The Mafia King's First Love

Jiang Li, who heard her words, dryly laughed as he tightly clutched onto the glass in his hand. His gaze was slightly reddish and a little...hazy. For a moment, he had hoped for something else but…

He banged his foot on the floor with a loud noise and got up to leave.

Wei put his hand on his shoulder. "Stay."

"No, thanks," he snickered. "I am done. I saw what I wanted to see and heard what I wanted to hear. There is nothing more left. I am canceling the conference right now."

"Stay, Li."

He shook off his arm and coldly said, "No I-"

With an utmost dangerous expression, Wei quietly stared at Jiang Li. "Stay."

There was finality in his voice that said not to challenge him anymore. If Wei used that tone, it wasn't wise to go against him. Jiang Li gritted his teeth and quietly sat back.

In her room, Old Madam was also happy to hear Jiang Lanying's statement.

Back at the press conference venue, Lai Chang was in deep shock.

How can Lanying say that? How can she lie for him? Jiang Li has issues and she cannot hide it!

He punched his fist on the pillar, gnashing his teeth.

The reporters were stunned and looked at her in disbelief. They immediately fired questions akin to shooting bullets.

"Mrs. Jiang Lanying. Are you saying that Mr. Lai Chang has lied?"

"Mr. Jiang Li has no problems at all?"

"He hasn't been fooling you?"

"If that is so, then why would he run away from the banquet?"

"This is like admitting to the claims."

"Please answer, Mrs. Jiang."

Jiang Lanying silently stared at them. "Please allow me to finish. I said that Li doesn't have any problems because I want to say that... it's not Li who has problems but the millions of people watching this press conference right now who have issues."

Her words rang a deep silence in the air. Everybody looked at her, aghast. They choked hard in their throats.

Is she accusing the whole of China of having fertility problems!? That is simply outrageous!

Who knew that Jiang Lanying would say such things?

When people snapped out of their stupor and finally realized it, the audience aka netizens already began furiously typing on Weibo and cursing her.

Jiang Lanying continued, "Why are you all looking at me like that? I am telling the truth. Is it so shocking?"

One of the journalists laughed. "Mrs. Jiang Lanying. You cannot be serious. You are accusing the whole population in China of having fertility problems?"

"No. I am accusing the society of having a disgusting mentality that drives people like my husband into a corner and humiliating them for something that is not even their fault."

Silence.

"As for the actual answer to your question. Yes, it's true that Li is going through a serious condition and he is unable to give me a child right now. But is that the real issue here? Now that I gave the answer to your burning question about my husband's condition, I want to ask you and all the people watching this press conference a question myself."

She narrowed her eyes, causing the reporters to slightly shiver.

"What is so funny about this?"

Silence once again.

"Ever since Li's condition got exposed, he has been nothing but facing harassment and humiliation by everybody. Not a single one stood up and said otherwise. Nobody supported Li. Nobody bashed the society for having such a narrow-minded thinking. My husband is going through a tough time. He has been suffering in guilt and pain for eighteen months now and people are finding this funny. Why? Is there something innately wrong about having fertility problems? Surely, it's not desirable by anyone, but if anyone does face it, is it such a thing to be mocked for?"

Somehow, all the keyboard warriors stopped their typing for a moment.

"I think that it's not about Li. It's people having too much time in their hands that they are passing it at the expense of somebody else's reputation."

One of the reporters wanted to say something but Jiang Lanying raised her palm. "Nobody will ask me any questions now. I have already heard enough of all the questions and words I had in these last few days. Let me be clear. I didn't set up this conference to keep on answering your questions. I came here to give my piece of mind to everyone who has spoken ill of my husband because as his wife who loves him till the ends of the earth, I have lost my patience now."

The hall quietened down and seemingly, nobody could utter a word back.

Jiang Lanying faintly smiled. "When I read the comments on Weibo and heard how badly people were cursing my husband, I was so distraught that I...had planned to set up this conference not to stand up for him but instead, taking the blame on myself that I was the one with fertility problems.

I couldn't bear the humiliation he had to face and even if he didn't care about what you all thought about him, I did. And that's why I decided to save him. But Li got extremely angry at me for this. Even today, he threatened me saying that if I went to this conference and sacrificed myself, he would divorce me."

Jiang Lanying curled her fingers and glared at them. "He was asking why I care about what society thinks of him. Was I really ashamed of him that I wanted to hide it from everyone even if I had to sacrifice myself? And then I realized that I was affected because I don't want my husband to keep running away from you all. I was hurt because I wanted people to give him good wishes and their support for him to recover, not curse him and accuse him of not being a man. I wanted society to understand that having fertility problems is not shameful. It doesn't snatch away their identity. It doesn't take anything from them."

"But when I saw people insulting instead of showing empathy, the only feeling left in me was disappointment for you all. That is what I came to tell you all here. I, Jiang Lanying, am extremely let down by everybody watching me right now."