nashuaworldcup Chapter 209: The Good Show Begins
Chapter 209: The Good Show Begins
"And..." She paused, her voice softening. "She’s my sister."
She’d been holding those words in for so long. Now that she’d finally said them, it felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest.
More importantly, now that she had a formidable sister like Shanshan, she could stand tall with pride.
It was a kind of confidence she had never felt before. She used to instinctively hide from trouble, but now she dared to face it head-on.
After moving, the two of them didn’t stay idle. They continued to torment Cao Daqiang’s mistress every day, throwing her life into chaos.
They didn’t resort to violence or dirty tricks, just used various methods to make the woman late for work, cause errors in her documents, and surround her with negative buzz, making her life a complete mess.
Cao Daqiang was at his wit’s end, running around in circles, but he couldn’t catch a single glimpse of who was responsible.
He had checked surveillance footage, reported it to the police, and even suspected a private detective was behind it all, but he could never find any evidence pointing to a specific person.
But even so, it didn’t interfere with the major event of his marriage to Yuan Zhihe.
He publicly declared it a new Chapter in his life, insisting the wedding had to be grand so as not to shortchange his future wife.
The man was a real master of manipulation, placating his new love while dealing with old scores. He could juggle several relationships without ever capsizing.
He told his mistress he was being forced into it, told his family it was a marriage for business, and told his friends it was true love. He sounded sincere and heartfelt to each of them.
The wedding proceeded as planned, a grand and spectacular affair of intimidating extravagance.
A red carpet was rolled out at the hotel entrance, flanked by countless flowers. Rows of luxury cars were parked outside, and guests arrived in their finest attire.
They even hired reporters to take photos, planning for the next day’s newspaper headlines to be filled with news of their joyous union.
The press release was already written, with a headline that read, "New Business Magnate Weds Talented Beauty." The content was filled with the most lavish praise.
With the wedding date approaching, Yuan Zhihe finally had the nerve to show her face at school again.
She had previously taken a three-month leave of absence due to her pregnancy and disappeared without a trace, but now she was back, strolling around as if nothing had happened.
Her coat was a deliberately chosen cocoon cut, and the hem of her dress hung extremely low.
Clutching a stack of invitations, she handed them out to everyone she met along the way.
When she saw Shanshan inside, head down and writing, Yuan Zhihe’s lips twisted into a cold smirk.
"Well, well, if it isn’t Ling Xueshan? Working so hard? I’m getting married tomorrow! We’re classmates, after all. Aren’t you going to come celebrate with me?"
"I’m not going."
Shanshan didn’t even lift her eyes, her reply crisp and final.
Unexpectedly, Yuan Zhihe didn’t get angry. Instead, she laughed out loud.
"Oh, look at my memory. I almost forgot. You’re not even related to the Ling family by blood; you’re just an adopted daughter they took in. Our wedding invitation was sent to the Ling family, but we can’t be expected to invite you along too, can we?"
Shanshan frowned, glancing up at her. Her tone was light. "My dad won’t be going either."
"Hah, you really think you can influence Ling Anxun’s decisions? In the end, you’re just a little adopted girl they keep around for amusement. What, you really think of yourself as the proper young lady of the Ling family?"
The moment Yuan Zhihe finished speaking, she saw Shanshan suddenly stand up.
Immediately after, Shanshan rushed straight into the arms of a tall man.
"Our Shanshan is the apple of our eye. When it comes to family matters, big or small, what she says goes."
Ling Anxun’s voice was deep, his gaze sweeping over Yuan Zhihe’s face like shards of ice.
A chill ran down her spine instantly. Her hands and feet went cold, and she didn’t dare lift her head.
"Don’t bother sending any more invitations. Our whole family has no interest in attending."
Faced with his overwhelming presence, Yuan Zhihe didn’t dare say a word and simply turned and left.
Only after the woman was far away did Shanshan slowly sit back down.
"By the way, Dad, wasn’t Yuan Zhihe’s father in the same department as you before? Since they sent an invitation, if you don’t go, won’t it seem like you’re disrespecting them?"
Ling Anxun didn’t answer right away.
He leaned against the edge of a lab bench, arms crossed, and stared at her lowered head for a few seconds.
’This little one is probably trying to get information out of me.’
Her question today was so casual that it actually seemed deliberate.
"I’m not going."
He said the opposite of what he was planning, his tone flat, then asked back, "What about you? You’ve been classmates for so many years, after all. It might be good to go watch the excitement."
"No way I’m going!"
Shanshan immediately shook her head.
The father and daughter pair, each hiding their own plans, neither telling the whole truth.
On the day of the wedding, Shanshan woke up bright and early.
She changed into a dark-colored hoodie, put on a face mask and a baseball cap, and had Cao Jiajia dress in a similar outfit.
The two of them, disguised, slipped into the venue to watch the show.
But Cao Jiajia kept looking around nervously as she walked. "Shanshan... maybe you should go in by yourself. You know what Ye Peng and I have been up to lately. If Cao Daqiang sees us, he’ll probably have his men grab us on the spot."
"Why are you being such a coward now?"
Shanshan shot her a sideways glance, her tone laced with disdain. "You weren’t like this before. Don’t tell me you don’t hate that bastard. Don’t you want to see for yourself how hard he’s going to fall today?"
At these words, Cao Jiajia faltered for a moment.
Provoked, Cao Jiajia gritted her teeth and immediately changed her mind.
"We’ve been planning this for so long. We’ve finally made it to this day. If we back out now, won’t it all have been for nothing?"
After speaking, she clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. The pain made her feel more clear-headed.
"Fine! I’ll go! We’ve already come this far, I can’t just run away at the critical moment!"
She took a step forward, moving to stand beside Shanshan.
They walked shoulder to shoulder toward the entrance, their steps growing steady.
Thinking about what was about to happen, she tossed the fear she’d just felt to the back of her mind.
The wedding venue was lavishly decorated with flowers, filled with a festive atmosphere.
The two of them arrived late and their spot was near the back, but it was quieter there.
They found a corner to stand in, hidden in the crowd where they could see the whole room without fear of being discovered.
As the music began, the bride and groom walked onto the stage arm in arm.
Thunderous applause erupted from below the stage, the atmosphere electric.
Cao Jiajia watched the triumphant smiles on the couple’s faces from afar, a tightness in her chest. She choked out in a low voice:
"Ling Xueshan... you said Cao Daqiang was personally responsible for my mom’s death. How can he stand there without a flicker of remorse? My mom gave up everything for him, even her own family disowned her. Is this how he repays her?"
"Hmph. For a man like Cao Daqiang, even if you dug out your heart and gave it to him, he’d still think it wasn’t enough."
Cao Jiajia’s lips twitched into a bitter smile.
"To be honest... my mom wasn’t that great to me either. She was pretty petty, but Cao Daqiang was the one who drove her to be that way. No matter what she did wrong, she didn’t deserve to have her family destroyed and her life ruined."
After she said this, her eyes reddened, but she didn’t let any tears fall.
"Let the past be the past. Don’t be sad."
Shanshan gently patted her shoulder. "The real show is just about to begin."
The bride and groom were slowly walking forward to the music, not even having taken out the rings yet, when a sudden commotion erupted at the entrance.
"He’s over there!"
"WAAAH—I want my daddy! Daddy, don’t marry someone else!"
A group of women, some holding babies and others leading small children by the hand, completely ignored the security guards’ outstretched arms and rushed directly into the main hall.