Chapter 98: Spare Her for Now

Zhou Yao spotted Zhang Xiluo in the audience, her face bright with a smile as she greeted her. Startled at first, Zhou Yao quickly regained her composure within seconds and picked up the microphone from the floor.

“Today…” Zhou Yao began, momentarily at a loss for words. Lu Tiantian stepped beside her, quietly asking if she wanted to stop.

“I’m sorry. Yao Yao isn’t feeling well. She recently underwent brain tumor removal surgery and often experiences headaches. She must not be provoked,” Lu Tiantian took the microphone and glanced toward where Zhang Xiluo was seated.

“Miss Zhang, why have you come here? Isn’t what you did to Yao Yao enough?” Following her gaze, many eyes fell on Zhang Xiluo, and the venue instantly erupted in commotion.

Whispers and murmurs grew louder, while Zhou Yao on stage began to cover her face and weep.

The students were agitated; several boys even started throwing objects in Zhang Xiluo’s direction. Lin Yiming stepped forward to shield her.

Zhang Xiluo glanced at Lin Yiming, then rose from her seat and slowly ascended the stage. She approached Lu Tiantian and Zhou Yao, who leaned heavily on Lu Tiantian.

“Zhou Yao, you started this fundraiser claiming your father was hit by a car and needed expensive medical treatment, correct?” Zhang Xiluo took the microphone from Lu Tiantian. “But as far as I know, your father has already regained consciousness.”

“I wonder why you’d lie to your classmates here? And perhaps it’s time everyone learned the truth about your father’s accident?”

As Zhang Xiluo finished speaking, Lin Yiming lowered a large screen, which began playing footage of Zhou Lixun eating, followed by the real surveillance footage from the day of the accident.

No one had touched Zhou Lixun; he had run out on his own.

When the video ended, Zhou Yao fainted on stage. Lu Tiantian called for help and supported her as she was taken away.

The crowd erupted once more. The carefully constructed image Zhou Yao had built collapsed in an instant.

Zhou Yao had kept Zhou Lixun’s consciousness a secret, hoping to exploit the situation to continue defaming Zhang Xiluo and elevate her own standing.

Zhang Xiluo had Lin Yiming find the hospital staff watching over Zhou Lixun. Zhou Yao, unwilling for Li Mingye to know, had hired outsiders who could be bribed with money.

Unfortunately, this was a school event unlikely to spread widely; otherwise, she would have loved to see Li Mingye’s reaction.

“Lolo, are you really going to let her off just like that?” Jiang Xueting, unsatisfied, linked arms with Zhang Xiluo, still eager for more. “Letting her off this easily is too generous.”

“Of course not,” Zhang Xiluo replied as they left the school. Some students had already uploaded the video online, helping to clear Zhang Xiluo’s name.

“So, what’s next?” Jiang Xueting asked, curious.

Zhang Xiluo smiled gently. “Of course, I’ll accompany you to choose your wedding dress. Your wedding date is set—isn’t that urgent?”

“Urgent, very urgent. Don’t forget, you and Xinyi are my bridesmaids.”

News of the school incident spread online, and many no longer believed Zhou Yao. Zhang Xiluo’s counterattack had some impact.

Zhou Yao quieted down, and Li Mingye didn’t come looking for trouble. Rarely, Zhang Xiluo found some peace.

Jiang Xueting disliked custom-made wedding dresses and dragged Zhang Xiluo and Xu Xinyi around trying on gowns.

“Lolo, how about this dress?” Jiang Xueting twirled in a shoulder-length strapless gown with a long train. The neckline was adorned with a large ruby, and the fabric was hand-stitched with sparkling diamonds—a lavish display of wealth.

“Not bad. Definitely a rich woman’s wedding,” Xu Xinyi gave a thumbs-up. “Very beautiful. Let’s go with this one.”

“Yes, it’s gorgeous,” Zhang Xiluo smiled faintly but felt a pang of sadness. She had worn a wedding dress before but had never tasted the happiness of marriage.

Zhao Chengyi’s eyes lingered on Jiang Xueting, his amazement barely concealed, happiness shining clearly on his face. To him, there was only Jiang Xueting.

Zhang Xiluo was happy for Jiang Xueting—she now had the happiness Zhang Xiluo had once dreamed of.

She wondered how Li Mingye would react seeing Zhou Yao in a wedding dress. Would he look at her with the same love and joy as Zhao Chengyi?

Would he really act as though he had married his first love, Qin Xiaoxiao?

Jiang Xueting spun around in front of them, her face glowing with happiness. “What about your dresses? Have you chosen yours?”

Zhang Xiluo and Xu Xinyi exchanged glances and produced a very simple pink dress.

“That’s too plain. Change it, change it!” Jiang Xueting frowned, shaking her head repeatedly. “If you’re my bridesmaids, you have to look beautiful.”

“We like this one. Let’s decide and leave—I’m hungry,” Zhang Xiluo interrupted, rubbing her stomach.

At that moment, Li Mingye and Ouyang Chen emerged from the fitting room, both dressed in black tailcoats.

Together, they were a visual feast, exuding an almost divine handsomeness.

“Let’s go. I’m really hungry,” Zhang Xiluo said, glancing briefly before hurrying to the fitting room to change. Whether it was Li Mingye or Ouyang Chen, she wanted no unnecessary contact.

“Just these. You pay,” Jiang Xueting called out as she followed them into the fitting room, tossing the chosen outfits to Zhao Chengyi.

Zhang Xiluo quickened her pace, passing by Ouyang Chen, who stopped her. “Wait.”

She paused, looking up at Ouyang Chen, feeling a sudden chill—Li Mingye was watching her too.

What was Ouyang Chen playing at now?

Ouyang Chen removed a thread of cotton from her hair and showed it to her. “All done.”

“Thank you,” Zhang Xiluo exhaled in relief, forcing a smile and quickening her steps toward the exit.

Jiang Xueting and Xu Xinyi caught up and drove to a nearby restaurant.

As soon as they sat down, people at the next table pulled out their phones and began snapping pictures.

“What are you doing!” Xu Xinyi was the first to notice. She grabbed the hand of the girl taking photos and sternly warned, “Taking photos secretly is illegal.”

“Do you have proof I’m spying on you? Let go, or I’ll call the police,” the girl hesitated, trying to pull her hand back.

Xu Xinyi’s other hand snatched the phone, which still displayed Zhang Xiluo’s picture, the screen untouched.

“This is your proof.”

“So what if I took her photo? She did something wrong, refuses to apologize or admit guilt, yet she’s out eating. I’m just exposing her. She was abandoned, but it’s not the fault of that other girl. Why should she take revenge?” The girl spoke with conviction, defending Zhou Yao.

To her, Zhou Yao was the innocent girl; Zhang Xiluo was the wicked, spiteful woman.

“Are you venting your anger with your eyes? Did you witness all this yourself? Or do you just enjoy fake news?” Jiang Xueting stood, scolding these naïve, self-righteous girls. “A cunning, scheming homewrecker like her, and you think she’s a good person? What, do you see her as Cinderella? Planning to make her your role model and become mistresses to squeeze into wealthy families?”