Ming Zheng felt like an ugly duckling who had stumbled into a flock of swans.
Timidly, yet full of hope, she looked at him on the video and softly called out, "Second Brother, my name is Ming Zheng."
Ming Huaizhi's first impression was that she inherited her parents' good looks, prettier than Rou'er, but her eyes were too soft, and her gaze was clearly trying to ingratiate herself with him, hoping for his response and affection.
In any case...
She didn't seem like a Ming family member.
She lacked any trace of the Ming family's demeanor.
He only glanced at her then.
His attention was quickly drawn to Ming Zhirou.
Then, the family video, which was meant to welcome Ming Zheng back to the Ming family,
turned into a personal conversation where he was asking Ming Zhirou about her well-being.
He didn't pay much attention to Ming Zheng.
It was only later that he heard from his other brothers that Ming Zheng was too petty, always trying to please them, and couldn't tolerate Rou'er, constantly plotting against her.
Rou'er was kind-hearted and suffered a lot at Ming Zheng's hands, crying in secret.
As time went by, Ming Huaizhi's impression of Ming Zheng only worsened.
It remained fixed on negative impressions like: sycophant, pathetic, selfish, ruthless, and foolish.
But...
In the video, the girl with her eyes gazing down, a cool, languid smile playing on her lips,
was nothing like the Ming Zheng he knew...
She was also completely different from the timid little girl he had seen in the video a year ago!
Her gaze towards him this time was like looking at a stranger...
No, less than a stranger.
Cold, indifferent.
And even... with a hint of imperceptible disgust.
Yes, disgust.
Ming Huaizhi was an actor and was most sensitive to emotions.
Even though Ming Zheng hadn't outwardly shown it,
he could still sense her aversion through the screen.
Ming Zheng... disliked her second brother?
Ming Huaizhi's expression shifted and changed.
His face instantly darkened, his defiant brows sharp as knives, slashing at Ming Zheng, "Is this your true face? Just as Rou'er said, you are an incorrigible, selfish person!"
Ming Zheng lowered her gaze slightly.
A brilliant, mocking charm appeared on her radiant face, "Are you just going to tell me this nonsense?"
She propped herself up with one hand on her knee.
Her ink-black hair, like seaweed, fell in strands to frame her cheeks.
This pose made her look both cool and sassy.
Ming Huaizhi looked deeply at the girl on the screen, a sharp glint surging in his eyes.
After a moment, his defiant brows curved slightly, tinged with mockery, "Ming Zheng, you were just staring at my promotional video blankly, looking like you yearned for me to call you sister, and now you're putting on this attitude."
He let out a soft scoff, suddenly leaning closer to the screen, magnifying his handsome, defiant face up close.
If his fans were present at this moment,
this action, so akin to a close-up attack,
would surely make them scream or even faint from excitement.
As a top-tier celebrity,
Ming Huaizhi knew what actions and angles were most captivating.
He pressed himself against the screen and chuckled in a low voice, "Ming Zheng, I'm tired of this method of yours to get my attention."
Ming Zheng: ...
Are all the Ming family members a little mentally unwell?
She directly lifted the foot that had stepped on Lu Manqin's arm and placed it on the screen, scoffing, "Don't look at me with that gaze, it's disgusting."
Ming Huaizhi watched the shoe pressed against the screen, causing it to instantly go black.
The girl's indifferent word, "disgusting," reached his ears,
and his face also darkened.
Suddenly, his mind flashed back to the last time he had a video call with Ming Zheng.
That was two months ago. Ming Zheng had made Ming Zhirou cry again. He saw Ming Zheng through Ming Zhirou's phone.
At that time, Ming Zheng was also teary-eyed, crying and shouting at him, "Second Brother, I didn't... I really didn't, it wasn't me..."
He felt extreme disgust and only said, "Don't copy Rou'er and look at me with that kind of gaze, it's disgusting."
He still remembered that after Ming Zheng heard his words, her face turned ashen, as if she had lost her soul.
And now...
Ming Zheng had returned the same words, word for word.
The foot on the camera also felt like it was stomping on his face.
Ming Huaizhi's handsome, defiant face contorted to the point of looking ferocious, "Ming! Zheng!"
He gritted his teeth, each word laced with venom.
A fierce killing intent blazed in his eyes.
Ming Zheng casually and slowly withdrew her foot. Seeing that he had adjusted the distance to a normal range, she curled her lips and continued to look at Ming Huaizhi.
The girl's ruby lips still held that arrogant, cold curve, her eyes filled with a condescending disdain, "You called me just to be scolded? The dignified top-tier celebrity of Xia Kingdom actually has such an unknown little perversion."
"Ming Zheng, what nonsense are you talking about!"
Lu Manqin, who was writhing on the ground like a maggot, heard Ming Zheng's insults and blasphemy towards her idol. Enraged, she slammed her head into Ming Zheng, "How dare you call Huaizhi Brother disgusting? Look at yourself, how disgusting you are! Huaizhi Brother is Xia's number one top-tier celebrity, with eighty million fans. How dare you call him disgusting!"
Lu Manqin lunged forward, baring her teeth, blood spurting.
Ming Zheng distastefully moved aside.
Lu Manqin's face directly appeared on the camera.
This was already an unflattering angle.
And now, Lu Manqin looked so ugly she couldn't bear to look.
As she spoke, the blood from her broken teeth was clearly visible to Ming Huaizhi.
The scene was truly shocking.
Ming Huaizhi was directly disgusted to the point of vomiting.
After vomiting, all he felt was the urge to kill Lu Manqin.
This Lu Manqin was simply an idiot!
Ming Zheng's words, though not loud, could at most only be heard by those close to her.
But Lu Manqin's shout was like a mountain collapsing and thunder roaring.
It was as if she wanted the entire Zui Xian Lou to know that Ming Huaizhi had been humiliated by a girl!
How did such a woman, as stupid as a pig, become good sisters with Rou'er?
Ming Huaizhi could no longer pretend. Gritting his teeth, his defiant brows were icy, "Lu Manqin, shut up! Get out!"
He glared at the screen, gritting his teeth, "Ming Zheng, I want you to come forward and tell everyone that the Yin Yang Mountain racing video was not the complete story, and that you had it edited and deliberately released to smear Rou'er."
As expected, he came for that video.
This was within Ming Zheng's expectations.
If it weren't for Ming Zhirou,
her brothers would never have contacted her proactively.
As for why Ming Huaizhi contacted her through Lu Manqin...
It was naturally because Ming Huaizhi didn't have her contact information at all.
Look.
After returning to the Ming family for a year,
the only contacts in her phone were Mother Ming and Ming Zhirou.
Ming Zheng smiled faintly. After Lu Manqin, who was being scolded by Ming Zhirou, dropped her phone, she reappeared in front of the camera.
Seeing her, Ming Huaizhi immediately said, "I want you to stand up and tell everyone that the Yin Yang Mountain racing video was not the complete story, and that you had it edited and deliberately released to smear Rou'er."