"I never thought Chairman Ning would take time out of his busy schedule to come to our opening ceremony! It really is such an honor!" Director Guo exclaimed.
"Come, Chairman Ning, sit over here!" Producer Wang offered his seat so that Ning Yaohua could sit next to his daughter.
Ning Yaohua’s expression was filled with fatherly love when he looked at Ning Xueluo. "You’re too polite, Director Guo. My daughter is under your care."
"Chairman Ning, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and your daughter is already so outstanding, she doesn’t need my care at all!"
"This child is usually so busy, I rarely see her. If it wasn’t for my trip here today, this father would never see her at all!" While Ning Yaohua might sound annoyed, the expression on his face was indulgent.
"Hahaha, Xueluo is so hardworking, you should be happy. But Xueluo, you’re also in the wrong, no matter how busy you are, you should still go home to visit!" Director Guo scolded.
"Yes, Director, I’m wrong! Dad, don’t be mad. Tomorrow night, I’ll come home for dinner!" Ning Xueluo cajoled as she hugged Ning Yaohua’s arm, acting like an obedient daughter.
"See, even I need the director to say some words on my behalf for her to find time to visit!"
"Dad, there’s so many people here ah, give me some face!"
"Yes yes yes, you’re a big star now, I can’t say anything anymore!"
Ning Xi thought she had already steeled her heart, but seeing this good show put on by this benevolent father and filial daughter, her chest felt so stuffy that she wanted to run away.
While her emotions were in turmoil, she thankfully was able to maintain a serene expression. She breezily engaged the screenwriter sitting beside her in conversation, as though she had not noticed the commotion.
She could pretend not to have noticed, but some people didn’t feel the same. Ning Yaohua’s gaze was like a knife stabbing through her. Her appearance at the opening ceremony was an embarrassment to him.
In the end, Ning Xi escaped the room by excusing herself to the restroom. She walked to an open window at the end of a hallway for some fresh air.
She grabbed some cigarettes and a lighter from her bag, but contemplated for a while before putting them back.
She was trying to quit smoking.
Today was the first time in a while she felt the urge to smoke.
The night breeze blew on her face and made her feel a bit better.
At that moment, there were footsteps behind her.
Ning Xi’s back stiffened, but when she turned around, her expression was impenetrable, like a mask. "Chairman Ning came looking for me?"
Ning Yaohua looked at her with a severe expression, extremely unhappy with the way she was dressed.
Ning Xi looked down with a small smile. "Ah, Chairman Ning, back in the other room, you kept staring at me. Aren’t you afraid others will misunderstand that gaze?"
After all, to outsiders, he was a sponsor and she was a beautiful, small-bit celebrity. It was very easy to develop false impressions about their relationship.
"You bastard, what do you think you’re saying?" Ning Yaohua was immediately enraged.
Ning Xi furrowed her brow. "Obviously I’m speaking in a human language. Does Chairman Ning not understand human language?"
"You…" Ning Yaohua lifted his hand.
Before it could fall, a delicate hand grabbed and held it in place.
There was no way she would let Ning Yaohua hit her again.
He had no right.
Ning Yaohua was almost angered to death and snatched his hand away. "You better quit this role right now. You would just be an embarrassment to me if you continue like this in public!"
Ning Xi’s expression went cold. "I got this role honorably, how is that an embarrassment?"
"You always have to copy whatever Xueluo wants to do. Look at you, you can’t possibly compete with her. Rushing into the entertainment industry, are you just waiting for someone to find out about that incident to shame my Ning family?" Ning Yaohua glared at her, his eyes filled with extreme disdain.