Nan Yan’s gaze slightly froze in surprise. Xia Nanfeng……
had actually taken the blame for her.
Xia Nanfeng gently stroked the curly-haired dog in his arms and smiled carelessly. “The cake—I had the auction house staff knock it over. The cheating-sting incident was also arranged by me.”
Xia Zhizhi’s composed expression could no longer hold. “Impossible. It wasn’t you. I’m your biological sister, I’ve never had any grudge against you……”
Xia Nanfeng: “We do have a grudge.”
The words Xia Zhizhi was about to say got stuck. Her face was full of confusion. “???”
Xia Nanfeng: “From the moment you came back and didn’t greet Hu Ye, you’ve already offended me.”
“Who is Hu Ye?” Xia Zhizhi became even more confused.
“Woof!” The curly-haired dog in Xia Nanfeng’s arms raised its head proudly and responded.
Xia Zhizhi: “……”
She looked at the dumb-looking curly-haired dog. Hu Ye???
Was there something wrong with this person?!
Xia Baian’s face turned pale and then green with anger, but he still kept a standard polite smile. “Xia—Nan—Feng.”
“I’m here, Dad.”
Xia Nanfeng picked at his ear, his tone extremely polite. “The Buddha said he was coming back, so I went to the airport to pick him up. Goodbye, Dad.”
Before his last syllable even faded, Xia Nanfeng was already gone—disappearing incredibly fast.
Xia Baian was furious and wanted to explode, but in front of so many guests, he could not say anything.
The birthday banquet had been completely ruined.
Xia Zhizhi refused to believe it. In the original storyline, wasn’t it the vicious female supporting character Nan Yan who did all this? Why would Xia Nanfeng take the blame for her?
Then wouldn’t her plan to make Mo Jinchuan disgust Nan Yan and divorce her be ruined?
She was still covered in sticky cream. It couldn’t end like this—otherwise all her suffering would be for nothing.
Xia Nanfeng must have been deceived by that little white lotus Nan Yan.
“Dad, I think brother wouldn’t do something so brainless just for a dog and damage the harmony of the family.”
While speaking, she glanced at Nan Yan, making her implication obvious.
Xia Baian, experienced in business circles, was not foolish. He had already roughly guessed what had happened tonight. It was clear that Xia Zhizhi had a conflict with Nan Yan. But he also understood his son’s personality—doing something like this just for a dog was not impossible.
Besides, earlier he had also felt Xia Nanfeng’s enthusiasm when kicking open the door was suspicious.
Playing pranks was nothing unusual. If it were Nan Yan, she would never insist on it in front of so many people.
Xia Baian immediately felt that Xia Zhizhi was being inconsiderate and foolish.
“Enough. Nanfeng values relationships. He is also emotionally attached to that dog. It’s understandable that he acted impulsively.”
Then he turned to the guests. “Apologies to everyone for today’s accident. To express our apology, the butler has prepared some small gifts. Please accept them.”
The guests were all seasoned social elites and immediately understood he did not want family scandal exposed.
They followed along politely, saying the young master and the dog had a good bond and that he was very caring.
Xia Baian’s expression finally returned to a smile.
Nan Yan sneered and no longer bothered watching the Xia Family’s hypocritical display of so-called family affection. She turned and walked out.
Xia Zhizhi was unwilling to accept it. Clearly she was the victim! She should have been the one angry and wronged!
Yet everything had been twisted, and Xia Nanfeng had taken the blame for Nan Yan?
Xia Zhizhi turned around and looked sincerely at Mo Jinchuan. “Mr. Mo, I really didn’t lie just now. Do you believe me?”
Hearing this, Nan Yan’s rebellious nature rose from within. She changed direction, took Mo Jinchuan’s arm, and smiled with curved eyes. “Husband, are we leaving?”
Her soft “Husband” shocked everyone present.
Nan Yan had actually attached herself to the most untouchable, dangerous man?
They had heard Mo Jinchuan did not like women. There were rumors that a woman who once tried to climb into his bed had left the same night missing limbs.
Could it be that this cold, extreme, powerful man actually liked this obedient type?
Mo Jinchuan lowered his gaze at the woman who lightly held his arm yet subtly pulled him to leave.
A faint amusement appeared in his eyes.
Nan Yan tugged again—but he did not move.
“……”
This man really was not giving her any face.
She had already planned to report him to Old Master Mo later anyway. Old Master Mo would definitely deal with him.
Just as Nan Yan released her hand, Mo Jinchuan suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist. “Mm, let’s go.”
His long, well-defined fingers rested on her soft waist. A burning heat passed through the fabric and spread to her skin.
Her body stiffened slightly without control.
Why was he holding her waist?
Nan Yan felt every cell in her waist tighten. It was as if it had become extremely sensitive.
Mo Jinchuan noticed her subtle reaction. His gaze fell on her taut waist, and a faint shift appeared in his brows—an amused, slightly teasing light surfaced in his eyes.
Weren’t you quite bold when you kissed me secretly?
Bold in action, but cowardly in reality.
The two of them left under the shocked and respectful gazes of the crowd, appearing almost affectionate.
The rumors that Nan Yan was jealous of Xia Zhizhi collapsed on their own.
The Xia Family, though wealthy, could not compare with the Mo Family.
A top-tier tycoon’s wife would never care about the identity of a Xia Family young lady.
Xia Zhizhi watched their departing figures, a trace of malice flashing in her eyes.
Mo Jinchuan was not supposed to have a public marriage and was not supposed to like this wife—so why had he openly shown it in front of everyone?
If they did not divorce, how could she marry? And if she did not marry Mo Jinchuan, how could she get rid of the increasingly clingy Gu Jingshen?
The Xia Family must marry into the Gu Family, but she needed someone even more powerful than the Gu Family to escape Gu Jingshen.
Mo Jinchuan and Nan Yan had to divorce.
Xia Zhizhi unconsciously dug her nails into her clothes, her hands sticky with cream. She looked down and saw her palm covered in frosting, becoming even more irritated.
“Mom, Jingshen said Mr. Mo is just playing with her. He treats sister well sometimes and badly at other times. At least she grew up in our Xia Family. Why don’t you and Dad decide to let them divorce? Otherwise, one day we might not even see sister again.”
Xia Zhizhi looked sincerely worried as she glanced at Gu Jingshen and then at Xia Baian and Shen Xiangyun.
Gu Jingshen, recalling Nan Yan’s sorrowful words during a phone call that night, also felt a trace of pity.
“Uncle, Aunt, Ah Yan did say she is not living happily.”
He felt that the affection earlier had been an act, since Nan Yan herself said she was unhappy.
After all, she had once been his childhood friend, and he did not want to see her trapped in a painful marriage—especially since part of it was due to a quarrel with him.
The guests, who had just relaxed, perked up again. So she was just a plaything after all. As expected, the cold Grim Reaper Mo would not suddenly fall for a woman.
Even a beauty like Nan Yan, obedient and stunning, could only be a toy.
Xia Zhizhi’s acting was good, but it was useless on Xia Baian and Shen Xiangyun, a couple with little emotional attachment.
Their marriage had always been an alliance. Whether happy or not did not matter. Wealth and power were enough.
Old Master Mo had given Nan Yan a two-billion dowry, which the Xia Family had not taken a single cent of—it all went to Nan Yan.
They believed Nan Yan was doing fine; happiness or not was not their concern.
“You two should focus on your own wedding. Nan Yan’s marriage is her own concern.”
Xia Baian’s expression had already turned impatient.
He had once thought Nan Yan was too obedient and weak, and hoped Xia Zhizhi would be more capable after returning.
Now he realized Nan Yan’s obedience was better than Xia Zhizhi’s scheming nature. At least she did not create endless drama.
She had been brought back to bring benefit to the Xia Family, not to play palace intrigue.
After Xia Baian and Shen Xiangyun left, the guests also tactfully departed.
Xia Zhizhi stood alone, looking at the messy scene and her own disheveled state. She had only just gained Xia Baian and Shen Xiangyun’s trust, yet it had already collapsed.
Her carefully planned scheme to expose the vicious female supporting character had completely failed.
Gu Jingshen looked at the devastated Xia Zhizhi, and a faint trace of pity rose in his heart. He disliked seeing girls in such wronged, pitiful states.
He placed a box into her hands. “Birthday present.”