Chapter 411 - 424: The End That Is Not an End
When Xiao Yan screamed "Get lost," Jiang Dongcheng didn’t get angry at all. Instead, he meekly followed behind her, trying to placate her.
Just as one was trying to soothe her and the other was planning how to end this whole mess, the phone rang.
The maid answered the phone, her face draining of all color.
"Ma’am, the young master has been injured at school!"
"What!"
Xiao Yan rushed over without a second thought and snatched the phone, her face ashen.
"Hurry, we have to get to the school!"
Xiao Yan grabbed her purse and rushed out heedlessly, with Jiang Dongcheng right behind her.
It was clear from this that the two of them truly loved their son.
At the same time, An Ning had also gone to the university for class.
’She had a feeling the drama at school today was going to be spectacular.’
Last night, when Yin Xuemei and her group departed, they had each been given a small task.
They didn’t need to do much—just fan the flames and steer the situation in the right direction.
This morning, the classroom for the freshman finance course was packed with people.
Once the first person threw something at the fake Jiang Xia, many others couldn’t hold back.
What students hated most, perhaps, were people who used underhanded means to steal their futures.
And for this person to brazenly show up for class... it was utterly intolerable.
The professor tried his best to persuade everyone to calm down and not resort to violence, but once Pandora’s box is opened, it’s always difficult to close.
The fake Jiang Xia stood frozen in the middle of it all, clutching his head and HOWLING in distress.
This was the scene that greeted An Ning when she arrived.
’Pitiful?’
’On the surface, perhaps a little.’
’But if the real Jiang Xia hadn’t been so resourceful, who would be the pitiful one now? In fact, the real Jiang Xia probably wouldn’t even be alive anymore.’
’As for the fake Jiang Xia’s intellect... was he just acting, or was he genuinely impaired?’
Just as the crowd was in an uproar, the fake Jiang Xia, unable to bear it any longer, clutched his head and bolted from the classroom. Unfortunately, he didn’t get more than a few steps before someone stuck out a foot and tripped him.
As he staggered along, Xiao Yan and Jiang Dongcheng arrived.
"Jiang Xia—get up. Mom will help you."
For the first time, Xiao Yan ignored whether her clothes would get dirty, kneeling on the ground without a care and cradling Jiang Xia’s head.
Behind her, Jiang Dongcheng flailed his arms like a madman, driving away the jeering students and shielding the mother and son on the ground.
’What a happy family of three.’
An Ning emerged from the crowd and squatted down like a curious child, watching the family of three.
"It’s actually a good thing he came to school, isn’t it?"
"At the very least, it’s given us all something to do. I hear that when people share a common enemy, they become very efficient."
The An Ning of this moment was, without a doubt, playing the part of the villain.
Xiao Yan, still cradling Jiang Xia’s head, had bloodshot eyes. The malice in them looked like it could swallow An Ning whole.
"An Ning, you have no idea who you’re messing with, do you?"
"Xiao Yan... oh, no, I mean Mrs. Jiang. You’re the one who has no idea who you’ve provoked, don’t you?"
An Ning shuffled a step closer, still squatting, her voice demonic.
"I’m the type of person who’s fiercely protective of my own, to the point where right and wrong don’t matter. You’d better be careful, Mrs. Jiang."
An Ning stood up and, with a mocking tone, met Jiang Dongcheng’s glare. She smiled smugly and waved. "My defeated foe. We meet again."
"You—"
To save face, Jiang Dongcheng refrained from swearing at her.
Xiao Yan pulled Jiang Xia up from the ground, her face having already recovered its usual noble and calm demeanor.
"Everyone, we only came to class after receiving the admission notice. However, after Miss An Ning caused a scene yesterday, I took this matter very seriously. I was up all night investigating it thoroughly, and I expect we will have a result today."
"If we are in the wrong, we will simply withdraw from the university. But there was no deliberate impersonation involved in this. We were unaware of any issue."
"I urge you all not to be used by certain people with ulterior motives."
Her speech managed to absolve her of most of the blame, and some of the students began to look at An Ning differently.
’It seems we really were being led by the nose.’
"Impressive. Truly impressive. Spoken like a true homewrecker who drove her mother-in-law to her death and killed the first wife."
An Ning dropped another bombshell. Xiao Yan’s composure, which she had just regained, was on the verge of shattering.
"An Ning, do you have any idea what you’re saying?"
"An Ning, stop spouting nonsense!"
Xiao Yan and Jiang Dongcheng both spoke at once, their fierce tones a transparent bluff.
"What, am I not allowed to speak the truth? Are you, Jiang Dongcheng, and Xiao Yan not on your second marriage? Wasn’t your own mother angered to death by you? And wasn’t Madam Xia killed when you ’accidentally’ pushed her down the stairs?"
"Oh—that’s right. Madam Xia was pregnant at the time. So you actually killed three people."
"My bad. I miscounted."
An Ning lightly tapped her own lips and offered a sheepish apology to the crowd, saying she had miscounted.
At this point, Xiao Yan knew the situation was no longer something she could change with just a few words.
"Utter slander."
Xiao Yan didn’t bother to explain. She led away Jiang Xia, who was still clutching his head, followed by Jiang Dongcheng, who looked ready to commit murder.
An Ning, for her part, gave an infuriating wave and called out cheerfully, "Come back again soon!"
This small display was a testament to her talent for provocation.
The students by the entrance had just been served several helpings of juicy gossip. Though they didn’t know if it was true, they all came to one realization: An Ning was not someone to be messed with.
She had a sharp mind, a quick tongue, and an even greater talent for infuriating people.
An ordinary person arguing with her would probably get so angry they’d have a stroke.
The crowd gradually dispersed, and the first class of the finance department finally returned to normal.
An Ning prepared to leave as well. She had her own classes to attend. The rest was up to Jiang Xia.
"Hello, my name is Tao Quan."
An Ning’s path was blocked. Without even looking up, she knew it was the handsome boy from yesterday.
She looked up, ignoring Tao Quan’s outstretched hand. She bypassed him completely, ignoring his alluring face.
"Not interested."
An Ning brushed past Tao Quan, her gaze cold with a bottomless loathing.
Tao Quan, his back to An Ning, let an easy smile flash across his handsome face. He retracted his empty hand and turned to watch her retreating figure.
"See you later."
He still received no response from An Ning, but the gleam in his eyes only intensified, his interest piqued even further.
An Ning quickly disappeared into the stairwell and headed to her class according to her schedule.
By the time she reached the classroom, she was already very late.
The professor at the lectern glanced at An Ning and asked, "An Ning?"
"Yes. I’m sorry, Professor. I’m late."
Her attitude was commendable. Thinking of what the elderly woman who taught the first class yesterday had said, the professor waved her in. "Go on. Just be on time next time."
"Thank you, Professor."
An Ning found an empty seat, took a book out of her bag, opened it, and started listening to the lecture while waiting for Jiang Xia to make his move.