Chapter 17 Let’s Have a Talk
Nan Xiao’s fists clenched tightly. Xu Ruoxin’s words sent her anger surging, burning her lungs and heart.
Locking eyes with her, Nan Xiao said each word with force:
“I mind. I mind very much. I extremely mind!”
Xu Ruoxin clearly froze. She hadn’t expected this. In her mind, Nan Xiao had always been weak.
Nan Xiao was seething, her chest about to explode. She bit her lip hard, forcing calm into her voice.
“Miss Xu, you knew full well that Xie Chengyu has a wife. Yet you called him ‘husband’ in public. How is that any different from being a mistress?
“You said you only did it because you made a mistake in front of the director. But NGs are normal for actors—especially since yours was because of discomfort. The director would never scold you for that. You knew it.
“You just wanted to call him ‘husband.’
“If you wanted to do something shameless, then at least admit it openly. But instead, you come to me with fake kindness, saying ‘don’t take it to heart’? Stop trying to be both saint and sinner!”
“……”
Fury flashed in Xu Ruoxin’s eyes, but she was left momentarily speechless.
Within seconds, though, her rage dissolved into a pitiful, fragile look. She drifted toward Nan Xiao’s back.
“Chengyu…”
Nan Xiao’s heart jumped.
She turned—and saw Xu Ruoxin collapse delicately into Xie Chengyu’s arms, looking frail, as though she had just been bullied.
Xie Chengyu immediately gripped her arm, concern etched on his brow.
“What’s wrong? Are you still unwell?”
Xu Ruoxin looked up at him sadly. “Yes… I still feel a bit dizzy. And Miss Nan just scolded me…”
“You scolded her?”
Xie Chengyu turned to Nan Xiao, a cold glint in his eyes.
That single look pierced Nan Xiao’s heart like ice.
She felt herself drowning in cold water, unable to breathe.
Enduring the ache in her chest, she forced her voice steady.
“Yes. I scolded her.”
The firmness of her answer startled Xu Ruoxin. She had expected denial, already prepared her counter. But Nan Xiao admitted it so directly?
“You insist you’re not a third party. But you called my legal husband ‘husband’ in front of everyone. If that’s not a mistress, then what is?
“You played the whore, and now you want to build yourself a shrine too? And forbid anyone from calling you out?”
Then she spun toward Xie Chengyu, fury blazing in her eyes.
“I don’t care what’s in your heart. Legally, your wife isn’t Xu Ruoxin—it’s me! She called you husband just now, and you accepted it. Were you colluding with her?”
At that, Xie Chengyu’s face darkened. His eyes gleamed with a suffocating black light, his aura turning sharp and oppressive.
Nan Xiao’s heart pounded wildly. She stumbled back two steps, glaring at the two of them with all her hatred—then turned and ran.
Confronting them had been satisfying. But afterward, regret crept in. Would they retaliate?
Even so, a thorn still lodged deep in her heart.
As long as she couldn’t forget Xie Chengyu, that thorn would remain. When would she ever be able to pull it out?
Clap, clap, clap!
Suddenly, applause rang out.
Startled, Nan Xiao turned. A tall man strolled into the lounge, clapping.
Leaning lazily against the wall, his handsome face carried casual charm. He gave her a thumbs-up.
“Nice. Finally not playing the pushover?”
“……”
Xiao Zekai.
Why was he here—and why say that?
Had he overheard her confrontation with Xie Chengyu and Xu Ruoxin?
Embarrassment flickered across Nan Xiao’s face. Thankfully, her mask hid it.
Softly, she muttered, “None of your business,” and slipped out through the back door.
The brief encounter with Xiao Zekai stirred no great ripple in her heart. She returned to set, observed the filming until it wrapped, and then went home.
At the old residence, just as she was about to head upstairs, Xie Chengyu stopped her.
His handsome face was frosted with cold. The air of authority pressed down, making it hard to breathe.
His voice was chill and commanding.
“We need to talk.”
