955 Her Preference
Yang Ming looked up, his face dark, and looked Yao Ran dead in the eye. “Can you explain to me exactly what is going on here?”

Yao Ran pouted, looking more aggrieved than ever. “I was just so happy that you brought me here for dinner. I wanted to show everyone how much my brother loves me. I never said that we had a special relationship or anything like that.”

She knew that Yao Tang and Meng Ling were aware of what she held over Yang Ming, so she purposely added, “There seems to be a misunderstanding, At first, I thought that you were only kind to me because you were after something.

But after spending some time together, I now know that you really think of me as your sister.

I was always mocked by others, called a piece of trash abandoned by the Yao family. They say that you only took me in out of pity.

But when you brought me here today, and even though it’s for my future sister-in-law’s stake, I held on to the hope that I still hold a place in your heart somehow.”

Yao Ran ended her speech by casting another sad and pitiful look at Yang Ming. Sure enough, he paused and hesitated.

Both knew the real purpose of why he had taken Yao Ran as his sister. It was just a cover-up for their unsavory setup. But as far as the public was concerned, he was still engaged to Meng Ling, and he didn’t want to mess things up before their inevitable wedding.

As things were, it didn’t matter whether Yao Ran’s words were false or not. The important thing was that she had given him an excuse to shut Meng Ling up and shift the blame away from him. For now, that was enough.

Yang Ming put his thoughts in order and looked at Meng Ling. “You heard it, Lingling. This is the truth. I think it’s obvious that I had no idea about Yao Ran’s posts. I promise, in the future, I will always think of you first. If another shop crops up, I will definitely bring you there.

I know that your family pampered you, Lingling. Don’t worry. After we are married, I will make sure that nothing will change for you in that respect.”

Meng Ling felt her foul mood lift a little. Who wouldn’t, when such a handsome young man cajoled you in front of others like this? Yang Ming’s words were probably just for show, but so what? Marriages among their class were rarely harmonious or happy. As long as she still won over Yao Ran, it was all she cared about.
She looked over at the other girl now. Yao Ran might look calm on the surface, but Meng Ling noticed her clenched fists at her sides.

Meng Ling stifled a sneer. Even the students at No. 1 High School were now praising Yao Ran for her humble and courteous nature. Gone were her days of arrogance and malicious trickery.

At first, when people found out that she had been booted out of the Yao family, they saw it as their chance at retribution. They had meant to bully her and give her a taste of her own medicine. But after this so-called change in Yao Ran’s manner, the students switched sides and ended up being protective of her.

And the more her enemies targeted her, the more inclined her classmates were to defend her.

Meng Ling sighed to herself at the thought. Those idiotic kids still had much to learn. Unlike them, she knew what kind of person Yao Ran truly was. After all, most of her own foolishness had stemmed from her utter dislike of Yao Ran.

Yao Ran had been kicked out of the Yao family, while Yao Tang was still firmly in her position. Meng Ling knew that Yao Ran would never let it go so easily.

“Fine, fine, whatever,” Meng Ling waved her hand again. “I only came here to give you a warning. My Meng family would not stand for any kind of insult. I advise you to think twice before you do anything in the future.”

She clasped Yao Tang’s arm closer and beamed. “Come on, Sister Tang. Let’s go out and chat for a while.”

Yao Tang nodded and let Meng Ling lead her out of the establishment, while Cheng Yan watched with a helpless expression.

He was painfully aware of Yao Tang’s popularity among her peers, but he had never thought that one of her admirers would have the audacity to interrupt her in the middle of a meal.

He couldn’t help but feel a keen sense of dread. If the present was any indication, Yao Tang might only get busier and more popular in the future. Once she steps into college, she was bound to find someone and fall in love. It was all her friends could talk about these days. The worst part of it was that he was certain that a lot of boys out there would love to have a shot at winning her affections.

Cheng Yan scowled as soon as the thought formed in his head. He knew his charms, of course. Even Weiwei openly expressed her admiration for him. Girls had been pursuing him, even since his childhood days. He had always been the center of attention, whether it was a matter of looks or intellect. He was the cream of the crop.

But he found himself overwhelmed with a sense of crisis, for some reason. Sure, Yao Tang might not be paying much attention to the boys at her school at the moment, but who was to say that this would carry on to university? Perhaps she liked older guys. Even Cheng Yan had moments when he felt inferior and childish compared to her. What if she preferred university students, after all?