Press Conference 2

Song Zhao calmly looked at the persistent reporter, her tone low but carrying a strong sense of pressure: "She doesn't understand, but do you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, another reporter stood up abruptly: "You deny sexually harassing your friend, but do you think she was ever bothered by your overly intimate behavior?"

As the reporters' questions grew increasingly noisy, Cindy calmly handed the microphone to Nanqi and gestured with her eyes that it was Nanqi's turn to go on stage.

"No!"

A clear and firm response suddenly rang out, instantly triggering a flurry of camera shutters and startling Song Zhao, who had just been arrogant and composed.

Nan Qi stood in the center of the stage, glanced at Song Zhao with a complex expression, then faced the cameras below the stage and said calmly, "As you all know, I was sick some time ago, and it was Miss Song who took me to the hospital in time. The doctor said I fainted from the pain of kidney stones. If it had been any later, my life might have been in danger. Four years ago..."

Song Zhao's pupils dilated in shock. She wanted to speak up to stop it, but found that the microphone on the table was turned off. She turned around sharply and glared at Cindy backstage, only to see that Cindy already had a confident expression on her face.

Nanqi lowered her eyes slightly, pulling her thoughts back to the past. Her throat bobbed slightly before she continued speaking, her voice filled with an unyielding bitterness.

“Four years ago, I had a conflict with someone, and I injured someone in the fight. I was heavily in debt and had nowhere to turn. She lent me money to help me pay off my debts.” Her voice suddenly rose when she said the word “borrowed money.”

"This led a bright student who had just turned 18 and was living a life of comfort to enter the entertainment industry. In this filthy place, he worked day and night for nearly five years, filming one movie after another and attending one drinking party after another, before he was able to pay back the money she had borrowed for him."

Hearing the uproar below, her palms were sweaty, and she gripped the microphone even tighter. She subconsciously pursed her lips and looked at Song Zhao in a flustered manner. Song Zhao frowned anxiously and shook his head at her.

She composed herself, turned to face the media, and her eyes became even more determined: "We were indeed classmates in our senior year of high school. She was my class monitor. She was intelligent, beautiful, kind, and brave. She was one of the top students in our school and a responsible class monitor. I was attracted to everything about her. I liked her, so I took the initiative to pursue her."

"If she hadn't met me, she would have had a better life, with endless possibilities, and she would never be like this today, being attacked by your words and slandered by those nonsensical rumors online!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a reporter abruptly stood up: "Are you here today to try and clear Song Siwei's name? What are your thoughts on the trending topic about her harassing a female teacher?"

"What am I trying to whitewash?!" she demanded angrily. "She's innocent! You're the ones manipulating public opinion and maliciously smearing her! I'd like to ask, who paid you to keep throwing mud at her?!"

When Nanqi heard this question, she was so angry that her nails almost dug into her flesh. She wished she could rush up there and push all these people into a stinking ditch to wash their mouths!

She took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing her violent rage. Reason finally regained its grip, and she struggled to control her emotions, gradually slowing her speech as she calmly retorted:

"As Miss Song said, she was the victim in that incident. If her privacy hadn't been maliciously leaked, she would have just been quietly processing those girlish thoughts in her own childhood world. What did she do wrong? If she had really done anything excessive, that female teacher would have stood up and confronted her long ago."

After speaking, Nanqi took the microphone, walked past the staff, went straight to Song Zhao's side, gently took her hand, and pulled her to her side.

For the first time, under countless cameras and flashes, they openly held hands, their eyes locked.

"I came here today to clarify the truth. Now that the truth has been told, I would like to say something from my heart to my class monitor, my savior."

She turned her head, looked earnestly at Song Zhao, and said, word by word, "My dear Miss Song, I love you. Will you…," she choked up, "be with me?"

Song Zhao's eyes instantly welled up with tears. She cupped Nan Qi's face in her hands, and without a word or any preamble, kissed her through her tears. At this point, one kiss was enough.

Backstage, Cindy immediately signaled to the host through her earpiece: "This press conference is now adjourned. Thank you all for coming..."

Several staff members quickly stepped forward and escorted the two women away from the scene.

Backstage, Song Zhao saw Cindy, and her pupils almost spit fire. Enraged, she grabbed Cindy by the collar, her sparkling earrings swaying violently with the movement: "Why did you bring Nanqi in? I told you I could handle it, why didn't you believe me?!"

"Zhao Zhao!" Nan Qi was also startled by her actions and exclaimed in surprise.

Cindy glared at her just as fiercely, her aura no less imposing. "What can you handle? Those reporters outside? The online public opinion? Or the projects you've lost? I've staked my entire career on this, fighting a do-or-die battle here. Why should I trust you?!"

She grabbed Song Zhao's wrist and commanded, "Let go!"

Nanqi quickly stepped forward and grabbed Song Zhao's arm: "You two should talk things out. There are reporters outside."

Song Zhao forcefully shook off her hand and questioned, "Do you know she's still not well? You brought her out; if something happens, can you take responsibility?!"

"It all comes down to your personal feelings!" Cindy snapped, slamming the documents on the table. "Have you thought about your job? You can just pack up and leave, you can always quit the industry, but what about the rest of us?!"

She pointed to the documents on the table: "Let me tell you, if these contracts are lost, you and I will both lose our lives!"

Cindy took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and turned to instruct her assistant: "Keep a close eye on the trending topics, and arrange for those big influencers to boost the comments according to the previous plan."

She then looked at Song Zhao and said, "Change your clothes and take her back to the hospital. I don't have time to argue with you."

Afterwards, Song Zhao drove Nan Qi to the hospital. Her face was solemn, her eyes were deep, and her fair skin was taut. She was even more uneasy than she had been at the press conference.

"Zhao Zhao, I'm fine, really." Nan Qi turned to look at her. "Don't treat me like a child. My body isn't that fragile..."

Suddenly, Song Zhao stopped the car on the side of the road, gripped the steering wheel with both hands, his knuckles turned white, and his face was frighteningly gloomy.

She turned to look at Nanqi, her eyes filled with crimson, which terrified Nanqi.

"Zhao Zhao, what's wrong?" Nan Qi raised her eyebrows and subconsciously reached out to touch her.

Suddenly, Song Zhao leaned in and hugged her tightly, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. His warm, wet breath brushed against her ear, carrying an overwhelming sense of fear: "That day... I almost lost you..."

...

For the next few decades, Nanqi paid extra attention to every signal her body sent. If she felt even slightly unwell, she would go to the hospital for a checkup without Song Zhao having to ask.

She would relive every hug she had with Song Zhao, but this time, she couldn't bear to.

That day, Nanqi hugged Song Zhao tightly, gently stroking her back, and whispered in her ear, "You won't lose me, I'm here, I'm fine, right beside you."

She repeated herself over and over, trying her best to soothe Song Zhao's unease and let him know that she was fine, really fine.