Chapter 372: My Reputation Won't Suffer

"Bring your swimming trunks and comfortable clothes. Bring a semi-formal set for the wedding ceremony." She grinned. 

Qing Yuan gleamed. "An informal ceremony?"

Qian Meng nodded.

"Where is ours?" Yun Sui Bo said shamelessly. 

She turned to him with a glare. "You are not invited," she said without emotion. 

She felt utter satisfaction as she spoke the words and the look in Yun Sui Bo's eyes as he heard. 

"What does that mean?" he yelled. "What kind of person doesn't invite their family to their wedding?"

Qian Meng licked her lip as she put the words together. "Mr. Yun, do you realize that you had to ask for an invitation to come to your daughter's wedding?" she stabbed. 

His eyes flashed at her response. 

"You know as well as I do why you don't deserve to be at a ceremony where people who love me and cherish my relationship with my husband are only allowed to come."

Jiang Xin spoke up. "Meng Meng… of course, we want to be there. We love you. You are our daughter."

Qian Meng shook her head in disbelief. "No. You don't want to be shamed in front of people when they realize you weren't invited to your own daughter's wedding."

"But who will walk you down the aisle?" Jiang Xing commented. That seemed to be her only hope. Qian Meng knew that his stepmother only wanted bragging rights in front of her friend. To say that the Venus CEO and she had an amicable relationship when that clearly wasn't the case.

"There is no hard and fast rule that my father needs to walk me down the aisle. I would rather walk down it myself," she told them truthfully. 

Qing Yuan tightened his hand around Qian Meng's. "Sis, why would you walk down alone? We wouldn't want the Mo's to think you have family backing you. I will do it," he said helpfully. 

Qian Meng felt a prickle in her heart as she looked at the earnest expression on her brother's face. "You'll stand up for me?" she almost whispered. 

Qing Yuan nodded vehemently. "I know brother-in-law won't allow anyone to treat you poorly, but if anyone does, I promise to leap to your defense at the same second brother-in-law does."

"I don't need a big family to protect me," she looked up as she said. Those fake parents of hers looked shocked. "It seems I have a sincere brother. The problem of walking down the aisle is solved then."

She ruffled the kid's hair once again. "You… send me the link to your story. I will send you gifts and boost your numbers." She grinned. "More gifts and rank means more new readers."

Qing Yuan laughed and nodded. "I'll take this upstairs. I need to pack and get my speeches ready!" He was so excited that Qian Meng felt that his joy was infectious. She was in the snake pit, but she was rather happy with the outcome. 

Qing Yuan left after asking Qian Meng to leave immediately, but she knew that was not possible. 

"You might have no regard for customs, but I do. The people at the ceremony will know you didn't invite your father. How do you think they will look at you?" Yun Sui Bo said. He used the reputation she loved to blackmail her into inviting him. 

"My reputation won't suffer. What kind of a father do you think gets excluded from their daughter's big day?" she countered. "Tell me the truth, you are only insisting on coming because people will think poorly of you. Because you won't know how to explain it to people."

Yun Sui Bo pressed his lips together in dissatisfaction. "Don't pretend like you are a saint. You want people to talk poorly of me. That's why you are pulling this stunt."

Qian Meng nodded. "Maybe I am. But you gave me that opportunity, Mr. Yun. When I said that I didn't want anyone who doesn't cherish me at my wedding, I meant it. The fact that you are not on the list is sad." As a child, she felt horrible that her parents wanted nothing to do with her happiness. 

"I—"

Qian Meng raised her hand to stop him in whatever speech he was about to make. "You should be more concerned that you are an awful father. What does it matter what people think? People will think poorly of you because you are an awful person, Mr. Yun. It's not my fault. It's a reputation you build over your life." And this was the complete truth. 

She glanced down at her watch. She had to leave. "I don't want to linger around and talk to you any longer. But let me warn you, if you try to stop Qing Yuan from attending, I won't hold back," she threatened. 

"Why would we—" Jiang Xin started to speak. 

"I know the two of you… you will try to do it. I am being courteous by not announcing to the world how horrible you are. If my brother is stopped from attending my wedding, I will make sure every news outlet finds out. Understood?"

There was silence in the room. They knew she was serious. Any errant idea about stopping Qing Yuan flew out of the window. They watched helplessly as Qian Meng stepped out of their view. 

"She has grown bolder after getting married. Now that she married a richer man, she thinks she can say whatever she wants to her parents," Jiang Xin instigated albeit in a small voice. She glanced nervously at her husband. 

"No man will condone such behavior from their wife," Yun Sui Bo responded. "They are still in their honeymoon period. Sooner or later that Mo kid will realize what a disrespectful brat she is and stopped backing her. Let's wait a few years. We'll see how she keeps that attitude up," he said. He dragged his feet back to the sofa and sat down. 

For the short-term, he would grit his teeth and let her talk back. There were plenty of methods to get what he wanted. A year or two was no problem. He would see how she could keep her head up when the people who she thinks cherish her don't take her side.