She saw that the woman was currently looking at Xi Xiaye with contempt, while Xi Xinyi who was beside her just frowned and pulled at the girl's sleeve, softly whispering, "Xiao Ling, don't talk nonsense!"

"What happened? Yu Lingling, what did you say earlier? What do you mean by breaking school rules and being ordered to be expelled? What happened? Wasn't she doing well in the school?"

"Exactly, tell us what happened. I thought it was weird back then when she suddenly went abroad instead of studying at the military academy!"

"Exactly, but now she seems to be doing very well as a director at Glory World. It's not a role just anyone can take on..."

Everyone had not been in much contact with Xi Xiaye, but they had always taken note of her. One reason was that of her extraordinarily good looks. Another was because her family background was considered pretty celebrated in school back then. Now, she was even the mayor's daughter and sisters with the celebrity, Xi Xinyi, so naturally, she received a lot of attention.

"Yu Lingling, what nonsense are you spewing? You watch what you say!"

When Su Nan heard her, she instantly frowned and looked worriedly at Xi Xiaye. She saw that Xi Xiaye's cold and indifferent face had turned slightly pale while her eyes had swiftly dimmed too. Instantly anxious, she stared coldly at Yu Lingling to warn her.

"How am I spewing nonsense? Just ask her yourself. Ask her why she suddenly stopped studying at the great military academy, and why she suddenly went abroad. See how she'll answer you guys!"

Yu Lingling gave Xi Xinyi a look, the corner of her lips curving with an insulting smile. Her eyes looked sharply at Xi Xiaye as if she was watching a show.

"Yu Lingling! If you want to cause trouble, get out right now. Don't babble crazy things. I know you don't like me. Then, come for me! Why are you spewing nonsense about someone else?" Su Nan's eyes darkened as she glared sharply at Yu Lingling. She really did not expect to let such people come in.

Look at Xi Xinyi that slut's fake manners. I'm sure that Yu Lingling was incited by her!

Yu Lingling had always been on bad terms with Su Nan. Back when they were in school, she liked to rat on her to the teacher and had always made life difficult for Su Nan. After Xi Xiaye dealt with her, she had always born hard feelings against Xi Xiaye. Since she became part of Xi Xinyi's little posse, she started to drive a wedge between Xi Xiaye and the other classmates.

"All of those who have come are guests, Su Nan. Your temper hasn't changed much since school!" Yu Lingling sneered with disdain. "In fact, I was just telling the truth. How is that called spewing nonsense? Don't you know better than anyone else? Xi Xiaye was expelled by the military academy because they were afraid of causing a huge ruckus. She couldn't stay in City Z, so she then accepted her family's arrangement to go abroad!"

"Nonsense! Nonsense! Shut up! If you spew more nonsense, I'm getting someone to chase you all out!" Su Nan's expression changed drastically. Her eyes turned cold and she shot a mean glare at Xi Xinyi who was feigning gentleness, pretending to be worried and pulling at Yu Lingling. She shouted, "Xi Xinyi, this is you seeding things on the sly again, isn't it?"

"Su Nan, what are you trying to say?" Xi Xinyi frowned and feigned innocence.

"What's happening? Lingling, what happened with Xi Xiaye?"

While watching the few people's performances, the crowd became even more curious. Even Wang Zilou looked puzzledly towards Yu Lingling. "What happened?"

"Huh, if you dare to do it, won't you let others talk about it? Just look at her and you'd know she's not some good person. What's she being so arrogant for!?"

Yu Lingling received the signals that Xi Xinyi gave her. She looked tauntingly and her eyes were filled with loathing and contempt. "She... Well, she's a thief! When she was in military school, she stole the diamond necklace that her military instructor was going to give his wife. Later on, she was found out by the instructor, and even... Well, since she failed to steal it, she made an unreasonable scene and beat up the instructor until he was heavily injured. One of the instructors eyes was blinded. It's disgusting. I've never seen someone like this..."

Before Yu Lingling could finish, Su Nan had already tossed the wine glass in her hand onto the floor. Her body had tensed up and she could help but be worried as she turned to look at Xi Xiaye beside her. "Yu Lingling, you damned b*tch, shut up! You're the thief! Someone, security! Drag this crazy woman out! Quickly! Get out!"

Xi Xiaye felt that her entire spirit was suddenly emptied. Her chest felt extremely heavy and even her shallow breathing made her aware of the pain in her chest.

Her mind turned blank as her mind started to interweave with numerous choppy fragments...

Her beautiful face was already so pale that blood had drained from her face. As her chest was in pain and her breaths became short, her body gave way and then she staggered, clutching onto Su Nan's arm like she was holding onto a buoy. She started to inhale huge breaths, and her dazed eyes were gloomy and filled with a fear that could not be disguised. Even though she looked a little panicked, the rationality in her head kept her clear-headed...

"No way! How's this possible?"

"Yeah, that's impossible? How could she be a thief? And even be so brutal with the beatings?"

"No way! How could she have been expelled by the military academy? In fact, her father was probably already the deputy mayor back then. If even such a high-up official had been unfair, you can tell how bad the situation must've been!"

"I think so too. Otherwise, how could she have been expelled? In fact, I heard that she's a director at Glory World Corporation. Who knows? Maybe she slept with someone!"

"Right? I heard that she and her superior, some Vice President, have been getting very close recently! Yesterday, they even attended the Yueying shareholders' meeting together. Earlier, I heard Xinyi mention..."

Some people had already begun to whisper to one another and discuss this.

All of her unbearable past was opened up right before her in dripping blood. In her absent-mindedness, she suddenly remembered that scene —

"Teacher, I didn't! I really didn't! I didn't steal anything and I didn't seduce him..."

"Father, I really didn't. Please believe me. I don't want to quit, Father..."

"I really didn't do it. He's framing me. I really didn't! It's him who has feelings for me..."

"Xi Xiaye, because you have severely violated the school rules, the circumstances are severe. After an investigation, the school has decided to take disciplinary action by expelling you from the school. You're on your own now. Go back and pack up your things to leave the academy right away..."

"Why don't you do well? Why did you have to be a thief and even do something so shameless? We are utterly humiliated by her! Can't she just give this family fewer problems? Back then, her father had put in so much effort to let her enter the military academy?"

...

That day, she had been just like she was right now. Under the mocking looks from her classmates and comrades looking down on her, she was forced to pack her bags and quit against her will.

"Xiaye, Xiaye, are you okay? Xiaye!"

Su Nan held her up as she had turned weak. She was so worried that her eyes started to redden.

A long while after, Xi Xiaye jolted slightly, then her dazed eyes managed to clear up. The horrible sneers entered her ears as if she was poked with needles made from ice and snow. It was so cold that it numbed her.

She looked up stunned at Xi Xinyi who pretended to be all innocent and worried before her, yet there was a flash of cold light in her eyes.

"Xiaye!"

Beside her ear, Su Nan and Ruan Heng's worried voice kept calling her. The guests by the side seemed to have noticed this too. All of them looked over, and even the hotel manager who was directing all the tasks was alarmed.

Sun Mei pulled at Yu Lingling to make her stop, yet she just glared at Sun Mei. She did not feel remorse at all. Instead, seeing Xi Xiaye this humiliated and stuck in a difficult situation, combined with how pale she looked, she even felt very smug, especially when she found out from Xi Xinyi that she was currently a director at Glory World.

"Stop pulling at me, Sun Mei! I'm just telling the truth. If you don't believe me, go ask Zhang Yan. He was in the same school as this disgusting thief back then. At the class reunion a few years ago, he even talked about this! He asked if we were in the same class, but I didn't know how to answer him back then. How embarrassing..."

Su Nan reached over to hold Xi Xiaye by the shoulders as she shouted to the oncoming security, "Security, drag this woman out for me! Throw her out right now! Quick!"

Sun Mei and the rest looked a little troubled at Su Nan and Ruan Heng. Even Wang Zilou kept looking at Xi Xiaye in a daze. Quite a few people had already crowded around from the side, wanting to advise Su Nan to calm down.

"Su Nan, don't be rash!"

"I'm not being rash right now Doesn't she know what she's saying? I think you two witches have intentionally come here to cause trouble! Xi Xinyi, that's enough! I've never seen a more disgusting woman than you. Your own mother's become a nauseating third party. Forget that you don't feel ashamed enough, but you even want to use your mother as a role model and steal your sister's fiancè. If I were you, I would've been so ashamed that I'd retreat into the forest, but why do you have such a thick face? Could it be because of how you've become an actress in recent years, so evilness has seeped into your bone marrow?" Su Nan cursed at Xi Xinyi in a rage.

She was seething in anger with no reason whatsoever. "I've been tolerating you for a very long time! Don't think I don't know that you've incited this! I think that your popularity today is the one that's been gained through sleeping with I-don't-know-how-many directors!"

Sun Mei could not bear to listen anymore. She could not help but reprimand, "Su Nan! What are you saying? Don't cross the line!"

...

Xi Xiaye's hand that hid in her sleeve was balled into a tight fist. The wine glass in her hand trembled slightly as she stared straight at Xi Xinyi. In an instant, her gaze became gloomy, ice-cold and bone-chilling.

"What's happening?"

At that moment, Shen Wenna's voice suddenly came from behind. Everyone looked to the source of the voice.

"Aunty Shen! Xiaye, she..." Su Nan looked worriedly at Shen Wenna, then she looked down too.

Shen Wenna's cold face flashed with a puzzlement. Looking ahead, she immediately saw Xi Xinyi who sat on the side and her gaze instantly hardened whilst her expression changed!

In a flash, Shen Wenna also noticed that Xi Xiaye looked pale and miserable. She appeared desolate and icy-cold, so she walked over and at this moment, the whispers started to enter Shen Wenna's ears.

"She's here. She looks like a professor from University A. She looks very cultured. The mother and daughter pair are quite alike. Her daughter doesn't look like a thief, but she is indeed quite beautiful. She has the means to seduce..."

"I don't think she looks like it, but she was expelled by the military academy, wasn't she?"

"It seems like she's even the mayor's daughter... Could she be the mayor's ex-wife then?"

"Mayor Xi's ex-wife? No way! She's so young and beautiful!"

...

Xi Xiaye spent a lot of effort to hold back the anger that she was about to recklessly vent. She quietly averted her gaze and looked drained and weakly at Shen Wenna who had also stiffened on the spot. "I'm fine, Mother, let me send you back. Su Nan, we're leaving now. I'm really sorry about tonight."

"Xiaye! I'm worried about you! Ruan Heng, arrange for someone to send Aunty Shen home right away. Xiaye, you shouldn't be driving like this... Xiaye..."

Before Su Nan could finish, Xi Xiaye had already pulled Shen Wenna and abruptly turned away. Her figure looked bleak and lonely. Just by watching her, Su Nan could feel the powerlessness in her steps.

She could not care much and quickly chased after them. There was an uproar at the wedding banquet as everyone looked towards Xi Xiaye and Shen Wenna's figures as they left in a hurry...

She had just stepped out when Su Nan finally managed to catch up and gripped onto Xi Xiaye. "Xiaye! Stop! I'm telling you, you're not suited to drive right now! I'll send you home! Ruan Heng, you send Aunty Shen back!"

"It's fine. Today's your wedding day. Go back. It's such a happy day. Please don't let it be ruined by me..." Xi Xiaye's voice was exceptionally calm as her expression was tranquil too. Her eyes had already turned grey and were silent as still water. There was no light in them at all.

Su Nan felt her heart ache. She did not know how much strength Xi Xiaye needed to hold back all of her anger and grievances, but she knew that Xi Xiaye had done so, not just for Shen Wenna, but also for her and Ruan Heng.

When they saw quite a few people following after them, Ruan Heng could only gloomily say in concern, "Xiaye, I've already arranged for someone to come pick up Aunty Shen. Su Nan, you accompany Xiaye to rest in the VIP room."

Yet, just as his voice fell, the hotel manager had already brought a few people and rushed over, until they reached Xi Xiaye, "Director Xi!"

Xi Xiaye nodded, turning to look at the distracted Shen Wenna and say softly, "Please send my mother back to the Shen residence."

"Mother, you..."

Shen Wenna looked miserable as she muttered before turning to leave, "I'm fine. It's fine if they know. I am your father's ex-wife... Okay, I'll leave now. I'm fine. You don't have to worry. Don't mind their words either. We all believe you..."

"Director Xi?" The hotel manager softly called out for Xi Xiaye.

Xi Xiaye closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She nodded and then the hotel manager followed Shen Wenna out.

As she watched Shen Wenna's figure gradually move further away, Xi Xiaye calmly said, "I'm going home too. Don't worry. I'm fine." Before Su Nan and the rest could react, she had already picked up her pace and walked ahead.

"Xiaye!" Su Nan wanted to follow after her, yet she was pulled back by Ruan Heng. "Enough, Nan Nan. Let her have some time alone!"

"I want to go settle scores with those two witches!"

Su Nan stormed right back in a rage.

Xi Xiaye plodded through the corridor with heavy footsteps. Suddenly, she thought that this corridor felt endless. It was very, very long. All around her were walls and it was so stifling that she almost could not breathe.

She was not sure how long had passed until she found the entrance...

When she walked out of the hotel, it had already turned dark outside. The streetlights were lit up, yet the faint light could not seem to pass through the vast, gloomy twilight. The night wind kept blowing, bringing a bone-chilling humidity into the air while the moist ground refracted varying lights and shadows because of the light shining down. The scene looked so desolate that it brought pain to one.

Her thin and lonesome figure passed through the gloomy, misty rain. When she walked under a dim streetlight, she finally took out her phone from her pocket and made a call. The person on the other end picked up very quickly.

"Hello? Detective Zhang? It's me, Xi Xiaye... I wanted to ask about that thing. When will we get the results?"

"Earlier, I just checked Yang Jianfeng's account. Another $200,000 was banked into him again three months ago, but I can't be sure if it was from that person. It'll probably be very hard to get evidence on this. Your father and grandfather personally erased all of the information about this, so it's not that easy to open up the investigation again..."

"I've got it. Don't alarm them... Thank you, Detective Zhang," she softly said.

...

After hanging up, Xi Xiaye got into the car. Upon closing the door, all of her strength and endurance instantly broke down like the dam of a sea had burst. The dry and burning rim of her eyes could not hold back her tears and they started to turn moist.

She tossed her phone aside, intending to wipe the chill on her face away. She wiped and wiped at the tears, then suddenly buried her face into her icy palms. For a long time, she did not move.

"I really didn't do it. He framed me. Why won't you guys believe me?"

"Father, I'm not afraid of going to jail. I'm only begging you to help me. I'm not a thief. I didn't seduce him..."

"Grandfather, can you please talk to them? I really don't want to quit. I finally... I admit that I did hurt him, but I really didn't steal anything. It was him who told me to go over and get information..."

That year, she had just joined the military academy. Just when she thought that her career in the army could begin, this tragedy had once again stolen all of her dreams and hopes away.

After the incident, even Xi Mushan could not protect her while Shen Wenna had accompanied Shen Yue for his eye surgery abroad. When they returned, the school's decision had already been set.

She had to be expelled bearing a blackened name, and Deng Wenwen was even more ashamed by her. As a result, she made her spend a long time in the study room to reflect on her mistakes, and Xi Xinyi ran to her every day to tell her about Han Yifeng...

Back then, she felt that her world had never been that gray before. No matter how hard she tried, she could not walk out of that deadlocked haze.

After that, Shen Wenna went looking for Xi Mushan. Following their discussion, they decided to send her straight abroad, and then collaboratively suppress the news about this. Xi Jiyang had also declared that no one was to ever raise this matter again.

In the period that she had just gone abroad, because he was worried that she would take things too hard, Shen Yue had even cast aside the company matters and accompanied her there for a long time. When she felt better, he then returned to the country.

Before he left, Shen Yue had advised her, "What's happened has already happened. As much as you cry or feel wronged, it'll be useless. There are many things that you still need to do. You aren't just living for this one thing. There are always many unlucky people. Once you get through it, you'll realize that it was actually not such a big deal after all."

Yes, it really would not be a big deal if she could get through it, but what if she could not?

...

She was not sure how long had passed. She just felt warm moisture in her palm as one by one, teardrops fell through her fingers and her shoulders trembled slightly.

Suddenly, she did not know why she was this upset. She thought she had already walked out of that darkness. Even if she faced all those mean rumors, she thought that she should be able to face them calmly, yet what she thought was different from reality...