Chapter 18: Gossip Queen (18)

The result of the audition for the leading female role in Ethereal Heightssurprised people. She was neither a popular star nor an actress with a great background. She just was a newbie.

A newbie that no one had ever seen on the Internet before.

Later an Internet user dug up her information. She came from Starlight Entertainment and graduated from a famous communications university. At school, her grades were outstanding and she was pure and beautiful. But her development in showbiz was not good. It seemed that she had offended many people because of her character, so she had never acted in anything after graduation.

Ning Keqing totally lost her cool because she failed to win the leading female role in Ethereal Heights . When she was awaiting the results, she thought that if she failed, it was Jiang Nian who would succeed. But in the end she was told that a newbie had gotten the role.

A newbie from Starlight Entertainment.

Ning Keqing couldn’t accept that.

She went directly to Li Shaonan, but he hadn’t been seeing her recently. She didn’t find Li Shaonan at his company, so she went to his apartment to look for him.

But she still didn’t find him. He was not in the apartment.

Ning Keqing sat at the door to wait. She had to see Li Shaonan today.

Ning Keqing waited for half the night and almost fell asleep. When she heard the sound of a car outside, she sobered up at once and stood up to walk out.

But she suddenly hid herself after taking two steps.

The person getting off the car was not Li Shaonan, but a woman. Li Shaonan seemed to be drunk. The woman held him, walking toward the apartment.

Li Shaonan was quite tipsy, but he was still fully aware. He walked very close to the woman and they spoke in low voices. They looked intimate.

Li Shaonan…

He really fell in love with another woman?

Ning Keqing was in a daze and only returned to herself after a while. She rushed out and pushed that woman away, asking, “Li Shaonan, who is she?”

The woman was pushed away suddenly and stepped back, making it so Ning Keqing could see her face clearly. But Ning Keqing sucked in a deep breath.

That face…

It was similar to hers.

But the woman’s temperament and presentation were much better than hers. Everybody would know this with merely a glance.

Ning Keqing suddenly remembered there was a room that Li Shaonan didn’t allow her to enter. If she even came near it, Li Shaonan would become extremely angry…

A calligraphy book she found in Li Shaonan’s study. Remarks in graceful handwriting on the pages. A tiny signature on paintings…

The woman in front of her dusted off her clothes and smiled scornfully. “Li Shaonan, are you keeping a mistress in this love nest? We haven’t seen each other for years, you’ve changed a lot.”

The woman turned back to leave as soon as she finished speaking. Li Shaonan wanted to stop her, but he failed. She walked too quickly.

“Mr. Li…” Seeing that Li Shaonan wanted to catch up with the woman and didn’t even hesitate, Ning Keqing grabbed him without taking time to think.

Because of this, the woman got in the car and started it, soon disappearing.

Li Shaonan’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He said to Ning Keqing in an indifferent tone, “Ning Keqing, who allowed you to come here?”

“I…” Ning Keqing’s mind was a mess. She wasn’t even clear about what she was doing right now.

From the moment she saw that woman, she felt completely unlike herself.

She was just like a soulless doll.

“Who is she?” Ning Keqing murmured, expression sad.

“You shouldn’t ask that.” Li Shaonan got free of Ning Keqing, feeling annoyed.

“She… resembled me. Why can’t I ask?” Ning Keqing was suddenly having an emotional breakdown. Her voice became harsh. “What do you regard me as? A substitute?”

Li Shaonan was a little drunk and since the woman took off just now, he became more agitated. The following words slipped out thoughtlessly. “Since you know you’re a substitute, you’d better perform your duty as a substitute well. If you dare to show up in front of her, don’t blame me if I forget our good old days.”

Ning Keqing stepped back, her face contorted.

She was a substitute?

…

Ming Shu noticed that Ning Keqing hadn’t picked on her recently. Then she realized she might have discovered that Li Shaonan had a lover before her.

First loves always occupied an important position in one’s heart. Li Shaonan’s first love was his childhood sweetheart. Their parents were satisfied with their relationship too. They had decided to get married after graduation.

But things changed quickly. The accident came faster than a tornado.

When they were about to graduate, the perfect couple broke up.

It wasn’t because one fell in love with another person or because Li Shaonan’s love suffered from an incurable disease and left for his sake. His love wanted to travel abroad and hoped that Li Shaonan would go with her. But Li Shaonan didn’t like foreign countries and wished for his love to stay.

They consulted with each other at first, then quarreled, then finally broke up.

You like sweet Zongzi but I like salty Zongzi. We have different habits. So how could we be together?

Although they broke up, Li Shaonan still loved that woman in his heart and never forgot her.

He chose Ning Keqing only because she looked similar to her.

In the original plot, this was a sad point. But Li Shaonan would choose Ning Keqing in the end.

But now…

Maybe the result would change.

Because of Ming Shu, Ning Keqing was angry and difficult to keep calm. Besides, her Money Boss had been snatched away by others. She didn’t have the head to deal with Li Shaonan’s first love.

So it would be enough after Ming Shu found another chance to get Hatred Points.

“Niannian, we should go.” Jiang Xun’s voice came through the door.

Ming Shu turned off her phone and left.

Today was Jiang Xun’s birthday. As the young master of the Jiang family, he was expected to throw a big birthday party. But Jiang Xun was strange. On every birthday, he only had a meal with Father and Mother Jiang.

In the last few years, the Host didn’t get along well with them, so she didn’t have meals with them either. But this time, she must show up.

Father and Mother Jiang were ready. Ming Shu came down and headed straight for Mother Jiang. “Mom, what are we eating?”

“All you do is eat.” Mother Jiang tapped her nose gently.

“A good appetite is a blessing.” How much have I eaten? I’m economical!

Mother Jiang shook her head, speechless. “Today is your brother’s birthday, ask your brother.”

Ming Shu didn’t want to talk to Jiang Xun, whose behavior was odd as of late. She just glanced at him.

Jiang Xun looked down so his expression couldn’t be seen clearly and said in a deep voice, “Wherever Niannian wants to go, we’ll head there to eat. I’ll get the car.”

“You…” Mother Jiang sighed and turned her head to lecture Ming Shu. “Your brother is really kind to you. Don’t be selfish or unfair to him. I don’t know why you can’t get along well with your brother. Other brothers and sisters have such good relationships!”

“…” If I wasn’t bad to him, he would do bad things to your daughter!

I am protecting your daughter’s chastity.