Chapter 866 They couldn't possibly have feelings for each other.

They can't be together!

There can't be any feelings involved!

Their appearance together today is definitely a staged act for the banquet!

If Xia Ningxi truly had feelings for Ling Xiao, she would have stayed with him after marrying him instead of running back to the capital.

As the eldest son of the Ling family, Ling Xiao has his own responsibilities to shoulder.

The biggest taboo for aristocratic families is that the spouse of their heir has an unclean family background. The Ling family must have very high requirements for Ling Xiao's spouse. Even if he is not a socialite, he must have a clean background, be unmarried and childless.

A woman like Xia Ningxi, with three children, is unlikely to be considered by any wealthy family heir.

Even if Xia Ningxi is a highly renowned doctor, the Ling family would never accept her.

Ling Xiao is a smart man; he can't stay with Xia Ningxi forever. Their relationship is just one of exploitation.

Huo Nanxiao was fully aware of all this, but when he saw the two holding hands tightly, he found it very irritating. He felt a surge of anger burning in his chest, but he didn't even realize it himself.

The VIPs have all arrived.

The originally joyous scene was transformed into an unsettling atmosphere in the banquet hall by Xia Ningxi's arrival.

Zhou Fenglin, who had been laughing all day, was now completely dumbfounded. He hid in the dressing room and yelled at Xia Wanwan, who was touching up her makeup, "Why didn't you yell back just now? Didn't you see Xia Ningxi's arrogant face? Does she really think she's the eldest young mistress of the Huo family? She dares to put on airs in front of you. Where does she get the nerve!"

"Alright, Mother, please stop talking," Xia Wanwan interrupted her.

Zhou Fenglin said discontentedly, "You're useless and you don't even want people to talk about it? Look at that bitch Xia Ningxi. After leaving Huo Nanxiao, she either hooked up with Li Yancheng or hung out with the Ling family. Why can't you learn from her?"

“Xia Ningxi is a doctor hired by the Ling family. Lin Jiangbei needs her to treat him, so it’s normal to give her some face. I’m not a doctor, so what can I do?” Xia Wanwan retorted.

Zhou Fenglin said, "I think their relationship is more than just an employer-employee relationship. In my opinion, Xia Ningxi has already climbed into Ling Xiao's bed. I don't know how she serves him in bed and makes him obedient to her."

"She's already divorced from Nan Xiao, so whatever she does has nothing to do with me." Xia Wanwan didn't want to pry into Xia Ningxi's private affairs because, as far as she knew, Huo Nan Xiao and Xia Ningxi had been together for a longer time, and she was more worried that Xia Ningxi would sleep with Huo Nan Xiao.

Zhou Fenglin poked her forehead viciously: "Are you stupid? Xia Ningxi is divorced, but the fact that she can hook up with so many men at the same time shows that she is very skilled in that area. You are almost recovered now, so take a look and learn more, and find a way to serve Huo Nanxiao well so that he will be devoted to you too."

"Is Mother finished speaking?" Xia Wanwan asked, her face showing displeasure.

Zhou Fenglin: "No. I'm very embarrassed by what happened today. When we get out, you absolutely must not give Xia Ningxi a nice look, lest everyone think you're afraid of her."

"Luo Luo almost killed her, and it's already very kind of her not to pursue the matter. You still want me to slap her in the face at a time like this? Isn't that just asking for death?" Xia Wanwan retorted.

Zhou Fenglin scoffed: "With Huo Nanxiao protecting you, what are you afraid of? Huo Nanxiao wouldn't dare to bring your sister's matter into the open. You two are husband and wife now, and if Luo Luo's reputation is bad, he will also be affected."

Xia Wanwan was so angry she laughed, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

No wonder outsiders look down on their family; she herself despises Zhou Fenglin's face.

Not wanting to argue with Zhou Fenglin about this, Xia Wanwan touched up her makeup and left the dressing room.

It was supposed to be Zhou Fenglin's birthday banquet, but the main characters today were none other than Xia Wanwan and Huo Nanxiao.

But when Xia Ningxi appeared, another couple joined the main characters.

Xia Wanwan was aware of her identity and tried her best not to meet Xia Ningxi, and also took the initiative to avoid topics related to Xia Ningxi. She stayed by Huo Nanxiao's side from beginning to end, and found a place to rest when she was tired.

As for the other guests, they had already surrounded Xia Ningxi. Some were gossiping about her love life, some were seeking expert help, and others simply wanted to get to know Ling Xiao through Xia Ningxi.

But no matter what their purpose was, the end result was to please Xia Ningxi, asking for her contact information in various ways, and speaking to her in increasingly gentle and kind tones, full of respect.

But this kind of respect is something Xia Wanwan has never had.

Even though she was married to Huo Nanxiao and rightfully stood by his side, these people still looked at her with prejudice, showing no respect in their words. Instead, they treated her like a plaything tied to Huo Nanxiao's side, treating her no differently than a cat or dog.

This is not what Xia Wanwan wanted.

Seeing a group of people fawning over Xia Ningxi, showering her with compliments and trying their best to please her, Xia Wanwan felt envious.

"Hey, Mrs. Huo, what are you standing here daydreaming about?" Fu Mingyan noticed Xia Wanwan's lapse in composure and immediately confronted her.

Xia Wanwan smiled politely but did not reply.

Fu Mingyan scoffed, "If I were you, I wouldn't even have the face to stay here."

“Today is my mother’s birthday banquet, and as the host, I have no reason to leave. If Miss Fu finds this place too small, she is free to leave, and I will not stop her,” Xia Wanwan said.

Fu Mingyan sneered: "If I leave, who will come to watch your show? The stage is already set up, how can we let the guests leave? Everyone wants to see what tricks you, this sparrow who has finally managed to fly up to the top, can pull off."

"However, even if your family causes a huge uproar, it's still not as bad as a single hair on Xia Ningxi's head."

The mocking voices were sharp and piercing, leaving Xia Wanwan speechless. She bit her lip tightly, her eyes slightly red. Because there were many onlookers around, she could only swallow her grievances and turn to find Huo Nanxiao.

Fu Mingyan rolled her eyes, took the red wine, and walked towards Xia Ningxi with great enthusiasm.

Fu Mingyan's attitude was the same as that of the noble ladies of the capital. She was of noble status and the eldest daughter of the Fu family. She was a leading figure in the socialite circle. Although she was not smart and had no business sense, she was deeply loved by her parents.

Such a young lady from a wealthy family holds a very high status in the capital. Whoever she likes, the other socialites will naturally take Fu Mingyan's attitude to heart. Even if they don't like Xia Ningxi, they won't make things difficult for her.

Those whom Fu Mingyan dislikes, and those who need to act according to the Fu family's wishes, will naturally not give them a friendly look either.

Fu Mingyan disliked Xia Wanwan, and naturally everyone disliked her as well. In addition, since she was a mistress who had taken over, they hated her even more. However, out of respect for Huo Nanxiao, no one brought the matter up in the open.

But ever since Xia Ningxi appeared, everyone's attitude towards Xia Wanwan has obviously changed, and they don't have a good attitude towards Zhou Fenglin, the birthday boy either. Everyone is very indifferent.

Zhou Fenglin's family was left standing on the sidelines, even though they were the rightful owners, they seemed utterly superfluous at this moment.

"Damn it, that bitch stole all the limelight."

"I thought she wouldn't come to the banquet, but I didn't expect her to be so shameless."

"Are these people blind? They're actually trying to get close to Xia Ningxi. Our Wanwan is the eldest young mistress of the Huo family. They're treating Wanwan so badly, they'll definitely get their comeuppance later."

Zhou Fenglin gritted his teeth indignantly, his anger practically bursting from his eyes.

Xia Wenhe quickly pulled her back and whispered to comfort her, "Don't say it, or outsiders will gossip."

"Those blind fools just keep babbling in our ears, but they never dare to curse in front of Xia Ningxi. They're no good either," Zhou Fenglin said nonchalantly.

Relying on her status as Huo Nanxiao's mother-in-law, she acted arrogantly and swaggered around the capital.

Seeing a group of people trying to get close to Xia Ningxi, she felt dissatisfied and walked over angrily in her high heels, saying in a strange voice, "Oh, I didn't expect that even after you left the capital, so many people still know you."

Xia Ningxi was surrounded by a group of guests in the middle of the seat. When Zhou Fenglin spoke, everyone subconsciously looked at her, and after confirming that he was not talking to them, their gazes fell on Xia Ningxi.

Xia Ningxi casually took a sip of red wine: "Is that so strange?"

"Heh, not surprising. You're Wanwan's sister. Since you're here, have a good talk with your sister. Don't just hang around in the crowd all day. She hasn't had a good appetite lately, so take good care of her. Once she's better and has a son or daughter, she can even come to your hospital to have you deliver her baby." Zhou Fenglin said with a smile.

Everyone had different expressions, and they all knew that this was a provocation against Xia Ningxi.

Xia Ningxi showed no emotion on the surface and calmly said, "Wanwan is well taken care of by you all. As for her getting pregnant and having a baby, she can find some gynecologists in the capital. I can't do that. I specialize in treating people who are not mentally sharp."

"You dare to insult me?" Zhou Fenglin's face turned green.

"No." Xia Ningxi blinked her beautiful big eyes.

Zhou Fenglin suppressed his anger: "You're insulting me!"

"There's nothing I can do if that's how you think," Xia Ningxi said helplessly.

Fu Mingyan: "What are you yelling about? It's so noisy! We're not even sure if your daughter can be born, and you've already planned to have a midwife deliver her? You're dreaming!"

Chu Xinran smiled and chimed in, "I heard that Xia Wanwan went to Lingcheng this time to see a gynecologist. Perhaps she has already recovered her health."

“If it were that fast, she would have been pregnant long ago. Why wait until now? Isn’t this old woman just using her power because she doesn’t have enough confidence?” Fu Mingyan retorted.

Chu Xinran was surprised.

Duan Rongrong: "I heard that she has health problems and it will probably be difficult for her to get pregnant."

"So, she's not even pregnant, yet Madam Zhou is already making a big deal out of nothing. Who are you trying to scare? Even if she really does give birth to Brother Nan Xiao's child, so what? He doesn't only have one child. Uncle Huo's designated heir is Xia Ningxi's child. Your family won't get a single bit of it," Fu Mingyan mocked.

Zhou Fenglin retorted, "Miss Fu is an outsider and doesn't understand anything. Young Master Huo is deeply devoted to Wanwan, and his things will naturally belong to Wanwan and the children in the future. As for the three children, they have already left with Xia Ningxi, so they shouldn't expect to inherit the Huo family's assets."

Fu Mingyan: "After saying all this, it seems like you, a shrew, have the final say on the Huo family's vast fortune. Even if Uncle Huo is stupid, he would never let a mistress's child take his place. Besides, can she even give birth now?"

"They've already planned everything before the child is even born. This is the kind of behavior you'd expect from a poor family. You need to be lucky to do that."

Just because others don't know Xia Wanwan's physical condition doesn't mean Fu Mingyan doesn't.

She had been keeping a close eye on Xia Wanwan's actions and knew clearly that Xia Wanwan was unlikely to have a child in the short term.

As for Xia Ningxi, she had also given Xia Wanwan a physical examination a few months ago, and it was indeed extremely difficult for her to get pregnant. She would need at least three to five years of recuperation.

Since nothing had happened, Zhou Fenglin couldn't wait to show off...