Hidden Marriage

Chapters 161 to 180

Chapter 161: Didn't See Him As a Man

Hearing this, Ning Xi immediately pushed the embarrassment to the back of her mind. "Done? All of it?"

Lu Tingxiao nodded, and signaled for her to take a look herself.

At first, Ning Xi was worried that she wouldn't understand what she was seeing, but then she realized that Lu Tingxiao was showing her the results straightaway without going through all the complicated processes.

The IP address of the sender showed that the email had been sent from the apartment that Ning Xueluo was staying in, Regal Riveria, and that the anonymous foreign account belonged to Cui Caijing, Ning Xueluo’s assistant.

"I thought this kind of hacking only existed in TV shows! Especially for anonymous accounts, they have high levels of security, so you need to hack into the bank’s system in order to break it, it’s almost an impossible mission…" Ning Xi was so excited she couldn’t speak for a long while. At last, she hugged Lu Tingxiao. "Lord Boss! You are absolutely brilliant!"

Lu Tingxiao: "…"

In that moment, Lu Tingxiao realized that he was now facing a problem.

Even if Ning Xi did completely trust him now, she trusted him a little too much… to the point of forgetting the fact that he was a man!

To put it simply, she treated him like a good teacher and friend, even like a father, but didn’t see him as a man.

This was really a headache…

But it was also a good sign. The moment he had been waiting for was quickly approaching.

"What are you going to do with this evidence?"Lu Tingxiao asked after sorting out his emotions.

"There’s no rush in making it public yet, I’ll let Ning Xueluo continue making a fuss. The larger the fuss she makes, the worse it’ll hit her when the time comes! I’m going to… to…"

"To do what?"

"Mm… Lu Tingxiao, can you help me, why do I suddenly feel like the floor’s spinning…"

At the word "spinning", Ning Xi blacked out, and she fell to the floor with a hard thump.

"Ning Xi —" Lu Tingxiao’s face changed abruptly, and he quickly picked her up.

The soft body in his arms was burning up like a fireball. He felt her forehead; as expected, it was hot to the touch.

He had noticed it a bit earlier, but had thought the heat was just his imagination. He never expected that she would really be sick.

With the person in his arms, Lu Tingxiao ran downstairs: "Uncle Yuan! Get the car!"

The old butler was alarmed to see what was happening. "What is wrong with Miss Xiao Xi?"

"I … don’t know." Lu Tingxiao’s ice mask, which hadn't changed for a thousand years, fractured.

He didn't know! He didn't know whether it was a left-over effect of the drug or if it was just a fever, or maybe Zhu Xiangcheng had given her something?

In that moment, Lu Tingxiao was drowning in self-recrimination. He should have taken her to the hospital for a check-up in the first hour; not only hadn’t he done so! He had dragged the time out for so long, and made her exhausted from running up and down.

So much had happened this time, and she was under such immense pressure.He was afraid that she had now finally reached the limits of her endurance…

"Eldest Young Master, don't worry too much, it looks like Miss Xiao Xi just has a fever, how about we call the family doctor to come and take a look at her…"

In that moment, Lu Tingxiao was already deaf to anything anyone could say, and when the driver came around with the car, he immediately got in with the person in his arms. "To the hospital!"

Then he said to the butler outside the car, "Tell Qin Mufeng to come, too!"

"Yes." The butler was helpless to do anything but obey.

If he still had the slightest uncertainty, seeing Eldest Young Master’s expression in that moment swept it all away.

This girl was most likely their future Eldest Young Mistress.

Chapter 162: Oh My, My Wife is Really Cute~

When the butler made a call to Qin Mufeng, he was at the bar. Lu Jingli had pulled him into a conversation to gossip.

Once they heard that Ning Xi had suddenly fainted, the pair rushed over to the hospital.

At the First People’s Republic Hospital in the capital, in the VIP ward on the top floor.

Once Qin Mufeng and Lu Jingli arrived, they saw a sickly pale Ning Xi lying on the hospital bed, her arm hooked up to an IV. Sitting in a chair beside her was Lu Tingxiao, his face heavy with worry and his expression overcast.

Lu Jingli and Qin Mufeng gazed at each other, and realized they were both frightened by Lu Tingxiao’s expression.

At this moment, a nurse carrying medication came over, and Lu Jingli hurriedly pulled her aside to ask, "How’s the condition of the patient? What’s wrong with her? Is it serious?"

"The patient has a fever of 39.6oC," the nurse replied.

"Oh, a fever… what? She has a fever?" Lu Jingli appeared confused. "Are you sure it’s a fever? Only a fever?"

"Yes, we’ve already done a full body check. There’s no other issue so you can all rest easy. Just now, the mister inside the patient’s room has already asked multiple times," the nurse said, not appearing the least annoyed because… whether it was the one inside or the two standing outside the door, they were all too handsome! Even if they asked her a hundred times, she would always be willing to answer!

Lu Jingli weakly held onto the door frame for support, feeling his heart that's still beating heavily in his chest. "Dear brother, are you trying to scare me to death? She only has a fever, so what are you doing looking like you have some incurable disease?"

Qin Mufeng, who stood beside him, also appeared helpless. "You even called me to come here. Although I am a doctor, I’m a psychiatrist!"

Lu Tingxiao focused his gaze, and glanced coldly at Qin Mufeng. "Right now, Ning Xi has already replaced you, so perhaps I should save on some expenses."

In other words, he would be fired.

The sum that he spent on Qin Mufeng was not a small amount.

"Cough, don’t! Actually, I have plenty of other uses! I know an extremely famous nutritionist at this hospital. I will go and personally request that he help nurse Ning Xi back to health!"

Qin Mufeng did indeed have a slightly guilty conscience. Ever since Ning Xi had appeared, he had a lot more free time. Whether it was Little Treasure or Lu Tingxiao, neither of them required his assistance much anymore. Even the weekly therapy sessions had stopped.

After Qin Mufeng left, Lu Jingli saw that Lu Tingxiao had lowered his head, and was looking down at his cellphone. He couldn’t help but ask, "Brother, what are you looking at?"

Since when had his brother become an internet-obsessed youth?

As a result, once he went closer to take a look, he was shocked.

His brother had actually transferred the footage from the secret video into his phone.

"Sheet! Brother, what are you doing looking at this for? Xiao Xi Xi looked so frightening that when I first saw it, I had goosebumps! I couldn’t even tell she was acting, it was so real…" Lu Jingli said as he shivered.

But right now, his brother was actually watching intently with an "Oh my, my wife is really cute" expression on his face…

Man, there really was no hope for him anymore…

"But you two really couldn’t be any more alike, even your ways of thinking are the same! You’re both equally simple and violent! Cough cough, you’re really a family!" Lu Jingli lamented.

Lu Tingxiao lightly touched the face of the girl on the bed, his expression full of extreme pride.

To avoid being blinded by this sight, Lu Jingli could only helplessly turn his head. "Have you already discovered the other party’s identity? Are we going to follow up with a public announcement online to clear Xiao Xi Xi’s name? Should I start working?"

Chapter 163: He Didn’t Have Such Heavy Tastes

Coldness flashed through Lu Tingxiao’s gaze. "No rush."

Lu Jingli rubbed his chin. "True, after all, she has us as her backup, so she can make some more noise. Then things will be even more fun!"

"Prepare a contract for Ning Xi," Lu Tingxiao replied.

A flash of light flickered in Lu Jingli’s eyes. "Contract? Brother, are you finally preparing to pull sister-in-law over to Glory World?"

"Prepare a copy of all the profiles of all the managers working at Glory World for me." This statement indirectly answered Lu Jingli’s question.

"I got it, I got it! You want to personally help Xiao Xi Xi pick a manager, right? Really, if you treated me a thousandth of how you treat Xiao Xi Xi, I’d be satisfied!" Lu Jingli sourly whined.

Lu Tingxiao shot a glance at him, and suddenly reached out his hand.

Lu Jingli thought that he was about to hit him and instinctively dodged. "Did I say something wrong again!"

In the end, Lu Tingxiao had only reached out his hand to pat him on the back of his neck.

To him, it was already considered a very intimate action.

Lu Jingli was so surprised, he was practically ready for heaven. His ears were slightly red. "Brother, you… what are you doing?"

Lu Tingxiao furrowed his brow as he looked at him, but his tone was gentle as he said, "Don’t only focus on playing around. Work hard and find a person whom you would like to spend the rest of your days with."

Lu Jingli appeared distraught, and he sucked in a deep breath. "Oh my god! You scared me to death! Brother, you suddenly treating me so gently like this is even more horrifying than you beating me up!"

"Later on, I will focus on helping you with your marriage," Lu Tingxiao said.

"What?! Don’t! Brother, you should just continue to let me be free!! Please let me be free! I won’t ever mess with you again!!! Please just continue to be cold again!!!!" Lu Jingli was so scared, he nearly pissed himself.

What if his brother picked a woman as frightening as him? What would he do then?

If he picked one that was exactly like Xiao Xi Xi, he definitely wouldn’t be able to take it!

He didn’t have such heavy tastes! He liked women who were more gentle!

At this moment, Lu Jingli suddenly had a flash of brilliance. "Brother, this kind of thing isn’t for men to worry about! You should focus on sister-in-law and then let sister-in-law introduce someone to me, right? My sister-in-law’s eyesight must be really good!"

Hearing this, Lu Tingxiao thought for awhile. "Alright."

Lu Jingli patted himself on his chest, finally letting loose a breath. That had been a very narrow escape from death.

Before, he had switched girlfriends very quickly, but it was now over half a year since he last dated.

Even he didn’t know why, but he felt that it was becoming increasingly meaningless. At the moment, he really didn’t want to have a girlfriend.

Especially after seeing his brother with Ning Xi, he further realized that his previous relationships had been completely shallow.

Fine, he’d admit it. He was jealous.

He was jealous that even though his brother had had to wait thirty-two years, he had finally met his true love. Meanwhile, he himself didn’t know if he could wait until that day…

The more Lu Jingli thought about it, the more sorrowful he felt, so he decided not to torture himself any longer. "Brother, if there’s nothing else, then I’ll be leaving first! The things you wanted, I will quickly prepare and send them over to you! Bye~"

…

…

Ning Xi’s slumber lasted until late into the second day.

When she finally opened her eyes, her body felt light, as if it was floating. Her state of mind was one of confusion, as though a lifetime had already passed.

When Lu Tingxiao pushed open the door to enter the room, he saw a girl wearing loose-fitting hospital clothes under the sunlight from the window… She appeared to have just woken up, and was sitting absentmindedly on the plain white hospital bed. Her expression was wooden and blank, and anyone who saw it would feel their heart hurt and make them helplessly want to embrace her…

Chapter 164: Do You Have The Strength To Eat?

"You’re awake." Lu Tingxiao was afraid of scaring and disturbing her, so he lightly walked over and brushed his palm gently over her messy hair.

"Lu Tingxiao…" Ning Xi was slow to look at him.

"Yes, how does your body feel?"

Ning Xi appeared dazed. "Is this the hospital? What happened to me?"

"You fainted last night because of a 39oC high fever." Recalling that moment yesterday when she had suddenly fainted caused Lu Tingxiao’s expression to darken.

Ning Xi shook her head. "I had a fever? Why does my body feel so light, like I don’t have any strength!"

"You must be hungry. You slept for nearly a whole day and night," Lu Tingxiao said as he helped her unfold the meal table on her bed. Then he placed a pillow behind her back. "I assumed you would be up soon, so I bought dinner for you just now."

"Thanks…" Ning Xi looked at the busy man before her. She pressed her lips together, and couldn’t resist extending one hand to touch his chin.

The warmth of her fingertips caused Lu Tingxiao to freeze, and he looked at the girl, whose gaze was incomparably warm. "Yes? What is it?"

Ning Xi furrowed her brow as she looked at his worn-out appearance and the stubble above and below his mouth. "Did you take care of me all night? All your stubble has grown out!"

"It’s alright. I did sleep for a while." In reality, he hadn’t rested his eyes for even a minute, nor had he been in the mood to wash his face or rinse his mouth. Only when she woke up was he able to relax.

"Eat your dinner. Since you can’t have anything too fattening right now, there’s only plain congee. Wait until you’re better, then I’ll buy you something tasty." Lu Tingxiao placed the bowl of congee and spoon into her hands. "Do you have the strength to eat? Do you need my help?"

Ning Xi didn’t say a word, and she also didn’t move.

Lu Tingxiao raised his head suspiciously to look at her. "What is it? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere on your body? I’ll go call the doctor…"

Ning Xi quickly pulled him back, "Ah, I’m fine. I’m just not completely awake, so I’m a bit out of it…"

Lu Tingxiao let out a breath of relief. "Right now, what you need the most is rest, so don’t think too much."

"Mm." Ning Xi nodded her head before diving into her bowl of congee. But she still did not appear to be in good condition, and looked only half-conscious.

Lu Tingxiao treated her so nicely, she almost felt terrified.

It was not as though she was dense, but from the beginning, the way he treated her had always been like this. She had continuously overlooked it, until she had gradually become accustomed to it.

Everything which the man before her had done, was it all simply to repay a debt of gratitude?

Even if he saw her as just a friend, would a friend do so much to this extent?

Because her mind had been filled with too many messy things she had had to deal with, in the end she only thought of this fleetingly…

…

…

After eating dinner, Ning Xi finally felt that she had recovered some of her spirit.

She quickly shifted through all the complicated thoughts inside her brain, and began dealing with the important issues. "Lu Tingxiao, is my phone here?"

Lu Tingxiao did not look pleased. "I just said you need to rest well."

Ning Xi clasped her hands together. "I’ve rested enough after sleeping for so long. Also, I’m full from eating. If you don’t let me do something, I’ll start rotting!"

Lu Tingxiao saw that she did look a lot better, and couldn’t resist her pleading gaze, so he ended up handing the phone over to her.

Afterwards, he brought the thermometer over. "Let’s take your temperature."

"Ah…" Ning Xi obediently opened her mouth for the thermometer, and then immediately went on the Internet to go through the entertainment news.

<The World>’s Production Team Performs <Beyond the Realm of Conscience>, Vicious Beauty Climbing Up Using Unorthodox Methods

Ning Xueluo Wounded, An Accident Or Attempted Murder?

Starlight Entertainment Publicly Announces Decision To Firmly Boycott Unfair Competition, Protecting The Lives and Safety Of Artistes

Ning Xueluo’s Office Sends Out a Lawyer’s Letter, Ning Xi’s Sudden Disappearance, No Reply Until Now

…

Chapter 165: You Truly Deserve To Be Called The Great Demon King!

After that, Ning Xi opened Weibo, only to see a page full of cursing. It was even several times worse than that time with Jia Qingqing, but after all, compared to Jia Qingqing, Ning Xueluo was much more popular. Her fans’ battle power was much more powerful.

[That slut Ning Xi keeps hiding and won’t appear, so she must be guilty! She must have seen that she’d been exposed so she ran off, right? After all, she’s already attempted murder! If they were to go to court, she would definitely have to go to jail! ]

[To be vilified once is just others being jealous, but she’s been in the same situation so many times, so it must be her character that’s the problem! This time, she was even caught in the act! ]

[Xueluo has such a good reputation in the entertainment industry and she has even supported this junior sister so many times. Who would have thought that she would actually return kindness with enmity, like a Schweinhund! It’s because of people like her that the entertainment circle’s trends are getting worse! ]

[Don’t you guys feel that this might have been Ning Xi’s scheme from the start? She gets rid of Jia Qingqing first so that she can secure the role of the second female lead, and then hurts Ning Xueluo to get the role of leading actress! ]

[That’s so terrifying! I’m so scared! As expected, a beautiful woman is not a good thing! ]

…

Lu Tingxiao glanced at her cell phone out of the corner of his eye, and knit his brows after seeing the vicious comments. "Don’t look anymore."

Ning Xi was sitting cross-legged, the thermometer between her lips as she replied unintelligibly, "It’s nothing. Seeing these is actually really fun!"

"Measure it properly, don’t speak."

"Mm." You’re the one who made me speak…

Having finally finished measuring, Lu Tingxiao looked at the thermometer. "37.1oC."

Ning Xi was immediately pleased as she said, "I said I was alright! Actually, my body is really healthy! So can I leave the hospital now?"

"You still need to be hospitalized for a few days for observation."

"Ah? I still have to be hospitalized? But I really miss darling Little White!" Ning Xi decisively chose to bring up Little Treasure.

"He’s already on his way here," Lu Tingxiao said in a tone which left no room for discussion.

"Ah, okay…" Ning Xi finally had nothing more to say.

Lu Tingxiao tidied up and put the meal table away, then sat in the chair besides the bed. "What do you plan to do now?"

Ning Xi immediately remembered something. "I actually was about to tell you about it. Can you send a copy of the evidence to my phone? I need to prepare to first send it to a person!"

Lu Tingxiao glanced at her. "Zhang Qiang?"

Ning Xi was already used to Lu Tingxiao’s quick intelligence, but she still couldn’t help but admire him. "You truly deserve to be called Lord Boss! You’re so quick-witted! I’m preparing to make Zhang Qiang fight his own allies by using the evidence to blackmail Ning Xueluo!"

After Ning Xi excitedly finished saying her piece, she immediately coughed and anxiously looked at Lu Tingxiao, "Doing this… would I be too vicious?"

Lu Tingxiao didn’t reply, and after some consideration, he said, "The main issue is that this doesn’t bring you any benefits, and you’re really letting Zhang Qiang off easy."

Ning Xi scratched her head. "What you said is not wrong, but my main priority is to cause trouble for Ning Xueluo. I didn’t really think about anything else."

Lu Tingxiao thought for a moment and then said, "Instead of letting Zhang Qiang gain profit, why don’t you do it yourself?"

When Ning Xi heard this, her eyes bulged out in surprise. "Would… would this work?"

"Why not?" Lu Tingxiao countered, and then continued to elaborate. "Based on Ning Xueluo’s capability, you should be able to extort about eight million from her. This is your best opportunity to dissolve your contract with Starlight Entertainment. You can use the money to pay the penalty fee."

"…" Ning Xi was utterly speechless after hearing Lu Tingxiao’s words.

At the most, she had only wanted to incite other people, but the Big Demon King was truly excellent. Not only did he not admonish her actions, he even taught her how to be even worse…

‘Schweinhund’ is German for ‘pig-dog’, and is considered an extremely offensive insult.

Chapter 166: An Even Faster Method

However, this maneuver was so perfect!

The only issue was that extortion, this kind of thing, if one were to personally go and do it, the conscience wouldn’t easily allow it…

Ning Xi bit her lip as she remembered everything that had happened that night, and she laughed coldly inside her heart. Ah, what conscience, they had even gone to that extent!

Ning Xi quickly made up her mind. "Alright, send it to me. I’ll contact Ning Xueluo!"

"No need, I’ll help you. That way, no one can track down your IP address," Lu Tingxiao said.

At this moment, in Ning Xi’s view, Lu Tingxiao was no different from a god. Her eyes glimmered as she said, "God Lu, I’ve realized your abilities are too heaven-defying! Do you accept disciples?"

Seeing the girl’s worshipful gaze elevated Lu Tingxiao’s mood a lot. He glanced at her. "I don’t accept."

Ning Xi immediately appeared disappointed. "Ah…" As expected, he wasn’t accepting any! Big Boss Lu had so many things to take care of, so how could he possibly accept any disciples…

Lu Tingxiao continued to gaze deeply at her. "If you want my level of capability, there’s an even faster method."

"What is it, what is it?" Ning Xi instantly perked up as she asked.

Lu Tingxiao: "Marry me." If she married him, everything that was his would also be hers, what else would she still need to learn?

"Cough cough cough…" Ning Xi nearly choked on her own saliva.

This method, you really couldn’t say he was wrong…

It was just that… did she just get hit on again?

Lu Tingxiao admired the girl’s embarrassed expression, before asking, "Have you thought about which company you want to join after you dissolve your contract?"

Ning Xi rubbed her chin. "This… I'm still thinking it over…"

Lu Tingxiao was undeterred as he continued. "After you've cleared your name, your popularity should be on par with first- and second-tier artistes. It'll be much easier to find a company then."

Ning Xi sighed. "It's actually very troublesome. Small companies aren't very competitive and don't offer a good future, while big companies will be hard to get into because of my lack of background. I might appear very well-known, but most of my fame comes from bad press. I don't have even one finished work, so my position is pretty awkward… hmm, Teacher Lu, do you have any ideas?"

Regarding such an important decision, Ning Xi had already intended to ask Lu Tingxiao for advice.

Lu Tingxiao poured a cup of water for her before replying: "From my perspective as a businessman, you are a very explosive stock full of rising potential. I believe you will prove your worth in the future. Therefore, I naturally hope you will join Glory World."

Ning Xi speechlessly widened her eyes in disbelief, and was frozen for a while before coming back to her senses. "Is Lord Boss trying to personally poach me right now?"

Lu Tingxiao slightly smiled. "What you said is not wrong. I really do want to poach you. So, will you come?"

Damn it! This manner of speaking was foul play!

Ning Xi gulped while calming her heart, and then seriously replied, "To be direct and honest, if this time, I am able to smoothly leave Starlight Entertainment, the company I most want to join is Glory World. Today, Glory World has already surpassed Starlight Entertainment and has indisputably become the best entertainment company in this industry, with the best future prospects…"

Lu Tingxiao appeared very pleased and nodded. Then he extended his hand towards her. "Then let’s have a pleasant cooperation."

"Ah?" Ning Xi subconsciously extended her hand. "Let’s… let’s have a pleasant cooperation."

What… what was this situation? Just like that they were going to happily work together?

Just like that she had come to an agreement with Glory World?

The Great Demon King was so efficient even in poaching people…

Chapter 167: Our Feelings Are Mutual

"Eh, so our cooperation is considered confirmed?" Ning Xi was still a little dumbfounded.

"I think highly of you, while you already have your heart set on Glory World. Our feelings are mutual, so is there an issue?" Lu Tingxiao replied with a question.

"…" Our feelings are mutual, this phrase could even be used like this…

Ning Xi felt that she could trouble anyone in the world except Lu Tingxiao, which was why she asked in an extremely solemn tone, "You don’t need to think things over again? I feel that I’m rather troublesome, and if by chance, I bring trouble to you…"

"If you could handle everything so well on your own, then what would you still need a management company for? That’s the purpose of my existence."

"Oh…" Ning Xi rubbed her nose.

Anyway, she had already noticed that the Great Demon King normally said very little, but when he did speak, each word was a gem. She could not win against him.

Ning Xi thought carefully for a moment. Up until now, Starlight had wronged her so many times, so it would be considered normal for her to suggest dissolving their contract. She wouldn’t be creating any reason for gossip, and even her termination fee would be taken care of. Clearing her name was only a small issue, so it shouldn’t particularly trouble Lu Tingxiao.

Thinking of it like this, she finally relaxed.

"Lord Boss, to repay your kindness, from now on I will work hard to earn money for you. I won’t disappoint you!" Ning Xi immediately expressed her heartfelt sincerity.

At the very least, she was very confident in her own capability!

Lu Tingxiao smiled. "Yes, I look forward to it."

At this moment, Ning Xi’s cell phone suddenly rang.

The display name was Evil Fairy King.

Jiang Muye had called countless times, but because she had been too busy and had suddenly fallen ill, she had never managed to pick up his calls.

Ning Xi didn’t hide it from Lu Tingxiao, and directly answered, "Hello, Jiang…"

Not waiting for her to speak, a roar so loud that her eardrums almost exploded came from the phone —

"Ning Xiao Xi, where in hell have you roamed off to! Do you know that you’re being bad-mouthed by everyone!

He went to the Lu residence once to find her, but the butler had informed him that she wasn’t there, and neither was Lu Tingxiao. That day happened to be her birthday, and with the two of them missing, how could he not overthink it!

Ning Xi wordlessly pulled at her ear. "What do you mean ‘roam’! I’m currently in the hospital!"

Jiang Muye froze when he heard this, and his voice immediately became frantic and nervous. "What? In the hospital? Are you okay? Don’t tell me you got beaten up?"

Ning Xi curled her lips. "You’re the one who was beaten up! It’s just a fever!"

"Which hospital are you at, I’ll come see you right now!"

"No need, you’re so busy. You should just worry about the stuff at home first. My fever has already gone down, and Lu Tingxiao is here, not to mention, Little Treasure will be coming soon."

The cell phone suddenly went silent for a few seconds, and then Jiang Muye spoke in a somber tone: "Ning Xi, have you seen the email I sent you yet?"

"Not yet, I haven’t had the time. Ever since the day before yesterday, I haven’t been able to take a break from all the problems! In short, there’s too much to talk about, I’ll tell you everything later when I have the time."

Jiang Muye took a deep breath. "Just remember to take a quick look. Also, let me ask you, what are you going to do about Ning Xueluo? Originally, I was prepared to help you deal with Zhang Qiang that bastard, but in the end, when I sent someone over to stop him, his place was already empty. Because you belong to Starlight Entertainment, I can’t use my company’s public relations department, so I’ve discussed with Brother Ming and personally contacted a reliable public relations team…"

When Ning Xi heard this, she gratefully replied, "Thank you Jiang Muye, but there’s no need. I’ve found evidence to clear my name."

Jiang Muye ground his teeth. "Was it Lu Tingxiao AGAIN?!"

Chapter 168: Love Her a Little More

"I got it myself, alright? But after that, Lu Tingxiao did help me a lot."

"Got it, as long as you’re okay. I’m hanging up! Remember to check the email I sent you!" Taking into consideration that she was still sick, Jiang Muye suppressed his anger with effort. He wasn't in the mood to ask how Lu Tingxiao had swept in like a hero to rescue her, and simply ended the call forcefully.

Damn it! If Lu Tingxiao hadn’t used dirty tricks to stall him, right now he should be the one standing by her side and helping her through this crisis!

Shameless, he was too shameless!

"Jiang Muye called?" Lu Tingxiao asked casually.

"Yes, he asked me if I needed help! And he also said he emailed me, I’m don’t know what it is, but he kept reminding me to take a look. He was all mysterious about it, I’m guessing it must be some kind of trick birthday gift. He did the same thing last year, and sent me an especially scary video. I was so angry I beat him up three times before I was satisfied…"

Ning Xi grumbled to herself and wasn't in a hurry to read the email. She continued scrolling through her texts and missed calls to see if there were any she needed to reply to.

The missed calls were mostly unknown numbers, which would definitely be from the media and press. As she scrolled down, she saw a name; the call had been made on her birthday.

Seeing the two characters, Ning Xi’s indifferent expression turned warm and soft. "I thought he forgot my birthday!"

"Who?" Lu Tingxiao tensed unconsciously.

"My little brother, Tang Nuo."

Lu Tingxiao nodded, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He was already jittery at the thought that it could be yet another ex-boyfriend.

Ning Xi called back immediately. "Hi, Xiao Nuo~"

"Sis, you finally returned my call! How are you? Is everything alright? Did those people give you a hard time? I saw it in a newspaper article…"

"Don’t worry, I’m fine!"

"But that woman said she was going to sue you!"

"Your sister is not someone to be trifled with, we’ll see who gets sued in the end!"

"Are you really okay?"

"I’m really alright! If you keep worrying about me, I’m going to suspect that you’re not seventeen, but seventy years old instead!" Saying this, Ning Xi paused. "But do you really trust me that much? Maybe I really did lose my mind, and stabbed Ning Xueluo on purpose?"

On the other end of the phone, the young man’s voice was clear and bright: "Who would I trust if not my own sister?"

At these words, warmth spread in Ning Xi’s heart. "You brat, you’re good with words!"

"I’ll stop worrying now that I know you’re okay. Ah, that’s right, I still haven't wished you happy birthday, but it’s past already…"

"No big deal, saying it now is the same. Thank you, my dear handsome, thoughtful little brother~"

"Don’t be so sappy! I won’t talk to you anymore, school’s going to start soon, I need to catch up on my holiday homework!"

"Go, go! Fighting, young man!"

After the call, Ning Xi’s mood was instantly sunny.

Seeing her good mood, Lu Tingxiao’s own mood was also lifted. "The two of you are very close?"

"That’s right! Even though we’re not related by blood, we’re very close. My grandmother favored boys over girls when I was little, right? Back then, only Xiao Nuo got to eat all the good food at home. I couldn’t even eat at the table, but Xiao Nuo would always hide some food away for me. And every time Grandmother found fault with me, he would always come out to protect me. He’s such a good brother!"

Saying this, Ning Xi felt a little downcast. "Isn't it strange? My own blood treats me like the enemy, while the one I have no blood relations with is my family. I should’ve known from the start, interests always outweigh family in that circle…"

Lu Tingxiao gently patted the cute little hair bun on top of the girl’s sad, drooping head. "You’ll find better."

Every time he heard her speak about her childhood, he couldn’t help wanting to love her a little more, to dote on her a little more, to give her back double of everything that she had lost.

Chapter 169: Really Want To Steal Him Home

Ning Xi finished going through her calls record, and had moved on to her messages when she was taken aback by one in particular.

[Dearest, I really underestimated your courage.]

Sender: YS

What did this guy mean by sending her such a statement out of nowhere? What did she do?

Lu Tingxiao had deleted the call log, so Ning Xi naturally didn't know about the call between the two men that night.

"What is it?"Lu Tingxiao asked, seeing something was off about her appearance.

"Nothing…" Ning Xi just assumed that person was acting crazy, and paid it no mind. She put her phone down and asked, "When is Little Treasure coming?"

"He should be arriving soon."

Hearing that, Ning Xi immediately fixed her hair subconsciously. "Where’s the hair clip Little Treasure gave me?"

"Here, I put it away for you." Lu Tingxiao opened the bedside table drawer, took the pink hair clip out, and passed it to her.

Ning Xi immediately clipped it back on happily.

Seeing the hair clip in Ning Xi’s hair, Lu Tingxiao felt a little regret; if he had known earlier, he wouldn’t have given her a gun. If he had given something like a necklace, bracelet or earrings, she could at least wear it on her…

Actually, he had already prepared a gift a long time ago: a ring. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t the right time to give it to her.

As the two of them were speaking, there was a knock on the door.

Ning Xi rolled out of bed to open the door, and sure enough, Little Treasure had arrived.

"Darling, you’re here!"

After Little Treasure entered, he used his little hand to pull urgently on her clothes, as if he wanted her to bend a little.

"What’s wrong?" Ning Xi crouched down.

Little Treasure immediately bumped his little head into Ning Xi’s forehead with a serious face.

Ning Xi couldn't help laughing aloud. "Heh, darling, are you taking my temperature? Don't worry, I just measured it, and the fever’s already gone!"

Little Treasure’s face was still full of worry, and his heart hurt to look at the bruises on the back of her hand from the IV drip.

Ning Xi embraced the little guy in her arms and patted him comfortingly. "Don’t frown, Auntie is all healthy now after seeing you!"

Little Treasure was a miracle cure, she really wanted to steal him home.

"Want to take a walk?"Lu Tingxiao suggested.

"Yes, yes!" After sleeping for a whole day, Ning Xi was ready to move about, and it also wasn’t good to make Little Treasure accompany her in the ward either.

On their way to the elevator, the three of them passed a ward which had a horde of reporters crowded noisily around its entrance with their cameras, all of them trying to interview the woman in the room:

"Xueluo, have you gotten in touch with Ning Xi yet?"

"Not yet, I haven't heard anything about her."

"Ning Xi fled to avoid being punished, what do you have to say about this? What do you plan to do next?"

"I… I don’t know… until now I still can’t believe she could do such a thing…"

"We’ve heard that Ning International and Starlight Entertainment have already withdrawn their investments in protest, is that true? Has there been any reply from the production team? Will they replace Ning Xi?"

"I’m not sure about this, you can ask the representative for the production team."

"If Ning Xi apologized to you, would you forgive her?"

"If she really meant it with her heart, I could personally forgive her for this confusion, but the negative impact which she has had on the entertainment industry cannot be fixed with an apology, and I also wouldn't be in a position to forgive her for that!"

…

Ning Xi couldn’t help raising an eyebrow at Ning Xueluo’s white lotus drama, and it was only at that moment that she realized that she was in the same hospital and on the same floor as Ning Xueluo.

At this moment, one of the reporters noticed Ning Xi standing by the elevator opposite the ward, and immediately shouted, "Ning Xi —"

‘White lotus’ here refers to Ning Xueluo pretending to be vulnerable and innocent.

Chapter 170: How Can It Be Ning Xi

"Ning Xi? Where, where?"

"Ning Xi’s here? No way! She actually dared to show up?"

"There, over there!"

…

All the reporters turned to look in unison, and one after another lifted their cameras, ready to shoot the latest news.

Ning Xi frowned. She didn’t care about herself, but her first reaction was to protect Little Bun and to not let anyone scare him.

But before she could hug Little Bun, a large palm had pressed her head forward so that she was enveloped in warm arms, and one of her hands was gripped tightly by Little Bun’s soft little hand, almost as if he was telling her to not be afraid.

As for those reporters, they all stopped ten steps away.

Two huge men in black and wearing sunglasses appeared out of nowhere. Their expressions were fiendish, and like door gods, they blocked the path.

"Hey, who are you people, get out of the way! Good dogs don't get in the way!" All the reporter was thinking about was grabbing a headline, and he spoke without thinking.

But there was also a smart one in the crowd, and he pulled the guy who had spoken to a stop, his face full of fear as if he had seen something extremely frightening. "Are you out of your mind! Those are bodyguards for the Lu family!"

"Lu… Lu family… you’re not saying that Lu family, are you?"

"No kidding! How many Lu families are there in the capital!"

"But how do you know? It’s not like they have letters carved on their faces!"

"Are you a moron? Didn't you see the emblem on their clothes?"

After being reminded, everyone retreated three steps, and those who had acted rudely apologized non-stop, their faces full of terror. "These two big brothers, we’re sorry, sorry! We didn’t recognize who you were! Please don’t hold this against us!"

Holy sheet! These were the personal bodyguards for the Lu family? Then who were the three behind them?

The reporters wanted to figure out the situation, but as soon as they carefully extended their gazes, they were all scared into retreating back, their faces drained of color.

The tall, strong man who held the girl in his arms had a face as cold as frost, like a god. But his eyes were so severe, and his aura too oppressive. The more experienced reporters were the ones who were the best at reading people, and they instantly understood that this was not a man to be trifled with. At the same time, when they settled down, they felt that something wasn’t right…

What Ning Xi, you saw wrong! That’s a family of three! How can that woman possibly be Ning Xi!"

"Exactly! Did you go crazy with wanting that headline too much? Everyone looks like Ning Xi to you!"

"One look at this person and you know he’s not someone to be trifled with, you want to get us all killed?!"

One by one, the reporters started to grumble at the person who had first shouted.

"Eh, I probably saw wrong, but she really looks similar, you guys also got confused at the beginning, didn't you…"

"Similar my butt! That Ning Xi is a poisonous snake, but you can tell this miss is a good wife and loving mother. She has a noble and refined temperament, how are they alike!"

"Exactly! So gentle and so cute! How could she be Ning Xi that wicked b*tch!"

…

By now, the elevator had arrived with a ding.

Even after the three of them had disappeared in the elevator, the reporters were still sighing:

"Aiyaya, did you see that little boy just now, he was so beautiful! He looked like an exact copy of that man, you can tell with one look that they’re father and son!"

"Who on earth is he in the Lu family? His aura was so scary!"

"I keep thinking that man looks a little familiar… eh…why do I feel that… he looked a little like the God of Fortune?"

"Shut up, he really did look like him! Then that little boy…don’t tell me that was the legendary little prince?"

Chapter 171: The Most Beautiful Princess~

This guess was instantly like a tossed stone stirring up a thousand ripples:

"How is that possible! Lu Tingxiao is single, alright? He has a son, but he definitely does not have a woman by his side!"

‘If it really was him, then that was really big news, tut tut tut…"

"No matter how big it is, so what? Would you dare report it? Did you forget how VIO Magazine crashed and burned back then?"

"Eh… of course I remember, it was because they secretly took a picture of Lu Tingxiao, and even dared to publish it…"

At this point, everyone gave up on this juicy piece of news, and hands that had been quick to take photos were now shaking as they started to delete all of them.

Lu Tingxiao was famous for being low-key in the circle, and he refused to do any media interview. The little prince was protected even more tightly. Although they were very curious about today’s circumstances as well as about that woman’s identity, no media outlet would dare touch that lethal headline.

In the elevator.

Ning Xi tilted her head in Lu Tingxiao’s arms. She looked at Big Bun, and then at Little Bun, with mixed feelings.

So this was how it felt to be protected by someone…

"Are you alright? I’ll get you moved to another hospital!" Lu Tingxiao’s face was still a little dark. He had come here in a hurry, and had also only just realized this unpleasant coincidence.

"No need for the trouble, I’m okay now, how about we go home? Actually, I really hate being in a hospital…"

"Alright."

"By the way, where did those two bodyguards come from?" Ning Xi asked suspiciously.

"They are always nearby. Given your particular situation, I had them guard you, just in case." Like when she had been attacked and hurt by fans — he wasn’t going to allow something like that to happen a second time.

"I haven't signed with Glory World yet, and already I can enjoy this type of privilege?" Ning Xi felt spoiled. As she finished speaking, she suddenly saw herself in the elevator’s mirror…

Ning Xi touched her own face in the mirror, "Mm, were those reporters blind? They didn't recognize me even when I was standing in front of them! And they even said… I look like a good wife and loving mother, so fresh, gentle and cute? Clearly the stepmother in Snow White, or the Big Bad Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood is a more suitable description of me!

She checked herself in the mirror as she spoke, then realized that she didn't have any makeup on at the moment, and was wearing a loose-fitting hospital gown. Her hair was pulled back into a messy braid for convenience sake, and she had on the pink hair clip that Little Treasure had given to her. The expression on her face did appear gentle and refined…

Damn it! She really had become a gentle girl!

Ning Xi was surprised by herself.

Had she been like this all along in front of Big Bun and Little Bun? This wasn’t like her at all!

At this time, after hearing what Ning Xi said, Little Bun suddenly took out a pocket-sized notebook, and bent his head to scribble in it for a bit, then urgently held it up in front of her.

"Darling, what are you trying to say?" Ning Xi took the notebook, and after reading it, she blushed.

"What is it?"By her side, Lu Tingxiao asked the question after seeing the strange expression on Ning Xi’s face.

Ning Xi covered her burning cheeks, her eyes full of accusation. "It’s all your fault, Lu Tingxiao! Look at what your son wrote!"

"What is it?"Lu Tingxiao had been unjustly blamed when he was innocent, so he took a look at what Little Treasure had written. After reading it, he was silent.

Carefully written in the notebook:

[You are the brightest star in the sky, your eyes are sweeter than chocolate, whenever I look at you, I see a fairytale princess who has eternal beauty.]

Chapter 172: The Pupil Surpasses His Master

After hearing Ning Xi’s self-deprecating words, Little Treasure had resolutely played his best hand…

Ning Xi was moved and worried at the same time. "Lu Tingxiao, Little Treasure definitely got this from you. He’s too good at making girls happy! What is he going to be like when he grows up! I don’t dare imagine how much more infatuated I’m going to be when he starts talking!"

Especially that last sentence, it had hit her straight in her heart.

He actually said she was a princess…

She had always wanted to be a queen, because only then would she be able to face all her hardships fearlessly.

But in front of Little Treasure calling her "princess", the little girl which she had been hiding deep inside her was drawn out…

There wasn’t a girl who didn’t want to be a carefree princess; she just hadn’t been in a position to choose that option.

Lu Tingxiao looked at his own son and felt rueful in his heart. This wasn’t a case of genetics anymore, but of the pupil surpassing his master.

Seeing Little Treasure standing there looking at her with an earnest face, Ning Xi gave a soft, helpless laugh, and then bent over to hug him. "Okay, okay! I understand! I know I’m the most beautiful in your eyes! I won’t undervalue myself anymore, okay?"

Only then was Little Treasure satisfied, and copying what she always did as a reward for him, he kissed her gently on the cheek.

Ning Xi couldn’t help squeezing Little Bun in a hug again. "Ai, what am I going to do, I so badly want to steal you away when your dad’s not paying attention!"

Little Treasure blinked and looked very expectant. He nodded approvingly, as if to say, "Hurry up and steal me away!"

Ning Xi: "Pu…"

Lu Tingxiao: "…" Why did he feel like he was the third wheel?

At the same time, in Ning Xueluo’s ward.

The reporters could only return to continue interviewing Ning Xueluo when chasing Ning Xi hadn’t resulted in anything.

Everyone was now searching high and low for Ning Xi, but she seemed to have vanished off the surface of the earth, without a single trace. The reporters camped out at her apartment, on set, at the company, but all for nothing.

If they knew Ning Xi had actually been on the same floor as Ning Xueluo in the same hospital, and that they had even encountered her briefly, they might go crazy.

Su Yan was worried about Xueluo’s health, and interrupted the reporters after a few more questions. "I’m sorry, everyone, Xueluo is still recovering from her injury, and her body is weak, this is the end of today’s interview!"

"Yes, I’m not feeling so well, sorry everyone!"

While the reporters were unwilling to go, they could only express understanding and hope for a good recovery, before leaving in unison.

Chang Li walked them out politely. "Thank you for all your concern towards our Xueluo, I believe that justice is naturally ingrained in a person’s heart, and all of you are able to judge fairly. It must have been inconvenient for everyone to come here in such hot weather, this is a small token of gratitude for you!"

After saying that, the assistant Cui Caijing started to distribute red packets.

The reporters were well aware of the situation, and one after another expressed that they would definitely help Ning Xueluo find justice.

In bed, Ning Xueluo had a suspicious look on her face as she thought of something. "Brother Yan, what happened with those reporters earlier? Why did all of them suddenly run out? Was it really Ning Xi?"

"No, they mistook someone else for her." Su Yan tucked her in. There was a slightly absent-minded look on his face.

Those reporters hadn’t seen Ning Xi in person before, but he was different. When he caught a quick glimpse of that figure, it really had looked like Ning Xi, and he was almost sure that it was Ning Xi herself.

But how could that be possible? Why would Ning Xi be so intimate with a man, and furthermore even have a kid with them?

Chapter 173: A Lesson

Late night, Lu residence.

Ning Xi had been browsing the entertainment news online for a while, and was ready to go to bed, when a few messages suddenly popped up on MSN.

They were from Su Yan.

Su Yan: [Xiao Xi, where on earth are you now? I saw someone in Xueluo’s hospital today, was that you?]

Su Yan: [You really went too far this time, you can't use our guilt towards you against us, we’re running out of patience with you!]

Su Yan: [Running away won't fix anything, you owe Xueluo an apology!]

…

Ning Xi scoffed softly, and typed a swift reply: [I bought a watch last year!]

At this moment, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in~"

Lu Tingxiao pushed the door open and walked in with a glass of hot milk in his hand. He frowned to see that she was still on her laptop. "Why are you still on the computer? You need rest."

"I was about to, but I got disgusted at something right before bed," Ning Xi grumbled.

Lu Tingxiao walked over and handed the milk to her. "What happened?"

Ning Xi took the milk and thanked him, and since there was nothing worth hiding, directly showed him the chat history.

Lu Tingxiao took one look, and his face darkened. Then he asked suspiciously, "I bought a watch last year, what does this mean?"

"Pu…" Hearing Lu Tingxiao say this sentence aloud in such a proper tone, Ning Xi almost sprayed milk from her mouth. She explained embarrassedly, "Cough, cough, this is an online term, it’s a… a classic phrase for swearing at someone!"

"Really? What does it mean?" Lu Tingxiao humbly asked.

Ning Xi had no choice, and could only start to seriously teach him: "The abbreviation for ‘I bought a watch last year’ is WQNMLGB… umm… got it?"

Lu Tingxiao nodded, having understood instantly.

Ning Xi sighed in relief. It was a good thing the Big Demon King was so intelligent, otherwise it would have been really embarrassing for her to have to say "F*** your mother’s pussy" straight out.

On his end, Su Yan saw Ning Xi’s reply, and instantly sent a slew of agitated messages, the gist of all of them being that a person could still survive if they mended their ways. Adopting an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ attitude, Ning Xi logged out directly and turned off her laptop.

Seeing how Ning Xi had decisively given Su Yan the cold shoulder, Lu Tingxiao was in a very good mood. "I’ve already contacted Ning Xueluo for you."

"Really? What did you say?" Ning Xi asked instantly.

Lu Tingxiao took his phone out and opened an email to show her.

Ning Xi quickly drew closer for a look, and was speechless after viewing it: "…"

Apart from the evidence and a bank account number for the money transfer, Lu Tingxiao had sent just a few words, without any punctuation at all — eight million yuan in twenty-four hours.

This was totally Lu Tingxiao’s style.

"Not bad, not bad, the less you say the more panicked she will be, very nice." Ning Xi nodded her head and praised him sagaciously.

"After you receive the money, you can discuss the termination of your contract with Starlight. When the time comes, I’ll arrange for a lawyer to go with you in case they try to deliberately make trouble for you.

"I’ve already asked Jingli to prepare the contract with Glory World for you to sign. Tomorrow morning, I’ll bring it to you. If there is anything that needs to be amended, we’ll discuss it when the time comes.

After you’ve signed the contract, Glory World will hold a press conference for you when the time is right, and we’ll release the evidence. After that, we will start taking legal action…"Lu Tingxiao’s deep voice reverberated like a cello as he calmly told her the plan and arrangements going forward from here.

Ning Xi was stupefied as she listened, and could only nod from time to time. Then she asked subconsciously, "So is there anything else I need to do?"

"Eat, sleep, and get well."

"Oh…"

‘I bought a watch last year’ is a phrase used in place of ‘F*** your mother’s pussy’, since the pinyin for both sentences in Chinese gives the same acronym, WQNMLGB.

Chapter 174: Midnight Fright

The First People's Republic Hospital in the capital.

Ning Xueluo lay comfortably in the hospital bed, a glass of red wine in one hand as she browsed Weibo with the other. Seeing how Ning Xi was being cursed at online, she had never been happier.

As Cui Caijing massaged her calf, she said in a flattering tone, "Sister Xueluo, your legs are amazing, so long and straight!"

Actually, they looked only a little better than that of the average person. Every year, she spent millions on maintenance and plastic surgery, how couldn’t it look better than legs belonging to the average person?

Ning Xueluo liked these types of compliments, and said in a pleased tone, "I was born this way."

Chang Li nearby felt a little uneasy for some reason, and said in a worried tone, "Xueluo, do you think it’s possible that the reason Ning Xi hasn’t shown up in so long is because she’s thinking up ways to get back at us?"

When Ning Xueluo heard her words, she sneered disdainfully. "You think too highly of her, even if she sleeps with a hundred men, there is no way she can turn this situation around!"

"That’s true, in the entertainment industry, for an artiste who has such a bad record, the consequences will be no less severe than they were for Jia Qingqing. It’ll be useless no matter who tries to clear her reputation!" Slowly, Chang Li relaxed. "By the way, I just sent an email to give Ning Xi an ultimatum. If she doesn’t make an appearance at the company before six o'clock tomorrow evening, we’ll blacklist her. I don’t believe that she won't appear tomorrow!"

"Remember to arrange a few more reporters to wait for her!" Ning Xueluo smiled broadly.

She was just about to reply to her fans' concerns about the state of her injury, when a new email notification popped up at the top of the screen.

Who had sent her an email so late? Furthermore, it was to her private inbox…

Ning Xueluo didn’t think too much about it as she opened it. But with just one look, she instantly froze up, and the red wine in her hand spilled all over her.

"Oh my, what's wrong, Sister Xueluo?" Cui Caijing hurriedly grabbed some tissues to clean her up.

"What's wrong, Xueluo?" Chang Li asked suspiciously after seeing how frightened Ning Xueluo looked.

"See for yourself!" With trembling hands, Ning Xueluo threw the cellphone in utter fury at Cui Caijing’s head. "How the hell do you do things, you actually made such a big mistake! Why did you send that email from my apartment? And didn't I tell you a thousand times to use an anonymous account to send the money?"

Dizzy from being hit, it took Cui Caijing quite a while to regain her senses. With one hand covering her forehead, she read the email on her phone, and also froze. She said with a panicked expression, "Sister Xueluo, you can't blame me for this, I did use an anonymous account! As for the email… you were also there when I sent it, and you didn't say anything at the time!"

Ning Xueluo threw down the wineglass, and it shattered. "Even if I didn’t say anything, can’t you think for yourself? If you just do everything I tell you to do, then why would I need you at all?"

After Chang Li read the email, she looked grim. "The thing that I was most worried about has actually happened! I was afraid that if someone discovered a weak point… who on earth sent this email? Don’t tell me it was Zhang Qiang?"

Ning Xueluo’s expression was dark, and she said in a confident tone: "Impossible! Zhang Qiang is just a hoodlum and a scoundrel with just a primary school education. He doesn’t know anything about IP addresses and anonymous accounts!"

"Then this is just too strange… in any case, apart from us, only Zhang Qiang knows about this matter. He must have been the one to leak the news! Is he conspiring with someone else? But Zhang Qiang has long run off, we have no way of asking him!" Chang Li said anxiously.

Ning Xueluo paced back and forth irritably in the ward. "What's the use of spouting all this rubbish? The most important thing now is how are we going to solve this problem!"

Chapter 175: Finally Make An Appearance

Chang Li calmed down and comforted her: "Calm down, Xueluo. The email said that we have twenty-four hours to send eight million yuan to that account, so obviously it’s about money! Just give them the money! Anything that can be solved with money is not an issue!"

Ning Xueluo said agitatedly, "Eight million yuan! And only a day to get it! Where am I going to get so much money?"

Although she was made of money, she spent extravagantly. To keep up appearances in order to curry favor with the Ning family and the people in the industry, all of that required money.

"If we collect it from different sources… we can somehow gather that amount!" Chang Li muttered. Privately, she thought that the other party had really quoted the right price; that was just about the maximum amount they could come up with.

Just then, Ning Xueluo suddenly thought of something: "Since the other party was able to trace our information, why can't we do the same?"

Chang Li shook her head. "Is an anonymous account so easy to trace? We have to hack into the bank’s system! Even if we pay someone to do it, we don’t have the time to look for a hacker with that type of skill. Besides, even if we find out who it is, then what? They have blackmail material on us. This money… no matter what, we would still have to give it to them!"

"Damn it…" Ning Xueluo glared fiercely at Cui Caijing, who was hiding in a corner. "You can’t accomplish anything, but can spoil everything!"

If it wasn’t because she had blackmail on the woman and could use her without fear of being betrayed, she would have kicked her out a long time ago.

Cui Caijing wanted to retort, but didn’t dare say anything no matter how angry she was. She really was completely innocent, alright…

With some effort, Ning Xueluo recovered from her earlier fright, and struggled to remain calm as she urged, "Sister Chang, help me go and raise the money now! Hurry! Also, hire more water army to make sure that within a week, there is no longer any room for Ning Xi to turn around and clear her name!"

"Xueluo, we have Zhang Qiang's confession anyway, do you think… should we just have her thrown in jail once and for all?" Chang Li tentatively suggested.

"No, even if the Ning family don’t care for her, they won’t go so far as to have her go to prison. Remember, don't let her cancel her contract. It's better that she remains in the company her whole life, otherwise, if she's desperate enough to run back to the Ning family, it’ll be harder for me to control her then…

Also, in case something unexpected happens tomorrow, I’ll arrange a capable lawyer for you!"

Ning Xueluo racked her brain and gave instructions for every aspect she could think of. Only after she was certain that she had missed nothing did she relax.

Everything had been going smoothly, and she had never expected such a huge mess to crop up halfway through. Fortunately, Chang Li was right; anything that could be solved with money was not an issue. For what was to come, she definitely wouldn’t allow another mistake to happen again!

…

The second day.

Ning Xi received the eight million yuan without a hitch. At six o'clock in the evening, together with the lawyer Lu Tingxiao had arranged for her, she headed for Starlight Entertainment.

It also happened to be the time when employees were getting off work, and everyone who saw Ning Xi were stunned, before they immediately started crazily spreading the news. Messages and photos popped up in online groups on Weibo - Ning Xi, who had previously vanished without a trace, had finally appeared!

"My god! Ning Xi! It really is her! She actually dared to show up!"

"That’s right! She’s really bold! If I were her, I would definitely have run away, what’s she trying to do, coming back now?"

"That’s right, there’s no way she can survive in the entertainment industry after this, she might even be charged and imprisoned, she should have just run away!"

"Did you see the man with her? He clearly looks like an elite! What’s his background?"

"He doesn’t seem like a lover. Is he her assistant?"

"No way! She’s already fallen to this extent, can she still hire an assistant?"

"Don’t you think she could just sleep with a sponsor?"

"Hehe, I’d like to see what kind of sponsor is able to fix such a huge problem for her!"

…

Chapter 176: What I Want To Change Is The Company

Reception room.

Seeing that Ning Xi had shown up, Chang Li’s expression was predictably smug. "Our big star Ning is finally willing to make an appearance! You really made me wait!"

As she spoke, she gave the cold-looking man next to Ning Xi a funny look. "Who is this man? Don't you know that you can’t simply bring strangers into the company?"

Ning Xi looked askance at her: "My lawyer."

"Heh, you even have a lawyer!" Chang Li thought she had simply hired one for appearance sake, and she snorted disdainfully. "Even now you’re still putting on airs and defying me. Do you know how badly you’ve blundered this time? If I hadn’t interceded with the company for you over and over again, you would have been blacklisted a long time ago!"

Ning Xi raised an eyebrow slightly and chuckled. "Heh, you, intercede for me? Then please, what was the result of your intercession?"

Chang Li threw a document at her. "The company will hold a press conference. As long as you give a public apology at the news conference, and leave the <The World> production of your own accord, Lady Xueluo will be the bigger person and won’t prosecute you, and will give you an opportunity to turn over a new leaf. But for a morally bankrupt artiste like you, even if I do everything to protect you, I’m afraid no production team will ever dare use you again."

After condemning her, Chang Li then offered a way out, as she spoke with a meaningful expression, "But don't lose heart. If you repent sincerely, the company won't cast you aside. You know that there are some directors who don't care about scandal, and about this, I've already accepted another film role for you. As long as you behave well, you will still have a chance to stage a comeback!"

Ning Xi looked at her with a disingenuous smile, and said indistinctly, "A big-budget production… which big-budget production has Sister Chang accepted for me?"

Seeing that Ning Xi had taken the bait, Chang Li gave her a disdainful look as she said, "Are you still afraid that I’ll trick you? Have you heard of <Laughing In The Spring Breeze>?"

Ning Xi tapped her fingers fitfully on the arms of her chair. "Jiang Penghai's new film?"

"That’s it, it’s Director Jiang! You also know, Director Jiang’s films might not sell well, but he was already making films in Hong Kong when Guo Qisheng was still unknown!"

Listening to Chang Li praise Jiang Penghai so earnestly, Ning Xi almost laughed aloud, and her eyes flashed coldly. "Sister Chang, if you want me to sell myself, just say so! You don't have to beat around the bush!"

This Jiang Penghai started his career by filming X-rated videos, and could never completely clean up his image. The thing people reviled Jiang Penghai for the most was his behavior.

The man was especially lecherous, and had slept with almost all the actresses he had worked with. Last year, he had nearly been taken to court for having sex with a minor.

She really had to hand it to them, they had taken such great pains to dig up such a movie for her to do, and with such a director.

Hearing her words, Chang Li frowned. "What telling you to sell yourself! Isn’t the rating only just a little high? What, you aren’t willing? For trash like you, if it wasn’t for my strong recommendation, he might not even have wanted you at all! Think about how much you’ve caused the company to lose this time. Are you thinking of leeching off the company, if you can’t get any roles?"

"Sorry, I won't be taking it." Ning Xi didn’t feel like continuing listening to Chang Li as she reached new lows, and straightaway refused.

Chang Li lost her temper on the spot, and she slapped her palm down hard onto the table. "Ning Xi, again and again, you never listen to my arrangements for you. Do you see me as your manager or not? I’m telling you, even if you don’t want to, you have to take the role in Director Jiang's movie!"

"Manager?" Ning Xi smiled coldly. "Soon enough, you won't be any longer."

"Heh, you still want to change managers? It also depends on whether there’s anyone in Starlight who would dare take you!" Chang Li had nothing to be afraid of.

"What I want to change, is the company."

Chapter 177: Unexpected Reversal

"You want to cancel your contract?" Chang Li’s expression finally changed, but she quickly calmed down. "Ning Xi, don't use this to threaten me, do you know how much the termination fee is? You still have four more years with the company. At two million a year, that comes to eight million in total!"

Ning Xi gave the lawyer next to her a look.

With an emotionless expression on his face, the lawyer took out a black suitcase and opened it to reveal that it was full of money, all cold, hard cash!

Ning Xi pushed the suitcase towards Chang Li. "Here is eight million, want to count it?"

"You…" Chang Li was struck dumb at the sight of all that cash, "Where did you get all this money?"

Ning Xi was impatient. "It’s none of your business, is it?"

"Heh, so you sold your own body for money! What's there to brag about! You think eight million is enough!" Saying this, Chang Li threw a thick sheaf of documents at her; it was the termination agreement. It looked like she had prepared for this.

Ning Xi took the agreement and skimmed through it. The more she read, the more amused she became. "Sister Chang, why didn't I know I was this valuable?"

A penalty fee of 60 million! Why didn't this woman just go rob the bank?

She knew terminating her contract wouldn’t be so easy. These people would definitely think of ways to give her a hard time.

Chang Li was regained her cool. "Our professional lawyer calculated this total. It’s clearly stated in the agreement, aside from the eight million termination fee, you need to compensate the company for its losses from this incident!

"Because of you, our project was shelved and the investments were all withdrawn, our biggest money-maker was seriously injured… in total, this is already the least you need to pay! If you don't have the money, then we’ll see you in court!"

Hearing this, Ning Xi creased her forehead. She didn’t know how good Lawyer Chen was, and whether he could handle this…

Lawyer Chen just took a casual look at the agreement, his expression still calm and his mood indecipherable.

Chang Li noticed Ning Xi’s hesitation, and sensing a weak point, immediately softened her tone, "Ning Xi, think carefully, do you really want to do this? There’s still room for discussion. If you don't want to do <Laughing In The Spring Breeze>, we can arrange something else for you. I have a few scripts on hand, all big projects, you can choose any one of them."

Inside her, Ning Xi laughed coldly. Big projects my ass, they were definitely all the same sheetty plots, just with different titles!

The only reason Ning Xueluo didn't want Ning Xi to leave Starlight was so that she could keep a close eye on her and keep her under her thumb forever, even if she was afraid that Ning Xi was desperate enough to go back to the Ning family…

At the same time, there was a knock on the door; Starlight’s lawyers had arrived.

Three of them at once.

Ning Xi knew one of them, he was the senior law advisor for Ning Corporation, Cai Yingyong.

F***! Ning Xueluo really wanted to crush her this time!

On her side, Ning Xi looked at the lonely Lawyer Chen, and felt even more unsure.

After Chang Li’s backup arrived, she crossed her arms, her expression coolly arrogant. "Ning Xi, you can still change your mind."

Law wasn't Ning Xi’s field, she really didn't know much about it, and could only depend on Lawyer Chen.

Lawyer Chen… still didn’t make a sound.

Next to him, Ning Xi was about to worry herself to death. Wasn't a lawyer supposed to be eloquent? Why the hell was this guy not only stone-faced, he was also acting like a mute? Could he actually do it or not!

But then…

What happened next, was like a fantasy drama to Ning Xi.

Lawyer Chen stood up slowly, produced a pile of papers from his briefcase, and finally opened his mouth: "First of all, as far as I am aware, your company withdrew its investment to threaten the production crew. That has nothing to do with my client;

"Secondly, Ning International has nothing to do with my client, my client is not obliged to compensate for any of its losses;

"Thirdly, your company’s employee was injured on set, your company, the production crew and the insurance company should jointly bear responsibility. My client has not been convicted in any court, and is not obliged to bear any responsibility.

"Furthermore, according to the evaluation of the injury sustained by your company’s Miss Ning Xueluo, it was only a superficial wound. The most we will compensate you for is 252.40 yuan in total. As for the additional expenses of staying in a VIP ward and service fees, these should not be borne by my client…"

In a stand-off against the three lawyers, Lawyer Chen fired his words off rapidly. He spoke for half an hour without pausing to take a breath, and in front of his direct attack, the three Starlight lawyers were left speechless, their sweat falling like rain. After successfully helping her terminate her contract, apart from the eight million, they didn’t pay a single cent more…

Oh, that wasn’t right, they paid an extra 252.40 yuan…

Chapter 178: Ning Xi’s Sponsor?

The end result was that the other party agreed to settle the matter privately, and no longer dared mention taking it to court.

Ning Xi’s mind was still going round in circles. So it turned out that Lawyer Chen had been in cool-down mode at first, waiting until his strength was fully recharged before unleashing his ultimate move?

Chang Li was even more stupefied than she was.

It was the same for the three opposing lawyers.

As Ning Xi and Lawyer Chen were leaving, Cai Yingyong, the Ning family lawyer, stood up abruptly, his face bewildered as he looked at Lawyer Chen and asked: "Wait! If I may be so bold, are you… are you Big Lawyer Chen, Chen Jing?"

The other two lawyers next to him were stunned at his words. "What… Chen Jing? Which Chen Jing? It… it can’t be Big Defender Chen?"

At first, they had completely looked down on this taciturn lawyer whom Ning Xi had brought with her, so they never bothered to ask who he was. Now, the more they thought about it, the more something felt off.

They had never seen Chen Jing in person, but they had long heard about the way he worked.

He was normally a man of few words, and people who didn't know him would assume he was a mute. But once he started working, it was as if crazy mode was switched on: rapid-fire speech, clear logic, words like blades, combat power which hit the roof…

Lawyer Chen paid no heed to Cai Yingyong, his steps never faltering as he directly walked out of the meeting room.

Behind them.

Chang Li collapsed into her chair like a dead person.

It was over!

Ning Xueluo had told her repeatedly not to let Ning Xi terminate her contract with the company, but now, it was a mess.

Was the lawyer whom Ning Xi had hired the top lawyer in the whole capital, Big Defender Chen?

Why would Big Defender Chen come running to help Ning Xi with a small contract termination?

Knowing that this lawyer charged by the minute, it would cost a fortune to hire him!

Maybe… maybe Ning Xi’s sponsor was Lawyer Chen?

…

Even after they left Starlight Entertainment, Ning Xi was still unable to wrap her head around the whole thing. Who would have thought this stuffy and stone-faced lawyer would be so fierce?

Were all the lawyers in Glory World Entertainment this amazing?

While she was still absorbed in her thoughts, a flood of reporters suddenly descended upon her at the main entrance —

"Ning Xi! Ning Xi! Did you come back to confess your crime?"

"Do you have anything to say about your premeditated attempt to murder Ning Xueluo?"

"Ning Xueluo has generously expressed that as long as you apologize, she is willing to give you a chance to turn over a new leaf, don’t you feel ashamed of yourself?"

"Did you also mastermind the previous incident with Jia Qingqing?"

"Is it true that Starlight Entertainment is going to terminate your contract and blacklist you?

…

Those reporters crowded Ning Xi in a frenzy. Ning Xi was outnumbered, and it also wouldn’t be good for her to become violent with the reporters in this situation. Just as she was thinking of a way to escape, five well-trained bodyguards dressed in black came out of nowhere, and in less than ten seconds, they had contained the situation, protecting Ning Xi tightly in their center.

The reporters looked at each other.

What was going on?

Where did these people come from?

How could a two-bit artiste like Ning Xi, with no status, power, or background, afford bodyguards? And five of them!

In order to not create rumors or bring trouble to Ning Xi, the bodyguards this time weren’t wearing the Lu family emblem, but were still more than enough to scare the reporters off.

Protected by the bodyguards, Ning Xi paused, and spoke calmly in front of the reporters: "Firstly, I’m not guilty, so there’s no need for me to turn myself in for anything, and I have nothing to be ashamed of; secondly, the incident with Jia Qingqing was already clarified a long time ago, please don't spread misleading lies, otherwise, that is slander; thirdly, I did terminate my contract with Starlight, just a while ago. But I was the one who initiated it. Fourthly, want to blacklist me? They can try."

Chapter 179: Sexual Orientation Isn’t Clear

After she was done speaking, Ning Xi ignored the uproar behind her as she directly got into the black car that had stopped right beside her.

Luckily, Lu Tingxiao had arranged everything meticulously. He had already anticipated that she would be besieged by the reporters today, which was why the bodyguards and the car had appeared just in time.

"Miss Xi, where to next?" the driver asked.

"Let’s go home." Ning Xi paused, and then couldn’t help asking, "Why do all of you call me Miss Xi and not Miss Ning?"

Now that she thought about it, everyone in the Lu residence, from the maids to Lu Tingxiao’s subordinates, all called her either Miss Xi or Miss Xiao Xi…

"It was CEO Lu who ordered it," the driver answered.

"I see…"

This man was really too thoughtful… he knew that she didn't like her Ning family name!

At the same time, at the Lu residence.

Lu Jingli lay limp on the sofa like a dead fish. "Brother! You’ve been deciding the whole day! We have so many outstanding managers in the company, is there not a single one up to your standard? What about Lei Ming? He’s been with us for a long time, is very experienced, and has a lot of local and overseas contacts. He and Ning Xi also know each other!"

Lu Tingxiao: "He’s Jiang Muye’s manager."

Lu Jingli: "Okay… what about Hao Shuai? He has no connection to Jiang Muye, right?"

Lu Tingxiao: "No males."

Lu Jingli’s mouth corner twitched. "Then Ye Shenglan! A top manager! Her professional capabilities are well established!"

Lu Tingxiao: "Her sexual orientation isn’t clear."

"Pu… it’s true there are rumors that say she’s into women. Holy sheet, brother, you know way too many details!" Lu Jingli’s face was full of frustration. "What about Mei Xin then? Female, her boyfriend is Su Yimo’s ex-manager, her work performance was ranked number one last year in the company!"

Lu Tingxiao: "Her character’s problematic."

Lu Jingli was completely dumbfounded. "Picking imperial concubines for the emperor is easier than this! What the hell do you want!"

Lu Tingxiao paused for a moment, then asked: "Why didn't you give me Lin Zhizhi’s information?"

"Lin Zhizhi is on leave, and she said she wouldn't take on new artistes in the near future. I figured she was trying to avoid Jiang Muye tut tut…"

"I want her." Lu Tingxiao decided straightaway.

"Eh… Brother, you’re too evil…" In his heart, Lu Jingli observed a moment of silence for Jiang Muye, then he started to do the same for himself. "Why are you always making things difficult for me! Lin Zhizhi already said she wasn’t accepting new artistes!"

As the two of them were discussing, Ning Xi returned —

"I’m back! Anybody home?"

As soon as she said it, one of her legs was hugged tightly by a soft little bun, and he had an aggrieved "three hours felt like three years" expression on his face.

Only after Ning Xi hugged him for a long time did the clingy little bun give her a smile.

"You’re back, did it go smoothly?" Lu Tingxiao asked as he walked over.

Talking about this, Ning Xi became all excited. "It went so well. The lawyer which the company arranged for me was amazing, he took on three lawyers by himself and trashed them in a battle of words! Chang Li that monkey wanted to extort sixty million from me, but in the end I didn't pay a single cent! Oh, wait, I actually paid 252.40 yuan for Ning Xueluo’s medical fee! He was just so cool! Are the lawyers in Glory World Entertainment all as amazing as him? I heard them call him Big Defender Chen…"

At this moment, Lu Jingli said faintly behind them: "What lawyer for Glory World Entertainment, Chen Jing is the senior legal advisor at Lu Corporation!"

"Pu…" Hearing this, Ning Xi was stunned, and she looked at Lu Tingxiao in pure disbelief. "Lu Tingxiao, you asked your company lawyer who frequently deals with billion-dollar financial lawsuits to help me solve my tiny eight million yuan case?"

Chapter 180: Sold To You And Help You Count Money

This felt too much like the emperor sending a state official to help a peasant like her find out who stole her pig…

"Just in case," Lu Tingxiao answered calmly.

When it came to her, no matter was too small.

Ning Xi already didn't want to say anything else, the Big Demon King always had his own extraordinary way of doing things.

"Have you looked through the contract I gave you this morning?"Lu Tingxiao asked.

Ning Xi grabbed her hair. "It’s so thick, I read it until my head was going to burst. Anyway, I skimmed through it, and signed it already, I’ll give it to you later!"

Lu Tingxiao frowned. "Do you trust me that much?"

Ning Xi shrugged. "The worst thing that could happen is that I get sold off to you. If that’s the case, I’ll help you count the money!"

Lu Tingxiao smiled indulgently.

Lu Jingli: "…" Ouch, my dog eyes! I’m going to go blind! It’s impossible to remain in this house any longer!

"If everything goes well, you can report to the company the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, take the day off and rest at home," Lu Tingxiao said.

"Oh, okay!" Ning Xi nodded.

Lu Jingli wanted to smash his head in when he heard this. The day after tomorrow? Didn’t that mean he only had one day to convince Lin Zhizhi?

This was too inhumane!

It was as if Lu Tingxiao could hear Lu Jingli’s internal complaints. He looked at him and said: "After this, you can take a vacation."

"Awesome! I’m on it!" Lu Jingli was immediately revived.

…

That night, in the VIP ward at the First People’s Republic Hospital in the capital.

Ning Xueluo was staring daggers at the woman on the TV screen.

At the main entrance of the Starlight building, Ning Xi, who had been missing for several days, made an appearance. Not only did she not look weak or haggard, she had shown up looking radiant. She was tightly protected by five bodyguards in black, and her expression was firm as she faced the horde of reporters: " Firstly, I’m not guilty, so there’s no need for me to turn myself in for anything, and I have nothing to be ashamed of; secondly, the incident with Jia Qingqing … Fourthly, want to blacklist me? They can try."

Hearing the last sentence, Ning Xueluo threw the bedside lamp hard at the TV. The screen fizzled and smoked a bit before turning black.

"Chang Li! What is this? Cui Caijing was bad enough, even you can make this kind of low-level mistake! I already told you so many times, we cannot let her terminate her contract!"

Ning Xueluo was the type to blame others whenever things went wrong. Chang Li was already used to it, but her face still darkened. "I warned you a long time ago, with Ning Xi’s traits, if she found herself a powerful and influential sponsor, even I wouldn’t be able to suppress her! Now that you’ve pushed her to this point, we should have expected this result…"

"So was I supposed to do nothing and just watch her reverse the situation? I forked out so much! I paid eight million for nothing!" Ning Xueluo was hysterical, unable to bear setback after setback.

"Xueluo, things are not as bad as you think. Ning Xi’s reputation has already been ruined in this industry. Even a sponsor can’t save her image. Besides, who would dare use an artiste that has been blacklisted by Starlight? This is the end of her career!

"Not only that, think about it, this incident has left a huge impact on the industry. She spent eight million like it was nothing, had bodyguards to protect her, and was picked up in a classy car. Who wouldn’t think that she’s become a mistress? Can the Ning family accept her even after this? Do you think she’ll still be able to return to the upper-class circle?"

Hearing this, Ning Xueluo’s rage finally cooled a little. "With the water army, have you made arrangements yet?"

"Don’t worry, when this happened, I already handled it; we won’t need to lift a finger, and those reporters will definitely depict it the way we want in their articles!" Chang Li said with certainty.