It turned out to be Ji Ya’s invitation.

Inviting an ex-husband to a wedding banquet was unthinkable. The poor American groom stood next to Ji Ya, still smiling, seemingly oblivious to the awkward situation. However, Mayor Tang wasn’t the type to maintain lingering attachments. Instead, Mayor Tang brought his current partner!

This wedding would be gossip material not just for this lifetime, but for the next one too.

“I told you, Mayor Tang isn’t someone to be taken advantage of.”

This kind of move was exactly what one would expect from His Honor the Mayor. In just a few sentences, Tang Hongen clarified the whole situation. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to maintain distance – Ji Ya had invited him to attend and specifically emphasized bringing family members. Since his remarried ex-wife wanted to show off, Tang Hongen did bring his family members.

The city government staff had all thought Tang Hongen was single!

The Ji family’s relatives and friends were also quite surprised. It was said that Ji Ya was very charming – she had initiated the divorce from Tang Hongen, and after more than ten years, people believed Tang Hongen still couldn’t forget her. Despite his rising position, he had remained alone.

Those close to the Ji family knew that Tang Hongen sent gifts to the Ji family every holiday.

Unfortunately, Old Master Ji was rather stubborn and had never accepted Tang Hongen’s goodwill.

Others viewed Tang Hongen’s relationship with the Ji family as confusing, and there had been some unpleasantness last year that was eventually dropped.

To be honest, many people thought Tang Hongen and Ji Ya would remarry.

When they received the Ji family’s invitation and saw the wedding was in Pengcheng, they thought their guess was right.

Then they saw the groom was American.

When Tang Hongen appeared with someone and spoke those words publicly, everyone understood – Tang Hongen and Ji Ya truly had no relationship anymore. Who had spread the rumor that Tang Hongen was deeply in love with Ji Ya and hadn’t looked at another woman for over ten years?

Here he was, bringing someone with him.

For such an occasion, he wouldn’t casually bring just any woman to make up numbers. The guests couldn’t help but carefully observe Liu Fen standing beside Tang Hongen.

She was completely different from Ji Ya.

Ji Ya was tall, while Liu Fen was rather petite.

Ji Ya would never wear such clothes, considering them too provincial.

Liu Fen’s attire, though not fashionable, suited her character perfectly and was pleasing to the eye, giving off an air of a virtuous wife and caring mother.

No matter who looked, Liu Fen and Ji Ya were two completely different types of women.

There was no possibility of Tang Hongen still pining for Ji Ya and finding a replacement.

Ji Ya had been the Ji family’s pearl in her youth, attracting young men in droves. Even with a 20-year-old son, she could still marry a wealthy American – her charm was undeniable.

Today, Ji Ya was elegantly dressed and beautiful.

But Liu Fen, standing beside Tang Hongen, was no less attractive than Ji Ya – they were two different kinds of beauty… Thinking of this, the guests couldn’t help but look at Ji Ya again, though perhaps due to the bright sunlight and distance, they couldn’t quite make out her expression.

George, supporting Ji Ya, noticed her hands were trembling.

George felt somewhat strange himself.

He knew Ji Ya’s intention in inviting Tang Hongen – she wanted to show off to him, and George was willing to play along.

Several hundred thousand dollars wasn’t a small sum for George to produce at once, even in 1985 when the dollar’s purchasing power was tremendous, making it significant not just in China but worldwide. George wasn’t Harold, who could direct the Wilson family’s hundred-million-dollar investments. For George personally, several hundred thousand dollars was truly substantial.

He was willing to put on a show for Ji Ya, to give her a memorable wedding.

They had been prepared for Tang Hongen’s arrival, so why was Ji Ya reacting this way?

“Are you unwell?”

Ji Ya’s voice trembled: “How can I be well? Don’t you see? He brought that woman to my wedding. He truly leaves no face for the Ji family!”

George couldn’t quite understand Ji Ya’s thinking.

It wasn’t strange that Tang Hongen brought someone to the wedding – the last time at the restaurant, he had appeared with her too.

But he didn’t know that Ji Ya wouldn’t believe it until she saw it with her own eyes.

She had been convinced that Tang Hongen was soft-hearted and would suffer in silence for Ji Jiangyuan’s sake.

Yet she didn’t consider that with their estranged father-son relationship, Tang Hongen’s solo efforts at reconciliation had limited effect over time. Tang Hongen was human too, and could grow tired.

It wasn’t that he didn’t care for his son.

But everyone wants to live for themselves sometimes, not always considering others at their own expense.

Ji Jiangyuan and Ji Ya had separated their finances, showing independence, and Tang Hongen was happy for his son.

Ji Jiangyuan had found part-time work, inevitably connected to George’s family business, and naturally improved relations with Ji Ya-Tang Hongen could understand this.

Tang Hongen understood the logic.

But emotionally?

Emotionally, Tang Hongen wasn’t a saint!

One was his estranged son, the other was Xia Xiaolan who always thought of him, even bringing him good food whenever she had some.

Sometimes, the closeness between people truly can’t be measured by blood ties alone.

Compared to Ji Jiangyuan, Tang Hongen felt more like a father to Xia Xiaolan.

He couldn’t let Ji Ya do as she pleased just for Ji Jiangyuan’s sake, letting her feel smug and maintain the illusion she could bully people at will… nor could he wrong Liu Fen and Xia Xiaolan for Ji Jiangyuan’s sake.

Ji Ya knew nothing of Tang Hongen’s thoughts. She still thought he was the same person from over ten years ago, not realizing how much Tang Hongen had changed through his experiences.

Previously, she could say Tang Hongen was with Liu Fen just to anger her, but now he had brought her to the wedding – with two to three hundred guests watching, Tang Hongen had said he brought the family to attend… Ji Ya couldn’t deceive herself anymore. Tang Hongen and Liu Fen weren’t playing around – after saying those words, Ji Ya even suspected they were already married!

So, Tang Hongen married a country woman.

Besides her looks being passable, how could Liu Fen compare to her?

Crude and ignorant, shallow and foolish, her family background couldn’t bring Tang Hongen any advantages. Instead, Liu Fen’s brother and daughter shamelessly used Tang Hongen’s connections to make money in Pengcheng! Such a woman would only drag Tang Hongen down!

Anger burned fiercely in Ji Ya’s heart.

Ji Ya knew today was her wedding day, and she needed to stay calm, not let Tang Hongen see her make a fool of herself.

But watching the guests pay respects to Tang Hongen while Liu Fen stood beside him smiling, she still couldn’t control her humiliation and anger.

No, how could Liu Fen deserve such flattery?

It was she, Ji Ya, who had shown foresight in choosing Tang Hongen, who had married down to him, who had followed him to his posts in other places.

It was she, Ji Ya, who had suffered hardships in America raising Tang Hongen’s son.

Now look – Tang Hongen had soared high as expected, but the one standing beside him enjoying the flattery was a woman she looked down upon. How could anything in the world be so ridiculous? Ji Ya broke free from George’s support and lifted her dress, walking toward them.

Aunt Ji had been watching her sister-in-law’s movements and quickly pushed Zhen Wenxiu:

“Quick, quick, stop her! What day is this? We can’t let her make a scene!”

If Ji Ya were to “have an episode” at the wedding venue, Aunt Ji felt she wouldn’t be able to show her face in social circles for the rest of her life!