After finishing lunch, Shen Liuli received a phone call that summoned her to the company. Jun Chen wanted to drive her personally, but Shen Liuli firmly refused.
Using a flattering tone, Jun Chen said, "Your husband is so handsome, and it's not like I can't be seen in public. Why won't you let me drive you?"
"Wife, you're pregnant now. We can't afford a single mishap."
Shen Liuli insisted, "I said no means no. I know my own limits. Once my belly gets big, I'll naturally know to stay at home; you don't need to remind me."
With no other choice, Jun Chen dropped the subject. He watched Shen Liuli leave, calling out a final warning, "Watch your step on the road, and drive slowly."
Jun Chen felt a slight pang of regret. If he hadn't barred news reporters from the venue yesterday, rumors would probably be flying everywhere by now, and her ladyship would likely want to stay cooped up at home for the next few days, refusing to go anywhere.
Suddenly, his phone rang. Jun Chen took it out and looked at the caller ID: Li Mubai.
Frowning slightly, Jun Chen answered, "Hello?"
Li Mubai's voice came through the receiver. "Hello, Young Master Jun, it's me, Li Mubai. I heard you're in Modu?"
Jun Chen replied, "Yes. What is it?"
Li Mubai said, "I just arrived in Modu too. Let's find some time and have a sparring match, shall we?"
Without a single moment of hesitation, Jun Chen rejected him. "Not interested."
He hung up directly.
He was currently worried sick about his wife and child; what kind of mood was he in to play house with an Eighth Rank expert?
Li Mubai hailed from the Demon Sect in Dongdu Luoyang. In his early twenties, he was already a rare Eighth Rank expert in the martial world, and his future in martial arts was boundless.
Martial arts in the underworld were divided from the First to the Rank Nine, with nine being the ultimate limit. Those who could reach the Rank Nine were exceedingly rare. Above the Rank Nine lay the Grandmaster Realm; achieving the Grandmaster Realm allowed one to project internal strength outward, release true qi, and pluck leaves to kill like flying darts. Grandmasters were already as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns in the martial world. Above Grandmasters were Xiantian Grandmasters, who could cultivate a protective aura of primordial energy rendering them immune to blades and spears. Above Xiantian Grandmasters were the Martial Golden Core, Heaven and Man as One, and the legendary Ultimate Realm of Martial Arts.
Regarding the Ultimate Realm of Martial Arts, rumors in the martial world held that only two people today had any chance of reaching it: one was Jun Lingchen of the Kyoto Jun Family, and the other was Ye Nantian of the Kunlun Ye Family.
As it happened, both of these men had close ties to Jun Chen—one was his old man, and the other was his uncle.
Jun Chen had given Li Mubai his phone number only because of a good friendship with Li Mubai's master, Demon Sect First Elder Xu Ziying. But Li Mubai was an utter blockhead. After hearing from his master Xu Ziying that Jun Chen was a martial arts expert, he kept pestering Jun Chen for a match. He never bothered to properly understand what his master meant, nor did he consider why Jun Chen was on friendly terms with his master and not with him. Without even reflecting on his own standing, he dared to challenge Jun Chen to a duel just because they were roughly the same age? How could he be so presumptuous?
If not for the respect he owed Li Mubai's master Xu Ziying, Jun Chen would have long since beaten him until his Dao heart shattered, rendering him unable to ever practice martial arts again.
Jun Chen simply couldn't fathom it. Did the guy only know how to practice martial arts? Didn't he use his brain at all?
An Eighth Rank expert was certainly no weakling, but in front of Jun Chen, they were no different from ordinary people.
Shengxin Group.
As soon as Shen Liuli stepped into her office, her close friend and confidante, Shengxin Group's Chief Technology Officer Liu Yaoyao, rushed over at the sound. "Oh my, Miss Shen, you're finally here! Quick, tell me, what on earth happened at the wedding? Although I heard bits and pieces through the grapevine, I still want to hear the person involved tell it firsthand."
If Shen Liuli hadn't already known Liu Yaoyao's personality, she would have been hopping mad by now. Wasn't this just rubbing salt furiously into her wounds?
Rolling her eyes, Shen Liuli retorted, "Since you were so eager to know, why didn't you go to the wedding venue yesterday?"
Liu Yaoyao said righteously, "Wasn't I afraid I wouldn't be able to hold myself back from getting into a physical brawl with that stinking bint Dongfang Zijin right on the spot?"
"Did the father of the child in your belly really crash the wedding?"
"I originally thought that when you a showdown with them, it would cause a massive uproar, and the hype wouldn't die down for ten days to half a month. Shengxin Group would definitely have taken a hit too, and I even prepped the PR strategy in advance. I never expected it to be so calm and peaceful—nothing happened at all."
Shen Liuli nodded. "Mm, we registered our marriage yesterday."
As for whether news reporters were present yesterday, she hadn't paid attention at all. Thinking about it now, it must have been Jun Chen's doing.
Liu Yaoyao gasped in astonishment, "You don't regret it? Just because he's the father of the child?"
Jun Chen's domineering figure flashed through Shen Liuli's mind, and she said helplessly, "I didn't have a choice!"
With a worried tone, Liu Yaoyao asked, "Did he coerce you?"
Shen Liuli thought for a moment, pouting as she said, "I suppose you could call it coercion. Anyway, he didn't ask for my opinion."
Folding her arms, Liu Yaoyao stared at Shen Liuli with a scrutinizing gaze and said, "No, no! Judging by your tone, I can tell your opposition isn't very strong. Come on, confess."
Confused, Shen Liuli asked, "Confess what?"
Liu Yaoyao pressed on, "Your husband—what's his name, what does he do, what's his background...?"
"He dragged you straight off to get a marriage license, so the Shen Family and Chen Family couldn't possibly have no reaction at all. Unless there was a reason that forced them to compromise. Wealthy aristocratic families value their reputation more than their own lives."
Pressed by Liu Yaoyao, Shen Liuli had no choice but to tell the truth. "His name is Jun Chen, from Kyoto. Next Monday, he starts as an ideological and political teacher at Modu University..."
Liu Yaoyao suddenly interrupted, "Wait, who did you say? Jun Chen? From Kyoto!"
Liu Yaoyao herself was from Kyoto, and the Liu Family was also an aristocratic household there. She was far too familiar and sensitive to the name Jun Chen. The very first thought that popped into her head was the Crown Prince of the Jun Family, the First Young Master of Kyoto! The dream of countless young maidens in Kyoto.
With a trembling voice, Liu Yaoyao asked, "Is it *that* Jun Chen?"
Shen Liuli nodded.
Liu Yaoyao suddenly slapped a hand onto Shen Liuli's shoulder. Shen Liuli winced slightly as Liu Yaoyao burst into a fit of excited, triumphant laughter. "Sister, you're amazing! You quietly bagged the First Young Master of Kyoto, and you're even pregnant! You've secured the position of the Jun Family's eldest young madam nice and steady. You'll have to look out for your sister in the future, hear?"
Shen Liuli turned around and lowered her head to start going through her documents. "I have to work. I don't have time to listen to your nonsense."
Liu Yaoyao teased, "Eldest Young Madam, you get busy. I'll just revel in this a little longer before I leave."
Chuckling, Shen Liuli scolded, "Get lost!"
With a cheeky grin, Liu Yaoyao said, "As you command. Please calm your anger, Eldest Young Madam, this humble maid is rolling away right now."
Back in her office, Liu Yaoyao was still brimming with excitement, her face wreathed in a brilliant smile. She could already imagine the look of utter devastation on people's faces when this news reached Kyoto—just thinking about it made her happy.
Hmph! That pair of scumbags Chen Qingdi and Dongfang Zijin probably never dreamed in a million years that the man who spent a romantic night with Liuli would be the Crown Prince of the Jun Family, Jun Chen!