Chapter 681: Please Call Me Aunt From Now On
At that moment, Jiang Muye’s fans demonstrated their strength.
Since some of Ning Xueluo’s fans were upset enough to bring Jiang Muye’s name into the mess, his fans could not stand it anymore.
[Are you guys blind? Ning Xi is at least ten times prettier than Ning Xueluo!]
[Cut the crap about shady arrangements! Don’t frame innocent people! Muye is the most popular here, It’s only natural to have more of his screen time. The crew isn’t stupid!]
[This is the second preview. The first preview featured the main protagonists and the second featured the secondary protagonists. What’s wrong with that? It seems to me that some fans are just overreacting!]

…
Basically, both Ning Xueluo's and Zhao Sizhou's fans angered Jiang Muye’s die hard supporters, adding fuel to the exchange. Jiang Muye’s fans had exceptional keyboard warrior abilities and they spared no mercy.
Ning Xi was having goosebumps from watching the arguments; she was glad that she was on Jiang Muye’s side this time. She thought to herself, "I should treat him better next time. After all, there's an impeccable army of iron maidens right behind him!
They're so loyal and ferocious!" Some people had just briefly mentioned Jiang Muye’s name while ridiculing her, but his fans were already counterattacking them.
Ning Xi continued looking at the news while she made a call to Jiang Muye.
After a long time of ringing, Jiang Muye picked up the call and started blabbering the moment the line got through, "Don’t tell me about your confession. I don’t want to hear about it. That’s all. Bye bye, the user you’re calling is unavailable…"
Ning Xi was exasperated. "What’s wrong with you? Who’s talking about my confession?!"
There was a silence, then Jiang Muye cautiously asked, "Then, why did you call me?"

Ning Xi replied while scrolling through the web pages, "I’m about to praise you!"
"Praise me?" Jiang Muye sat up as straight as a rod now. "What’s gotten into you…?"
"Yeah, I just got home and was looking through the news!" Ning Xi replied.
Jiang Muye instantly knew what she was up to and he preened cheerfully, "How is it? What do you think of the power of my female fans?"
"They're awesome! Exceptional! Actually…I’m quite envious of you! I wonder when will I have such a fan base. I’d be right even when I’m wrong and people will just rain compliments all over me everyday! The definition of happiness!" Ning Xi gushed, full of admiration.
"You still have a long way to go!" Jiang Muye spoke with a tone of seniority. Then, he suddenly changed the topic. "Right, so what happened to your confession?"
Ning Xi was stunned. "Didn’t you just say you don’t want to know anything about it? Even women don’t change their minds as quickly as you do!"
"Forget about that! Ning Xiao Xi, are you telling me or not? Have you confessed? What’s going on now?" Jiang Muye asked quickly.
Ning Xi took her own sweet time to reply. "What's going on now is…dear Jiang Xiao Ye, please don’t be rude and call my name directly. Next time, address me as Aunt!"
It was Jiang Muye’s turn to be speechless.
Chapter 682: Revenge Of The Blondie
Ex-girlfriend turned Aunt…
At that moment, Jiang Muye could only think of three words — what the heck?!
Jiang Muye took a deep breath, then he roared at the phone, "Screw this! You’re giving me no choice, Ning Xiao Xi. I’m going to tell Ling Zhizhi all about you. I’ll tell her that you’re getting into a relationship without her knowing!"
Ning Xi was furious. "Damn it! Can you be any more shameless! Do you really consider yourself a bro of mine?"
"What 'bro'? Aren’t you my aunt now?"
"If you dare to tell her, I’ll break your leg! Hey…hey…"
Beep…beep…the phone call had ended.

Damn it! He wouldn't really tell on me, would he? Was he really a man? Was he really going to do something so childish?
Ah…impulsiveness was really a terrible trait! She had totally forgotten about Ling Zhizhi! She remembered how she had promised her that she would just focus on her career and would never get into a relationship, but now she was completely breaking her promise!
Beauty! It was all Beauty’s fault!
As Ning Xi was about to dial Jiang Muye's number again, her screen lit up and it was…Ling Zhizhi!
Crap! Did Blondie really tell her?
Her phone kept on ringing and Ning Xi was anxious, but she still picked it up and answered shakily, "Hey, Sis Zhizhi…"
"Ning Xi, I have something to ask you. Answer me honestly," Ling Zhizhi said in an exceptionally stern tone.
Ning Xi thought that it was all going to be over!
"Uh, what is it, Sis Zhizhi?" Ning Xi acted innocently.
"What’s your relationship with Hu Hongda?"

"Our relationship…uh, wait…" Ning Xi was confused. "Sis Zhizhi, who?"
"Hu Hongda?"
"Who’s Hu Hongda?" Ning Xi wondered. Was it not Lu Tingxiao?
Ling Zhizhi let out a sigh of relief. "It’s good that you don’t know him."
"What happened?"
She thought that Jiang Muye had spilled the beans on her!
"Hu Hongda is the CEO of Hongda Estate. There are rumors circulating online recently, saying that he’s been keeping you as his mistress. I’ve asked our PR department to delete all the related posts. Due to the popularity of 'The World', you’ve been getting a lot of attention recently. Although it’s been suppressed at the moment, people might bring it up again in the near future!
"The PR department asked me to confirm with you what your relationship is with him, but you were on holiday these past few days and I was unable to contact you," Ling Zhizhi explained.
To avoid unnecessary attention, Ning Xi had asked Jiang Muye to tell Ling Zhizhi and the crew that she had gone on a holiday.
Ling Zhizhi was unable to contact her and coincidentally, the news came up at such a critical time; it was no wonder that she was so anxious.
Even if Ling Zhizhi trusted her, what about the PR department? They must have thought that she had gone into hiding because of the news! Ling Zhizhi must have faced an enormous amount of pressure…
Ning Xi felt guilty, "Sis Zhizhi, I’m really sorry. I will never be out of contact again. I really don’t know this Hu Hongda and I have no relationship with him at all, rest assured!"
Chapter 683: The Man Behind Ning Xi
"That’s great," Ling Zhizhi sighed, then spoke in a worried tone, "But Ning Xi, I have to remind you again. While I’ll not interfere with your private life too much, you have to be mindful of what you can and cannot do!"
When she was handling Leng Manyun, she did not have to worry much about her private life. However, as she was working with Ning Xi now, she tried her best to protect Ning Xi from the public. Ning Xi’s pretty face was her strongest weapon, but it was also her dangerous weakness. In this industry, it was too easy to be linked in a sexual scandal.
For a female celebrity, these scandals might end their career if not handled properly.
Ning Xi felt guilty at Ling Zhizhi’s words, she quickly replied, "I understand Sis Zhizhi!"
After the call ended, she frowned as she let out a sigh of relief, Hu Hongda…who was that?
She searched some keywords and some tabloid news popped up.

[Beautiful Co-Star Of "The World" Rumored To Be Mistress, Intimate Relationship With Real Estate Tycoon Hu Hongda]
[Reveal Of The Man Behind Ning Xi!!!]
[Co-Star Of "The World" Insider News: She Was Supported By A Rich Man!]
…
Not many of these posts remained, probably as a result of the efforts of the PR department.
Ning Xi touched her chin as she was reading the posts. She felt that something was not right. Although such news always popped up in the industry, no one would believe it without any solid proof.
Suddenly, something caught her attention. If someone wanted to frame her, they could have linked her to anyone, but why Hu Hongda specifically?
At the same time, at Starlight Entertainment, in Chang Li’s office.
"Ning Xi has already been getting all the attention before the movie even aired. The attacks from the controlled fans last time didn’t work either. It was all ruined by Jiang Muye’s fans…if the movie airs, she might really get famous overnight!" Chang Li said worriedly.

Ning Xi was just a sacrificial pawn to satisfy Ning Xueluo, but now that it seemed like she was going to get famous, it was a big slap on Chang Li’s face.
"How is the rumor mill going?" Ning Xueluo asked calmly.
"All of them got shut down by the PR team, no thanks to Ling Zhizhi. Nothing is left! There was no solid proof of the rumors anyway!" Chang Li did not understand why Ning Xueluo was doing something so obviously futile.
Ning Xueluo gave her a frigid smile as she raked her manicured fingernails down Ning Xi’s picture on the computer screen. "Be patient. That was just the first step. I’ll have her know her place!"
Chang Li cautioned in a low voice, "Xueluo, what are you trying to do? We'd better be careful this time! People are suspicious of you ever since we accused Ning Xi of hurting you with the props. This time, if…"
"Shut up!" As if pained by Chang Li’s words, her expression changed drastically. She was incensed about the incident. Su Yan had always been a hundred percent trusting of her, but since the incident, she had to be on her toes around Su Yan now.
"You don’t need to tell me what to do. I know what I’m doing!"
After the lesson from that incident, she was more cautious now. Even if anyone were to investigate the rumors, they would never find anything related to her!
After Ning Xueluo was done talking, she made a phone call. "Hey, Xiao Ya, how have you been recently? Want to go shopping tomorrow?"
Chapter 684: Plot Twist
On the other end of the phone, Fang Ya replied weakly, "I’m not in the mood for shopping now!"
"Is it because of what happened last time?" Ning Xueluo asked with a tinge of concern.
"Xueluo, what should I do? It might really be the end for me…"
Ning Xueluo blinked. "That might not be it…actually, I have a fantastic idea, which will definitely help you out of your situation!"
"Really? Tell me quickly! I’m feeling really helpless right now!" Fang Ya urged.
"Maybe I should forget about it. After all, this idea might involve innocent people…" Ning Xueluo sounded a little troubled.
"Xueluo! My reputation is ruined now! I don’t have the time and effort to care about anyone else! Please tell me! Aren’t we best friends?"
"Mmm…okay…"

…
Ning Xi paid the rumors no mind after realizing that they were not much of a big deal. Ling Zhizhi had also comforted her that as long as she was not related to Hu Hongda, she would handle the rest.
Unexpectedly, things went south quickly right before dawn and it was all over the Net!
"Ning Xi! Go online! Something has happened! Look at the first post on the hot topic tab on Weibo!"
Ning Xi was still asleep when Ling Zhizhi called. She quickly jumped out of bed and turned on her laptop.
She saw the post: [Hu Hongda: Everything is my fault. I will apologize to my family and return to them and I promise to never make the same mistake again! Everyone is welcomed to see this through!]
In the comments section, everyone was asking who his mistress was.
[Wow, Ming Fangfang’s husband cheated on her! I still remember how sweet they were when they just got married!]
[Who’s the mistress? Who’s she? Who is it? I need the truth! This is such a shocker!]
[I can’t believe this! Goddess Fang is so beautiful. How could her husband cheat on her!?]
[The mistress is the secondary protagonist, Ning Xi, from "The World". If you notice, this is nothing new actually, I’ve seen some news about it before, but not many people were following it!]

[Link: Here’s everything you need to know, you're welcome!]
…
The second post on the hot topic tab was an old post on which someone claimed to know the truth about Ning Xi being the mistress. No one had cared about the post before, but now there were hundreds and thousands of shares and comments.
Ming Fangfang was a popular artiste in the industry. After she got married to Hu Hongda, they had always been lovey dovey with each other; they were the model couple for everyone.
After the news got out, Ming Fangfang’s fans went crazy. Very quickly, Ning Xueluo’s fans took the chance and went along to trample on Ning Xi as well…
[Hahahahaha…great news! I told you so that there’s an internal source! No one believed me!]
[Jiang Muye’s fans don’t mean ill. Most of them are still too young to make rational judgments, now they'll know that everyone has their dark side!]
[It’s just a small artiste trying to get famous with her pretty face. I don’t see the difference from a prostitute. Having Xueluo acting with her is a disgrace!]
…
Jiang Muye’s fans kept mum this time around. The fan club had a good management team and the leader warned them not to post anything before they found out about the truth.
However, some radical younger fans went on to ridicule Ning Xi with some harsh words for involving Jiang Muye in this scandal…
Hu Hongda’s single short sentence pushed Ning Xi to the edge.
Chapter 685: Lu Tingxiao, Come Up!
"What the hell?! How did I get attacked without even doing anything?! Why did this dude suddenly come up with such a Weibo status? This is clearly a setup to ruin me!" Ning Xi was very irritated by the unfolding of everything.
"I am already trying my best to contact Hu Hongda's end, hoping that he can come out to clarify. However, it's already too late and he must have already gone to bed, so we temporarily can't contact him. If it's just a misunderstanding, he just has to clear the air, but the way I see it, this has been too coincidental. Previously, you were rumored to be involved in some scandal with him, and now he has posted such a misleading status. I'm just afraid…" Ling Zhizhi trailed off in thought.
"Is someone intentionally messing with me?" Ning Xi frowned. "That's not right either…Hu Hongda is a big CEO. Who would have the capability to control him and intentionally slander me? In fact, he has even caused so much trouble for himself and all for a small celebrity like me? Isn't this crazy?!"
Ling Zhizhi then replied, "That is why I still think the possibility of it being a misunderstanding is more likely. I'll personally visit Hongda's company first thing tomorrow morning. Hopefully, nothing else will change before then."
Ning Xi nodded. "We can only wait till tomorrow then."
"You don't move about for now. If you go out now, the fans will only be more agitated and no one will listen to your explanation. Only Hu Hongda can explain this."
"Okay, I understand."
After she hung up, Ning Xi obviously could not fall asleep. She continued to look at the discussion on the Internet.
[I strongly urge to block corrupted artistes. Delete all of Ning Xi's scenes! Or else, we are determined to boycott "The World".]
[I agree! The price she paid for her mistake earlier this year was too low. The fact that she can continue to live freely after hurting other people is just too disgusting!]

[My Goddess Fang's charisma can fling Ning Xi ten streets away! Is Hu Hongda blind?]
[Kill the entire witch's family! Stay away from our Muye!]
…
Ning Xi rested her chin in her hands and sighed.
This year's fans were too easily influenced because no one knew who was behind the computer screens, so they didn't have to be held accountable for anything they saw. More and more keyboard warriors started to say irresponsible things without caring about the truth…
It was already one o'clock in the morning. Ning Xi remained on the website, just in case there were any changes.
Just as she was about to make herself some coffee to stay awake, her phone suddenly rang with a new message.
[Lu Cabbage: Not asleep yet?]
Ning Xi wanted to reply when she suddenly noticed something…
She quickly walked to the window and looked out. She could already walk slowly although she just had to be more careful.
Indeed, there was a familiar car parked below. Beside the car window was the faint light of a lit cigarette.
[Sweet Xiao Xi: You're outside my apartment?]
Ning Xi texted as she waved with her lit up phone.

Very soon, Ning Xi saw the car door open and someone alighted. Under the dim lights, a lean shadow was looking up.
Even though she could not see his face clearly, she could still feel hiso familiar eyes watching her.
Ning Xi heart skipped a beat and she immediately made a call. "Hello…"
"Mmm."
"Why are you…why are you outside my apartment?" Ning Xi asked.
"I don't know." From the other end of the phone, she could hear the man's voice, which echoed with loneliness, against the night breeze.
Don't know? What kind of answer was that?
However, Ning Xi's heart instantly melted. "If I didn't notice your car, you weren't prepared to stay there for the entire night, were you?"
"Probably."
"Lu Tingxiao, come up," said Ning Xi.
Lu Tingxiao paused, then said, "Maybe not."
"Come up!"
"Okay."
Chapter 686: I'm Not Going To Eat You!
Moments later, there was a knock on the door.
Ning Xi rushed over to open it.
Lu Tingxiao stood still at the door and Ning Xi smiled a little before pulling him in. "I'm not going to eat you!"
Lu Tingxiao looked slightly helpless. Of course, he was not afraid of her, but of himself.
"What are you doing?"
When he saw that she was still not asleep so late at night and that she had her laptop on the bed, Lu Tingxiao frowned.
Ning Xi scratched her head, then sat on the bedside and picked up the laptop again. "There's a slight problem, but nothing too serious."
Lu Tingxiao's expression changed to one of concern as he walked over.
He skimmed through the posts and could already roughly understand the situation. In the next second, he pulled out his handphone.

Ning Xi noticed it in time and quickly stopped him. "What are you doing?"
"Calling Hu Hongda."
Ning Xi's mouth twitched. "You don't have to use your butcher's knife to kill a chicken! No, wait, you're using a dragon slayer blade! Sis Zhizhi is already prepared to go over Hongda's company first thing tomorrow morning!"
After Ning Xi said that, she thought to herself that there were some things she needed to discuss with Lu Tingxiao.
"Lu Tingxiao, let's have a chat!" Ning Xi looked at him seriously.
Lu Tingxiao felt his spine go rigid. "Okay."
Ning Xi was not sure why Lu Tingxiao reacted the way he did. Why was he so nervous? He looked like she was about ditch him after using him.
Ning Xi chose her words carefully before she said, "Hey, you know that Sis Zhizhi has already set three big rules for me right from the start. I'm not allowed to start dating now, but in the end, I actually defied her…"
Ning Xi released a long sigh and touched Lu Tingxiao's handsome face. "My beauty, for you, I am giving it my all!"
Lu Tingxiao held her little hand and started to laugh. "So, what are you trying to say?"
Ning Xi blurted out what she found difficult to say, "So, this thing between the both of us has to be a secret!"
"That's it?"

"That's it. What did you think I was about to say?"
Ning Xi knew that this was not too fair to Lu Tingxiao, so she coaxed, "I know this will not be very nice to you, but my occupation is at stake. I really have no choice!"
"Don't worry, I'll cooperate and I won't interfere with your work."
Ning Xi's eyes shone with gratitude, "Oh, Boss, that's really sweet of you…"
Before she could finish, Lu Tingxiao added on, "But I have a request too."
"Just say it. I'll try as long as I can do it!" Ning Xi said quickly.
"If you have something you can't resolve, even if you disagree with my solution, I will still interfere. I am your boss but I am also your man. I won't sit back and watch my woman be bullied."
Lu Tingxiao's gaze sharpened even more. "Maybe you have your special ways of resolving problems but from now onwards, I won't allow you to use such methods anymore. There are certain rules in this world, understand?"
Ning Xi got it. Lu Tingxiao was probably referring to the last time she had used a gun to force the props master to confess.
She had been too impulsive the last time. If Lu Tingxiao had not cleaned up the mess she had made and if word of her using a gun to threaten the props master had gone public, the consequences would be unimaginable…
When she had returned to China back then, she had sworn that she would move away from her past.
She had only used that gun once ever since.
Actually, when a person lived too long in a world that resorted to violence to resolve problems, adapting to the normal world would be a challenge. Lu Tingxiao was right. There were rules in this world.
Ning Xi immediately said obediently, "Understood, Boss! When I'm in need, I'll just rely on you!"
Chapter 687: Let’s Do Something Meaningful
Watching the girl reply obediently, Lu Tingxiao’s expression softened. He looked at the cup of coffee on the table and scowled. "You’ve not fully recovered yet. Don’t stay up anymore and go to sleep now."
"Huh? But after what just happened, my brain is too excited now. I can’t sleep anytime soon!" Ning Xi mumbled.
Her eyes shone as she suddenly thought of something. "Ah! Let’s do something meaningful in the dead of tonight!"
Lu Tingxiao looked at her with a hooded gaze and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Like what?"
After a while…
"Ahh…no!" Ning Xi’s screams broke the silence of the still night…
Lu Tingxiao looked at the ghost moaning and listened to the scary background music as his face darkened.
Her so-called "meaningful" activity was to watch a horror movie?

Ning Xi shrunk into the sheets, only her small head popping out and her face was pale. She let out the occasional scream. "Ah…the wardrobe! There’s a ghost in the wardrobe…don’t open it!"
Lu Tingxiao was speechless at her behavior. "Why are you still watching it if you’re so scared?"
"This is exciting! I always watch a lot of movies, just not horror films! Because…I’m afraid of ghosts…" Ning Xi said sadly.
Lu Tingxiao raised his eyebrows in surprise. It was rare that she was afraid of something.
"That’s why I never watch it alone. Since you’re here today, of course, I’m going to grab this chance!" Ning Xi said with enthusiasm.
Lu Tingxiao patted her head. "I’ll accompany you whenever you want."
Ning Xi nodded, looking at Lu Tingxiao. She thought that she would not get used to having someone by her side after being single for so long. But now, as she was watching the horror film, wrapped up in the sheets while Lu Tingxiao just sat there with her, she felt that being with someone else was not so bad after all…
Probably due to the devil's imposing aura, the fright level of the film was toned down and she even fell asleep halfway…
When he saw that she had fallen asleep, Lu Tingxiao turned off the television and covered her with sheets gently.
As he stood up, his phone rang.
Incoming call: Mo Lingtian.

Lu Tingxiao’s gentle eyes turned icy as he took the call on the balcony.
"Hello."
"Hey, Lu Tingxiao." Mo Lingtian sounded as if he had just been tortured.
"How’s the investigation going?" Lu Tingxiao asked.
"I’ve gone through a lot of hard times for Tang Lang! But…that man…I’m sorry…I was just a step away! I could almost expose his true identity but for some reason, he got ahold of my investigating him and he destroyed all my leads! I really don’t know what to do now! Stop asking me to do this! I can’t do it anymore!"
"The land in Chengdong District."
"I’ll work on that! Even if I have to sacrifice my life, I’ll help you to find him!" Mo Lingtian perked up at this lead and his vigor was renewed.
"Mmm."
As Lu Tingxiao was about to end the call, Mo Lingtian added, "Wait…although I failed, I found some other interesting news."
"What?"
"Satan got desperate because of what you did. He started to wipe out everything but he might return with a different identity. Be careful."
Chapter 688: Who Is This Woman?
On the second day.
Ling Zhizhi gave Hongda company a call when the clock struck nine in the morning. She wanted to talk to Hu Hongda himself. With such an awkward matter going viral, she would be glad if she could settle this through a phone call.
Hu Hongda had turned his phone off, so she could only reach him through his company.
"Hello, I’m Ling Zhizhi, a manager at Starlight Entertainment. Could you connect me to CEO Hu…"
Before she could finish, the receptionist quickly replied in a snobbish tone, "I’m sorry, CEO Hu strictly said that he would not see anyone or take any phone calls for these few days, especially anyone from the entertainment industry!"
The receptionist ended the call without saying anything else.
Ling Zhizhi decided to go to his company directly to meet him because this matter had to be settled as soon as possible without any more delays.
Coincidentally, the moment she reached Hongda company, Hu Hongda had just stepped out of his car, so she quickly went up to him.

"CEO Hu, please listen to me!"
Hu Hongda was about 40 years old but due to his alcoholic guzzling habit over the years, he was chubby and had a portly stomach. Together with his almost bald head, he looked completely different from when he married Ming Fangfang.
Hu Hongda looked at her unhappily. "Who are you?"
"I’m Ling Zhizhi and I'm from Starlight Entertainment!"
Hu Hongda’s expression changed the moment he heard her introduction.
Ling Zhizhi quickly continued after she saw his negative reaction. "CEO Hu, I know your time is precious, so I’ll be direct with you. Your Weibo posting last night caused a big misunderstanding. I hope you’ll help to clarify the truth."
Hu Hongda glanced at her and asked her casually, "Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?"
"One of my artistes was misconstrued as the lady you’ve mentioned."
"Oh…so what?" Hu Hongda shrugged indifferently.
Judging by his tone of voice, Ling Zhizhi did not have a good feeling about this, but she still continued, "I hope you could put up another Weibo post to explain what is really going on."
"They are the ones who misunderstood. What does that have to do with me? Why do I need to explain?" Hu Hongda replied impatiently.

Ling Zhizhi knew that these rich businessmen could not care less about other people’s lives, even if they had involved someone innocent in their games. She could only be patient and lower her pride. "It won’t take you much time, just a few words on Weibo will do…"
As long as he posted something, everything would be solved.
As expected, Hu Hongda refused to budge. Instead, he acted rudely and yelled at her, "Not going to take much time? Do you know how much money I earn every minute? I don't care about some small hoo-ha in the entertainment industry. Do you think I’m not busy enough already? Where’s the security?"
As Hu Hongda was about to call the security team over, a red BMW came to a stop in front of them.
A woman in a custom-made champagne Prada dress came out of it, looking like a million bucks and emitting a strong aura around her.
She was Hu Hongda’s wife, Ming Fangfang.
Seeing Ling Zhizhi, a dark cloud passed over Ming Fangfang’s face. "Ling Zhizhi…"
"My dear wife, you’re here!" Hu Hongda quickly went up to her.
Ming Fangfang was not just an artiste; she had a solid family background. Her father was a well-known businessman. She had only been an artiste for about a year and she did it all just for fun.
That was why Hu Hongda was so afraid of her, even complying with something like a public apology.
"Why is this woman here?" Ming Fangfang glared at Ling Zhizhi.
Chapter 689: Being Lu Tingxiao’s Mistress
Hu Hongda explained, "This woman was forcing me to put up a post on Weibo to clarify…"
Ming Fangfang laughed coldly. "Clarify? What is there to clarify? Ling Zhizhi, I respected you when you were Leng Manyun’s manager, but what sort of artiste are you handling right now? Destroying other people’s family and now you dare to come here and ask my husband to clarify?"
Ling Zhizhi’s eyebrows closed in as she explained humbly, "Mrs. Hu, I think you’re mistaken, your husband’s mistress isn’t Ning Xi. Everyone has misunderstood the false news from before, which is why I’m here to ask CEO Hu to clarify to the public. You were in the entertainment industry before. You understand well enough how difficult it would be for a female artiste to bear such slander. Plus, Mrs. Hu, don’t you want the one who was really at fault to receive their just punishment?"
Ling Zhizhi knew that they would not care about anything aside from their benefits, which was why she emphasized her last sentence.
Ming Fangfang looked at Hu Hongda in confusion after she heard Ling Zhizhi. "What is happening? Didn’t you say it was Ning Xi who seduced you?"

Hu Hongda replied instantly, "Yeah! That’s right, she did!"
Ling Zhizhi glowered. "Impossible! CEO Hu, Ning Xi said she doesn’t know you at all! And just now you…"
Ming Fangfang interrupted her, "Ling Zhizhi, I don’t know if you’re just too innocent or simply pathetic! You believe her just because she said so? If you have so much free time to argue here with me, why don't you go back and ask your artiste?! How dare she not admit that it's her fault?!"
Ming Fangfang was absolutely positive that it was Ning Xi. She was prideful in her beauty and looks. Although she did not believe that anyone else would be able to seduce her husband, this was Ning Xi.
Since it was Hu Hongda who explained to her that he had been the victim in the situation, she trusted him without a doubt.
Ling Zhizhi felt really troubled. She thought it was just a misunderstanding, but who knew…Hu Hongda was framing Ning Xi intentionally!
Had it not been for Ming Fangfang’s appearance, she would have just thought that he did not want any trouble, hence his declination to explain…
"Security, send her away! Don’t let her come in!" Ming Fangfang crossed her arms and looked at her in despise.

Two security guards came up to her and one of them pushed Ling Zhizhi roughly. She fell down and sprained her ankle, feeling a sharp pain shooting up her leg.
From the moment Hu Hongda said it, Ling Zhizhi knew that there was no more reason for her to stay. She went back to her company immediately.
At Regal Riveria Hotel.
Ning Xi had accidentally overslept. It was already nine o’clock when she opened her eyes.
The first thing she did was to call Ling Zhizhi. "Hello, Sis Zhizhi, what’s the situation now? Did the Hu guy agreed?"
Ling Zhizhi replied with a serious tone, "Nope, plus, he insisted that you’re his mistress."
Ning Xi exploded, "Damn it! Is he out of his mind?! Even if I were to become someone’s mistress, I would get someone of Lu Tingxiao’s level. Why would I choose him?"
Ning Xi realized that something was not right. Was Lu Tingxiao still here?
She peeked outside and saw Lu Tingxiao on the sofa, currently staring at her with his arms stretched out, holding the newspapers…
Chapter 690: Make Me Forget About Work Every Morning
Ling Zhizhi chuckled. "You'd better not let anyone hear this, be more careful of what you say."
"Oh…" Ning Xi nodded while taking a peek at Lu Tingxiao. But the person she mentioned had heard it…
"It’s not all bad. At least now, we know they are framing you. We asked nicely, and since it has come to this extent, we needn’t be concerned about them for what we do next."
Ning Xi touched her chin as her thoughts developed. "But…I really don’t know Hu Hongda, so it’s definitely not for revenge. Why would he want to do this? He admitted that he cheated and in doing so, framed me?"
"I’m already checking on Hu Hongda. I should have something by noon today."
"Alright, thank you so much, Sis Zhizhi!"

After ending the call, Ning Xi hopped into the living room. "Boss, you’re still here! Hehe…I was just…praising you!"
He patted on the chair beside him. "Do you need help?"
"Not yet, I’ll see what Sis Zhizhi can find. Rest assured, if I can’t handle it, I’ll surely let you know. Argh! It’s late already, go to work now! If you’re skipping work for my sake, I’ll feel guilty!" Ning Xi urged him.
Lu Tingxiao stared into her eyes and said, "It’s alright, it’s not an issue as of now, but I’m looking forward to the day…that you’ll make me forget about working in the morning."
"Oh…" Ning Xi blushed after she realized what Lu Tingxiao meant…he was too dirty minded!
She did not mean that at all! He claimed that she infected him with such thoughts but the devil himself was dirty minded enough!
…
Just a few minutes after Ling Zhizhi left, Hu Hongda made an even bolder move. He outright named Ning Xi on Weibo.
Ming Fangfang posted on Weibo: [Mistresses in recent years are really shameless!]

Hu Hongda was trying to get on his wife’s good side, so he went along: [Please respect yourself and stop bothering me and my family! @Ling Zhizhi @Ning Xi]
Ning Xi had been fully exposed as the mistress now and all the fans went crazy.
Pictures of Ling Zhizhi appearing at Hongda Company were uploaded on the net as well. Many netizens thought that she had gone there looking for trouble and the ignorant fans were angered.
The topic of having a mistress was really sensitive in recent times, making it was very easy for people to unleash their rage online.
[Muye still tried to defend Ning Xi! I was wrong for believing her! Die, you witch!]
[Isn’t Ling Zhizhi the manager of Leng Manyun? I really liked Leng Manyun! Why did her manager become like this now? How inappropriate!]
[No wonder Starlight fired her. Glory World must’ve been blind! I felt sorry for her when she was framed by Ning Xueluo, but she is really despicable!]
…
Things were getting out of hand online.
At the same time, Ling Zhizhi found some key information and she gave Ning Xi a call.
Chapter 691: Pregnant
"I got it. Hu Hongda did not just do that to frame you. He really did cheat and he wanted to protect the real mistress. Coincidentally, he was rumored to be involved in a scandal with you, so he decided to make you the scapegoat and tell Ming Fangfang that you were his mistress," Ling Zhizhi explained.
"Then, who's the real mistress?" Ning Xi quickly asked.
"You know her too. It's Fang Ya."
"Fang Ya?" Ning Xi frowned in disbelief. "Not only do I know her…we have many grudges against each other too…"
If it had been someone else, she would just accept her bad luck. However, if it was Fang Ya, she had little doubt that this whole issue could be something Ning Xueluo had decided to cook up.
"In fact, Fang Ya is pregnant," Ling Zhizhi said.

"My gosh! Is this true? No wonder that asshole Hu Hongda is so protective of her!"
Still on the phone, Ning Xi scoured online for news of Hu Hongda and Ming Fangfang in the recent period of time. She saw tabloid reports on how Ming Fangfang did not get pregnant since they got married seven years ago. It seemed like she might have an infertility issue.
If this was true, it was no wonder that Hu Hongda would be so worried about Fang Ya. Or else, a man like him would not even care about someone else's life or death. Even if it was a woman he had slept with, he would have just kicked them out after being found out and he would not have done so much to help her escape.
Based on Ming Fangfang's fierce personality and solid family background, if Fang Ya was found out, he knew that his child would definitely not survive.
"Hu Hongda is careful, but thankfully, we still found out about this in the end. Wait till I finish writing the statement to be released, then I'll tell you what to say."
"Okay."
…
At the same time, in the private room of a certain Western restaurant, Ning Xueluo and Fang Ya were having a meal together.
Ning Xueluo scrolled through all the horrible curses towards Ning Xi online on her phone. Even that previous incident about her falsely blaming Ning Xi was brought up and the netizens were siding her; she had never felt this smug.

However, she naturally did not reveal how satisfied she felt. Instead, she looked guilty and unassured. "What we did…was it too much?"
Opposite her, Fang Ya, who was initially a nervous wreck, had relaxed too, now that the danger was resolved. She was enjoying her perfectly cooked steak.
When she heard what Ning Xueluo said, she looked up nonchalantly and said, "No way! That woman is a witch. Even if she didn't hook up with Hu Hongda, she's definitely hooked up with other people! I'm weeding out the witches for the people here! She deserves this!
"Besides, this woman keeps troubling you over and over again. At last, I managed to help you take revenge! Xueluo, don't go soft now! To be kind to your enemy is to be cruel to yourself!"
Fang Ya was afraid that Ning Xueluo would change her mind midway.
Ning Xueluo sighed, "Since it's already turned out like this, I naturally wouldn't soften, or else I'd be bringing harm to you instead."
Fang Ya sighed a breath of relief as she touched her belly happily. "Hmm, I'm not the same as other mistresses. What Hongda and I share is true love. Now, we even have this as proof of our love! I must give birth to this child! He already promised me that if I give birth to a son for him, he will divorce his wife!"
Ning Xueluo laughed in her heart. Fool, you actually believe such lies?
She was sure that Hu Hongda was only planning to have her give birth to the child, then run home and let Ming Fangfang raise it. Since the baby would have been already born, Ming Fangfang and her family would have to compromise. He would then ditch Fang Ya and not allow her to contact the child. Then, he would keep the child and not lose Ming Fangfang's family background support at the same time. Everything would be perfect for him.
Chapter 692: A Five-Year-Old Daughter!
When she heard Fang Ya's words, Ning Xueluo intentionally looked worried and sighed dramatically. "Obviously, I hope you'll be alright too, but…"
Fang Ya did not understand. "Xueluo, why are you sighing? Isn't everything going smoothly now?"
Ning Xueluo paused before she reminded her friend, "Xiao Ya, I'm afraid you won't be able to relax completely. After all, Ling Zhizhi is not easy to go up against. She is definitely thinking about how to get Ning Xi out of this situation now…"
"What about it? As long as Hongda doesn't reveal anything!"
"But what if she found out you…"
Fang Ya was stunned by this possibility. She was so frightened that she almost choked on her steak. "It shouldn't be that easy to investigate, should it?"
Ning Xueluo shook her head. "Ling Zhizhi has been in this circle for quite a number of years after all, and poking her nose in such things is her forte, so…I daren't guarantee anything!"

Fang Ya immediately panicked. "Then…then, what do we do? Xueluo, help me think of something!"
"Well…" Ning Xueluo pretended to look troubled.
Fang Ya was even more anxious now. "Xueluo, please! You must help me! There are now two lives here! After the baby is born, it will want to call you 'godmother'! Quick, save us both!"
Ning Xueluo seemed to soften, then she said helplessly, "Even if Ling Zhizhi is good, she's just a small manager. No matter what she might have investigated up till now, you had better quickly call CEO Hu and warn him about Ling Zhizhi! As for what warning would work best to threaten her to stop, CEO Hu should be better at that, so let him settle it!"
"Xueluo, thank goodness for your brains! If I didn't have you, I really wouldn't know what to do! I'll call him right now!" Fang Ya pulled out her phone gratefully as she called Hu Hongda.
Ning Xueluo sipped her coffee and smiled sinisterly.
At Glory World Entertainment.
Ling Zhizhi wrote a press statement at her top speed, then double checked it before preparing to release it.
Yet, just as her finger was about to press the "send" button, her phone suddenly rang.
She looked over and unexpectedly saw that it was Hu Hongda.

She hesitated but still answered, "Hello, CEO Hu."
Before this, it had been so hard to call him. Who'd have known that he would make the initiative now?
I wonder…what it was?
Ling Zhizhi had a bad feeling.
Indeed, Hu Hongda's tone from the other end of the phone was unfriendly. "Miss Ling, you already found out, didn't you?"
Was he…trying to test her?
Ling Zhizhi was on high alert. "I wonder what you might be referring to."
Hu Hongda laughed coldly. "Ling Zhizhi, I don't care if you investigated something you shouldn't have, but I'll warn you, you'd better stop caring about it. The most you would have to do is manage another artiste. That won't be much of a loss to you, so why must you make things hard for yourself?"
"CEO Hu, are you threatening me?"
"Haha, as long as you understand. Ling Zhizhi, don't try to outsmart me. You can investigate but so can I. And guess what I found out?" Hu Hongda intentionally paused before he continued,
"I thought you had higher morales, Miss Ling, but who'd have guessed that your private life is a mess? You tell the world you're single, but…you actually have a five-year-old daughter! That little brat, she really does look tasty. I wonder whose bastard it is?"
Chapter 693: I Need Your Help!
Ling Zhizhi’s heart sank. "You…"
"Ms. Ling, you had better know your place. If not, I won't guarantee your daughter’s safety!" Hu Hongda ended the call after his threat.
Ling Zhizhi’s face was pale as snow as she stood there, still holding her phone.
She then quickly called the school. "Hello, Teacher Wang! Is Lingling there?"
"Lingling’s mother? Yes, she’s here!"
Ling Zhizhi calmed down and her tone softened. "What is she doing?"
"She’s playing Jenga with the other kids. I’ll let her talk to you! Lingling, come here…"
Soon, a sweet, soft voice piped through the phone, "Mother!"
"Hello, my little sweetheart!"
"Mother, when will you come and see me?"

"I’m…still busy…I’ll go and see you once I’m done with work, alright? Be good and listen to Grandfather and Grandmother, and remember, never talk to strangers, alright?"
Ling Zhizhi still felt uneasy after calling her daughter, so she made another call to her parents to fill them in on the details.
She then stared at the unsent file on her screen, struggling to make the right decision…
In a bungalow on the outskirts of Imperial.
Hu Hongda ended the call and held Fang Ya in his arms, looking at ease. "Don't worry, my dear, it’s settled now. There’ll be no problem! Just be at ease and take care of our child!"
"That’s great! Well…there shouldn’t be any more problem, right?" Unsure if it was just a pregnant lady’s overthinking, Fang Ya still felt uneasy.
"What problem could there be? She’s just a manager. It’s as easy as killing an ant for me to handle her!"
"But she’s from Glory World Entertainment. If the higher-ups are involved…"
"There are so many managers and artistes in Glory World Entertainment. Would they really care about some small matter? Even if they knew about this, do you think they would want to offend me just for a mere manager? I’m not afraid even if the owner of Glory World Entertainment, Lu Jingli, came for me!"
Fang Ya was truly relaxed now and she looked at Hu Hongda admiringly. "Mmm, I knew that my husband is the best!"
…
On the other hand, Ning Xi kept on waiting for Ling Zhizhi’s message, but it did not come after a long while.
Could something have happened?

Ning Xi’s eyebrows closed in and she quickly called her. The phone was picked up after some delay.
"Hello, Sis Zhizhi!"
"Hey, Ning Xi…"
"Sis Zhizhi, are you okay? You don’t sound alright…did something happen?"
"There are some changes. We have to stop the original plan…" Ling Zhizhi sounded like she was in pain to tell her about the changes.
Ning Xi instinctively knew something had happened. "Sis Zhizhi, did they threaten you?"
There was no reply. Ning Xi knew that she was right. She had been worried from before, but she just did not expect for it to really happen.
"I’m sorry, Ning Xi…"
"Don’t be silly, Sis Zhizhi. I’m the one who should apologize. You could have given up on me, but you never did! I’ve always brought trouble to you…Sis Zhizhi, let me handle this matter! I’ll get it settled!"
Damn it! They dared to bully her friend! She was not going to hold back now!
After ending the call with Ling Zhizhi, she quickly made another call. "Hey, Boss!"
"Hmm?" A deep cello-like voice answered.
"I need your help."
Chapter 694: Why Don’t We Meet Up?
At Lu Corporation, in the meeting room.
Lu Tingxiao suddenly stopped talking and picked up a phone call.
"Hmm?"
Afterwards, their ice-cold boss melted and he even smiled.
He then spoke gently, "I’m in a meeting right now. You can ask him out. I’ll be there soon."
Everyone looked at each other in the meeting room in shock.
Why did something feel odd? The sense…of spring…

Lu Jingli was looking dreadful at Lu Tingxiao's side. Should he reconsider being a monk again? He felt tortured if his brother ever broke up, but even more tortured if they continued their relationship…
…
Ning Xi obeyed Lu Tingxiao’s directions and called Hu Hongda.
Lu Tingxiao was really sweet. He was afraid that Ning Xi might not be able to contact Hu Hongda herself, so he passed her Hu Hongda’s private number.
"Hello…"
Hu Hongda was making out with Fang Ya when he got the call, so he was annoyed, but the voice on the other end sounded sweet. He asked politely, "Hello, who’s this?"
"Greetings, CEO Hu. I’m Ning Xi."
"Ning Xi? Which Ning…Ah! Ning Xi! Ah…" Hu Hongda exclaimed, glad that he did not end the call earlier.
Ning Xi was really a beauty! Even prettier than his own wife!
He was actually quite willing to carry the scandal out when Fang Ya had asked him to frame Ning Xi as his mistress. He was a still a man, after all, and he felt proud to have a sex scandal with such beautiful women; it was all he ever boasted about.

After knowing about this scandal, many of his friends called him up and joked, teasing him about how he was so lucky to be with such a fine woman. Unfortunately, the society today encouraged this trend. The price of a man cheating was way lesser than a woman’s. Most of the blame was taken on by the women.
Hu Hongda was not from the entertainment industry, so such a matter would not affect him much.
At worst, his company shares would fluctuate for a few days but as long as he did not divorce Ming Fangfang, things would settle down soon enough.
It might even boost his ego and sexual prowess in the future…
Fang Ya could never be on par with them, but she came to him on her own accord. Plus, she was good in bed, so he just took her in.
When Fang Ya heard it was Ning Xi calling, she was on alert mode. "Hongda, what does she want?"
Hu Hongda signaled her to keep quiet, then he continued talking to Ning Xi. "What now? Are you trying to ask me to clarify like your manager did?"
"We can’t talk clearly through the phone. Why don’t we meet up?" Ning Xi suggested.
Hu Hongda felt excited by Ning Xi’s words. This woman…what was she trying to achieve by meeting him now? Could it be that she knew that she was unable to get herself out of this mess, so she might as well just sleep with him? Such a beauty…he would really love to try her out…
"Sure! Of course," Hu Hongda replied quickly.
"Alright, we’ll meet at Provence Restaurant an hour later in room number 18. See you there," Ning Xi confirmed the time and venue with him and then ended the call.
Chapter 695: Your Husband Is Dating The Vixen
Fang Ya was anxious after Hu Hongda ended the call. "That vixen wanted to meet you. What’s she up to? Why did you agree?!"
"Well, we’re just meeting up. I’ll see what she wants, no big deal! Be good, stay at home and wait for me!" Hu Hongdan then went into his bedroom and started picking out his outfit.
"Can you please not go? That vixen is surely up to nothing good!"
"Why should I be afraid of a small little girl?"
"I don’t mean that you’re afraid of her, but…but what if she seduces you? She’s a slut and has a really bad reputation! Who knows what sort of disease she has? Don’t be fooled by her!"

"Do I look like someone who would be easily fooled? Alright, just rest well at home and stop worrying." Hu Hongda started to sound a little harsh. He was determined to go.
Fang Ya bit her lip hard. She hid in the backyard and gave Ning Xueluo a call. "Xueluo…"
Ning Xueluo was in the middle of a spa session at a beauty salon, so she was annoyed to hear Fang Ya’s pitiful voice, but she still asked her patiently, "What happened, Xiao Ya?"
"Xueluo! That witch is really frustrating me! How could someone be this despicable?!" Fang Ya cried agitatedly.
"Who do you mean? Ning Xi? What did she do?" Ning Xueluo asked carefully, sitting up. Her plan was close to success now. No failure would be accepted.
"She called my Hongda and wanted to meet him! He has already gone out! I couldn’t make him stay at all! What is she trying to do meeting up with him now? Should I follow him? What should I do if Hongda really gets seduced by her?" Fang Ya anxiously asked.
Ning Xueluo was excited instead of being worried. "No, don’t go! Isn’t it better for her to do so?"
"How is this good? My man is going to be taken away from me! I’m pregnant now and unable to satisfy him! If he really wanted to…"

"What are you afraid of when you are carrying his child? Aren’t you worried that you don’t have solid proof to prevent Ning Xi from getting back on her feet? Now’s the best chance to get it! You don’t have to go at all. Just send an anonymous message to Ming Fangfang and let her do the work!" advised Ning Xueluo.
Fang Ya was excited by the plan. "Oh, right! How could I not think of this? Xueluo, you’re a genius! She’ll have no excuses now! Ming Fangfang would never let her get away with this…"
After the call ended, she quickly sent Ming Fangfang a text message: [Provence Restaurant, Room number 18. Your husband is dating the Vixen!]
Ning Xi, you will never ever be deemed innocent again!
…
Cheng Feng took his orders and sent his lady boss to the restaurant, and escorted her all the way into the room, afraid that he might miss out on something.
"Thank you, Assistant Cheng. You may return to your work now!"
"But…what if Hu Hongda arrives first? I should stay here with you until Boss arrives!" Cheng Feng reminded.
"It’s going to be alright! It’s more fun if Hu Hongda arrives first. It won't be as fun anymore if you’re here! Plus, you should worry more about Hu Hongda, shouldn't you?"
Assistant Cheng reminded himself of Ning Xi’s heroic deeds and he had no rebuttals…
Chapter 696: Are You Making Me Your Mistress?
Someone entered a few minutes after Cheng Feng left.
Hu Hongda arrived first.
Ning Xi wore a rose pink turtleneck sweater which matched her fair skin well. Her tiny face looked gorgeous today and she was tasting the hot tea with two hands wrapped around the cup.
Hu Hongda was mesmerized by the woman opposite him.
He has seen her picture before, which he thought was usually edited and untrustworthy, but he did not expect that this woman would be even more beautiful in the flesh. She was even more beautiful than his wife in her younger days.
Strictly speaking, they were beautiful in their own ways. Ming Fangfang had the outlook of a gentle, gorgeous beauty while Ning Xi was pretty with a kick of wildness like a thorny rose. He felt aroused and his desire to dominate as a man heightened.

"Sorry to make you wait, Miss Ning." Hu Hongda acted like a gentleman, bowing slightly.
Ning Xi’s eyes blinked when she saw the pasty hair wax on Hu Hongda’s hair. "I have just only arrived, please sit, CEO Hu."
Hu Hongda sat opposite of Ning Xi, not even trying to hide the fact that he was staring at her body lasciviously. "Anything I can help you with, Miss Ning?"
Ning Xi rubbed the teacup in her hands with her index finger. "CEO Hu…you should know what I want, don't you? Your Weibo posts really put me on the spot; everyone is chasing after me now and I don’t even dare to step out of my house…"
"Oh, really?" Hu Hongda looked at Ning Xi as his prey.
"I’ll be straightforward with you. What do you want in exchange for clarifying the truth?"
Hu Hongda thought that Ning Xi was just playing hard to get, so he went along with her. "Miss Ning, why would I need to clarify?"
Ning Xi raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
Hu Hongda reached out his hands for hers and told her openly, "Why don't you just be with me from now on? You would never need to worry about money anymore. Isn’t it better than putting in so much effort in acting?"

Ning Xi backed away and avoided his hand, "CEO Hu, are you trying to make me your mistress?"
Hu Hongda sat up straight with his tummy bulging as he spoke in a generous tone, "Miss Ning, you can name me a price."
Ning Xi held her chin, pretending to consider his offer. "CEO Hu, aren’t you afraid that I might record this?"
Hu Hongda acted as if he saw through everything already. He laughed at her. "Little girl, are you playing tricks on me? Do you know why your manager suddenly gave up helping you? Do you want to try? I know that you’re a smart person, and you won’t act foolishly like your manager."
After seeing Ning Xi for himself, Hu Hongda decided that this woman would be his even if she declined.
"CEO Hu, are you trying to coerce me?"
This Hu Hongda was a jerk…
He laughed openly. "Yes, I am. What can you do about it? I’m capable of it!"
Ning Xi raised her eyebrows and looked at the time on her phone silently.
Hu Hongda tried to comfort her after his harsh words, "Little girl, what’s wrong with being with me? Aren’t the girls in your industry all trying to find someone rich in the end? How many men in Imperial are richer than I am?"
Chapter 697: I'm Not Interested In Your Husband!
While the two spoke, the door behind them was suddenly flung open.
"Hu Hongda, you liar! You cowardly bastard! How dare you meet up with this vixen behind my back?!" A woman rushed in hysterically.
Ning Xi thought that Lu Tingxiao had arrived, but it was Ming Fangfang instead…
Hu Hongda instantly panicked at the sight of Ming Fangfang. "W-wife…why are you here?"
Ming Fangfang flew into a rage. "Someone sent me a message to tell me that you were meeting up with this witch! I didn't believe at first! Who knew…good on you! You just promised me and now you are meeting her again!"
"What? Someone sent you a message?" Hu Hongda's expression darkened.

Only one person knew about his meet up with Ning Xi, so the only person who could have sent Ming Fangfang the message was…Fang Ya!
That damn witch! She had said that she would not ruin his family and that she did not want anything. In the end, she played this little trick behind his back!
Women are so troublesome!
Hu Hongda looked angry but he could only suppress his feelings and coax, "My wife, this time I'm really wrong. You're so good to me. Why would I mess around with such a woman again? This time, she clung onto me shamelessly and said that if I don't come looking for her, she would look for you instead. How could I let her go harass you?! That was how I was forced to come over! That message must have been sent by this woman. Her aim is to pull us apart. My wife, please don't fall into her trap."
Opposite him, Ning Xi held onto her teacup and was utterly confused as her mouth twitched.
What was that saying again? One would much rather believe that there were ghosts in this world than believe men and their mouths…
She had finally seen it for herself today.
Hu Hongda was capable of lying without even blinking. Yet, people still believed him.
When Ming Fangfang heard Hu Hongda's explanation, her expression softened significantly. She instantly redirected her anger towards Ning Xi instead. "Witch! First, you instructed your manager to get involved. Now, you actually dare to mess with me yourself! Are you shameless? Why are you still clinging onto Hongda till now?! Is it very thrilling to steal someone else's husband?"

Ning Xi put her teacup down lightly and looked up to say slowly, "Excuse me, I'm really not interested in your man right here."
Ming Fangfang's expression immediately changed and even Hu Hongda did not look too happy.
Ming Fangfang laughed coldly on the spot. "Ha, what a joke! Such words! Aren't you interested in my husband? Then, who else do you want to hook up with?"
Just as she said that, the door opened once again and someone walked in.
It was a man clad in a gunmetal grey tuxedo with a jet black coat on him. It seemed like it was snowing outside. The man's hair and shoulder had snowflakes on them. His poker face seemed to be even icier than the snowflakes, making one shudder involuntarily.
When he saw who it was, Hu Hongda almost choked on his saliva. "CEO…Lu?!"
Hu Hongda thought he had seen a hallucination. The person who just came in was unexpectedly the Lu Group's Lu Tingxiao who he had been wanting to meet for months unfruitfully…
How…how could this be?!
As unbelievable as it was, he would never recognize Lu Tingxiao's face wrongly.
Even Ming Fangfang was stunned. During her one year tenure with Glory World Entertainment, she had quite a crush on this legendary man. She had seen him at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Glory World once. Little did she expect that many years later she would see the man in the flesh, and at such a close distance…
Chapter 698: Lu Tingxiao's Woman
God seemed to have spent extra time perfecting this man. Not only did time not leave any marks on his face, it had actually made him even more charming instead. Years only added to his charisma.
Ming Fangfang suppressed her emotions and tried to make conversation with him. "CEO Lu, why are you here? This is Room 18. Are you in the wrong place?"
No matter what the reason was, this was an opportunity not to be missed!
Hu Hongda instantly forgot about everything and quickly smiled to greet him. "It really is CEO Lu. Who knew I would meet you here? Before this, I have been wanting to discuss developing that land in the east…"
Midway through his introduction, Lu Tingxiao seemed to not have seen him and he walked over to the direction behind him instead.
Hu Hongda and Ming Fangfang were stunned. "You are…"
Lu Tingxiao walked right up to Ning Xi. When he saw that she wore a thin red sweater, he frowned. His cool face looked unhappy and his wide palms covered the back of her hand. "Why are you wearing so little?"

Ning Xi excitedly touched the snowflakes that had not melted on Lu Tingxiao's hair and responded, "Oh, is it snowing outside? It hadn't yet when I first arrived!"
"Mmm." Lu Tingxiao nodded, his expression softening when he felt the warmth from the little hand beneath his palm.
At that moment, Hu Hongda and Ming Fangfang looked at each other, completely dumbfounded. What…what was going on?
Lu Tingxiao…and this D-list female celebrity…
These two completely unrelated people…how did they get tied up in a relationship? In fact, it seemed like this was no ordinary relationship!
Suddenly, Hu Hongda felt afraid while Ming Fangfang was full of suspicion, seemingly noticing that something was not right.
Not waiting for the two to recover from their shock, Ning Xi suddenly thought of something and held onto Lu Tingxiao's arm. She then turned to Hu Hongda and said, "Right, my dear, I forgot to introduce to you to Hongda Estate's CEO Hu. This mister is the one who's having me as a mistress!"
Hu Hongda was horrified while Ming Fangfang was speechless.
Lu Tingxiao was as frigid as an ice sculpture at that moment, his every word digging into Hu Hongda's skin. "My girlfriend is your mistress?"
The moment these words came out, Hu Hongda almost fell to the floor on his knees!

Lu…Lu Tingxiao's girlfriend???
This woman was actually Lu Tingxiao's girlfriend?
He…he must be crazy to have Lu Tingxiao's woman as his mistress!!! More importantly, did Lu Tingxiao's girlfriend still need to be another man's mistress? People would think he was crazy if he told them!
Ming Fangfang finally realized what was wrong here. She would never have thought that Ning Xi and Lu Tingxiao would have a relationship!
No wonder…no wonder Ning Xi had said earlier that she would not be interested in Hongda…
If that was the case, there was no way Ning Xi was Hongda's mistress. Then, why would Hongda lie?
At that moment, Hu Hongda finally realized who he had offended and did not even care if Ming Fangfang was still there. He turned pale instantly and quickly explained, "This…is a misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!"
Ning Xi then said, "How could it be? You've already admitted it on Weibo and you even tagged me!"
"That…that was a mistake! I tagged the wrong person! Miss Ning, quickly explain to CEO Lu, I didn't…how could I have had you as my mistress?!"
Ning Xi blinked. "Explain what? You did!"
Chapter 699: Now You’ll See What Real Bullying Is
Hu Hongda was unable to say anything. Now he truly understood how it felt like to smash a huge rock on his own feet.
He was filled with regrets. Why was he so unlucky? He had just wanted to frame a woman and this woman he framed turned out to be Lu Tingxiao’s girlfriend. Had he not always been single? There were even rumors that he liked men! Why did he suddenly have a girlfriend? This really ruined his plan!
No matter how powerful he was in Imperial, he was nothing compared to Lu Tingxiao. Absolutely nothing.
Hu Hongda could only surrender in defeat and he spoke in a low voice, "Miss Ning, it’s all my fault, I didn’t know that you were CEO Lu’s girlfriend. I’ve offended you gravely. I’ll now delete the Weibo post and I will clarify everything. I could say that I just tagged you wrongly. Then, everyone will be happy. What do you think?"

Everyone will be happy…?
He was too naive! Not only did he want to protect himself, he was still trying to hide the identity of his real mistress up till now.
Ning Xi laughed bitterly and looked at Ming Fangfang. "Tagged the wrong person? Could you really have wrongly tagged your mistress and even my manager? Do you think anyone would believe you, CEO Hu?"
Hu Hongda arrogantly answered, "No one will question my credibility! Don't you worry!"
Ning Xi was not patient enough to entertain him any further and sternly said, "Announce who your real mistress is and admit that you framed me on purpose, then I’ll forget about this matter."
"Miss Ning, don’t try to challenge my limits!" Hu Hongda’s expression changed as he darted a glance at Ming Fangfang in horror.
If he were to announce it, he would never be able to keep Fang Ya’s child!

Damn it, was she not just Lu Tingxiao’s girlfriend? In fact, she might not even be his girlfriend for long! She was just an actress! Who did she think she was?
While Hu Hongda was not as powerful as the Lu family, he was still someone important in the Imperial!
Hu Hongda felt cocky as he stroked his own ego, so he ignored Ning Xi and turned to Lu Tingxiao to haughtily scoff, "Women know nothing about business. Let’s talk, CEO Lu, what do you think of my plan? It’s beneficial to the both of us!"
He made an intentional pause and looked at Ning Xi with a warning glare. "If you’re really trying to force me, heh…"
He had worked his way up to where he was today; even Lu Tingxiao had to respect that. Looking at Hu Hongda’s evil grin, Lu Tingxiao kept quiet.
Ming Fangfang broke the silence angrily, "Hu Hongda! You bastard! You dare to lie to me! You lied again! Who’s that witch? Why are you trying to hide her!"
"Dear…please calm down! We’ll talk about this back home, alright? Not with outsiders around!" Hu Hongda was actually planning to frame another woman since Ning Xi was not a viable option now. He could never reveal Fang Ya as his mistress.
As Hu Hongda was cooking up his plan, his phone rang. It was his company’s vice president calling him. He answered impatiently, "What is it? Tell me only after I get back…what? The company shares are dropping drastically? How is this possible?!"
Chapter 700: Causing Bankruptcy Without A Word
Hu Hongda looked at the calm man with an aghast expression as the room turned cold with a looming sense of peril.
It was…Lu Tingxiao…
Damn it! This man!
It was rumored that his wealth and connection was enormous and powerful, but Hu Hongda did not expect him to be able to put a company’s fate hanging so precariously in a few minutes…
Ning Xi was a little surprised when she heard Hu Hongda’s conversation on the phone as well. When had Lu Tingxiao taken action? Even if he started taking action last night when he knew about this scandal, whatever he did was incredibly fast!

He was making Hu Hongda go bankrupt without even saying a word…
The devil had given her a valuable lesson in life. Now, she knew what real bullying with power was like!
Hu Hongda was listening to his vice president’s report over the phone, his jaw hanging slack. Not only were the shares dropping, most clients had retracted their orders as well. In just one night, his company was on the verge of crumbling and he would only be left on the path to bankruptcy if nothing was done!
He might still be able to struggle against a regular joe, but he could not do anything against the real powerful stakeholders.
Hu Hongda did not have time to think anymore. Each second that passed was a big loss for his company.
"I…I get it! I’ll follow what Miss Ning says! CEO Lu, please don’t do this anymore!"
Hu Hongda’s arrogance dissolved into thin air as he quickly posted on Weibo: [My real mistress is @Fang Ya and not @Ning Xi! I was trying to protect my mistress and framed Ning Xi. I hereby apologize to Ms. Ning and her manager, Ling Zhizhi!]
"Is…is this okay?" Hu Hongda asked Ning Xi feebly.

Ning Xi felt that it was sufficient. She would ask Sis Zhizhi to release the evidence of his cheating with Fang Ya, then the case would be clarified thoroughly.
As she was about to nod, Lu Tingxiao suddenly spoke up gruffly, "Organize a press conference and clarify the entire matter in public."
How ruthless! He probably felt that just posting on Weibo was too easy a task, so he wanted him to be embarrassed in public…
She realized that Lu Tingxiao was being careful as well. A simple Weibo post might not be enough for people to believe him. Having the reporters to ask Hu Hongda in person would be more convincing.
"No problem, no problem! I’ll do it the moment I get back!" Hu Hongda dared not complain anymore, only following whatever Lu Tingxiao said.
He cursed Fang Ya countless times inside his heart. That idiot woman! She made him frame Lu Tingxiao’s woman and in doing so, she was trying to kill him! Almost everything was ruined!
Ming Fangfang looked at them cluelessly. "Fang Ya?"
She remembered Fang Ya imperceptibly as a poorly performing actress with average looks…
She had lost to someone like her? And her husband had hidden Fang Ya from her the whole time and lied to her?
Hu Hongda realized something worse was coming for him. As his company was in ruins now, if Ming Fangfang filed a divorce with him…