Revenge on the Ruthless CEO - Chapter 67 - Acting

At this moment, An Kai felt that Murong Xiaowei was really being unreasonable.

Murong Xiaowei said to Feng Yanxin, “Yanxin, this is An Kai, Luya’s cousin.”

Feng Yanxin said, “Hi, An Kai, my name is Feng Yanxin.” An Kai replied, “I’m Xiaowei’s boyfriend, nice to meet you.”

Murong Xiaowei glared at him and said, “He already knows about this, so there’s no need for you to act.”

An Kai, unhappy, replied, “Xiaowei-Jie, how could you do this? You told others about it.”

Murong Xiaowei said, “That’s how I am. You’ve known me well enough by now. And I have something else to tell you.”

An Kai asked, “What’s the other thing you need to tell me?”

Murong Xiaowei said, “I’ve already told everyone that you and I have broken up, so make sure not to slip up if anyone asks.”

An Kai said, “What? So, I’ve been your fake boyfriend for just a few days, only to be replaced?”

Murong Xiaowei replied, “An Kai, what are you talking about? I wouldn’t have wanted to involve you if it wasn’t urgent at the time, so consider it a great honor to have been my boyfriend for a few days.”

An Kai asked, “Xiaowei-Jie, is this guy with the last name Feng your new boyfriend?”

Feng Yanxin smiled and said, “Well, Xiaowei and I are currently good friends.”

Murong Xiaowei said, “An Kai, you shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Anyway, you don’t study well but show interest in this.”

An Kai raised his hand slightly and said, “I used to be a dating expert, how could I not be interested in this?”

Murong Xiaowei said, “Well, it seems that your skills as a dating expert are now useless.”

An Kai, stunned, asked, “Xiaowei, what do you mean by that?”

Murong Xiaowei said, “Nothing much, just that I thought of this topic. Want to hear it?”

An Kai, pouting, said, “Xiaowei-Jie, you’re just messing with me. You can say it if you want.”

Murong Xiaowei said, “How did I ever mess with you? You’re a dating expert but don’t chase girls or date, your reputation can’t get any higher.”

Mu Lan, seeing a handsome guy having lunch with Murong Xiaowei, didn’t hesitate to sit next to her with her tray.

Murong Xiaowei, seeing Mu Lan arrive, said, “Mu Lan, what brings you here?”

Mu Lan, unblinkingly eyeing An Kai, said, “Xiaowei, you didn’t tell me you were with such a handsome guy, that’s so unfair.”

Murong Xiaowei said to An Kai, “An Kai, this is Mu Lan, one of the school belles.”

An Kai smiled and said, “Hello, I’m An Kai, An Luya’s younger brother.”

Mu Lan, delighted, said, “You’re An Luya’s younger brother, no wonder you’re so handsome. Do you have a girlfriend?”

An Kai smiled a bit awkwardly and said, “No, I’m still single at the moment.”

Mu Lan’s eyes lit up and she playfully said, “Then you should be careful, I really like handsome guys.”

Murong Xiaowei shook her head, “Mu Lan, you’re something else, you can’t move whenever you see a handsome guy.”

Mu Lan laughed, “Xiaowei, you should understand me, after all, handsome guys are quite scarce at our school.”

An Kai glanced at Murong Xiaowei with some helplessness, wondering what kind of friendship allows such candid discussions. Yet, he found it amusing.

Murong Xiaowei smiled at An Kai and said, “An Kai, now you understand the kind of company I keep, right?”

An Kai nodded, “Yes, it looks like I’ll need to come here a few more times to get accustomed.”

Mu Lan blinked playfully, “An Kai, make sure to come often, we’ll have chances to hang out.”

Just then, Murong Xiaowei’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen and frowned, “Sorry, I need to take this call.”

She stood up and walked aside to answer the phone.

Feng Yanxin seized the opportunity to say to An Kai, “An Kai, actually Xiaowei always takes good care of her friends. Although she might speak directly sometimes, she has a kind heart.”

An Kai nodded with a smile, “I know, I’ve known Xiaowei-Jie for a long time, and she’s always been like this.”

At this point, Murong Xiaowei returned from her call with a hint of resignation on her face, “Sorry, I have to go, there’s something I need to handle.”

Mu Lan immediately offered, “Do you need help?”

Murong Xiaowei shook her head, “No, it’s fine, I can manage it myself.”

She waved at everyone, “I’ll head off now, you guys enjoy your meal.”

Murong Xiaowei stepped out onto the street to wait for a taxi. Suddenly, she heard shouting from the other side of the street. She looked over to see a Ferrari had veered off the road. Fortunately, the brakes were applied in time, or the two children playing crouched on the sidewalk would have been in danger. As onlookers began passionately criticizing, a well-dressed man in his late twenties stepped out of the car. Watching a group of justice-driven people berate him, Murong Xiaowei watched the drama unfold from across the street with interest.

The man walked to the front of the car, glanced at the unharmed children, and crouched down to inspect the vehicle, occasionally explaining something to someone inside the car.

“Kids…” someone from the crowd squeezed in, taking the children’s hands and looking them over from head to toe, then launched a tirade at the suited man. The man’s humiliation ignited his rage, and after surveying the scene, he pulled a thick wallet from his jacket pocket and confronted the children’s guardian, shouting, “How much? How much money will it take to shut you up? I’ve seen plenty of people like you.”

His words were shocking, and they sparked an even stronger wave of indignation and gestures of condemnation from those around him.

Watching the arrogance of this suited man, Murong Xiaowei felt a sudden urge to teach him a lesson. Such incidents often happened in seedy areas. The crowd grew smaller but more intense, and the man, holding a stack of hundred-yuan bills, became even more spiteful amidst everyone’s mockery.

“Damn it, I’m asking you, isn’t this enough?” he shouted, producing another stack of bills, aiming his angry outburst at the elderly couple with the children.

The man’s disdainful expression infuriated Murong Xiaowei, and then his phone rang. He glanced at it, nervously looked towards the car, and hurried to the back, seemingly communicating with someone inside. His anxious and conflicted demeanor was evident, betraying his inner turmoil.

The car door opened, and out stepped a woman dressed in rich satin under a red baseball cap that outlined the figure of a stunning ballerina. This was the most naturally beautiful woman Murong Xiaowei had ever seen. As expected, a woman with both grace and substance is always exceptional wherever she goes.

Murong Xiaowei recognized her – it was Li Ping, her former schoolmate. Even if the girl turned to dust and stuck to the wall, Murong Xiaowei would recognize her. She was surprised to see how Li Ping had adapted to worldly ways over the years.

The scene left Murong Xiaowei somewhat disappointed, feeling a surge of pressure. Looking at the luxury vehicle and the gold-rimmed glasses, she thought about the benefits of having a good father.

Slap…

At that moment, Li Ping delivered a resounding slap to the man’s face, leaving everyone stunned.

Seeing her composed demeanor, Murong Xiaowei was almost tempted to kneel in admiration of her grace and confidence.

The man, holding his cheek, tried to explain something, then shrugged in frustration, watching the graceful figure leading the two children and the elderly couple into a nearby building…

At that moment, the man got back into the car and drove towards the child. Seeing the imminent danger, Murong Xiaowei instinctively lunged towards the child without a second thought…

Dong Minxiong sat at Murong Xiaowei’s bedside, nervously watching as two doctors in white coats checked her vitals. Finally, one of the doctors removed his mask and approached Dong Minxiong with a relieved expression.

“Mr. Dong, we’ve confirmed that all the data indicates your daughter is completely out of danger.”

“When will she wake up?” Dong Minxiong asked eagerly, pacing quickly around the bed.

“Well, it’s hard to say. It could be in the next minute, it could be tomorrow, or it might take a long time,” the doctor replied before nodding to his colleague and leaving the room together.

“Xiaowei, please wake up soon,” Dong Minxiong said, sitting down again and placing his daughter’s hand against his cheek, hoping she could feel his presence.

“I’ve been waiting for this day, waiting for you to accept me. But please wake up soon. I can’t hold on much longer.”

A tear fell onto Murong Xiaowei’s palm, and finally, her eyelashes began to flutter. Her eyelids moved slightly, and slowly, she opened her eyes.

“It’s you…”

“Xiaowei,” Dong Minxiong exclaimed, his eyes widening as he wiped away tears. “My daughter, you’re finally awake.”

Murong Xiaowei was puzzled, “Why are you here? And how did I end up here?”

Dong Minxiong, still shaken, replied, “I was passing by that street when I heard someone shouting about an accident. I ran over and found you lying on the ground. Luckily, I got you to the hospital in time; otherwise, I can’t imagine what could have happened!”

Seeing Dong Minxiong, Murong Xiaowei realized that after all the strain, the moment of reconciliation had finally come. Father and daughter embraced, crying their hearts out.

Outside the door, Murong Ying silently shed tears as well. She quietly closed the door, not wanting to disturb the emotional moment between the father and daughter. Just as she was about to take a moment to rest, she suddenly heard Murong Xiaowei’s startled cry from the room, “Dad, Dad, what’s wrong?”

Murong Ying’s heart skipped a beat as she rushed into the bedroom, only to see Dong Minxiong collapsed on the floor. In her panic to help her father, the still-recovering Murong Xiaowei also fell off the bed in her haste.

“Someone, help!” Murong Ying shouted, quickly reaching out to shake Dong Minxiong, realizing he had already fainted. Nurses and doctors arrived promptly, and the room descended into chaos.

About ten minutes later, Murong Ying had managed to sort everything out. Dong Minxiong was moved to his own room, and after a brief examination, it was confirmed that he had fainted due to physical weakness and needed to rest.

Though still recovering herself, Murong Xiaowei now sat by Dong Minxiong’s bedside, her face pale with concern.

“Xiaowei, we need to talk seriously about his condition,” Murong Ying said, her expression conflicted. She knew the freshly awakened girl was about to hear the grave news of her father’s illness and hoped she could handle it. It pained her to speak, but there was no choice, as Xiaowei was now Dong Minxiong’s only family member and had to be informed about his health situation. Besides, there was a mountain of issues at the group that required a family member to address.

Just a day ago, Murong Ying had received calls from other shareholders about the chaos within the company. With Dong Minxiong having been absent from work for a long time, problems had piled up, and some minor shareholders were already complaining. If Dong Minxiong were to become completely incapacitated, Murong Ying feared a revolt within the management. Even though Dong Minxiong held a substantial majority of the shares, the current disorganized state could lead to irreparable damage.

Murong Ying was a rational and meticulous woman. At this point, she had forgiven Dong Minxiong and thought of using Xiaowei to stabilize the restive management. After all, Xiaowei was Dong Minxiong’s only daughter. He had long intended to hand over the business to her. Now, with his condition severely deteriorating and following a dire discussion with the doctors, the prognosis was bleak – possibly only a few months left.

Although Xiaowei had miraculously woken up, her father’s illness deepened the crisis faced by the group, making matters worse. There was no choice but to have a serious conversation with Xiaowei about Dong Minxiong’s health, and persuade her to assume a role at the group. Her initial position would be as the vice president of the group. There was no time for subtlety; if Xiaowei agreed, it would send a strong message to reassure the restive management.

Although Xiaowei was not yet twenty, her significance to the group was quite different. The news of Dong Minxiong’s critical illness had already spread, causing private speculations and unease among the people. Despite her youth, Xiaowei’s presence had a stabilizing effect in this turbulent time. She glanced at her solemn mother and suddenly understood. Seeing her father lying on the bed, visibly unwell, she was certain he was seriously ill. Taking in the familiar surroundings, she rose and moved to the balcony, not wanting to disturb her resting father.

Though the balcony was bathed in sunlight, Xiaowei’s heart was shrouded in darkness.

“Mother,” Xiaowei said, forcing a smile as she sat on a lounge chair on the balcony.

Murong Ying gave Xiaowei a slightly surprised look. Previously, Xiaowei was just a child, but now, having just woken up, there was a newfound steadiness in her demeanor, which comforted Murong Ying. Perhaps this was the right state of mind to tackle the current problems.

“Well, here’s the situation,” Murong Ying began. “You were unconscious for the past two days, and your father was busy taking care of you, which exhausted him. When you woke up, he got a bit too excited… Now he needs to rest. But the truth is, his health has reached an irreparable stage.”

Though it pained her to say it, Murong Ying had no choice but to speak the hard truth. Murong Xiaowei’s eyes widened, and her body trembled slightly, but she did not interrupt Murong Ying; she needed to know the full details.

Murong Ying’s satisfaction with Xiaowei’s composure grew. Despite her evident anxiety, Xiaowei remained poised, which was precisely the needed reaction. Murong Ying stood and retrieved a stack of medical reports from the desk in the living room to hand to Xiaowei.

“These are your father’s diagnostic reports. This one is the most recent.” Murong Ying singled out the most critical report.

One glance was all it took for Murong Xiaowei to understand that her father had cancer, and his condition was very dire. His collapse today was related to this illness.

Ten seconds later, Murong Ying saw tears welling up in Xiaowei’s eyes. Silently, she waited. Within just a minute, Xiaowei had wiped away her tears and asked, “What needs to be done now?”

Murong Ying nodded. Xiaowei was no longer the naive little girl from before; she had grown up in this moment.