Volume 1, Chapter 65: Smashing the White Lotus into the Ground

Lu Ning quickly restored the hotel's deleted surveillance footage.

She glanced at the video in her hand. If these were published, Qin Xiang's lies would be instantly exposed.

*Ding*—she received a message from her second brother: [I have already talked to Xiang Xiang. She won't speak out of turn anymore.]

Seeing this reply, Lu Ning could only find it utterly ridiculous.

Was that it?

Yet the things Qin Xiang had said had already caused her such severe fallout.

Could it all be brushed aside so lightly with just a single sentence about having talked to Qin Xiang? How laughable.

With a sense of bitter disappointment, Lu Ning deleted her second brother on WeChat. Perhaps she should have done this long ago.

When she started her live stream that evening, Lu Ning noticed quite a few anti-fans attacking her in the chat.

[What right do you have to bully Princess Xiangxiang with your status as the eldest young lady, and even force her to issue a public apology on a live stream!]

[That's right! You even pushed Xiangxiang baby down at the banquet, causing her to get severely injured.]

Seeing the anti-fans' remarks, Lu Ning didn't feel angry in the least.

She calmly replied, "For a very simple reason: Qin Xiang is lying."

[What makes you say Xiangxiang baby is lying? Do you have any evidence?]

[Exactly! We all saw clearly that Princess Xiangxiang was injured, while you came out completely unscathed.]

Just then, a dazzling virtual gift effect lit up her live stream room.

When Lu Ning saw the name "Lu Tian Esports Club" pop up, a flash of impatience crossed her eyes. Why was her sixth brother here again?

She remembered very clearly how her sixth brother had looked at her with bone-deep hatred at yesterday's banquet.

What on earth was he trying to do?

At that moment, Lu Ning received a direct message from Lu Liu.

[As long as you apologize to me, I'll step up to testify and clear your name.]

Lu Ning couldn't help but laugh out loud. This was truly hilarious.

Ask her to apologize?

Lu Ning replied directly: [Get lost!]

She didn't want to waste another single word on him; it was a waste of breath.

Upon seeing this reply, Lu Liu flew into such a rage that he smashed his keyboard. "Let's see how you plan to explain your way out of this, Lu Ning. You're the one refusing to back down, so don't blame me."

Originally, his second brother had asked him to clear the air in the live stream, but given Lu Ning's attitude, why should he bother doing this for her?

She wouldn't even deign to call him Sixth Brother!

In the live stream, Lu Ning looked directly into the computer screen and said, "I have the surveillance footage from yesterday's banquet venue. I'll upload it in a moment. Once you all see it, you'll understand what really happened."

After uploading the video, the gaming PK match began.

Lu Ning poured her entire focus into the PK match, not giving the video another thought.

This time, her pace in the PK was exceptionally fast.

Almost every match was over in just a few minutes.

The fans watching before the live stream felt a chill run down their spines.

[Is it just me, or does Little Lemon seem extremely furious today?]

[I guess some people deliberately slandered her, which put Little Lemon in a terrible mood. I actually pity the players doing PK against her today—they're literally being crushed into the dust.]

[Little Lemon is simply: The Assassin of Challenger Arenas.]

Her limit wasn't ten; it was simply that there were only ten players.

The implication was clear: she was ranked number one because there was only one number one.

Lu Ning played straight through the matches until she successfully advanced into the top ten, finally pausing to take a drink of water and rest.

Her class monitor, Jiang Lu, sent her a message: "Qin Xiang has deleted all the remarks she posted this morning, and she's acting all green-tea-like, claiming it was all a misunderstanding and that she didn't mean it that way!"

Just then, Lu Ning saw Qin Xiang's username appear in her live stream room.

Qin Xiang's streaming handle was [Princess Xiangxiang].

Qin Xiang first sent a virtual gift, then chimed in with a faux-innocent tone, "Sister Ningning, it was all a misunderstanding. I've already explained it clearly to my fans and told them not to come and make trouble anymore. It was all my fault."

Lu Ning glanced at it and said coldly, "Since you know you were wrong, then get lost. My live stream is not welcome to you. Stop trying to latch onto my clout."

Qin Xiang's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't expected Lu Ning to be so utterly merciless and refuse to save any face.

If it weren't to score brownie points in front of her second brother, she would never have come to apologize.

She truly hadn't expected Lu Ning to possess surveillance footage; otherwise, she would never have been forced into apologizing.

Lu Ning continued, "Everyone knows our relationship is terrible, and I have no desire to fake sisterly affection. It's quite sickening."

Lu Liu couldn't stand by and watch any longer, typing out a message: "Xiangxiang took the initiative to come and apologize to you, and this is your attitude?"

"Is her apologizing supposed to make her noble? Do I have to forgive her? If apologies were really this useful, what would we need the police for?"

Lu Ning's tone was sharp as a blade.

The fans in the live stream chimed in agreement: [Exactly! That green tea used public opinion to guide everyone and smear our goddess this afternoon, only to get her face slapped by the absolute truth in the surveillance video. Does she think nobody sees through her little schemes?]

[Hurry up and get lost, green tea! You're not welcome here.]

[She probably got jealous of our goddess's fanbase and skill, which is why she keeps stirring up trouble. How despicable!]

Berated relentlessly by the chat, Qin Xiang fled in panic.

Seeing that her follower count had dropped significantly, she panicked. Who could have foreseen that Lu Ning had kept that video?

Weeping tearfully, she ran out of her room to find Lu Liu. "Sixth Brother, I really tried my best."

Lu Liu's phone was still connected to Lu Ning's live stream, so he had witnessed the entire exchange.

His expression turned unsightly. "I know, this isn't your fault. Second Brother, you saw it too. Lu Ning refuses to give us the time of day, so why bother pandering to her cold shoulder? She's full of herself now, even signing with Douxia Live, completely disregarding the Lu family!"

Lu Nan风 (Lu Nanfeng) clutched his uncomfortable stomach and said, "Ningning has the capability. She has the right to choose who she signs with."

"But she's still a member of the Lu family, yet she's pushing her elbows outward. I refuse to believe she didn't know about my competitive relationship with Douxia Live."

A fire had been burning in Lu Liu's chest ever since yesterday, when he had completely humiliated himself.

Now, everyone knew that he had cast aside a sister capable of pulling off a twelve-hit combo, shoving her straight into the arms of his business rival.

Everyone was mocking him!

Qin Xiang put on a sensible, understanding front. "Sixth Brother, Ningning is just throwing a tantrum. She wouldn't really join a rival gaming team."

Lu Nanfeng looked over at her. "Xiangxiang, why did you say those things in your live stream to mislead everyone? Did you have any idea what kind of consequences that would bring?"

Qin Xiang's eyes instantly turned red.

Lu Liu immediately stepped in to defend her. "Second Brother, Xiangxiang has apologized so sincerely. What more do you want from her? Surely you aren't going to start treating Xiangxiang poorly just because of Lu Ning?"

Lu Nanfeng was so angry his stomach ached. "Why can't you understand?"

"I understand perfectly. Lu Ning's personality has simply been spoiled rotten. I want to see just how long she can remain so arrogant. Let's go, Xiangxiang."

Plagued by a splitting headache from the frustration, Lu Nanfeng finally began to understand the grievances Lu Ning had suffered in the past.

He sent a hundred thousand worth of gifts in Lu Ning's live stream, followed by a pinned comment: [Yesterday's incident at the banquet was a misunderstanding and had nothing to do with Ningning. As her brother, I will forever support Ningning's choices.]

Seeing the full-screen gift animations, Lu Ning felt not a single ripple of emotion in her heart.

Having lost all mood to continue, she directly ended the broadcast.

She didn't want to watch her second brother put on a melodramatic show in her live stream.

Stepping out of the study, she didn't see Ji Chiqian. He seemed to have been exceptionally busy lately.

She hadn't laid eyes on him for days in a row.

She felt like something was amiss, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

However, the college entrance examination scores were about to be released, and Lu Ning felt a flutter of nervousness.

She sent Ji Chiqian a message: [Have you been very busy lately? Will you be back the day the exam scores come out?]

Ji Chiqian stared at her message for a long time without replying.

Gu Zipeng glanced over and said, "That's from Little Lemon, right? Have you been dodging her these past few days? What on earth happened? Did she confess her feelings to you or something?"

Ji Chiqian nonchalantly looked away, his slender fingers tightening their grip around his phone.

His throat bobbed as he spoke in a low voice: "She's still young. She doesn't understand what liking someone means."

Between him and her, the gap wasn't just age; it was an uncrossable chasm.

Lu Ning still harbored deep hatred for the person responsible for her parents' deaths all those years ago.

That drunken kiss from that night had left him scrambling in disarray, hiding away ever since.

"Damn, I guessed it right, huh? But it's not like there's no way out. When you go back this time, just tell her you have a girlfriend. She'll probably give up then."

Ji Chiqian's gaze grew deep and unfathomable. "Perhaps you're right. It's time for me to leave."