Chen Qian covered her cheeks, speaking with a mixture of anger and indignation.
Her words stunned the room.
Immediately, everyone who had stopped at the doorway crowded closer, witnessing the scene and astonished by what Chen Qian was saying.
Qing Muye, as if detached from the world, calmly took out a cigarette, lit it, and began to smoke, exhaling a wisp of smoke from his thin lips. He remained a detached observer, watching the unfolding events.
He said nothing, content to let the situation develop and ferment.
Meng Jingwei couldn't help but question, "Do you know where this is? This is the Qing family. I just told you that you need evidence for your words and actions. Otherwise, if you ruin the Qing family's reputation with a single sentence, and the Qing family presses charges, you could go to jail."
If Meng Jingwei had admired Chen Qian's courage moments ago, she now found the woman to be an idiot, unwittingly being used as a pawn by Li Yun'er.
Wasn't she just an idiot?
"I... I... Although I don't have proof, Yun'er told me these things. Yun'er is my good friend; how could she lie to me?"
Chen Qian, desperate to make Meng Jingwei a laughingstock, clung to her accusation.
"This..."
Chu Xue hesitated, then admonished, "Stop talking, Chen Qian. If you spout nonsense without evidence, you'll cause trouble."
While reprimanding Chen Qian, she turned to Qing Muye, who stood beside Meng Jingwei, and said, "Brother Muye, I'm truly sorry. Chen Qian is a bit confused. Please be magnanimous and don't take it to heart."
"Hmph, so what if there's no evidence? Qing Ye and Meng Jingwei just walked out of this car together. Their relationship is so intimate, isn't that enough as evidence?"
Chen Qian's eyes reddened with anger, and she stubbornly held her ground.
"Yes, I think Chen Qian is right. Otherwise, why would Qing Ye have canceled his wedding with Yun'er at the wedding ceremony?"
Qiao Shiyu also seized the opportunity to counterattack, wanting to embarrass Meng Jingwei and avenge Li Yun'er.
Seeing these two loyal dogs of Li Yun'er so fiercely defending her, Chu Xue didn't know whether to laugh or deem them utterly foolish.
The reporters present were from reliable news outlets chosen by Qing Muye. Therefore, upon hearing this explosive news, they dared not publicize it.
However, the elite guests attending the banquet began to whisper and point at Meng Jingwei, their gazes becoming somewhat strange.
Meng Jingwei was rendered speechless and felt it was no longer necessary to say anything more.
Since this was Qing Muye's own affair, she decided he should resolve it himself.
She had given Chen Qian a chance earlier, but this fool didn't know when to stop while she was ahead. She was hell-bent on digging her own grave, impossible to pull back even with ten oxen. In that case, she might as well perish.
Alive, she was wasting air!
"Meng Jingwei does indeed look exactly like Li Yun'er. It's understandable that Qing Ye would be attracted to her."
"I think Miss Meng is even more beautiful than Miss Li, possessing a cool, aloof beauty."
"What aloof beauty? Look at the mole on her nose; it adds a touch of sexiness without trying. I really like women like that."
"Yes, yes, she's very much like that big star from the TV shows, Jeon Ji-hyun, right?"
"Hahaha... she does have a bit of that vibe."
...
The crowd chimed in one after another.
Qing Muye, who had been silent for a long time, finally stepped forward and beckoned to the reporters nearby.
They immediately swarmed forward, cameras in hand, and began snapping photos of the scene.
"Allow me to formally introduce the woman beside me. Her name is Meng Jingwei. Although she comes from the countryside, she is kind-hearted. Several months ago, I, Qing, was involved in a car accident. It was Meng Jingwei, who was passing by while delivering food late at night, who saved me. Perhaps it was fate with the Qing family, as by chance, she encountered my grandmother, who had fainted during her morning run, and provided timely assistance.
Given these coincidences and her kindness to the Qing family, my grandmother decided to recognize her as her adopted granddaughter.
Originally, this matter was to be announced by my grandmother herself. However, some people, lacking discretion, have been speaking nonsense and slandering the Qing family's reputation, forcing me to make this announcement in advance."
Qing Muye stood before the media, formally introducing Meng Jingwei's new status.
His clear and forceful voice reached everyone present.
"Adopted granddaughter?"
"Damn, I heard rumors before, but I didn't expect it to be true."
"So, the girl who saved Madam Qing earlier was her."
"Not only did she save Qing Ye, but she also saved Madam Qing? Tsk tsk... that kind of luck must have been accumulated over eight lifetimes."
"What? She saved Madam Qing? If that's the case, then Li Yun'er must be talking nonsense."
...
The onlookers were astonished. Looking at Meng Jingwei again, their eyes were filled with admiration and envy. Everyone lamented why such good fortune hadn't befallen them.
"Therefore!"
Qing Muye raised his voice, his tone imbued with an innate regal authority, and warned, "From today onwards, Meng Jingwei is one of the Qing family. Anyone who dares to harm her, even a hair, will be deemed an enemy of the Qing family, and an enemy of me, Qing Muye!"
As his words fell, a brief silence descended upon the scene once more.
All eyes turned to Meng Jingwei, their gazes filled with envy, jealousy, and admiration.
The next moment, the atmosphere erupted into a buzz of chatter.
"With the Qing family backing her now, who would dare to touch Meng Jingwei?"
"Even if Meng Jingwei walked sideways, no one would dare to say anything."
"Well, well, this is truly a case of a sparrow becoming a phoenix overnight."
"A real-life ugly duckling turning into a swan."
"I'm so envious, she must have used up all the good fortune from several lifetimes."
...
The reporters, with their cameras, snapped photos of Meng Jingwei enthusiastically. Chen Qian's earlier slander was immediately disproven.
However, in such a favorable atmosphere, there were always those consumed by jealousy.
Among them was Chen Qian, who had been publicly slapped by Meng Jingwei. Filled with anger and indignation, she couldn't help but question sternly, "Is it true that Qing Ye says she saved him? As far as I know, it was my good friend Yun'er who saved you back then, which is why you got engaged to Yun'er. Now you're publicly changing your story to say Meng Jingwei saved you. Aren't you trying to cover for her and excuse her seduction of you? Isn't that right?"
Chu Xue chided Chen Qian, "It's already merciful that Brother Muye isn't holding you accountable. Why are you still spouting nonsense? If Brother Muye himself denies it, how can it be false?"
While this statement seemed to side with Qing Muye at first glance, upon closer reflection, it implied that Qing Muye's words were 'irrefutable evidence,' and even if false, everyone had to believe them!
"Sister Chu, that's not quite right."
Qiao Shiyu, who had been silent for a while, stepped forward and said indignantly, "In Lancheng, everyone knows Qing Ye is exceptionally wise and capable. His engagement to Yun'er was precisely because Yun'er was his savior. As the person saved, wouldn't he know who saved him? Ha, if that's truly the case, then he's utterly foolish."
Qiao Shiyu uttered these insulting words without thinking.
Humiliated publicly by Meng Jingwei and losing face, she now only wanted to salvage her pride and paid no heed to anything else.