Chapter 201: Goodnight, I Love You
Seeing that Ning Xi had come, Lu Tingxiao looked relieved. "Are you done?"
"Well, I’ve almost memorized the whole thing." Ning Xi nodded, carried Little Bun to the bed, and tucked him in.
Little Bun immediately stretched his hands to pick up the colorful fairy tale book which he had rejected, gesturing for her to read it.
"Continuing from where we stopped last night?" asked Ning Xi.
Little Bun’s little hands gripped the edge of the quilt and he nodded sweetly.
"Well then, today let’s read <A Polite Little White Rabbit>…" Ning Xi cleared her throat and began to recite the story, "On the hot summer day, the bird cried in the tree: ‘Hot, hot!’ The beautiful little white rabbit wearing a beautiful floral dress hummed a song while skipping over a bridge. It was on its way to pick mushrooms…"
While Ning Xi read the story, Lu Tingxiao sat in a chair next to her, tilting his forehead and listening quietly to her soft, sweet voice.
He seemed to understand why his son insisted on listening to such childish stories every night before bed.
What mattered was not the story, but who was reading it.
After less than five minutes of listening, Little Bun became sleepy-eyed, and Ning Xi patted his back. Very soon, the little boy was sleeping soundly.
"Sorry to trouble you," said Lu Tingxiao, thanking her.
"No trouble," replied Ning Xi with an expression of mixed emotions. "Lu Tingxiao, did you know? Actually, I used to really hate children!"
"Hate?"
Ning Xi nodded, but did not tell him the real reason. "I just thought kids were very annoying. I wanted to hide every time I saw one… I never thought that I would come to like Little Bun as much as I do. It’s hard for me to express it, but I always feel some kind of special connection between us. It’s probably fate, like in the stories!"
Lu Tingxiao looked at her deeply. "There are no impossibilities in this world, only what you have yet to experience."
Ning Xi was slightly stunned and vaguely replied, "Probably. It's late, I'm going to have a bath. Boss, you should also sleep early!"
"Alright." Lu Tingxiao nodded and suddenly leaned towards her.
Ning Xi was startled and reared back subconsciously. Lu Tingxiao came so close that he was nearly cheek to cheek with her, but he just moved past her, kissed Little Bun behind her, and quietly said, "Goodnight."
Later that night, while Ning Xi was half asleep, she felt like she had a dream. She dreamed that Lu Tingxiao was sitting on the edge of her bed, kissing her lips, and saying, "Goodnight, I love you…"
Well, another strange dream…
Why did it feel so real even though it was just a dream…
Meanwhile, at the Regal Riviera Hotel.
It was already late, but the lights were still bright in Ning Xueluo’s apartment and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.
Chang Li and Cui Caijing sat in a corner of the sofa, neither daring to make a sound.
Since it had come to this, was she going to blame them again?
Who could have expected Ning Xi to sign on with Glory World Entertainment right after being driven out of Starlight?
It would have been easy to deal with her if it were any other company. Those other companies would not have been able to promote the artiste who had been blacklisted by Starlight.
But this was Glory World!
In front of Glory World, Starlight Entertainment’s ban was just a piece of worthless paper.
Chang Li wanted to comfort Ning Xueluo, to tell her that Ning Xi was so infamous, even Glory World wouldn’t be able to do anything.
However, she really didn’t have the confidence to say anything.
After all, this time, even Lu Tingxiao had come out…
Chapter 202: Lineup of A Lifetime
Not only did they underestimate Ning Xi, but they had underestimated her to a ridiculous degree!
To them, the press conference being held by Glory World at nine o'clock tomorrow morning was like a timebomb. Anything could happen.
Starlight’s press conference had only just ended, but Glory World’s reaction was so fast that there could be no doubt it had been premeditated.
At present, even their water army was unable to reverse public opinion. What people everywhere were waiting for was tomorrow’s press conference. All of the city’s media correspondents would probably attend.
Irritated, Ning Xueluo paced through piles of smashed objects, looking like a caged beast. "What exactly is Glory World’s press conference supposed to be about? You haven’t heard anything?"
Chang Li shook her head. "We’ve tried all kinds of methods, but Ning Xi’s matter is probably only known by some members of Glory World’s senior management team. No one else heard anything about it until they read Lu Jingli’s Weibo message. We can’t learn anything at all!"
"What about Lin Zhizhi? Didn’t she forward Ning Xi’s Weibo message? She must be her agent! She must know something!"
Chang Li noticed Ning Xueluo’s obviously chaotic appearance, and sighed. "Before, when Lin Zhizhi was also in charge of Leng Manyun, we fought and grabbed her role. How can we possibly learn anything from her?"
Ning Xueluo was infuriated. "This doesn’t work, neither does that. Do we have to just sit and wait until morning?"
Chang Li would have liked to reply that there really was nothing they could do but sit and wait.
Ning Xueluo downed the rest of the wine on the table, and a sharp light flashed through her eyes. "That bumpkin! So what if she joins Glory World? So what if she has them backing her! Does she think she’ll be able to rest easy after joining Glory World?"
Cui Caijing hurriedly seized the opportunity to approach and say something nice. "Yeah! Sister Xueluo, as long as she still has that stain, she’ll be unable to lift her head before you all her life! Besides, there must be an inside story to her joining Glory World, we’ll have plenty of chances to catch her doing wrong! With people like her, Glory World would also be incriminated by association sooner or later…"
…
The next morning, Pearl Hotel banquet hall.
All the reporters and media correspondents were ready and anxiously waiting for the main attraction to show up.
The entertainment industry hadn't had such big news for a long time.
They felt that any selling point today could become a headline.
In addition to the reporters on the scene, all the people who were following the matter with interest were sitting by a TV, waiting for the live telecast.
At nine o'clock, the people of Glory World took their seats one by one.
In the middle sat Ning Xi with Lin Zhizhi on her left and Lawyer Chen Jing on her right. The Director of the Public Relations Department, Liang Feixing, and Lu Jingli were also present.
Just the lineup alone had already stunned numerous reporters.
"God! My dog eyes! Ning Xi’s agent is actually Lin Zhizhi! This is like covertly announcing that Leng Manyun’s retirement is real! What does Glory World mean by arranging Lin Zhizhi to be Ning Xi’s agent? Do they want her to be Leng Manyun’s successor?"
"Why does the man on Ning Xi’s right look familiar? Isn't he that lawyer, Chen Jing, who handled that big economic case some time ago?"
"Liang Feixing also appeared in person…"
"So what if it’s Liang Feixing? The General Manager, Lu Jingli, is also sitting there, okay!"
"God! This lineup! How amazing! A lifetime series!"
"Yeah! Which press conference for an artiste has ever had this kind of turnout?"
…
Chapter 203: A Huge Plot Reversal
The first to speak was Lu Jingli. "First, allow me to introduce you to the newest member of our Glory World, Ning Xi."
Ning Xi stood, bowed to the media and the cameras, then sat back down.
The photographers shot photos one after another.
Today, Ning Xi was wearing a black woman’s suit with neutral makeup on, very suitable for formal occasions.
Lu Jingli continued, "Next, the questions regarding our Leng Manyun that many netizens have asked will be answered by her agent, Miss Lin Zhizhi, one by one."
If it had been before, anything about Leng Manyun would definitely be the focus of attention, but now it unexpectedly became a topic that everyone hoped would finish as soon as possible…
Luckily, Lin Zhizhi’s style had always been very efficient. She used a few words to simply announce Leng Manyun’s marriage and her intention of focusing on her family in the future, which affirmed people’s guesses that Ning Xi was indeed being trained as Leng Manyun’s successor.
At that moment, a reporter spoke up, asking, "We only want to know why Glory World wants to sign an artiste with no morals, and even set her up as Leng Manyun’s successor! Isn’t Glory World afraid that doing so will ruin you?"
He was echoed by other reporters.
"Aren't you ruining Glory World's good name, a single rotten apple can spoil the whole barrel!"
"Have all your senior managers been bewitched by witchcraft?"
"Glory World, I would like to see if you can explain this properly!"
…
Lu Jingli and Chen Jing eyed each other. "Now we will be hearing from Lawyer Chen. Please, keep quiet."
Lawyer Chen?
They had been wondering why a lawyer would be invited to this press conference, so they all curiously turned to Chen Jing.
Chen Jing used his mouse to click something on the laptop screen before him, then everyone heard a voice through the speakers —
[It wasn’t Ning Xi! Ning Xi wasn't the one who bribed me! It was someone else who asked me to tamper with the prop! But I don’t know who that person is! I received an anonymous email with all the instructions in it, and ten thousand yuan was deposited directly into my account. They said that I would receive another ten thousand after it was done!]
The voice paused and there was three seconds of silence, then the audience screamed.
Lu Jingli’s eyes became cold. "Keep silent, please."
The reporters reined in their shock and breathed hard, staring.
Then, the big screen behind Chen Jing lit up to display two images. One was of the IP address which sent the anonymous email; it was unexpectedly at the Regal Riviera Hotel where Ning Xueluo was staying. The other image was of the anonymous account which had been cracked. It belonged to Ning Xueluo’s assistant, Cui Caijing.
At that moment, the shouting could no longer be suppressed.
However, it wasn’t over yet.
Chen Jing next displayed Ning Xueluo’s certificate of injury and her doctor's diagnosis report, proving that at the time of the incident, Ning Xi had quickly pulled back her hand, withdrawing her strength almost immediately after realizing that something was amiss. As a result, Ning Xueluo had only sustained a very light skin injury and could have left the hospital that same day.
Despite this, Ning Xueluo had remained in the hospital for several days, pretending to be very weak due to her ‘serious’ injury and blood loss.
After displaying the evidence, Chen Jing brought out a lawyer's letter and said that he had filed a formal complaint against Ning Xueluo for slandering Ning Xi.
Chapter 204: We Certainly Have A Special Relationship
Compared to Lu Jingli, who had the distasteful hobby of keeping others guessing, Chen Jing’s quick and efficient presentation of evidence took only three minutes, leaving everyone on site confused and disoriented. It was like atomic bombs had been set off one after the other.
Sitting beside him, Liang Feixing suddenly found that there was not much left for him to do, so he touched his nose and said, "Okay, let's move on to the question-and-answer session. You can ask anything you want!"
Reporters: "…"
What… what could they freaking ask!!!
The dramatic reversal had been like a tornado; they had no idea what to ask!
In fact, they had guessed from the start that Glory World might have been planning to clear Ning Xi’s reputation, and they even considered the possibility that Zhang Qiang had been bribed to frame her.
But no one could have guessed that the person who had bribed Zhang Qiang was Ning Xueluo herself, or that this whole charade had been directed and acted out by Ning Xueluo from behind the scenes.
Had Ning Xueluo been fooling those reporters who prided themselves on being righteous, together with all the enthusiastic netizens who had denounced Ning Xi, all this time?
It was extremely difficult for them to accept this fact, but the irrefutable evidence was right in front of them and couldn’t be denied.
Finally, after a long time, one hand was weakly raised from within the crowd.
Liang Feixing signaled for him to ask his questions.
The reporter who had raised his hand stood up and looked at Chen Jing. "I would like to ask the lawyer, how did you get this evidence? Is it legal? How can you prove its authenticity?"
Chen Jing glanced at the reporter and then spoke. "I am here, that is enough to prove its authenticity."
"Er…" The reporter was speechless, and unable to contradict him.
After all, Chen Jing's authority and professionalism were well-known, so his asking such a question was really just him embarrassing himself…
"The channels through which we acquired the evidence are also legal. The police have already been involved in this matter." Chen Jing’s face as he said these words looked impartial and trustworthy. He didn’t bat an eye.
All the reporters nodded and no longer doubted the validity and authenticity of the evidence.
Embarrassed, Ning Xi tucked her hair behind one ear. She really admired Big Lawyer Chen. Sitting beside him, she felt extremely guilty, okay?
What legal means? The oral confession had been extorted through torture, and the evidence had been obtained through Lu Tingxiao’s hacking…
No wonder she’d felt a sense of déjà vu when she’d first met Chen. She finally understood that it was because Chen's work style was very similar to that of Lu Tingxiao’s.
Sure enough, birds of a feather flock together.
One after another, the reporters then broke out of their shock and came to their senses before competing to ask questions.
Reporter: "I want to ask General Manager Lu, why are you spending so much time and energy helping Ning Xi? Do you have a special, private relationship with Ning Xi as the rumors say?"
Lu Jingli touched his chin and thought, they certainly had a special relationship. Ning Xi was his future sister-in-law!
"The relationship between Ning Xi and me is, to put it briefly, like Bo Le and a swift horse.
"As for why I am spending so much time and energy, it's because I believe in my eyes and ability to judge people. She is worth it.
"I will say this here today: in the future, you will realize that this is the greatest investment I have ever made, and Starlight will be sorry for losing Ning Xi!"
…
Bo Le was a famous Chinese horse tamer.
Chapter 205: Make More Money for the Boss
Lu Jingli gave a flawless, perfect answer.
The journalists realized that they couldn’t get what they wanted from Lu Jingli, so they moved on to Ning Xi.
Although Ning Xi was the star of today’s press conference, Glory World was providing her with watertight protection. She didn't need to personally deal with anything.
Journalist: "Ning Xi, as far as anyone knows, you have a close relationship with Ning Xueluo. What is her motivation? Is there a misunderstanding between you two?"
Ning Xi: "This question, I think you are asking the wrong person."
Journalist: "The staff at your apartment said that you left it a few months ago, what do you have to say about that?"
Ning Xi: "Nothing. It’s my freedom to live wherever I want."
Journalist: "So where have you been staying for all this time? Can you tell us?"
Ning Xi: "At a friend’s place."
Journalist: "Does Jiang Muye know about your joining Glory World? It’s said that you two have a good relationship as fellow cast members, is he involved in this incident?"
Ning Xi: "He knows; yes, we are ok; and no, he doesn’t."
Journalist…
Ning Xi was really difficult to deal with, it was impossible to get any gossip out of her…
The journalists were helpless, so they had to give up on the sensitive questions and asked about something else: "To be able to join Glory World can be seen as a blessing in disguise, what are your thoughts on that?"
Ning Xi: "I plan to work hard and make more money for my boss, to thank him for his appreciation and prove him right."
The journalists assumed the boss she mentioned was Lu Jingli, only Lu Jingli knew that she was talking about his brother.
Tut Tut, his brother would be so happy to hear that!
"Ok, this is the end of today's press conference. If you have further questions you can make appointments for private interviews. From now on, Ning Xi’s manager, Ms. Ling Zhizhi, will be responsible for her public issues." Liang Feixiang stood up and ended the conference.
The journalists couldn’t get enough of it; Starlight’s press conference had lasted three hours and accused Ning Xi in various ways, but Glory World had exposed such explosive news in only 30 minutes. Who had the upper ground was clear to see.
As the journalists were about to leave, Lu Jingli suddenly spoke up. "Wait."
What?
More news?
The journalists all turned around excitedly.
Lu Jingli smiled nicely, as always, and kindly reminded them, "Haven’t you all forgotten something?"
Eh, forgot what?
The journalists looked at each other, confused.
Lu Jingli was still smiling, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "Ning Xi has been blamed by you all for so many days and was made to carry so many false accusations. None of you will say anything about that? That’s not very polite, right?"
The journalists were all embarrassed and hurriedly competed to apologize to Ning Xi, all while hating Ning Xueluo on the inside.
Ning Xi raised her eyebrows and thought that this funny little corp was pretty good at scaring people when he got serious!
However, Lu Jingli returned to his usual self as soon as they were backstage and happily jumped up and down…
"Little Xi Xi, Little Xi Xi, my dearest Little Xi Xi… You have nothing scheduled for this afternoon, shall we eat at home tonight? I will buy materials, wash the vegetables, and clean up the dishes, all you need to do is cook!"
"…" At once, Ning Xi took back all of her previous thoughts and just wanted to kick this dummy's ass…
Did he know how easily his words could be misunderstood?
like she was sitting on needles, watching the broadcast.
Ling Zhizhi was explaining Leng Manyun’s decision to retire from the entertainment industry, then a reporter stood up and asked why Glory World wanted to sign on Ning Xi.
Ning Xueluo’s heart was in her throat, she wished the situation would descend into chaos and end poorly.
Unfortunately, this was a Glory World event. Even if the journalists wanted to make a scene, they wouldn’t be able to voice more than a few complaints.
Ning Xueluo cautiously watched Su Yan’s reaction, but realized that Su Yan’s eyes never once left Ning Xi, even though Ning Xi didn't say a word throughout the whole process.
Ning Xueluo suddenly felt danger approaching; at the same time, the lawyer clicked his mouse and a familiar voice started to play…
It was Zhang Qiang’s voice!!!
Ning Xueluo’s heart sped up and she comforted herself non-stop. Even with Zhang Qiang’s testimony, Ning Xi would only be able to prove herself innocent. Nobody would find out that she, NIng Xueluo, was the one behind everything.
What happened next, however… smashed her hopes one by one…
Chapter 207: How Can I Continue to Trust You?
The remote control dropped on the floor, Ning Xueluo’s whole face was colorless and twisted.
She’d thought the worst-case scenario would Ning Xi successfully proving herself innocent; she wouldn't have expected in a million years that Ning Xi would be able to find concrete evidence to expose herself.
The sender of that anonymous email benefited from both sides? Blackmailed her for 8 million and then turned around and sold the evidence to Glory World right after?
On the TV, a reporter was asking Ning Xi: "Ning Xi, as far as anyone knows, you have a close relationship with Ning Xueluo. What is her motivation? Is there a misunderstanding between you two?"
Ning Xueluo’s fingers quivered and she quickly turned off the TV, threw away the remote control, and then tightly grasped Su Yan. "Brother Yan, let me explain…"
Ning Xueluo felt Su Yan trembling all over after she hugged him, his tightened fists creaking, and his gentle face looked extremely pale and awful…
She had never seen Su Yan like this before!
Profound fear swallowed up Ning Xueluo’s heart, she could only grasped Su Yan tighter and explain in a rush, "Brother Yan, it wasn’t me… It truly wasn't me… I didn't know anything about it… I didn't expect that Cui Caijing would do such thing! Maybe she wanted to set me up because I called her names several times when I wasn’t feeling well?"
Su Yan let her grasp him however she wanted, but he didn't move at all and his voice was without warmth as he spoke. "If Cui Caijing was framing you, then why would she ask Zhang Qiang to set up Ning Xi? What benefit could she get?"
Ning Xueluo’s face froze and she spoke up again immediately, "She wanted someone to be a scapegoat! She followed me everywhere and knew that Ning Xi treated me horribly in private, so if she put the blame on Ning Xi, I wouldn't suspect her at all…"
"Even if I believe your far-fetched explanation, what about your injury?" Su Yan continued asking.
Ning Xueluo had managed to calm herself down a bit and explained as if she was the one who had suffered an injustice, "I said from the beginning that I was fine, daddy and mummy were just too worried about me and asked me to stay in the hospital all that time. Brother Yan, you know that I was mentally and physically exhausted at that time and felt horrible. How could they blackmail me like that!"
Deep sorrow flashed across Su Yan’s numb face. "Xueluo… how can I continue to trust you?"
Ning Xueluo bawled her eyes out, grabbing his hand tightly and looking at him as if he was her only redemption. "Brother Yan! Trust me! Please trust me! People must be criticizing me everywhere out there, if you don't trust me, how will I be able to move on? The people who don't know me, I don't care about them, but don't you know me? You think I would do something like this to Xiao Xi? Brother Yan, please… please… don’t abandon me…"
Su Yan looked sluggish and absentminded; he had no reaction.
Ning Xueluo stared at him nervously.
After half an hour, Su Yan finally took a deep breath and pushed her hand away, then staggered out the door.
Ning Xueluo panicked. "Brother Yan, where are you going?"
"Don’t follow me, I need some peace and quiet."
"Bang," the door was shut.
In the room, Ning Xueluo, like a piece of rotten clay, crashed to the floor like she had just been struck by a huge disaster, then swiftly called Chang Li…
Chapter 208: When Did I Flirt?
Su Yan tumbled downstairs and drove aimlessly on the busy streets.
All he could think about was that day when Ning Xi had covered Ning Xueluo’s wound and called out for help, and how he had rudely pushed her away…
About how Ning Xi had been stubborn at the hospital, refusing to lower her head in front of the unfair accusations from Mr. and Mrs. Ning…
About all those hurtful and accusatory words he had sent to her, word by word, sentence by sentence…
After the incident, he hadn’t considered for even a second to stand by Ning Xi’s side and to listen to her explanation.
He’d said himself that he would treat her like his own little sister even though they were no longer in a relationship, but he had been hurting her all this time.
Xueluo had him, her loving parents, the company, and her fans…
What about Ning Xi? She had been blamed by the whole world and bore everyone’s accusations, bore all the injustice, all by herself.
In the end, it was a complete stranger who had found her justice, not those who claimed to care for her…
Through the car window, he could see Ning Xi answering the reporters’ questions on the shopping mall’s big LED screen with a serious face: "I plan to work hard and make more money for my boss, to thank him for his appreciation and prove him right."
He knew that she wasn’t saying those things for show. She was being sincere. That’s how she was; those who showed her even just a bit of kindness, would in turn be treated with all her heart…
He’d thought that she was the one who had changed, but the truth was, it was him who was no longer the same.
Like crazy, the image of Ning Xi walking out of the hospital gate all by herself kept repeating in his head…
That helpless, lonely view of her back…
His heart hurt like it was being twisted by a knife…
…
At night, VIVI Bar.
This wasn’t a big bar, not in a good location, either, but it was very tastefully decorated. All the industry people went there. It was private enough, so they could relax and have gatherings.
When Ning Xi arrived at the box, Jiang Muye was already there, sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed. There were a few empty wine bottles on the coffee table.
Ning Xi removed her mask and sunglasses. "Hey, hey, hey, started all by yourself?"
Jiang Muye made a disdainful sound. "Didn’t you quit drinking? What’s the point of waiting for you, I would be drinking by myself anyways!"
Ning Xi shrugged. "Ok, forget it, you go on! Ordered me some fresh juice yet?"
"Order my ass! How can you find fresh juice in a bar?" Jiang Muye stared at her impatiently.
Then Ning Xi pressed the service button.
A handsome young man came in and smiled. "Miss, what can I get you?"
Ning Xi took out a big bill, put it in his pocket, and winked. "Handsome, can you go buy me two bottles of juice?"
Stunned, the young man blushed and smiled. "At your service."
Jiang Muye opened his eyes so wide that his eyeballs looked like they were going to fall out. "Ning Xi! Stop it, why do you flirt with all the good looking guys?"
Ning Xi instantly gave him a kick. "Screw you! When did I flirt! A dirty mind makes for dirty vision!"
Jiang Muye dusted the dirt off his pants. "Don’t talk about meaningless things! Get to the point!"
"You started the meaningless talk first!" Ning Xi gave him a contemptuous look and leaned on the back of the sofa, then let out a long sigh. She could no longer hide the exhaustion she had been suppressing all day, and released it all out from between her eyes…
Chapter 209: Repay You With Myself
Jiang Muye had seen her like this before and asked awkwardly, "Why are you so tired today? Didn’t the press conference go well?"
Everything was arranged perfectly by a certain someone…
"It’s all your fault! I’m tired mentally!" Ning Xi was annoyed and quickly rolled up to look at him with a burning stare. "Let me ask you something, that day… that day Lu Tingxiao… really… kissed me?"
Jiang Muye tossed back a drink. "If I lied, I’ll burn all my equipment and never play PC games ever again!"
Ning Xi nodded. "Ok, I trust you now." Such a deadly oath for him to make.
Jiang Muye tried not to scream. "You freaking tell me, how many times did I remind you! You never listened! Why haven't you died from stupidity! How long have we known each other and how long have you known Lu Tingxiao? Why don’t you trust me?"
Looking at Jiang Muye’s sad little face, Ning Xi sighed. "In fact, when I first met Lu Tingxiao, he said it."
"Said what?" Jiang Muye got nervous.
Ning Xi gestured with her palms. "Said he would marry me."
"Pff… cough, cough, cough… what did you say?" Jiang Muye almost choked to death on his drink and coughed severely.
Ning Xi patted his back hard. "I was more shocked than you are right now."
"Then?" Jiang Muye asked in a rush.
"Then I asked why! It was totally unscientific!"
"What did he say?"
"He said that I saved Little Treasure and that he wanted to repay me by giving himself to me!"
"WTF! Then what did you say?"
"I said that I saved Little Treasure and then Little Treasure saved me back, so let’s call it even, no need to repay me with anything, and then I ran away!"
Jiang Muye quickly stood up and paced in circles crazily around the room. "I freaking want to strangle you. Lu Tingxiao wanted to take advantages from you from the beginning and even said it out straight, so why didn't you keep your distance?"
Ning Xi raised her eyebrows. "Come on, how can anyone reject anything in front of Little Treasure’s innocent face? Plus, I always thought that Lu Tingxiao only said he wanted to marry me for Little Treasure’s sake. I rejected him later and he didn't force me anymore, so what else could I do?"
"Why would it be for Little Treasure’s sake? That’s so fake! And you, you’re such a pig!" Jiang Muye finally stopped walking in circles, looked at her, and said, "Let me put it this way, normally, in a hero-saves-beauty situation like this, if the beauty is not interested in the hero, she would say, ‘thank you for helping me, I will work for you like a cow or a horse to repay you!’ So here’s the question, what if the beauty IS interested in the hero, what would she say? Ning Xiao Xi, please answer!"
"Hmm…" Ning Xi touched her jaw. "The beauty would say, ‘I will repay you with myself’?"
"So, now you understand the meaning of ‘repay you with myself’?! It means ‘I freaking like you, I’m keen and interested’!"Jiang Muye impatiently shouted next to her ear.
Ning Xi picked her ears, which had gone numb from his loud screaming. "Sounds reasonable…"
Jiang Muye said, "This is the freaking truth!"
Ning Xi stood up and dusted off her butt, then grabbed Jiang Muye’s shoulder, calmed him down, made him sit on the sofa, and said slowly, "Ok, since you asked me, let me also ask you something!"
Jiang Muye looked at her cautiously. "What do you want to ask?"
"I want to ask you, if you walked into a room and saw the person you like was drugged, wearing a transparent night gown, and lying on a king sized bed covered with rose petals, what would you do?"
Chapter 210: I Have a Crush on Him
Jiang Muye fell into a daze for 3 seconds and his ears started to burn up soon after. He pushed her away. "Ning Xiao Xi, you have such a dirty mind!"
"Screw you! Stop pretending to be so innocent and seriously answer your big mama’s question!"
"Why did you ask something like that?" Jiang Muye tried to avoid her eyes, not wanting her to know that what she’d just said had been too graphic and that the only feeling he had was…
"You answer me first!" Ning Xi rushed him.
Jiang Muye hesitated for a long while before finally saying in a blurry voice, "Of… of course I’d go along with it! All normal men would do it, ok? Unless the man didn't like her in the first place!"
Ning Xi looked at him with a half smile, having gotten her expected answer.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Am I wrong?" Jiang Muye felt uncomfortable with her expression.
"You’re right."
"Now can you tell me why you asked me that?"
Ning Xi rested her jaw in her hand and said absentmindedly, "Do you know what Lu Tingxiao did when he met with this situation?"
Jiang Muye’s expression changed immediately. "When Lu Tingxiao met with this situation? What do you mean?"
Ning Xi explained the causes and effects briefly. "… then Zhu Xiangcheng tied me up and left me on Lu Tingxiao’s bed!"
"What… What did Lu Tingxiao do?" Jiang Muye’s voice changed out of nervousness.
"He didn't do anything." Ning Xi recalled what happened that night. "He comforted me and talked to me to distract me. He didn't cross the line even a little for the whole night, just quietly kept me company through the most difficult and helpless night of my entire life."
Jiang Muye bit his lips hard after hearing that. He couldn’t say a word.
Ning Xi stared at him. "Why do you think Lu Tingxiao didn't do anything? Is he not a normal guy? Does he not like me?"
Jiang Muye tightened his fists. "He likes you for sure!"
The way Lu Tingxiao had handled it didn't mean that he wasn’t a real man, on the contrary, it proved that he was a man among men… If it had been himself, he couldn’t promise that he would be able to do the same…
Ning Xi nodded. "I wasn't sure at first and didn't dare to confirm, but now I’m sure that he likes me, too. So, there is a third possibility."
That got Jiang Muye’s attention instantly. "What is it?"
"It’s not that I was stupid, it’s that he is on a whole other level. I’m not surprised, nor do I regret having a crush on him at all…" After she spoke, settled compromises appeared in her foggy and cloudy eyes.
Jiang Muye’s voice shook and he could barely finish a full sentence. "You have a crush on him?"
Ning Xi smiled. "Although I don't want to admit it, and have been avoiding it for so long, it’s the truth."
Jiang Muye slammed his fist onto the coffee table, hard, and his red eyes exploded with jealousy. "Ning Xi! How much do you know about him? How much? You only see what’s on the surface! You think Lu Tingxiao is really as gentle as he looks? Did you know that Jia Qingqing died in the wilderness? Do you know what happened to Chu Xiangcheng? Did you know that he used the aviation aircraft to make artificial rain, just to stop your kissing scene? And the incident at my house… he is the one behind everything!"
Ning Xi fell into a long silence, then said in a low voice, "But, Jiang Muye, he never did anything to hurt me. If I get scared of him because of all that, keep my distance from him, and resent him, it’s not fair to him. You can think of me as someone who doesn’t know right from wrong or that I’m naive about life-and-death matters, but I only know that he treats me well. Very well. Nobody has ever treated me as well as he does."
Chapter 211: Do You Want to Be His Girlfriend?
Jiang Muye looked dejected and spoke with a hoarse voice. "Do you want to be his girlfriend?"
"How could that be possible!" Ning Xi looked sideways at him. "I still have self-knowledge."
Jiang Muye frowned. "I don't mean that. I don’t mean you are not good enough, but Lu Tingxiao is too calculative and dangerous. The environment in the Lu family is not suitable for you…"
"Bro, thanks for flattering me. I clearly know what kind of person I am in my heart." Ning Xi interrupted him and her expression recovered. "Relax. Loving someone doesn’t mean losing my mind. I know what I’m doing and what I should do from now on."
When Jiang Muye heard her words, he wasn’t at all happy; instead, he felt like his chest was stuffed with a sponge soaking up water, which made him unhappy. "What kind of person you are? You work hard to make progress. You seem to be cynical and heartless, but you actually pay close attention to detail and are clear about what to love or hate. You deserve the most suitable man for you!"
Ning Xi froze for a moment and then looked surprised. "Golden hair, what a surprise! My image in your heart is so great? Aren’t you falling in love with me?"
Jiang Muye’s back instantly became rigid. "F*** you!"
"Hahaha…" Ning Xi held her stomach as she laughed for a moment, then looked at him in a subtle way. "To paraphrase what you said before, what do you know about me, Jiang Muye? How much do you know about me? You only see the side that I'm letting you see. Do you really think I'm exactly what I show?"
The moment Ning Xi looked at Jiang Muye, he almost thought that she had seen through his heart, and that she had deliberately said what she had to remind him to completely give up on his idea…
…
Lu Mansion.
Lu Tingxiao was sitting on the sofa in the living room, holding a German book and reading it attentively.
On the other hand, Lu Jingli spent the whole night wandering the house, appearing as though he had been stabbed in the butt with a needle.
"Brother, the man Xiao Xixi is meeting with is Jiang Muye, that boy! Don't you want to know what they're talking about? I have a hunch! The topic of conversation will be very thrilling! And it’ll mean a lot to you!"
Lu Tingxiao turned a page, not raising his head at all.
"Ay, it’s all your fault, brother. You’re too old-fashioned. I said that I wanted to bug the place, but you stopped me! Now you can only stay at home and be anxious!" Lu Jingli complained.
Although, according to the present situation, it seemed only he, himself, was suffering from anxiety.
Finally, even Lu Tingxiao, who was so patient, could no longer bear the noise. "Keep silent or go back."
"No! I won’t go!"
He still wanted to wait for Xiao Xixi to return so he could fish for information! Otherwise, how could he sleep tonight?
"It's almost eleven o'clock. Why haven’t they returned?" While Lu Jingli was scratching his head, his phone rang. It was an unknown number.
"Who's calling me so late?" Lu Jingli picked up his mobile phone and went to the yard to answer it.
Ten minutes later, Lu Jingli rushed in like he’d been injected with a stimulant.
--
"It really came right on time! Brother, guess what I just got? It’s the recording of the wiretap from the box Xiao Xixi and Jiang Muye are using! I didn’t set it up, it was secretly recorded by an innocent paparazzo from a gossip company. Luckily, his boss is sensible and stopped it immediately after receiving it, then called me to apologize in order to suck up to me!"
Chapter 212: Could He Be An Ex?
When Lu Tingxiao heard his words, he didn’t even blink, and coldly spoke two words with his thin lips. "Destroy it."
Lu Jingli immediately felt like a basin of cold water had been dumped on him. "What? Even God is helping you! You won’t even listen to this?"
Lu Tingxiao looked colder. "Need I say it twice?"
Noticing that his brother was really angry, Lu Jingli hurriedly nodded like a chicken pecking rice. "Okay, okay, okay… I’ll destroy it… I’ll destroy…"
Ai, he didn't know what to say about his brother. Apart from when he was in front of Xiao Xi Xi, he was too principled and inflexible at any other time!
Nevertheless, he was different from him. He said yes, but in his heart, he knew he wouldn’t really destroy it.
Tsk, it was ok to secretly keep it…
It would come in handy someday!
While Lu Jingli was sighing, a small figure suddenly ran like the wind downstairs and outside…
"Is Xiao Xi Xi back?" Lu Jingli hurriedly followed Little Treasure.
When he reached the gate, he saw that it really was Ning Xi, sitting in Jiang Muye’s car.
He couldn’t see anything unusual about their expressions, but Jiang Muye seemed to have drunk a lot, while Ning Xi seemed to have drunk very little.
Ning Xi left the car and picked up Little Treasure, who had rushed to greet her, saying with resignation and love, "Darling, it's already eleven o'clock. Why did you stay up so late again? Didn’t we agree that you wouldn’t wait for me!"
Little Treasure clung to Ning Xi’s arms, tightly wrapped his arms around her, and stared at Jiang Muye behind her. His little face was full of vigilance and rejection.
Jiang Muye curled his lips. How freaking unfair! This was an incomparable aid for Lu Tingxiao! An incomparable aid!
Lu Jingli read Jiang Muye’s mind with just one look, and came to pat him sympathetically on the shoulder. "My condolences, that you have no son!"
Jiang Muye’s heart jolted. "What do you mean?"
Lu Jingli came close to his ears and whispered, "Don’t pretend. You like Ning Xi, don’t you?"
Jiang Muye panicked, then put on a straight face. "Second uncle, are you kidding me? How could I like her!"
Lu Jingli touched his chin with a contemplative expression.
It was strange, really strange. What the hell had happened between them? It was obvious that Jiang Muye that guy liked her, but he wasn’t willing to admit it even now…
Ning Xi was about to walk inside with Little Treasure in her arms, when the phone in her bag rang.
She casually pressed the answer key. "Hello, who is this?"
"Hello, is this Miss Ning Xi? Your boyfriend got into a car accident and is currently being treated at the hospital! Please come immediately!"
Ning Xi looked puzzled: "What? My boyfriend?"
Immediately, Lu Jingli, Jiang Muye, Lu Tingxiao, and even Little Treasure all focused their eyes on Ning Xi.
Ning Xi coughed, embarrassed. "Ahem, aren’t you mistaken? I don’t have a boyfriend!"
"But the number that the patient left before passing out was yours, you had better come soon! Our hospital’s address is…" After that, the person on the phone hung up in a hurry.
Ning Xi held her phone and stood there with an overwhelmed expression. "Holy sheet! Who the hell is he?"
Jiang Muye leaned against his car and hummed as he looked askance at her. "He’s one of your exes, isn’t he? He left your number when he almost died in an accident! He really is desperate for you!"
Ning Xi kicked him. "Be less sarcastic!"
"Then, Xiao Xi Xi, will you go?" Lu Jingli’s eyes were sparkling. Although he was asking her, his expression said that he really hoped she would go!
Chapter 213: It Is Better to Choose Lu Jingli
Ning Xi painfully pinched the skin between her eyebrows. "A human life is of greater value than anything. I had better go! What if he is someone I know! But what to do with Little Treasure…"
Before she could continue, Little Treasure tightly threw his arms around her neck, as if, after finally seeing her return, he would never separate from her.
Little Treasure wouldn’t let go no matter what, so Ning Xi would have to go with him.
Little Treasure wanted to follow her, so Lu Tingxiao definitely needed to join them.
And Lu Jingli actively volunteered to drive them.
Jiang Muye saw that the three people of the Lu family were all unashamedly ready to go, so he decidedly also squeezed into the car.
The final result was that everyone went with her.
Ning Xi was speechless.
At the hospital, several ambulances were at the door, the paramedics were bustling about, and the stretchers were full of bleeding patients, as if there had been a major traffic accident.
Ning Xi put her hands over Little Treasure’s eyes, to keep him from seeing these bloody things, and softly coaxed him. "Darling, it’s very messy now in the hospital. Would you please wait for me in the car?"
Little Treasure held her waist, his little head drooping as if he was being abandoned. He was actually so sleepy that he dozed off, but he still refused to sleep.
Ning Xi leaned over and kissed his little face. "Little Treasure, listen to me! I’ll be back very soon!"
Little Treasure, who had been kissed, recovered a bit and nodded.
"Then, I’m going!" Ning Xi said to all of them.
Lu Tingxiao: "I’ll go with you."
Jiang Muye: "I want to go, too!"
Both spoke almost simultaneously.
Ning Xi: "…"
"You going alone is unsafe." Lu Tingxiao frowned.
Jiang Muye snorted and said, "I just want to see who the hell he is!"
Ning Xi’s head hurt. She looked at Lu Tingxiao and then looked at Jiang Muye. Her eyes finally fell on Lu Jingli.
Lu Jingli innocently blinked. Why was his sister-in-law looking at him?
At last, Ning Xi spoke. "I don’t know the situation inside. It’s really improper for me to go alone. So, Second Young Master, please come with me! Lu Tingxiao, you… you’d better stay here to accompany Little Treasure!"
There was a flicker of darkness in Lu Tingxiao’s eyes. "Ok."
"As for you, Jiang Muye, stop this! Don’t you know how easily your face creates trouble? Running to a hospital so late at night, you want to create headlines, don’t you?"
Jiang Muye looked angry. Why are you so mad at me? But you speak so softly to Lu Tingxiao! Why?
"Go, go, go! Xiao Xixi, I’ll go with you! I’ll go with you!" Lu Jingli exulted. He was so excited that he almost danced on the spot.
Happiness came too suddenly! It was really a quarrel which benefited only the third party!
In the hospital’s Emergency Room.
It was a mess. It took Ning Xi a long time to find the doctor who had called her before.
"Hello, I’m Ning Xi. Where is the friend you mentioned before?"
"You’re Ning Xi! He has been through surgery and is now in Ward 307 on Floor 12. Go identify him quickly. He has nothing to prove his identity!"
"Ok, thank you!"
Ning Xi and Lu Jingli hurried to go upstairs, but the elevator was so crowded that they had to climb the stairs. Twelve floors! How miserable!
Ning Xi was terribly tired, while Lu Jingli was still cheerful like it was nothing.
She finally understood why Lu Jingli had been able to run Glory World Entertainment with such excellence. This guy's passion for gossip was simply unmatched!
Chapter 214: It’s All Over
They finally arrived at ward 307.
Out of breath, Ning Xi bent over, and unable to wait any longer, Lu Jingli pushed the door open before she could straighten up.
A second later, Ning Xi still hadn’t seen who was inside when Lu Jingli’s face suddenly sank and he closed the door. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her outside, saying, "Xiao Xi Xi, go, go, go… forget about it! This Junior Master was looking forward to it all this time, but it turned out to be this thing! Let him die!"
"Who is it, why are you acting like this?"
"Well, you won’t regret leaving, regardless!"
"Su Yan?" guessed Ning Xi.
Lu Jingli straightened his face. "Hell yeah, it’s him! Now we can go!"
"We can’t leave if it’s him!" Ning Xi pushed Lu Jingli’s hands off her shoulders and turned to walk inside the ward.
Lu Jingli anxiously stomped his feet. "Xiao Xi Xi, why do you care about him! You, you, you… it’s still not over between you two?
Ning Xi didn't answer and walked straight into the ward.
It was Su Yan in the ward. Lying quietly on the bed, his head was covered by a thin veil and an IV drip was in his hand.
Ning Xi lightly sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to fix his hair. The look on her face was gentle, and she spoke even more gently, "Brother Yan…"
Lu Jingli: "…!!!"
What the f*** did I just see! What did I hear!
Ning Xi still liked this guy? Luckily, his brother wasn't with them, otherwise he would get mad!
As Lu Jingli was thinking, a wave of iciness blew in from behind him. He turned his head and saw…
His brother was right there!!!
"Bro… bro… why are you here?"
Little Treasure was in his arms and Jiang Muye was behind him; all three of them had come.
He imagined that Little Treasure had been unable to wait any longer and wanted to come up, so his brother brought him and Jiang Muye followed them.
Now… it was over!
In bed, Su Yan looked pale and frowned, slowly opening his eyes. "Xiao Xi…"
"How are you feeling?" asked Ning Xi.
Su Yan looked at the girl before him in a daze. "Am I dreaming?"
Every time he met Ning Xi, they argued and things would end unhappily. He couldn’t remember how long it had been since she last spoke to him so nicely.
The moment he woke up, he saw concern for him in her eyes. She even called him Brother Yan…
Ning Xi stood next to the bed and returned to being her cool self. "You just had an operation, the doctors said that you’re fine now. You only have a small concussion remaining and need to stay in the hospital for a bit longer to recover. If there’s nothing else, I should go…"
She turned away as she finished speaking, but suddenly her wrist was grabbed—
"Don’t leave me! Xiao Xi, don't go…"
"Anything else?"
"I…" Su Yan struggled, then watched her as he let everything out in one breath. "Although I know you don't care for or need it, I’m sorry… I still want to tell you that I’m sorry! I misunderstood you! You know what? When I thought I was going to die, at that moment, I couldn’t think of anything except how I still haven't had a chance to apologize to you…"
Outside the door, Lu Jingli looked at Ning Xi’s wrist, which was being grabbed by Su Yan. He quaking in fear and swallowed, then turned and saw his brother's face. As expected, it was abnormally scary…
He was really mad, what was Xiao Xi Xi thinking?
Chapter 215: Little Treasure Freaks Out
"Su Yan, you don't need to apologize. Even if you were given a second chance, you would still choose to believe in Ning Xueluo."
Su Yan hurriedly explained, "I wouldn't…"
"Don’t say that you wouldn’t, take this incident as an example. Ning Xueluo told you that she was innocent and put all the blame on Cui Caijing, correct? And you, you believed her again, right? If I told you that she lied to you, would you believe me?" Ning Xi spoke slowly and clearly.
Su Yan subconsciously avoided her eyes and said firmly, "I will put more effort into investigating the matter!"
Ning Xi smiled and shook her head. "True belief doesn’t need investigation. Back when you chose to believe in her, you didn't listen to me at all."
"Xiao Xi, I…"
"Brother Yan…"
"Xiao Xi!" Su Yan suddenly raised his head. This time, he clearly heard it; she called him "Brother Yan."
Ning Xi looked out the window, into the darkness, and felt as if she’d gone back in time. Her voice became blurry. "Brother Yan, do you remember? When I was 9, I really wanted that back pack with my idol’s picture printed on it, but my parents wouldn’t buy it for me. Then 50 yuan went missing in the house. My grandma was sure that I stole it, my parents became suspicious, and even Xiao Nuo, was always on my side, even he thought that I took the money, because he knew that I really, really liked that male star…"
Su Yan couldn't bear to continue to listen. After hearing just half the story, his body was shaking and his eyes had turned red.
Ning Xi laughed at herself, seeming to lose her voice. "Only you, back then, only you believed that I didn't take the money. You took me out of the house, went to all the kids who came to play at my house, and knocked on one door after another until you found the kid who took the money…
You know what? Back then, I thought that when I grew up, this guy in front of me would be my future husband!"
"Xiao Xi, stop…" Su Yan closed his eyes in embarrassment.
Outside the door, Lu Jingli was screaming inside, sister-in-law, stop!!!
I’m afraid the whole hospital will disappear overnight!
Just then, Lu Tingxiao’s energy was horrifying, even overshadowing Jiang Muye’s jealousy. Lu Jingli coughed lightly and stepped further away from his brother.
While everyone was looking into the ward, Little Treasure, who was standing next to Lu Tingxiao, threw off his father's hand and quickly ran into the ward.
Like a wolf pup, the little guy swiftly snatched Ning Xi’s hand, then tightly clasped his arms around Ning Xi’s thigh. He stared at Su Yan angrily, with rage flaming in his pretty eyes…
"Darn it! Little Treasure—" Lu Jingli was really scared, but as he was going to run after him, Lu Tingxiao blocked him with his arm.
Lu Jingli understood in a second that it would become more complicated if he also went in.
Little Treasure, who ran inside all of a sudden, scared Ning Xi. "Eh, darling… why are you here?"
She looked out through the little window in the door and saw Lu Tingxiao and the others all standing in the corridor.
Little Treasure looked up at Ning Xi with his little head thrown back. Tears welled up in his eyes and he soon started crying, the tears falling down his cheeks in big drops…
Ning Xi saw them and became worried. "Ai, don't cry! What is it? Be good, don't cry! Auntie will take you home right away!"
Ning Xi held Little Treasure in her arms and prepared to leave, when Su Yan called her to stop after finally returning to his senses—
"Xiao Xi! This kid… who… who is he?"
Chapter 216: Lost Love Rekindled?
Ning Xi subconsciously raised Little Treasure’s face to her shoulder, gently patted his back, and answered casually, "My friend’s kid. I have to go, get well soon! I will inform Ning Xueluo to come here later."
After Ning Xi left, Su Yan stared at the door, still in shock.
What was with that kid?
Why, for a split second, did he think that the kid actually resembled Ning Xi, especially in the eye area?
He recalled the horrible memory of that dead fetus from five years ago. If that fetus hadn’t died, it would have been around the same age…
Sheet, what was he thinking about! It was simply mad! That fetus died 5 years ago!
Yes… died… it was already dead… there was no way it could have survived…
Ning Xi came out 5 seconds after Little Treasure had run in. Lu Jingli couldn’t help but snap his fingers at Little Treasure, well done!
Ning Xi looked at Lu Tingxiao’s face and knew instantly that he was going to criticize Little Treasure. She hurriedly defended Little Treasure before he could speak. "Don’t blame Little Treasure, he's just a kid! He didn't disturb me at all!"
Lu Tingxiao looked helpless. "You are spoiling him." Funny, when he criticized Ning Xi, he didn’t sound at all angry.
Jiang Muye, who was standing at the side, saw how Lu Tingxiao contained all of his anger as soon as Ning Xi came out. He even looked loving instead. The speed at which he changed his expression was faster than turning a page in a book. The shock he felt was indescribable…
Fake, so fake!
"You treat him so strictly, I'm just making up for it!" Ning Xi touched Little Treasure’s head and a hint of sorrow unnoticeably flashed across her eyes.
If she didn't spoil Little Treasure now, she never would. She wouldn’t be able to in the future.
After leaving the hospital, they returned to the car and Ning Xi carried Little Bun in her arms, trying to put him to sleep. He passed out very quickly.
Lu Jingli had held it in for so long and finally couldn't bear it anymore. He looked at Ning Xi through the rearview mirror and asked in a rush, "Xiao Xi Xi, calling him ‘Brother Yan" and reminiscing with him, what was all that about? Has your lost love for him rekindled?"
In the passenger seat, Jiang Muye humphed. "Rekindled my ass! I was also almost fooled by her, she was acting like a little white flower again! Not just that, she even added a beauty trap on top!"
Ning Xi held her jaw and lifted her eyebrows in surprise. "My golden retriever got smarter, he even saw through me!"
Sitting next to Ning Xi, Lu Tingxiao still looked bit cold.
He’d discovered with a single glance that Ning Xi wasn't being sincere with Su Yan; what really upset him was—
The beauty trap… she used it on someone other than him…
"Ah, I still need to call Ning Xueluo!" Ning Xi still had Little Treasure in her arms; she moved slightly to grab her phone.
"Give him to me." Lu Tingxiao took Little Treasure from her.
She dialed the number and Ning Xueluo’s sharp voice sounded on the other end. "Ning Xi? Heh, why do you call me? To show off? B*tch! You must be so pleased to see me lose everything, huh? I’m telling you, don't be so happy just yet! You think that Brother Yan, mummy, and daddy will believe your nonsense? You are just a shameless bumpkin who found…"
Ning Xi let her finish her curses before speaking up slowly, but surely. "Miss Ning… let me remind you that you are on speaker right now, and that Su Yan is right next to me…"
Chapter 217: I Could Be Worse
Ning Xueluo: "…"
There was a long silence on the other end on the phone, then she hung up.
It was hard to imagine Ning Xueluo’s face after hearing those words, and how panicked she must have been when she hung up the phone.
"Pff! Xiao Xi Xi, you are so bad! You probably scared that woman so bad!" said Lu Jingli in admiration.
"You call this bad? You are so green and inexperienced! Now, I will show you something much worse!" Ning Xi bit her lip and pressed a key on her phone. The next second, a recording of her conversation with Ning Xueluo started to play.
Yup, she’d recorded it.
She had originally planned to call Ning Xueluo in front of Su Yan, then put her on speaker and let Su Yan hear her directly, but Little Treasure’s entrance had changed the plan.
Good thing was, it hadn’t changed the result.
Ning Xi edited the recording a little before sending it to Su Yan, then sighed in pity. "Pity that I can’t use this kind of trick on her anymore, she will be more cautious when talking to me from now on. Just this once is still great though!"
She’d expected from the start that Ning Xueluo wouldn’t admit to framing her, so today she’d wanted to solidly plant a seed of doubt in Su Yan’s heart. Now all she needed to do was watch two dogs bite at each other…
Lu Jingli shivered and his voice shook. "Xiao Xi Xi, if I ever do anything to upset you, please tell me straight or beat me up to release your anger, don't use such evil tricks on me! I’m scared…"
Ning Xi laughed lightly and replied straightforwardly, "Don’t worry, for your brother’s sake, I won’t care too much about you."
Lu Jingli’s eyes brightened. "My brother has such a privilege?"
Ning Xi glared at him resentfully. "Of course, he’s my Boss, my life savior! For him, I’m willing to work like a horse!"
After hearing her answer, a beam of light streaked across Lu Tingxiao’s eyes like a meteor, leaving an endless darkness in its wake…
Even though she usually tried to act cautiously, he’d still noticed that her attitude towards him had changed after she’d returned tonight.
From bringing Lu Jingli with her to the hospital, to purposely acting close to Su Yan; she’d even acted like a schemer to make him resent her, then casually brought up his position as her boss to clarify the boundary between them…
It was like he’d steeped a frog in warm water, nurtured it, and slowly allowed it to get used to his presence and accept him subconsciously, but then it learned his tricks and began to distance itself from him…
No doubt about it, she was a good student, able to apply what she learned in real practice.
It was like he’d bitten his own tail, trapping himself in a cage he’d personally designed. He knew clearly what she was doing, but couldn't do anything to stop her.
Late night, Lu Mansion.
Ning Xi was lying in her big bed, counting sheep. She couldn’t sleep.
She picked up her phone and opened WeChat.
She browsed the moments for a bit and was absent-minded, then typed: Had I not seen the Sun, I could have borne the shade, but Light a newer Wilderness, my Wilderness has made.
It was a poem by a female poet, Emily Dickinson. Ning Xi wasn’t sure why, but it suited her mood unexpectedly well…
The first one to comment was… Lu Jingli…
[Awww, everything comes back to life, flowers blossom in warm spring, now is the time when animals… Ah, bah! I smell love!]
The corner of Ning Xi’s mouth twitched, Lu Jingli, this bastard, replied so fast. Didn't he need to sleep?
To her surprise, Jiang Muye wasn't asleep either, even though it was so late. He commented: [So sour that my freaking teeth are falling off!]
Ning Xi was gonna send a few words back at Jiang Muye, but something suddenly caught her attention. She heard a creak as someone pushed her door open…
Chapter 218: She Can do Whatever She Wants
Ning Xi subconsciously put her phone down and held her breath; she wasn't alarmed or guarded, but rather, nervous.
She recognized Lu Tingxiao’s footsteps.
Why was Lu Tingxiao coming to her room at this hour?
It was 3 in the morning!
The strangest thing was, Lu Tingxiao would usually never enter without knocking…
Just as Ning Xi was in complete confusion, that familiar figure came to her bedside.
She didn't have the lights on in her room and there was no moon tonight, so it was so dark in the room that she could only see a blurry shadow.
That shadow stood there quietly, motionless.
Ning Xi’s heart was in her throat. She was about to make some noise to break the grueling silence, when she suddenly had a realization and an idea formed in her head.
Lu Tingxiao was a sleepwalker!
She swallowed the words back quickly, so as to not wake him.
Cough, but… what did he want?
After around 5 seconds, Lu Tingxiao took another step forward, sat down on the edge of her bed, opened half of the covers, and then… lay down next to her, just like that…
Ning Xi: "…"
He wasn't even finished yet; as soon as Lu Tingxiao lay down, he reached out with his long arm and pulled her into his embrace, holding her tightly like he would hold a pillow.
Ning Xi: "…"
Ning Xi’s face was seamlessly forced against Lu Tingxiao’s chest. His steady breathing was above her head and his hot palm was on her waist. Ning Xi was overcome with his cool smell mixed with a light scent of the cologne he used…
I’m going to die young! I’m going to go mad!
On the inside, Ning Xi wildly ran 800 miles while shouting to the sky, but in reality, she had to endure to the point of getting internal injuries.
Thinking back to the first time Lu Tingxiao had sleepwalked, she was sure it had been because "what you thought of during day was what you were going to dream of at night," and had told Lu Tingxiao to find himself a woman the next day…
Now, she finally understood!
Understood the true meaning of "what you thought during day was what you were going to dream of at night"!
So, who could tell her what she should do now?
Wait it out and let Lu Tingxiao walk away on his own?
It was ok to do nothing when she still didn't know anything, but now that she knew about it, how could she do nothing?
Ning Xi tested out the situation and tried to move her body away, but the result was that while she was pouring sweat and out of breath, a certain someone was still motionless.
She didn't want to wake him up, so she couldn’t use too much strength.
Without options, Ning Xi gave up.
Ai, forget it, let him sleep then! He won’t remember anything after he wakes up anyways…
Outside the window, a breeze fiddled with the gloomy clouds and the moon reached its head out from behind them, sprinkling silver moonlight all over the room.
Lu Tingxiao’s face was so close that it was right in front of her, catching her unprepared…
Ning Xi’s heart sped up, like a beating drum.
She was afraid her heartbeat would wake him up.
Unsure whether it was because of the beautiful moonlight or because of this man in front of her, Ning Xi couldn’t help but touch the man’s cheek with her hand. "Lu Tingxiao…"
Right now, no matter what she did, he wouldn't remember or retain a memory, right?
Mm, then it meant that she could do whatever she wanted?
This thought woke up the wild beast which had been locked up at the bottom of her heart…
Ning Xi touched the man’s forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose, and finally stopped at his lips…
Chapter 219: Sex Drives People Nuts
As time passed, Ning Xi slowly inched closer to the man, before stopping just 1 cm away from his lips.
Um…
To kiss, or not to kiss…
That was the question.
"It’s not nice to take advantages from him, right?"
"But he came into my bed himself, I didn't force him?"
"And he bit me last time!"
"Sheet, what am I doing! Sex really does drive people nuts! It’s driving me nuts!"
…
Ning Xi talked to herself for a long time before she laid back down to her original spot.
The man beside her relaxed his body and was very disappointed at the same time.
It felt unbearable being turned on half way…
However, in the next second, the girl who had given up and peacefully returned, moved all of a sudden, harshly locking her warm lips with his…
The tip of her tongue licked his lips, biting on them several times as a test, then she tried to open his mouth…
Lu Tingxiao almost lost it.
The feeling of not being able to kiss back while being kissed so fiercely was killing him!
The girl wasn't a good kisser, she was just licking and biting, but that still turned him on big time…
After kissing, Ning Xi wiped her mouth and laid back down contentedly, murmuring to herself, "Who cares if I’m nuts or not! Such a good opportunity, it’s better to make good use of it and kiss up! So I can leave no regrets in my life!"
After hearing that, Lu Tingxiao didn't know if he should laugh or get angry.
Just some kisses, then no more regrets?
My dear, your life’s goal was really nothing.
I want to give you so much more…
It was even harder for Ning Xi to go to sleep after kissing him, so she started browsing the news on her phone.
As expected, Ning Xueluo immediately came out with some statements, putting all the blame on Cui Caijing and making herself out to be a victim again.
This time, however, Glory World wasn't going to let her get away with this. Liang Feixing was the best at controlling the direction of public opinion.
Under Liang Feixing’s management, Ning Xueluo’s statement didn't have any effect, mostly people thought that she was trying to get out of taking responsibility. After all, why would a nobody assistant put so much effort into taking revenge for just a few criticisms?
Some people thought that Ning Xueluo did it for Jia Qingqing, for their friendship, while some thought that Ning Xueluo was jealous because Ning Xi was better looking than her. Others even thought that Su Yan liked Ning Xi, and that was why Ning Xueluo wanted to get rid of her…
Ning Xueluo’s gentle, generous image was severely jeopardized.
Aside from this situation, fans were mostly concerned about future developments involving <The World>, as was Ning Xi.
The company was dealing with it, they just hadn't gotten a confirmation yet.
She’ll call Lin Zhizhi tomorrow to figure this out then!
After browsing the news, Ning Xi logged onto Weibo and found that her number of fans had increased a lot through this incident. A lot of new passers-by fans had written all sorts of encouraging comments.
Ning Xi thought for a while and posted a Weibo…
Chapter 220: Want To Go Out And Have Fun
[It’s better to keep our dignity and beauty rather than care about the treachery or unkindness of others. That which can’t kill us will in the end make us stronger!]
There were a lot of people who slept late on Weibo, and the number of forwards and likes on her post climbed rapidly.
Less than five minutes after she posted, Jiang Muye also forwarded it with a decent message of support.
Below the forward, the fans were too excited they cried. The couple in the movie had actually entered the same company in reality — then wasn’t there even more of a chance of something happening between them?
To Ning Xi’s surprise, among the hot comments below her Weibo post, in addition to caring for and supporting her as well as gossiping about her and Jiang Muye, the most popular comment on the top of the list was unexpectedly —
[Goddess, goddess! Lu Tingxiao actually forwarded the Weibo message about you last time! Have you ever seen Big Boss Lu at Glory World Entertainment? Have you ever spoken to him? Is he handsome or not, handsome or not! Begging for photos! Begging for fortune!]
Ning Xi’s head was covered in black lines. "Have I ever seen Big Boss Lu? Of course I've seen him! He’s lying next to me, you silly human! Send photos? Forget it! A male god must of course be kept to one’s self…"
Ning Xi muttered to herself as she continued to browse online. As a result, the more she looked, the more energetic she became.
Ai, she shouldn’t have browsed Weibo when she couldn’t sleep.
What she needed now was a book on advanced mathematics!
As she fretted, there was an incoming call, the caller ID showing that it was Jiang Muye. Fortunately, she had put her phone on silent.
Ning Xi accepted the call and lowered her voice. "Hey. What do you want?
"I was also going to ask you, why aren’t you asleep yet, so late at night?"
Ning Xi rolled her eyes. "I could say the same to you —"
"Why is your voice so low?" Jiang Muye asked suspiciously.
"Do you want me to shout at you so late at night?"
"Something’s off…" Jiang Muye said in a firm tone, like he was Sherlock Holmes. "There’s someone next to you!"
Hearing this, Ning Xi cursed in her heart, then said with conviction, "I’m sleeping with Little Bun. How? Do you need to be so surprised?"
"Really?"
Ning Xi suddenly felt that the hand on the waist seemed to have tightened a bit, and she almost lost concentration. She hurriedly replied, "If not, then what? Can the person lying beside me be Lu Tingxiao? You’re too paranoid!"
Jiang Muye curled his lip, also figuring that he was thinking too much himself. "I was just asking!"
"By the way…" Ning Xi suddenly thought of something, and frowned. "How’s your family situation?"
Jiang Muye was silent for a while, and then replied: "Almost resolved already. After I met with you last night, that partner who had been refusing to let go all this time suddenly relented. This is really a coincidence!"
Meaning, Lu Tingxiao had obviously guessed something…
"Then that’s good." Ning Xi was relieved. "Then are you free tomorrow?"
Jiang Muye snorted. "Why? I’m very busy!"
"Oh, then forget it." Saying that, Ning Xi was about to hang up the phone.
"Wait, I’ll be free tomorrow. What do you want?" Jiang Muye hurriedly asked.
Ning Xi said slowly, "It’s going to be autumn tomorrow. The weather’s great and just nice, I don’t need to shoot scenes. Want to go out and have fun for a bit?"
"What?" Jiang Muye’s first thought was that he had heard wrong. After all, she had seen him as a bringer of misfortune since his return from abroad, and had been avoiding him. "What… what are you plotting?"
"Why do you have so many questions? If you’re not going, let’s forget it!"
"Going!"