Forced to Attend the Party

"Mr. Gu, the Du family has sent an invitation to the party," Renyi placed a beautifully designed invitation on Gu Muchen’s desk. "The old man from the Du family said that since Du Shicheng bumped into you a few days ago, he must attend and apologize to you in person."

Gu Muchen lowered his eyes and looked at the invitation in front of him but didn’t touch it.

"I heard that they also invited people from the Ye family," Renyi added.

Upon hearing the words "Ye family," the face of a plain yet beautiful girl immediately appeared in Gu Muchen’s mind.

Gu Muchen frowned. Why did he suddenly think of Ye Chu?

"Mr. Gu, this is the information you asked me to investigate about Miss Ye," Renyi handed over a file.

Gu Muchen opened the file and pulled out the information about Ye Chu, which recorded all her experiences from childhood to adulthood.

"Miss Ye is the illegitimate daughter of the Ye family. She has been living with her mother since she was a child. Life was difficult for them. Her mother has always been in poor health, and their family struggled financially. Because of this, she worked hard and studied diligently from a young age. She would also take time off from school when her mother’s condition worsened. Even so, Miss Ye still managed to excel and was admitted to Yun City University."

"Six months ago, her mother’s condition suddenly worsened, and Miss Ye returned to the Ye family for the first time to raise money for her mother’s medical expenses. She exchanged her services as a maid for some of the costs."

"But..."

"What?" Gu Muchen asked coldly. He held Ye Chu’s student file in his hand, which had a photo of her looking innocent and charming, with a bright smile on her face.

"But, Miss Ye’s reputation doesn’t seem to be very good... Many people say she’s unclean and scheming and will do anything to achieve her goals. Especially her mother, He Shuxin, who has a very negative opinion of her. She often scolds her harshly. It can be said that Miss Ye’s reputation is now in tatters..."

Gu Muchen remained silent, but the pressure around him noticeably dropped. He threw Ye Chu’s information aside and didn’t look at it again.

"Mr. Gu, what about the party tomorrow?" Renyi asked.

"Tell Mr. Du that I will attend on time," Gu Muchen said.

---

On the day of the party, Ye Chu, who was originally taking care of her mother He Shuxin in the hospital, was called back to the Ye family by Ye Shiyun.

"Wear this and come with me to the party," Ye Shiyun threw a pink dress into Ye Chu’s hands.

The dress was poorly made, with cheap fabric, and its style was an imitation of a certain international brand’s out-of-season design worn by actress Shen Zhiyan a few days ago.

Ye Chu put the dress aside and refused. "I’m not going. My mother needs someone to take care of her in the hospital."

"Ye Chu, don’t be ungrateful!" As soon as Ye Chu refused, Ye Shiyun’s face changed instantly. "Do you think I want to take you to such a high-class event? If it weren’t for people outside gossiping every day, saying our Ye family mistreats illegitimate children, I wouldn’t take you, a country bumpkin, out to embarrass me!"

Ye Shiyun stuffed the cheap pink dress back into Ye Chu’s arms. "If you know what’s good for you, your cheap mother can live a few more days in the hospital. But if you don’t listen, do you think I won’t have her kicked out right now?"

Threatening her mother again!

Ye Chu held the dress tightly in her hands. She knew very well that Ye Shiyun wouldn’t be so kind as to take her to the party. But for her mother’s sake, even though she knew it was a trap, she had no choice.

"Okay, I’ll go. Just don’t make things difficult for my mother," Ye Chu nodded.

---

Regarding Ye Shiyun’s plan to take Ye Chu to the party to clear the Ye family’s name, Ye Xingguo was satisfied but also a little worried.

After all, in Ye Xingguo’s eyes, Ye Shiyun was a gentle and beautiful heiress—reasonable, understanding, and his beloved daughter.

As for Ye Chu, she was just a scheming woman who climbed into his bed for fame and fortune.

If it weren’t for the Ye family’s reputation, he would have kicked them out long ago!

However, when Ye Xingguo saw Ye Chu walking out in a pink dress, he was stunned.

Ye Chu was slender and tall, with porcelain-white skin and a hint of makeup. Even though the dress was extremely cheap, she still exuded an elegant charm.

Yu Wanyue frowned at Ye Chu’s outfit and quietly pulled Ye Shiyun aside. She whispered, "Why did you pick that dress for her? Aren’t you afraid she’ll overshadow you? With her natural beauty, what if she seduces someone at the party? Even Gu Muchen will be attending!"

Upon hearing that Gu Muchen would be there, Ye Shiyun was overjoyed.

She had been preparing for this day for a long time.

Many jealous people had spread gossip that the news of Gu Muchen marrying her was just a rumor created by the Ye family and that the Gu family never acknowledged it.

Tonight, she wanted to prove them all wrong. She wanted to show everyone how much Gu Muchen loved her!

"Mom, don’t worry. Even the newly crowned Queen of the Silver Screen, Shen Zhiyan, couldn’t catch Gu Muchen’s eye. How could he be interested in a bastard like her?"

Even though she said that, Ye Shiyun couldn’t help but feel jealous when she remembered Du Shicheng saying he had seen Gu Muchen holding Ye Chu’s wrist.

She really wanted to tear that fox apart!

But when she thought about how after tonight, Ye Chu would never have another chance to get Gu Muchen’s attention, Ye Shiyun’s mood instantly improved.

Although the Du family wasn’t as powerful as top prestigious families like the Gu family, they still had influence in Yun City and were admired by rising families like the Ye family.

The Du family was hosting this party to expand their network and seek business opportunities. At the same time, Du Shicheng had offended Gu Muchen, and the Du family’s patriarch wanted to apologize to him in person.

Although Gu Muchen had not officially taken over the Gu Group, he had already crushed many companies with his ruthless tactics.

As soon as Gu Muchen arrived, the Du family’s patriarch greeted him warmly.

Since the news of the Ye and Gu family’s marriage had spread, the Ye family’s status had risen significantly. So they intentionally arrived late to the party.

When Ye Shiyun, escorted by Yu Wanyue, and the Ye family’s head Ye Xingguo entered, they immediately attracted a lot of attention.

Being Gu Muchen’s fiancée alone was enough to raise Ye Shiyun’s status.

However, Ye Chu, who quietly followed behind them, soon drew more attention.

Especially from some wealthy young masters—their gazes toward Ye Chu changed instantly.

Across the room, Gu Muchen, who had been talking with Old Master Du, looked up and saw Ye Chu at a glance.

The pink dress hugged her slender figure, revealing her delicate collarbone and long, graceful legs…