Chapter 157 - The Stage Is Yours, Bitch (1)
Chapter 157 - The Stage Is Yours, Bitch (1)
Li Chuntao regretted going out with Mu Jianyu to meet his mother but at least she got an idea what kind of life her twin sister had before her passing. Why hadn't Ying told her about her ungrateful mother-in-law and how her shameless husband used her own money to pay for Song Xiangrong's medical bills?
The nerve of that old hag.
If she was a lesser person, she would have tainted her hands with that old woman's blood, but she wouldn't; it was below her and Song Xiangrong wasn't worth the trouble.
Why was it when a husband committed a mistake the blame is always directed to the wife? Why was Ying blamed for Mu Jianyu's incompetence and betrayal? He shouldn't have married her if he couldn't accept the truth about her.
But cheaters would always find themselves cheating themselves in the end. The real loser was always the person who was too weak to appreciate someone's loyalty and Mu Jianyu would have no one to blame but himself in the end.
"Miss Chuntao, we're here," Yu Lou called after her when she didn't make a move to step out of the car. It was clear that her mind was still filled with the confrontation she had with Mu Jianyu's mother earlier.
Li Chuntao turned her head and blinked at her bodyguard before her trance was broken. She nodded and stepped out without a word, still lamenting her late sister's predicament.
This continued for days until the day of the award ceremony arrived.
Since two of the actresses from the film 'To You With Love' were nominated for the best newcomer actress award, 'Li Xiuying' was naturally invited by the committee to attend the event with Mu Jianyu as the current CEO of Redux Entertainment.
The moment they stepped out of the car together, the bright flashes from the cameras hit Li Chuntao's face, almost blinding her. As they walked together on the red carpet, the reporters swamped them.
Was this how her twin sister was treated in public? How did she survive from the overwhelming attention people were giving her? Li Chuntao had no idea. Inside, she was already freaking out at the amount of attention she was receiving.
She hooked her arm with Mu Jianyu's and was smiling brightly and waving at the people around them as if he was a proud husband parading his beautiful wife in public. People would even assume that he was madly in love with his wife, clearly denying the allegations of him having a mistress before Li Xiuying's accident.
"Lady Li, can we get a short interview with you?" Someone asked but Li Chuntao smiled shyly and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, but tonight is about our talented stars. Let's focus on celebrating their achievements instead of a nobody like me." She politely declined, but none of those pesky reporters wanted to give up too soon and bombarded her with questions and comments.
"Lady Li, this is your first public appearance with your husband. Can you tell us if the spark between the two of you came back?"
"Your husband couldn't keep his eyes off you, how lucky, Lady Li."
"Please, questions later," Mu Jianyu intervened, much to Li Chuntao's relief. He was worried they would say something unnecessary, while she couldn't wait to run away and escape from these people. The smile on her face was starting to hurt her cheeks.
Mu Jianyu pulled her away and led her inside the assembly hall, casually greeting anyone they met on their way.
"Ying, are you alright? Just tell me if you start to feel uncomfortable and I'll take you home," he whispered to her once they were out of everyone's earshot.
"You worry too much, Jianyu. I'll be fine as long as you are here with me. Just please don't leave me alone or I wouldn't know how to deal with their questions," Li Chuntao pretended to be nervous, her hook on Mu Jianyu's arm tightening as she looked around.
Mu Jianyu's gaze softened at her words. He liked that she was starting to rely on him these days, but his guilt over his affair puts him on the edge every single day. With his relationship with his wife improving, Lin Meirong's demands were also getting out of hand.
At this point, he wasn't sure how long he could keep his affair from Li Xiuying anymore. If only he could stop time so he could keep Ying's attention all to himself, but that would only happen in fairy tales.
Before the ceremony started they found their assigned seats. The other guests busied themselves, conversing in low voices as they waited for the event to start. Meanwhile, Li Chuntao spotted Lan Jinyao several rows behind them and gave her a knowing smile. Lan Jinyao gave her a nod and took her seat.
Of course, Lin Meirong also attended with a wide smile on her face. She didn't forget to pose and let the photographers take several pictures of her before she slipped inside the assembly hall with a smug look on her face.
As soon as she saw Lan Jinyao, she arrogantly patted her shoulder as she made way to her assigned seat. She already knew that she would win the award tonight. Xi Shaohua and Mu Jianyu had told her, so she excitedly wrote the speech she would deliver later.
"Sister Lan, please don't get angry with me if I bag the award tonight," she gave Lan Jinyao a demeaning look while the latter clenched her jaw and tried not to snap at Lin Meirong.
"Don't worry, Sister Lin. Whoever wins between us would still make the production team proud. I'm pretty sure Lady Li would agree with me," Lan Jinyao gave Lin Meirong a mirthless smile.
'Celebrate now, Lin Meirong coz the stage is yours, bitch,' she thought.
Lan Jinyao was glad that Li Chuntao had already warned her what would be happening tonight or else she would be disappointed and disheartened by the results. She wondered what kind of surprise Li Chuntao had prepared for her.
Lin Meirong was clearly in a good mood when she arrived but her smile slightly faltered when she saw Mu Jianyu together with his wife, whispering sweet words to each other. Her lover had never looked at her like that. Mu Jianyu never treated her as if she was the only one that mattered in this world.
Li Chuntao caught her gaze and she waved a hand as a greeting. Mu Jianyu furrowed his brows, curious as to who had caused her to divert her attention away from him. Following her gaze, he held his breath when he saw Ying greeting Lin Meirong who was sitting a couple of rows behind them.
Lin Meirong awkwardly lifted her hand and greeted Li Xiuying back. Her eyes then shifted to the man who couldn't even look straight into her eyes. This infuriated her. Hasn't it only been a few short months since he told her she was his one and only and now he was ignoring her like a plague?
The lights started to dim as the emcee took over the stage to signify the start of the ceremony.