"Xueluo, Ning Xi is your junior. What are your thoughts towards her acting as Meng Changge?" A reporter asked Ning Xueluo.
Ning Xueluo immediately switched back to an easygoing and elegant expression as she replied, "My junior sister has a lot of talent. I believe she won’t disappoint everyone…"
When asked about Ning Xi, Ning Xueluo was all praises and compliments.
Anyone who didn’t know would assume she was only promoting her junior, but Ning Xi knew very well what a schemer Ning Xueluo was.
She wasn’t really helping her, but setting her up for a fall instead.
The opening ceremony hadn’t begun yet, but Ning Xueluo was already complimenting her to high heaven — with such high expectations for her, even the smallest mistake would cause severe disappointment.
Unfortunately for Ning Xueluo, Ning Xi wasn’t going to allow her nasty plan to work.
After training hard these past five years when it came to acting, she had confidence that she could sincerely convince everyone.
Want to trip me? Just you wait and see!
After the interview segment was over, Ning Xi let out a breath of relief, only to be confronted by Chang Li.
"Ning Xi, where did you get this outfit? Don’t think the company will cover the costs! You’re only a second female lead, how can you steal the spotlight like this? Don’t you know the rules?" Chang Li berated her as soon as she saw her.
Ning Xi played with a loose strand of her raven black hair as she casually said, "I didn’t want to either, but who told Sister Chang to make me late for the event?"
"You…" Because there were a lot of people around them, Chang Li could only forcibly hold her tongue. "You better behave at dinner later. Don’t spout nonsense that will embarrass the company. Xueluo can’t hold her liquor, so remember to drink on her behalf! Do you hear me?"
Ning Xi couldn’t help but laugh. "You want me to drink for her? Miss Chang, are you dreaming? You should be glad already that I don’t pour wine over her!"
Chang Li was on Ning Xueluo’s side, so even if she grovelled and begged, Ning Xi wouldn’t fall for it. Ning Xi could become more resolute in her refusals and Chang Li wouldn’t dare overstep in retaliation.
Chang Li was enraged. "Ning Xi, you’re really too much, it’s just a minor second female lead role and you’ve already completely forgotten your place?"
Ning Xi lacked the patience to deal with her, and turned around to leave.
Chang Li watched Ning Xi as she left; even though it was just a silhouette, she was still mesmerizing.
She suddenly felt anxious.
Even before, she already had had a sense of foreboding, and she was scared they couldn’t rein Ning Xi in any longer.
This woman was born to be an actress.
Once her star started to rise, there was no way Ning Xueluo would be able to compete with her.
Since things had come to this point, she could only continue to suppress her as much as possible and deny her any chance to grow.
After the opening ceremony was the evening dinner.
All the cast members were gathered in the banquet hall, eating and drinking and getting to know one another. The atmosphere was very relaxed and lively.
Noticing Ning Xi’s arrival, the screenwriter, Ye Linglong, was the first to stand up and pull her over to sit beside her. One could tell how pleased she was with her.
"Speaking of coincidences, our two cast beauties come from the same company with the same last name!" The assistant director Zhang Rui expressed enthusiastically.
Ning Xi smiled coldly.
Haha, really a coincidence.
The same company under the same manager; however, their situations were completely different.
One was the star of Starlight while the other was clawing her way up from the very bottom.
As they were speaking, the producer and director suddenly stood up and headed towards the door. The reason was because their biggest sponsor, the chairman of the board of directors of Ning International, Ning Yaohua, had arrived.
"I never thought Chairman Ning would take time out of his busy schedule to come to our opening ceremony! It really is such an honor!" Director Guo exclaimed.
"Come, Chairman Ning, sit over here!" Producer Wang offered his seat so that Ning Yaohua could sit next to his daughter.
Ning Yaohua’s expression was filled with fatherly love when he looked at Ning Xueluo. "You’re too polite, Director Guo. My daughter is under your care."
"Chairman Ning, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and your daughter is already so outstanding, she doesn’t need my care at all!"
"This child is usually so busy, I rarely see her. If it wasn’t for my trip here today, this father would never see her at all!" While Ning Yaohua might sound annoyed, the expression on his face was indulgent.
"Hahaha, Xueluo is so hardworking, you should be happy. But Xueluo, you’re also in the wrong, no matter how busy you are, you should still go home to visit!" Director Guo scolded.
"Yes, Director, I’m wrong! Dad, don’t be mad. Tomorrow night, I’ll come home for dinner!" Ning Xueluo cajoled as she hugged Ning Yaohua’s arm, acting like an obedient daughter.
"See, even I need the director to say some words on my behalf for her to find time to visit!"
"Dad, there’s so many people here ah, give me some face!"
"Yes yes yes, you’re a big star now, I can’t say anything anymore!"
…
Ning Xi thought she had already steeled her heart, but seeing this good show put on by this benevolent father and filial daughter, her chest felt so stuffy that she wanted to run away.
While her emotions were in turmoil, she thankfully was able to maintain a serene expression. She breezily engaged the screenwriter sitting beside her in conversation, as though she had not noticed the commotion.
She could pretend not to have noticed, but some people didn’t feel the same. Ning Yaohua’s gaze was like a knife stabbing through her. Her appearance at the opening ceremony was an embarrassment to him.
In the end, Ning Xi escaped the room by excusing herself to the restroom. She walked to an open window at the end of a hallway for some fresh air.
She grabbed some cigarettes and a lighter from her bag, but contemplated for a while before putting them back.
She was trying to quit smoking.
Today was the first time in a while she felt the urge to smoke.
The night breeze blew on her face and made her feel a bit better.
At that moment, there were footsteps behind her.
Ning Xi’s back stiffened, but when she turned around, her expression was impenetrable, like a mask. "Chairman Ning came looking for me?"
Ning Yaohua looked at her with a severe expression, extremely unhappy with the way she was dressed.
Ning Xi looked down with a small smile. "Ah, Chairman Ning, back in the other room, you kept staring at me. Aren’t you afraid others will misunderstand that gaze?"
After all, to outsiders, he was a sponsor and she was a beautiful, small-bit celebrity. It was very easy to develop false impressions about their relationship.
"You bastard, what do you think you’re saying?" Ning Yaohua was immediately enraged.
Ning Xi furrowed her brow. "Obviously I’m speaking in a human language. Does Chairman Ning not understand human language?"
"You…" Ning Yaohua lifted his hand.
Before it could fall, a delicate hand grabbed and held it in place.
There was no way she would let Ning Yaohua hit her again.
He had no right.
Ning Yaohua was almost angered to death and snatched his hand away. "You better quit this role right now. You would just be an embarrassment to me if you continue like this in public!"
Ning Xi’s expression went cold. "I got this role honorably, how is that an embarrassment?"
"You always have to copy whatever Xueluo wants to do. Look at you, you can’t possibly compete with her. Rushing into the entertainment industry, are you just waiting for someone to find out about that incident to shame my Ning family?" Ning Yaohua glared at her, his eyes filled with extreme disdain.