Chapter 73 - Battle of Wits

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

“Hold on!” When the diamond ring was about to be put on her finger, Ning Qing suddenly said, “As the older sister, I’ve forgotten to tell my brother-in-law a few things.”

“What do you want to say?” Xu Junxi’s face was extremely dark. He couldn’t get angry in front of the media, but his feelings have been repressed and he was extremely irritable.

“I mean, my soon to be brother-in-law, you must be good to my sister in the future. Although we were once engaged, the engagement has already been terminated, so you should give Yaoyao twice the happiness that I did not receive.”

“Wow...” As soon as Ning Qing’s words fell, the entire venue exploded.

“Miss Ning, what did you say? Were you engaged to President Xu? Why did you break up? Why is President Xu with your sister now?”...

Reporters were pumped up and excited, and the cameras “clicked” one after another as they rushed to ask questions.

“Qingqing...” Right then, Li Meiling sighed gravely and earnestly, pretending to be helpless. “Why do you bring all of this up at your sister’s wedding banquet? Three years ago, you entered the entertainment industry, and everyone knew what had happened to you. What do you want Junxi to do?”

Ning Qing had to admire Li Meiling. Not only did her words cause the reporters to suspect that she had brought up these old matters with bad intentions, but she has also reminded the reporters of her “unbearable” experience in the entertainment industry over the past three years.

“Miss Ning, are you still unable to let go of your feeling for President Xu, so you’re openly wishing him well today but secretly trying to destroy their relationship?”

“Miss Ning, you’ve been involved in many illicit love scandals in the past three years, and there are rumors that you are a sugar baby. Did President Xu break up with you and move on because of this?”

Vicious pride flashed across Ning Yao’s eyes when she heard the reporters pointedly team up on Ning Qing. Ning Qing was still too tender to fight against her mother!

Ning Qing dug her nails deeply into her tender palms. When she looked up, her beautiful autumn colored eyes were already sparkling with bright and soft tears.

She looked at Li Meiling slowly and full of grievances. “Aunt Li, I had already been engaged to my brother-in-law before the illicit love scandals happened. I know I can’t compare with my sister. When my sister returned home, one word from my soon to be brother-in-law had made her popular, but when we were engaged, he ignored me. He let me be plagued with scandals, and he allowed others to covet his fiancee.” Ning Qing was weeping heavily and could not go on.

The reporter suddenly realized that the timing was indeed suspect.

Xu Junxi and Ning Qing got engaged before Ning Qing had entered the entertainment industry. It seemed that Xu Junxi had fallen in love with someone else first and that he was very cruel and heartless to Ning Qing.

The reporters were silent. Everyone was looking at the girl whose shoulders were trembling. Her body looked so weak that many started to pity her.

How humiliating and painful was it to stand there while smiling and wishing him and her sister happiness after being abandoned by her ex-fiance?

Ning Qing sniffled and continued to choke out, “And Auntie Li, how can you say that about me? I’ve played insignificant roles, hung from wires, played the roles of a beggar, and gotten slapped in the face. How could I live in such a mess if those illicit love affair scandals were true?”

Ning Qing straightened up her slim waist as she spoke, then faced the camera stubbornly and determinedly as she said, “Three years ago, I’d been castaway and was in such dire states that I had no choice but to enter the entertainment industry. No one has helped me in these three years, and I have not leeched onto anyone. Today, I, Ning Qing, shall announce here that I am innocent! If anyone were to say that I’ve had illicit love affairs or had a sugar daddy in the past three years, would the person who dares to slander me bring along their evidence and confront me personally! From now on, I will take legal measures to defend myself against anyone who wants to destroy my reputation!”

The reporters were shocked. Although the girl’s eyes were red, strength shone through her weakness. Her eyes were clear and shiny, like the rivers in the mountains, sacred and inviolable.

That’s right; if those illicit love affair scandals were true, how could she have become the laughing stock of the entire city and lived such a hard life?

Ning Qing’s was known as the fallen richest socialite of T city. When she’d entered the entertainment industry, many people had naturally given her all kinds of embarrassing labels. Everyone had insulted her, misunderstood her, and laughed at her.

Nobody expected the truth to be so shocking today.

At that moment, Xu Junxi felt lost. Ning Qing used to say that she was innocent, but he had never believed her because there were always many men around her.

But he’d been swayed now. Was she really innocent after being in the entertainment industry for these three years?

No. Xu Junxi shook his head. The rims of his eyes grew scarlet. She was no longer innocent and pure. Three years ago, she’d already...

Only Ning Yao was devoted to him. There was blood on the sheets this morning. Ning Yao had given him her first time!

Only Ning Yao deserved his deep love.

Xiao Zhou was elated. Ning Qing was so smart that she’d taken the opportunity to clarify all the “bad deeds” of her past.

Xiao Zhou came up, embraced Ning Qing, and said with relief, “Ning Qing, stop crying. Forget it. Let it go. President Xu and your alliance marriage was naturally not as deep as the three years of affection between President Xu and your sister.”

Reporters quickly caught on to the main point from Xiao Zhou’s words, and some people asked, “Miss Ning, did your sister come between President Xu and you when you were still engaged?”

Ning Yao had already been furious. Her perfectly fine marriage proposal banquet had been ruined by that b*tch Ning Qing, and Ning Qing had become the focus of the entire venue.

The words “come between” have enraged her even further now. Wasn’t this phrase prepared for Ning Qing? Why had it fallen on her head after a few sentences?

Ning Yao wanted to speak, but someone had grabbed onto her little hand. Xu Junxi stood up and murmured, “This has nothing to do with Yaoyao. I was the one who shifted my love to another person.”

“Wow...” The reporters hadn’t expected Xu Junxi to be so frank. Some of them had wanted to ask questions, but when they met his dark and gloomy eyes, everyone stopped talking.

Ning Qing looked at Xu Junxi; she was still afraid that Xu Junxi would not speak!

“Well, my soon to be brother-in-law, we’d originally been engaged because of an alliance marriage, so it can’t be said that you’d shifted your love onto another person. We already canceled our engagement when I’d returned your jade bracelet half a month ago. I’m also thankful to you for flying to the United States to take care of my sister for the past three years. As long as my sister is happy, it’s okay for me to suffer a little grievance.”

Those journalists who had been frightened into silence by Xu Junxi began to whisper among themselves again. Ning Qing’s words had already confirmed that Ning Yao had come between someone’s relationship.

And that someone was her sister!

Among the crowd’s incessant finger pointing, their gazes towards Ning Qing became more and more kindly. She has been groveling in the entertainment industry for three years while her ex-fiance has been hitting it off with her sister.

How has she survived these three years?

Li Meiling glared at Ning Qing coldly. It seemed that she’d really underestimated her. She used to be very foolish. She would spread her wings and protect Ning Yao as her sister whenever Ning Yao acted a little pitiful in front of her.

She hadn’t expected Ning Qing to become such a talented actress.

Li Meiling shot a look at an assistant, telling him to remind President Xu to carry on with the marriage proposal ceremony.

The most important thing now was for Ning Yao to become Mrs. Xu. As for Ning Qing, she had her own countermeasures against her.

The assistant was about to open her mouth when Ning Qing rushed to say, “I’m to blame, mentioning these sad things on such a happy day. My soon to be brother-in-law, you should put the ring on Yaoyao.”

For some people, a person’s kindness is just a foolish joke in their eyes. Getting deceived once was enough for her to learn a lifelong lesson. After that, she would never be soft-hearted again!

Xu Junxi looked at Ning Qing and asked in a cold voice, “What else do you want to say? Why don’t you just say it all at once, so as not to interrupt my proposal again.”

Ning Qing pretended not to understand the irony and hostility in his words. She nodded obediently and meekly with a sad face. “Well yes, I do have something else I want to say. After my father had married Auntie Li three years ago, he chased my me and Mother out of the house. In these three years, except for Yaoyao’s return to China when Auntie Li had invited me to enter the Ning family gates to celebrate Yaoya’s return, they hadn’t allowed me to go in even once.

Ning Qing’s words were light and soft, but they sounded like thunderous explosions in the ears of those journalists when they heard it. Amidst the waves of clicking cameras and the noisy whispers of the crowd, Ning Qing continued to speak as if she hadn’t heard them.

“Since I’ve met Auntie Li today, I’d just like to ask if Yaoyao is my father’s daughter. However, it seems that neither my soon to be brother-in-law nor Auntie Li welcomes me. In that case, I won’t linger behind obnoxiously. I’ll bid my farewell. I wish you happiness.

Ning Qing turned and walked away after she’d spoken.

The reporters swarmed up and frantically questioned Ning Qing as she walked out of the hotel lobby’s doors.

“Miss Ning, can you explain what you’ve just said? You are the daughter of the Ning family. Who forbids you from entering the gates of the Ning family? Also, is Ning Yao your biological sister?”

Reporters surrounded Ning Qing, but she’d already prepared in advance, so the reporters were quickly blocked by a group of bodyguards by the hotel door. Xiao Zhou smiled and waved her hands as she looked at the reporters who were trying their best to squeeze past the bodyguards as she said, “I’m sorry, Ning Qing can’t answer everyone’s questions. If you want answers, you can turn around and ask Madam Li.”

So the crowd turned quickly and surrounded Li Meiling.

“Madam Li, you have been very low-key these past few years. Not only do you have a good reputation in the industry, but you also often take part in charitable activities. But regarding what Ning Qing has just said, how do respond?”

“Madam Li, you won’t allow Ning Qing to step into the Ning family’s house, but you’d invited Ning Qing to visit when your daughter returned from abroad. Are you flaunting your pride and success to those who’d failed?”

“Madam Li, there were rumors that you were involved in the original Ning couple, but you have not responded. Can you reveal to us now whether Ning Yao is Ning Qing’s biological sister or not? If so, then were you already the third party 20 years ago? Have you kicked out the original spouse and become the main mistress of the house?”

...

Xiao Zhou laughed gleefully as she watched the situation explode inside. “Ning Qing, you are too awesome, Ning Yao’s wedding proposal banquet has become a farce, and Li Meiling is going to be so bogged down by this.”

Ning Qing smiled. “Didn’t Ning Yao feel smug about inviting so many reporters? Let her have a taste of her own medicine. Xiao Zhou, we can’t drop our guard. Li Meiling is not so easy to deal with. Li Meiling’s tied up now because of Ning Yao’s proposal banquet, but I believe she will fight back soon.”

“Noted.” Xiao Zhou wiped the smile off her face as she said seriously, “I’ve already uploaded the video of you declaring your innocence on Weibo. Our PR team has also issued a lawyer’s statement. All the people who had misunderstood you before would pity you now; we just have to wait for the rebound chain reaction.”

Ning Qing nodded. In fact, defending her innocence and exposing Li Meiling’s and her daughter required skill; she had always been waiting for an opportunity like today.

Why had she kept silent these past three years?

Firstly, she had no film and television works, and she lacked a foundation and popularity in the entertainment industry, so no one would believe what she would say. Secondly, Li Meiling was a veteran actress, and going against her directly would be like an egg trying to crush a stone. Thirdly, Ning Yao had been in the United States for the past three years, and she didn’t have a good point of penetration.

She could only choose silence and forbearance when she was weak because she knew that if she wanted revenge, she must first make herself strong, then wait for an opportunity to fight back step by step.

Now the opportunity had arrived, and she seized it. She would make Ning Yao regret returning home.

“Xiao Zhou, you go and post the video to Emperor Entertainment Tieba.”

“Tieba? Why?”

“Although Emperor Entertainment was Xu family’s enterprise, there are three or four directors in the company who are not from the Xu family. Lately, they have been dissatisfied with Xu Junxi. Now that Xu Junxi is playing around with a pair of sisters and has an indecent private life, those directors will surely hold this against him. Didn’t Xu Junxi want to marry Ning Yao? Alright then, I will let him pay the price of marrying Ning Yao! ”

Xiao Zhou listened carefully and said, “Okay.”

“In addition, I will give you the addresses of a few shopping malls and beauty salons where Xu Junxi’s mother usually loves to shop at. You spend some money and broadcast this video on their rolling screens. I want to let Ning Yao know that entering the Xu family is hard, and if Mommy Xu is supportive enough, Ning Yao will always remain a fiancee!”

Ning Qing would never forget Mommy Xu’s bitter face when she had fallen from grace. Mommy Xu had always wanted to find a socialite or someone of comparable status.

She knew that Li Meiling had spent a lot of time and effort on Mommy Xu in the past three years, so she shall teach Li Meiling a lesson of how fast Mommy Xu could fall out and turn her back on her.

“Ning Qing, you are such a genius. Making so many moves with a video, I would never think of this.” Xiao Zhou was full of admiration.

Ning Qing smiled bitterly and joked, “If you’d fallen to the bottom of life at the age of 18 like me, you’d also grow up overnight. However, I think that all the people who have already grown up wish that they never had to have grown up in their hearts.”

Xiao Zhou’s heart ached for Ning Qing as she looked at her beautiful but melancholic facial silhouette. She had known Ning Qing for three years. She’d introduced Ning Qing to her first insignificant role. She knew better than anyone how difficult life had been for Ning Qing over these three years.

“Ning Qing, don’t be sad. At least we have succeeded now.”

“Yes, thanks to Director Wang, who has given me the chance to change my destiny.” Director Wang was an important benefactor in her life, and Ning Qing would always remember him.

“Yes.” Xiao Zhou nodded. “Ning Qing, let’s go and join the cast now. Director Wang has brought everyone to bowl in a private club.”

Ning Qing agreed. Before she left, she looked down and took out her cell phone from her bag.