Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Xia Ruya opened her eyes slowly, only to feel an acute pain in her head. She reached a hand out to stroke her forehead before rubbing her sore and dry eyes. She finally felt much more sober.
She was greeted with the sight of white walls, and the pungent odor of antiseptic solution infiltrated her senses. She realized that she had already been rescued from the living hell that was Black Sunday and was now in the hospital.
Her throat was dry and parched. She struggled to sit up straight and propped her weak and feeble body up in a bid to drink some water. The sudden flashing of lights and the sounds of the camera shutter gave her a great shock.
What exactly is going on?
Are those reporters?
Why are they taking photos of me?
Ever since she became the illegitimate daughter of the Xia Family, there were no longer any newsworthy details about her.
All of a sudden, the door of her ward was pushed open and her grandfather, Xia Mingde, dashed in with a stack of newspapers in hand, followed by Xia Haolin, who had a grim and austere expression on his face. Her evil stepmother, Chen Linfang, also entered with a tabloid magazine, waiting to see a good show.
Her heart skipped a beat and she was filled with an ominous feeling.
Due to her immense headache, she felt as if she could not think straight at all. She stared at the people in front of her with a deadpan expression on her face, unable to hide her emotions of disgust and frustration towards them.
“Troublemaker, you’d better explain yourself. What exactly is this about?” Xia Mingde questioned, throwing the stack of newspapers at Xia Ruya’s face. He did not show any concern for his granddaughter at all.
The stench of ink and paper wafted up to Xia Ruya’s nose, making her feel extremely giddy. She grabbed the newspaper and opened it. Her pupils constricted and dilated repeatedly, and she turned as pale as a sheet. Her face seemed like a withered flower all of a sudden.
“It turns out the had-been heiress of the Wen Family is a loose and liberal girl who frequents nightclubs!”
There was even a photo of her being pinned against the wall. The angle at which the photo was taken made it such that the man’s face was concealed while Xia Ruya’s was clearly visible.
The caption below read: “It turns out that Xia Ruya, the former heiress of the Wen Family, who became the illegitimate daughter of the Xia Family, is a far cry from the demure, pure and kind image she portrays on the surface. Who would have known that she’s actually so loose and liberal in private? As the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. Here’s a kindly reminder to everyone: Don’t ever judge someone by their appearance! Someone who seems like an angel to you might just be a coquettish vixen or seductress!”
She panted heavily and flipped through the pages of the newspaper continuously, unable to believe her eyes.
“Miss Innocent turns out to be a wild girl!!!”
She was just the illegitimate daughter of the Xia Family, which was an insignificant family not worth mentioning. What newsworthy details could there be about them? The tabloids were merely reporting about her because she used to be the heiress of the Wen Family, and it was rather entertaining because the real heiress, Wen Xinya, had now returned. Hence, the media found joy in comparing the two and felt that the audience would be extremely interested.
She had once enjoyed fame and glory because of her status as Miss Wen. Even if she was no longer part of the Wen Family, she still had a place in the upper-class society because of how much Old Mrs. Wen, Wen Haowen, and Ning Shuqian doted on her.
Yet… that very status seemed to be like a sharp dagger being pierced through her heart, causing her to be overwhelmed with unbearable pain. It made her feel like she was beyond redemption and was consigned to eternal damnation.
She suddenly realized that the clout of being Miss Wen was not something that she could control, and would, in turn, stab her in her own foot if mishandled.
Staring at the derisive words of mockery in the newspaper, she felt extremely ashamed and humiliated. She had never realized the stark difference between her and Wen Xinya, and that people would compare the two of them.
I have to stay calm, I must stay calm!
Agony was written all over her face and tears welled up in her eyes. Appearing extremely pitiful, she said, “Grandpa, these articles are just exaggerations of what happened. They’re not true at all. I did go to Black Sunday yesterday, but I was with Ruxue, Ruoyin, and Yuqian. They’re well aware of what happened last night, you may call them to ask about it if you don’t believe me.”
She believed that the matter would blow over so long as she could prove her innocence. She could also imagine the way Wen Xinya would clear her name by taking legal actions. Hence, she believed that her reputation would be restored sooner or later and was not too worried yet. She had decided to come up with a way to appease and deal with the three people in front of her, lest they make things difficult for her again.
Xia Mingde and the rest were shocked to see how calm she was.
Upon hearing about Xia Ruxue, Chen Linfang widened her eyes and glowered at her formidably. “Xia Ruya, you little bitch. No matter how shameless you may be, you shouldn’t be getting Ruxue involved. Ruxue clearly went to her grandmother’s place yesterday. How could she have showed up at such a sordid place like Black Sunday? Even if you’re trying to clear your name, you shouldn’t make up stories and implicate Ruxue.”
Chen Linfang had already heard about what took place the night before when she returned home in the morning. Having sensed that something was amiss, she decided to discuss a plan with Xia Ruxue as well as her maiden family, and they all agreed not to expose the fact that Xia Ruxue had gone to Black Sunday the night before.
Xia Ruya’s headache was further aggravated by the reprimanding from Chen Linfang. “Mother, everything I said is true… ”
Chen Linfang interjected furiously. “Xia Ruya, you shameless little bitch. Forget about trying to malign Ruxue. Ruxue is a pure and innocent girl, unlike you. Why would she be at Black Sunday? You’re just a shameless hussy.”
“Mother, I didn’t…” Xia Ruya tried to explain herself. However, she could not tolerate the immense pain in her head which worsened because of Chen Linfang’s ear-piercing screech. Hence, she could not think quietly at all.
Chen Linfang flung the magazine in her hand towards Xia Ruya and rebuked. “You look so innocent and pure on the surface, but deep down, you’re just a shameless and coquettish vixen. Take a look at yourself in the mirror!”
Xia Ruya instinctively cocked her head sideways to dodge the magazine that was being flung towards her. She picked it up and read the words that were printed in yellow: “Miss Innocent’s true colors have been exposed. She turns out to be a promiscuous and wild girl!!!”
