"Pfft!"
Lan Ting could not hold her laughter in.
The atmosphere was suffocating and tense. Everyone looked away and maintained their silence. All that was heard was a deep, heavy wheezing resonating from Xu Zhiyi.
Glaring at Jinli, Xu Zhiyi knew she had to control herself. She did try, but alas, her efforts were in vain.
She snapped.
"Bam!" The table shook violently as Xu Zhiyi slammed it hard.
"What the hell do you mean?"
"What are you doing?" Jinli exclaimed in shock.
"Remove your fake mask of innocence! You were obviously making fun of me!"
"Oh? I did? Why am I unaware?" Jinli was aggrieved.
Seeing her feigned innocence, Xu Zhiyi burst out lout, "You said that I was intentionally acting against you…"
She stammered.
Covering her mouth, Jinli was appalled. Right now, her face was painted with the words "Nothing to do with me!" as her eyes met Xu Zhiyi's. "Hey, don't put words in my mouth. I meant the people who feel inferior, those who are upset with their own appearance…. Oh my God!"
A short, soft gasp escaped. She stared at Xu Zhiyi with widened eyes. "Could it be? Your low self-esteem is because of your looks? Ah! I see, that's why you are jealous of me!"
Xu Zhiyi's face flushed tomato-red from the public humiliation, her voice cracked and she stammered, "You… You!"
"Agh!"
A high-pitched outcry of anger pierced the air as she sprang from her seat. Her hands were raised, ready to strike her enemy.
The molten anger pumping through her blood had burnt through any thoughts of her public image or maintaining her dignity in front of men. All she had on her mind was to rip this vixen's mouth into pieces and hurl blows at her repulsive face.
As her palm was about to tear through the air, a snow-white hand stopped her in her tracks.
That grip belonged to Lu Qingyuan.
He had stood up. At a staggering 1.87metres, he towered over the petite Xu Zhiyi. Gently and warmly, he reminded her, "Miss Xu, please remember our identity as part of the production team. Should anything unfavourable leak out to the public, it will be detrimental to your image."
Even so, what were the chances that Xu Zhiyi would let go so easily?
She groaned in annoyance and struggled against his grip. She pulled… and pulled again. Yet, his vice-like grip did not budge.
Hatefully, her eyes burned at Lu Qingyuan.
Deep down, she knew she had lost. Tearing faces relied heavily on having an imposing character and atmosphere. She had once had it. But, Lu Qingyuan curbed it. Coupled with her failed struggle, she had lost all momentum.
Clearly, it was her loss.
Her eyes had gone bloodshot from her boiling fury. Jabbing her finger at Jinli, she questioned, "Is God Lu going to help this bitch?"
Hearing the vulgar words, Lu Qingyuan's brows furrowed. He released his grip, and twirled his wrist in disgust. "Watch your words, Miss Xu. Such ugly words should not be words that come from a lady's mouth."
Xu Zhiyi coldly snorted, "With you defending her, everything I say will be wrong!"
Jinli sighed as she shook her head. She glanced pitifully at the instigator, correcting her statement. "That's wrong, Miss Xu. You should thank God Lu for his timely reminder instead."
"Hmph! How smug you must be now! Aren't you glad to have someone protecting you?!"
Facing relentless accusations, Jinli could only shake her head. "You got me wrong again. I meant to say, God Lu holding you back has saved you tons of trouble."
Softly cracking her knuckles, her ten fingers resounded in a cacophony of bright cracking sounds. Jinli smiled sinisterly at Xu Zhiyi. "Should you have really hit me, I would have had no choice but to retaliate." Her eyes examined her opponent carefully, then she giggled, "Against the likes of you, I could face twenty at once!"
The taunt sent Xu Zhiyi's smile into a spasm. Yet, facing Jinli's confident grin, something in her heart cautioned her against saying another word.
Her mind told her to leave things be, but her pride disallowed a tactical retreat. Just as she was worried about how to leave the table, her phone rang.
Answering her phone, her fury was vanquished, and ecstasy took its place. "I'm at the 6th floor's cafeteria, you can just bring it here. Hmm, ok!"
Xu Zhiyi glanced condescendingly at Jinli, and her chin lifted smugly. Intentionally looking in Jinli's direction, she announced, "My fans have learnt that I'm here filming and have sent a gift here just for me!"
Her words did not reach Jinli
Walking straight to the gym trainer Peng Fei, she stretched out her hands.