"What happened?" Mo Ting asked quietly after he and Tangning reached a quiet spot.
Tangning gripped tightly to the corner of Mo Ting's shirt and replied with a complex look in her eyes, "It seems he wants to get revenge for Han Yufan. The wife of Director Zheng is Han Yufan's mother and the two of them seem to be on good terms with Elder Zhang."
Plus, with her status, being bullied at an event like this, was a common occurrence. After all, her career wasn't well established yet and she hadn't done anything particularly deserving of respect.
Mo Ting looked carefully into Tangning's eyes before he grabbed hold of her right hand and said, "Hold on tightly..."
Tangning looked down at their intertwined hands and finally felt a lot more relaxed.
After they returned to the ballroom, everyone looked at Tangning in a different light. Mo Ting had already protected Tangning in the open and behind-the-scenes for quite some time, but this was the first time he did it at such a big-scale event. Not too long ago, he had announced her relationship with him, this time, he had made everyone aware of her status.
Tangning watched as Mo Ting conversed with others; she watched as he dodged and avoided difficult questions that were thrown his way. She found herself tightening her grip on Mo Ting's hand.
In this icy cold industry; this industry driven by profits; there was still a man willing to hold onto her hand through all the darkness. Above all, he sheltered her from the storm and guided her in the right direction. Tangning felt, in this lifetime, even if she had to give up her life for Mo Ting, she would do it without regrets.
Feeling his hand had almost lost circulation from Tangning's tight grip, Mo Ting lowered his head and looked at their hands. He then whispered into Tangning's ear, "How tight are you holding my hand?"
At this moment, the couple were standing right beside the fountain, in the most noticeable spot.
Tangning leaned against Mo Ting's shoulder and replied with a raspy voice, "I'm afraid you'd let go..."
Everyone was gossiping about her with mixed opinions, but this man remained as the only person she could rely on.
Mo Ting turned his body so he could be face-to-face with Tangning. In front of everyone, he grabbed onto her hands, "I suddenly have the urge to kiss you." Mo Ting didn't just say it - he immediately pulled her towards him and put his words into action...
Everyone gasped. Never would anyone have imagined, these two would be so affectionate even at someone else's wedding.
"Oh God...look, look, they're kissing!"
"They can't even control themselves at a place like this. It must be true love, right?"
"Although I don't want to admit it, it seems our almighty President Mo has indeed been won over by this model. I don't know how to feel about it, but let's have a few more drinks to lighten the mood."
Mo Ting's intention was simple: he wanted those that were envious of Tangning to feel even more envious and he wanted to give a slap to the face to those that thought their relationship was just for show!
Afterwards, the newlywed couple approached Mo Ting and Tangning with a warm smile.
Yu Feng wrapped his arm around his bride and said to the couple, "President Mo, this is our wedding. Leave us a bit of the spotlight..."
"Feng Ge, I am so sorry," Tangning grabbed a glass of champagne, ready to offer her apologies with a drink. But, Yu Feng simply chuckled.
"I've been in Hai Rui for many years, but I've never seen President Mo protect someone to this extent. The world is filled with turmoil, you should familiarize yourself with it. Events like this are aplenty...I suppose you don't want the President to become completely exhausted."
"Understood," Tangning nodded her head.
"Making yourself more powerful is something you've always been good at doing."
After speaking, the four people clinked glasses. It seemed, the Mo Ting today wasn't the President of Hai Rui, he was simply family.
"Congratulations on your wedding!"
"Thank you, President Mo."
Not too far away, Lan Xi glared at Mo Ting and Tangning's intertwined hands. She couldn't help but empty the contents of her champagne glass down her throat. Just like Tangning had said, she was indeed a joke. Especially since, when Tangning was still in Cheng Tian, she had once told her that she wanted to have her way with Mo Ting. Back then, she even thought Tangning's boyfriend wasn't anyone great...
Actually, the words she had said to Tangning earlier, was merely because she wasn't willing to accept the facts that were clearly in front of her...
Outside the ballroom, the rain continued to pour with no signs of stopping. After the wedding reception finished, the guests were supposed to return to their own respective hotel rooms, but...even in the fierce weather, reporters guarded the exit with their umbrellas.
Seeing the reporters' faces reddened from the harsh weather, many of the celebrities stopped to accept interviews.
This included Lan Xi and Ling Ziyi. After all, they could also do with some publicity.
But, of course, Mo Ting and Tangning were the main targets for the reporters.
"President Lan, the former Cheng Tian model, Tangning, was also present at the wedding today. How did it feel to see her again?"
"I gave my blessings to her" Lan Xi gave a standard response.
"Do you think Ling Ziyi will ever get to the same level as Tangning?"
"She is unique. To me, she has her own charm..."
Meanwhile, not too far away, Tangning was being asked similar questions.
"Miss Tang, was it awkward to see your former boss?"
"Miss Tang, rumor has it, you have been absent from Fashion Week because you are partaking in a film, is this true? Have you decided to change career paths and pursue acting instead?"
She had already expected them to ask this question. So, Tangning immediately turned to the man beside her; he had said earlier on that he'd handle questions like this.
Mo Ting wrapped his arm around Tangning's waist and replied, "I think her singing is even better."
Of course, his answer played Tai Chi around the question.
Their question was related to acting and the runway, yet his answer was about singing...
Tangning suddenly had the urge to laugh.
"President Mo, Tangning has been endlessly compared to newcomers recently. Do you mind that she is being compared?"
"Do you have an example?"
"The recently famous Ling Ziyi is a good example..."
"Who's that?" Mo Ting asked straightforwardly.
People got famous every day, who were they speaking of?
The reporters understood what Mo Ting meant: Ling Ziyi was like an insignificant cloud in the sky...
"In that case, can we ask something a little more personal? When are you guys planning to get married?"
While they were ambiguous, the reporters kept asking when they'd reveal their relationship. now that they had revealed their relationship, their questions had changed to when they'd get married...
In response to this question, Mo Ting simply revealed an unpredictable smile. Reporters knew they had reached his limit, so they didn't ask any further. They quickly moved aside and cleared a path for the couple to leave. Under the rainy night sky, the image of the couple leaving together under an umbrella was captured by their cameras. Obviously, this wedding was like a rehearsal for the couple.
Back over on Ling Ziyi's side, she had just heard Mo Ting's response. This was when she realized, she had never held any importance to Tangning and Mo Ting. Even though she took the resources originally allocated for Tangning, she was simply picking up what Tangning didn't want...
"Lan Jie, from now on, don't let the media mention Tangning and I in the same breath, I don't want to bring disgrace upon myself." Previously, Ling Ziyi had been proud of the fact that she had taken Tangning's resources. But...she suddenly realized she was a nobody.
Lan Xi watched the couple leave and nodded her head in agreement, "They are at a level that we can't reach..."
"Tangning has never been mediocre."
"Perhaps she still has something up her sleeve to surprise us with...I'm just going to sit back in anticipation!"