novelraw Chapter 074 An Incongruous Entrance
Chapter 074 An Incongruous Entrance
The banquet hall doors were wide open.
It resembles a gigantic, light-devouring maw.
In that instant, the stirring symphony that had been flowing in the air seemed to become absurd background music.
Countless eyes, like iron filings attracted by a magnet, were fixed on the two figures at the doorway.
Especially that woman.
Wen Ning.
The universally acknowledged beauty of University A, Limitless, the mysterious "boss lady" who is cherished by President Jiang.
At this moment, she is so unfamiliar that no one dares to recognize her.
She did not wear the white dress that symbolized purity and new life.
She didn't wear the light, natural makeup that Jiang Ci liked best.
She was wearing a deep red velvet fishtail dress.
The skirt trailed on the ground, and the fabric was studded with tiny, hidden diamonds that shimmered with a dazzling, luxurious luster under the lights.
The neckline was very low, revealing a large expanse of dazzlingly white skin and deep-set collarbones.
She wore an extremely luxurious diamond necklace around her neck, with a staggeringly large main stone that shimmered with a cold and expensive light under the lamp.
That wasn't the ruby necklace Jiang Ci had given her.
It wasn't the warm, smooth jade bracelet that Jiang's mother had given her.
It was a completely unfamiliar, vulgar thing, reeking of money, ostentatiously proclaiming its value.
Her face was covered in the heavy makeup that Jiang Ci disliked the most.
Eyeliner flying, red lips like flames.
Those once timid and clear doe eyes were now covered by heavy eyeshadow, leaving only arrogance, indifference, and an almost harsh detachment.
She was like a red rose in full bloom, tainted with the dust of the world.
It is beautiful, indeed.
But it is poisonous.
What's most jarring is her posture.
She linked arms with Zhou Xu.
She pressed her body tightly against the man's arm, even with a hint of ingratiating affection.
Zhou Xu, however, remained indifferent, letting her hold his arm. His superior demeanor seemed to be declaring to everyone his ownership of this woman.
"Oh my god... is that Wen Ning?"
"Who's that man next to her? He looks familiar, like the one from the Zhou Group..."
"Zhou Xu! That's Zhou Xu, a big shot in Beijing's social circle!"
"Holy crap, what's going on? President Jiang is still on stage waiting to propose, and his girlfriend has arrived with her sugar daddy?"
The murmurs and whispers flooded the banquet hall in an instant.
All eyes darted back and forth between Jiang Ci and the two people at the door.
Jiang Ci stood at the edge of the stage.
He couldn't take that step.
He looked at the red figure.
I saw her holding someone else's hand.
The visual impact was colder than the torrential rain that night, and more despairing than when the company was on the verge of bankruptcy.
His hand slowly came out of his pocket.
He clutched the velvet box tightly in his palm, the sharp edges piercing his skin and drawing blood, but he felt nothing.
He didn't believe it.
Even now, having seen it with his own eyes, he still doesn't believe it.
Before leaving the house, she obediently let him kiss her forehead.
She had clearly seen the design sketch of that ring.
They must have been forced into it.
It must have been Zhou Xu who forced her.
Jiang Ci took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging violence in his heart.
He walked down the steps.
step.
Two steps.
The crowd automatically made way for him.
A road that leads to the truth, and also to the abyss.
He walked up to Wen Ning.
It's just a few steps away.
He ignored Zhou Xu's imposing presence beside him, and also ignored all the whispers around him.
He only had eyes for her.
"Ningning."
He spoke.
The voice was very soft, but trembled slightly.
It even carried a sliver of humble hope, a desire to salvage the situation.
"Didn't we agree... to wear white?"
"Didn't we agree... I'd put a ring on your finger?"
He stretched out his hand.
I wanted to take her hand.
He wanted to pull her back from that man.
"Has something happened?"
He looked into her eyes, his gaze filled with shattered light.
"Don't be afraid."
"come over."
Come to me.
His hand was suspended in mid-air.
Palms facing upwards.
That's the posture of waiting.
It is also a gesture of pleading.
Wen Ning looked at that hand.
That hand that once peeled shrimp for her, wiped away her tears, and held her tightly in the rainy night.
Even though it was burned, it would protect her hand first.
Her heart was bleeding.
She was in so much pain that she could barely stand.
She really wanted to put her hand on his, and wanted to throw herself into his arms and cry her heart out.
but.
No.
[Host, don't be soft-hearted!]
Push him away! Humiliate him! This is the final step!
You must make him hate you!
Wen Ning took a deep breath.
Her nails dug deep into Zhou Xu's arm, and she used the pain to keep herself from breaking down.
She did not give him her hand.
Instead, in front of everyone, as if avoiding some embarrassing trouble, he took a step back.
She even reached out and straightened her expensive skirt, as if afraid of getting it stained.
then.
She looked up.
Her eyes were red and brimming with tears, yet she forced out an extremely cold and arrogant gaze.
"Jiang Ci."
Her voice trembled, yet it was as sharp as a knife.
It echoed through the deathly silent hall.
"Don't touch me."
She looked at the hand hanging in mid-air and uttered two words:
"Devaluation".