Lin Siqing’s reaction left Meng Shining a little stunned. She had poured the entire glass of champagne on her and, unlike in the original story, Lin Siqing didn’t dodge.
Why did she look so indifferent?
Lin Siqing’s mind was in chaos. She was certain she wasn’t imagining things. She had really seen a screen appear above Meng Shining’s head, like a television.
By the time she looked again, it was gone. She had no energy to argue and began doubting her own sanity.
Meng Ci’an rubbed his eyes and looked again. The screen above Meng Shining’s head had disappeared.
His shock had mostly faded. It must have been a hallucination from being overly tired. Otherwise, how could a normal person see such strange things?
Mission complete, first stage check-in progress: 1/7 Bao Linglong was a little disappointed, expecting some drama, but the heroine only changed clothes.
Seeing the mission complete, Meng Shining had no intention of staying longer. She picked up some pastries and found a corner to sit.
She ate while observing the crowd passing by.
“Meng Shining.” A clear male voice called above her.
She looked up and saw Jiang Wenyan’s handsome face.
“Something?” She swallowed her food and asked, puzzled.
Jiang Wenyan stared at her for a moment. The screen that had appeared earlier did not show up this time.
He still didn’t know what had triggered it or whether the screen was related to the woman in front of him.
Meng Shining drank the wine in her cup, looking bewildered at Jiang Wenyan, who had only called her name and then turned to leave.
“Bao Linglong, are you sure this person I am supposed to marry is a villain?”
The system replied, It cannot be wrong.
“But you just transmitted the wrong memory.”
Lin Siqing changed into a new dress. She had never liked Meng Ci’an’s pretentious sister and this wasn’t her first time causing trouble.
Scanning the venue, she noticed Meng Shining sitting blankly in the corner, looking surprised.
Every time she had met her before, Meng Shining had been arrogant and rude.
This was the first time she looked so clueless.
Meng Shining sat in the corner, having lost track of how many glasses of champagne she had drunk or pieces of cake she had eaten.
Finally, as she was nearly falling asleep, the lights dimmed and a spotlight shone on Lin Siqing.
Meng Shining could clearly hear men around her intake a sharp breath and women whispering with envy.
Seeing Lin Siqing in the spotlight, looking like a goddess, Meng Shining swallowed hard.
“Bao Linglong, there are only two words in my mind right now: beautiful!”
Host, that is one word, Bao Linglong said helplessly.
“Hmm, the exclamation mark after beautiful counts as a word too.”
Just as she was staring, someone tapped her shoulder.
Annoyed, Meng Shining frowned and turned.
A woman in a white gown, pure in appearance, sat beside her, biting her lip and looking aggrieved.
Seeing Meng Shining look back, the woman said in a plaintive tone, “Shining.”
Meng Shining was completely bewildered.
“System, did the original owner toy with her? Deceive her feelings?”
“Why is she looking at me like this? Even if she was deceived by the original, that has nothing to do with me.” Meng Shining hurriedly distanced herself.
“Shining, did you forget something?”
“Huh?” Meng Shining was confused.
“You promised to attend your sister’s birthday banquet tonight and be Ci’an brother’s companion,” the woman said, biting her lip, looking at Meng Shining as if she were a scoundrel reneging on a promise.
“Bao Linglong, is this true?” Meng Shining was still bewildered.
The host level is not high enough… cannot check…
“Shut up, little trash.”
“Shining, do you have some issue with me? If you wanted to trick me, you didn’t have to go to all this trouble. I am just a fake heiress. You could have disappointed me easily,” Lin Yushan said, her eyes slightly red.
“Stop. First, I have no intention of tricking you. Second, whether I become your brother’s companion is not my decision,” Meng Shining interrupted, unable to tolerate her pretentious behavior.
“If my brother were a dog, I could decide who holds the leash.”
“But unfortunately, my brother is a person. I cannot decide to link arms as his companion.” Meng Shining shrugged helplessly.
Meng Ci’an paused, thinking what did she mean unfortunately, he is a person?
“Meng Shining!” Meng Ci’an’s dark voice sounded beside her.
“Woah!” Meng Shining jumped.
Seeing Meng Ci’an’s stern face, she put on a sweet, slightly flattering smile. “Bro, how come you’re here?”
“Ha, unfortunately he is a person? Meng Shining, your culture still needs some lessons.” Meng Ci’an sneered, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Lin Yushan, a little shy, lowered her head slightly and called softly, “Brother An!”
Meng Ci’an nodded slightly, acknowledging her greeting.
“Brother An, don’t blame Shining. It’s my fault. I should have noticed earlier that she didn’t intend to help me. I only thought she would because she promised me,” Lin Yushan seemed to be speaking for Meng Shining but was actually reporting her as untrustworthy.
Meng Ci’an’s expression stayed neutral, but his eyes were drawn entirely to the screen above Meng Shining’s head.
On the screen, a huge white lotus bloomed in a mud pool, with a cartoon human head in the center, unmistakably Lin Yushan’s face.
The image had a bizarre aesthetic.
A small figure dressed as an old scholar stood among several student-dressed figures.
“Class, this is the so-called human-headed white lotus. Don’t get too close. It is highly poisonous. If it stares at you, you will be poisoned,” the scholar figure warned the students behind him.
A student timidly raised their hand, “Teacher, what happens if poisoned?”
The small figure sighed, “You will die from sheer irritation.”
The human-headed white lotus suddenly spoke, “Brother An, don’t blame Shining, it’s all my fault…”
“Run! The human-headed white lotus is releasing poison!” the scholar figure shouted.
The other small figures panicked and scattered.
Then the scene abruptly ended and the screen above Meng Shining’s head disappeared.