In Qin Wang’s social circle, Tang Meng had always been the one held in high regard.
When Ning An confronted her in public, Tang Meng’s expression stiffened. Subconsciously, she turned to Qin Wang with a look of grievance. "An'an! Everything was fine, why are you suddenly saying these things?"
Qin Wang hadn't expected Ning An to launch such a sudden attack either. His face darkened as he reached out to pull her away. "Come on, let’s go sit over there."
Ning An’s heart felt like ash. She swatted his hand away. "Is our engagement some shameful secret that can't be mentioned to outsiders?"
"I never said that. Stop letting your imagination run wild."
"Then why didn't you bring it up yourself just now?"
"I..."
Ning An was unrelenting, and for a moment, Qin Wang struggled to keep his composure. Seeing this, Tang Meng set aside her own grievances and hurriedly stepped forward, shielding Qin Wang.
"Congratulations to you both."
She was, after all, an actress who had just won a Best Actress award; one moment she had been acting the victim, and the next, seeing Qin Wang under pressure, she immediately stepped up to defend him. "Awang and I haven't seen each other in a long time, which is why he didn't have a chance to tell me about your engagement."
Tang Meng cautiously reached out to take Ning An’s hand, lowering her eyes and speaking in a submissive, pleading tone. "An’an, please don’t blame Awang, okay? There’s nothing between Awang and me now. Please don’t misunderstand."
"I was just clarifying things; I never said I was blaming him, nor did I say I was misunderstanding him." Ning An glanced at her, pulled her hand back, and said pointedly, "Or is it that you *want* me to misunderstand?"
"I..."
Rebuffed despite her "good intentions," Tang Meng stood there with her hand hanging in the air, stammering and on the verge of tears. "I—I’m sorry, it was my mistake."
Qin Wang frowned and yanked Ning An toward him. "An’an, that’s enough!"
He used too much force. Caught off guard, Ning An stumbled forward. Just as she was about to fall, a hand reached out and caught her firmly. Ning An instinctively grabbed onto the person's sturdy arm. "Thank you."
She looked up, only to meet a pair of cold, piercing eyes. Xi Siyuan’s expression was grim, as if a storm were brewing. Ning An shivered.
Xi Siyuan collected himself, pulled his hand back nonchalantly, and turned his head away, avoiding her gaze.
Ning An: ?
"Ning An," Gu Ximian’s displeased voice came from behind her. "This is my welcome banquet, and Mengmeng is my guest."
He didn't exactly like or dislike Ning An. To him, she was just someone who followed Qin Wang around serving tea and water; if it weren't for Qin Wang, he wouldn't even have given her a second glance. But Tang Meng was his friend. The priorities were obvious. Seeing his friend harassed by a nobody at his own party, in front of him, he could not tolerate it for a second.
The others looked at each other and hurriedly tried to mediate.
"It’s all just a misunderstanding."
"Tang Meng and Awang haven't been in touch since they broke up and she went abroad. She’s only here today because she was invited by Ah Mian. Don't let your imagination run wild, An’an."
"Exactly, we can all testify. Don't overthink it, An’an."
Ning An’s words had been sharp, launching an attack the moment they met, while Tang Meng had been willing to distance herself to protect Qin Wang’s reputation. Comparing the two, they naturally preferred Tang Meng. But Ning An was still Qin Wang’s fiancée; if things got too messy, the party would be ruined.
Ning An sneered. These people treated her like Qin Wang’s little sidekick and looked down on her. Even after she got engaged to him, they had never once shown her the respect due to his fiancée. They congratulated her on the engagement to her face while witnessing Qin Wang and Tang Meng’s romance behind her back—what a fine group of sycophants.
A few minutes ago, they had been envying Qin Wang and Tang Meng’s rekindled romance, mocking her for being kept in the dark like a fool. Now, they were telling her not to "misunderstand"?
Ning An scanned them coldly. "How do I know if you aren't all in on this together?"
Gu Ximian dropped his relaxed facade and glared at Ning An. "If you’re here to cause trouble, please leave."
Ning An kept her eyes fixed on Qin Wang. Qin Wang frowned almost imperceptibly and replied with reluctant perfunctoriness, "Don't misunderstand."
He wouldn't even lie to her by saying that things with Tang Meng were over.
"Tsk."
Xi Siyuan, who stood behind Ning An, was the only one who remained on her side. "A group of grown men bullying a girl, and instead of defending her, some people are even kicking her while she's down..." Xi Siyuan looked around at them, clicking his tongue. "You’re all truly pathetic."
Everyone he pointed at turned pale. Gu Ximian, though furious, didn't dare talk back. He bowed and fawned, "Young Master Xi, this is a private matter between a couple. Please, show some mercy."
Xi Siyuan gave him no face at all. "Then why are you sticking your nose in?"
Gu Ximian: "..."
*Ding—*
A news notification popped up. Xi Siyuan glanced at his screen, a glint in his eyes. He tapped on the screen, a mocking smirk playing on his lips. "It seems you lot are even more pathetic than I thought."
Everyone: "..." What was this guy’s problem now?
"Didn't you say there was nothing going on?" Xi Siyuan’s cold gaze swept over the room before settling menacingly on Qin Wang. "Then how do the media explain why you were on a date last night?"
Everyone was stunned and scrambled to pull out their phones. Opening Weibo, they saw the trending topics related to Tang Meng. The top two spots read:
#New Best Actress Tang Meng Celebrates Award Win with Mysterious Boyfriend in Luxury Villa#
#Film Star Tang Meng’s Wealthy Boyfriend Exposed#
On a dark beach, under the dim light of a streetlamp, Tang Meng was wearing the same gown from the awards ceremony last night, looking up at a man with a lovesick smile. The man’s face was blurred, but Ning An recognized the watch on his wrist instantly.
It was a coming-of-age gift designed for him by his grandmother. The strap had been broken, and after they got engaged last year, Ning An had used all her savings to buy a new one to replace it. Whether it was the watch face or the slightly mismatched strap, it was the only one of its kind in the world.
The soft, delicate voice of a woman calling "Awang" that had drifted in through the sea breeze during her phone call with Qin Wang last night echoed in her mind once more. Qin Wang had said it was a private gathering of childhood friends and no outsiders were invited. As it turned out, she couldn't go, but Tang Meng could.
Ning An felt the world go dark. All her hopes vanished, and her ears were filled with the sound of her own heart shattering.
*Heh.*
"A private gathering," indeed. It was a date specifically arranged for Qin Wang and Tang Meng!
Qin Wang panicked for a split second and looked at Ning An. "An’an, let me explain..."
"Explain what?" Ning An gripped her hands, biting her lip to force down the overwhelming grief. "Explain how you’re cheating with a celebrity mistress?"
She deliberately emphasized the words "celebrity mistress" and "cheating." The room erupted into chaos, and Tang Meng turned pale.
"Ning An!" Qin Wang bellowed.
Ignoring the angry and shocked gazes of the others, Ning An didn't even look at Qin Wang. She announced firmly, "We are calling off the engagement."
The media already had proof of Qin Wang’s infidelity. Even if things blew up, her adoptive father wouldn't blame only her. Seeing the stunned faces around her, Ning An’s gaze lingered for a moment. "Since you lot like being witnesses so much, why not turn Young Master Gu’s welcome banquet into a wedding banquet and bear witness to their union instead?"
Gu Ximian: "..."
Having said that, Ning An turned and walked away without looking back. Qin Wang hadn't expected her to actually call off the engagement. Shocked and filled with a sudden, ominous premonition, he chased after her without hesitation. "An’an!"
"Awang..." Tang Meng subconsciously started to follow, but stopped after one step. Chasing him now would only complicate things and make her look unreasonable, which would only give Ning An more room to play the victim. She had to be patient and wait.
The other friends looked at each other in bewilderment. Was this the same obedient, sweet girl who had followed Qin Wang around all her life, doing whatever she was told? Was she really capable of being this sharp-tongued and decisive?
Gu Ximian slowly turned to the culprit, Xi Siyuan. "Brother Yuan, how did they provoke you?" Was it really necessary to be so vicious in breaking up a young couple?
Xi Siyuan’s sharp, cold eyes swept over him. "I felt like it," he said succinctly.
His gaze was deep and calm, his arrogant, powerful, and intimidating aura commanding silence. Gu Ximian shivered.
*Right.* Xi Siyuan was the eldest son of Commander Xi; he had inherited the Xi family at a young age and was now its sole authority. When had he ever needed a reason to do what he wanted?
Putting his phone away, Xi Siyuan walked out as well.
Did they provoke him?
Ning An was his wife. What was wrong with him taking her back?
Though they weren't married yet, in his previous life, they had been a legally wedded couple.
As for Qin Wang—he had hurt Ning An, making him a sinner. And a sinner had no right to Ning An’s love.