47
The gentle kiss ended as quickly as it began.
His nose brushed against the soft flesh of her cheek. He tilted his head slightly. The angle, perfectly aligned, was so familiar to both of them that, in that moment, they completely forgot that the marriage proposal was still left hanging.
Yet, this kiss didn't carry the lingering romance of intertwined lips; it felt more like a silent comfort.
Shrouded in the deep, quiet scent of sandalwood, it enveloped the trembling jasmine.
It took Ning Ye a long while to recover her senses. Her mind completely settled, and she felt a sense of security slowly spreading within her.
However, a few seconds later, she suddenly realized something.
She raised her almond eyes, clearly reflecting Bian Xun's face.
Bian Xun looked down, watching the lively spark of thought return to her expression, and slowly raised an eyebrow. "I don't mind continuing."
But Ning Ye just looked at him intently, her mind racing.
Bian Xun had found traces of Wang Xuebing today, but—
Ning Ye had never shown him a picture of her biological father, nor had she ever mentioned him. Bian Xun and Wang Xuebing should never have met.
So, how did Bian Xun find him?
The only time their lives had intersected enough to involve each other's families was right before their breakup. Did Wang Xuebing show up back then?
Ning Ye had her doubts, but unwilling to just guess wildly, she asked him directly.
Bian Xun paused slightly. A strange light suddenly surfaced in his dark eyes as his thin lips parted. "You... didn't know?"
Ning Ye looked bewildered, a hint of helplessness appearing on her porcelain-white face. "No, I didn't."
The man's chest heaved for a moment. His gaze suddenly turned somewhat distant, as if he had thought of something.
Before breaking up with Ning Ye, Bian Xun had indeed met Wang Xuebing.
That man's ugly demeanor made him completely unsurprised by the so-called "plot" that was supposed to unfold.
But regarding that incident back then, she really... knew absolutely nothing.
Bian Xun's dark eyes brimmed with an indescribable emotion, ultimately settling into the quiet night.
This speculation, which had gone unanswered back then, was finally confirmed after all these years. Memories flashed through his mind, leaving him feeling helpless and a bit self-deprecating.
Back then, he hadn't even dared to ask her directly.
Back then, he had simply withdrawn the money, blocked all potential gossip, suppressed every source of information on campus, and then, on the night she failed to show up, repeatedly comforted and deceived himself.
The past was vivid in his mind. It turned out she hadn't just been uninvolved; she had been completely oblivious.
Which made him look rather ridiculous.
Bian Xun discreetly kept his mouth shut.
"What exactly happened?" Ning Ye leaned in a bit closer, feeling anxious. "Did you have contact with Wang Xuebing?"
Did that scumbag do something to Bian Xun?
On the day of their breakup, the people she met were the Bian family. They told her they knew where her mother was, but gave her an ultimatum. She could either choose to hinder Bian Xun from going abroad to pursue his bright future, or choose to get her mother's address and break up with him. Ning Ye chose the latter.
Unfortunately, she couldn't find Ning Cuizhen back then either. By the time she returned, Bian Xun had already crossed the ocean.
She always felt that their breakup was a liberation for both of them. After all, their futures had absolutely no intersection, and they were unsuitable for each other in every way.
Aside from that, was there some other hidden truth?
Boundless speculations flashed through her eyes.
Bian Xun, however, suddenly covered her clear eyes. In a few quick breaths, he smoothed out all his emotions and then calmly feigned nonchalance. "It's nothing. I just... happened to know."
The events of the past were all a misunderstanding. Since she didn't know... then she would never need to know.
His tossing and turning, his snooping around, his observing from a distance—those dark, hard-to-quit habits of his...
They should be permanently sealed away, just like his "history as a stepfather."
He wouldn't dig them up again.
"Let's talk about the main point you mentioned." Bian Xun tapped the center of her forehead with his fingertip.
The "plot" she had spoken of.
Ning Ye pursed her lips and gathered her thoughts. She knew the priority wasn't to dwell on the past, but to focus on the current events that might affect Taotao.
Bian Xun lowered his eyes in thought. He had never had the kind of dreams Ning Ye had.
But he also felt that this world had some sort of operating law, and it was already directly affecting him.
His bank balance, depleting with every passing second, was merely a worldly possession.
But in the past, whenever he tried to explain things to Ning Ye, the feeling of being invisibly restricted happened right within his own mind and consciousness.
Was it connected to the plot she mentioned?
It seemed Ning Ye hadn't been affected in the same way. Did this operating law only restrict him?
Bian Xun's dark eyes deepened. He knew his own personality; his future self wouldn't have sent the black card over for no reason. What exactly was this changing mechanism regarding "money" hinting at?
He needed to consolidate all the known information.
Ning Ye naturally cooperated.
A small lamp was on in the bedroom. With Taotao sleeping outside, the adults huddled together, speaking in low voices as they synced up all the information they currently had.
Bian Xun furrowed his brows.
If he had self-awareness and self-control, why would such a plotline have formed?
He vaguely felt that something wasn't right.
By now, it was already the second half of the night. Ning Ye, lying on her pillow, finally let out a sleepy yawn.
In the middle of the night, by the narrow bedside.
Bian Xun sat on the edge of the bed, drawing up a chart to organize the information, while simultaneously arranging personnel based on the venue map for tomorrow's children's choir competition. Looking up, he saw half of her face softly sunken into the pillow, her expression partially hidden, her voice muffled in the soft cotton.
"Bian Xun, you really did meet Wang Xuebing, didn't you?"
Her voice was slurred, murmuring low as if talking to herself. "If you know what kind of person Wang Xuebing is, please don't tell Taotao."
She didn't mind Ning Cuizhen's vulgarity; she was Taotao's grandmother after all.
But she didn't want Wang Xuebing to have any connection with Taotao whatsoever.
Bian Xun's dark eyes were peaceful. After a long moment, he reached out and pinched her ear, giving a soft chuckle. "What is this thing you're talking about? Is it a person or an animal?"
The corners of Ning Ye's lips, hidden in the pillow, curled up slightly.
Bian Xun lowered his eyes and also curled his lips into a smile.
Actually, the little girl could distinguish clearly enough; her mother was her mother, and it had nothing to do with anyone else.
But even if there was a connection, even if she had really done what Wang Xuebing said she did back then...
...he could forgive it all.
Bian Xun closed his eyes, finding himself a bit unbearable.
The stone in Ning Ye's heart finally dropped. Her voice became completely groggy, like sleep talk.
"So he really didn't do anything to you?"
"Of course not."
Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and fall safely asleep.
...
Meanwhile, in a high-end apartment somewhere in Beijing, Xu Lanyi was flipping through the investigation files in her hands—
"Wang Xuebing."
What a huge, unexpected delight!
Recently, Xu Lanyi had been dreaming of the plot more frequently and clearly. It was as if the script of her life was about to reach its perfect climax and curtain call, and she would forever be the best leading lady.
Following the clues provided by her prophetic dreams, she discovered this person named Wang Xuebing. Naturally, she had his background investigated, but she never expected to uncover such a crucial piece of information without any warning—
The middle-aged man in the photo was yellow and thin, with messy hair and erratic eyes. Although his facial features suggested he must have been quite handsome in his youth, years of smoking and drinking had ruined his flesh. His entire face had a tight and withered appearance, and his expression carried the sluggish, shifty gleam unique to gambling addicts.
This was actually Ning Ye's biological father!
And more importantly, the information Xu Lanyi subsequently found out made her clutch the paper in excitement the more she read.
Six years ago, this man had extorted 500,000 yuan from Bian Xun, who had not yet graduated!
A case was filed for his arrest, but he later absconded.
The Bian family was a truly prominent, low-profile family in the capital, having transitioned from politics to business, so it was impossible to find much specific information about them online. Wang Xuebing only knew that his daughter was dating a rich second-generation heir, but he couldn't imagine exactly how rich he was, which was why he only extorted 500,000 yuan, an astronomical figure to him.
Strangely, this incident didn't make any waves within Jinghua University. Xu Lanyi's people found out the details through connections at the local police station. According to the oral account at the time, Wang Xuebing claimed that he and his daughter Ning Ye had planned this together, but the police found no relevant evidence.
Xu Lanyi curled her lips. If Ning Ye hadn't been involved, how could Wang Xuebing, who had disappeared for years, know Bian Xun's information?
Perhaps this was the real reason they broke up back then?
The logic of everything in the prophetic dream suddenly became clear.
This incident fit Ning Ye's "persona" perfectly. With her scheming and greed, she was completely capable of doing it. And now that she had a child, she was aiming for something even bigger.
Xu Lanyi casually tossed the documents in her hand away. Listening to the sound of singing practice still coming from Zixun's room, her eyes flickered and she laughed.
But family ties are just hard to sever...
...
Early the next morning.
Ning Zhitao opened her round eyes brightly as soon as the alarm rang.
Usually, Taotao took a long time to wake up, but this morning she woke up very quickly. While brushing her teeth, she gurgled and spat out water, still practicing vocalization, and rehearsed her movements with a one-two-three-four rhythm.
The two parents behind her exchanged a glance. With the child looking forward to it so much, they couldn't possibly disappoint her because of a piece of trash.
After washing up, Ning Zhitao came to the large mirror in the living room.
Behind her round little body, her father half-squatted, putting on her performance costume and then unskillfully tying her hair into small braids; her mother held a brush, preparing to apply her performance makeup as if facing a formidable enemy.
Ning Zhitao blinked and suddenly giggled.
Ning Ye thought her makeup brush had tickled her, and afraid of poking the child's eyes, she quickly pulled it away a bit. "What's wrong?"
The kindergarten required parents to put makeup on their children before gathering at the art center. Teacher Youzi had already sent the makeup template in the parents' group chat in advance—
A very standard toddler monkey butt makeup, with eyelids like the Gold Horn and Silver Horn Kings, two round patches of plateau red stamped on both cheeks, and a red mouth painted as red as a New Year couplet.
Ning Ye found it hard to describe, but it was a performance requirement, so she had to follow it.
Ning Zhitao tilted her face up and obediently let her mother apply the makeup.
She didn't laugh because the brush tickled her face, but because the scene in the mirror felt so familiar!
It used to be like this. Mom and Dad would do many things together. Ning Zhitao had recently gotten used to having them both in her life, feeling like everything had completely returned to the way it used to be!
Little Taotao, little happiness.
A long while later.
Dad forcefully managed the hairstyle, and Mom barely managed the makeup according to the template.
Taotao admired herself for a while, turned around in front of the mirror, looked up at her parents, blinked her shiny golden eyes, and looked very expectant.
The two adults looked at the finished product.
Ning Ye: "."
Bian Xun: "."
Their daughter looked like a plump, festive New Year painting doll.
All she needed was to hold a big fat carp.
However, the little girl herself didn't have any insights into the field of color cosmetics, only the excitement of wearing makeup for the first time. She grabbed her rather asymmetrical braids, "Does it look good? Does it look good? Does it look good?"
Ning Ye: "It looks good!"
Bian Xun: "Perfect."
Ning Zhitao was overjoyed!
She strutted out of the house proudly and confidently, with her hands on her hips.
The two parents hesitated and followed behind.
They hoped that when the child grew up and saw today's video, she wouldn't blame her father for the braids he tied or her mother for the makeup she applied ^^
...
On the way to the municipal art center, Bian Xun drove. Assistant Zhang's phone call followed up, confirming the positioning of the entire security team today.
Assistant Zhang himself was also very nervous, after all, his child was also in today's choir.
Looking at the CEO's grand setup, could there be a bomb in the venue?
Bian Xun gave Ning Ye an earpiece, connected to his channel and also to all the security personnel, so they could communicate at any time if there was a situation. Ning Ye nervously took it, and the atmosphere really felt like a spy movie.
As they approached the entrance of the art center, Ning Ye couldn't help but grip the fabric on her knees tightly.
But neither of them showed it verbally, both trying to protect the little girl's full of expectations.
When they arrived, the area was already crowded with people. Many private cars were lining up to park, and waves of tourists were arriving in ride-hailing cars, making it feel like a large-scale concert.
At the main entrance of the art center, seven or eight Wujiang security personnel had already been deployed, and a security checkpoint had been set up, making the scene quite strict.
Every door in the north, south, east, and west of this building had the same personnel deployment, making it hard for even a fly to get in.
Seeing this, Ning Ye's mood relaxed slightly.
Ning Ye got out of the car with Ning Zhitao, and the door of an old luxury car a few meters away suddenly opened.
Old Master Bian and Bian Ziwen stepped out of the car together.
The old master immediately spotted Ning Zhitao in the crowd.
Leaning on his cane, he walked over with a kind face and praised, "Taotao looks so good today!"
Ning Zhitao's round ears twitched, accurately catching the praise for herself, and she suddenly felt a little proud, showing off her colorful chubby cheeks.
Display! Silver Horn King makeup, applied by Mom!
Ning Ye felt a little ashamed of the makeup result and quietly held the little girl's hand.
However, Old Master Bian's old face was full of joy, and his words of praise were simply endless, "It looks good! You look like you just stepped out of a painting, so beautiful! Looking at you makes it feel like it's the New Year, Great-grandpa will give you a big red envelope right now..."
Saying that, he was already taking out money.
Ning Ye hurriedly took the little girl to gather and report, while Bian Xun watched the security deployment outside.
The child had walked quite a distance, and Old Master Bian was still praising her. Bian Xun chuckled, "That's enough, are you never going to run out of nonsense?"
Old Master Bian glared at him, "What nonsense? I really think it looks good."
It completely matched the older generation's aesthetic for human cubs.
It simply hit the spot!
Bian Xun: "?"
Bian Ziwen looked at Bian Xun resentfully from the side, and as he was about to walk away, he silently muttered behind his back: "Money... let me make some too... money..."
He truly believed that Bian Xun could become the richest man in the world, or perhaps he already was.
"?"
Bian Xun shot him a glance, let out two dry chuckles, and elegantly adjusted his collar.
Idiot.
Just then, a commotion broke out in the crowd. Two luxury vans, the kind commonly used by celebrities, appeared at the entrance of the art center. In an instant, a swarm of media rushed out.
"Is that Ms. Xu Lanyi!"
"Are you here for your son's choir competition?"
"Ms. Xu, will your husband be coming as well?"
As Old Master Bian looked at Xu Lanyi now, he couldn't help but compare her with Ning Ye in his mind. After some comparison, he found that aside from her family background, this daughter of the Xu family really didn't seem to measure up to Ning Ye.
Bian Xun watched with cold, dark eyes as the celebrity team headed toward the entrance. He raised a hand, and Assistant Zhang behind him understood immediately, notifying all entrances to tighten security checks.
Ning Ye had already arrived backstage at the art center.
A class of children stood neatly in a row in front of Teacher Youzi. Each of them had bright, colorful stage makeup on their faces, obediently lining up for rehearsal.
Joyful little faces turned back to look for their parents, chattering away as they walked off.
The parents watched their children leave, then prepared to return to the audience seats.
Ning Ye turned around, and her gaze met Xu Lanyi's from a distance. The look in the other woman's eyes was clearly full of profound implications.
Since their brief encounter on the train abroad last time, the two hadn't spoken, but the undercurrents between them had never stopped surging.
Xu Lanyi had seen Old Master Bian at the entrance earlier. She could certainly feel that, following the deterioration of the relationship between the Xu and Bian families, Old Master Bian's satisfaction with Ning Ye was growing by the day.
It was Ning Ye who had schemed back then, ruining her announcement about her son and making a marriage alliance between the two families impossible. Now that Old Master Bian's attitude toward her had softened, Ning Ye was probably hoping that it wouldn't be long before she truly married into a wealthy family—
But did Old Master Bian know? What kind of people were Ning Ye's immediate family?
If someone wanted to achieve class mobility, they first had to look at where they came from. A person's fate was destined from the very beginning. And the people who would ultimately end up together were already written in the plot.
Xu Lanyi also had a faint premonition. She no longer needed to explain anything; the world would naturally give its female lead a perfect life.
Ning Ye watched the other woman's retreating back, her mind racing.
The fact that Xu Lanyi was able to appear exactly at the point of the worker's strike and the train stoppage last time showed that she also had the perspective of the plot.
If that was the case, since they could find Wang Xuebing, the female lead must have also found this pawn, knowing that his appearance was meant to establish the father-son bond between Bian Xun and her son.
But since she knew the plot, she should be even more aware of the changes in reality. Now, every entrance of the art center had a security checkpoint, which was not arranged in the original plot—yet even if Xu Lanyi noticed this change, she still looked faintly excited.
Ning Ye's intuition told her something was wrong.
It didn't make logical sense.
If Xu Lanyi knew that in the plot, Wang Xuebing mistakenly grabbed Gu Zixun while trying to extort Bian Xun, she would at least be a little worried about the safety of her biological son.
But her focus seemed entirely... on Ning Ye herself?
Then her motive was coming from a completely different angle.
Ning Ye's lowered eyelashes paused slightly.
She suddenly realized that this might not just be the important scene from the original book that established the father-son relationship between the male lead and the female lead's son.
It was also a perfect opportunity to subject her, the "vicious supporting female character," to a social death.
After being dealt with by Bian Xun last time, Xu Lanyi had spent a great deal of effort bringing three capital groups into the fray to fight back. She was an arrogant and vindictive woman.
So Xu Lanyi would absolutely not pass up this opportunity to expose her to the public, to the Bian family members present, and to everyone who had a social relationship with Ning Ye.
A gambling addict, the scum of society, a criminal attempting to kidnap a child.
Was Ning Ye's biological father.
Because this was exactly in line with the logic throughout the entire book—the female lead finding a high-quality father for her child.
Xu Lanyi believed that a perfect father for her child could erase all her mistakes, make everyone envious, and make her life script flawlessly perfect. She believed that in a family environment with an elegant mother and a noble father, her son would surely grow up better and better.
Therefore, Xu Lanyi naturally also believed that someone with a trashy biological father was likewise trash.
Her father was a gambler and an extortionist, so how could she be any good?
This was completely consistent logic.
For the main plot, the supporting female character's life was just leftover material that didn't need to be explicitly written. However, to Xu Lanyi, this was a great opportunity to return everything she had suffered twofold.
Such a personality perhaps perfectly fit her persona as a strong female lead.
The obvious excitement in Xu Lanyi's eyes showed that she was fully prepared to let Wang Xuebing appear.
The stage host had already started announcing the program. As Ning Ye walked toward the audience seats, she raised a hand to press her earpiece. "Have you found him?"
Through the static, Bian Xun's low, cold voice came through clearly.
"Not yet."
Bian Xun stood at the entrance of the art center, narrowing his eyes at the two luxury vans of Xu Lanyi's team. Everyone was wearing the uniform work clothes of Xu Lanyi's studio, and there were a lot of them.
"I've sent more people to search inside the venue."
All security checkpoints confirmed they hadn't seen Wang Xuebing. Security personnel started patrolling back and forth on every floor, not missing a single men's restroom, while people kept a close watch on the stage's backstage and front house at all times.
In reality, with this level of strict defense, it was impossible for Wang Xuebing to snatch a child.
So Xu Lanyi knew this, but she didn't care.
Because all she wanted was for Ning Ye's biological father to commit this act; that would be enough.
Ning Ye sat in the seat designated for Taotao's parents, pursing her lips as she looked around. She didn't know where Wang Xuebing would appear, nor was she sure if Ning Cuizhen had also followed them here.
She rapidly thought of countermeasures in her mind.
People who hid from debts all year round were like rats in the gutter; they were very good at hiding.
But under such dense security, Wang Xuebing wasn't a god...
At this time, the middle class children led by Teacher Youzi had already lined up and walked onto the stage. All the children had bright, glittery stage makeup, and under the stage lights, the makeup actually looked quite fitting.
Every child stood on stage looking very nervous, but the audience was pitch black, making it impossible to see their parents. On stage, Ning Zhitao held Zhang Sijie's hand, the two little girls scratching each other's palms, and they soon calmed down.
The children's choir had a heavenly purifying ability. Although immature, as it echoed above the adults, it felt as though they were being covered in gentle feathers.
While staying alert, Ning Ye recorded the entire performance for the child.
Midway through, Gu Zixun, whose makeup was noticeably more exquisite, came out and sang lead for several lines.
He was indeed very outstanding; Ning Ye heard many people in the audience discussing him.
But whether it was Ning Ye or Old Master Bian in the row behind her, they only focused on Taotao, who was singing loudly in the choir.
Old Master Bian had tried his best to secure a seat in the row right behind the official parents. At this moment, he was slapping his thigh as he listened, tears streaming down his old face, as if he had gone back to the time when he wasn't an old man yet.
Ning Ye turned her head helplessly, only to find that people from Xu Lanyi's team were scattered all over the audience seats. Suddenly, she thought of something—
If Wang Xuebing hadn't entered through any of the doors, could it be possible that someone like him, who had no fixed residence, had been hiding inside the art center all along?
Xu Lanyi had already confirmed these things and wanted to ensure he wasn't discovered...
Ning Ye suddenly stood up. Just a few minutes ago, Bian Xun had already ordered his men to strictly check everyone wearing the work uniforms of Xu Lanyi's team.
Ning Ye stood up abruptly and followed the children exiting the stage toward the waiting area.
If someone had deliberately or accidentally left a studio uniform for Wang Xuebing, with so many staff members here, he could easily blend in...
"Bian Xun."
As soon as her voice rang out in the earpiece, Bian Xun replied.
"I am right in the exit corridor."
Their voices crossed; both of them had already understood Xu Lanyi's intentions.
...
At this moment.
Xu Lanyi was right around the corner of the corridor. As soon as Wang Xuebing appeared, her people would immediately grab him, "interrogate" him, and "surprisingly" discover that he was actually Ning Ye's father and had so many criminal records.
Bian Xun strode forward, and Ning Ye's now-calm voice came through the earpiece.
"You also have his criminal records, right?"
"Send them to me."
Bian Xun: "Okay."
He looked up at the corridor. A few children who had just finished their performance poured out of the door. He didn't see Ning Zhitao, but he saw Gu Zixun.
Bian Xun and Gu Zixun happened to lock eyes for a second.
A gaze shared between two men, one big and one small.
In the distance, Xu Lanyi saw this scene and felt a sudden surge of excitement in her heart. She had imagined it countless times in her mind. She had hated Bian Xun halfway through and had retaliated against him, but at this moment, she still admitted that Bian Xun was the true male lead in her heart.
No one was better than him.
Right at that moment, Bian Xun suddenly frowned.
He also sensed a trace of something unusual. Looking up again, a figure was walking toward Gu Zixun.
Sure enough, Wang Xuebing appeared, wearing the studio's uniform and looking cowering and timid.
He wasn't going after Taotao, so Bian Xun didn't want to care at all. But at that moment, he uncontrollably stepped forward a few paces, picked up Gu Zixun, and placed him on the other side, allowing him to avoid Wang Xuebing.
Bian Xun's movements were very cold, but turbulent waves surged in his dark eyes—
His previous hidden worries were completely ignited at this moment.
Since some kind of operating rule could restrict his right to explain, to what extent would this restriction reach its maximum?
If he had his own complete and clear consciousness, how did the so-called plot develop?
Now there seemed to be an answer.
Bian Xun looked at his own hand. Because of the exertion, a few veins bulged on the back of his hand, and sweat began to appear on his forehead. However, no matter how hard he used his hundreds of pounds of punching power, he surprisingly couldn't resist his hand reaching out—
It actually reached out toward Gu Zixun's head, as if to pet him.
Gu Zixun stared at him blankly.
At this time, Ning Zhitao's round head just poked out halfway from behind the door, not having seen her father yet.
Bian Xun's jawline was completely clenched tightly, the side of his neck instantly turning red as he tried his best to control his hand.
Suddenly, something flashed across the digital watch on his wrist. In that second, his brain's control seemed to suddenly break free from something, briefly regaining control.
Bian Xun's expression was awful as he violently clenched his fist.
Xu Lanyi, who had seen everything just now, was already covering her mouth, tears in her eyes.
Sure enough, as soon as Bian Xun saw Wang Xuebing, he remembered Ning Ye's betrayal of him, so his feelings had also changed?
Xu Lanyi absolutely wouldn't miss this opportunity. Monstrous ecstasy filled her heart, and she immediately screamed for people to rush up.
"There's a strange person! Quickly, look!"
That was Ning Ye's biological father!
Their whole family were greedy pieces of work!
Today, she was going to completely nail Ning Ye to the pillar of shame!
But right at this moment, Wujiang's security personnel rushed up a step ahead and firmly pinned down Wang Xuebing, who was trying to run.
More importantly, following Miss Ning's request, they took the initiative to hold down the clothes on his body, preventing him from taking them off.
Ning Ye walked out from behind the bodyguards and calmly repeated into her phone: "Yes, I am the one reporting to the police. I am reporting that a staff member of Xu Lanyi's team is a suspected fugitive. There are children present, please dispatch officers as soon as possible."
Xu Lanyi froze.
Her previously feverish brain cooled down instantly.
No, no, how did he become someone from her studio!?
She wanted to argue, but the work uniform on Wang Xuebing's body was clear as day!
A large number of media reporters swarmed straight in, snapping pictures of Wang Xuebing with a crackle of camera shutters. Wang Xuebing hurriedly hid his head in his clothes, and with this movement, the Xu Lanyi logo on the clothes became even clearer!
Xu Lanyi's throat went dry for a few seconds. "He picked that up... that is..."
But all the studio personnel from Xu Lanyi's team who were present were wearing work uniforms. Where did this extra work uniform come from, and how was it coincidentally picked up?
Ning Ye knew that at this time, she absolutely could not leave people time to think about logic. She screenshotted the criminal records on her phone and airdropped them to all the phones present.
When the police arrived, they would only be more certain that Wang Xuebing indeed had a criminal record. As for whether he belonged to the female star's team, that wasn't their concern.
And yet, this was what the media present cared about the most!
Within a few seconds, the news that there was a fugitive fraudster in Xu Lanyi's team exploded directly on the scene.
Female celebrity, team, illegal.
With these words put together, who cared who Wang Xuebing's daughter was?
Xu Lanyi's face instantly turned deathly pale.
Her assistant immediately ran out to protect her. "Sis, let's go first. We'll handle the public relations when we get back."
Xu Lanyi's people pulled Gu Zixun along and quickly retreated as a group.
The media naturally acted like locusts, all of them following after Xu Lanyi.
Wujiang's security personnel firmly escorted Wang Xuebing and handed him over to the arriving police officers.
From beginning to end, Ning Ye didn't even glance at him.
Only when everyone had left the scene did Ning Ye let out a long sigh of relief.
Teacher Youzi held the children back, hiding behind the door. Only now did she dare to slowly push it open and walk out. "Wh-what just happened?"
She and the children had no idea what had happened. It all felt like a blur, as if a battle had just been fought.
Ning Ye, who had reversed the situation in an instant, shook her head and revealed a smiling face to Taotao. "It's nothing."
Ning Zhitao scratched her head. She felt like her mother had done something huge, but the little girl's mind was still immersed in the performance just now. Seeing her mother's gentle smile, she quickly threw herself over happily.
A child's innocent naivety was the best prize for adults.
She only hoped her little girl could grow up healthy.
"Mommy, did you hear my voice just now?"
"I heard it."
"I sang beautifully, right?"
"Of course, I think you sang the most beautifully."
...
The mother and daughter held hands and walked over to the child's father.
Ning Ye felt that she and Bian Xun had cooperated well today and overcome a difficult hurdle.
However, when she looked up, she found that Bian Xun's expression was extremely awful.
Cold and white to the extreme, even a bit ghastly pale.
Bian Xun lowered his eyes to look at his digital watch.
Previously, to test the speed at which his balance was draining, he had linked the watch face to his bank card balance, allowing it to receive billing alerts simultaneously.
Just now, at the exact moment his actions broke free from the restriction, a massive expenditure had popped up.
It was a new apartment Bian Xun had bought near the kindergarten. The single-floor flat was more spacious, the location hadn't changed much, and it was still convenient for Ning Ye to commute to work. He had already planned out a brand-new cohabitation life and hadn't even begun to persuade her to move in, but unexpectedly, it had come in handy here first.
The final payment, stored in a corporate account, had just been transferred out.
In that split second, his brain regained control.
Bian Xun slowly closed his eyes.
He finally realized something. His balance was draining away with every passing minute and second, but his focus had always been on the money. He had never thought about it the other way around—
What if every sum of money lost was actually buying time?
What if his lucid state could only be briefly stimulated by money?
He was swept up in the plot, and if there was only one symbol that could stimulate him...
A capitalist was the very embodiment of money.
Bian Xun didn't know when he would lose control again. He had just quickly spent a few sums of money, yet conscious spending didn't seem to work.
Bian Xun raised his dark eyes and looked deeply at Ning Ye.
All the causes and effects finally seemed to connect.
He pulled his black card from the left inner pocket of his suit.
Just as he was about to hand it over, he suddenly realized something, slowly put it back, and reached into his right pocket instead.
He pulled out that future black card.
To get her to spend money, if she knew the real numbers, it would be a burden, and she wouldn't dare to spend it at all.
"Swipe this one, spend some money," Bian Xun said with a tight voice. "Don't spend less than one thousand."
Testing it ten million by ten million, to see how much his time was really worth.
Ning Ye was puzzled. "Use this future card?"
"Yes," Bian Xun closed his eyes, his voice cold and clear. "Buy whatever you want."
Seeing his expression, Ning Ye knew he had something on his mind, so she didn't ask further. After thinking for a moment, she used his card to buy a set of children's vocal lessons; Taotao had been very obsessed with choir lately.
She also bought a complete set of winter pajamas for their family of three, in large, medium, and small sizes.
Then she bought a new four-piece bedding set, choosing a relatively high-quality, high-thread-count silk cotton.
After thinking about it, there was nothing else she wanted to buy for the time being.
Meanwhile, Bian Xun lowered his eyes to look at the balance on his watch. After a few rounds of money clattering away, plus the more than fifty million spent previously on the trope of her running away with their child, the over twenty billion in wealth he had frantically amassed finally began to drop by the hundreds of millions.
His mind was stimulated into a state of absolute clarity, as if a piercing wind had blown through, chilling him to the bone. He finally raised his head slowly.
The mother and daughter wore matching expressions of confusion. Ning Ye asked, puzzled, "Why did you suddenly ask me to buy things? What is this?"
Beneath Bian Xun's brow bone, his dark eyes were profound, and a breath of cold air escaped his lips.
"This is my pacemaker."
"?"
The CEO had already figured out the messed-up rules he was currently facing.
What domineering father?
The world was just playing him for a fool.
