Chapter 301: Nothing A Kiss Can't Fix
As Ning Xi was about to leave, Mother Lu noticed that Father Lu was silent with a cold expression on his face.
Lu Tingxiao stood up and walked towards Little Treasure, then carried him to Ning Xi, "Go send Aunty Xiao Xi off."
Little Treasure nodded and held Ning Xi’s hand.
Ning Xi looked at Lu Tingxiao gratefully, then walked off with her little bun to the courtyard.
Lu Chongshan was about to get up, but was stopped by Mother Lu. She shook her head and said, "Let them be, he’s just sending her off."
Lu Chongshan’s expression was still unhappy, but he gave in anyway.
Ning Xi and Little Treasure walked along a short green pebbled path. It would take them 10 minutes to reach the courtyard gate.
Along the path, Ning Xi kept thinking about words to comfort the little bun, but she was unable to come up with anything.
The little bun looked down, refusing to lift his head up.
After a while, he took out his writing board, and started writing.
The little bun showed Ning Xi the board after he was done with it, on the board it was written—
[Tagore once said: If you love her, let your love surround her like sunlight, and set her free.]
Ning Xi's sadness vanished after she saw what Little Treasure wrote, "Baby, you even know about Tagore! Where did you learn this from?"
Ning Xi squatted down and hugged the little bun tightly and with a heart full of warmth, she told him, "Thank you…I’m really thankful for you…"
She really did not expect Little Treasure to show her something as heart-touching as this. As she was hugging Little Treasure, she saw a familiar shadow closing in.
She quickly kissed the little bun and told him that she would find a chance to visit him again, then she ran away…
Lu Tingxiao felt forlorn when he saw the girl running away swiftly.
Lu Jingli laughed out loud, "Bro, Xiao Xi runs faster than a mutant rabbit when she sees you!"
He then looked at the little bun and said, "It’s really unfair! I understand now that no matter what I say it can never be on par with a kiss from Little Treasure. If there’s something a kiss cannot solve, then two kisses!
"So, bro, why don't you let Little Treasure do his thing and change our parents' mind. Won't it solve the huge issue between you and Xiao Xi?"
"This isn’t the biggest problem between us", Lu Tingxiao replied coldly.
He knew clearly that the suggestion to have Ning Xi resign and become Little Treasure’s tutor was the best compromise the old man could make.
However, his ultimate goal was accomplished, when he saw how much influence Ning Xi had over Little Treasure. He knew that Father Lu would not try to do anything to her.
After Ning Xi left, Lu Chongshan called both sons into his study room.
"Seeing that it’s all for Little Treasure, I will not pursue what happened last night further, but there will be no next time!"
"Father, why are you so troublesome! Just let brother marry her already, then everything will be solved. How awesome would that be?"
Surprisingly, Lu Chongshan did not get angry at Lu Jingli, instead he sighed, "Jingli, if it had been you, I would have agreed to the marriage."
Lu Jingli shivered, "Father, can you stop making such terrifying statements?"
This was just causing him more trouble!
Chapter 302: The Devil That Was Too Cute
"My son, if it had been your wife, even if she were an artiste, there wouldn't be much of an implication. But it's not the same with your brother, he's the Chief Executive Officer of Lu Group Corporation and the helmsman of the Lu family empire. His choice for a wife is important to the entire family."
Lu Jingli looked at his brother beside him and saw that his cynical and defiant expression had become serious.
Since they were children, he had lived under the protection of his brother and did as he liked. He had the right to choose someone he liked to be his wife, but his brother did not.
"Bro, I…" Lu Jingli suddenly did not know what to say.
Lu Tingxiao patted him on the shoulder and then looked at Lu Chongshan. His usual icy cold eyes revealed an air of arrogance, and he said, "Father, apart from you and mother, no one else can affect my decisions."
In other words, the opinions of all these companies, family empires, and unrelated persons did not matter to him. The only ones he cared about were the opinions of his closest family members.
When Lu Chongshan heard this, he was stunned. Even though these words were meant to disobey him, he felt a sense of pride and happiness in his heart.
He had spent 20 years to achieve his success, never hesitating to make risky decisions. Yet, he had forgotten his son before him, who merely took five short years to calm a huge internal strife. He had even elevated the Lu family to a higher status within those five years.
Even though the words he had just uttered were rebellious and arrogant, they were not frivolous, as he did indeed have such capabilities.
Lu Chongshan took a deep breath, before he finally sighed, "Tingxiao, don't blame me for being too careful. You must know that it's easy to get the world but it's not easy to hold on to it. To have such a weak point by your side is definitely not a good thing."
Lu Tingxiao's eyes revealed a ripple of gentle yet determined vibe, "I will prove to you that she is not a weak point."
With that, he turned around to leave.
As he watched his brother's shadow leave, all of Lu Jingli's inner guilt turned into admiration, "Wow! My brother is too cool!"
After he left the study room, Lu Tingxiao went to look for Little Treasure.
The little guy was leaning with his cheek in his hand as he lay on the window sill, zoned out. His little face expressed a mix of contentment and disappointment.
Lu Tingxiao walked to his son, then gently put his palm on his head, "You did well."
Little Treasure turned his head and looked up.
"What's wrong?" Lu Tingxiao asked.
Little Treasure used his little hand to pull the hem of his father's shirt, indicating for him to bend lower.
Lu Tingxiao bent down. In the next second, a soft little kiss fell on his cheek.
Lu Tingxiao who was used to having everything under his control and prediction, was truly stunned for the first time…
After a few seconds, Lu Tingxiao finally returned to his senses. He did not know how to deal with this situation, so in the end he just cleared his throat with a serious face and complimented, "Good boy."
"Pfft—" Lu Jingli who was leaning on the door immediately burst into laughter, thinking that his brother was simply too cute in this moment
He had so many tricks when picking up girls, yet it turned out there were things he was not very skilled at too, such as ways to communicate with his son.
Lu Tingxiao's stunned stupor by his son's sudden kiss was interrupted when his phone suddenly rang.
It was butler Yuan.
Old butler Yuan emotionally reported, "Hello, master, Miss Xiao Xi came back!"
Chapter 303: She Was Tricked
At the same time, at Platinum Palace.
Ning Xi was talking to the maid, Wan Wan at the door.
"My dearest and cutest Wan Wan, please, just let me in! I guarantee that I'll leave as soon as I've taken my luggage!" Ning Xi begged with her palms pressed together.
When she left the old residence earlier, she thought that she might as well apply for half a day off from the drama team and collect the luggage she had left at the bungalow.
Even though three months was not too long a time, she realized that she had unknowingly moved most of her things here. That was why during this period of time, when she needed to use something urgently but could not come over to get it, it was very inconvenient.
Of course, the most important thing was that she knew that the devil would be at the old residence, and definitely not at the bungalow. That was why she quickly used the opportunity to rush here.
Frustratingly, the situation did not progress as smoothly as she had imagined it would have.
The gentle little maid would not let her in, no matter what.
"Miss Xiao Xi, please don't make this harder for me. It's not that I'm intentionally not letting you in, but I really don't have the authority to open this door!"
Ning Xi had no choice but to beg butler Yuan.
Butler Yuan was on the phone with someone, but he quickly hung up when he saw her coming his way. Then he cleared his throat and nonchalantly turned to her to say, "Miss Xiao Xi, you're back!"
"Mmm, I came back to get some things. Dear butler, would you help me open the door?" Ning Xi anxiously asked for help.
Butler Yuan's face immediately revealed an expression of helplessness and softly sighed, "Miss Xiao Xi, even though as a servant, I should not say much about master, this time I can't help but tell you. Previously, I don't know what happened but a while back, the master returned and he made all of us leave the residence. Then, he locked himself up inside for a whole day. After that, the residence's enter and exit security has been tightened and until now, no one else but him can enter."
Butler Yuan paused at this part, and then continued to say, "So, if you need to go in, you can only contact the master to come over and open the door for you."
When she heard butler Yuan say this, Ning Xi recalled that Lu Jingli did mention this to her before. She had been intentionally avoiding and not paying attention to all news related to Lu Tingxiao…
Ning Xi was shocked for a moment, but she quickly said, "Thank you, then it's fine, I'll leave! Dear butler, goodbye!"
She felt slightly unsettled about the phone call she saw butler Yuan on. Since she still could not get her luggage today, it was best she left soon!
When butler Yuan saw that Ning Xi was going to leave, he suddenly became anxious as the master was still on his way!
He had seen his master depressed for many days, and finally he waited for Ning Xi to be back. He was not going to let her go easily.
Thus, butler Yuan quickly called out to stop her, "Miss Xiao Xi, wait!"
"Dear butler, is there anything else?" Ning Xi stopped in her footsteps.
Butler Yuan pretended as if he suddenly thought of something and said, "Miss Xiao Xi, I suddenly thought of a way of opening the door for you."
"Really?" Ning Xi's face immediately lit up.
"Yes, Miss Xiao Xi, please wait here for a while."
"Okay, no problem! I'm so sorry for troubling you!"
At this moment, Ning Xi's heart was filled with grateful thoughts that there was humanity in this world without suspecting that the friendly looking old butler would have tricked her.
Thus, Ning Xi stood there, full of hope. Alas, she waited for more than 20 minutes…
Chapter 304: Full Of Traps
Ning Xi anxiously waited as she subconsciously started to pick at the plants in the garden. Soon, the tree before her was plucked bald.
"Miss Xiao Xi, have a cup of fruit juice!" Wan Wan served a cup of juice, with a tray full of delicate refreshments.
"Thank you!" Ning Xi drank half a cup in one gulp and impatiently asked, "Wan Wan, have you helped me check why hasn't butler Yuan returned yet?"
Wan Wan was not good at lying, but she still tried very hard to put on a smile and calmly comforted her, "Miss Xiao Xi, please wait for a little longer! He should be back soon!"
"Okay…" Ning Xi looked at the time on her phone and decided to wait for another five minutes. If butler Yuan was still not back by then, she had to leave.
She was not sure why but her heart felt increasingly unsettled…
The time passed slowly and five minutes felt like forever to her.
Finally, the five minutes was up.
Ning Xi gave her cup to Wan Wan and said, "I'm sorry, Wan Wan. I've still got some things to do and I have to go now. Please let butler Yuan know, okay?"
Wan Wan's expression changed and she stopped Ning Xi in her path in a moment of anxiousness, "Miss Xiao Xi, please wait for a little while longer! It will be done…very soon…only a little while longer…"
If Ning Xi had not noticed anything suspicious from butler Yuan's actions, then she surely sensed something from a person as innocent as Wan Wan who easily revealed her true intentions.
Ning Xi looked at the way she acted and immediately knew that something was not right, so she quickly pushed her way through Wan Wan and ran.
Just as she moved past Wan Wan, a lone lean figure came into her sight…
Jeez…
I knew it…
Ning Xi buried her face in her hands and blocked her face. She turned around to look at Wan Wan and said in a tone of disbelief, "My dear Wan Wan, even you are helping them to trap me?"
All her hope for humanity was nonsense, she could not trust this world full of tricks anymore!
Wan Wan felt so guilty that she was started to cry and bow apologetically, "Miss Xiao Xi…I'm…I'm sorry! Really sorry! So Sorry!"
As Ning Xi watched the tear-stained little beauty apologize, she could not bring herself to be angry at her. She could only turn around to face the devil.
Ning Xi took a deep breath and said, "CEO Lu, I…I… am here to…"
Before she could finish her sentence, Lu Tingxiao stonily said, "Come in" and then started to walk towards the bungalow.
Ning Xi looked at the devil's shadow and her only thought was to run away. However, Lu Tingxiao seemed unworried that she would run away. He did not even turn back to look at her and walked ahead.
At last, Ning Xi really did not dare to walk away. Her dilemma resulted in her obediently following isntructions in the end.
Behind her, Wan Wan and butler Yuan who were hiding in a corner finally felt relieved.
Ning Xi nervously followed after the devil.
She inadvertently looked around this place that she had not visited for quite a while.
The living room, corridor, staircase, decorations…even though everything was exactly the same as before, she had a foreign and distant feeling.
Lu Tingxiao's firm steps led them to the door of her room before he opened it. He then stood there, waiting for her, as if he already knew why she had come.
Chapter 305: Lock You Up Forever
Ning Xi’s eyes met with the man’s pitch black ones. She stood there frightened and slightly freaked out, afraid to approach him.
Lu Tingxiao lit up a cigarette and leaned against the door as he started to relax a little. Only now Ning Xi felt more comfortable to advance towards him as the atmosphere became less tense.
Ning Xi passed by Lu Tingxiao at the speed of lightning. "Swoosh" and there she went, leaving only her shadow, almost like a martial arts master in the television series.
At the center of the room, Ning Xi was a little stunned.
Nothing in her room had changed at all. Messy fashion magazines were strewn all over her bed, rolled up yoga mats were lying carelessly on the floor, the eyebrow pencil she had dropped the other day was still there, and even the position of the broken lead from the pencil remained the same…
All of these made her feel like she was living a different reality. She felt like the time she spent here was something that had happened in her past life.
When a gust of wind blew through the windows and raised the curtains, Ning Xi returned to her senses and started packing up.
First, she took out a large box from under the bed, then she arranged her items one by one.
Clothes, shoes, cosmetics, personal care items, PSP game console…
Every time she put an item into the box, she felt a part of her heart was being packed away, and it hurt her.
Throughout the whole process of packing, she did not dare to look at Lu Tingxiao at all.
From within this room, she only took her own possessions and nothing else.
When she looked at the small items Lu Tingxiao had bought for her, she felt guilty for cruelly abandoning them…
Finally, she finished packing and Ning Xi had to face the inevitable. She took a deep breath, lifted her head up and looked at the silent man standing beside the door, "CEO Lu, I’m very grateful for your care during this period of time. Regarding Little Treasure, if there’s any need, just give me a call, I’ll be there whenever you need me…"
At this point, she was suddenly at a loss for words.
After some internal struggling, she blurted out her final words, "I’ll be on my way, then…"
She bowed to him out of respect and gratitude before she dragged her box and started to leave.
After this farewell, perhaps the chances of meeting again would be very slim…
They did not belong to the same world with the disparity between them. If it was not for Little Treasure’s accident the other time, they would never had met each other in this lifetime.
Ning Xi’s heart sank as she continued her exit with a troubled feeling. The moment she reached the exit, she saw some movement from the corner of her eye.
The man who had been smoking quietly without any response, suddenly placed his hands on the other side of the door frame with the cigarette still between his fingers, blocking her way out.
"Er, CEO Lu…?" Ning Xi was a little confused, unsure of what Lu Tingxiao’s action meant.
"Ning Xi."
"Yes!"
"You definitely have some guts."
"Huh?" Ning Xi was taken aback by what Lu Tingxiao said. What did he mean?
Lu Tingxiao finished the last bit of his cigarette, stubbed it out and looked at her. He started talking calmly, "Aren’t you afraid of me locking you up here, forever?"
Ning Xi was shocked.
Please calm down, boss!
Chapter 306: Better Suited For Kissing
Ning Xi was so scared that her knees almost gave way. Whoever said she had guts?
Even when she entered the house earlier, it was because she had been too afraid to ignore his instructions!
Ning Xi stood still, one foot in front of the other, and a hand dragging her box. She dared not make another move.
She carefully observed Lu Tingxiao’s expression. Too bad the devil was so highly skilled, she had no idea if he was just joking or he was being serious.
Ning Xi kept thinking, then an idea popped into her head and she quickly said, "Who was that again…Ah, Tagore! Tagore said before, if you love someone, you should let your love surround them like sunlight, and set them free!"
Lu Tingxiao grinned.
Ning Xi did not understand the reason behind his weird grin, so she continued, "Tagore also said before, liking is presumptuous, but love is an act of restraint! And he even said that, love is not temporary restraint without considering the consequences, but it’s to help them live on freely!"
"Tagore said all of these?" Lu Tingxiao asked coolly.
"Uhh, I think so…"
Ning Xi let out a hollow laugh. Her mind was actually in a mess, she did not know who said all of these quotes…
"Are there more?" Lu TIngxiao continued asking.
Ning Xi nodded her head eagerly, like a tiny chick pecking on rice grains, "Yes, yes, Tagore also said that, imprisoning others is illegal…"
Lu Tingxiao’s little grin spread into a wide smile, his cold fingers holding onto her chin, "Then…did Tagore mention that your mouth is not suitable for talking nonsense, but better suited for kissing?"
Right after he finished his sentence, their lips met.
Ning Xi was flabbergasted.
"You’re the one who’s talking nonsense! Tagore wouldn’t say something like this!"
In shock, the box fell off Ning Xi’s hands, followed by a loud "bam" sound of the heavy door closing shut.
Ning Xi fell behind onto the soft bed.
Lu Tingxiao just stood in front of the bed, slowly, and elegantly… taking off his coat…
Impure thoughts of how her boss was undressing himself passed through her mind.
She shook her head and tried to pull herself together, quickly saying, "CEO Lu, you…you have to calm down! Committing a crime for someone like me really isn’t worth it…I can teach you some meditation…it works like a charm…"
As she was blabbering, Lu Tingxiao had already taken off his coat and he started to close in on her.
Seeing how close the man’s breath was getting to her, she felt cornered and she shouted, "Lu Tingxiao! Don’t you dare cross the line! Don’t force me to use violence on you!"
Instead of retreating upon her defensive reaction of calling him out, the man showed a satisfied expression.
He totally ignored the girl’s warning and continued to close in…
Dang it! Just because I don’t show what I can do doesn’t mean I can be taken advantage of!
Ning Xi shoved her knee forward and tried to create an opening for herself. In the end, before she could do anything further, she felt a cold sensation on her wrist and heard a "clacking" - she was handcuffed!
Chapter 307: Are You Sure This Is Mine?
Ning Xi was stunned, staring at the other half of the handcuff cuffed on Lu Tingxiao’s wrist.
Looking at the pink handcuffs, Ning Xi burst out in fury, "Lu Tingxiao, you’ve crossed the line! How dare you use such a disgusting thing?"
Lu Tingxiao raised his eyebrows slightly, "Are you sure this is mine?"
"If not? It couldn’t be mine, could it?"
She felt something was odd.
Suddenly, she noticed that these handcuffs looked really familiar…
"Ugh, why does this look like the one I bought for $9.90 from Taobao’s sex toy shop, the one I bought to beat up Jiang Muye?"
She did not even remember where she had left this and she had not given a thought to it when she was leaving earlier.
She felt like kicking herself for putting herself in this situation.
It was impossible to get away this time since they were handcuffed together. Where else could she go?
Seeing how he had cuffed himself together with the girl, and looking at her fiery expression, Lu Tingxiao knew that she could not run away this time. He started relaxing and caressing the girl’s hair, like a lion preparing to enjoy his prey slowly…
Ning Xi really ran out of ideas as she gave him her death stare. She thought about resorting to attack him with her headbutt if all else failed, then at most the both of them would pass out…
Lu Tingxiao got closer and closer. Just a few centimeters before making contact, Ning Xi prepared to butt heads, but it was at that moment that Lu Tingxiao suddenly slumped his face into the pillow instead…
Ning Xi was confused.
She had not even headbutt him yet, how had he just fainted?
The devil had so many tricks up his sleeves that Ning Xi did not dare act carelessly. Three minutes passed by and a steady sound of breathing followed. Ning Xi turned over to see what had happened.
She saw Lu Tingxiao had his eyes shut, and he was fast asleep…
He had fallen asleep…
She had been scared to death and he had fallen asleep?!
Ning Xi observed his face closely, paleness and and fatigue written all over his face. One side of his face and the corner of his mouth looked a little red and swollen, as though he had gotten a slap from someone…
Who had dared to slap the devil?
Without much wondering, it must have been the devil’s father…
Back then, he had made Ning Xi push all the blame onto him. Who knew if his dad had done something to him after she had left?
She also realized that he had lost a lot of weight…
Oh crap!
If she continued lying on the bed with Lu Tingxiao like this, it might not turn out very well! She had nearly zero self-restraint in front of this man…
Which was precisely why she had been avoiding him, to prevent situations like this, to prevent herself from getting soft for him…
"Bam!"
The door slammed open just as Ning Xi started to feel anxious.
It was Lu Jingli who appeared, "Bro, I have something urgent…ugh…"
"Second master! Please help me!" Ning Xi grabbed her chance and asked for help.
"Bam!"
Lu Jingli shut the door quickly and left, as if he had not just appeared…
Chapter 308: Let Him Sleep For A While
Ning Xi was speechless.
Didn't he say it was something very urgent? How could he just run off like that?
It was a good thing she had her phone with her, so Ning Xi quickly called Lu Jingli, "You ass! Lu Jingli, where are you? How could you just run off like that?! Am I not your friend?"
Ning Xi scolded him in a lowered voice when finally, from the other end of the phone came Lu Jingli's weak defense, "No…I've always thought of you as my sister-in-law…"
"You…" Ning Xi was about to explode from anger.
"Xiao Xixi, it's not that I don't want to help you. It's because…never mind…just give Dr. Qin a call and you'll know…"
Qin Mufeng?
His relationship with Lu Tingxiao was pretty good, and he was also someone who knew Lu Tingxiao quite well. Perhaps he'd have some ideas?
Was it because Lu Jingli did not want to offend his brother so he told her to look for Qin Mufeng?
After deliberating, she quickly gave Qin Mufeng a call.
"Hello, Ning Xi? What's up?" Qin Mufeng sounded surprised as he had never thought that Ning Xi would call him.
He had always regarded himself as inferior to her, seeing that someone as inexperienced and new to the industry as her could achieve success that he had not yet been able to. That was why he did not interact much with Ning Xi or even why they both did not contact each other.
"I have something I need your help with. Would it be okay if you dropped by the Platinum Palace?"
"What's up?"
"Umm…did you know about me and Lu Tingxiao…?"
"I roughly know a little."
"Currently, Lu Tingxiao's situation is a bit odd, could you come over to have a look?"
"Could you be any less vague?"
Ning Xi buried her face in her hands. How could she explain the current situation?
At last, Ning Xi just simply blurted out everything that happened, "That was what happened…and now I'm chained down by him…"
The other end of the phone was silent for a while, then Qin Mufeng said, "Ning Xi, do you really think he would hurt you?"
"I…" Of course she was not worried.
But in front of Qin Mufeng, she definitely would not admit it, so she decided to be ambiguous. "I don't know, he did say such scary things!"
Qin Mufeng softly sighed, "There is something that Lu Tingxiao made me keep a secret from everyone. Lu Jingli knows though, but he guessed it himself."
Ning Xi frowned, "What is it?"
"Since you rejected him, he has been suffering from severe insomnia. He can only sleep for three hours at most every day."
Ning Xi face darkened, "How did it become like this?"
Qin Mufeng explained, "Based on my experience, it was probably because he's experiencing from severe psychological stress. Lu Tingxiao's definitely not as harmless as he seems. He will do anything to achieve his purpose. Only when it comes to you, you are the exception.
"In order not to harm you, he kept suppressing his true personality, but internally he's battling with himself. He was worried that if he let loose a little, he might lose control of himself and do something regrettable. You must know that the pressure he faces is immense, and he doesn't dare relax even for a moment…"
At this point, Qin Mufeng paused, "No matter as a doctor or as a friend, I have a favour to ask. Ning Xi, let him sleep for a while. If he goes on like this, he would not be able to endure it even if he was Iron Man. Be rest assured that with his current health condition, he won't be able to do anything to you."
Chapter 309: The Only Way I Can Repay You
"Okay, understood…"
Ning Xi hung up on the call and smiled bitterly.
Indeed, she should not have called anyone related to Lu Tingxiao. Great, she thought to herself, now she would not be able to leave.
Just as Qin Mufeng predicted, Lu Tingxiao fell into a deep slumber and slept from day till night…
In between, Lu Jingli secretly came over to peek quite a few times. At least he had some conscience and delivered meals to her several times to avoid her starving to death while accompanying the sleeping beauty.
The next morning, Lu Tingxiao finally woke up.
Ning Xi, who was deep in her thoughts, returned to her senses when she felt some movement behind her, "You're awake…"
In his sleepy stupor, Lu Tingxiao was still quite blur. When he saw the girl, he curiously asked, "Why didn't you leave?"
If she really wanted to leave, the hand cuffs would not have been able to stop her.
Ning Xi looked straight into his eyes, and then removed a hair clip from her head to pick the hand cuff.
His eyes immediately darkened.
However, in the moments after that, they filled with shock…
Ning Xi took off her jacket and started to unbutton her blouse, one button at a time…
At the third button, Lu Tingxiao grabbed her hand and stopped her.
Ning Xi quietly looked at him, "Lu Tingxiao, I don't remember if I've said this to you, but what I can't stand the most is others being too nice to me. I'm most afraid of owing someone, so this is the only way I can repay you."
Lu Tingxiao's face instantly turned sour, "Do you think I only want to get into your pants?"
Ning Xi stuttered, "I…" Yeah, Lu Tingxiao could get any woman he wanted, in fact all of them were 'clean', so who did she think she was?
Lu Tingxiao resumed, "Although, initially, it was because of this…"
Ning Xi was suddenly stunned, "What?"
"But do you think once is enough? I want to have this forever!" Lu Tingxiao continued to say.
God damn it! The devil was flirting again!
As she heard this, Ning Xi could not help but turn red in embarrassment.
Lu Tingxiao only exhibited gentleness as he helped her button her blouse up again, "Ning Xi, answer just one question, then you can leave."
"What question?"
"The person you like…who is it?" Lu Tingxiao queried.
When she heard this question, Ning Xi immediately clammed up.
Based on the current situation, the most reasonable person for her to say would have been Jiang Muye. But previously, she was worried that Lu Tingxiao would do something to Jiang Muye. It was fortunate that he had not.
Ning Xi's mind stirred. If she directly told him now that the person she liked was Jiang Muye, she was worried that Lu Tingxiao could not restrain himself…then Jiang Muye might be in trouble.
Even if Jiang Muye was the devil's nephew, she was afraid he would not be able to handle the devil's attack.
So, who should she say it was…
At this very moment, she suddenly thought of someone, so Ning Xi just stuttered, "I've actually mentioned this to you before. It's my previous boyfriend, the one I only dated for a day. I previously said that even though I liked him, I couldn't be with him because his identity was too dangerous. I would only be a burden to stay with him…"
Lu Tingxiao squinted his eyes knowingly.
"You know that he is very secretive, so I'm very sorry but I can't tell you much about him." Ning Xi explained nervously, waiting for Lu Tingxiao's reaction.
Chapter 310: Indeed You Did Something Bad
After what seemed like forever, Lu Tingxiao suddenly said, "Ning Xi, a person's taste will change."
Ning Xi was confused, "What? What do you mean? What does this have to do with someone's taste?"
Lu Tingxiao replied, "One day, you will realize that cabbage is yummier than carrots."
Ning Xi was speechless. Could he be more straightforward?
Lu Tingxiao touched the girl's little head and said, "Let's go, a freshly awoken person's appetite is voracious."
Plus, she just dropped a bomb on him. The fact that he could control his temper till now was a miracle…
As soon as Ning Xi heard about the improvement in his appetite, she flew off the bed.
Lu Tingxiao called out to her from behind, "Hold on."
"Uhh…what else?" Ning Xi rigidly spun around.
"Take all your stuff away," Lu Tingxiao said.
"I did!" Ning Xi was confused.
Lu Tingxiao looked at the rows of wardrobe in front of him and reminded, "Clothes."
Ning Xi felt awkward, "I don't need all of these, they're too expensive."
The problem was not just that the clothes were expensive and luxurious brands, it was that she had not even heard of some of them.
"It's my friend's brand, he only gifted it to me because he couldn't sell it off, so it's not that valuable. If you don't want, I will let uncle Yuan throw it out," Lu Tingxiao said.
Ning Xi looked hurt, "It's a pity to throw them away! Besides, they are a piece of your friend's hard work! Actually, these clothes do look quite nice, your friend is talented, he would definitely be famous in the future. The price of these clothes might appreciate then…even though you won't be using it, you could keep it for your future girlfriend or something…"
Lu Tingxiao shot her a look, "You think I would give my future girlfriend clothes that I gave someone once and was rejected?"
"Uhh…there's too many, I can't take it all. There isn't enough space in the apartment!"
"You don't have to worry about that, I'll get someone to send it over."
Ning Xi only wanted to leave as soon as possible, so she hurriedly agreed, "Fine, then! Thank you, CEO Lu! Bye, CEO Lu!"
…
She finally left the bungalow.
Ning Xi stretched her arms to the sky and breathed a sigh of relief when her phone suddenly rang.
She thought it was the drama team calling to rush her, but she almost dropped her phone at the sight of the caller ID.
It only showed two letters: YS.
It must have been because she had just used this guy, so coincidentally he was calling her. Ning Xi felt bad, but after calming herself down to not reveal anything, she picked up the phone, "Hello…"
"Did something bad now, didn't you?" the coarse voice from the other end of the phone said.
Ning Xi was shocked.
"Pfft, you did do it." This time he had a confident tone.
Ning Xi wanted to shoot herself. How did he guess? All she said was just a simple "hello".
"My dear, I really underestimated your nerve," he said dangerously.
Ning Xi was shocked again, yet another person saying she had nerves.
"It looks like if I don't return soon, you'd really cheat on me."
Ning Xi could not stand it any longer, "Since when did I cheat on you? Pfft, no way, I've got nothing to do with you at all. How could I ever cheat on you?"
"Hah, it's Lu Tingxiao, isn't it…"
Ning Xi stiffened when she heard him say Lu Tingxiao's name, "If you dare do anything to him, I won't let you go!"
Chapter 311: You're In Love With Him
"Hah, it's Lu Tingxiao, isn't it?"
Ning Xi stiffened when she heard him say Lu Tingxiao's name, "If you dare do anything to him, I won't let you go!"
"So you’re not worried that he might hurt me instead?"
"He won’t."
At least, she still had faith in Lu Tingxiao but she was not so sure about this fellow with a twisted mind. Moreover, Lu Tingxiao did not even know who he was!
"Tsk, what a cold-hearted person…"
Although the man sounded casual, Ning Xi knew that he was actually angry.
Ning Xi calmed herself down for a bit, then said, "Firstly, I have nothing to do with you, and secondly, I do not have anything to do with Lu Tingxiao either. I’ve already said that I won’t get together with anyone!"
"Honey, the point is, you're in love with him."
"I…"
Damn that bastard. He was hundreds of miles away from here, so why did it feel like he knew everything?
…
At Platinum Palace.
Lu Jingli approached his brother shortly after Ning Xi left, then politely asked, "Bro, how was your sleep? Feeling better? Can I report to you now?"
"Proceed."
Probably because he was still seated on Ning Xi’s bed, his expression was gentle, and it seemed like he was thinking about something.
"I’ve gotten a little info about the people in charge regarding the few companies that’ve been opposing us recently. They are all from overseas, what should we do now?"
"Let’s lure them out."
…
Ning Xi dragged her luggage back to her apartment and was preparing to leave after she dropped them off. As she was rushing, her doorbell rang.
Butler Yuan and Wan Wan stood in front of her door with a respectful bow, along with a whole row of maids, all of whom were carefully holding one piece of garment each.
"Miss Xiao Xi, we’re here to deliver something."
Butler Yuan spoke to her politely, as though he had not framed her, acting like nothing had happened before. He was definitely experienced in such games, based on his composure.
By comparison, Wan Wan was too young to handle this. She dared not look her in the eye.
Ning Xi did not want to make it awkward for Wan Wan, so she gave them her spare key and said, "Just put it anywhere you see fit. I’m in a rush, so I’ll be leaving first."
"Understood, Miss Xiao Xi."
After Ning Xi left, the group entered the house.
Ning Xi’s closet was already full after she had put her things in and it could not fit any more clothes inside. Wan Wan then walked over to the dressing table and moved a candle decoration on it.
Some sort of mechanism was activated and the wall opposite the dressing table opened up slowly. There was another huge walk-in closet inside.
Butler Yuan gave his orders, and the maids arranged the clothes and bags in an orderly manner.
At Movie City.
The first thing she did when she met the drama crew was to apologize to the director. First, she was late to the set, then she had applied for a half day leave. In the end, she had taken a whole day off. For someone who respected work ethics like Ning Xi, what she had done was unforgivable.
Luckily, Ning Xi had kept a good record for all this while, so not only was Guo Qisheng not angry, he even comforted her, "You’re always so uptight, Ning Xi. Being professional is good, but you’re stressing yourself too much. It’s normal to have an emergency sometimes! The shooting is coming to an end already, and we’re way ahead of our progress, so why don't you take a two day break? Go on and relax!"
"Thank you, director!"
Ning Xi was relieved. As for her situation right now, she really needed some time to adjust. After the shooting at night, she went back to her apartment instead of the hotel since the director had given her a 2 days break.
Just as she was about to leave, an actress called out to her, "Ning Xi, Ning Xi, Ning Xueluo is having a party at her apartment, let’s go together! I heard that her house is really pretty, especially her gorgeous walk-in closet. All the clothes and bags inside are limited editions, a dream come true for all us women! It even got featured in a magazine last time, now we have a chance to see it for ourselves!"
Chapter 312: Every Woman's Dream
Ning Xi had heard people talking about Ning Xueluo’s walk-in closet before. It was said to have a large collection of garments that were out of stock.
She did not really have much interest in luxurious branded items, only buying them for the sake of blending into the industry.
Actually, a lot of the branded designs were pretty normal and she preferred to find some more creative personal branded items. A good example would be Lu Tingxiao’s friend’s design, she loved it, and felt that it was a lot better than those famous brand designs. She remembered she was just casually praising the brand’s designs to him, then the next day her closet was full with clothes from that brand…
"Ning Xi, do you want to go? She invited all the actors from the crew! I’ll let everyone know!"
Ning Xi gave her a smile, and rejected, "I’m sorry, I’m pretty tired today and want to rest earlier, you guys have fun."
The excited actress suddenly remembered about the incident between Ning Xi and Ning Xueluo, so she did not pursue further, "Alright, you go home and rest well then!"
After removing her shoes back in her apartment, she immediately fell asleep on her bed.
She had barely gotten any sleep the night before when she was with Lu Tingxiao, plus with her fatigue from a whole day of acting, she was beat.
At the same time, a lively party had just only started in Ning Xueluo’s apartment downstairs…
To increase her popularity and expand her network, Ning Xueluo had put in a lot of effort. This time, she invited all the actors from the crew to her house.
The unit she was staying at was the largest among the whole of Regal Riveria Hotel. Half of the space was used for a walk-in closet, which was filled with branded items, and was truly every woman’s dream.
Most of the people who came were female actresses, naturally interested in the collection of clothes and bags. The first thing everyone asked her was about her walk-in closet.
"Xueluo, where’s your walk-in closet? Quickly bring us there!"
"Yeah! I heard there’s a lot of clothes that they don't produce anymore. The kind that are so exclusive, even the prices skyrocketed!"
"Of course it’s a must-see! You must visit her walk-in closet to say you've visited her house!"
As she listened to all the praises, Ning Xueluo replied indifferently, "The magazines have exaggerated it, it’s nothing much really."
"What exaggeration? It was in the top selling 'Fashionista'!"
Ning Xueluo gave in, "You guys, don’t be disappointed when you see the real thing!" She led them to her walk-in closet as she spoke.
At the end of the corridor, she opened a door and said, "Here it is."
Everyone was amazed when the room opened, "Chanel, Hermès, Donna Karan, Prada, Guess…all of them limited editions! Oh, my god!"
"I feel like I’m in heaven! I never want to leave here!"
"I’m really envious! Xueluo, you’re so blessed! I heard that your boyfriend collected them for you from all over the world!"
…
Ning Xueluo looked at the envious expressions from everyone and glowed. She humbly said, "I didn’t really collect them on purpose. I didn't even realize that they just accumulated to become so much!"
It was party time after the walk-in closet visit, but no one could forget about it and it was the talk of the town.
As the party came to an end, everyone still did not have enough of it, and quite a number of them fawned over Ning Xueluo all over again, gushing over her wealth.
Suddenly, the actress who was playing Princess Shu, Fang Ya asked, "Eh, didn’t Ning Xi come today?"
"I invited her, but she said she was tired and wanted to get some rest," someone replied.
"Speaking of which… Glory World Entertainment arranged Ning Xi to stay in Regal Riveria Hotel as well, didn't they? I think she’s just right above Xueluo’s unit! Why don't we visit her place as well?" Fang Ya suggested.
Ning Xueluo was delighted at the suggestion. If everyone visited Ning Xi's place after hers, by comparison they would know that the place that Ning Xi stayed at was nothing compared to hers. She faked a troubled expression, "But there are so many of us, should we really go?"
"Right, I don’t think Ning Xi’s place is as huge as this," someone said this on purpose to get on Ning Xueluo’s good side.
Fang Ya knew how badly Ning Xueluo wanted everyone to go, so she stood up and said, "Let’s just go! It’s just upstairs and we’re just gonna say hi, it should be fine!"
Chapter 313: Trouble Came Knocking
The doorbell kept on ringing repeatedly, interrupting Ning Xi's slumber.
She took out her phone to check the time and realized that it was almost midnight already.
Who would look for her at this time of the night? She hoped that it was not something urgent…
Ning Xi got up quickly and opened the door.
She was dumbfounded when she saw who was at her door. Dozens of people stood in front, all of them the actors and crew from the drama team, and leading the posse was Ning Xueluo in a gorgeous dress, together with Fang Ya hanging onto her arm eagerly…
In her sleepy phase, it took her a few seconds to remember that someone had told her that Ning Xueluo was having a party tonight.
So, why were all these people here instead of at Ning Xueluo’s place?
Ning Xueluo sounded apologetic, "Ning Xi, did we wake you up? We’re really sorry, we didn’t expect you to sleep so early. We’re having a party tonight, and since you didn’t come, we all missed you. Knowing that you just stay just upstairs, we decided to come by and say hi!"
Without waiting for Ning Xi’s reply, Fang Ya went on, "Xueluo, I’m pretty sure Ning Xi doesn’t mind, right, Ning Xi? Everyone, let’s go in! Let's not block the entrance!"
Both of them stepped into the house, followed by everyone else.
Ning Xi just stood there, looking upset. Since they had already decided to come in, what else could she say?
This Fang Ya was a fence-sitter, who would side whoever had the advantage. When Ning Xi had just been signed with Glory World, Fang Ya tried to get on her good side, but Ning Xi doubted the sincerity of her intentions, so she ignored her.
By the looks of it, she now sided with Ning Xueluo.
After they entered the house, Fang Ya kept on complaining, "Eh, Ning Xi, why is your place so small? There isn't enough place to stand!"
Actually, Ning Xi’s space was not small at all. It was suitable for living and there were just too many of them. The fact that the whole living room was now filled with the unexpected guests made the place look small and narrow.
Without bothering to ask for permission, Fang Ya opened up Ning Xi’s closet. With hesitation she exclaimed, "Ning Xi is this your closet? It’s so small!"
Everyone who was trying to please Ning Xueluo played along with Fang Ya.
"Yeah, it’s really small! Let’s not talk about your living room or bedroom; the most important thing for an artiste is their closet. Surely you wouldn’t have enough to wear with a closet this small!"
"I was wondering how rich Glory World was, but it’s so underwhelming! I could barely live here."
"Hey guys, don't be so insensitive. Not everyone can stay in houses like Xueluo’s!"
…
Ning Xueluo felt tremendously smug hearing everyone criticizing Ning Xi, although she acted kindly and said, "Ning Xi’s unit is in a good location and it's got a fantastic view!"
"What good can the view do? We don’t really stay at home much anyway!"
As she was speaking Fang Ya went through Ning Xi’s clothes that were hanging outside, and tsked in pity, "Oh god! There’s not even anything that’s presentable. Isn't this from last year’s Chanel line? And this Prada, it’s so outdated…Ning Xi, you really need to put more effort into this. It doesn’t matter how good your acting is because acting skills should not be your priority. The most important thing is the packaging you come in!"
Ning Xi stood beside her closet, realizing what their purpose was of coming here tonight.
They were all here to deliberately cause her trouble and laugh at her, weren't they?
Chapter 314: A Gorgeous Evening Dress
"What Xiao Ya said makes sense. Even if I had to go on a diet, I absolutely have to shop for clothes! It's so important. Imagine if I let the media photograph me wearing last season's outfits, how embarrassing would that be!"
"Exactly!" When she heard people echoing her sentiments, Fang Ya nodded delightedly. Then she cruelly said to Ning Xueluo beside her, "Xuelo, you have so many clothes in your house, why don't you pass Ning Xi a few! Any one of it would be better than these!"
Ning Xi replied resentfully, "No, thanks."
"Hey Ning Xi, don't reject the offer. We're all a team anyway and we should help one another. You aren't still holding a grudge against Xueluo, are you? Xueluo was just telling us that she has long gotten over it!"
Ning Xi was speechless. To debate with an idiot such as Fang Ya was such a painful chore…
When she saw that Ning Xi was not saying anything, Fang Ya pushed further, "It's a good thing Xiao Wei is still upstairs. Xueluo, why don't you tell her where it is and get her to immediately send some over!"
"Okay," Ning Xueluo nodded, and called her assistant on the spot.
Within three minutes, Xiao Wei had brought a bunch of clothes. panting as she ran over, "Sister Xueluo, I've brought over the clothes you asked for!"
Ning Xueluo looked at the clothes satisfactorily, and then said in a concerned tone, "Ning Xi, just accept them. Consider this a gift from me, even though they aren't the best I've got, but at least they're all from this year's latest season!"
Once Fang Ya heard that, she widened her eyes and exclaimed, "What do you mean they aren't the best? Each piece here probably costs tens of thousands! With Ning Xi's income from shooting the entire drama, she could only afford one of it at most!"
"Exactly! These clothes are all so expensive! Xueluo, you're too generous!"
"Ning Xi, just accept them, alright? You don't need to be too polite!"
…
Ning Xi massaged her temples as she started to run out of patience. All she wanted was to just come home for respite and get a night of proper sleep. She could not believe that Ning Xueluo would bring a group of morons over. Had she known, she might as well have stayed at the hotel…
"Ning Xi, don't be courteous! Come, let me help you put them into your wardrobe. Such precious clothes shouldn't get soiled!" Fang Ya said, while ignoring Ning Xi's displeasure and invading her privacy, as she flung open the wardrobe.
As she was about to put the clothes in, she was taken by surprise.
Everyone behind her was just as stunned…
An evening dress hung sophisticatedly in the middle of the wardrobe. It oozed dreamy vibes with the elegance of the arctic light. It was covered in a mosaic of gems akin to a star-strewn sky, and the huge ruby in the middle of the collar stood out. It was a dazzling sight, blinding everyone in its presence…
Even Ning Xi herself was stunned. Wasn't this the branded dress that Lu Tingxiao gave her?
Before she left that day, she had simply allowed Butler Yuan and Wan Wan take over moving the clothes in. She was just wondering where all the clothes had been placed, but who knew that her favourite dress would appear in her wardrobe?
Could it possibly have been because Wan Wan saw that she really did not have space for too many clothes, that she only left behind her favorite one?
The more Ning Xi thought about it, the more she knew it was possible!
When she saw everyone's shocked expressions, she was not surprised. The first time she saw the dress, she cried just looking at the spectacular handiwork. She thought it must have cost a ton, but after Lu Tingxiao explained, she found out that this was the original prototype and it was one of a kind. The materials used to create it were actually cheap substitutes, but she thought it was already gorgeous!
Chapter 315: Cheap Flea Item
Everyone got over their shock upon seeing the magnificent dress.
Fang Ya held the clothes in her hands and stood in awe in front of the opened wardrobe. She mumbled in shock, "How could this be…this is impossible…"
Everyone else too looked at each other with a mixture of surprise and suspicion, "This…this must be fake…how could Ning Xi own such a high end apparel?"
"You're joking! This dress is clearly expensive, it may even cost up to hundreds of thousands!"
"It's so pretty! If only I could wear it once, I would die with no regrets!" a girl in the crows exclaimed, unable to hide her admiration.
This was when Fang Ya casually held up a part of the dress and said with a condescending tone, "Hah, at first sight, it does look quite pretty. But if you take a closer look, don't you think that it's pretty plain?"
The female actress who invited Ning Xi earlier added on, "I don't think so! It looks high end…would Taobao sell such dresses?"
Fang Ya rolled her eyes at her and then looked to Ning Xueluo, intentionally asking, "Xueluo, do you recognize the brand of this dress?"
Ning Xueluo pretended to be in deep thought before she shook her head and said, "I haven't seen it before. It doesn't look like the style of any particular luxury brand…"
When Fang Ya heard this, she was immediately delighted and perked up, "Xueluo is very knowledgeable with all the big brands' limited edition items, plus she actually collects them. Even she hasn't seen this before, so if it isn't a random brand's product, then where could have come from? A flea market?"
To show that they knew the fashion industry well, everyone else started to echo Fang Ya's words, "This lace does look a little too outdated. Even the gems on it feels very cheap! It must be glass!"
Fang Ya scornfully looked at Ning Xi and said, "Ning Xi, it's okay if the outfit was from last season, but this comes down to the brand. You would actually wear a flea market item like this? I bet, that this dress doesn't cost more than $200!"
As soon as Fang Ya finished her declaration, she unexpectedly threw the dress to the ground.
Ning Xi's face turned venomous when she saw the dress on the floor.
She did not mind Fang Ya messing around with all her other clothes, or that she had to pretend to be okay with it, but this was a dress gifted by Lu Tingxiao, and she felt herself filled with rage.
Ning Xi immediately walked over, bent down, and picked up the dress. She carefully brushed it with her hand and shot Fang Ya a sharp look.
Fang Ya did not know what was happening, but she did feel fearful of the antagonizing look Ning Xi gave her. She took a few steps back and then laughed mockingly, "Ning Xi, do you have to exaggerate? It's only a $200 flea item, do you have to be this tensed?"
When she saw that Ning Xi's reaction, Ning Xueluo cheered up again. She looked at Fang Ya and said, "Xiao Ya, don't say that! This dress does look quite nice, Ning Xi must like it very much. Of course she would be upset!"
"How can she not like all the high end brands, but fancy this sort of rubbish? Even if she was dirt poor, her taste can't be that low, can it?" Fang Ya proclaimed fearlessly, emboldened by Ning Xueluo's prodding.
It was at this very moment that someone from the crowd quickly walked up to Ning Xi and said, "Wait…this dress…why does it look so familiar?"
The person who spoke was the artiste, Guan Xiaoqi who had previously substituted Jia Qingqing's third female musketeer role, and was from the same company as Ning Xi. Because she had only joined the team for a short while, Ning Xi had only bumped into her once or twice, and they were just "hi-bye" acquaintances.
Chapter 316: Examining The Authenticity
As soon as Guan Xiaoqi said that, she walked over to take a closer look of the dress.
Fang Ya had on a look of disdain and said, "It's just a cheap dress, what's there to see?"
Guan Xiaoqi did not bother with Fang Ya as she looked at the dress for a long while, then she saw that the collar had a humble and simple embossed pattern of the brand "GE". She solemnly looked up to Ning Xi and said, "If I'm seeing correctly, this dress is a creation of fashion designer genius, Gabriel Elvis. He became instantly famous because years ago, the award-winning Joshua Larson wore his design when he received a prize at the Oscars. Later, the entire entertainment scene wanted a piece of Elvis's work for themselves. Ning Xi, this dress of yours should be the one that Elvis donated for bidding at a charity auction five years ago. It was one of his finest works, and was auctioned off at an astronomical price! Ning Xi, I'm right, am I not?"
What?
Guan Xiaoqi had suddenly blurted out a historical explanation of the dress, yet Ning Xi did not understand a single word of it…
Fang Ya was first stunned, then she started to laugh hysterically, "Haha, this too funny! Why would a dress that was auctioned off at an astronomical price appear here? Guan Xiaoqi, you can't just spout nonsense to help Ning Xi just because you're both from the same company."
"Pfft…Guan Xiaoqi actually said that…"
"Who is the Elvis she's talking about? I've never even heard of him! You're telling lies now, aren't you?"
Naturally, no one believed her. Some of the crowd asked Guan Xiaoqi how to spell the designer's name and looked him up online on the spot.
Alas, they really did find the historical dress!
"There really is such a designer! This designer is really freaking awesome. His fame was really short-lived however, he suddenly disappeared midway. That's why not many of us who came after know about him. In fact, look at this related photo, the dress in the image is exactly the same as Ning Xi's!"
Fang Ya briefly skimmed and was slightly startled by the information. Then, she continued dismissively, "This must be a cheap imitation of the real deal!"
"You're right, this dress has been auctioned off privately, so why would it appear here? The more I think about it, the more it seems impossible."
"It's the same dress, I'm sure of it!" Guan Xiaoqi said with a tone that was firm and confident, even looking at Ning Xi to seek for confirmation.
Ning Xi was dumbfounded herself, and had nothing to say in return. After all, wasn't this a worthless model?
Fang Ya laughed uncontrollably, "This is too funny! If this dress is the real deal, I'll crawl out of here on my hands and knees!"
"I'll take your word for it!" Guan Xiaoqi grunted, then she turned to everyone and said, "Actually, to determine the authenticity of this dress is easy. Elvis' design's most prominent feature is the embellishment of gems, with every one of the gems being authentic. If you don't believe me, then come examine it for yourself. Oh, wait, don't bother coming over if you're going to pretend to know things when you don't!"
"Guan Xiaoqi, what are you trying to say?!" Fang Ya was so angry that she turned red.
"If the shoe fits, wear it."
Those who were knowledgeable in the industry would definitely take interest in the dress. Thus, as soon as they heard Guan Xiaoqi say so, some came forward from the crowd…
"How about I take a look?" A quiet-looking girl from the back made her way to the front.
When everyone saw who she was, their eyes lit up, "Yes, yes! Fei Fei, you take a look! You're an expert!"
"Fei Fei is a premium jewellery appraiser! The last time I was almost scammed, she helped me verify the items!"
"If it's Fei Fei who's examining, there definitely won't be a problem!" Fang Ya too indicated that she had no comments, and gloated at Guan Xiaoqi and Ning Xi, waiting to take pleasure in their mishaps. "Now that we have an expert with us, I'll see how your story holds up!"
Chapter 317: All Of Them Are Real!
Fei Fei started to study the gems carefully. Because there were so many of them, she spent quite a long time on it.
Time passed by. Everyone stared at Fei Fei and waited, including the confused Ning Xi.
She wanted to tell them the truth just now, but it was already too late. Fei Fei had already started verifying the crystals. If she spoke up now, she would be misunderstood as trying to save her face, so she kept her mouth shut…
After a while, Fei Fei took a deep breath, then she looked at everyone and said, "I’m sorry, guys, there are just too many gems on this and I couldn’t verify them all, but all the ones that I’ve checked are real!"
Ning Xi’s expression changed, everyone else was dumbfounded as well.
"That's… impossible…"
"How could it be!"
"But Fei Fei can’t be wrong…"
Since Fang Ya expected to see Ning Xi make a fool out of herself, she felt humiliated, "Fei Fei! You’re mistaken! How could this be real! They look just like glass!"
Others did not believe it as well, and chimed in, "Fei Fei, check properly again! The gems look cheap!"
"Yeah, try looking again!"
"We know that you’re a professional, but this is impossible!"
Facing everyone’s doubts, Fei Fei blinked innocently and assured everyone, "I might be mistaken if it was just one, but there are so many of them. I couldn't possibly have mistaken all of them, right? All of these gems are real!"
However doubtful they were, they had to trust Fei Fei’s confidence.
No one spoke a word, especially the people who had been mocking Ning Xi for being cheap. They hid themselves in a corner and kept silent.
Even though she owned the dress herself, Ning Xi was the most shocked among them all.
All. Of. Them. Are. Real?
What happened to, "It's not worth much, it’s just a gift from a friend"?
Lu Tingxiao lied to her! And she had actually believed it!
Guan Xiaoqi looked at Fang Ya, laughing at her in a sarcastic tone, "Hehe, I remember someone saying if the dress is real, she’s going to crawl out of here?"
Fang Ya was frustrated, "So what if it’s real? This must be something rented by her company, it’s not even hers, what’s so great about it!"
Some of them started mumbling, "It’s a fact that Ning Xi has bad taste in clothing and wears outdated clothes!"
"Right, we’re just trying to help!"
Fang Ya followed the flow and pushed all the clothes into Ning Xi's arms, "Ning Xi, you should just keep these! Even if that dress is gorgeous, it’s more of just a decoration, you don’t even know if you’ll ever have a chance to wear it!"
These sort of dresses were usually worn at award ceremonies and for important events, so it was clear that Fang Ya was cursing her to never be popular.
Ning Xueluo added on, "Ning Xi, please keep these clothes, take it as a token of apology from the misunderstanding caused by my assistant the last time."
Chapter 318: Big Fat Liar
"Ning Xi, since Xueluo put it this way, just accept it!"
"You wouldn’t think that they are cheap, would you? Just take a look at it, all of these clothes are quite expensive, and much better than your outdated ones!"
"Where else can you find such a good deal? Take them!"
…
Ning Xi stuck to her principle of not arguing with silly people. Getting angry at a bunch of idiots would just make herself unhappy, so she kept herself composed and just watched on as everyone made a fool out of themselves.
Ning Xueluo and her gang were confused by her reaction, wondering if they had said something wrong.
Suddenly, a girl by the dressing table screamed, "Ah!"
What now? Ning Xi looked over.
"Ning Xi, the furniture in your house is moving! I got scared!"
The girl was shocked and looked at the switched candle decoration.
What happened was the mechanism had been triggered and a metal creaking was heard.
Everyone’s curiosity quickly turned to amazement. The wall started to open up and a brief white light came through, just like a slow motion scene from a movie.
The room fell so silent with the revelation, that one could only hear the sound of the air-conditioner.
No one said anything…
Everyone just stared behind the wall, dumbfounded…
Stared at that spectacular and huge walk-in closet…
The walk-in closet had a beautiful crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and was filled with gorgeous dresses, blinding everyone.
Fang Ya was too shocked and dropped the clothes that she was going to hand over to Ning Xi, her jaw gaping open, unable to find the words to say anything…
Most of them had the same reaction.
"Am I dreaming? Ning Xi, your house has a hidden room!"
"Wow! My eyes are almost blinded by the closet’s luxuriousness!"
"Ning Xi, you should’ve let us visit your huge walk-in closet!"
…
Ning Xi was speechless.
At least, she should have known of this secret compartment existing?
Finally, she knew where all the clothes went…
If it was not for this incident today, she would probably have never known about the hidden closet.
Ning Xi buried her face in her hands, not knowing what to say about Lu Tingxiao.
How did he do it? With such an academic, charismatic and confident tone, saying all those odd things and lying to her?
As everyone checked out the dresses in the hidden closet, they found out all the dresses in the walk-in closet were from the same designer, Gabriel Elvis.
Some of them looked through the labels, and all of them were initialed "GE".
It was not even about money anymore. GE’s designer had vanished shortly after his debut, so the remaining pieces from the designer were extremely limited, and one would not get it easily even with money.
And now, this entire room full of such a surprise?
Chapter 319: No Comparisons, No Hard Feelings
Of course everyone was shocked by this huge reveal. Some of them even asked Fei Fei in secret, "Fei Fei, all of them inside…are they real?"
As surprised as Fei Fei was, she nodded, "I did have a look and they are real. Anyone who knows slightly more about gems would know that the authentic jewelry’s unique shine can be distinguished easily from the fake ones."
"Oh my god…This is too shocking…"
"Did Glory World prepare all these for Ning Xi? Glory World is so willing to spend on her! Staying in a Regal Riveria unit with the best view is already amazing, now what more with a closet that’s bigger than someone's house! They really think highly of Ning Xi!"
Everyone present knew who this "someone" was.
Some of them who did not really like Ning Xueluo started to speak up, "Ning Xi really has class! All of them are from the legendary brand GE! Unlike Ning Xueluo’s closet which looks like an beginner's closet. She just bought whatever brand that’s mainstream!"
"Yet she still kept on forcing Ning Xi to take her clothes! Ning Xi probably doesn’t even care!"
"I bet she was trying to make Ning Xi look bad. Too bad…Tsk tsk, if they had gotten along, there wouldn’t be any hard feelings now!"
…
Ning Xueluo did not expect this. The moment she asked Ning Xi to receive her clothes still lingered in her mind, and now this huge walk-in closet…
She was still frozen in front of Ning Xi’s walk-in closet, listening to all the whispering. Her face felt hot, as if she had just been slapped…
Damn it! It was all Fang Ya’s fault!
Why had she suddenly suggest everyone to visit Ning Xi’s place?!
If they had not come here, her plan tonight would have been perfect!
Great, now everything was ruined!
Just as she was trying to save her image, it was crumbled again…
Fang Ya did not expect things to turn out this way, and she looked mean in front of everyone. She got frustrated and scolded Ning Xi, "You should’ve just said so if you didn’t need these clothes! Was it fun looking at us running about for you? Try to be more grateful!"
Ning Xi folded her hands and leaned on the door, her eyebrows raised, "Are you sure I didn’t mention it? It just seemed that someone couldn’t understand the human language."
"You…" She was speechless for a while then mumbled jealously, "No matter how many pretty things you have, they aren’t yours!"
Ning Xueluo took a few deep breaths to suppress her emotions, then she tried to act generous and said, "Let it be, Xiao Ya, we were just trying to help and not expecting anything in return, it’s great that she doesn’t need my clothes. Ning Xi, if you were to change your mind, let me know anytime!"
Her words clearly tried to imply that her company might be supporting her now but they could also stop doing so one day…
The only person in the room who could still think rationally was probably Guan Xiaoqi. Sure, she was shocked for a while, but she quickly recovered and gloated over Ning Xueluo and Fang Ya, watching the two clowns make a fool of themselves.
"It was worth the trip tonight! What a great show! I’m tired now! Time to go home and sleep!"
Then she left…
People started leaving following Guan Xiaoqi’s departure, especially those who had mocked Ning Xi.
Finally, everyone left.
Ning Xi was too tired to think, so she just slid into her bed and slept…
Chapter 320: An Enemy's Enemy Is A Friend
Late at night, Ning Xueluo's apartment.
Chang Li rushed over in the dead of the night, only to find the floor full of torn up clothes.
"My dear grandaunt, who's offended you now?"
Ning Xueluo fiercely used scissors to cut up a pile of clothes, and then shouted ferociously, "Who else?!"
Chang Li had already understood the situation from her assistant's update. She tidied up the place as she advised, "Xueluo, I didn't want to say anything, but you really were too impulsive this time. You've been patient for so long, why couldn't you have avoided this? Why did you have to go start a fire for yourself?"
"Haven't I been patient for long enough? Tonight, with the situation we were in, I thought…" She thought that nothing would go wrong. Who knew…
Chang Li softened her tone and said, "I understand how you feel, but there is no point in satisfying your short term desires. Ning Xi doesn't even need you to do anything at this point. Someone would surely come for her."
Ning Xueluo immediately turned to her and asked, "Who are you referring to?"
Chang Li smirked and reminded her, "Don't forget, Glory World Entertainment still has Su Yimo! Ning Xi is in the limelight so much these days. Do you think Su Yimo would be okay with that? Even someone as popular as Leng Manyun was defeated by her, so who is Ning Xi in comparison?"
Ning Xueluo eyes lightened up when she heard this, "Su Yimo…how did I not think of her?"
"That's right! Su Yimo has shady intimate relations with Lu group's high level administrators! With such a background, she's not one to easily compete with! Think about it, with her arrogant personality, how could she stand Ning Xi's existence if Ning Xi threatened her status? She would definitely hear about what happened tonight very soon. How do you think she would feel when she does?"
Ning Xueluo thought carefully, then she smugly said, "You make so much sense!"
When she saw that she finally managed to change Ning Xueluo's mind, Chang Li breathed a sigh of relief and continued to analyse, "Now we can create relations with Su Yimo's side. Even though you were previously always against her, it's not the same anymore now. An enemy's enemy is a friend! Don't be anxious, I'll try to hear her out first, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem!"
Ning Xueluo tossed the scissors and clothes in her hand onto the floor, then got up and started to walk back and forth. Then, she stopped and said, "I heard she likes emerald jades. Someone gave my father a pair of exquisite jade decorative items before, you go get it to present it to her. If there's anything you need, just let me know, I'll think of something!"
"Okay, no problem," Chang Li quickly replied. Then she asked, "Right, have you thought about the suggestion I mentioned to you the last time?"
"You mean the engagement?"
"Yeah, you have been low key for too long, you need something juicy to restore your popularity and image. All this while, everyone's most envious of the fact that you're with Su Yan, so this is the best time to get engaged!
"Many headlines will feature you. I've already planned a series of follow ups that can not only increase your popularity to new heights, but kick Ning Xi in the guts too!" Chang Li said, a little too excitedly.
At the mention of Su Yan, Ning Xueluo frowned, "You know, because of what happened, Su Yan has been critical of me. I need some time, and besides, he really has been too busy recently…"
"No worries, there's no hurry. Work is important! Your Su Yan is pretty amazing. If he seals this deal, the Su family will definitely expand into the Europe market and earn tenfold for the whole company! The finance channels and magazines have been raving about him recently!"
Ning Xueluo was radiant as she responded with arrogance, "Of course, he's my man! You don't worry, I'll get it done!"
Chang Li replied, "That's good then! Let's work on it separately!"