Du Yue's heart was racing, her ears buzzing with a constant hum, and though her body felt stiff and unyielding, she forced herself to lift her face and muster an apologetic expression.
"Sorry... I really didn't mean to..."
"Forget it, Siwei. Maybe she just got lost. Don't get so worked up—let her go! Otherwise, when Chen Ze gets here, he'll blow his top again."
The person beside them wasn't defending Du Yue out of kindness; they simply didn't want to deal with Wang Siwei losing his temper and ruining everyone else's mood.
Wang Siwei grew impatient wasting time on her. He glared at her coldly and snapped, "Get out of here. If you ever pull something this stupid again, I'll make sure you regret it, you wretched excuse for a woman!"
The insult struck Du Yue like a branding iron, searing deep into her chest.
She silently rejoiced in her head: It's fine, it's fine… He didn't recognize me. Thank goodness… The Du Yue from two years ago truly has become unrecognizable compared to who I am now.
Composing herself, she quickly turned her face away and took her first step forward.
"Hold it! Stop right there!" Wang Siwei suddenly sensed something was off. His hand froze mid-pour, and his half-dazed eyes sharpened as they locked onto Du Yue. "Turn your face around!"
"..." Du Yue's blood ran cold. Amidst the clamor, all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart.
"Are you deaf or dumb? Turn your damn face around!"
"What's wrong, Siwei? What's so special about some sickly girl?"
Wang Siwei sneered. "Oh, she's plenty interesting. Let's have her turn around so we can see exactly who she is!"
"Oh?" The others perked up instantly, setting down their glasses and focusing on Du Yue with casual curiosity. "Who is it? You've got us curious too."
Amidst Wang Siwei's angry shouts and questioning voices, the tension reached its peak.
Du Yue numbly turned her body, her nails digging bloody crescents into the back of her hand without her even noticing. Her gaze remained fixed on the corner of the coffee table.
The others studied her carefully, stunned for a moment. "She looks familiar, but I can't quite place her."
Wang Siwei clenched his teeth and poured himself a full glass of red wine, a cruel smile spreading across his lips. "It doesn't matter if you don't recognize her. Let me give you a hint. Remember that scandal two years ago involving the president of the Du Group supporting a student for nearly a year? His daughter was implicated as an accomplice and disappeared without a trace afterward."
"..."
"Du Yue?!"
"This is Du Yue?"
"How could this possibly be Du Yue?"
A wave of shocked exclamations erupted. Du Yue stood frozen in place, feeling like an object under scrutiny, unable to summon the strength to move even a single step.
Wang Siwei smirked coldly. "This must be what they call 'the face reflecting the soul.' A corrupt heart eventually twists one's appearance beyond recognition!"
Du Yue closed her eyes, fully aware of why Wang Siwei harbored such animosity toward her. He had once been Shen Ya's suitor, the closest person to her, nearly ready to take their relationship to the next level. But after Shen Ya's scandal broke, he fled to Country A in disgrace, leaving their connection unresolved.
Wang Siwei hated her—not only for harming the woman he loved most but also for derailing his emotional future, leaving him clinging to memories through old photographs.
But in reality, she had known nothing about the situation before it happened.
Because of Shen Ya's accusation that everything was her doing, Du Yue was thrust into hell. And they, in their haste to protect the so-called victim, raised their knives against her without hesitation, even though no evidence existed to tie her to the crime.
The most absurd part of it all? Her own husband, in his quest to punish her, personally sent her to a mental institution.