Chapter 39

When Jiang Sheshe finally showed her face, everyone realized there wasn’t a single trace of tears on it.

Which meant that she’d been fake-crying this whole time!

“You’ve been buzzing like a fly for ages, and it turns out you were acting. Jiang Sheshe, quit being a singer-go be an actress,” Fu Zhi said, so amused he couldn’t help mocking her.

Jiang Sheshe didn’t argue. She only lifted her eyes in secret to check Ning Xi’s expression.

When she saw Ning Xi seemed to have noticed, she immediately pulled her gaze back, standing there obediently like a grade-schooler being punished.

Jiang Sheshe explained seriously, “My missing lipstick has nothing to do with Ning Xi. You all misunderstood.”

Everyone paused.

Ning Xi remarked darkly, “Oh, what a wise and upright judge-she finally grew a mouth! Finally told everyone I’m innocent! The light of justice has finally appeared on her… ass!”

Hearing Ning Xi say she’d finally “grown a mouth,” Jiang Sheshe guiltily lowered her head again.

But the others weren’t that easy to fool.

Fu Zhi let out a snort of laughter and looked at Jiang Sheshe. “Misunderstood? Then why didn’t you say so earlier? Were you messing with us?”

Even Wei Xuan, who always spoiled and protected Jiang Sheshe, wore a stern expression. “Sheshe, when we came in just now, why didn’t you say it outright?”

Jiang Sheshe hadn’t expected everyone to latch onto the real issue. She simply went all in and stopped pretending.

“I felt humiliated and didn’t want to talk. Is that not allowed?”

With so many people watching her get pinned down and beaten by Ning Xi, didn’t she need to save face?

“Besides, when Brother Xuan was talking, didn’t I tell him not to say it? You were the ones who wouldn’t listen to me.”

Watching Jiang Sheshe shift the blame with an innocent face, Wei Xuan’s chest rose and fell once. In the end, he actually laughed. “Fine, fine. So it’s our fault for caring too much about you, huh?”

Jiang Sheshe lowered her head and said nothing.

Ning Xi folded her arms and watched Jiang Sheshe play ostrich while everyone scolded her. It was both funny and immensely satisfying.

Ning Mingyue, who had been silent all this time, spoke in a disapproving tone:

“Sheshe, put yourself in her shoes. Have you thought about how awful Xiao Xi must’ve felt during the time she was being misunderstood, all because you didn’t tell the truth in time?”

“Mingyue…” Ning Xi was genuinely moved. She hadn’t expected Ning Mingyue to speak up for her.

But this time, Jiang Sheshe-this so-called hidden bestie-completely dropped the ball. She argued back at Ning Mingyue:

“There wasn’t any misunderstanding. Before you even came in, I already knew Ning Xi’s lipstick was her own. The viewers in the livestream all knew too. Even if you misunderstood, the netizens wouldn’t.”

“And you didn’t even go after Ning Xi just now. She wouldn’t be affected at all.”

Jiang Sheshe added one more line under her breath.

But everyone in the room heard it.

Wei Xuan was utterly speechless and called her out directly. “Then what does that make those of us who misunderstood Miss Ning? The biggest villains of all?”

Only then did Jiang Sheshe belatedly realize: Oh. Right.

But who told Ning Xi to say things like “don’t fall into the self-proof trap” and “whoever makes the claim bears the burden of proof” back then?

It made Ning Xi seem so smart by comparison-while she looked both stupid and malicious.

So she’d only dared to play ostrich, thinking she could stall for even one more second if she could. How was she supposed to anticipate anything else…

Wei Xuan stared at Jiang Sheshe’s evasive, responsibility-dodging posture. After a pause, he looked to Ning Xi.

“Miss Ning, I’m truly sorry about what happened just now. I apologize to you. It’s very late today, so I won’t disturb your rest any longer. But don’t worry-tomorrow I’ll give you a result that satisfies you.”

Ning Xi gave a noncommittal “Mm.”

Wei Xuan turned to leave. After taking two steps, he realized Jiang Sheshe hadn’t followed. He shot her a sharp look.

Jiang Sheshe pretended not to see it and stayed rooted to the spot.

“Your Brother Xuan is looking at you. Seems like he has something to say,” Ning Xi reminded her “kindly.”

Jiang Sheshe: …

She wasn’t going out because she didn’t want to get chewed out by Wei Xuan!

But now that Ning Xi had pointed it out, she couldn’t keep playing dumb. Left with no choice, Jiang Sheshe followed Wei Xuan out of the room, unwilling to the very end.
Ning Mingyue watched as Wei Xuan led Jiang Sheshe past her, and for some reason, her heart felt a twinge of discomfort.

Tonight, Wei Xuan had focused all his energy on Jiang Sheshe, not sparing her a single glance…

“Sorry, I didn’t see you coming.”

Xie Lanchen reached out a hand to lightly steady Wei Xuan, who had just stumbled over his foot, and offered a lazy apology.

After Wei Xuan regained his footing, he forced a thin smile. “It’s fine. I’m sure you didn’t do it on purpose.”

Wei Xuan gritted out those last few words with extra emphasis.

Xie Lanchen nodded. “As long as you understand.”

Wei Xuan gave Xie Lanchen a deep, lingering look before finally leaving.

[Hahahaha, is Xie Lanchen getting revenge for Ning Xi?]

[You guys are overthinking it. Xie Lanchen and Ning Xi aren’t even that close. Why would he go so far to defend her?]

[But Xie Lanchen really was defending Ning Xi just now…]

Once Wei Xuan and Jiang Sheshe left, Ning Xi directly showed the others the door.

Fu Zhi looked at Ning Xi awkwardly, appearing as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

Ning Xi, however, looked at Xie Lanchen with a serious expression.

“Thank you for what happened earlier.”

Xie Lanchen turned around and shook his head at Ning Xi with a smile. “Between friends, there’s no need for ‘thank you.'”

Ning Xi was stunned for a moment, then she smiled. “You’re right. Between friends, there’s no need for ‘thank you.'”

Friends.

From this moment on, they were truly friends.

Not far away, Fu Zhi watched the scene of Ning Xi and Xie Lanchen smiling at each other, and he suddenly felt a sense of something slipping through his fingers.

Friends?

In such a short time, Ning Xi had already acknowledged Xie Lanchen as her friend?

He couldn’t compare to Shen Yibai, but could he really not even compare to this newcomer, Xie Lanchen?

“Brother.”

Shen Yibai was talking to Ning Mingyue when he suddenly heard Fu Zhi call his name in a low voice.

“You two talk first.” Seeing that Fu Zhi had something to say, Ning Mingyue took the initiative to leave.

Fu Zhi avoided the cameras and looked straight at Shen Yibai. “Brother, what you said this morning about breaking off the engagement with Ning Xi-was that for real?”

Shen Yibai gave Fu Zhi a steady look. “Why bring this up all of a sudden?”

Fu Zhi said, “Because…”

Because he liked Ning Xi. He didn’t want to just be the friend she hated anymore…

The words were at the tip of his tongue, but Fu Zhi swallowed them back down.

“Because I think someone will dig it up sooner or later. I’m afraid it’ll have a bad impact on you and Mingyue when that happens.”

Forget it, he’d leave it at that for now. Anyway, Ning Xi had only said she considered Xie Lanchen a friend; he still had plenty of time…

“It’s not time yet,” Shen Yibai said flatly.

Fu Zhi gave an ‘oh’ and didn’t press any further.

*

Around eleven o’clock at night, Ning Xi heard the click of the door opening.

Ning Xi opened her eyes and saw Jiang Sheshe, who had just returned from outside.

She looked listless. Compared to her previous arrogant self, she seemed completely deflated.

Noticing Ning Xi looking at her, Jiang Sheshe acted like a mouse seeing a cat and slunk guiltily into the bathroom.

Ning Xi ignored her and went back to sleep peacefully.

It took a long while before Jiang Sheshe finally dragged herself out of the bathroom.

She had mentally prepared herself to apologize and spoke in a tiny voice, “Ning Xi…”

There was no response.

Jiang Sheshe raised her voice slightly. “Ning Xi?”

Still no response.

“Is she asleep?” Jiang Sheshe poked her head out in confusion to look at Ning Xi, only to find that the girl was actually fast asleep!

Jiang Sheshe’s heart was a mess. With so much on her mind, she tossed and turned in bed like a pancake.

She didn’t sleep well all night.

In the morning.

When Ning Xi woke up, she was startled to find Jiang Sheshe staring at her with deep resentment and a pair of panda eyes.

“You…”

“You…”

The two of them spoke at the same time.