Chapter 17
Chapter 17: Full of Bad Ideas
Xi Jing Yue, who also knew the whole story, almost could not keep a straight face. After holding it in for a moment, he looked around to confirm: “Is that how it was?”
Other than Du He Xuan, who would back his sister no matter what, no one else dared speak. They looked at the ceiling or the floor, anywhere but at Xi Jing Yue.
Jiang Huai Ying wanted to argue, but her wrist was still in someone else’s hand. She could only grit her teeth and swallow this blame: “…Yes, what she said is right.”
Xi Jing Yue let out a long sigh, as if he really believed this ridiculous story, and said: “President Jiang, you truly were a bit rude to do this.”
Jiang Huai Ying also knew that she had no choice but to suffer this loss today. In a cold voice she said: “Today was my fault. I did not manage my people well and caused such a mess. I will punish myself with three drinks to apologize to President Xi. I will pay for tonight’s table, and later I will have the boss bring everyone a new table of dishes.”
Du He Xuan snorted. In his heart he thought: [You want to treat me? Just thinking about eating your food makes me sick.]
Zhou Shun Zhe and Director Gao simply did not dare say a word. This kind of fight between gods was not something little ghosts like them could butt into.
Xi Jing Yue understood very clearly what Jiang Huai Ying meant. Today she was bowing her head to him, not to the others in the room.
He glanced at Du An Rao without a trace, only to see her looking as if her spirit had wandered off somewhere else. She clearly was not interested in the result of their negotiations.
For some reason, he suddenly felt a bit protective of her. He smiled and said: “I do not really mind. It is just that this dinner today happened only because Film Emperor Du agreed to come for my sake. What you did, President Jiang, more or less spoiled everyone’s mood.”
These words were clearly telling Jiang Huai Ying that the people she should be apologizing to were not him, but the guests in the room.
Not only Jiang Huai Ying, but even Zhou Shun Zhe and the others looked over in surprise, unable to believe that Xi Jing Yue would offend Jiang Huai Ying, this industry boss, for their sake.
Jiang Huai Ying had not expected Xi Jing Yue to be so unwilling to give her face. After the surprise passed, her expression grew even darker.
If it had only been about making an apology, that would have been one thing. But with this attitude, it was clear Xi Jing Yue planned to protect the Du Family siblings. If she tried to make trouble for them later because of tonight, she might very well offend Xi Jing Yue.
Although the Xi Family did not have deep roots in the entertainment circle, a top rich family like theirs had a web of complicated connections. If you offended him, you never knew when you might suffer a big fall.
In the end, the situation was stronger than she was. She could not win in a fight, and she did not dare offend him easily. Jiang Huai Ying could only swallow this bitter anger down into her own stomach.
“President Xi is right. I am truly sorry for disturbing everyone’s dinner tonight. I will use this drink as my apology to all of you.”
Jiang Huai Ying almost ground her teeth as she finished speaking, then picked up the only glass of white liquor that had survived on the table and drained it in one go.
Seeing that things had been settled, Du An Rao quietly let go of her hand.
Jiang Huai Ying shook her now numb right hand and swept the room with a cold gaze. In the end she took out her anger on the bodyguards who were shakily getting to their feet.
“Why are you still here? You are embarrassing me.”
They watched this queen of capital in the industry leave in anger, surrounded by her bodyguards. Du An Rao’s eyes shone a little as she looked at Xi Jing Yue.
[All right, President Xi, I admit that I spoke to you a bit too loudly before! With just a few sentences, you actually forced that old witch to bow her head and apologize to us. That was so cool!]
Du He Xuan had been secretly enjoying Jiang Huai Ying’s humiliation, but as soon as he heard this, warning bells rang in his head. The way he looked at Xi Jing Yue now was like he was staring at a pig that might steal his cabbage at any time. His eyes were sharp as knives.
Of course, Xi Jing Yue also noticed the hostility in Du He Xuan’s eyes. His gaze flickered, and he fell into thought.
Du He Xuan did not realize that his tragic, hateful expression had already made someone suspicious. Just as he was about to sharpen his knife for the wild pig, he heard Du An Rao add excitedly:
[Just for what happened tonight, from now on the two of you are our dear brothers who share neither father nor mother!]
Du He Xuan was stunned. [You cannot jump that far in one sentence.]
Xi Jing Yue was speechless. [That is fine, but really not necessary.]
“I also was at fault for what happened today. I should not have rashly agreed to let someone share the table and given everyone a bad experience. I am truly sorry.”
Director Gao finally found a chance to speak and quickly said: “President Xi, you are too polite. This was purely an accident. There is no way it can be blamed on you.”
“Then I will have someone prepare another table of food…”
Before Xi Jing Yue could finish, Du He Xuan stopped him first and said: “No need. It is already very late, and we still have scenes to film tomorrow. I want to take my sister back to rest.”
Although the others did not dare speak as directly as he did, they all quickly agreed.
“We were actually already full.”
“Yes, yes, we already ate almost enough just now. Ordering another table would be a waste. No need to go to so much trouble.”
It was no wonder Zhou Shun Zhe and the others looked so bitter. If they kept eating this meal any longer, they really were afraid they would get indigestion.
Xi Jing Yue also knew that after what had happened tonight, everyone probably had no appetite left, so he did not insist.
“Then please allow me to drive you back.” Xi Jing Yue glanced at Du An Rao and, before Du He Xuan could refuse, added: “Think of it as my apology for tonight.”
Du He Xuan choked on his words and kept a dark face without saying anything.
There were too many people, so Xi Jing Yue called for another car on the spot.
Zhou Shun Zhe and Director Gao, who had already spent the whole night on edge, rushed into the newly arrived car at once and locked the doors. They said that they were not going in the same direction as Du An Rao and her brother, and asked Xi Jing Yue to personally send the siblings back.
Du He Xuan strongly condemned and despised the two men’s act of running away. After pushing his sister into the car, he quickly followed, sitting firmly in the very middle like an unmoving mountain, so that the man beside him would have no chance for any physical contact with his sister.
Du An Rao did not notice his efforts at all. She secretly peeked at Xi Jing Yue a few times over Du He Xuan’s shoulder.
[President Xi is really nice. He is even personally driving us back. He is handsome, rich, and not stuck up. Could he be that legendary… diamond bachelor?]
Xi Jing Yue was almost struck by lightning by this description and was speechless.
Du He Xuan struggled. Du He Xuan kept silent. Du He Xuan was so angry that smoke was almost coming out of the top of his head.
“President Xi, how did you and President Jiang meet? From the way you were talking just now, you seemed very familiar.”
When Du He Xuan said this, his eyes twitched as he threw meaningful looks at his sister, as if saying: [My dear sister, did you hear that? This President Xi you think so well of is actually close with that crazy woman, President Jiang.]
There is a saying that birds of a feather flock together. If President Jiang was such a weirdo, could this President Xi really be any good?
Sadly, Du An Rao’s attention was not on him at all. Film Emperor Du’s meaningful looks were all wasted on a blind person.
Xi Jing Yue, however, saw right through Du He Xuan’s little thoughts and suddenly felt that these two siblings were really interesting.
One looked pure and harmless on the surface but was actually full of bad ideas, lying with her eyes wide open without even needing to think.
The other had very good acting skills, but as soon as something involved his sister, everything he felt showed right on his face.
Just like now. He looked like he wanted to kick the man beside his sister out of the car with one shove.