Chapter 2 — The Seat That Belongs to Me

Shen Yanbai's expression finally softened. He lowered his gaze to Xu Zhiyao, his voice gentle and soothing.

"See? I told you. My aunt and uncle are very kind people."

Xu Zhiyao's eyes turned red, and she nodded vigorously. "Yes."

I stood nearby and watched in silence. After three years of loving Shen Yanbai, I understood him too well. As long as events unfolded according to his wishes, he assumed everything was fine.

That was what he was doing now. He believed that my father ordering an extra chair meant that he had accepted Xu Zhiyao. He believed that what had happened was only a minor misunderstanding. He believed that if I took one step back, everyone could be happy and pretend nothing had happened.

But he did not understand my father. He understood my family even less.

My father was still standing beside the main table, his gaze moving slowly across the room. He had not sat down, and none of the relatives dared to pick up their chopsticks. The hall was so quiet that only the faint music from a corner could be heard.

A moment later, my father turned to Shen Yanbai.

"Little Shen."

Shen Yanbai stood at once. "Yes, sir."

His voice remained extremely polite. My father smiled.

"Aside from today being my sixtieth birthday, do you know what else today is?"

Shen Yanbai looked slightly startled. After thinking for a few seconds, he replied, "It is... your birthday banquet, sir."

My father nodded. "That is correct."

Then he added, "But it is not enough."

Shen Yanbai lifted his head, confusion filling his eyes. My father picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and continued calmly.

"Today is also the day I intended to introduce you formally to all the relatives of the Wen family."

Everyone at the table froze. Even Xu Zhiyao raised her head. Shen Yanbai's expression shifted.

"Sir..."

My father did not let him finish. He pointed to the chair beside me.

"That chair was arranged by me personally. Nanzhi sits beside her mother, and you sit beside Nanzhi. It is not merely a matter of convenience. It is meant to tell every elder in this house that the person my daughter has chosen is also someone recognized by the Wen family."

I clenched my fists beneath the table. My mother quietly lowered her head, saying nothing. The atmosphere grew heavier by the second.

Shen Yanbai stood frozen in place. Perhaps only then did he remember that today's gathering had never been a simple meal. It was the most important family gathering before the engagement ceremony, his first appearance as the prospective son-in-law of the Wen family.

And yet, the moment he stepped through the door, the first thing he did was pull out a chair for another woman.

My father looked at him, his voice still calm.

"Little Shen. You are an educated man. I have always believed that you understood propriety. Yet today..." He glanced toward Xu Zhiyao. "...you let another woman sit in my daughter's place."

"If it were simply an act of sympathy toward someone in need, I would not blame you. The Wen family has never begrudged a guest an extra pair of bowls and chopsticks. However..." He looked straight into Shen Yanbai's eyes. "...no one has the right to ask my daughter to give up her seat."

Every word was spoken softly, yet each one landed like a heavy hammer. Shen Yanbai's lips trembled.

"Sir, I didn't mean it that way. I only... I just wanted her to experience a little family warmth."

My father gave a quiet laugh. "And what about Nanzhi? Did you ever consider how she would feel today?"

Shen Yanbai was rendered speechless. In the past three years, perhaps this was the first time anyone had asked him that question.

Xu Zhiyao hurriedly stood. "Uncle, this is entirely my fault. I will leave right now."

She reached for her handbag, but my father raised a hand to stop her.

"There is no need. You are a guest. Since you are here, stay for the meal. If I let you leave now, outsiders would think the Wen family doesn't know how to receive guests."

He spoke mildly, without embarrassing her. Then he turned to his secretary, who had been standing quietly behind him.

"Little Chen, bring me the red box."

The secretary immediately brought forward a red velvet box. I recognized it at once. It was the box my mother had prepared that morning. Inside were a bank card and a copy of the partnership agreement my father's company had intended to award Shen Yanbai after the banquet.

It was a welcome gift, and an expression of recognition.

Shen Yanbai's eyes lit up. He probably thought that the crisis had passed. My father opened the box and took out the document. Shen Yanbai instinctively stepped forward.

"Yes, sir..."

But in front of everyone, my father calmly folded the document in half. Then he tore it down the middle.

The paper ripped with a sharp sound. White fragments fluttered onto the table, and the entire hall fell silent.

My father picked up the bank card, placed it back in the box, closed the lid, and handed it to the secretary. Finally, he looked straight at Shen Yanbai. His voice was as gentle as before, but every word was final.

"Little Shen, our Wen family does not have the good fortune to receive a son-in-law like you."

With that, he turned around and pulled out my mother's chair.

"Let us eat."

Not a single person at the table dared to make a sound. Shen Yanbai stood rooted to the spot, his face drained of color. It seemed that only now did he understand what he had just lost.

The banquet table remained silent after my father's invitation to eat. No one picked up their chopsticks first, and no one dared look directly at Shen Yanbai. The man who had stood so straight moments earlier now looked as if all his strength had been drained away. His arms hung at his sides, his eyes fixed on the torn pieces of paper scattered across the table.

They had been the duplicate partnership agreement--the ticket that would have granted him entry into the Wen family's circle. It was a pity that he had thrown it away with his own hands.

My mother was the first to break the oppressive silence. She smiled warmly at the guests.

"Today is my husband's sixtieth birthday. Let us not allow a trifling matter to ruin everyone's good mood."