Chapter 26: Replacing Your Life (26)

Lu Yue knew Tong Ling was a deeply flawed and utterly unpredictable woman. Her whims made it impossible to discern her true intentions, creating a sense of danger that he found intensely captivating.

He couldn’t find any other woman who suited him better than she did.

At his core, Lu Yue was never content with the status quo; he detested dull and uneventful lives. Tong Ling’s arrival undeniably reignited excitement for him, and by the time he realized her influence on him, he felt irrevocably drawn to this woman.

Her unabashed behavior around him led him to believe that, at least somewhat, he held a special place in her eyes.

Tong Ling’s reluctance to commit didn’t deter him; he could wait, summoning all his patience to pursue and charm her. He even prepared himself for the possibility of remaining forever as her lover, staying by her side without ever achieving more.

Yet, what he never anticipated was that she harbored not the slightest attachment towards him, ready to discard him at will. Despite knowing her secret, she seemed unconcerned about whether he might expose her identity, as if fully confident that he had no choice but to comply, obediently playing the role of a discreet and non-intrusive man according to her wishes.

Previously, Lu Yue had scorned and dismissed the Song family’s young master, finding it laughable that he would abandon his self-respect to act like a subservient dog.

While someone might enjoy teasing a dog, they would never truly fall in love with one. The relationship between humans and dogs is inherently unequal.

Yet now, Lu Yue found himself worse off than that very dog. At least the dog could wag its tail pleadingly before Tong Ling, seeking forgiveness for its jealousy and hoping she would take back her words, allowing him to remain by her side comfortably.

Lu Yue wanted to be someone worthy of her love. Thus, he maintained his composure, forcing a casual smile as he said, “Alright, I’ll wait until you’ve cooled down before contacting you again.”

“You know, I’m always more capable of helping you than others.”

As if fearing to hear Tong Ling utter another cold remark, Lu Yue didn’t dare linger. He swiftly turned and walked out of the booth.

Ye Huan was unaware that his good friend Lu Yue had secretly taken Yu Yurou to meet Ye Xu. All he knew was that the woman who initially resisted playing along as a fake girlfriend seemed to have had a change of heart recently. Not only did she comply with his requests, but she also displayed great enthusiasm for attending social events.

Indeed, she proved herself to be someone eager to associate with the powerful and climb her way up the social ladder.

Ye Huan was highly satisfied with Yu Yurou’s earnest attitude and proceeded to outline his plan.

“At the banquet, you need to focus on two individuals,” Ye Huan said. “One is Song Xingyi, the young master of the Song family, and the other is my brother, Ye Xu. Both have strong affections for Yurou. If you can make either one fall for you, then leave me and openly assume Yurou’s identity as a wealthy madam.”

While Yu Yurou had long known that Ye Huan wasn’t particularly bright, his intention to essentially gift away his girlfriend still shocked her worldview.

“You want me to be with someone else?!” The idea of willingly inviting betrayal baffled Yu Yurou. She mimicked Yu Ling not because she willingly chose to, but because she saw no other way to improve her situation.

Since taking her to the café that day, Lu Yue disappeared without a trace. As Ye Xu promised, he treated their encounter as if nothing happened; there was no further contact between them. Having left home with limited savings and unwilling to return empty-handed, Yu Yurou aimed to make those who disowned her regret their actions. To achieve this goal, she returned to Ye Huan, hoping he would promptly take her to social events and banquets.

She needed to attend the banquet and meet Song Xingyi. He was now her only hope for assistance.

In the past, Yu Yurou had been indifferent to Song Xingyi’s childish clinginess. Reflecting on it now, what was there not to like about him? The Song family was one of the wealthiest elite clans, and Song Xingyi, being younger, would be easier to control. Moreover, he showed unwavering enthusiasm towards her, unlike other fickle-hearted men who could change their affections at any moment.

Young love is often the most genuine and fervent. Lu Yue had mentioned that at the previous banquet, Song Xingyi mistook Yu Ling for Yurou and confessed his feelings, only to be rejected, causing significant tension between the Song and Ye families. This demonstrated that Song Xingyi would do anything for her.

Yurou decided she must personally tell Song Xingyi that she willingly accepts his confession; the woman who rejected him before was merely a fraud. She would never treat him so poorly.

Ye Huan furrowed his brow, feeling inexplicably uneasy under her gaze. “Are you unwilling to mingle with those people?”

”…I am willing,” Yu Yurou responded hesitantly. If even Ye Huan didn’t care, she certainly had no reservations.

“That’s good. I’ll provide opportunities for you to interact with them,” Ye Huan instructed. “The key is to faithfully mimic Yurou; don’t let them suspect anything amiss.”

Yu Yurou resisted the urge to roll her eyes and chuckled sarcastically, “I understand.”

Once she becomes the Song family’s daughter-in-law, she’ll surely teach that bastard Ye Huan a lesson he won’t forget!

Ye Huan decided to create some buzz around Yu Yurou’s return. He rented a large banquet hall, similar to Song Xingyi’s graduation celebration, inviting prominent figures from the business world. Crucially, he sent invitations to both the Song family and Ye Xu, explicitly stating in their invites that it was his engagement party with his girlfriend, Yu Yurou. He wasn’t concerned they might decline.

Given their attachment to Yurou, the shock could potentially lead them to disrupt his event on the spot.

Ye Huan would gladly hand over the stage to their dramatics while discreetly stepping back.

After the chaos subsides, he’d bring his girlfriend close again, soothing her properly.

Then, he’d find a way to clean up the mess involving the feuding duo, Song Xingyi and Ye Xu, once and for all.

Shen Man remained unaware of her son’s latest antics, and by the time she discovered the banquet invitations had been sent out, it was too late.

“Have you gone mad?” Shen Man had never felt more inclined to disown her son. If only she had created a backup account earlier, she wouldn’t find herself in such an awkward predicament now. “Are you seriously going to introduce your girlfriend who studied abroad for half a year yet didn’t even earn a graduation certificate?”

Caught up with company affairs recently, Shen Man hadn’t noticed Yu Yurou’s return to China. In the blink of an eye, her son had foolishly gotten himself entangled in this mess!

“What about Yu Ling? Would you abandon her just to be with that Yu Yurou?” Shen Man couldn’t believe her son wasn’t genuinely interested in Yu Ling; anyone with sense should know which choice to make.

“Mom, it’s a bit complicated. Just understand that everything I’m doing is for the Ye Family’s benefit,” Ye Huan acknowledged his plan might not seem entirely respectable, but he firmly believed it was the simplest and most efficient solution.

“For the Ye Family’s benefit…” Shen Man clearly misunderstood Ye Huan’s intentions. “Is it because both Song Xingyi and that brat Ye Xu fancy Yu Ling, so you decided to step aside and let them have her?”

“Fearing they might not trust you, did you even go out of your way to bring back your girlfriend?”

Just as Ye Huan was about to deny it, Shen Man’s expression turned scornful. “I never imagined that my son, Shen Man’s offspring, would achieve so little in his career yet excel at manipulating women.”

“Useless imbecile!”

Shen Man firmly believed that appeasing with a woman could not resolve the Ye Family’s current predicament.

Was the Song family targeting the Ye family solely for Song Xingyi’s sake? It seemed unlikely. Those opportunistic individuals likely sensed the chaos within the Ye Family and saw it as a chance to both vent their son’s grievances and gain some advantages along the way.

If the Ye Family remained as unshakable as before, no matter how angry the Songs were, they would have had to suppress their actions. Ultimately, it was the decline of the Ye Family that made them vulnerable to constant attacks. Why couldn’t her foolish son grasp this simple truth?

“I won’t accept that girlfriend of yours,” Shen Man declared. “Bringing Yu Ling instead wouldn’t be as humiliating.”

Ye Huan had never intended to genuinely commit to that woman, so Shen Man’s disapproval held little weight for him. “The invitations are already sent out. If you don’t want to attend, Mom, feel free to stay away.”

Shen Man’s frustration boiled over, losing all patience with Ye Huan. “Fine, it seems you’ve grown too independent. If you go through with this, don’t expect me as your mother anymore!”

Ye Huan disregarded Shen Man’s words and proceeded to host the banquet as planned.

To ensure Yu Yurou made a stunning entrance, Ye Huan spared no effort. He provided her with the finest attire and top-notch stylists, allowing “Yu Yurou” to meticulously prepare herself. When she emerged, even Ye Huan was nearly captivated by her appearance.

“Not bad, much more convincing now.” Rarely showing warmth towards her, Ye Huan smiled faintly. “It appears you haven’t forgotten to perfect Yurou’s mannerisms during this time.”

Yu Yurou remained silent; she had endured so much just for this day.

Once she encountered Song Xingyi at the banquet, she would immediately ditch Ye Huan. She absolutely couldn’t bear staying by his side any longer, disgusted by the mere thought!

Despite their differing thoughts, the two pretended to be affectionate and harmonious, walking hand-in-hand towards the banquet hall.

Inside the hall, numerous guests had already arrived. Although the Ye Family faced turmoil, they still held influence, and people showed respect accordingly. Upon seeing the Ye heir, everyone eagerly approached to greet him, also taking note of Ye Huan’s female companion.

Jiang Chenrui, Hong Jun, and Ye Huan’s other close friends arrived early as well. They had initially assumed Ye Huan and Yu Ling were already a couple, only to be surprised by Ye Huan bringing Yu Yurou instead. Judging by their intimate behavior, it seemed they had reconciled.

“Looks like Yurou still has the upper hand,” Jiang Chenrui gossiped with his circle of friends on the sidelines. “She managed to win Ye Huan back so quickly.”

“Poor Yu Ling, betrayed by that scum Ye Huan. I wonder where she is, heartbroken…” Hong Jun sighed. “If it were me, I’d definitely be there to comfort her properly.”

“I really don’t understand what Ye Huan is up to. Is this banquet meant to officially announce his relationship with Yurou?” Jiang Chenrui shook his head skeptically. “Do you think Madam Shen will agree?”

“Doubtful. Madam Shen never liked Yurou; I foresee this banquet won’t go smoothly.”

“Oh right, have any of you noticed? There’s something odd about Yurou today,” Hong Jun remarked, puzzled. “It might just be my impression, but she seems different somehow.”

As soon as Hong Jun spoke, several others nearby nodded in agreement. “I felt it too, she appears somewhat out of character.”

“Isn’t she trying to imitate Yu Ling?” Jiang Chenrui had a sudden realization. “Look at her attire—it’s quite similar to how Yu Ling dressed during that banquet, isn’t it!”

“Now that you mention it, they do look remarkably alike!” The others agreed more and more as they observed, their expressions becoming increasingly perplexed when glancing at Ye Huan.

Ye Huan claimed to treat Yu Ling as a substitute, yet he was dressing Yu Yurou like Yu Ling. This move left them utterly confused.

As they continued discussing, a commotion arose near the entrance of the banquet hall.

The young master of the Song family had arrived.

The hostile relationship between the Ye and Song families was no secret within their circle. Particularly, the spark igniting this rivalry stemmed from a woman, which only fueled further speculation with hints of scandal.

Since the rift between the two families deepened, they rarely encountered each other in public spaces. Now, Ye Huan hosting a banquet with his girlfriend and inviting the young master of the Song family seemed blatantly provocative.

Everyone discreetly watched for any developments between the Song family’s young master and Ye Huan, ready to indulge in the ensuing drama.

Song Xingyi hadn’t seen his sister for some time. Their interaction pattern always placed him in the role of waiting patiently. Whenever his sister needed him, he would rush to her side without delay, and she would treat him tenderly—those moments were Song Xingyi’s happiest times.

It wasn’t that Song Xingyi didn’t want to see his sister more often; sometimes, missing her so much made his heart ache painfully. However, without his sister’s permission, he dared not approach her.

He feared disobeying and upsetting her, but even more, he dreaded the thought of being rejected by his sister.

Only after learning to patiently wait did Song Xingyi find the days somewhat bearable. He began seeking ways to keep himself occupied, or rather…finding means to cause trouble for Ye Huan.

This man, who held the legitimate title of his sister’s boyfriend, was simply too obtrusive. If only he could disappear—no, better yet, if only he would just die! Why was Ye Huan still allowed near his sister? The mere thought was infuriating!

Upon receiving Ye Huan’s invitation, Song Xingyi nearly tore it up on impulse. If not for the chance to see his sister at the banquet, he wouldn’t have attended.

Song Xingyi meticulously groomed himself, dressing neatly according to his sister’s preferences before arriving at the event.

And then…then he realized he had been tricked!

Yu Yurou immediately noticed the young master of the Song family as soon as Song Xingyi entered. From the moment he stepped through the door, no one could overlook him.

With his tall, upright stature, handsome features, and clad in a pristine white suit, Song Xingyi stood out strikingly amidst the crowd.

Perhaps due to her changed perspective, she found Song Xingyi appearing much more mature than before, exuding an inexplicable allure. Especially when his focused gaze met hers, it sent her heart racing with its fiery intensity.

The old Song Xingyi never possessed such a “masculine” look. Blushing slightly, Yu Yurou, without waiting for Ye Huan’s instruction, picked up her wine glass and approached Song Xingyi on her own.

“Xingyi, long time no see.” Yu Yurou smiled gently, her voice soft as she spoke, “How have you been lately?”

As soon as Yu Yurou began speaking, the charming smile on Song Xingyi’s face vanished instantly. His eyes turned cold, filled with irritation, lips pressed tightly together, teeth grinding audibly. The abrupt shift in expression made his features appear somewhat distorted.

“Who are you?” Suppressing his anger, Song Xingyi felt both shame and fury at not recognizing his sister immediately. “Who told you to dress like this?”

There it was again… that uncontrollable dreadful feeling returned…

Yu Yurou took several deep breaths, maintaining her frozen smile as she responded to Song Xingyi, “Xingyi, have you met Yu Ling, who pretended to be me? She is my younger sister; I am the real Yu Yurou.”