The apartment was conveniently located near Gu's Entertainment, with its master bedroom window offering a view of the distant, brightly lit signs of a large shopping mall.
The neighborhood was pleasant, with attentive property management and security. The only drawback was the uncomfortable mattress and the non-velvet comforter.
Still, it was better than staying in a hotel.
The next morning, before Xia Qingtian had even woken up, Li Mengxiao arrived, accompanied by Wen Ning.
Using a spare key, Li Mengxiao entered the apartment, carrying gifts for Xia Qingtian, and immediately began tidying up.
Wen Ning, standing at the doorway, her gaze fell upon the clothes casually tossed beside the sofa, the shoes haphazardly placed by the entrance, and the toiletries that shouldn't have been on the coffee table. She raised an eyebrow slightly.
This was a scene never to be seen in the strictly disciplined Wen family.
"Morning," Xia Qingtian said, rubbing her eyes as she opened the bedroom door. Still in her pajamas, her hair disheveled, and her face etched with sleepiness.
"Did I wake you?" Li Mengxiao offered Xia Qingtian a shy smile. "I'm just doing a quick tidy-up."
"No need to tidy, just put things anywhere," Xia Qingtian waved her hand dismissively.
Hearing this, Wen Ning's eye twitched.
This statement felt like a deliberate provocation right in front of her!
What did she mean, 'no need to tidy, just put things anywhere'?!
Huh?
"Qingtian, you go wash up first. I brought you breakfast, congee from downstairs. See if it suits your taste," Li Mengxiao said while busily working and urging Xia Qingtian to eat.
"Okay," Xia Qingtian then shuffled her feet towards the bathroom to wash up.
Watching Xia Qingtian's unhurried movements, Wen Ning became even more annoyed.
By the time Xia Qingtian emerged from the bathroom, she looked refreshed, and the room had been tidied by Li Mengxiao.
"Sister Ning, I just noticed you're here," Xia Qingtian finally saw Wen Ning standing at the entrance and immediately invited her in to sit.
Li Mengxiao had also poured water and sat down with a smile.
Only then did Wen Ning walk in and settle onto the sofa.
The apartment, after being tidied by Li Mengxiao, was barely acceptable to her eyes, but remembering how it looked when she first opened the door, Wen Ning still felt a bit uncomfortable.
Unaware of Wen Ning's inner thoughts, Xia Qingtian was heartily enjoying the breakfast brought by Li Mengxiao.
"Wow, the chili sauce here is amazing!" Xia Qingtian said, scooping up the complimentary chili paste with a small spoon. "It's been so long since I had such good chili."
"Yes, the chili sauce here is made by the owner herself. They say it's especially delicious," Li Mengxiao said. Having traveled on business and shared meals with Xia Qingtian several times, she knew Xia Qingtian's taste.
"As a singer, you need to take care of your voice," Wen Ning finally couldn't hold back.
"Don't worry, Sister Ning, I'm fine with spicy food. If I have to record or do anything that uses my voice that day, I'll avoid it," Xia Qingtian said, breathing heavily from the spiciness.
"You should take good care of your voice at all times," Wen Ning said. "You need to be careful with oily and spicy foods. As an artist, you need to maintain your figure."
Speaking of which, Wen Ning finally stated her purpose to Xia Qingtian.
After Gu's Entertainment released the video last night, it not only shattered Wanqing Entertainment's lies but also attracted considerable attention due to Xia Qingtian's outstanding appearance.
Wen Ning saw an opportunity and planned to formally debut Xia Qingtian as a real person.
Xia Qingtian had already run away from home and didn't need to consider her father's feelings, so she readily agreed.
Wen Ning acknowledged this and began making arrangements.
At this moment, Wen Ning noticed Xia Qingtian carelessly toss a tissue stained with chili oil onto the table. The trash can was only about 0.35 meters away at Xia Qingtian's feet. Wen Ning felt her breath catch.
Her obsessive-compulsive disorder was unbearable.
With a sudden movement, Wen Ning stood up, about to scold Xia Qingtian, when she saw Li Mengxiao silently walk over, pick up the tissue, and throw it into the trash can. She then tidied up Xia Qingtian's used meal containers and wiped the table with a tissue.
Witnessing this, Wen Ning's mouth twitched, and she swallowed the words she was about to say.
Unaware of Wen Ning's complex thoughts, Xia Qingtian simply rinsed her mouth and then headed to Gu's Entertainment with Wen Ning and Li Mengxiao.
Meanwhile, facing the video evidence her agent had thrown at her, Mo Jianing was completely stunned.
Xia! Xia Qingtian!
How could this be!
Xia Qingtian was the original voice for Gu's Entertainment's virtual idol!
No wonder Gu's Entertainment had stalled her contract signing for so long – it was because of Xia Qingtian!
That b*tch!
Thinking of this, Mo Jianing's eyes blazed with anger.
"What exactly is going on!" The agent, seeing the complex changes on Mo Jianing's face, knew something was amiss, no matter how foolish they were.
Mo Jianing flinched at the agent's questioning, her eyes flustered, her mind blank, only managing a dry, evasive response: "No, it's not like that."
"Then what is it like? Say it!" The agent slammed the table. "Mo Jianing, you'd better not play any tricks on me!"
"I... I..." Mo Jianing couldn't think of any good excuses.
Xia Qingtian, that b*tch, was too disgusting, ruining her path to fortune like this!
She said she was no longer interested in virtual idols, but she was enjoying all the benefits herself!
Damn it! This was her idea!
This was all her credit!
Xia Qingtian, that b*tch!
Before Mo Jianing could even formulate her thoughts, a slap landed on her face.
Before Mo Jianing could react, another slap landed on the other side of her face.
"You useless piece of trash! How dare you lie now! What exactly happened!" Yu Linwan felt like killing someone.
Why were these useless people constantly dragging her down?
Facing Yu Linwan's murderous gaze, coupled with the shock of being slapped twice, Mo Jianing blurted out the entire story.
Listening to Mo Jianing's words, both Yu Linwan and the agent's expressions grew increasingly grim.
They had been fooled by this b*tch!
Now Wanqing Entertainment was in a difficult position, destined to be a huge joke!
"Keep a close eye on this b*tch!" Yu Linwan trembled with anger and said fiercely, "This matter is not over!"
"Yes." The agent was also furious. She had been in this industry for so many years, only to be deceived by such scum. Feeling choked, after Yu Linwan left, she delivered two more slaps to Mo Jianing's already swollen face.
Mo Jianing, covering her face, trembled all over, her mind blank, but her hatred for Xia Qingtian only grew.