Chapter 284: End-Of-Year Award Ceremony
It was probably because her aura was too strong that Changqing couldn’t help but take a few more glances at her and realized that Augustine Rong looked a lot like a Russian. Her nose was high and her eyes were deep-set.
Changqing sighed. It was also impressive for a woman to be able to live to such status.
Suddenly, Augustine Rong seemed to look over to her side. Changqing jumped. An exchange of gazes with such a big shot made her advert her gaze and look around nervously.
“Yo, why are you standing here alone?” Zhao Zhu suddenly walked over with an apparent smile. “Where’s Zuo Qian, Ruan Yang, and Jiang Duoyao? Why aren’t your helpers here tonight?”
Changqing lifted her head and looked at the ceiling with a despising expression. “Miss Zhao, didn’t you see that there are many people who hate you on the internet? Why did you come out again? Since you’re already engaged, you should stay at home and guard Xin Ziao. What are you doing meddling around? This is a very classy award ceremony. Don’t keep coming to these events based on your familial connections, alright?”
“Yan Changqing, watch your words. Let me tell you—my dad is one of the sponsors for tonight’s award ceremony.” Zhao Zhu warned viciously. “Do you believe me when I say I can throw you out with a word? I heard the Song family doesn’t want you anymore. What can your dad do for you?”
Changqing was speechless. If she had known that she would encounter such an annoying person, she wouldn’t have attended the award ceremony.
She turned, wanting to leave when Zhang Zixin walked towards her. “What are the two of you talking about?”
Zhao Zhu quickly said, “Sister Zixin, you’re just in time. Yan Changqing was just mocking my popularity, saying that I have no right to attend such an award ceremony.”
“No right?” Zhang Zixin looked at Changqing with a smile and raise her brows. “Changqing, are you starting to act like an aloof and snobbish artiste just because your recent drama is popular? Even I, with my current status, wouldn’t dare to say such things. Do you know who this is? CEO Zhao’s daughter. I wonder how disappointed Zuo Qian would be if he heard those words from you. To think he even had high expectations of you.”
Changqing knew that Zhang Zixin hadn’t liked her all along. Usually, when she saw Zhang Zixin, she would talk to her in a demeaning way and pick on her. However, she didn’t expect Zhang Zixin to take Zhao Zhu’s side. That was simply a character flaw. To think she even supported Zuo Qian being with Zhang Zixin all this while.
However, at such a place, her status was indeed lower than Zhang Zixin and Zhao Zhu, so she could only swallow her anger and didn’t want to argue with them. “Sister Zixin, it’s my fault. I said the wrong things. You two can have a chat; I won’t disturb you two.”
After saying that, she turned to leave. Suddenly, Zhang Zixin stepped on her dress silently. Changqing was in such a hurry to leave, and on top of that, she was wearing heels. When she was tripped, she lost her balance and grabbed onto the corner of the table while flustered. At that moment, Zhao Zhu suddenly went up and knocked her right shoulder, saying out loud, “Aiya, Changqing, be careful.”
Changqing was pushed by that force and ultimately fell. Not only that, because she was holding onto the corner of the table, she pulled on the table cloth as she fell and all the fruit juice and desserts landed on her shoulder in a mess.
The loud commotion caused everyone in the ballroom to look over. Changqing fell on the icy cold floor. Her knees and arms were in so much pain she couldn’t stand up. Of course, that wasn’t the most awkward part. The most awkward part was how others looked at her with the intention of watching a show.
She lowered her head and saw the fruit all over the floor and the cream sticking to her body. Even her hair was wet from the fruit juice.
Her mind went blank and couldn’t believe that she got into such an embarrassing situation.
“Changqing, I told you to be careful. Why are you so careless?” Zhao Zhu went up to help her up hurriedly.
Changqing pushed her away angrily.
She realized Zhao Zhu was the one who knocked her down.
However, she didn’t expect Zhao Zhu to pretend to take a few more steps back with that force and knock into the table behind her. Her face was in disbelief. “Changqing, what are you doing? I know you fell and you feel embarrassed, but you don’t have to vent your anger on me.”
Zhang Zixin walked up with a frown. “Changqing, you’re too much indeed. I don’t think Zhao Zhu offended you. Forget that you’ve insulted her but just now, you even pushed her.”
After she said that, everyone around started whispering.
“Zixin, what are you saying?” At this time, Zuo Qian came over to take a look after hearing the commotion and his expression changed. He quickly went up to help Changqing and even pulled out a tissue to help her wipe off the cake and juice on her body meticulously.
A hint of annoyance and anger flashed past Zhang Zixin’s face. “Zuo Qian, I was telling the truth…”
Changqing couldn’t hold it in any longer and interrupted her angrily, “Miss Zhang Zixin, I remember never having offended you in the past. Why must you pick on me? You know very clearly what happened just now.”
Zhang Zixin let out a cold laugh. “Yan Changqing, do I need to pick on you with my current status? Don’t put yourself up on a pedestal. You really think that you can be a snob now that you’re slightly more popular?”
Zuo Qian’s face sank. Just as he was about to speak, an apathetic voice drifted out from the crowd. “Miss Zhang Zixin, I worked with you before and I even thought that you were quite a nice person, but today, you really changed my perspective.”
The person who spoke made everyone stunned. Even Changqing was stunned as she watched, in disbelief, as Augustine Rong came closer. She could finally take a closer look at her features. There were fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She couldn’t tell how old she was, but she must’ve been a beauty when she was younger. Her face was slightly thin but her figure was as good as the world’s top models.
Augustine Rong was speaking up for her?
She couldn’t even believe it herself.
The moment Zhang Zixin heard Augustine Rong speak out, her expression became ugly. Her main motive today was to build a better relationship with Augustine Rong. Never would she have thought that she would speak up for Changqing. “Teacher Rong, you’re mistaken. I saw that she was bullying a newbie just now, so I was a little…”
“If I didn’t see wrongly, I think you stepped on this Miss Yan’s dress from behind then when this lady pretended to help her, she knocked her onto the floor again,” Augustine Rong said coldly. “So that was why I said that you changed my perspective.”
The crowd around suddenly burst into a discussion. With Augustine Rong speaking up for Changqing, suddenly, their gazes on Zhang Zixin became despising.
Zuo Qian revealed a shocked and angry look of disappointment.
Zhang Zixin lost all color in her face and said with a forceful smile, “Teacher Rong, are you mistaken? How could I possibly bully her like that?”
“I’m not mistaken,” Augustine Rong said again as she pointed as Zhao Zhu. “As for this lady, just now she said that Miss Yan pushed her. With that exaggerated acting, couldn’t you all tell that it was all an act?”
“Right, right, right, actually I could tell too.” Li Xiaxue, who once won the best female actress award, stood up to say, “I found it pretty weird just now and I wanted to speak out too. I didn’t think that Teacher Rong would stand up first too. However, I didn’t think that Teacher Rong could see what happened here so clearly even when she was talking to us.”
Augustine Rong turned her head and stared at Changqing, saying very clearly, word for word, in a gentle tone, “Of course, because I’ve been watching this Miss Yan very closely ever since I entered the venue.”
The crowd was stunned once again and so was Changqing. Could it be that this Augustine Rong had her eyes on her figure and also wanted to bring her to Europe for some fashion week?
Her little universe entered a frenzy. Although she wasn’t very interested in fashion week, if Augustine Rong were to invite her, should she have a go at it?
Augustine Rong suddenly smiled. “Because she’s my daughter-in-law.”
The venue which was supposed to be very lively suddenly fell eerily silent. Zhang Zixin and Zhao Zhu’s faces were so pale it looked as though they had seen a ghost. The others were already looking at Changqing differently.
Changqing was dumbfounded. She felt as though she had seen a ghost too.
What? What?
Did Augustine Rong get it wrong? Or did she mistake me for someone else?
I’m her daughter-in-law?
She didn’t have a mother-in-law.
No, no, I have a mother-in-law, but I haven’t met her even when I’m about to get a divorce. Could it be that this person is… Song Chuyi’s mom?
Her world was a mess.
What on earth is going on?
How is my mother-in-law the most famous Chinese designer in Europe?
Also, is it really okay for Augustine Rong to announce to the public that I’m married just like that?
Isn’t it too willful?
Li Xiaxue, who was standing at the side, smiled and said, “No wonder, but I never thought that Changqing would be married at such a young age.”
“That’s right, that’s right.” The past winner of the best male actor award agreed.
“Well, young people always get married fast when they’ve found the one.” Rong Chang smiled lightly and watched Changqing carefully before saying, “You won’t be able to attend the ceremony properly like this. I happen to have brought a dress today. Come—I’ll take you upstairs to get changed.”
After saying that, she didn’t even wait for Changqing to react. Rong Chang was already holding her hand and walked towards the exit. After taking a few steps, she turned her head back and said to CEO Dong, the main organizer of the fashion ceremony, “I’m really disappointed by the gala dinner organized by your company tonight. Do you allow any random people with no substance in just because they have some backing? CEO Wu, you can’t go on organizing events like this.”
“Yes, yes, yes, Teacher Rong, you’re right,” CEO Wu agreed with a forced smile. After Rong Chang had taken Changqing away, he glared harshly at Zhao Zhu and Zhang Zixin. Forget about Zhang Zixin. After all, she still had some status in the industry, but this Zhao Zhu…