Chapter 18: A Wedding Without the Groom

Before Meng Yitong could say anything, her mother spoke up first: “Isn’t it a bit too early to call them that? After all, our Yiyi hasn’t even met Mr. Qin yet.”

Her second uncle froze a little at her words, but Chairman Qin remained calm and said, “Originally, Zhuoran should have come to visit earlier, but there was an issue with his project abroad, which caused the delay.”

Chairman Qin sighed, looking at Meng Yitong, and continued, “He was supposed to be here for tonight’s banquet, but due to weather issues, his flight was delayed. He couldn’t make it. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Once Zhuoran gets back, I’ll give him a few days off so he can spend some quality time with you.”

Before Meng Yitong could respond, Grandpa Meng spoke up: “It’s understandable. Work always comes first, and meals can be enjoyed at any time.”

With that, he started pouring drinks again for Chairman Qin.

Meng Yitong was completely speechless. What do they mean by “meals can be enjoyed at any time”? Was this just an ordinary meal?

Sadly, there was no chance for Meng Yitong to speak up. Even her parents didn’t get a chance to say anything.

She lowered her head, listening to Grandpa Meng and her second uncle speaking at the expense of others, feeling disgusted inside.

However, Meng Yitong knew that now was not the time to throw a tantrum. The marriage had been decided, and if she got angry now, even though she was the one wronged, it would only make her seem immature and ungrateful, which would harm her future.

In her dream, the original owner was someone who immediately vented her emotions whenever she felt wronged, and the final outcome was that everyone came to blame her.

Meng Yitong lowered her head, silently thinking that before she had absolute power, it was better to remain humble and low-key.

She didn’t want to give others an opportunity to criticize her from the moral high ground, using the attitude of “you don’t understand” to criticize her.

But to brush this situation off easily wasn’t going to be that simple. If others really thought she had no temper, wouldn’t that mean she would just let them manipulate her however they wished?

Thinking of this, Meng Yitong’s eyes turned red, and she lowered her head with a face full of grievance. With her delicate appearance, she looked truly pitiful.

Seeing this sad, pitiful look on Meng Yitong, Chairman Qin also felt that his family had been a little too harsh this time.

Although tonight’s delay in Qin Zhuoran’s flight was unexpected, it was also true that his family hadn’t made any effort to visit beforehand.

Chairman Qin thought to himself: It seems that when it comes to the bride price, I’ll need to add a bit more, so that my daughter-in-law’s family doesn’t harbor any resentment. Otherwise, they won’t be able to live peacefully in the future.

By giving her more face now, she’ll be more likely to put more effort into her marriage with Zhuoran.

With this in mind, Chairman Qin casually sent a message to his lawyer.

Mrs. Qin looked at Meng Yitong, who was on the verge of tears, and silently cursed her as a “vixen” in her heart. But she still smiled and said, “Yitong, don’t take it personally. Zhuoran didn’t mean to upset you. He’s really just too busy. Nearly half the year, he’s on a plane! You’ll need to learn to understand him in the future!”

Meng Yitong also put on an understanding, slightly shy expression and said, “I understand.”

On the surface, she appeared obedient and considerate.

But inside, Meng Yitong was full of sarcastic thoughts: Look at this, Mrs. Qin is indeed a scheming stepmother.

If the original owner were here, she might have started to feel disgusted and fearful about this marriage because of that comment?

Mrs. Qin continued to say a few more things, and Meng Yitong maintained a “I’m wronged, but I understand and stay strong” attitude, nodding along.

After a while, seeing that Meng Yitong was still responding in the same way, Mrs. Qin lost interest and turned to talk with Meng Ershan.

“I went to your last art exhibition and saw a piece called ‘The Girl in the Wheat Field.’ I really liked it. Which up-and-coming artist painted it? You should invite him to the next tea party.”

“That can’t happen. That’s my daughter’s work. She’s currently studying abroad, but when she returns, we’ll have a gathering and I’ll have her come by to greet you all.” Meng Ershan said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Meng Yitong raised her eyes and glanced at the expressions of the people around her.

She noticed that everyone, except her family, had perfectly natural expressions, as if they were completely unbothered by what had happened before, as if the runaway engagement had never occurred.

Meng Yitong looked at her mother’s pale, angry face and couldn’t help but feel a sense of disbelief: Sure enough, our family doesn’t fit in with the rich and powerful. Look at everyone else — they may very well know about this, but they all manage to keep a straight face.

“What a pity…” Before Meng Yitong could think further, she heard Mrs. Qin sigh meaningfully.

It wasn’t clear whether she was lamenting not meeting this up-and-coming artist, or that she was marrying someone who wasn’t the up-and-coming artist