A normal balloon explosion wouldn't hurt a fly.
Clearly, the balloon had been tampered with. She needed to preserve the evidence.
"Are you the wedding planner? Give me back my woman!"
"I knew you lot were the most unreliable."
"My son is injured from the explosion, how will you compensate me?"
...
Relatives from the Wang and Li families swarmed the stage. Knowing Meng Jingwei was the wedding planner, they went straight for her. One woman grabbed Meng Jingwei by the hair and slapped her across the face twice.
Meng Jingwei, who was bent down looking for evidence, was caught off guard by the slaps. Her cheeks burned with pain.
But the next moment, she grabbed the wrist of the woman who had slapped her. "What are you doing?"
She roared, her aura instantly erupting. Her expression was serious, her presence imposing.
"Would a normal balloon explosion injure someone? It was clearly tampered with! Whether the culprit is an enemy of your Wang or Li families, or an enemy of mine, Meng Jingwei, is yet unknown. If you keep causing trouble, the only remaining evidence on the scene will be gone, and you'll never find the killer!
Meng Jingwei suddenly flung her hand away. The woman stumbled back, nearly falling, but was caught by her family.
"Damn it, you wrecked the place and you have the nerve to talk back."
"Beat her up."
"A wedding planner, too damn arrogant."
"Outrageous."
...
The crowd ignored Meng Jingwei's words and surged forward, punching and kicking her.
However, at the critical moment, as Meng Jingwei was pushed to the ground, she didn't feel the pain all over her body. Opening her eyes, she was stunned to realize that Xiao Cheng had appeared in time and was holding her tightly in his arms.
Their blows landed on Xiao Cheng. At such close range, she could almost hear his pained gasps growing heavier with each kick, and the tremors of his body as he was beaten.
Meng Jingwei's mind went blank, but all her attention was on Xiao Cheng.
Surprise, shock, gratitude, excitement – myriad emotions surged through her, leaving her feeling strangely unsettled.
Meanwhile, below the stage, among the dispersing crowd, Qing Muyye, Song Jun, Qing Sihui, Shu Yao, Chu Xue, and several invited reporters were all present.
"Oh my god, what happened?" Shu Yao, startled, covered her mouth. She instinctively wanted to call out to Qing Sihui, but remembering the need to maintain a certain distance in front of outsiders, she could only say to Qing Muyye, "Mr. Qing, please go help Weiwei quickly."
The man in the tailored suit stood below the stage, watching the unfolding scene with an impassive expression. His brow furrowed, and his deep gaze held a hint of coldness.
Beside him, Song Jun asked, "Mr. Qing?"
He was seeking Qing Muyye's opinion.
However, Qing Muyye's gaze was fixed on Meng Jingwei, held tightly by Xiao Cheng in the crowd. His eyes grew darker.
"Mr. Qing, what are you waiting for? Go save her!" Shu Yao exclaimed, stamping her foot in anxiety.
Qing Muyye came back to his senses, cast a cold glance at her, and turned to leave.
At that moment, several reporters invited by the Wang family rushed forward, blocking Qing Muyye's path.
"Mr. Qing, Meng Jingwei, your god-sister's company, is the wedding planner for the Wang family's wedding today. What is your take on this?"
"With such a major incident at the wedding, will your Qing family take responsibility?"
"There are rumors that you and Meng Jingwei are not on good terms. Is this true?"
"Mr. Qing, what do you think of today's events?"
"Young Master Qing, if the wedding was manipulated, who do you think is seeking revenge?"
...
The reporters and photographers, armed with their long lenses and cameras, swarmed Qing Muyye, their microphones practically shoved in his face.
The man was accustomed to such scenes, maintaining his usual cold and arrogant demeanor. He scanned the reporters before him with a gaze that seemed to disdain the world.
His thin lips parted. "Grandmother recognizing Miss Meng as her god-granddaughter merely shows that she is fond of Miss Meng. However, Meng Jingwei's words and actions have absolutely no bearing on my Qing family."
"So, you truly dislike Meng Jingwei?"
"She is Madam Qing's god-granddaughter, making her half a member of the Qing family. Aren't you going to take responsibility?"
"Without your Qing family, Mr. Wang would not have found Miss Meng's wedding company."
"Are you trying to distance yourself from Miss Meng?"
...
The reporters pressed him with their aggressive questions.
However, Qing Muyye merely shot them a sharp, icy glance. With a single look, filled with chilling intent, he struck fear into the reporters, who immediately fell silent.
Seeing that Qing Muyye made no move, they wisely retreated a few steps, clearing a path for him to leave.
And so, in full view of everyone, Qing Muyye walked away.
On stage, Meng Jingwei, pinned to the ground, saw Qing Muyye's resolute departure through the gaps in the crowd surrounding her.
At that moment, her heart clenched painfully.
For some reason, she felt a suffocating pain surge in her chest, as if she had suddenly fallen ill. A shiver ran through her body, and she felt extremely unwell.
He had, after all, heartlessly left.
Ultimately, Meng Jingwei, as the person in charge of the wedding company, was taken away by the police.
Xiao Cheng, injured by people from the Li and Wang families, was sent to the hospital for treatment.
That night, she was locked up in the police station, her face bearing injuries.
Shu Yao and Qing Sihui came to visit Meng Jingwei.
Due to Qing Sihui's status, the police took her to a reception room. In the reception room, Shu Yao saw Meng Jingwei emerge and immediately rushed forward, taking her hand and asking with concern, "Are you alright? What on earth happened? How did things get like this?"
Feeling Shu Yao's concern, Meng Jingwei couldn't help but be touched.
She shook her head. "I'm fine, everything is good."
Her answer was a forced show of strength, a faint smile on her lips. Even though there were still two red marks on her cheeks where her skin had been scratched by fingernails, she seemed unfazed.
"Fine? Look, you still have handprints on your face." Shu Yao was both angry and helpless.
She then turned to Qing Sihui. "Ah Hui, you are Weiwei's seventh uncle. Can you help her?" Shu Yao pleaded with Qing Sihui for Meng Jingwei.
Qing Sihui nodded slightly. "Little girl, you'll have to endure these next few days. Don't worry, I'll investigate thoroughly."
"Thank you."
Meng Jingwei said thank you, then looked at Shu Yao. "Shu Yao, could you please go check on Xiao Cheng for me?"
Xiao Cheng had protected her today, and in the end, a grown man had been beaten into unconsciousness.
It was clear how brutally those people had acted.
"Oh, you can barely protect yourself, and you're still thinking about others." Shu Yao stomped her foot in exasperation.
Meng Jingwei raised her hand and touched the scratches on her face, displaying an indifferent attitude. "It's just a small incident, nothing serious."
She exchanged a few pleasantries with them before they left.
Meng Jingwei was once again locked in the detention cell, placed with several men who looked rather disreputable.
Those men had heard of Meng Jingwei. Seeing her youthful beauty, they couldn't help but come forward to harass her.