Chapter 48

The night was enchanting. As the night deepened, the atmosphere in the banquet hall became more and more lively.

Those who had come with a purpose had mostly achieved their goals by this time, their moods relaxed as they began to focus on enjoying themselves.

Tang Chengtian was very purposeful in his actions. Seeing that the timing was right, he quietly withdrew, asking someone to call Yan Ning while he went upstairs to the office to wait. He left the floor under the supervision of his assistant and secretary.

After Yan Ning and Lu Fengfeng finished dancing a song, they didn’t continue. The two of them found a quiet spot to eat and chat.

When Sese and Tutu came to get her, the two of them were tasting some small cakes.

Yan Ning followed the two of them to the elevator, and they went up to the 33rd-floor CEO’s office.

Tang Chengtian was sitting behind the desk, looking down at some documents.

Hearing the knock on the door, he called them in while looking up.

When he saw it was Yan Ning, his expression relaxed. “You’re here.”

Yan Ning sat down in the chair opposite him, with Sese standing beside her. Tutu poured some hot water from outside and placed it in front of her.

“I’m very grateful to Shengyi for helping me with the transfer.”

She remembered the earlier matter. Although she was given the opportunity to make a request because she had ranked first, without Shengyi’s help, it would have been difficult for an ordinary person to pass the exam and jump four levels.

“Ah, that matter. The teacher called to say your exam results were good and that you really could start from high school. Our company just provided an opportunity, but passing the test was all down to you.”

Tang Chengtian also remembered this when she mentioned it. His niece was indeed impressive—she passed the exam with high marks after only a few days of preparation.

In fact, the company had offered a reward for winners to make one request, which had started with the previous year. But for the student who secured a place at a prestigious school, they were already outstanding in their own right, having performed excellently in the final competition last year.

After the student made this request, Shengyi communicated with the university professors, who reviewed his transcript and conducted a brief interview. Only then did he secure that spot.

The public didn’t know the specific details, and Shengyi wanted to continue using this as a promotional angle. Aside from the person involved, very few people knew the exact process by which this so-called “wish” was granted.

“Anyway, it’s thanks to this opportunity that I was able to successfully transfer. I must express my gratitude for that. By the way, I’m curious, is there something going on today?” Yan Ning asked.

“It’s like this. Your performance in this competition was truly outstanding and had an incredible impact on promoting our new project. So, I would like to hire you as the spokesperson for ‘Angel Island No. 4’ and have you shoot some promotional videos,” Tang Chengtian said directly.

He was a businessman, and a very ambitious one at that, with a keen eye for business opportunities, which he had seen in Yan Ning.

Yan Ning was somewhat surprised. She had thought about what Tang Chengtian might want to discuss with her, but she hadn’t expected this.

“Wouldn’t it be better to find a celebrity as the spokesperson for the game?”

“Generally speaking, yes. Celebrities come with their own traffic, and they have more attention and influence. To be honest, I originally had a few candidates in mind. But after seeing your performance in the finals, I changed my mind.”

Yan Ning slightly leaned toward him, indicating that she was interested in hearing more.

She didn’t think her performance on the island was particularly impressive, especially when dealing with the stone dragon at the end, when she nearly got sabotaged by Yan Wan and almost caused Lu Fengfeng to get hurt.

“Because of the live stream, your excellent performance in the competition, your sharp judgment, your protection of your teammates, and your unmatched personal ability, you’ve gained an unexpected amount of popularity. I believe that using you as a spokesperson would have a better effect than a typical celebrity endorsement.” Tang Chengtian pushed the contract in front of Yan Ning. “If you agree, this is the offer we can provide.”

Yan Ning glanced at the contract, quickly scanning through the requirements. Her gaze finally stopped on the offer amount, which was indeed a very attractive figure.

“I understand. But before discussing this matter further, there’s actually something I’d like to mention,” Yan Ning said, looking away from the contract and turning her attention to Tang Chengtian.

Tang Chengtian remained calm, extending his hand toward her. “Please, go ahead.”

Yan Ning slightly tilted her head, looking at Sese and Tutu, who were standing obediently by the side. “Uncle, do you know their identities?”

Tang Chengtian’s gaze shifted and landed on Sese and Tutu. He didn’t answer immediately, but his attitude spoke volumes.

Yan Ning continued, “On Angel Island No. 4, in addition to the models generated through data, there were real interstellar creatures, especially the stone dragon in the final stage. Those things are very dangerous.”

Yan Ning observed Tang Chengtian’s expression, confirming that he wasn’t impatient, and then continued: “To be honest, if I hadn’t been there that day, the people on the island might not have made it out. They would have been nothing more than food for the stone dragon.”

Sese stood up and leaned toward Yan Ning: “Those were all put in by us, it has nothing to do with the boss.”

Tutu also stood up, looking at Yan Ning with wide eyes: “Those were secretly placed by Sese, it has nothing to do with the boss.”

Sese turned to look at Tutu in shock, pushing him lightly: “Wow, you’re so despicable! You agreed to it too!”

“Actually, I noticed from the start that the star-patterned spider dungeon had both virtual models and real star-patterned spiders. But I didn’t expect you to place the stone dragon in the final stage. The stone dragon is classified as an interstellar Class A dangerous creature. If an ordinary player encountered it on the island, they would certainly die.” Yan Ning looked at Sese and Tutu, her expression serious and her tone cold, showing no signs of joking.

Even the strength of the star-patterned spiders was already a tough challenge for many players.

Sese and Tutu, faced with Yan Ning’s serious attitude and words, lowered their heads, deeply reflecting on their reckless actions.

Tang Chengtian was silent for a moment, suppressing his excitement, and interrupted: “I heard you went missing for five years. It seems those five years weren’t as the public speculated, and you actually went to interstellar space?”

Since Yan Ning had already clarified things, she didn’t feel the need to hide any longer.

From what she had discovered on the island, she believed Tang Chengtian was one of the few people on Earth who knew about the existence of extraterrestrial life.

“Uncle, you’re a smart man. But this topic isn’t the focus of our conversation today. What I want to say is, if you plan to continue promoting the Angel Island No. 4 live game, you should first clean up the things that shouldn’t exist on the island.”

“It’s already been cleaned up. We actually didn’t dare release the stone dragon at first. We know how fragile humans are.” Tutu, who seemed to like Tang Chengtian, immediately spoke up in his defense.

Sese also added: “Originally, the island had three modes—easy, medium, and hard—and would adjust based on the players’ levels. But that day, when we saw the mark on you at the healing pool, we couldn’t help but want to test how powerful the ‘God’s’ power really was.”

Yan Ning didn’t expect that it was because of herself that such a situation occurred. She was momentarily speechless.

Sese’s gaze fell on the inhibitor on Yan Ning’s right wrist, where a crack had appeared, feeling a lingering sense of fear. “But we didn’t expect it to reach that level. When you killed the stone dragon, you didn’t even use the power of the mark.”

Yan Ning shifted her posture, crossing one leg and leaning slightly back in the chair, glancing down at the circular bracelet on her wrist: “The ‘God’s’ power? So that’s what you call the mark. However, you may have misunderstood. That mark is not my power, it’s only temporarily residing within me. Although everything turned out fine that day, it still damaged the inhibitor.”

“Temporarily residing within you? Why?” Tutu asked curiously, leaning closer to Yan Ning.

Although wearing a penguin headpiece, Yan Ning could still imagine the look beneath it—his big eyes wide open, full of curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

“This is a long story. If possible, I’d like to visit the island to take a look,” Yan Ning said, brushing aside the topic of the mark. “If it’s truly cleared up and there are no safety issues, I can agree to be the spokesperson for Angel Island No. 4.”

Tang Chengtian didn’t answer immediately. His eyes narrowed as he examined the girl sitting across from him, who was still under eighteen.

Earlier, Sese and Tutu had told him that Yan Ning was not someone to be underestimated, but he hadn’t taken it seriously at the time.

Yan Ning did show some abilities that were different from ordinary people in certain aspects, but Sese and Tutu, though aliens, had simple natures and limited experiences, which is why they thought so highly of her.

However, after observing her words and actions, and the way she considered things, he had to admit that this girl was indeed unlike others.

The delicate fragrance of tea wafted from the cup in his hand as he took a sip. “Alright, I’ll allow you to visit the island for an inspection.”

“Okay, shall we discuss further after I’ve checked the island?” Yan Ning asked.

“Sure, this is the contract. If you’re satisfied, just give me a call when you’re ready,” Tang Chengtian replied straightforwardly.

Yan Ning felt that the discussion was nearly over. She leaned slightly forward, preparing to get up, but then paused, sitting back down again, her expression turning serious. “By the way, Uncle, could you please help me keep the secret of my disappearance for the past five years for now?”

Tang Chengtian nodded. “No problem, but when you have time, I’d like to hear more about other planets from you.”

“No problem,” Yan Ning agreed as she stood up with a smile.

—

Angel Island No. 4 Real Island.

Yan Ning and the people from Shengyi had arranged to visit the island for an inspection over the weekend.

To make it easier for her to conduct the inspection, Tang Chengtian directly sent Sese and Tutu over, assigning them as guides to show her around the island.

Yan Ning rechecked the star-patterned spider dungeon, the Sea Demon Illusion dungeon, and the “Forbidden Love,” “Demonic Love,” and “Jealous Love” middle-boss dungeons.

The previous dungeons had indeed retained their original fun, but the difficulty was lowered, and all the real extraterrestrial creatures had been removed.

However, during the “Jealous Love” dungeon, an accident occurred.

Yan Ning discovered that the sea monsters in the Sea Witch Illusion were real, and they were a subspecies of mermaids.

She looked down at Sese and Tutu. Sese kept glancing at the Illusionary Sea, then looking at the surrounding mist, but didn’t dare to meet Yan Ning’s gaze.

Tutu stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Yan Ning’s calf, speaking in a coquettish tone, “Ningning, we didn’t mean to deceive you. Rosa has nowhere to go. If we don’t hide her here, she’ll be sold to some disgusting customers.”

Sese hugged Yan Ning’s other leg. “Yes, yes, we didn’t have a choice but to hide her here. We promise, Rosa won’t attack players, and she won’t do anything terrifying.”

Yan Ning crossed one arm in front of her chest and rested her other hand on her chin, “But when I left this illusion, I felt completely drained and lost my memory.”

The sea monster looked at her, its eyes distant and its voice ethereal, “Because at that time, your consciousness was trapped in the Illusionary Sea, and you accepted… an oath, that’s why.”

“What oath?” Yan Ning didn’t understand.

“He didn’t tell you?” A trace of surprise appeared in the sea monster’s indifferent eyes. It suddenly waved at Yan Ning, “Come with me.”

Sese and Tutu tried to follow but were stopped by the sea monster raising a hand.

Yan Ning stood in the center of the Illusionary Sea and closed her eyes. The sea monster’s misty and haunting song echoed, and Yan Ning’s consciousness returned to the day she first entered the game.

This time, it was not as if she were in the experience itself, but more like she was observing it from a consciousness state, much like in the Sea Demon Illusion, watching Lu Fengfeng’s experience at that time.

When she saw Lu Fengfeng softly confessing love in her ear, her pupils trembled.

This was the oath.

She had always thought that the confession under the Divine Bone Tree was something she had said first.

But it turned out that Fengfeng had already confessed to her long before that.

And she also understood where Fengfeng came from, only that particular tribe in the galaxy was bound by such a heavy oath.

The sea monster could tell from Yan Ning’s expression that she had figured it out. It lowered its head and half-bowed before Yan Ning, saying, “Because of the greed of the world, the mermaid tribe was nearly wiped out. Even our subspecies like us have been captured and sold far away. Now, there are few of us left. I don’t want to return to my homeland, nor do I want to become a plaything. Being able to settle on this island is my only wish. Please help me.”

Yan Ning lowered her eyes and remained silent for a while before speaking, “If you can accept no longer singing, you can continue to live here. Because it was your song that… Fengfeng, he…” Her heart raced with fear as she spoke.

She and Fengfeng were acting, and if they hadn’t passed the “betrayal” test, she would have remained in a deep sleep forever.

If it weren’t for her good fortune, encountering the most innocent and loyal species in the galaxy, she might have been trapped in her consciousness for a long time.

But if it had been an ordinary person, deceived by the sea monster’s song and unable to pass the test, they might never have woken up.

Singing and playing instruments were innate skills for mermaids and sea monsters. Born with sensitivity to sound and instruments, taking away her ability to sing would be like taking away half of her life.

Yan Ning knew it was somewhat cruel, thought for a moment, and then said, “When players are clearing levels, you cannot sing.”

“Okay, I promise you.” The sea monster almost didn’t hesitate.

After saying goodbye to the sea monster, Yan Ning continued to inspect the other dungeons on the island. In addition to the ones she had played during the competition, there were also some smaller, more amusing levels that she checked as well.

Finally, she and Sese and Tutu arrived at the Golden Holy Dragon dungeon.

The stone door could no longer be opened, so the technical team from Shengyi rebuilt a level outside the stone door.

The newly set boss was constructed based on the real data of the Stone Dragon, but the values were reduced by 99%, making the current strength very practical.

After leaving the Angel No. 4 Island Real Dungeon, Yan Ning called Tang Chengtian.

Sese immediately took out the contract. These guys had originally planned to get her to sign it on the way back.

She mentioned it first, and Sese was happy to save his breath.

After signing the contract, Yan Ning sat on the deck of the cruise ship, eating. She casually asked, “What brought you two to Earth?”

Sese, holding a notebook and about to send the edited data, lowered his head, gently pressed the send button, and then said, “We heard by chance that there’s a planet in the universe that hasn’t joined the alliance. Life there is peaceful and prosperous, so we, who have no place to go, secretly came here.”

Tutu was eating, reaching for a piece of strawberry cream cake and feeding it into the mouth of the penguin doll.

After the penguin doll’s mouth was pried open, it was quite large, enough to fit an entire hand inside. It looked a little frightening at first glance.

Hearing this, Sese put the penguin headgear back on and said, “Hey, we didn’t come here to…”

Before Sese could finish his sentence, Tutu was suddenly knocked over by Sese, who covered his mouth tightly with his short hands, signaling him through the headgear.

Tutu struggled for a moment, then pushed Sese’s round body away, sitting up. “Well, Blue Star really is peaceful. Life here is easy and pleasant.”

Yan Ning gazed at the distant sea horizon, her expression unreadable.

—

After getting off the cruise ship, Yan Ning didn’t head straight home. She diverted and decided to visit the hospital.

Passing by a flower shop, she bought a bouquet of flowers, then stopped at a nearby cake shop to buy a box of delicious-looking small cakes, before heading to the hospital alone.

She had suddenly remembered to visit Yan An and hadn’t told anyone. After buying everything, she took a taxi straight to the hospital.

While waiting for the elevator downstairs, she noticed that her shoelaces were untied. She looked around for a place to put down the things she was holding, squatted down, and tied her shoes.

When she stood up, the elevator had already arrived and was about to ascend.

In a hurry, she grabbed the flowers and the cake box, which were resting on the plastic chair, and managed to get into the elevator at the last second before the doors fully closed.

Hospitals are always crowded, especially on weekends, with the number of people coming and going more than double that of weekdays.

Yan Ning barely squeezed in, getting stuck in a small corner, unable to turn around.

So, she didn’t notice that a person who had just gotten off the elevator behind her was turning back and looking in her direction.

But because she didn’t turn around, the person thought it was just a figment of their imagination, looked twice, then turned around and left the hospital with a lighthearted mood.

When Yan Ning got off the elevator and was walking toward Yan An’s room, the hallway was bustling with doctors and nurses rushing by, as if something urgent had happened. She was even bumped into by someone.

The person in a white coat who bumped into her didn’t even glance at her, rushing into a patient’s room.

Yan Ning understood this situation, but when she saw the room number where the doctors and nurses were rushing into, her face changed. She quickly hurried forward and followed them in.

It was Yan An’s room.

As Yan Ning entered, the people inside were all anxious, and no one noticed her.

She bypassed the others, and amid the crowd of doctors and nurses, she saw Yan An, whose face was as pale as paper.

The small and frail Yan An was lying in the bed, her eyes tightly closed, her lips turning blue, and her complexion ghostly white.

The situation looked extremely critical. The doctor in charge was holding an instrument and seemed to be desperately trying to save her. But the nearby machine was making beeping sounds, and the line indicating her vital signs had turned into a flat, horizontal line.

The doctor’s movements halted, and his brow furrowed, looking very frustrated.

Yan Ning squeezed through the nurses to the side of Yan An’s bed. She gently held her frail hand, and the suppressor on her right wrist subtly trembled.

The doctor looked up, saw Yan Ning, and sternly asked, “Who are you?”

Suddenly, the machine made a noise. The patient, who had already lost all vital signs, showed a faint heartbeat again.

Yan Ning silently stepped back from the crowd. The doctor and nurses resumed their frantic work, and no one paid attention to her anymore.

She stood quietly in the far corner of the room, waiting for the doctor to stabilize Yan An’s condition. Once the room had cleared a bit, a nurse noticed her again, asking, “May I ask who you are?”

“I’m Yan An’s sister.”

The nurse’s eyes widened slightly, not hiding her surprise. “You’re a family member of the patient?”

“Yes, may I ask how her condition is now?”

The nurse glanced back at the person lying on the bed. “Her vital signs have gradually returned to normal, and she should wake up soon.”

Yan Ning nodded, walked over to Yan An’s bed, placed the cake and flowers she had bought on the bedside table, and then pulled over a stool to sit down.

About half an hour later, Yan An’s eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. She immediately felt someone holding her hand, and that hand was soft and warm.

Her gaze first rested on the familiar ceiling above her head. Then her pupils slowly shifted to the right, and she saw Yan Ning sitting beside the bed. Her voice was weak and hoarse. “Sis… sis?”

“Don’t speak yet. Do you want some water? If you do, blink your eyes,” Yan Ning leaned forward, furrowing her brows with a concerned look as she gazed at Yan An.

Yan An blinked her eyes but didn’t say anything.

Yan Ning let go of her hand, picked up the thermos cup from the bedside table, unscrewed the lid, and poured a cup of warm water.

Holding the cup with one hand and supporting Yan An with the other, she brought the cup to her lips.

After Yan An drank the water, her complexion seemed a bit better, and she lay back down on the bed.

She tilted her head, her gaze resting on Yan Ning’s face. “Why did you come, sis?”

“I went out for a bit today, and on my way back, I suddenly thought of coming to see you. Here, I brought you some flowers and cake.”

Yan An’s eyes followed the direction of Yan Ning’s finger, and seeing her difficulty, Yan Ning simply brought the flowers closer for her to see, then placed them next to her pillow. “There are also some cute little cakes. You can have them once you feel a bit better.”

A slight smile curved at the corner of Yan An’s lips, and a hint of warmth appeared in her eyes. “Sis, you’re so good to me.”

“It’s nothing, after all, I’m your sister. By the way, does this kind of thing happen often?” Yan Ning held her hand, her brows furrowed as she looked very serious.

Yan An shook her head. “No, it only gets worse occasionally. I hope I didn’t scare you when you saw me today.”

“Foolish child, why would you be scared? Do Mom and Dad know about this?” Yan Ning squeezed Yan An’s thin, fragile hand, her heart secretly frightened.

If she hadn’t suddenly decided to come see her, Yan An might not have been saved.

Although such situations were rare, every time they happened, it could cost her life.

“Don’t tell Mom, sis. I’m fine.” Yan An closed her eyes, hiding the pain and helplessness in them, her tone full of pleading.

She didn’t want them to know.

“But—”

“Mom and Dad are already worried enough. I don’t want them to be more tired because of me. Actually, it really only happens occasionally. Today, it just happened to be when you saw me,” she had just woken up, and after going through such a life-or-death experience, speaking was a bit difficult for her.

“Okay, I understand. Don’t speak anymore, just rest well.”

Yan Ning stayed with Yan An for a long time in the hospital, even having dinner together.

When Yan Ning got up to leave, Yan An gently pulled on her hand, her eyes filled with attachment. “Sis, will you come see me again?”

“Yes, I’ll come in a few days.”

After Yan Ning left, the expression on Yan An’s face disappeared completely.

The delicate little face was now shrouded in shadows, and she lifted her hand slightly to push the bouquet of flowers from the bedside down to the floor, closing her eyes expressionlessly.

—

Yan Residence.

Yan Ning didn’t ask Uncle Zheng to pick her up, she took a taxi back herself.

After taking off her shoes at the entrance, she was about to go to the kitchen to get a glass of water before heading upstairs when she unexpectedly saw Yan Wan sitting in the downstairs living room.

She didn’t speak to her, just walked past toward the water and headed for the stairs.

From the corner of her eye, Yan Ning vaguely glanced at Yan Wan and felt that her condition had worsened considerably since before the competition. There seemed to be a shadow over her face, making her look haggard and almost insane.

Bang— A sharp sound exploded behind Yan Ning.

It was the sound of a glass vase shattering.

Caught off guard, Yan Ning didn’t manage to dodge in time. A shard of glass from the broken vase scratched her calf, and blood began to slowly drip down.

The aunt in the kitchen hurried out, her face full of panic.

Yan Ning turned around, furrowing her brows as she looked at Yan Wan, her tone impatient. “What’s your problem?”

Yan Wan stood up, her eyes bloodshot with anger. She glared at Yan Ning, muttering curses under her breath. Then, she approached Yan Ning, taunting her with silent words: “Why don’t you just die?”

Yan Ning, disgusted, pushed her away, not using much force. But Yan Wan staggered back as if she had been shoved hard, landing on the pile of broken glass shards.

The aunt, panicked, didn’t dare to look at Yan Ning. She bent down to help Yan Wan up.

Yan Ning stared at Yan Wan’s slightly smug expression, unable to hold back a frown.

This woman is truly insane!

And she’s a fool!

But even though she’s crazy and foolish, her disgusting tactics are quite effective.

Less than half an hour after Yan Ning returned to her room, both Yan Zhengjun and Tang Minrou called her, demanding that she go downstairs and apologize to Yan Wan.

The aunt had seen her push Yan Wan, and the evidence was clear.

Later, Qiao Yingxue also messaged to ask about it.

Yan Wan posted an update on her social media, claiming her hand was accidentally scratched and insinuating that someone had pushed her. She even attached a photo of her injured hand, which prompted many people to inquire about it.

Yan Ning scratched her head, briefly explained to Qiao Yingxue, and then didn’t pay it much attention.

She had been running around all day, and when she returned home, there was no peace. Her body and mind both felt exhausted.

She often felt that, even though she wasn’t working like a machine every day as she did on M20 Star, she actually felt even more tired.

—

The weekend passed, and a refreshed Monday arrived.

As usual, Yan Ning avoided eating with Yan Wan and Yan Yu, and had Uncle Zheng send her to school early.

On this day, she was certain that nothing major had happened to her, but on her way, a lot of students kept looking back at her.

This kind of situation, she had gotten used to, but today it seemed more intense than any previous time.

The passersby’s gazes were particularly intense. Even when she looked back at them, they didn’t shy away, and some even smiled at her warmly.

Yan Ning had no idea what had happened, so she asked in her small group chat.

This group was still her small base from Class 5 in Grade 7, and now even Chen Kai and Gu Tian, who weren’t in Class 5, had joined.

【Yan Ning: On my way to school today, a lot of strange people were looking at me again. Has something happened?】

【Chen Kai: There’s a new post on the forum. Turns out you’re the real young lady. No wonder you’re Ningning-chan!】

【Zhao Xiaolu: Ningning really never lacks for topics around her.】

【Qiao Yingxue: Too bad we’re not in the same building. Otherwise, I’d really love to go and see what kind of face you’re wearing today.】

【Yan Ning: What new post? Who posted it?】

【Shi Lei: ‘Shocking | True or False: The real daughter of the Yan family, turns out she’s the legitimate young lady, the boss of Shengyi’s niece!’】

Shi Lei quickly dropped the original post into the chat, and Yan Ning clicked on it.

Under the headline, there was a set of pictures, showing her from the other day at the Shengyi party.

In the photos, there was a shot of her walking into the banquet hall, a picture of Tang Chengtian chatting with her, and also a photo of her dancing with Fengfeng on the dance floor.

The set of pictures had more than ten shots, all impeccably framed and from perfect angles.

At the end of the photos, there was a text: “This is the true young lady of the Yan family, Yan Ning. Tang Chengtian, the boss of Shengyi, is her real uncle. A few days ago at the banquet, Tang Chengtian publicly announced that she is his niece, while certain counterfeit ‘ladies’ couldn’t even get an invitation.”

Yan Ning’s expression didn’t change as her finger swiped the screen, scrolling down, and there were already numerous replies.

【Just because she attended the banquet doesn’t mean she’s a young lady of the Yan family, right? Which Yan family? Does it have a bigger family than the school beauty’s?】

【Who are they calling a fake?】

【What’s the story with this? Another rich girl story? This seems too fake.】

【LOL, wasn’t the banquet a party for all the finalists invited by Shengyi? Just attending and now she’s a rich young lady? Our Wanwan didn’t even want to go to such a banquet, and some people took it as an opportunity. Gross~】

【Is what the poster said true? Wanwan wouldn’t care about that banquet, but she went and is now trying to force the identity of a rich young lady? Too funny, hahahahaha~】

【Who posted this? Is this a troll account? Hahahaha~~`】

【If you don’t know the situation, better keep quiet. Getting slapped in the face hurts.】

【Is there going to be a plot twist? Even if Yan Ning is really a rich young lady, so what? Wanwan’s family is no worse than hers. Wanwan is so low-key. Even though she comes from a noble background, she never shows off, gentle and serene. Not like some half-baked characters. Hmph!】

【I’m the one who posted this. Seeing so many people who don’t know the facts, I’ll answer here. Some people should get ice packs and towels ready, because their faces are going to hurt.

First, Yan Ning really is a rich young lady. At that time, the head of the Tang family personally introduced her to many famous socialites, stating she was his niece.

Second, Yan Ning’s family background is no less impressive than the school beauty’s. Why? Because the school beauty’s family is actually Yan Ning’s family. Seventeen years ago, the Yan family accidentally swapped babies. Yan Wan is the one who was switched, and Yan Ning was only recently found and is the true young lady of the Yan family. If anyone doubts this, they can verify it themselves. This is no longer a secret in the circle.

Third, as for your wife Wanwan or goddess Wanwan, tsk, that’s truly a joke. It’s not that she looks down on Shengyi’s banquet, it’s that Shengyi didn’t even invite her. Out of the six finalists, she was the only one not invited because she offended the boss of Shengyi years ago.

Also, many people who watched the live stream at the event must know that your kind and gentle wife Wanwan did a lot of things in the game that hurt Yan Ning. Looking back, she was occupying someone else’s parents, using someone else’s identity, and still trying to step on others. That’s what’s truly laughable.】

【The poster above is absolutely right… I went to watch the finals live, and Wanwan’s performance was really awful. I was at the Friday banquet too, and at that time, Boss Tang was introducing Yan Ning to my mom, saying she was his niece.】

【Ouch—does it hurt?】

【…Wow! If this is all true, that’s pretty mind-blowing, right?】

【The school beauty’s persona is collapsing… but I guess it’s not so surprising, she’s always been pretending!】

【Impossible! I don’t believe it! Wanwan is the true rich young lady!】

【Wake up, everyone! The truth is right in front of you! Yan Ning is the real one. To be honest, even if Yan Ning weren’t from a rich family, I’d still like her. Her performance in the competition was amazing!】

【Yes, yes, her performance in every round was perfect. And her interactions with her boyfriend—totally adorable!】

【I didn’t care much for that game before, but that day I accidentally watched the live stream, picked the most popular room, and saw her. Wow, I’m hooked now!】

—

Yan Ning scrolled through the thread. It wasn’t posted by her, but it had a lot of views—gossip really does attract attention.

Knowing why everyone was paying attention to her, she closed the page and headed to the classroom.

After the first class, Shu Yue ran to Yan Ning’s desk, holding her phone, looking anxious.

“Ningning, look at this.”

Yan Ning took a quick look. Someone had posted again on the forum, claiming to be a close friend or relative of Yan Wan.

The post included a picture of the injury on Yan Wan’s hand and subtly implied that Yan Wan had been mistreated at the Yan family, with Yan Ning often bullying her because of her “young lady” status.

It was said that the injury to her hand happened when Yan Ning pushed her onto broken glass at home, while the adults were away. Both of her hands were scratched, and though it was a serious injury that could affect her ability to play the piano and dance, she didn’t speak up about it. Instead, she was the one accused of causing trouble.

The comments section exploded with people speaking up for Yan Wan, cursing Yan Ning.

However, some students who had seen the live broadcast earlier knew a little about Yan Wan’s true nature and tried to calm those who were being stirred up, only to be scolded in return.

Yan Ning calmly handed her phone back to Shu Yue, saying, “It’s nothing, just small talk.”

Both Shu Yue and Yan Ning’s desk mate, Xu Moyan, knew Yan Wan’s true colors and felt very upset about what was happening. Yan Ning spent some time calming them down before returning to class.

Of course, she would deal with this issue, but not at school.

The situation had already gotten ugly enough, and there was no need to add fuel to the fire.

But at noon, everything took a huge turn.

Someone posted a video on the forum. It showed footage of Yan Ning and Yan Wan from the Angel No. 4 Island competition.

From the first day, where Yan Wan was slapped for her sharp tongue, to the subtle ways she belittled Yan Ning’s cooking, to the final dramatic part where she pushed Yan Ning into a cave and exposed her disgraceful moments in front of others—it all played out for everyone to see.

This move was a total game-changer, completely stripping away all of Yan Wan’s pretenses and the fake image she had built.

All the people who had previously badmouthed Yan Ning, who even tried to confront her during lunch, now fell silent.

The main reason was that Yan Wan’s image had been shattered so thoroughly. The people who genuinely liked her before now felt a deep, indescribable emotional wound.

When the fourth period ended, students were supposed to rush to the cafeteria, but no one had moved for quite some time.

Looking down at her phone screen, all of the displays were showing the same video — a clip of her making things difficult for Yan Ning on the island.

Yan Wan sat at her desk, her head slightly lowered, her arms trembling. She couldn’t help but glance at her desk mate’s expression.

The boy who had always been the most eager to show her attention, sensing her gaze, twisted his mouth into a smirk, and a hint of mockery appeared in his eyes.

Yan Wan tightly clenched her fingers together, her heart in turmoil.

She had never felt as miserable as she did today. When other people’s eyes fell on her, it felt like they were stripping her bare.

The eyes that had once been full of admiration and envy for her were now filled with the ridicule and sarcasm she had once carelessly directed at Yan Ning.

The people around her slowly began to stand up, phones in hand, chatting and heading downstairs to the cafeteria.

Chen Xiao’ai cautiously walked to Yan Wan’s side, softly calling out, “Wanwan, are you okay?”

“Get lost!” Yan Wan slammed her hands onto the desk, shouting in a voice full of rage, finally losing control and breaking down.

Seeing her like this, Chen Xiao’ai felt a pang of worry and wanted to step forward to comfort her.

Yan Wan pushed her away. “I told you to get lost!”

Chen Xiao’ai was startled by her outburst, taking a couple of steps back. She didn’t dare to say anything else and hurried out of the classroom.

That day, the pearl of Minghua High School turned into a white porcelain bead, losing all its luster.

Yan Wan’s myth at Minghua High and surrounding schools came to a sudden end. In fact, it backfired, and she became the topic of gossip for many people in their spare time.

Yan Ning didn’t comment much on it. This outcome was all of Yan Wan’s own doing.

If Yan Wan had approached her calmly from the start, they wouldn’t have ended up like this.

She didn’t know who posted that thread on the forum, but she had a good idea of who was behind the video.

With such complete visual evidence, there was only one possibility: Shengyi, who had been monitoring everything from the beginning.

However, Yan Ning couldn’t help but feel a slight curiosity about what exactly Yan Wan had done to anger Tang Chengtian to this extent.

It seemed that Tang Chengtian showed no mercy toward her at all. When he spoke of her, his face was dark, and he even used such tactics against her.

Still, even so, Yan Ning knew she couldn’t let her guard down.

Behind Yan Wan, there was still something supporting her, so it was unlikely she would collapse completely anytime soon.

Yan Ning’s plan was to wait until the K2 batteries arrived and 007 was back in operation.

Once that happened, she could find a way to strip Yan Wan of whatever support she had, cutting off the root of the problem once and for all.

Standing on the side of the road, Yan Ning felt like Uncle Zheng was running a bit late, though she hadn’t received any messages saying he would be delayed.

She silently debated whether to go into the nearby milk tea shop, order something, and wait for him to arrive.

Suddenly, a sharp object pressed against her back, and a man’s voice whispered in her ear: “Don’t move. I need to talk to you about something.”