On a winter night in Yanjing, the cold wind was like a blade.
When Ming Dai got into the taxi and gave the address of the villa where the banquet was held, the driver couldn't help but turn around to look at her.
Fortunately, Ming Dai was already prepared. She had a long black down jacket wrapped around her dress and was covered from head to toe.
Unfortunately, as someone who meets customers everyday, the driver's eyes were really sharp.
"Are you that female celebrity called… Ming Dai?"
Without hesitation, Ming Dai lowered her voice and denied it.
"I'm not."
"You are! Isn't the villa you are heading to hosting a charity banquet tonight? There are so many celebrities, but you are probably the first to take a taxi there! Hey! I heard that you went bankrupt because of that incident?"
"…"
Ming Dai looked away with a cold expression.
"You young ladies just don't know how to cherish your blessings. Instead of being a proper actress, you insist on harming others. Heh, tell me, were you the one who pushed him? Don't worry! I definitely won't tell anyone!"
Ming Dai was silent.
If it weren't for the fact that it was too difficult to get a taxi on a snowy night, she would have immediately called for a stop and distanced herself from this noisy driver.
However, she did not know how to drive. Her driver who used to be on call had already resigned a few days ago.
The driver carried on with his gossiping.
Ming Dai averted her gaze. Recent memories surfaced before her eyes—
Ming Dai was a female celebrity. Although she had no acting skills and was involved in scandals, she still relied on her unique beauty to become famous.
Half a month ago, a little boy rolled down the stairs and was admitted to the ICU with serious injuries. Ming Dai, who was present, was summoned by the police for investigation.
This normal procedure was defamed by some people as "Ming Dai pushing a little boy downstairs and being suspected by the police", and it spread like wildfire on the Internet.
Even after Ming Dai confirmed that she was not a suspect, the public's suspicions did not diminish. Ming Dai's advertisements and film contracts were all affected, so she had no choice but to hold a press conference to clarify the truth.
In the end, on the day of the press conference, the little boy who had just left the ICU was pushed to the scene by his parents in a wheelchair. He actually personally identified Ming Dai as the culprit who had pushed him!
There was an uproar at the scene. Ming Dai was also stunned. The press conference was left unsettled in the chaos.
Shortly after the boy returned to the hospital, his injuries worsened and he died.
This time, public opinion exploded. Ming Dai had become the "murderer" in the public's eye!
An overwhelming wave of anger and criticism swept through Ming Dai's world.
Her partners terminated their contracts one after another; her parents called and scolded her; friends drew a clear line with her; fans left her fandom and turned against her…
She had lost almost everything overnight, but Ming Dai did not give up.
She learned from her former assistant that someone had looked for her on the day of the incident.
If Ming Dai wanted to find a witness, then this person was the only possibility!
She came to this banquet today to look for this person!
…
The taxi slowly came to a stop.
Ming Dai could see the brightly lit villa through the window.
At the entrance of the villa where luxury cars gathered, that one taxi was very conspicuous.
After Ming Dai paid the bill, she was about to get out of the car when she heard a soft scolding behind her.
"Lying b*tch."
Ming Dai turned around in a daze.
But she saw the taxi driver looking ahead with an expression that said it had nothing to do with him.
Ming Dai tightened her grip on the car door until her palms turned red.
The taxi driver turned around with a smile. "Miss Ming, please close the door. The cars behind are all waiting."
Under that smile was an unscrupulous and malicious intent. It was obvious that he firmly believed that Ming Dai would not make a scene with him in front of everyone.
Ming Dai indeed did not know how to do it.
She only gave him a deep look before closing the door and leaving.
* * *
The red carpet segment of tonight's charity banquet had only just begun, and many celebrities had yet to appear.
The reporters were a little bored and lazily took pictures of the unknown guests on the red carpet.
The world seemed to have suddenly fallen silent.
Someone turned to look at the entrance of the red carpet, and more and more people followed.
At that moment, they could not help but hold their breaths as they stared blankly at the person walking over.
There was no need for a spotlight, because the light was already rushing towards her—
The wind blew through the thick clouds, revealing the full moon that was like a silver plate. The moonlight that fell happened to fall on her.
It was as if the veil of a goddess had fallen gently and draped over her body. It was hazy like the moon and looked like a scene from a dream.
Under the moonlight, her skin had the texture of cold jade. Her fair skin was something that could not be created by others.
Below her thick black hair, there was a pair of amber eyes that shone like the setting sun. If one looked carefully, there seemed to be lights sparkling in her eyes, adding a sense of vulnerability to her pure innocence.
There was no jewelry or extra makeup. Just the rose-like red lips and the simple black fishtail dress had already made her peerless beauty. Even the scenery behind her paled in comparison.
This uniqueness was hard to describe with words. Her existence was more like the imagery in a poem, exceeding the peak of imagination, like there was no limit to romance.
…
Where did this fairy come from?
—Questions popped up in the reporters' minds.
Soon, they realized that the person's outline was familiar.
Someone called out hesitantly, "Ming Dai?"
The fairy, who was so beautiful that she did not look like a real person, nodded slightly in the direction of that person.
There was an uproar in the surroundings, and loud discussions erupted like a pot of boiling oil.
"Is that Ming Dai?"
"Is Ming Dai that beautiful?"
The entertainment reporters who were quite familiar with Ming Dai were stunned.
In their impressions, Ming Dai was always wearing seductive gowns and gaudy makeup. She looked indescribably cheap.
As for the current Ming Dai, her beauty could no longer be measured. It was a unique beauty that had transcended worlds!
The reporters were so excited that they were like sharks that smelled blood. They rushed forward and wanted to tear Ming Dai apart and eat her up.
The questions thrown out were even sharper—
"Mingdai, did the Gu family help you get acquitted from the police station?"
'Did you ever apologize to the victim? Did you visit his funeral?'
'You insist you're not the killer. Do you have any proof?'
"…"
No one expected Ming Dai to come to the banquet with such fanfare instead of hiding from the limelight!
As for Ming Dai.
She straightened her back like a small green pine standing proudly in the cold wind.
Ignoring those words, she endured the fatigue of not resting for nearly 40 hours and walked to the end of the red carpet to present her invitation.
The security guard glanced at her contemptuously and took it with one hand. He casually scanned the invitation barcode against the machine.
"I'm sorry, your invitation is no longer valid."
The security guard at the entrance was still a distance away from the reporters, so no one else heard this.
But how sharp were these reporters?
When they saw that Ming Dai had not entered for a long time, they realized that something was fishy. They tried to break through the layers of security and aimed the camera at Ming Dai.
Ming Dai raised her exquisite chin. "This is the invitation I received a month ago."
The security guard could not hide his irreverence. "Yes, ma'am, but this invitation has now been disqualified."
In the cold winter wind, Ming Dai's figure looked even thinner and more graceful.
Her slender bare feet in the strappy high heels were red from the cold, as if peach blossom powder had been rubbed into the cold jade.
She felt a little helpless.