Thick Skinned

The party hall was immediately in chaos. A various expression appeared all over the Jiang Family with a quick contempt taking over Jiang NianNian's angelic features. Her eyes then moved to Jiang MengYao, her older brother who had asked Li ZiChen of AiLin's identity— appearing even more shaken than she was. But apart from them, AiLin was visibly more surprised by the news, her eyes bulging, her mouth almost gaped too widely. 

She felt Li ZiChen covering her mouth and smiling as if he was doing her a favor, "I know the woman who I would be marrying better than anyone in this room, young master MengYao," a sarcastic tone appeared when Li ZiChen called MengYao as "young master" a title that he despised because despite his effort he still couldn't take over the Jiang's family business. "She is not the Aylin that you know, she is someone who was born abroad and just came back to her homeland for the very first time. This is our seventh year in relationship." 

AiLin saw how confident Li ZiChen was with his lies even though if this was dug up, everything would be exposed all at once!

Jiang NianNian shook her head, "H- How do you expect us to believe this?!"

An equally gagged Wan GouRu added, "That's impossible! She has the same face as Jiang AiLin— even the same name!" 

"Why would I lie to you?" Li ZiChen looked at them as if he was looking at a disgusting group of insects. He could step over them but he didn't want to make the death too quickly. He needed to savor this suffering they visibly show. "I don't have any merits in lying to you people. Did you forgot who I am already?" 

In an instant the room gulped at the same time. They could feel the underlying threat behind Li ZiChen's words that he was visibly upset to be accused of lying to the people he saw beneath him.

"AiLin," Li ZiChen then turned his face to her and appeared again the smile that earlier was replaced by a frigid contempt. Only when he looked at her could his lips curl and that difference of cold and hot made them realize that Li ZiChen wasn't pretending or lying. 

Li ZiChen rubbed the back of her head and gently spoke, "You told me earlier that someone bumped to you and cursed you out. To think that she would go first and tell everyone that you berated her."

AiLin was still in disbelief, staring at him with skepticism and eyebrows set in a deep furrow, "What are you doing?" She whisper—yelled at him.

"Follow along," Li ZiChen whispered back, "I promise you this will worth your time." 

AiLin was still frowning but she wasn't going to let this moment go. She placed her hand on his chest and pulled the right side of her lips until she could feel an even smile over her own mouth, "I was also surprised, ZiChen. I know what happened was a mistake on both of us so I didn't want to blame her for ruining my dress."

"I know my love," Li ZiChen chuckled, "You were so compassionate that you decided to let go of the problem for her own sake yet she kept barking to you like a dog." 

"Do— Dog?" Wan GouRu heard people laughing and her face turned red. She wanted to scream but she knew who Li ZiChen is and what she would face for offending him. 

"She said that I bumped on her to purposely break the bottle of champagne, but why would I? I don't even know the host of the party," AiLin successfully looked at Jiang NianNian with her lips pouting, "You told me it would fun so I decided to stick around in the party but it seems, the hosts aren't as hospitable as they claim to be." 

AiLin then turned her face to his suit. She was worried for a moment that her makeup would be smeared on his body that she made a small gap between her face and his clothes— the clothes that could buy an entire hotel— she would definitely not touch it! No no! She won't let him use this as a reason to tie her into a debt!

But as she was trying to make a gap, Li ZiChen pressed her face to his chest and her cheeks plop on the fluff of the taut muscles, causing her cheeks to puff up. He then leaned his chin and nodded his head, "You are embarrassed? You don't like to be here anymore? Don't worry we will leave as soon as possible. Let me clear your good name first, alright?" 

AiLin frowned. She didn't even say anything yet! 

"Simon," called Li ZiChen and a man in a clean black suit and a silver glass walked in front of his boss. He then placed a USB. Before Jiang NianNian could grab the USB, someone else had came pulling a screen from the back of the stage and another person plucking the USB. Everything happened so quickly as if the entire party hall had already been planned to do this. 

The white screen flickered the next second and they saw as Wan GouRu holding the bottle of champagne as she rushed in a hurry over the floor, bumping on another woman who was minding her business carefully. The bottle then fell from Wan GouRu's hands, breaking in pieces and they all heard loud and clear the moment when Wan GouRu cursed at AiLin for not keeping an eye on her path when she was the one who had ran recklessly. 

The video then cut short and everyone's eyes turned to the Jiang Family wide and demanding for an answer. 

AiLin who could finally remove herself from the pillow-like chest turned toward the people she despise, finding all of their faces turning pale as it was their very first time in a position where there were so many eyes questioning them for truth, berating them, and mocking them all at the same gaze. 

Seeing it reminded herself of the time she was in contempt by others who saw her as a villain and now she could smile as she saw them taking their own medicine and suffering the bitterness of being blamed. Can their thick skin save them from this embarrassment?