Chapter 130 An Unexpected Disaster
Everyone turned around in astonishment, only to see Wang Lili storming in angrily.
Tonight, her father, Deputy Director Wang, specifically instructed her to approach Meng Qingshan after the event. She had been sitting in the back row, watching Zhou Anping shine under the spotlight, receiving everyone's attention and praise, and felt a pang of discomfort in her heart.
What drove her even more crazy was that after the show ended, Meng Qingshan waved in a certain direction. She thought he was calling her and was about to go forward happily when she watched as Nan Zhiyi and Aunt Wu walked towards Meng Qingshan!
Why is Nan Zhiyi here?
Wang Lili followed him backstage unwillingly, only to find Meng Qingshan giving flowers to Zhou Anping, whom she looked down upon the most!
"Who do you think you are? Trying to seduce Comrade Meng with your face and your slutty ways, huh?" Wang Lili pointed at Zhou Anping and hurled insults at him without restraint, causing the nearby actors to stop what they were doing and look over in astonishment.
Meng Qingshan's face instantly darkened: "Comrade Wang Lili! Watch your words! This is the backstage area, not a place for you to throw a tantrum! Leave immediately!"
He knew that no matter what he said to defend her, it would only become a new excuse for this woman to frantically attack Zhou Anping.
"I'm throwing a tantrum? She seduced you and you think she's in the right?" Wang Lili was intimidated by Meng Qingshan's coldness, but became even more enraged, pointing at Zhou Anping and refusing to let it go, "Brother Meng, don't be fooled by her feigned innocence! She is..."
"Wang Lili!"
Nan Zhiyi stepped forward from Wu Ma's side and stood in front of Meng Qingshan, protecting Zhou Anping behind her.
"You keep saying Anping 'seduced' someone, but where's the evidence? Is it because of her dazzling stage presence, or because she won everyone's applause through her own talent? Comrade Meng Qingshan gave Anping a bouquet of forsythia twigs to congratulate her on her successful performance; it was normal encouragement between comrades. How did that become shameful seduction in your eyes?"
"But you, Comrade Wang Lili, rushed backstage without considering the occasion or the facts, launching a personal attack and slander against an actress who had just given a wonderful performance for the arts. Your outburst is truly laughable..."
Wang Lili's face flushed red and then paled, her lips trembling as she pointed at Nan Zhiyi: "You! Nan Zhiyi! How dare you stand here? Shouldn't you be rolling around in the mud in the countryside? What, who did you climb up to? And you even managed to come back to the city with a pregnant belly? Ha, this bastard in your belly..."
"Pooh!"
Wu Ma rushed out like a mother tigress protecting her cubs, hands on her hips, pointing at Wang Lili's nose, her voice booming:
"You're spewing filth, aren't you afraid your tongue will rot! Zhiyi is the apple of Commander Gu's eye, who gave you the right to spout nonsense? If you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll tear your lousy mouth apart right now! Let's see who would want a shameless piece of trash like you!"
Zhou Anping also snapped out of his anger, stood up and helped Nan Zhiyi to a chair: "Wang Lili! Stop making baseless accusations! Zhiyi and Fifth Brother are a legally married couple approved by the organization! If you dare to spout nonsense and slander military dependents again, I'll be the first to report you to the Political Department! Let's see who's really damaging military-civilian relations! Let's see who's really bringing shame to the family!"
"Gu...Gu Xiao? Fifth Brother Gu?!"
Wang Lili looked as if she had been punched hard in the face, all the color draining from her face.
Her eyes widened, her lips trembled. Gu Xiao? How could he... marry Nan Zhiyi?
Nan Zhiyi not only didn't rot away in the countryside, but instead married...that man she could only look up to but never dare to dream of?!
This was even harder for her to accept than Zhou Anping gaining Meng Qingshan's appreciation.
She exclaimed in disbelief, "Gu...Gu Xiao? Impossible! It's a lie! With her status...how could he...he must have used some underhanded methods..."
"Wang Lili!"
Meng Qingshan stepped forward: "If you dare to slander Commander Gu's wife again, I guarantee with my military rank that everything that happened tonight, including how your father, Deputy Director Wang, taught you to undermine military-civilian unity and insult military families, will appear word for word on Commander Gu and the Director of the Political Department's desk! You can weigh the consequences yourself!"
Meng Qingshan's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Wang Lili's head, leaving her feeling cold all over and her teeth chattering.
Her father's biggest fear was offending the Gu family and affecting his future.
But she was driven to the brink of madness by these successive blows. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she stared at Nan Zhiyi with venom, as if she wanted to say something: "You..."
Nan Zhiyi sneered: "Wang Lili, what else can you think of besides those vulgar and obscene words? Why was I able to return to the city? It's because of national policy and organizational care."
Gu Xiao and I married openly and honestly. Unlike some people who covet other women's fiancés and resort to tantrums to seek validation. What, seeing others stand in the light through their own merit while you rot and stink in the shadows—it must be unpleasant, right?
Wang Lili trembled all over, wishing she could pounce on Nan Zhiyi and tear her mouth apart.
Aunt Wu quickly shielded Nan Zhiyi and Zhou Anping even more tightly, and scolded Wang Lili, "You heartless, rotten little hussy! How dare you slander our Zhiyi?... Always chasing after men, has Comrade Meng ever even given you a second glance? Anyone with eyes can see that Comrade Anping is a thousand times better than you... Go home and take a piss in your mirror and see your own behavior..."
Wang Lili's lips twitched a few times. She glanced at Meng Qingshan, whose face was cold and stern, but in the end, she didn't dare to say another word. She glared fiercely at Nan Zhiyi and Zhou Anping, covered her face, and rushed out of the crowd of onlookers in a disheveled state.
"Zhiyi, are you alright?" Zhou Anping held Nan Zhiyi's hand, which felt a little cold.
Nan Zhiyi gently patted Zhou Anping's hand and smiled reassuringly, "It's alright, don't worry."
She nodded slightly to Meng Qingshan, "Comrade Meng, thank you."
Meng Qingshan's face showed no sign of relief; instead, his brows were furrowed and his expression was grave.
He shook his head: "Comrade Nan Zhiyi, Anping, I'm the one who should apologize. This undeserved disaster, in the end, was caused by me. If I hadn't been here, if it weren't for... Wang Lili wouldn't have found an excuse to chase after us, and certainly wouldn't..."
I apologize to you. I promise this will never happen again!
Nan Zhiyi understood that Meng Qingshan was indeed implicated for no reason, and Wang Lili's madness stemmed more from her own paranoia and jealousy.
But she was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and had no energy to offer comfort. She simply nodded and said, "Mm."
Zhou Anping pursed his lips and remained silent.
Although Meng Qingshan's apology was sincere, it could not immediately soothe the grievances and lingering fear in her heart.
More importantly, Wang Lili's appearance shattered her hazy feelings for Meng Qingshan.
The door to his heart, which had just opened a crack, seemed to have closed again.
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