The CEO's Substitute Ex-Wife-Chapter 217: Strategic Silence

Chen Xueru remained silent. This was not the time for her to speak much; anything she said would be wrong and would only trap her in the entertainment reporters’ questions.

Her silence only led to more piercing questions.

"Miss Chen, you’ve also played the role of a mistress. Does that mean the people in your drama and in your life are all other people’s mistresses?"

Wen Nuan frowned. She was no longer the impulsive Wen Nuan she once was, but hearing these words still made her furious, wishing she could slap that reporter. Chen Xueru’s face remained calm, showing no anger.

Staff members coming down from upstairs also called for people to block the entertainment reporters. Daring to be so impudent downstairs at Anning TV station was simply asking for trouble. Just as the scene descended into chaos, a group of men in black suits burst in. They all looked capable and shrewd. In just five minutes, seven or eight of them managed to separate all the entertainment reporters. The reporters were unwilling, but Wen Nuan clearly saw one of the men in black mercilessly punch a reporter in the abdomen and whisper something in his ear, making him immediately quiet down.

Wen Nuan felt a surge of satisfaction. As performers, they had a love-hate relationship with entertainment reporters. Sometimes, they truly hated them with a passion, for invading privacy and fabricating stories. They especially disliked the reporters from gossip and entertainment tabloids, and most of these lone reporters were from such publications. Wen Nuan was happy to see them get beaten.

Chen Xueru was puzzled. Who were these people? They looked somewhat like gang members. Tang Shuwen walked over. Although he was two meters away, the reporters were still diligently snapping pictures.

The eldest young master of the Tang family had arrived.

Wen Nuan instinctively moved a few steps away from Chen Xueru. She was an actress, after all, and understood the importance of positioning and hogging the spotlight. In this situation, it was clearly a scene for the male and female leads, and she would only be in the way.

Although she didn’t know why Tang Shuwen had come, his presence was ultimately good, preventing the criticism from being directed solely at Chen Xueru. A man should naturally shield a woman from the troubles he brings.

He smiled at Chen Xueru and intimately took her hand. "Let’s go. I’ll take you home."

Their fingers intertwined tightly. Chen Xueru followed him, somewhat stiffly. Rumors of discord between the soon-to-be-married couple were dispelled; this was clearly a deeply affectionate pair, with no hint of emotional discord.

Flashbulbs popped wildly. Tang Shuwen glanced over, and a few reporters rushed out, asking, "Young Master Tang, what are your thoughts on today’s live broadcast?"

Chen Xueru was a bit nervous, trying to keep her face calm. Tang Shuwen smiled faintly. "It’s just baseless speculation. Please don’t take it seriously. My wife and I have a great relationship."

"What about Miss Zhao?"

Tang Shuwen laughed. "Miss Zhao and I dated for a while. Whether it’s her or any other past relationships, they are all in the past. Don’t keep bothering Xueru with this issue. If she’s unhappy, I’ll be unhappy, and if I’m unhappy, someone will definitely be displeased."

With that, he said nothing more and got into the car, escorted by bodyguards.

The car drove for a while, finally shaking off the reporters. Chen Xueru released his hand. Tang Shuwen didn’t force it, and the smile on his face also faded, becoming cold and stern. Chen Xueru was afraid of upsetting him and didn’t speak first.

They drove in silence, the atmosphere heavy, not at all like people getting married tomorrow. Those unaware might think they were just coincidentally sharing a ride, strangers to each other.

"If you encounter such questions in the future, just push them onto me," Tang Shuwen said coldly. Chen Xueru pursed her lips, saying nothing. "Push them onto him"—easier said than done. However, this man’s thoughts were indeed hard to grasp.

"I understand," Chen Xueru said. Tang Shuwen turned his head to glance at her. This woman had always been so indifferent to him, and he couldn’t help but feel a little aggrieved. He had fulfilled all his promises to her, so why couldn’t she give him a good attitude?

Unless Xiao Nian was present, she wouldn’t even acknowledge him.

He was angry, Chen Xueru could feel it, but she couldn’t pinpoint his temper, unsure why he was angry. After a moment of silence, Chen Xueru asked, "Tang Shuwen, do you truly have no regrets?"

Although it was a bit late to ask, they were already registered, legally husband and wife. Whether the wedding took place or not seemed unable to change this fact, but she still wanted to ascertain his true feelings.

Tang Shuwen thought she regretted it and gave a cold laugh. "Does the current situation allow me to regret it?"

His tone was unkind, tinged with a certain harshness. Chen Xueru, however, interpreted it as regret on his part. She sighed inwardly. He wasn’t a ruthless man; on the contrary, he was a gentle and refined man, but with her, he was always so cold and harsh.

"Who were you referring to when you spoke of ’forcing’ just now on the program?" His gaze swept sharply towards her. Chen Xueru was startled. He was watching the program? Was that why he came back to put on this show for others, to save her face and prevent rumors from hurting her?

Was that it?

Chen Xueru gave a self-deprecating smile. She was being a bit too self-important. Even if that were the case, it was probably her parents’ intention, not his.

"I wasn’t referring to anyone specifically, just speaking generally. You’re overthinking it," Chen Xueru said disingenuously. To outsiders, that remark seemed to be about Zhao Yuning, but Tang Shuwen knew that Chen Xueru was actually referring to him.

Forcing!

He had indeed forced her to marry him, but Chen Xueru’s tone made Tang Shuwen very uncomfortable. Did she really feel wronged marrying him? What was there for her to feel wronged about?

"You’re clearly talking about me," Tang Shuwen said in a deep voice.

Chen Xueru turned her head, seeing his anger. She was baffled and couldn’t help but retort, "Am I not stating a fact?"

"Do you feel wronged by marrying me?" Tang Shuwen asked with a cold laugh, suppressing the inexplicable displeasure rising within him. This inexplicable displeasure made him lose his usual composure.

He had always been gentle and polite in his interactions with others, not as cold and harsh as Young Master Ye Second, not as distant as Lin Diyun, and not as amiable as Su Ran. He was always courteous, but only with Chen Xueru was his temper consistently bad.

"No!"

"Liar!" Tang Shuwen snorted coldly, glaring at her. "You clearly feel very wronged."

"How can you say that about me? Don’t you feel wronged too?" Chen Xueru’s good temper was also provoked by him. Since they both felt wronged, why were they getting married...

"Am I not wronged? I can’t marry the person I love," Tang Shuwen said. In truth, he didn’t feel particularly wronged. When he first learned about Chen Xueru and Xiao Nian’s existence, he felt mostly anger and hatred. But later, these emotions slowly faded. He did feel that he had wronged Zhao Yuning and couldn’t forget her for a while, but he didn’t resist marrying Chen Xueru.