop themselves.

"Then why wouldn’t I be married?" Shuyin replied, the corners of her lips curving into a faint, elegant smile.

She began to turn away, but another mocking voice stopped her.

"Married? To who?" the woman sneered. "That ex-fiancé of yours? The one whose mind is now like a child’s?"

Soft, cruel laughter rippled through the group.

Shuyin stopped mid-step.

She turned back slowly, her expression unchanged, but her jade-green eyes sharpened with quiet intensity.

"He is not the only man in the world," she said evenly. Her gaze swept across the circle, deliberate and unhurried. "There are many men."

She paused, letting the words hang.

"Perhaps one of your husbands, ex-husbands," she continued, voice smooth as silk. "After all, not all of you are legally married. Some of you are divorced... or simply pretending."

Dead silence fell.

"So anything is possible," Shuyin added lightly, her smile never fading. "Maybe one day I will introduce him properly. And when I do, I hope you will welcome me warmly. After all, I would like us to coexist peacefully... especially since I may become a role model to your children one day."

No one dared speak.

The group stood frozen, completely silenced by the calm, cutting precision of her words.

Shuyin held their gazes for one final second, then turned and walked away with steady, graceful steps. The jade silk flowed around her like liquid, the delicate anklet catching the light as she moved through the crowd, leaving the circle of women staring after her in stunned silence.

From the upper lounge, separated by a discreet glass partition and careful distance, Lu Yuze had an unobstructed view of the main hall below.

The men’s section was quieter, more restrained, conversations measured, voices low, centered on numbers, projects, and subtle shifts of power. But Lu Yuze wasn’t truly listening.

His attention had been locked on one person since the moment she stepped through the doors.

Shuyin.

He stood near the railing, one hand resting lightly on the polished surface, posture relaxed yet commanding. Ting Fei remained a few steps behind him, silent and unobtrusive.

Lu Yuze had watched everything.

The way the women circled. The calculating glances. The whispers that trailed after her like shadows.

Then came the incident.

The sudden stumble.

The spilled wine.

The sharp accusation.

His expression remained unchanged, but his eyes darkened with quiet satisfaction. He knew Shuyin too well. That had not been an accident.

When she stepped forward with gentle concern, asking softly, "Oh dear... what happened? Why are you so unfortunate today?" he almost smiled.

Almost.

Then the real confrontation began.

He caught every word, every deliberate pause, every calm, cutting glance. She never raised her voice. She never lost composure. She dismantled them with elegant precision until the entire group fell into stunned silence.

When the mocking laughter had started, something cold had coiled in his chest. But before he could move, Shuyin had already struck, calm, poised, and devastating.

By the time she walked away, leaving them speechless, Lu Yuze exhaled slowly.

"Master,"Ting Fei said quietly. "Do you want me to intervene?"

Lu Yuze shook his head once. "No. There is no need." He knew he didn’t need to be worried, but still, he couldn’t stop worrying.

His gaze never left Shuyin’s retreating figure, the jade silk flowing gracefully around her.

"She handled it well," he murmured. After a brief pause, he added, tone lower, "Better than I would have."

Ting Fei remained silent. He understood. If Lu Yuze had stepped in, the consequences would not have been words.

At that moment, two men approached from the side, Director Qian and Mr. Wei, both prominent figures in the city’s business circle.

"Mr. Lu," Director Qian greeted with a respectful nod, raising his glass slightly. "It’s rare to see you at these charity events. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Lu Yuze turned his head just enough to acknowledge them, his expression polite but distant. His body remained angled toward the railing, eyes still fixed on the hall below.

"Supporting a good cause," he replied calmly, voice even. He took a slow sip from his own glass, barely tasting it.

Mr. Wei chuckled lightly, following Lu Yuze’s line of sight. "Ah... or perhaps supporting someone in particular? That Miss Lin seems to be making quite an impression."

Lu Yuze’s fingers tightened almost imperceptibly around his glass. His gaze sharpened as he watched Shuyin move through the crowd, composed and radiant. Several other men in the lower hall were now openly watching her with clear interest.

He set the glass down with deliberate calm.

"Impressions can be misleading," he said coolly, tone carrying a subtle warning. "Some things are best left untouched."

Both men caught the shift in his voice and exchanged a quick glance. Director Qian cleared his throat. "Of course, Mr. Lu. Wise words."

The conversation ended there. The two men offered polite nods and moved on, sensing the unspoken boundary.

Lu Yuze remained at the railing, adjusting his cuff with precise movements while his eyes never left Shuyin.

Already, too many gazes were lingering on her, not just curiosity, but calculated interest.

That, he did not like.

"Keep an eye on the women’s section," he ordered Ting Fei quietly.

"Yes, Master."

Lu Yuze stayed where he was, watching her glide through the hall, untouchable to everyone else.

To them, she was an intriguing new presence.