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墨書 Inktalez
I looked at the expressions of everyone around me—some were surprised, some excited, some angry, some indifferent, and others seemed to relish the chaos. I took a deep breath and said again, "I don't want to. You all heard me; I don't want to."
Once a choice is made, one must see it through without regret, especially since this truly reflected my feelings.
After a long silence, murmurs began to erupt from the crowd. The scene turned chaotic, with some cheering and others cursing. It was clear that this wedding could not continue. Amid the turmoil, someone shouted, "Call the police!"
"Half of those attending the wedding are police officers!" someone retorted. "What good would calling them do?"
Juan Juan and the so-called Wealthy Young Professor turned to me, and I forced a charming smile at both of them.
Several relatives from the groom's side rushed forward from the front row, seemingly intent on dragging me away. At that moment, Yan Junde's tall figure sprang into action, blocking my path and stopping those few people in their tracks. He then turned to me and said, "Team Leader, I knew you would come."
The relatives looked at Yan Junde's imposing stature and said, "What about the police? Are they going to intervene?"
"Of course they will!" A familiar voice came from behind: "The police are right here. Let me remind you all to speak civilly; no one is allowed to resort to violence!" As he spoke, the officer winked at me. It was then that I realized the advantage of having my girlfriend's connections; none of the officers she had brought were strangers to me. In a situation like this, they naturally leaned in my favor.
In no time, the crowd had gathered tightly together. Li the Tiger appeared behind me at some point; he patted my shoulder and said, "Some leaders from the city have other matters to attend to. Let's not escalate this further; we should head back." With that, he squeezed my shoulder gently.
I glanced gratefully at Li the Tiger. Juan Juan's connections in Yuzhou City were indeed extensive. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw several city leaders getting into Li the Tiger's car as they left. The crowd continued to jostle and chatter incessantly. Fortunately, there were plenty of police officers around; it didn't take long for them to regain control of the situation.
The young professor led Juan Juan down from the stage, and gradually, the noisy crowd quieted down as they parted to create a path for them. I stood still in place as they approached me. Juan Juan stood behind him with a complex expression on her face but quietly withdrew her hand from his grasp.
Mary was right; this professor looked to be in his thirties at most—only a few years older than me. With thick eyebrows and large eyes set in a stern face like a mountain, he could indeed be described as young and wealthy. He stared coldly at me while I returned his gaze with equal chill. After a long moment, he finally spoke: "Shaoshilin, right? I've heard of your reputation!"
"Oh?" I shrugged and replied casually, "Then it’s truly an honor."
The professor frowned as he glanced around before continuing, "I know you were once Juan Juan's boyfriend, but now she is marrying me. As a mature person, I believe you should be able to distinguish between what adults should do and what they shouldn't."
"Oh?" I smiled and said, "Of course I know that; otherwise, I wouldn't have come."
The professor shrugged helplessly before smiling again. "It seems our Mr. Shao still has some childlike innocence left in him. How about we settle this matter properly?"
"I'm all ears," I replied with a tilt of my head.
"Mm-hmm." The professor lightly tapped his lips with his fingers, seemingly deep in thought, before he spoke again. "Everyone, take a good look. My family is here, and Juan Juan's family is here as well. Let's clarify things right here, in front of everyone."
The professor scanned the room and raised his voice so that everyone could hear him clearly. "As far as I know, you and Juan Juan have been together for six years, right? That's six years; I'm not mistaken, am I?"
"That's correct," I nodded.
"Good, you answered that well." The professor said sternly. "Now let me ask you this: in those six years, what have you given her? Have you ever given her a decent gift? Have you taken her to a fine restaurant even once? Have you bought her an exquisite evening gown? Have you ever accompanied her to a boutique?"
Indeed, I hadn't done any of those things. Before I could respond, the professor continued, "You don't need to answer; I already know the truth. No, none of it. Juan Juan has spent her youth and time—what has she gained from it? Juan Juan is a precious gem meant to be admired and revered; do you understand?"
The professor trembled slightly, his voice hoarse as he said, "Of course you don't understand. A precious gem in your hands is like a mere stone—just an ordinary rock by the roadside. You can't appreciate it; instead, you'll ruin her with your hands. Do you realize how selfish, lowly, and trivial that is?"
"She deserves a better life." The professor took a deep breath, pointing at me while glancing around the room before passionately stating, "You can't provide any of that. Your parents live in a house assigned by the Police Department, and you earn a meager salary. You can't take her to fine dining; you can't buy her an exquisite evening gown. Admit it—we're not from the same world. You just happened to know her first; otherwise, how could it be your turn?"
I was left speechless by the professor's words; indeed, I couldn't fulfill any of his claims. At that moment, I saw Mary step forward. She raised her laptop and said, "But things are different now. Mr. Shao holds two percent of As Family's shares. If you're unaware of how much that two percent is worth, I can tell you it's far more than you can imagine. If anyone doubts it, feel free to come and see."
As she spoke, some people began searching online, and soon someone displayed an expression of surprise while looking at me with a complex gaze. I knew Mary's father was a prominent businessman in France with numerous assets in China. I understood that Mary was wealthy—wealthy enough for her father to allow her to join the Special Investigation Team as a foreign national.
"If love is measured by wealth," Mary glared at the professor and said, "he's richer than you now."
I shook my head helplessly, knowing Mary meant well for me. I gently pulled her back and said, "Thank you, Mary, but I can't accept that." Then I looked up at the professor and said earnestly, "You might be right; I have no money—not even a car or a house—and I can't take her to upscale stores or afford a watch worth tens of thousands. In fact, over these six years, I've never given her a decent gift."
"What I've done is make her angry time after time; what I've done is bring shame upon her family repeatedly; what I've done is disappoint her again and again." I looked at Juan Juan, whose eyes were red-rimmed as I continued, "But I'm sure you know my identity—I am a police officer. So your earlier actions seem very insincere to me—your exaggerated gestures and your affected expressions."
I let out a cold laugh and continued, "I don't know what it is about her that you love—whether it's her beauty or the fact that she's wealthy like you? Is it about social status? Or do you genuinely love her as a person? To be honest, I'm the second man who loves her most in this world."
My words caused a stir among those around us; everyone looked confused.
I went on to say, "That's right; I'm not mistaken—I'm the second man who loves her most in this world. The first is her father. What I want is to one day take her from him and become the man who loves her most in this world. Her father enjoys drinking two shots of liquor; it's embarrassing to admit that we’ve spent more days hiding from her mother drinking than you've spent knowing Juan Juan."
As I spoke, I glanced at the old man. He pointed at me while mumbling something under his breath, prompting laughter from those around us.
"So I'm different from you," I said seriously to the young professor. "You take her to upscale malls to buy evening gowns and attend social gatherings. But that's not me—I take her to street vendors for food and buy her sneakers; we quietly talk over corpses in the dissection room. That's our life—the life we cherish."
"You're young and wealthy, the type that every woman dreams of," I said seriously. "By thirty, you're a professor with an annual salary of a million. You could buy a house in Yuzhou City with just a few months' salary, and a car with just one month's pay. Honestly, with someone like you, I could take on five."
After saying that, I ignored the gazes of those around us, quickened my pace, and grabbed Juan Juan's wrist, turning to run. I paid no attention to what others were saying behind us or how they felt about it. Dezi stood in front of me, making it clear that no one could come through.
My Special Investigation Team, my woman—I wanted them both.
We ran for what felt like ages, leaving everyone far behind until we were exhausted. I playfully said with a smile, "Surprise! Aren't you shocked? You were too fast; I didn't keep an eye on you for two weeks, and you almost ran off with someone else."
Juan Juan stared at me blankly, tears streaming down her face. She slapped me hard across the cheek and then said, "What are you back for? You left without a word before; now you return without saying anything. What do you think I am? Do you think you can come and go as you please? Do you think saying you still love me will change anything? I don't love you anymore."
My eyes reddened slightly as I replied, "What do I take you for? Of course, I take you as my woman."
Without waiting for Juan Juan's reaction, I opened my arms and hugged her tightly. Juan Juan seemed taken aback at first, but gradually she embraced me back, resting her head on my shoulder.
If she didn't love me anymore, why was she still wearing the ring I gave her?
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