Everybody looked at him in utter shock, especially the Old Madam and the Shi family. The words he spoke left them speechless.
Wife!?
Jiang Weizhe was slightly taken aback too, but not by the fact that he addressed Lihua as his wife, but because he called her by a different name.
Lixue?
The anger that Shi Zhen felt crossed all bounds. "Jiang Wei! Are you even in your senses? Last night you said you had a girlfriend, which we all know is utter nonsense in itself, and now it suddenly changes to a wife?"
Wei tilted his head. "She was my girlfriend until last night. Now, she is my wife."
Ruomei stared at him, tears pooling in her eyes and her body trembling in fear. She was ecstatic to see Wei and desperate for him to clear all the confusion. But he was still adamant in claiming to have some woman. And now he was calling her as his wife!
What is going on?
"Mom...I don't understand anymore…" she anxiously looked at Shi Cuifen.
Even Shi Cuifen was at a loss for how to console her daughter. The last hope of Wei clarifying everything was gone too.
Shi Zhen's voice erupted in fury. "Don't joke with us! How can you have another woman when you have already decided on your engagement with Ruomei! Jiang Wei, I won't ever stand you cheating on my daughter!"
Wei's brows ever so faintly furrowed. A sense of malice covered his gaze as he stared at him. The Mafia King's grave voice threateningly said, "I don't like to repeat myself. You know my answer about the engagement. As for cheating, I would never think about another woman when I have Lixue."
Ruomei froze.
"Had I been aware of this engagement, I would have already canceled it at that time itself."
Her eyes slowly widened.
C-cancel engagement?
"Wei, this cannot be the truth!" Ruomei finally couldn't hold herself back. "You are lying. I heard it myself in your office that day that you…"
Without even a twitch in his voice modulation, he cruelly said, "I cleared that fact last night too. I meant those words for Lixue."
"No…"
"She is my woman. I would never say those words to another woman. I will only talk to, touch, kiss and have sex with Lixue. There is no place for another woman here."
His ruthless words poured ice-cold water on all her dreams and hopes. The others almost coughed blood by his impertinence.
The Mafia King's audacity shook everyone.
Shi Zhen ground his teeth. His face completely reddened in fury. "You-"
But Wei raised his hand, signaling that he wasn't done speaking.
He quietly said, "Lixue made me realize that it is still my mistake. I was present during the discussion but absent-minded when the decision took place. I am at fault for dragging this misunderstanding for so long. Hence, it is my responsibility. As compensation, I will hold a press conference and clarify everything, admitting that it was my mistake. Additionally, if there are any ways in which the Shi family wants my help in business, I will do it."
Then he went quiet.
"What!?" The Old Madam loudly exclaimed. "Press conference? Admitting that it was your mistake? As if hell I would have ever let you put a single blemish on the Jiang family's reputation!"
Wei hardly cared about her opinion. "This is my responsibility, and I will take it forward."
Shi Zhen said, "Your responsibility should be leaving that damn wretched woman and marrying my daughter!"
Silence.
Even if Wei didn't utter a word in response, everyone present felt the change in the temperature. It became so freezing cold that they couldn't help but shiver.
"Wretched woman?" His razor-sharp gaze sent shivers down his spine. "Call her that once again and face the consequences."
The Old Madam pointed her shaking finger at him. "Wei you cannot-"
"Um...Can I come in?" A small head peeked inside.
A few minutes before they stepped into the villa, Wei softly said, "I will go inside first and explain the situation. You stay here until then."
She nodded. "Okay."
"Renshu will stay here with you."
Fu Renshu, who was still dumbfounded by the turn of events, could only blankly nod his head. He just came to know what Wei did and how Song Lihua was Jiang Lixue now. Of course, he understood the gravity of this secret.
So, she waited outside with him. She tried to talk to Fu Renshu a number of times, but he refused to respond. Poor him was still wrapping his head around her memory loss.
Her mouth twitched.
Such a strange assistant. Why does he look so lost?
Then Lihua heard Wei calling out her name. She straightened up and took a deep breath.
Okay. Here it comes.
This was the first time that she was meeting his family. Well, if they were married, she should have already met them before, but since she lost her memory, she didn't remember anybody. So, this was as good as meeting them for the first time. She only hoped for his family to be welcoming.
Lihua just took a step forward when some woman suddenly raised her voice. She froze. Then with that woman, another man began shouting angrily, and she just couldn't get the right time to enter.
Why are they yelling so much? At what?
She hesitated for a long time. Finally, she decided to ask herself.
"Umm...Can I come in?"
Fu Renshu snapped out of his shock and stiffened.
Ahh, the time is finally here! He sobbed.
He glared at her. "What are you peeking like a thief? Move!" He grabbed her shoulder and unceremoniously pushed her forward.
Lihua stumbled her way inside and gasped in surprise. She indignantly looked at Fu Renshu. "Hey! Don't push me like that!"
"Then don't act like a suspicious person!"
"I…"
She found something wrong with the atmosphere that turned completely silent for some reason. She raised her head and looked at everybody staring at her in shock, surprise and some with a shrewd gaze.
She coughed and sheepishly grinned. "Hello. I am Jiang Lixue."