Chapter 23 Am I Her Dog?

Chapter 23: Am I Her Dog?

Even the perpetually smiling Tao Wangxi had wiped the smile off her face.

The instigator's face flushed with panic, "What do you mean? Are you calling Wangxi a homewrecker?"

Zhao Jinyu, who had been watching the drama unfold nearby, covered her face, unable to bear the sight.

How could someone be so foolish?

Sure enough, Tao Wangxi’s expression darkened even further.

No strategy is foolproof against a foolish teammate dragging you down.

One rabid fan can do the work of ten anti-fans.

Qin Shuyi spoke with sincerity, "No, I’m just stating the facts without targeting anyone. Besides, do any of you genuinely enjoy receiving rings from men who already have girlfriends?"

Her tone held not a trace of sarcasm, yet no one dared to answer the question.

It wasn’t meant to come across that way, but somehow it did.

Zhao Jinyu let out a snort of laughter, chiming in, "Who knows? But us honest folks don’t play that way."

Who wasn’t honest remained unclear~

She’d never thought to counter someone from this angle before—she was absolutely dying of laughter.

Just then, Ji Xiuhang’s cousin, Fan Chaochao, also approached.

Seeing the group gathered there, she curiously craned her neck, "What are you all talking about?"

Zhao Jinyu smirked, "Discussing whether you should brag about receiving a ring from a man who’s already taken."

Fan Chaochao’s eyes widened, as if her worldview had just been shattered. She exclaimed in disbelief, "A man with a girlfriend sends such an ambiguous gift, and the other person doesn’t even hide it but goes around talking about it? What kind of scumbag and shameless woman are they?!"

The hot-blooded young girl blurted out, and Zhao Jinyu laughed so hard her whole body shook.

"Hahahaha~~"

Some in the crowd stifled their laughter until their faces turned red, while others turned purple with rage.

Tao Wangxi stared directly at Qin Shuyi, who had effortlessly deflected the situation, "We're all just joking around here. It’s just an ordinary piece of jewelry, nothing as complicated as you’re making it out to be."

Someone immediately chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, it’s just a small gift. Some people are just overly sensitive."

Zhao Jinyu sneered, "So you get to have it both ways, huh?"

Fan Chaochao looked from one person to another, confused, "Huh?"

Qin Shuyi smiled faintly, "You’re right. No matter what, it’s the man who caused this mess who’s at fault."

She turned to Fan Chaochao, "Chaochao, could you please go call Ling Jue?"

Everyone’s expressions instantly changed.

"Why are you calling Master Jue?"

"There’s no need. Why would Master Jue get involved in such a trivial matter?"

"Yeah, let’s not bother Master Jue. We were just joking around."

Even Tao Wangxi couldn’t maintain her composure, staring intently at Qin Shuyi.

How could she so confidently summon Ling Jue? It was only because she was certain he would take her side. Where did she get such confidence?

And… Tao Wangxi clenched her palms tightly. There were some things she didn’t want to bring before Ling Jue either.

"Alright, let’s disperse. Outsiders might speculate without knowing the truth, but surely Miss Qin doesn’t distrust Master Jue either? This ring really has no other meaning."

Fan Chaochao glanced at Tao Wangxi, then at Qin Shuyi, and finally at the ring on Tao Wangxi’s finger. Suddenly, it clicked, "So that scumbag…"

Zhao Jinyu quickly covered her mouth.

Ignorance is one thing, but you can't just say anything.

Qin Shuyi shook her head, "Isn’t that exactly why we should clarify things? Otherwise, why should we speculate about something he gave away himself?"

"Chaochao."

Fan Chaochao straightened up and raised her hand, "I’ll go get him!"

Zhao Jinyu: …It must be said, Fan Chaochao and Ji Xiuhang are truly cousins.

Those who had been about to disperse at Tao Wangxi’s words now didn’t dare to leave.

The atmosphere grew suffocating, with only Qin Shuyi calmly sipping her juice.

…

Fan Chaochao quickly located Ling Jue and the others. Even if they intentionally stayed in a quiet corner, the three of them were still the center of attention in the entire venue, making them easy to find.

Dashing across the entire banquet hall, Fan Chaochao rushed over, "Brother Jue, your girlfriend is looking for you."

Ling Jue, who had been drinking gloomily, paused his fingers, "Does she know she was wrong?"

Fan Chaochao was momentarily confused. After thinking carefully, she said, "I don’t know if she knows she was wrong, but Brother Jue, it seems like you might be the one who’s wrong."

A mocking smile appeared on Ling Jue’s face, "She tells me to come and I come? Am I her dog?"

Xie Muchen and Ji Xiuhang both instinctively glanced at him.

He must be drunk. Saying something like this already put him at a disadvantage.

Fan Chaochao scratched her head, "But because you gave Sister Wangxi a ring, everyone’s calling you a scumbag now."

Ling Jue asked, "Is Qin Shuyi angry?"

Fan Chaochao nodded.

Well, she probably was angry.

The man who had just declared he wasn’t anyone’s dog and wouldn’t pay attention to her now stood up, "I’ll go take a look."

Xie Muchen / Ji Xiuhang: …

…

During the wait, Tao Wangxi sat down and looked at Qin Shuyi.

"As the leader of the Ling Financial Group, Master Jue is constantly surrounded by rumors and speculation. Are you going to call him over personally every time to handle it for you, Miss Qin? The future Mrs. Ling should be someone who solves problems, not creates them."

Qin Shuyi gave her a puzzled look. "I am not his wife, and I don't feel responsible for the title 'Mrs. Ling.' All I know is that every dispute should be traced to its root, and solving the fundamental issue is the most efficient approach."

She didn't need to hear a lecture on whether she was worthy of Ling Jue.

She was not born to be someone's wife or a good wife behind a successful man, nor did she need to strive to meet others' expectations to become a match for anyone.

As long as Ling Jue was her boyfriend, he had the obligation to resolve the troubles caused by his romantic entanglements.

"Aren't you afraid of dragging your family into this?" Tao Wangxi glanced at the four members of the Jiang family in the distance, her tone indifferent.

Qin Shuyi looked up, meeting her gaze seriously. "If dating Ling Jue means he can't even protect his girlfriend's family, then that's on him."

"If anyone isn't afraid to slap him in the face, they're welcome to try."

Tao Wangxi pressed her lips together.

Qin Shuyi was like an impenetrable fortress, impossible to reason with.

No matter what tactics her opponent employed, she only had one response—

Ling Jue.

Yet Tao Wangxi knew that Qin Shuyi's understanding of Ling Jue was not mistaken.

Whether they were together now or broke up in the future, if anything happened to the Jiang family because of him, he would not stand idly by.

It had nothing to do with love or compassion. Simply ignoring the suffering others endured due to his actions would make him seem like he had no character.

Tao Wangxi traced the rim of her glass with her fingers and fell silent.

At that moment, someone exclaimed, "He actually came!"

Everyone turned to look, their expressions varied.

Those who had still held a sliver of hope that Fan Chaochao wouldn't be able to summon Master Jue, and had even prepared to mock Qin Shuyi for getting too big for her britches, now looked pale and instinctively took a step back.

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