Hearing Lu Mingyu say this so abruptly, Song Yining's face showed no expression at all. She merely gave a small laugh and said, "I am just myself."
Lu Mingyu glanced at her but said nothing more—until a strikingly beautiful figure strode in from outside.
Zheng Yu, upon hearing that her aloof cousin wanted to see her, had felt rather uneasy. After all, everyone in the family was urging her to give up her self-media career and return to the family company. She was worried that Lu Mingyu was also coming to pressure her.
But when she pushed the door open, she saw there was already someone sitting opposite her cousin—and it was a woman!!!
"You… you're Xu Jichen's ex-wife???" Zheng Yu asked in shock.
Her cousin… since when did he have dealings with Xu Jichen's ex-wife???
"Hello, Miss Zheng, I'm Song Yining." Song Yining rose to her feet and greeted Zheng Yu with formal politeness.
The moment she stood up, Zheng Yu had the illusion she was looking at one of those female professional managers who had long been running her father's company.
She had seen Song Yining a few times before—always flamboyantly dressed, with odd color pairings.
It was said she was imitating Xu Jichen's fashionable ex-girlfriend.
Zheng Yu was normally very gossipy, but faced with this clear-spring-like Song Yining, she found she had no desire for gossip at all.
"She wants to discuss a cooperation with you. Be a little serious," Lu Mingyu said to Zheng Yu.
Zheng Yu gave her cousin a questioning look before sitting down beside Song Yining.
But before the two women could even begin talking, someone came to find Lu Mingyu:
"President Lu, Song Boyuan, and his wife are waiting outside the hall. They say… they're worried their daughter may have offended you somehow and wish to see you…"
The secretary phrased it very tactfully, but none of the people present were naïve. Both Lu Mingyu and his sister turned their eyes toward Song Yining.
Song Yining could only laugh helplessly. She said to the two of them:
"If you've got the time, why not watch a play before we talk business?"
Hearing this, Zheng Yu immediately jumped up, while Lu Mingyu glanced at Song Yining again. Seeing that she even seemed faintly amused, he finally rose as well.
Zheng Yu leaned close to Secretary Fang and whispered, "Before I came, did the two of them… um, have any ambiguous interactions?"
Secretary Fang didn't dare breathe too loudly—he just kept shaking his head.
While she was gossiping, the group had already arrived outside the hall.
There, Song Boyuan and Jiang Yuan were standing anxiously. When they saw Lu Mingyu, Jiang Yuan hurriedly asked, "President Lu, are you… alright? That child, Yini, was spoiled by us. Back then, with President X,u it was also… unclear. We're just worried, afraid she might cause a disaster!"
Her concern did not seem fake. As she spoke, she carefully scrutinized Lu Mingyu and Song Yining, as though searching for traces of an affair.
But between the lines, her meaning was clear—she was disparaging Song Yining as shameless.
"Aunt Jiang, how can you say that? Back then, you clearly said that my marrying into the Xu family was a great blessing for the Song family. I even helped you cover up Song Yijing's scandal with Chao Xiong. And now you say I was 'unclear'???" Song Yining suddenly raised her voice.
Everyone present: "???? Song Yijing, Chao Xiong???"
The moment those words left her lips, both Song Boyuan's and Jiang Yuan's faces changed. And then Song Yijing rushed over from nowhere, shouting furiously at her. His raised right hand seemed ready to slap her face:
"Song Yining, you bitch! You deserved to be cast off by the Xu family—no one would want trash like you!"
Song Yining just stood there quietly. Hearing this, she smiled faintly without answering. In contrast, Song Yijing's rage was plain to see.
Jiang Yuan didn't say anything, only instinctively tugged at Song Yijing to keep him from causing a bigger scene.
But people around them were already whispering. This circle was small, full of prominent families. If her son were to be burdened with such a stain in the future… Jiang Yuan could not hold back anymore.
"Yining, how can you say such things about your brother?" she demanded.
Standing by Lu Mingyu's side, Song Yining looked coldly at Jiang Yuan. Since it concerned Song Yijing's reputation, she didn't bother with pretense anymore.
"Aunt Jiang, as expected—you lift me only to destroy me," she said with a sorrowful air, sighing in disappointment.
"Today, it was Song Yijing who provoked me first. This morning,g too, he even brought people to run me down with a car. I never thought you would truly treat me and my brother this way. Dad—how can you face my mother, who died so young?"
With that, Song Yining turned and left. Zheng Yu, seeing this, quickly followed.
Song Yijing shoved his parents aside and chased after her. Secretary Fang glanced at his silent boss and asked carefully, "Boss, should we send someone to protect Miss Song?"
"She probably wouldn't want anyone disturbing her. Go call Zheng Yu back," Lu Mingyu instructed.
Secretary Fang hurried off after Zheng Yu.
On the hotel lawn outside, Song Yijing rushed toward Song Yining. But just as he raised his arm, she spun back and easily flipped him to the ground.
"Good brother," Song Yining knelt on one knee, her leg pressing down on his. She patted his cheek lightly, leaned close, and whispered, "How many times have I told you—not to provoke me again?"
"What a pig brain. Never learns a lesson. I don't know how someone so stupid was even born."
When she released him, she muttered softly.
From this day on, the once-prized son of Song Boyuan and Jiang Yuan—the so-called model student in everyone's eyes—would begin to wither.
Tsk tsk. What a pity.
By the wisteria at the edge of the lawn, Song Yining looked toward the shadows and said coldly,
"What I just said to Song Yijing applies to you as well. We'll stay out of each other's way."
Then, without looking back, she walked away.
Only after her figure had vanished did two tall men step slowly out of the shadows.
Zhou Yan glanced at Xu Jichen beside him and said with a click of his tongue,
"Look at her. She's like a different person. Honestly, I think you lost out in divorcing her."
"Since childhood, I've never seen such an interesting woman," Zhou Yan sighed again.
Xu Jichen stubbed out his cigarette, his eyes deep and unreadable.