Volume 1, Chapter 61: Exposing the White Lotus's Tricks

Upon hearing Qin Xiang’s voice, Lu Ning didn’t even need to turn around to guess what that white lotus was planning.

Over the years, she had suffered countless losses at Qin Xiang’s hands.

She could predict Qin Xiang’s tricks even with her eyes closed.

Without turning her head, she reached out and grabbed the hem of her dress.

While dodging to the side, she gave her skirt a sharp tug.

Qin Xiang, who had stepped directly onto the hem, instantly lost her balance and flew forward, tumbling right along with the red wine splashing out of a nearby glass.

A champagne tower stood right in the middle of the grand hall.

Qin Xiang crashed straight into it, and the entire structure collapsed on top of her.

The turn of events was so sudden that no one expected it.

Lu Ning stood in place with an indifferent expression, watching Qin Xiang collapse beneath the shattered champagne tower, screaming in utter disarray.

A flicker of mockery crossed her eyes.

After all these years, Qin Xiang’s tactics remained completely unchanged.

Unfortunately for her, she would no longer let this white lotus get her way.

As the champagne tower shattered to pieces, nearly everyone in the banquet hall turned to look.

"Xiangxiang, are you alright?"

Lu Liu and Lu Nanfeng rushed over the moment they saw what happened.

Lu Liu stepped straight over the shards of glass to help Qin Xiang up, asking, "How did you manage to fall so carelessly?"

Qin Xiang was soaked from head to toe, her arms and legs stinging with burning pain and bleeding.

Rage boiled inside Qin Xiang—the person who was supposed to look pathetic right now was Lu Ning!

She looked up at Lu Ning, her eyes red-rimmed and filled with unspoken grievances as she said, "Sixth Brother, I... I fell down by myself. No one pushed me."

Hearing the white lotus play this tune, Lu Ning’s red lips curved slightly.

She had pretty much anticipated Qin Xiang’s script.

Lu Nanfeng noticed the way Qin Xiang looked at Lu Ning. Could it be that Nining was behind this?

Frowning, Lu Nanfeng said, "Xiangxiang, since it was an accident, be more careful from now on. Let number six take you to the hospital."

Qin Xiang looked at Lu Nanfeng in utter astonishment; that was not what she meant at all!

She had deliberately glanced at Lu Ning just now precisely to make them believe that Lu Ning was responsible for this!

As for claiming it was an accident, she had only said that to project an image of a sensible and wronged victim.

In the past, they would have immediately interrogated Lu Ning. Why wasn't the second brother playing by the rules this time?

Lu Liu’s face darkened as he demanded, "Xiangxiang, tell me honestly, did Lu Ning cause you to fall?"

Qin Xiang shrank her neck and whimpered weakly, "Sixth Brother, please don't ask anymore. It has nothing to do with Sister Nining. I just tripped by myself."

This performance made it abundantly clear that Qin Xiang's words carried a hidden meaning.

Lu Liu let out a cold snort and glared at Lu Ning. "Why did you have to ruin Xiangxiang like this? Just because I brought her and didn't bring you to the banquet today?"

Aside from that, he couldn't think of any other reason for Lu Ning to act this way.

Lu Ning raised an eyebrow slightly. "Sixth Brother, I have an invitation. I don't need anyone to bring me."

Her words carried absolute confidence.

Lu Liu felt a prickle of discomfort. "Do you think I don't know you? You've always been unable to stand Xiangxiang stealing your thunder, which is why you hurt her and made a fool of her!"

Lu Ning chuckled derisively. "What kind of thunder does she even have that's worth me stealing?"

Qin Xiang’s face turned black.

Lu Liu was left utterly speechless, unable to offer a single rebuttal.

Jiang Lu sneered, "A blind person could see that Lu Ning is the one everyone is paying attention to today. As a livestreamer who recently blew up all over the internet, she was invited to attend today's banquet. Qin Xiang doesn't even have an invitation—what thunder of hers is there to steal? Unbelievable!"

Zhao Gao chimed in, "Do the people in the Lu family have their brains wired differently from normal folks? Isn't Lu Ning the sensation of the day? Who is trying to hitch whose clout here?"

With everyone chiming in, Lu Liu’s complexion shifted through the colors of a palette.

Qin Xiang felt utterly aggrieved, raising tear-filled eyes to look at Lu Liu. "Sixth Brother, please stop talking. I just tripped and fell while walking, it has nothing to do with Sister Nining."

Qin Xiang touched the bracelet on her wrist and murmured, "It's such a pity that this jade bracelet broke. I remember this was very expensive."

Lu Liu glanced at the shattered jade bracelet and cast a cold glare at Lu Ning. "Are you happy now?"

Lu Ning calmly replied, "Weren't the accessories Qin Xiang is wearing gifts from me? If they break, they break. Why are you being so petty, Sixth Brother?"

"Is this the same thing? Lu Ning, since you refuse to repent, let's check the surveillance footage! Let's see how you talk your way out of it then!"

Qin Xiang grew a little nervous. "Sixth Brother, forget it. There's no need to make such a scene."

Lu Nanfeng frowned. "Sixth Brother, Xiangxiang already said she fell by herself. Hurry up and take her to the hospital."

"No! I'm going to get to the bottom of the truth today!"

Lu Liu was holding back a surge of frustration, especially when he saw Lu Ning’s nonchalant expression, which made him determined to force Lu Ning to bow her head!

Lu Nanfeng instinctively looked at Lu Ning. "Nining, what actually happened just now?"

Could Nining really have done it?

A cold chill lingered in Lu Ning’s eyes. "Whatever. Let's check the surveillance then."

Before long, hotel staff brought over a flash drive containing the footage.

Lu Liu snatched it away immediately. "This will show the truth."

Without even watching the video first, he had already convinced himself that everything was Lu Ning's fault.

On the tablet screen, Qin Xiang was shown stepping onto Lu Ning’s dress, but Lu Ning suddenly dodged to the side.

Because Qin Xiang was stepping on the skirt, she lost her balance and fell!

After watching the footage, Lu Ning’s expression remained unchanged. "So?"

After watching the surveillance, Lu Nanfeng glared coldly at Lu Liu. "Did you see clearly? It has nothing to do with Nining! Qin Xiang tripped by herself!"

Lu Liu had also seen the video; it genuinely looked like an accident.

Feeling his face burn with humiliation, Lu Liu stubbornly argued, "Lu Ning must have heard Xiangxiang's voice! She shouldn't have moved out of the way, and then Xiangxiang wouldn't have fallen!"

As soon as those words left his mouth, the entire hall fell silent in shock.

How could anyone utter such a bizarre statement?

Lu Nanfeng barked angrily, "Lu Liu, have you lost your mind?"

Lu Ning casually tossed the drink from her glass straight into Lu Liu’s face.

Lu Liu flew into a rage out of humiliation. "Lu Ning, what are you doing?"

The next second, Lu Ning hurled the glass itself at him.

This time, Lu Liu ducked out of the way.

The glass smashed directly into Qin Xiang instead.

Lu Ning sneered, "Sixth Brother, why did you duck? Didn't you know that if you moved, Qin Xiang would get hit? How can you be so selfish?"

Lu Liu jumped up in fury. "Lu Ning, you framed me on purpose!"

Lu Ning lifted her eyelids, a look of utter contempt in her eyes. "An eye for an eye."

Jiang Lu spoke up loudly, "That doesn't make any sense. You were the one who just said that Sister Nining shouldn't have moved. But when it's your turn, you ducked pretty fast."

Zhao Gao, the coach of the QQ Team, added, "It was clearly Qin Xiang who deliberately stepped on Lu Ning's dress, trying to humiliate her, only to end up hurting herself when her scheme failed. She brought this entirely upon herself!"

Jiang Lu, the class monitor, nodded in agreement. "The one who should be apologizing is Qin Xiang!"

With something so obvious, were the members of the Lu family collectively blind?

Lu Nanfeng looked at Qin Xiang. "Why did you end up stepping on Nining's dress for no reason?"

The whole thing certainly seemed suspicious.

Realizing her plot had been exposed, Qin Xiang bit her lip and put on a pitiful act. "I was just in a hurry to catch up to Sister Nining, and that's why I accidentally stepped on her skirt. I really didn't mean to."

Lu Liu chimed in, "I knew Xiangxiang didn't mean it, but Lu Ning deliberately caused Xiangxiang to get hurt."

A mocking glint filled Lu Ning’s eyes. "I'm already used to this outcome. It's always the same."

Hearing this, a deep wave of guilt washed over Lu Nanfeng.

Lu Nanfeng raised his hand and slapped Lu Liu across the face, his gaze sharp and fierce. "Lu Liu, I'm ordering you to apologize to Nining right now!"

Stunned by the slap, Lu Liu protested incomprehensibly, "Second Brother, it was clearly Lu Ning's fault!"

Why was he the one getting hit?!