Chapter 99
Actually, Qiu Xingzhou had planned to go public long ago, but he just hadn't found the right opportunity. This time was perfect to help them.
Afterward, the paparazzi and big Vs exploded with several major scoops, such as a first-tier actress cheating with her husband's brother, a newly popular young idol caught doing drugs, and a well-known rich second-generation hosting a "Haitian Sheng Yan" party for group activities.
In comparison, although the Summer CP couple was rumored to be in a contract relationship, they hadn't done anything illegal or immoral. Moreover, the company issued a formal denial, and the matter was gradually overshadowed by other sensational news that grabbed attention.
However, after Xia Linxia and Ji Fengxue returned to the country, there were still many people pointing and whispering at them in the airport. Ji Fengxue put her arm around Xia Linxia's shoulder, chatting with her to distract her, while her peripheral vision scanned the surroundings.
Just as the two were about to get into the car, someone, it's unclear who, broke through the security and threw a heavy power bank at Xia Linxia. By the time Ji Fengxue reacted, her body had instinctively moved to shield her.
Xia Linxia heard the commotion from the crowd and looked back, only to see a lump forming on Ji Fengxue's forehead.
Just as she was about to get angry, Ji Fengxue pulled her into the car: "Don't be impulsive, we can't make headlines again."
Xia Linxia looked at the bruise on her forehead and blew on it anxiously: "Does it hurt?"
"It's okay."
"Annoying, you're not allowed to shield me anymore." There was no first-aid kit in the car, so she looked around, feeling distressed and wronged, and kissed her forehead: "My brother said there are paparazzi outside our apartment, so let's go back to the Xia family's place first."
Ji Fengxue lowered her eyes and held her hand: "Okay."
Xia Linxia felt a slight pain from her grip. For some reason, she felt that Ji Fengxue had been in a bad mood all the way, seeming a bit flustered. Soon, she would know the reason for Ji Fengxue's panic.
"Auntie still isn't answering your calls?" she asked softly.
"Mm." Ji Fengxue glanced at the unanswered phone again and gave a wry smile: "She must be very angry."
She had called Teacher Zhang, who said that many media outlets had also gathered outside the school, disrupting the teaching order, and the school had temporarily suspended Professor Fang Xingyan's classes. Of course, there were also many rumors targeting Professor Fang Xingyan, saying that as a professor, she hadn't taught her child well, and so on.
But she couldn't reach Professor Fang Xingyan.
"Let's go apologize to Auntie in person in a couple of days," Xia Linxia said.
Ji Fengxue looked at her, and her tense expression finally showed a hint of a smile: "Uncle and Auntie must hate me too."
"How could they? They already love you too much."
Although she said that, Xia Linxia wasn't sure. As the car stopped in the garden, she got out and ran to a corner, finding a few wooden sticks, attempting to "carry the thorns to atone."
Ji Fengxue found it both funny and exasperating.
"Mom, Dad, Brother, we're back," Xia Linxia said, pulling her into the house, and was suddenly chilled by the atmosphere inside.
In the living room, her three family members were sitting calmly, their expressions identical—expressionless.
"What's wrong? Don't be so serious, it's making me a little scared," Xia Linxia couldn't help but take a step back, then heard Ji Fengxue say, "Uncle, Auntie, I'm sorry."
Xia Linxia felt her hand being held tightly, as if Ji Fengxue was afraid she would let go.
Mother Xia glanced at them indifferently: "We know everything. The contract is real, so you don't need to put on a show for us. You can all leave."
"The contract is real, but our feelings are also real," Ji Fengxue paused, "Uncle, Auntie, and Brother, please believe me, I truly love Xia Xia."
Xia Linxia nodded vigorously.
"What's so good about Xia Linxia?" Mother Xia, for the first time, put on a stern face in front of her. The storm was brewing, and she heavily slammed the table: "She's just a child who hasn't grown up, deceiving everyone, audacious and reckless! You shouldn't like her; she's not worthy of you. You can find someone better."
"No, there won't be anyone better than her," Ji Fengxue blurted out.
"Mom." Xia Linxia had never seen Mother Xia so angry and was a little intimidated, but hearing her mother say those words made her feel even more wronged: "We're not breaking up, we're just not breaking up."
The conversation reached a stalemate. At this moment, the housekeeper came forward and announced that someone had come to visit.
A moment later, footsteps sounded at the entrance, and everyone turned to look. Ji Fengxue was startled and rushed forward a few steps, looking at Fang Xingyan, who had a calm and composed expression, with surprise: "Mom, why are you here?"
Fang Xingyan glanced at Xia Linxia, who was following closely behind, then looked at the tense atmosphere in the living room, which was as she had expected. She then looked at Ji Fengxue and, under everyone's gaze, slapped her hard across the face.
The sound was loud, and for a moment, everyone was stunned.
"Ji Fengxue, you're simply being ridiculous!" Fang Xingyan said, "How dare you come to Xia Xia's house to cause trouble? Come home with me."
Xia Linxia was the first to snap out of it and reached out to touch Ji Fengxue's face, only to see that half of her favorite face was red!
She didn't dare to touch it, afraid of hurting her, so she just held her in her arms, feeling heartbroken, and pouted unhappily: "Auntie, if you hit her again, I won't like you anymore."
Ji Fengxue was slightly taken aback. She lowered her eyes and looked at Xia Linxia's stubborn expression, her eyes still brimming with tears. Suddenly, she felt that this slap was quite worth it. Not only did it not hurt, but her heart also felt warm.
She looked directly at Fang Xingyan: "Mom, please sit down, let's talk."
Mother Xia's sternness could no longer be maintained. After all, the slap was quite hard, and even as an outsider, she felt pained. She quickly rushed over: "Yes, my dear friend, please sit down first."
In the living room, the housekeeper served the guests tea and then led the other servants out.
Fang Xingyan sat on the sofa, her expression stern. She took a ruler from her bag: "Hand."
Xia Linxia's heart trembled, and she nervously stood in front of Ji Fengxue: "Auntie, a gentleman uses his words, not his hands."
"It's okay," Ji Fengxue pulled Xia Linxia aside and extended her right hand.
"This is for the fans who trusted and liked you," Fang Xingyan said without any mercy and hit her hard. The pain made Ji Fengxue's fingers tremble.
Ji Fengxue nodded.
Fang Xingyan raised the ruler again: "This is for your father. He always lectured you, but you never listened. Now that he's gone, you're even more reckless, aren't you?"
"Auntie, please don't hit her anymore," Xia Linxia looked at Ji Fengxue's red and swollen palm, clasped it, "If you want to hit someone, hit me. This wasn't her idea alone; we were both wrong."
Fang Xingyan looked at Ji Fengxue: "The last one is for Xia Xia and her parents. Think carefully about who should bear it."
Ji Fengxue pried Xia Linxia's hands apart: "It's okay."
Xia Linxia was so anxious that tears were about to fall.
"You are older than Xia Xia and led her astray in this deceitful act, causing her parents to be shocked and worried. Should you be punished?"
"Yes."
As soon as she finished speaking, Fang Xingyan stood up and brought the ruler down. The ruler trembled as it echoed, and Ji Fengxue bit her lip.
"Lao Ji!" Xia Linxia quickly cupped Ji Fengxue's hands, her tears dripping onto the red palm. She hugged her and moved to the side, crying uncontrollably.
Ji Fengxue wiped away her tears with her other hand and tugged at the corner of her mouth: "Don't cry, your makeup is ruined, it doesn't look good."
"Let's go!" Xia Linxia lowered her head and wiped her tears on her clothes, her eyes red. She pulled Ji Fengxue and walked towards the exit.
"Stop, where are you going?" Xia Yangxuan's voice stopped them.
Xia Linxia paused, turned back to look at the Xia elders and Fang Xingyan, her eyes filled with anger and a hint of a sob: "We're going to get married!"
Ji Fengxue was stunned.
Everyone else was also stunned.
After a while, Mother Xia said in surprise: "Are you serious?"
"Of course, I'm serious!" Xia Linxia pulled out her necklace and forcefully tugged at the diamond ring hanging from it: "We've already pledged our love privately, and we're going to get married now! You all don't like Lao Ji! I like her! I'll like her forever!"
"Xia Xia." Ji Fengxue's expression was moved, the corner of her eyes curved, and a hot tear rolled down.
Even though she had been in so much pain just now and didn't want to cry, she now felt as if her chest was being squeezed, and any slight movement caused excruciating pain.
The pain of happiness.
"You just don't like her because she's older than me! That's not a reason for you to blame her! Although I'm a few years younger than her, everything is my own choice. Why should only she be punished and not me! I don't like you anymore!" Xia Linxia turned to Ji Fengxue, startled, and leaned in with a face full of tears, kissing away the tears on her cheek: "Let's go back now, we're not dealing with them anymore."
Ji Fengxue hooked the corner of her mouth: "Okay."
"Wait." Xia Yangxuan raised his voice again, "Xia Linxia, are you sure? Are you joking? Are you saying this out of anger because of the contract? Are you deceiving everyone again?"
"Of course not!!!" Xia Linxia turned back and shouted, her voice almost breaking, "I like her so much, are you blind! I just want to marry her, is that not allowed!"
"It's allowed." Xia Yangxuan looked at the Xia elders. Mother Xia and Father Xia also recovered from their shock. Mother Xia opened her mouth for a long time before saying, "It's not appropriate for you to go like this."
"What's not appropriate!" Xia Linxia was furious, "What, after crippling her hand, are you going to break my legs next, so we can be affectionate siblings?"
At this moment, Fang Xingyan, who had been silent, stood up and walked over.
Xia Linxia's eyes were red, and she fearlessly stood in front of Ji Fengxue, her voice hoarse and vigilant: "Auntie, if you hit her again, I really won't like you at all."
Fang Xingyan reached into her bag.
Xia Linxia turned to pull Ji Fengxue away, but couldn't move her. Ji Fengxue stood still, her gaze fixed on what was in Fang Xingyan's hand, looking extremely surprised.
"Household registration book, how can you go without it?" Fang Xingyan said.
Xia Linxia was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to say.
"Yes, it's definitely not okay for you to go like that. What's the point without the household registration book?" Mother Xia smiled and patted her husband. Father Xia quickly took out Xia Linxia's household registration book from his pocket: "If you've made up your mind, then go. Although we're not in a hurry, you still have time to think slowly. Marriage is a big event after all."
Xia Linxia, still with tears on her face, looked at Ji Fengxue blankly. Ji Fengxue looked at her with the same confusion.
"Oh, Yuan has already apologized to us and explained on your behalf, repeatedly emphasizing that you are truly together. She told us about your year together. We were just a little worried," Mother Xia walked to Ji Fengxue's side and patted her shoulder, "Child, we're sorry. We just wanted to confirm if your feelings are real."
Ji Fengxue's tense expression finally relaxed a little: "Thank you."
"Then Aunt Fang..." Xia Linxia looked at Fang Xingyan.
"I invited my dear friend to be a guest. Whether this works out or not, it's better for everyone to sit down and clarify things in person," Mother Xia said with a sheepish smile. She had invited Fang Xingyan to discuss the children's relationship issues, but she didn't expect Fang Xingyan to say beforehand that she would use force. They thought it was just a show to scare the children, but they didn't expect her to be serious, and the hits were quite hard.
Fang Xingyan led Ji Fengxue to a corner to talk, looking down at her hand: "Do you blame me?"
Ji Fengxue shook her head.
"I know you blame me. You're all grown up, and to be hit on the palm in front of your partner and her family, anyone would feel resentment," Fang Xingyan glanced at the Xia family members who were coaxing Xia Linxia not far away and sighed imperceptibly, "Xia Xia is the apple of her family's eye. After this incident, how could they easily hand her over to you?"
Ji Fengxue looked up at her.
"You didn't resist, which means you are obedient. And your performance just now should have put their minds at ease," Fang Xingyan said.
"Mom." Ji Fengxue opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
"Don't lie anymore, especially to your family, understand?"
"Mm."
"Go."
Ji Fengxue suddenly reached out and hugged her: "I love you."
Fang Xingyan was stunned. Neither she nor her daughter were expressive people, and they had never said anything mushy. Even though she was furious when she first heard the news, it had all dissipated by now.
"Falling in love has made you so mushy," Fang Xingyan scoffed.
Xia Linxia suddenly ran over. Seeing that both her mother and Ji Fengxue had red eyes, she pursed her lips and hugged them both.
The Xia elders looked at the scene and exchanged smiles.
Mother Xia said: "The food in the kitchen is ready, let's eat first."
Xia Linxia frowned: "You guys eat, I still need to go get my license with Lao Ji."
"Are you really going?" Mother Xia asked curiously.
"Of course, why wait for a good day? It's perfect since you're all here." Xia Linxia pulled Ji Fengxue to the courtyard and looked up: "I observed the celestial phenomena today, and the auspicious time has arrived!"
She held Ji Fengxue's red and swollen hand: "Civil Affairs Bureau, are you coming?"
Post a Comment