Chapter 188 - 188: Self-Protection
As Wei Lai witnessed Jiang Chun wholeheartedly introducing her, her fondness for Jiang Chun grew even stronger. In comparison to her unscrupulous brother, her impression of Jiang Chun skyrocketed.
Wen Nian and Shen Jun were engrossed in their conversation when they were interrupted and turned their heads to see what was happening.
The small round table could accommodate four people. Jiang Chun and Wei Lai promptly took the remaining seats, and Jiang Chun briefly introduced them to the other two individuals present.
Wei Lai had a cute appearance, with dimples on both sides of her cheeks.
Aware of her own strengths, Wei Lai displayed a perfectly timed smile, exuding a particularly sweet and charming demeanor. “Hello, Brother Shen Jun.”
Upon hearing Wei Lai’s name and recalling Jiang Chun’s words during their confrontation with Wen Nian, Shen Jun immediately recognized who Wei Lai was. Initially, he had no intention of engaging with her, but out of respect for Jiang Chun, he reluctantly nodded his head in a cold and distant manner as a response.
Jiang Chun noticed Shen Jun’s reaction and felt pleased, but her facial expression remained unchanged.
Being only a 14-year-old girl, Wei Lai’s smile froze instantly upon witnessing Shen Jun’s cold response. She glanced at Wen Nian beside her and suspected that Wen Nian must have revealed the conflicts between them, which resulted in Shen Jun’s unfavorable attitude towards her.
Although Shen Jun’s demeanor towards Wen Nian and Jiang Chun appeared amicable moments ago, his reaction changed upon hearing Wei Lai’s name. Wei Lai felt a sense of injustice in her heart. However, she understood that acting impulsively was not the right approach on this occasion. Whether it was to improve her impression in Shen Jun’s eyes or to persuade Wen Nian to delete the video, Wei Lai realized that she needed to handle the situation calmly.
With these thoughts in mind, Wei Lai turned to Wen Nian and spoke, “Wen Nian, I apologize for what happened last time. I’m sorry, and 1 hope you can forgive me.”
Wen Nian was completely caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events. She glanced at Jiang Chun, who was smiling happily, wondering if this was the reason she insisted on her attendance tonight.
Wen Nian calmly responded, “Whether I forgive you or not is not important. Just try to avoid provoking me in the future.”
Repaying kindness with resentment, how can one expect kindness in return?
Wen Nian was far from having such a saintly mindset. Did Wei Lai really think she could earn forgiveness with a casual apology?!
Wei Lai had been confident when Shen Jun was present. Who wouldn’t want to appear kind in the eyes of their loved one? However, she never expected Wen Nian to openly express her resentment without any pretense.
Jiang Ning had just finished talking with someone when she noticed that Wei Lai had already approached Wen Nian. She was puzzled as to why Wei Lai didn’t wait for her. She quickly walked over and overheard their conversation, her face full of defiance. “Wen Nian, we’ve both apologized, and we had been the ones suffering now. Don’t be so unyielding!”
Shen Jun paused momentarily in his seafood-eating motion as Wen Nian lightly patted his hand.
People learn and grow through experiences. Shen Jun thought it might be a good learning experience for Wen Nian to handle this childish situation on her own, so he continued eating, no longer paying attention.
Jiang Chun, with a worried expression, interjected, “Let’s talk calmly. None of you should get worked up. Communication is the key to resolving problems.” Wen Nian had finished eating the food on her plate and was now waiting for the barbecue. She thought it might be a good use of this spare time to engage in a verbal battle.
Leaning back leisurely in her chair, Wen Nian glanced at the others and replied nonchalantly, “You brought this upon yourselves, so it’s your own fault if you suffer. 1 defended myself, which is called self-defense. If 1 win, it’s justice triumphing over evil. Whether I choose to forgive or not is my personal decision. What’s it to you? Are you trying to control everything now?”
“I’ll tell you this, it has nothing to do with being unyielding. I’m just unhappy and unwilling to forgive. Why should I forgive when it was you who started it? If I had fallen for your schemes, do you think you’d be reflecting on your actions now? Instead, you’d be celebrating in some corner. Tell me, do you really deserve my forgiveness?”
Wen Nian’s fierce retort left Wei Lai and Jiang Ning unsure of how to respond. After all, Wen Nian was speaking the truth.
After a few seconds, Jiang Ning took a few steps forward and asked, “Then tell us, what would it take for you to delete the video?”
Wen Nian glanced at Jiang Ning, standing beside her, and knew she couldn’t delete the video. She would never delete it in her lifetime. “As long as you don’t provoke me in the future, I won’t release the video. So, the ball is in your court.”
Wei Lai looked at Wen Nian in disbelief. “Are you saying you’ll keep the video as a constant threat against us?!”
Wen Nian quickly clarified, “Don’t make baseless accusations. This is self-preservation. As I said, the control is in your hands. As long as you don’t harm me again, you have nothing to worry about..”