Chapter 64: A Minor Interlude at the Award Ceremony (3)

Lin Yan raised her eyes to glance at Mu Ziqing, looking as though her soul had suddenly returned to her body. Calmly facing the microphone and staring straight into Mu Ziqing's eyes, she articulated clearly, word by word: "What I want to say is that I will not apologize. The collision between us was originally nothing major; if everyone had simply taken a step back, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way. However, Miss Xiao Lan had no intention of resolving the issue and instead cornered me step by step. All of you keep telling me to apologize, but on what grounds should I apologize? Can a collision between two people ever be the fault of just one party? If the wine spilling on her is my fault, what about the much larger amount that spilled on me? Did none of you see that? Whose fault is that? Besides, the wine glass was in her hand—what does it have to do with me?"

In Mu Ziqing's memory, Lin Yan was an absolute pushover. She had known this ever since their conversation three years ago. Lin Yan possessed immense patience but lacked eloquence; she disliked arguing and would quietly stand and listen to whatever criticisms others hurled at her. While she might offer a rebuttal, she invariably blushed the moment she engaged in a dispute. That was precisely why Mu Ziqing had wanted to use this incident to humiliate Lin Yan and vent the bitter hatred in her heart.

Earlier, upon seeing Qin Xiang sitting together with Lin Yan and catching the way he looked at her, Mu Ziqing's chest had tightened with suffocating panic. It felt as though she had been transported back three years, to the days when he always gazed at Lin Yan with that profound gentleness—a look he had never once bestowed upon her, Mu Ziqing.

Yet, Lin Yan's current retort caught Mu Ziqing completely off guard. She had not expected that, after three years apart, Lin Yan would have grown so sharp-tongued.

Standing nearby, Xiao Lan grew even more furious upon hearing this. "What kind of attitude is that?" she snapped. "Not only do you refuse to apologize, but now you're trying to turn things around and make it my fault? Where on earth did this madwoman crawl out from?"

Hearing herself called a madwoman, Lin Yan felt anger flare within her as well. She locked her gaze directly onto Xiao Lan. "Who are you calling a madwoman?"

"I'm calling you, so what?" Xiao Lan scanned the surrounding crowd and demanded, "Does anyone here know her?"

The people around them shook their heads one after another, indicating they had no idea who she was.

With a cold sneer, Xiao Lan grabbed a nearby staff member who was watching the spectacle. "Go call your general manager," she ordered. "I want to ask him if just anyone is allowed to wander into the Rising Literary Star event."

Standing to the side, Qin Xiang looked at Lin Yan with growing anxiety and moved to step forward. However, Mu Ziqing abruptly grabbed his hand and whispered, "What are you trying to do?"

Qin Xiang frowned, his handsome features tightening. "You know what day today is. Why must you pour oil on the fire?"

Mu Ziqing sneered as she watched Lin Yan, then suddenly turned her gaze back to Qin Xiang. "You want to help her? You still can't forget her, can you?"

"Stop making a scene, Ziqing. Let's talk about whatever is on our minds tonight after we get home, alright?" Having run out of options, Qin Xiang could only try to placate her first.

Yet Mu Ziqing refused to let the matter drop. "Me making a scene? What scene am I making? This was clearly a matter between the two of them—does it have anything to do with me? Your heart only holds that bitch Lin Yan; the moment she suffers the slightest grievance, you get upset. I don't care if you want to help her, but when the champion is announced later, I will tell everyone that you pulled strings for her behind the scenes. Since you're making my life difficult, none of you will have an easy time either."

Mu Ziqing viciously threatened Qin Xiang.

Left with no choice and bowing to her threats, Qin Xiang refrained from stepping forward to rescue Lin Yan from the predicament.

What should have been a splendid Rising Literary Star event was on the verge of turning into a farce.

At that moment, several people walked in through the entrance—the organizers of the Rising Literary Star event, accompanied by the mysterious award presenter.