Reborn Aristocrat: Return of the Vicious Heiress
chapter-286

Wen Xinya was standing not far away from Ning Shuqian, enjoying the show gleefully—Ning Shuqian should also taste everything that she had endured in her previous lifetime; it had only just started.

Naturally, she also saw Wen Haowen’s self-centered and conceited act, leaving his wife in the lurch among the reporters to face their offensive questions and slaughtering—seemed like they were not as loving a husband and wife pair as they portrayed!

Husband and wife were birds of the same forest, yet flying off in different directions when disaster struck—now, disaster had yet to even strike.

Ning Shuqian said to the media that they were a loving couple. Wen Xinya lightly browsed the photos on her phone. If she were to send this photo to the media, not sure if tomorrow’s papers would slap Ning Shuqian in the face?

Thinking of which, her gaze inadvertently saw Xia Ruya standing not far away. Her lips curled up into a sneer uncontrollably—probably similar to the charity auction banquet the other time, it was Wen Haowen and Ning Shuqian who brought her over!

Xia Ruya obviously also saw her. Compared to her calmness, Xia Ruya instead appeared very stunned, as if it was totally impossible for her to appear here, and walked over with a glass of red wine in her hand.

“Xinya, I thought you wouldn’t attend tonight’s banquet event—didn’t expect you to actually come.” Xia Ruya was really very stunned, because she had gotten to know from Grandma Wen way earlier that Grandpa Wen wouldn’t be attending tonight’s banquet, and naturally, Uncle Wen and Aunt Ning wouldn’t bring Wen Xinya to the banquet to enjoy the limelight. Thus, she had been sure that Wen Xinya wouldn’t appear here.

She had purposely incited Ning Shuqian to persuade Wen Haowen to bring her to attend the banquet. She wanted to let everyone in the circle know that even though she was not the eldest daughter of the Wen Family, she was still classy and elegant—just like such a high-profile banquet that even the legitimate eldest daughter of the Wen Family couldn’t attend, she could instead attend. She wanted everyone to know that although Wen Xinya had returned to the Wen Family, she still couldn’t replace her position in the hearts of the members of the Wen Family.

However, what she didn’t expect was that not only did Wen Xinya come, but she even appeared in a splendid attire. From where she stood, she happened to be able to clearly see the embroidered interlocking branches and flowers on the moon-white satin skirt—between the interlocking branches and vines, leaves extended outwards and flowers bloomed gradually, as if a wisteria plant laid within her skirt, extremely vivid and gorgeous.

“Even you, a disgraceful bastard child of an inferior family, can come, why can’t I, the decent legitimate eldest daughter of the Wen Family, come?” Wen Xinya casually stirred the red wine in her glass, the red ruby-like liquid, under the refracted lighting from the chandeliers, appeared especially translucent and beautiful.

The elegant and classy smile on Xia Ruya’s face froze slightly but did not affect her overall image. Her gaze scanned the banquet before turning back onto Wen Xinya’s face as she smiled and asked, “It was Uncle Wen and Aunt Ning who brought me over. Did you come with Grandpa Wen? Why don’t I see him?”

It was unnecessary for Wen Xinya to answer her question. She glanced sideways at her plainly, her eyes filled with despise and disdain. “Is it? Why didn’t I see you coming into the banquet with Aunt Ning just now?”

“Just now, I needed to use the washroom urgently and thus came into the banquet slightly ahead.” Xia Ruya’s heart quivered slightly—that pair of cold, unfeeling eyes seemed to look through the thoughts deep within her heart.

Although tonight’s banquet was organized by Teacher Zhou and the invited reporters would probably not pester Ning Shuqian about the scandal, to err on the side of caution, she still came slightly ahead, afraid that because of Ning Shuqian, the reporters would pester her, tainting herself with the troubles and gossips.

Wen Xinya looked at her, lips slightly curling up into a mocking smile. “Are you here to look for Aunt Ning now? Ay, Aunt Ning is currently surrounded by the reporters, and the situation doesn’t look too good. Do you want to go over and help her out?”

Xia Ruya’s expression utterly stiffened up. Ning Shuqian was surrounded by the reporters, and she could indeed avoid troubles and gossips by hiding away. However, it would also invite criticisms at the same time. She was looking for an excuse by chatting with Wen Xinya, so that she could justify herself in front of Ning Shuqian by saying that it was Wen Xinya who purposely delayed her, pushing everything onto Wen Xinya. Ning Shuqian would definitely believe and hate Wen Xinya even more in her heart.

“Why aren’t you going over yet—after all, it was Aunt Ning who brought you over—don’t think it’s a good idea for you to sit and do nothing like this!” Wen Xinya looked at Xia Ruya, her tone filled with snorts of contempt and disagreement. How could she not be able to guess Xia Ruya’s thoughts—she merely wanted to use her as a shield.

Xia Ruya took in a deep breath and said, “Regardless, Aunt Ning is also your senior. Don’t think it’s a good idea either for you to stand here and watch the show!”

The expression on Wen Xinya’s face melted away. “She’d rather bring an illegitimate child of an inferior family to the banquet than bring the legitimate eldest daughter of the Wen Family, why should I help her out? Instead, you…” Her tone turned disdainful. “One should know how to be grateful. Is it really okay to draw on the advantages and avoid the disadvantages like this?”

An awkward expression appeared on Xia Ruya’s face. Wen Xinya just had this kind of ability, to simply do nothing but put up an almighty demeanor, and trample her underfoot.

Wen Xinya’s gaze turned icy cold and harsh. “This is my last warning to you. Why don’t you look at what kind of status you have—can you really come to such a high-profile banquet? You’re but a daughter from an inferior family, prancing around with your past title as the ex-eldest daughter of the Wen Family, making use of my father and Aunt Ning to loiter in this circle—and you really think you’re a real mistress of a wealthy family.”

Xia Ruya took a step back as color instantly faded away from her face, as if her unsteady body was withstanding ripples and waves. She said with a forced smile, “Although my identity isn’t good enough; after all, it was Uncle Wen who brought me here. Naturally, it’s perfectly justifiable that I’m here.”

Wen Xinya said plainly, “It’s important to know one’s own limitations. You’ve already become the illegitimate daughter of the Xia Family, but have still yet to correct your attitude and loiter around the circle where you don’t belong. This shows that deep inside, you’re unsatisfied with your current state and still have insatiable ambitions.”

Xia Ruya suddenly felt like her soul was exposed in front of her. She held onto the wall beside her, looking totally haggard, and managed to barely remain standing as she forced a slightly piercing smile. “Indeed, I’m not truly the daughter of a wealthy family. What about you then? You’re but a thug who’d led a wandering life for fifteen years…” She suddenly started chuckling, her voice as crisp as that of big and small pearls landing on a jade plate. “So that if you have the classy identity of the eldest daughter of the Wen Family—it can never cover up the intrinsic fact that you’re just a sparrow who has occupied a phoenix’s nest.”

Pa!

A loud slap echoed clearly in the slightly bustling banquet hall. However, like a rock thrown into the sea, it didn’t trigger any ripples. Instead, it remained hidden away in this corner with no one seeing it.

Xia Ruya instinctively turned her head and covered her face, suddenly widened her eyes in disbelief at Wen Xinya, and said, “You… You hit me?”

“So what if I hit you? Xia Ruya, this is the difference between us. So what if I’d led a wandering life for fifteen years—I’ll always be more classy than you.” Wen Xinya dumped these words on her, turned her back, and left with a high and lofty arrogance.

Yet Xia Ruya was speechless—with her delicateness, when confronting Wen Xinya’s overbearingness, she was only destined to lose out! Her pupils constricted continuously—with every bit of constriction, the hatred within her heart deepened a little, her bitter emotions got a little more intense, and her feelings of vengeance grew a little stronger.