The days following Li Zhenhua's visit felt like a heavy fog had finally lifted. The sun seemed brighter, the air felt fresher, and for the first time in months, Meiying could walk outside without feeling like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Yuhan's father hadn't just accepted her he'd actually started treating her like family. He called a few days later to apologize again, and even told Yuhan to bring her to the main house in the city for dinner soon. "I want to get to know the girl who stole my son's heart," he'd said, and there was no malice in his voice anymore, only genuine curiosity.
But life in the small town moved differently. While everything was perfect between her and Yuhan, Meiying knew that not everyone would be as understanding as Li Zhenhua.
She found out just how true that was on market day.
She went into town to buy some fresh vegetables and fish for dinner. Usually, people would greet her with smiles and nods. But today… it was different.
As she walked through the market, she felt eyes on her. Whispers followed her wherever she went.
"Did you see? That's Lin Meiying."
"I heard she broke up with Weiliang. Just like that."
"Of course she did! She's with that rich CEO now. Li Yuhan. She's living in a dream world."
"Do you think she really loves him? Or does she just love his money?"
The words stung. They burned like fire. Meiying kept her head high, trying to ignore them, trying to walk past like she didn't hear. But her hands were shaking, and she wanted nothing more than to run home and hide.
She stopped at Auntie Wang's cloth stall to say hello, hoping for some kindness.
Auntie Wang looked at her with a complicated expression. She didn't say anything bad, but she didn't smile either.
"Meiying," she said quietly. "People are talking. A lot. They say you left Weiliang because you wanted a rich husband. They say you used him until you found something better."
Meiying felt tears prick her eyes. "Auntie Wang, you know me. You know I'm not like that."
"I know you're a good girl," Auntie Wang sighed, patting her arm. "But people love to gossip. Especially when someone's life changes this fast. You went from being poor and in debt to being the girlfriend of the boss of Yue Hua Group. It's hard for people to understand."
Meiying bought what she needed and hurried home. When she walked through the door, Yuhan was there, waiting for her. He took one look at her face and knew something was wrong immediately.
"What happened?" he asked, standing up and taking the bags from her hands. "Did someone say something to you?"
Meiying bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears, but they spilled over anyway.
"Everyone is talking about me, Yuhan," she whispered. "They say I left Weiliang just for your money. They say I'm a gold digger. They say… they say I don't deserve you."
Yuhan's face darkened instantly. He walked over and pulled her into a tight hug, holding her against his chest.
"Don't you dare believe them," he said firmly, his voice low and angry on her behalf. "They don't know you. They don't know what we've been through. They don't know how hard you've worked, or how much you've sacrificed."
He pulled back slightly to look her in the eye.
"And as for 'deserving' me… Meiying, if anyone doesn't deserve someone here, it's me who doesn't deserve you. You have a heart of gold. You're kind, you're brave, you're strong. Money doesn't mean anything compared to that."
"But it hurts," she sobbed softly. "I don't want people to think badly of me. I don't want them to think I'm using you."
"I know it hurts," Yuhan said gently, wiping her tears away. "But you can't control what people say. You can only control how you react. And eventually, they'll see. They'll see how happy we are, and they'll see how much I love you, and they'll stop talking."
He paused, a thought seeming to cross his mind. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
"Actually… maybe there is something I can do to make it stop. Something to show everyone exactly where you stand."
Meiying looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
Yuhan didn't answer her directly. He just typed something on his phone, then put it away with a determined look on his face.
"You'll see. But for now, let's make dinner. And don't worry about a thing. I've got you."
The next morning, the whole town was buzzing. But this time, the gossip wasn't mean it was shocked.
Yuhan had done something no one expected. He had put up a large, beautiful sign right at the entrance to the village, near the main road. And he had also posted an announcement on the local community website that everyone checked.
It read:
"This is to announce that Lin Meiying is my fiancée. She is the woman I love, and she will be the future Mrs. Li. Anyone who has a problem with that, answers to me. Li Yuhan, CEO, Yue Hua Group."
It was bold. It was public. And it was final.
When Meiying saw the sign on her way to fetch water, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth.
Fiancée.
He had called her his fiancée. Not just girlfriend. Not just someone he was seeing. Fiancée.
She felt tears well up again, but this time they were tears of pure happiness. He hadn't just defended her he had claimed her. He had shown the whole world that she was his, and he was proud of it.
She turned around and saw Yuhan leaning against his car, watching her with a soft smile on his face.
"You did this?" she asked, walking towards him, her voice trembling.
"I did," Yuhan said, stepping close to her. "I told you, Meiying. I'm not hiding you. I'm not ashamed of you. I want everyone to know that you belong to me, and I belong to you."
He took her hand and placed a small, velvet box into her palm.
Meiying's heart stopped. She looked up at him, eyes wide.
"Yuhan…"
"It's not the official engagement ring yet," he smiled. "That's coming later, when we do it properly. But this is a promise ring. It means that no matter what people say, no matter what happens, we are in this together. You are my fiancée, in my heart and in front of the world."
Meiying opened the box. Inside was a simple but beautiful silver band with a small, sparkling stone. It wasn't overly fancy, but it was perfect.
She looked up at him, unable to speak because of how happy she was. She just nodded, over and over again.
"Yes," she whispered. "Yes, I'll be your fiancée."
Yuhan slipped the ring onto her finger, then pulled her into his arms and kissed her right there in the open, not caring who saw.
"From now on," he murmured against her lips, "no more tears. Only happiness. Because you are My Other Fiancée, the one I was always meant to find."