Read Novel Full Chapter 122 – He Wei’s True Face
Chapter 122 – He Wei’s True Face
Rong Xin also noticed that Gao Qiongying didn’t look quite right. Plus, that airhead Liang Mi had clearly been bought off. Worried that someone might cause trouble for Xia Mian, he simply brought the two of them to another lounge.
This lounge was full of Rong Xin’s close friends, close enough to take pleasure in each other’s misfortunes. Knowing full well he was being pressured by his family to get married, almost all of them gleefully showed up today with female companions, making Rong Xin grit his teeth in frustration.
Ning Shaobai was familiar with most of them. When they entered, a few people stood up to greet them.
Li Jiaze joked, “Oh wow, our cold-hearted President Ning has finally blossomed. Come on, introduce her to us.”
Ning Shaobai smiled and put his arm around Xia Mian. “This is my girlfriend, Xia Mian.”
“Mianmian, this is Brother Li, the executive CEO of Mohe; and this is Young Master Zhu, owner of Yuejun Hotel…”
Xia Mian greeted them confidently. Some of the men formally introduced their companions, while others didn’t bother, showing a clear distinction between real partners and casual dates.
After the greetings, Rong Xin went back out to continue hosting guests, while Ning Shaobai sat at the card table with the others, chatting while they played cards. Rong Xin might seem unreliable, but he took his responsibilities seriously. As a result, this group of friends all had ties across various industries, so Ning Shaobai didn’t find their company dull at all.
Xia Mian, on the other hand, wasn’t interested in their topics. Her mind was still on He Wei. After thinking it over, she said a quick word to Ning Shaobai and stepped out.
Zhu Jiadong hesitated for a moment before asking, “Is it okay for her to go out alone?”
Li Jiaze also looked concerned. “You guys just got here, and the gossip’s already made its way over.” He shot a meaningful glance toward a few women sitting on the sofa, excitedly exchanging gossip.
Several of them were celebrities or models, and most had been casual dates who hadn’t been formally introduced earlier. However, since they were taken to these kinds of social events, it meant they were socially adept, and naturally, their grip on information was sharp.
Ning Shaobai said nonchalantly, “She doesn’t like sitting still. Let her do whatever she likes.”
Everyone at the table was a little surprised. Li Jiaze said, “She’s so confident. It seems like she’s not ordinary.”
A gentle smile appeared on Ning Shaobai’s usually indifferent face. “Of course she’s not. Took me a lot of effort to win her over.”
Li Jiaze was shocked. “No way. You’re saying you chased her?”
His voice rose with excitement, and the women on the sofa instantly pricked up their ears.
Zhu Jiadong shook his head and sighed, “Can’t even picture Young Master Ning pursuing a girl.”
“To be honest, I never thought I would either,” Ning Shaobai gave a helpless smile. “But I’m glad I met her,” he added, with a look so soft it dazzled any gender.
Everyone was taken aback. Who would have thought that, in this relationship, it was Young Master Ning who had humbled himself more? Instantly, people began to reevaluate Xia Mian’s importance. Some even discreetly told their dates to show Xia Mian proper respect.
Xia Mian, of course, knew none of this. She was currently wandering around the villa looking for traces of He Wei and his group. Along the way, she overheard plenty of people talking about her. Sure enough, her background had been thoroughly exposed, and most of the talk wasn’t flattering.
She wasn’t surprised. People who didn’t know the truth were bound to misunderstand her, especially with someone like Fan Xiaowan around, who loved to twist facts and stir things up.
Then she heard He Wei’s voice: “That kind of social climber is bound to show her true colors sooner or later.”
In a shaded seating area by the wall of the garden, He Wei was surrounded by a few peers from his social circle, casually chatting and sipping champagne. Qi Kai and Lu Nana were also there.
Qi Kai had dressed very neatly today, looking sharp and elegant in formal wear. Even among the rich young masters, he didn’t come off as inferior.
He Wei clearly admired him and was enthusiastically helping him blend into the group. The conversation was flowing smoothly, especially since they shared a common topic.
“That Xia Mian, haha! Her whole family’s just a bunch of gold-diggers. Her cousin was chasing after Qi Kai like crazy back then. What was it, a full year?”
“And the moment she found out his family wasn’t rich, that he planned to bring his parents to Yan City after graduation, she dropped him like a hot potato.”
“Qi Kai even went to explain things personally to her mom, hoping for a second chance. Her mom just gave him the cold shoulder, didn’t even speak to him!”
“People like that never learn not to look down on the poor when they’re young.”
Xia Mian glanced around and found an empty chair not far from them. She sat down with her back to the group, listening quietly.
“Is that Xia Mian really from a small county town under Ming City? Isn’t that area considered a poverty-stricken mountain region?”
“But she doesn’t look it at all. Honestly, when she walked in with Young Master Ning, I thought she was some rich young lady.”
“Hmph, just a pretty façade,” He Wei sneered. “You can imagine how much effort she’s put in just to follow Young Master Ning around and be seen in this circle. Of course she’s going to put on a show.”
“If she dares to embarrass Young Master Ning today, she’ll probably be dumped by tomorrow.”
Someone chimed in, “But for Young Master Ning to bring her out in public and actually acknowledge her as his girlfriend. That’s quite something.”
“Right? She supposedly saved Young Master Ning’s nephew, then brought her whole family with her to Yan City to follow him.”
“Somehow, she even got hold of the Huo family’s ancestral house and ended up becoming Young Master Ning’s neighbor. Truly a schemer!”
“I’ve heard about that.”
“They say the Huo family treated Young Master Ning’s sister terribly, almost tried to traffic his nephew. So he snapped and practically wiped the whole Huo family out.”
“So Young Master Ning took that whole row of ancestral houses? Wait—so you’re saying they’re under that girl’s name now?”
“At least one is confirmed to be in her name. She claims she bought it, but she’s been living there for years already.”
“Apparently, she recently gave another one to her aunt’s family. Qi Kai, that’s the one your ex-girlfriend’s family got, right? No idea if that’s true though.”
“Tsk tsk. My grandfather said those traditional courtyards will be worth a fortune in the future. Even if they don’t end up clinging to Young Master Ning, they’ve already struck gold.”
He Wei paused, stunned. “The Huo family’s ancestral home? You mean the row in Goldfish Alley?”
“Seems like it. Don’t know the details.”
He Wei suddenly gave a sneer. “Oh, I know that place. She gave it away and claimed she had bought it herself?”
“That whole row is probably under her control.”
“Tsk tsk, that girl is seriously calculating.”
“How could someone as sharp as Young Master Ning not see through her tricks?”
“No matter how sharp, he’s still a man.”
He Wei said, “Families like hers, despising the poor and worshipping the rich, have no bottom line. They’ll use whatever means necessary to get what they want.”
“That Xia Mian is young and pretty, six or seven years younger than Young Master Ning, and she knows how to act all sweet and submissive, always asking after him and playing the doting role.”
“Don’t forget, Young Master Ning and his sister grew up relying only on each other—they’ve always known hardship. With her constantly fawning over him with soft smiles and attentive care, it’s not impossible she got to him emotionally over time.”
“Even if she did, it’d be temporary. Dr. Ning isn’t so easily deceived.”
“She probably knows that too,” He Wei said with contempt. “That’s why she couldn’t wait to make her move right after graduating high school. If the legal marriage age weren’t twenty, I bet she’d already have gotten herself pregnant by now.”
“It’s just a pity about Miss Gao,” Lu Nana sighed with regret. “She’s so beautiful and capable. She’s been devotedly chasing after Young Master Ning for three years. They’d make such a perfect couple.”
He Wei said, “Miss Gao lost because she was too well-mannered. Unlike those cheap nobodies who’ll stoop to anything.”
“But a wild bird is still a wild bird; she will never become a phoenix. Who is Young Master Ning? The day she shows her true colors, who knows how miserable her ending will be?”
At that point, He Wei suddenly burst into laughter. “Do you guys know what she and her cousin were doing the first time I met them?”
“I was just about to ask. How do you know her and her cousin? Isn’t her cousin Qi Kai’s ex?”
“I was chasing after her cousin at the time,” He Wei said with a smirk.
As soon as he said that, the others seemed to understand the situation.
“Doing justice again, huh?”
“Well, women like that deserve a lesson.”
“Come on, tell us—what were they doing?”
“I was courting her cousin and heard her family was moving, so I dropped by to take a look,” He Wei said, struggling to hold in his laughter. “You guys wouldn’t believe how ridiculous it was. Her cousin was driving one of those three-wheeled farm car…”
“You mean the diesel ones that farmers or construction workers use?”
“Yeah, exactly that.” He Wei doubled over laughing. “Wearing one of those gaudy floral vests old rural women wear, and baggy shorts. I was stunned!”
“And that Xia Mian? She jumped onto the vehicle like a monkey.”
Everyone had just seen Xia Mian earlier, dressed elegantly in a gown with her delicate makeup. Hearing He Wei’s story now, they couldn’t help but burst into laughter, imagining her as some ridiculous clown.
“No wonder she’s from the countryside. Look how agile she is.”
Lu Nana suddenly hesitated and said, “But now she’s with Young Master Ning. Her cousin probably has a powerful backer now. Brother, maybe don’t chase her anymore.”
“So what if she has a backer?” He Wei said dismissively. “People like them, dirt poor and desperate to climb up, are very cautious.”
“That Xia Mian managed to latch onto Young Master Ning by using seduction and clever obedience. Same thing with her cousin. When she was with me, Mao Huimei didn’t dare say a word.”
“And Xia Mian’s not necessarily bold enough to go crying to Young Master Ning over something like this.”
“But even if she does get all high and mighty and manages to make Young Master Ning do her bidding, what’s he going to do, force me to marry Mao Huimei?”
Seeing that Lu Nana still looked uneasy, He Wei patted her shoulder and said, “Relax. This whole thing’s nearly wrapped up anyway.”
Lu Nana asked, “You two made it official?”
“Almost,” He Wei said, sipping champagne, full of confidence. “Gold-diggers like her are the easiest to handle.”
“Just take them out to eat, to play, casually let them see that our family’s loaded…”
“By then, she’ll do anything to hang on to me. And when she finally wants me to make it official, that’s when I’ll dump her hard.” He Wei grinned triumphantly, clearly picturing Mao Huimei begging him on her knees.
He slapped Qi Kai on the shoulder and said, “When that time comes, you just stand next to me with Nana on your arm, and let her regret it for the rest of her life!”
Lu Nana frowned. “Brother, it’s fine to break up with her, but don’t go too far.”
He Wei laughed. “Got it. I’m not forcing her into anything. In fact, I’m now a bit worried she’ll try too hard to cling to me and start throwing herself at me.”
The other guys exchanged knowing smirks.
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