Chapter 236 - 236 Photo
236 Photo
Jiang Xue stood proud alongside Xiang Cheng and his parents. She stood on par with the Xiang family and was only second to them regarding the attention she was receiving. All the other guests would have to follow her lead.
The girls from affluent families she could only look up to now stood in her shadow, humbled by her presence.
Jiang Xue tugged Xiang Cheng’s arm and whispered, “Brother Cheng, it’s so good to be with you. I love you.”
Xiang Cheng held onto Jiang Xue’s hand affectionately, which sent Jiang Xue’s heart aflutter.
A round of applause shook the banquet hall. Jiang Xue joined in the applause while Xiang Cheng and his parents moved toward the stage to stand around Old Master Xiang.
Xiang Tian gave his wife a look, one which she immediately understood. Even though Jiang Xue wanted to stand on stage with them and elicit the envious gazes of the masses, she knew her limits and did not push her luck.
What she did not expect, however, was for Wang Yue to lead her by the hand, saying, “Since the old man has acknowledged you, you may join us on stage.”
Jiang Xue was so surprised that she was left at a momentary loss, unable to resist as Wang Yue steered her toward the stage.
Jiang Xue felt like she was on cloud nine as she stood there with the Xiang family, gazing down at the onlooking crowd. So this was the zenith, where she could look down on all others.
While Xiang Tian was expressing his gratitude to all those in attendance, a sudden commotion rocked the crowd. Everyone had their heads bowed as they whispered to one another, their eyes constantly darting between Jiang Xue and the screen behind her.
Jiang Xue sensed something amiss and quickly followed the crowd’s line of sight. A magnified image of her in the nude was on the screen behind her.
The picture was so clear that everyone could see a strange, unknown liquid glistening on Jiang Xue’s pale skin, with all kinds of bruises decorating her ample figure.
Jiang Xue felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her hands and feet instantly turned cold, disbelief etched on her face. The image showed the day she was gang-raped.
Jiang Xue’s lips quivered, and she backed away, continuously shaking her head. She could not understand what was happening. Her father had said any trace of the event had been dealt with long ago, and her mother reassured her that there was nothing her father could not do in Rong City, so why would something like this happen?
The guests below were in a heated discussion.
“Is that Miss Jiang? I’ve stared at it for a while, and I can’t help but think it’s the real deal. Who would have thought Xiang Cheng would be so violent? Look at her; her whole body is a mess.”
“It’s Miss Jiang, alright. Didn’t you see the mole on her face? Did they get together before marrying? Is Miss Jiang pregnant? That’s probably why they’re introducing her today during Old Master Xiang’s birthday banquet.”
“No, the person with Miss Jiang shouldn’t be Young Master Xiang. The Young Master’s expression doesn’t look right. He looks angry.”
“Brother, I think you’re right! Look at the shadows in the frame. You can see at least three others of different heights, so there has to be more than one man there.”
“She was so dignified earlier that I thought she was a young lady from some prestigious family. Hah! She’s nothing but a piece of trash.”
“Well, at least she’s good at what she’s doing. Look at those peaks! Haha!”
…
Discussions began to stray from what was strictly proper at such an event, and more and more people began criticizing Jiang Xue.
Xiang Cheng glared at Jiang Xue, disbelief warring with an apocalyptic rage. How dare she shamelessly boast that she was a virgin and wanted to remain clean just for him! Where was all that when this picture was taken?
Jiang Xue tried to explain herself and even pulled Xiang Cheng aside to ensure he was looking at her. “Brother Cheng, the photo is fake. Believe me; it’s fake.”
Xiang Cheng shook off the offending appendage and roared, “Get lost, you disgusting wh*re!”
The Xiang family saw the photo, and their faces changed.
Wang Yue, who had pulled Jiang Xue onto the stage, was very regretful. Wasn’t this a joke?
Old Master Xiang was so angry that he could not breathe and prompted his secretary to show him out.
“Where are the technical staff?” Xiang Tian thundered. “Turn it off!”
The staff hurriedly turned off the computer, but no matter what they did, they could not remove the image being projected on the screen. Panic and chaos reigned.