Chapter 100: The Finale Became a Farce

When Li Shuyao glanced down at her left foot, she saw nothing at all.

Since it was a solo dance, she was the only one on stage. The floor was perfectly smooth, with nothing that could possibly trip her up.

But she could have sworn she felt a hand grab her left foot—that was why she fell.

It couldn’t have been her imagination. Maybe it was a ghost.

Just then, a round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.

The crowd was forgiving. Even though Li Shuyao had fallen, their applause was full of encouragement.

So, with no choice but to press on, Li Shuyao forced herself to continue her performance.

But what happened next, again and again, made Li Shuyao feel like she really must have run into something supernatural!

After picking herself up and starting to dance again, she fell once more—sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right. It was as if someone was deliberately pulling her down.

In fact, that’s exactly how it felt to Li Shuyao. It was as if an invisible hand was tugging at her left foot, then her right, or grabbing her arm—anything to keep her from dancing, to make her look ridiculous.

The last time, she felt both her feet being grabbed. No matter how careful she was, she ended up falling flat on her face, right in front of the audience.

There was a loud thud.

Li Shuyao’s face burned with pain and humiliation.

Even with her strong will, she couldn’t take it anymore.

The applause, which had been encouraging her, fell silent.

Everyone was baffled. How could she fall again and again like this?

Wasn’t she supposed to be the star performer of the troupe, the grand finale soloist? How did it end up like this?

It wasn’t just the audience who were confused—even the troupe leader and other members were shocked and bewildered.

This time, when Li Shuyao got up, she couldn’t hold back anymore. Covering her face, she ran offstage.

“Shuyao…” Fang Manping hurried after her.

Those who had always disliked Li Shuyao were now gloating.

“Did you see that? Li Shuyao insisted on doing the solo, insisted on being the finale. I thought she was going to wow everyone, but she ended up being the clown.”

“This must be the most embarrassing moment of her life—and in front of the entire Northwest Military District, no less! If it were me, I’d be too ashamed to stay. I’d probably pack up and leave overnight.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little strange? It didn’t look like she made a mistake. She’s performed this dance countless times, never had a problem before. Why did she keep falling tonight…?”

Someone whispered, “Honestly, it looked like something was grabbing her arms and legs, making her mess up on purpose.”

“Hey, don’t say things like that. That’s superstitious nonsense. We shouldn’t talk about that kind of supernatural stuff.”

“Fine, I won’t say it. But I’m still happy about it.”

…

What was supposed to be the most dazzling performance of New Year’s Eve ended in disaster, and Li Shuyao, the troupe’s star, became infamous throughout the Northwest Military District.

No matter how hard Li Shuyao tried to explain that something had tripped her or grabbed her, neither the troupe leader nor anyone else believed her.

After all, everyone—thousands of eyes—had seen exactly what happened.

Even if her fellow performers believed her, what about the rest of the Northwest Military District?

In any case, Li Shuyao had lost all face here.

On the way home, Gu Jianing could hear people all around her discussing Li Shuyao’s falls.

Sheng Zexi glanced at his wife, who was smiling faintly, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He took her hand and gently stroked her fingers. “Ningning, are you happy because Li Shuyao fell on stage?”

Gu Jianing shot him a dangerous look. “What, I can’t be happy when my love rival makes a fool of herself? Or do you feel sorry for her?”

Sheng Zexi shivered and quickly clarified, “No! I barely know her, and we have nothing to do with each other. What happens to her is none of my business. In fact, if my wife is happy, then I’m happy too.”

He even forced a smile, afraid Gu Jianing would misunderstand.

Gu Jianing snorted softly, satisfied with his answer.

Still, she glanced at him. “Do you think I’m a bad person for being so happy about someone else’s embarrassment?”

Sheng Zexi shook his head immediately. “Of course not. In my eyes, you’re the best, no matter what. And whatever you feel, I’m sure there’s a reason for it. I trust you.”

Gu Jianing: Alright, you pass.

In fact, Sheng Zexi was telling the truth. Although his wife could be a little spoiled and willful, she was definitely not a bad person, nor someone who enjoyed kicking others when they were down.

Even though today was the first time Ningning had met Li Shuyao, he could tell that Li Shuyao must have offended her somehow.

And Ningning could hold a grudge. She would never play the saint and forgive people who were openly hostile to her. If she got the chance, she’d definitely get her revenge.

Sheng Zexi didn’t think there was anything wrong with that.

Better to have a bit of an edge than to be a pushover. He’d never thought there was anything wrong with paying someone back for what they did.

If people left him alone, he’d leave them alone.

But if someone came looking for trouble, he’d make sure they paid for it.

So, in essence, Sheng Zexi and Gu Jianing were really “kindred spirits.”

Honestly, if Li Shuyao had only liked Sheng Zexi and hadn’t done anything else, Gu Jianing wouldn’t have targeted her just for that.

But Li Shuyao’s hostility toward her was over 95%, and later reached 99%. That was enough to make Gu Jianing angry. If someone was so openly malicious, why should she show mercy?

So, seeing Li Shuyao make a fool of herself on stage really did make her happy.

After getting home, Gu Jianing started browsing the exchange shop for something that could protect her life.

After all, there was someone in the Northwest Military District who had killed before, who had a 99% hostility rating toward her, and was watching her like a hawk. Who knew when she might make a move? Gu Jianing had to be prepared.

Otherwise, she might not even know what hit her.

As for Sheng Zexi, she couldn’t tell him for now.

After all, whether it was the childbearing system or the hostility detector, she couldn’t reveal them to him. She’d have to rely on herself for protection.

“Ningning, here.” When they got home, Gu Jianing was still browsing the exchange shop in the living room when Sheng Zexi pulled her out into the yard and put a sparkler in her hand."