Chapter 40 Come Here, A Miao (1/2)
Xia Yongqiang looked at Shen Xinglan with a furious expression. ”What do you mean by this?” Did this youngster agree to the engagement just so he could humiliate the Xia family in front of everyone?
”Don't forget that you're the one who personally discussed this marriage with me. You're also the one who agreed to the engagement ceremony.” Xia Yongqiang's expression was grim. ”Are you going back on your word now?”
If the engagement fell through today, they would become the laughing stock of the entire city tomorrow.
”Who said I'm going back on my word?” Shen Xinglan cast a glance at Xia Wan, who was looking tearfully at him. ”It's true that I'm getting engaged to the precious daughter of your family but… it's not her.”
Xia Wan looked deathly pale. Unable to face such a situation, she bitterly cried, ”What did you say? Who can you marry if not me?”
”How can you bully my daughter? You…” Yao Lili rushed out again.
Ji Zeming waved his hand. ”If you continue to make so much noise, I'll have to escort you out, Mrs. Xia.”
”You dare! This is my daughter's engagement ceremony!” Yao Lili pushed aside Xia Haixin and was about to rush up the stage.
Bai Yongwei chuckled as she looked at Yao Lili. ”You're mistaken. This is our family's engagement ceremony. Didn't you hear what Xinglan said earlier?!”
Xia Yongqiang was so angry that his face turned red. Blue veins protruded on his hand that held onto the cane as he slammed the cane firmly on the floor. ”That's enough! Stop embarrassing yourself in front of everyone.”
Xia Haixin hastily dragged Yao Lili out of the ballroom. Xia Wan wanted to call for her mother but did not dare to open her mouth.
”It's not like there's only one daughter in the Xia family.” Shen Xinglan pointed at a spot below the stage. ”She's the one I'm getting engaged to!”
Everyone's eyes were focused on the woman below the stage. A Miao felt she had never been this attention-grabbing in her entire life.
”Hehe… Hehe…”
She did not know what response she could make aside from giggling.
”Impossible! Impossible!” Xia Wan shook her head like she had gone mad. ”How could you like that ugly woman? She's not some precious daughter; she's a ille…”
”Wanwan!” Xia Yongqiang bellowed. He walked toward her side and grabbed her arm. ”Cool your head. That's your sister.”
”Sister?” Xia Wan's eyes widened in disbelief. ”Grandfather… You… What did you say?”
Right then, Xia Haixin hastily ran up the stage. ”Wanwan, stop being difficult. Listen to your grandfather.”
”So it's all a misunderstanding!” Bai Yongwei had stared briefly at A Miao and carefully sized her up. Concealing the contempt in her eyes, she smiled and said, ”Zeming, so that's our future daughter-in-law.”
Ji Zeming frowned. ”Xinglan, just what exactly is going on?”
”How would I know?” Shen Xinglan curled his lips. ”From start to finish, the one that I want to marry has always been A Miao.” He raised his tapered eyebrow. ”Don't tell me that Elder Xia thought that I wanted to marry her?”
Shen Xinglan pointed at Xia Wan while sneering. ”Are you kidding me? I don't know this young lady from the Xia family at all. The one I've been dating has always been A Miao.”
”Or…” He smiled faintly at Xia Yongqiang. ”Or are you saying that A Miao has nothing to do with the Xia family?”
Xia Yongqiang's face had been stretched taut throughout their entire conversation. Even a fool could tell that Shen Xinglan did this deliberately. Unfortunately, he had no way of reneging on his word.
”Hehe, so that's what happened!” Xia Yongqiang finally smiled. ”I was having difficulties handling the matter as well, not knowing how to give an explanation to Old Madam Bai!”
”How shameless!” This was the sentiment shared by everyone present.
”No…” Xia Wan opened her mouth in despair but no words came.
Xia Yongqiang had a deathly grip on her arm and her father was also casting her a warning look. She bit hard on her lower lip before abruptly raising her head.
”Youran!”
Bai Youran was momentarily stunned but rapidly recovered and walked over to her.
”Wanwan!”
Xia Wan threw herself into his embrace. ”Youran, we… we can finally be together!”
The contempt in everyone's eyes had turned into admiration for how shameless this family could become. In the future, they must never engage with the Xia family…
”Youran, please take Xia Wan away so she can have some rest.” Bai Youngwei glanced at Old Madam Bai with a smirk.
Old Madam Bai was also a person of tremendous caliber. She walked toward Xia Yongqiang and said meaningfully, ”Old Xia, I hope our families will work well together in the future.”
”That's only natural.” Xia Yongqiang was very pleased with Xia Wan's action earlier. He took the initiative to say, ”Let's pick a date later on and throw a wedding for our two children. Sigh, we've slighted Youran with today's events! Rest assured that I'll compensate him in the future.”
”We can talk about it in the future!” Old Madam Bai left with her entourage with a chuckle.
Now that things had come to this, no one knew what they should say. A Miao, who had been treated as part of the backdrop all along, stomped on the feet of Shen I and Shen II who had been holding her hostage while glaring at Shen Xinglan.
”Come here.” Shen Xinglan extended his hand to her.
A Miao: ”Never!”
Shen Xinglan: ”Do you want to die?”
A Miao: ”...”
After suffering defeat in their exchange of glances, A Miao gave in to her fate and walked up the stage.
”Elder Xia, are you willing to continue hosting the ceremony?” Ji Zeming took a step forward.