Volume One, Chapter 108: She Forced a Kiss on Liang Jinmo...

The kiss was probably very much like a forced one, and worse, she was the one forcing it on Liang Jinmo...

Xu Zhi knew that, but she could not care. As long as she got through the ceremony, that was enough. Right now, she was simply taking things one step at a time.

The moment her lips touched the man’s, without warning, a hand wrapped around the small of her back. Then the man lowered his head, took the lead, and seized her mouth with unmistakable force, deepening the kiss at once.

It happened so smoothly that she did not react in time and stared in stunned disbelief.

The officiant and the guests were no less slow to catch on.

Once everyone finally came to their senses, the room erupted.

A kiss in a ceremony like this was usually only ceremonial; no one would kiss like that. From the audience’s point of view, Xu Zhi’s slight body was drawn tightly into the man’s arms, the kiss lingering and fierce.

Liang Jinmo already had a reputation outside. Some said he was brooding, some that he was cold, some that he was as inaccessible as an iceberg. Who would have thought that such a man would, before everyone’s eyes, hold a woman so brazenly and kiss her so deeply?

The older guests could no longer bear it and felt it was indecent, but the younger ones were thrilled. Some of the young women in particular felt their cheeks burning as they watched, yet could not help stealing a few more glances.

A man who had always seemed so aloof showing such dominance in matters of intimacy was enough to make one’s heart race, especially in a setting like this. It was as if he meant to declare ownership in the most extreme way possible, stamping his mark on Xu Zhi and making everyone believe that the two of them were the real couple.

Yang Xue sprang to her feet in excitement, almost whistling, though she could not. She tugged at Zhou He and said, “Whistle for me.”

Zhou He was still in shock and had not come back to himself. Liang Jinmo was truly insane.

That kiss made everyone present forget even that the invitation had originally carried Liang Muzhi’s name. Liang Jinmo’s possessiveness toward Xu Zhi did not feel the least bit fake.

Xu Heping had already been angered into leaving in a rage, and Fu Wanwen could not bear to watch any longer and left as well. Only Zhao Nianqiao was still standing outside the side entrance of the banquet hall, quietly watching the stage.

Amid the screaming, whistling, and teasing cries, Liang Jinmo slowly withdrew from Xu Zhi’s lips.

Her lipstick was smeared, and her eyes were still dazed. Her legs had gone weak, and her body was sliding downward uncontrollably, but he had one arm around her waist and steadied her back onto her feet.

He turned his face toward the officiant and even asked calmly, “Is that enough?”

That question—

It was more than enough. The officiant, after years in the profession, had never seen many people kiss so openly in public.

By this point, the ceremony was basically over. There was little left to do, mostly just a few remarks from the officiant. Xu Zhi did not hear a word of it; Liang Jinmo had one arm around her as he led her off the stage.

Her face was so red she did not dare lift her head. She felt as though she were burning from the inside out. Once they left the waiting area, she could not help looking at the man beside her. “You... why did you suddenly...”

This man truly did not follow reason. Just when she thought he resented her and meant to humiliate her, he kissed her like that instead. Her gaze settled on his lips, and her face grew even hotter. Too flustered to continue, she said, “You... you should wipe your mouth first.”

There was some of her lipstick on his lips.

Liang Jinmo pulled a tissue from the box on the nearby table before speaking. “Don’t put on so much lipstick next time.”

Xu Zhi froze.

He glanced at her. “Hard to get a mouthful.”

Xu Zhi was about to explode on the spot. In a panic, she gathered up her skirt. “I... I need to go to the dressing room first...”

Liang Jinmo crumpled the tissue in his hand and did not get another word in before Xu Zhi had already run off.

Just moments ago when she had tried to force a kiss on him, her momentum had seemed quite fierce indeed. He watched her back disappear into the crowd, and after a few seconds, the corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.

As the banquet began, gossip also flourished. Many people whispered about where Liang Muzhi had gone and why the invitation bore his name. Was this a fight between two brothers over one woman? Had Liang Muzhi, the rightful heir, lost?

Yang Xue was naturally outgoing and soon became like a walking megaphone, spreading the news that Xu Zhi and Liang Jinmo were the real couple and that everyone had misunderstood before.

With Yang Xue fanning the flames, by the time the banquet ended there were several tangled versions of the triangle’s story.

When Xu Zhi returned to the dressing room, Xu Heping had already raised his hand to slap her, only to be stopped at the last second by Zhao Nianqiao.

Xu Heping pointed a shaking finger at Xu Zhi’s face. “Do you know the old man was angered into becoming ill because of you? He had just taken his medicine, and now he’s been sent to the hospital again!”

Xu Zhi naturally did not know.

Old Master Liang had originally been taken upstairs by people arranged by Fu Wanwen, but the whole thing felt suspicious. Sensing something was wrong, the old man insisted on coming downstairs, and then he saw Liang Jinmo and Xu Zhi exchanging rings on the stage.

He had taken a turn for the worse on the spot. After swallowing the pills handed to him by the assistant, he had been helped by Fu Wanwen to the lounge, where he asked Liang Zhenguo what was going on.

When he heard that Liang Muzhi had run off before the ceremony even began, the old man nearly lost his breath. He had barely said a few words before a wave of dizziness hit him hard.

Liang Zhenguo did not dare make a scene and arranged for an assistant to send him to the hospital through the hotel’s side entrance at once.

After hearing all this, Xu Zhi lowered her head in a dark silence, saying nothing.

She did feel some guilt toward the old man, but on reflection, she could not really be blamed. It was Liang Muzhi who ran first.

She had already made up her mind: she would rather be seen as the shameless woman drifting between two brothers than become the abandoned one.

Even if she had to be the scandal’s main character, she would not be the weak, easily bullied one.

After that, no matter how harshly Xu Heping cursed at her, she remained utterly unmoved.

This farce of an engagement ceremony finally came to a complete end in the afternoon.

After the guests had all been seen off, Liang Zhenguo called Liang Jinmo into a lounge.

Once the door was closed, Liang Zhenguo ignored the fact that his own secretary was still present nearby and raised his hand to slap Liang Jinmo across the face.