Chapter Ninety-Five: Old Feelings

"Are you coming too?" Mrs. Ning asked, somewhat surprised to see Sheng Jiaoyang that morning.

"Yes, Aunt." Sheng Jiaoyang smiled.

"You're still a student; your studies should be your priority!" Mr. Ning said earnestly.

"It's alright, Uncle; I'm a freshman now." Sheng Jiaoyang's smile remained unchanged.

"Freshmen also have military training!" her beautiful cousin said.

"No matter how important military training is, it can't compare to spending time with Uncle and Aunt." Sheng Jiaoyang smiled brightly.

Beautiful cousin: You scheming devil! You bootlicker!

"Brother Zhi Ning was worried that he'd neglect you if he had to deal with official business, so he asked me to come along. I also accompanied Grandpa Shen and Grandma Andy when they came to visit last time. I know Brother Zhi Ning's island quite well; you can ask me for help if you have any questions!"

"Have Zhi Ning's grandparents already met you?" The Ning couple's expressions were remarkably unified.

"Yes!"

"Did they say anything?"

"When they left, they told Brother Zhi Ning and me to live a good life together, and said they were waiting for good news from Brother Zhi Ning." Sheng Jiaoyang said, half-jokingly.

"Really? Zhi Ning." Not believing it, Madam Ning asked Shen Zhi Ning again.

Shen Zhi Ning nodded.

The Ning couple, who had been discussing how to persuade Shen Zhi Ning to break up with his girlfriend before going to bed last night, suddenly felt a pang of sadness. His grandparents had already approved; wouldn't they, as his uncle and aunt, be slapping the faces of Old Master Shen and Madam Shen if they objected?

The beautiful cousin was also frustrated; such a perfect prince charming had been snatched away by a pig, and his grandparents even thought it was a good thing.

As for Ning Xiaoruan… she felt so heartbroken, she was being tortured again /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~

Once on the island, it was time to arrange the rooms again.

Sheng Jiaoyang returned to her bedroom, and everything was back to how it was when she first moved in.

The others were also arranged on the second floor.

"You're not sleeping together?" Madam Ning was a little surprised to see Sheng Jiaoyang also sleeping on the second floor.

Sheng Jiaoyang said matter-of-factly, "I'm still young, of course I won't sleep together." She secretly thought, if they slept together, wouldn't she have to sleep on the floor again! "A bed is never as comfortable as a floor mat." Besides, being with Shen the Devil wasn't comfortable to begin with.

The Shen couple, however, changed their opinion of her somewhat because of this remark. Regardless of other aspects, at least she was a girl with self-respect.

While they were enjoying the island scenery, the online rumors about Xu Jiaojiao cheating were quickly dispelled overnight thanks to the efforts of Yuren International PR.

Zeng Huan's video of Li Weiqi confessing his love to Xu Qing garnered a huge number of views and went viral on social media. The dramatic change in the confessor's behavior, and the later confessor's words spoken in broken Mandarin, were particularly interesting. The line, "I don't want to be your younger brother, I want to hug you, hug you like a lover, kiss you like a sweetheart," became a hit, used by many boys to confess to older girls they admire. Seeing Xu Jiaojiao hugging her mother and firmly saying she would support her, some casual viewers became fans, saying that such a resilient and responsible girl was incredibly appealing.

Yesterday, most netizens who were relentlessly criticizing Xu Jiaojiao for being promiscuous at such a young age and even sympathizing with Gu Zhou on Weibo for being cheated on, have fallen silent. Only a very small number are questioning whether the video was deliberately filmed to clarify the rumors. Many are also speculating that Yuren International only clarified the relationship between Xu Jiaojiao and the rumored male protagonist who picked her up at the airport, but not her relationship with Gu Zhou. Does this mean the two are actually together?

Of course, it's worth mentioning that those who pushed the cheating scandal, thinking they had caught Xu Jiaojiao red-handed and wanted to drown her in public criticism, must be furious right now. They had solid evidence; a little more effort would have been enough to crush her. But overnight, that evidence became a joke? It even boosted Xu Jiaojiao's popularity, achieving the opposite effect. This is undoubtedly a sad thing for the mastermind behind it all.

In an office, someone saw the video and smashed their blue-and-white porcelain teacup.

A knock sounded on the door.

"Come in."

"Mr. Pan, are you alright?" the secretary asked with concern as she entered.

"I'm fine, I just accidentally knocked over a teacup." Pan Zihui's face showed no emotion.

"Let me clean it up for you." As she spoke, the secretary came over to pick up the broken pieces of the teacup. She inadvertently glanced at the image displayed on the computer screen and asked in surprise, "Mr. Pan, you're interested in this too?"

Pan Zihui replied calmly, "I've been considering changing the spokesperson recently. I think Xu Jiaojiao is quite good, so I've been paying more attention to her information."

"I see." The secretary looked enlightened, only realizing something was amiss after she left the office. Considering changing the spokesperson should be a matter for the planning department; Mr. Pan usually wouldn't interfere in such matters.

In the office, Pan Zihui watched the image replaying on the computer. The woman, with tears of happiness in her eyes, accepting the roses, exuded the gentle aura of a mature woman. He couldn't help but think of his time in school.

Xu Qing's beauty was the kind that looked naturally stunning; she could attract attention with her delicate features even without makeup. Coupled with her gentle, water-like personality, she was very popular with the upperclassmen at school, and he was one of them. Being with Xu Qing was truly enjoyable; it always felt like a refreshing breeze. Even after they were together, other men still wanted to pursue her, so he proposed to her before he left school.

At that time, he was full of thoughts of working hard to create a better home for her, having a baby with her, and growing old together. But people really change a lot after entering society. They can't help but pursue fame and fortune, and become more self-centered and selfish. The fact that Jiang Yin, the heiress of a conglomerate, pursued him gave him special treatment, which made him, who was being ostracized by his colleagues, feel vain. Later, after an accidental and closer contact with Jiang Yin, they naturally got together. Because of his guilt towards Xu Qing for cheating, he didn't want to go home. Xu Qing, who knew nothing, still took care of him gently and considerately. He became more and more tormented, and his emotions became volatile when he was with Xu Qing. He knew that it was all his fault, but the evil nature of men made him make one mistake after another. Later, Jiang Yin told him that she was pregnant and that the baby in her belly couldn't be without a father. He finally divorced Xu Qing.

This foolish woman did nothing wrong from beginning to end. The only mistake she made was trusting him and easily handing over her life's happiness to him.

Compared to how he had seen her before, the woman in the video seemed to have shed all the dust of the past, radiating the carefree glow she once possessed in school. Now that she had found new happiness, he should be happy, as it would lessen his guilt. But he felt no joy at all.

In the CEO's office at another company, Qi Yonggao received a message from his beloved daughter.

Huahua: Dad, have you hired any online trolls to smear Xu Jiaojiao?

Qi Yonggao quickly replied: Not yet, the time isn't right.

Huahua: Forget it, don't worry about her anymore. I don't hate her that much anymore.

Qi Yonggao was surprised. He knew his daughter well; she wasn't the type to give up easily. She would definitely seek revenge. Question: Why did you suddenly let it go?

Huahua: Although Xu Jiaojiao is annoying, she's still filial to her mother. I've decided to be merciful and forgive her.

Then a video arrived. Qi Yonggao was incredibly surprised when he saw the woman being confessed to in the video. Nearly twenty years later, he recognized her at a glance; after all, first love is always the most unforgettable memory.

So Xu Jiaojiao was her daughter!