The Useless Heiress Is Actually A Bigshot

Chapter 140: Chapter 140 Making Trouble

“Oh, so Chairman Xue had no such intention!” Zhong Niangyao nodded, looking as if she had just come to a realization, “However, these past few days, everyone has been saying you were planning to take Shen Yixue as your disciple. She seems to think so herself.”

“I really had no such thought,” Xue Zhi shook his head and continued, “Though I do admire Miss Shen Yixue’s paintings, accepting a disciple is a matter that requires caution, and I have not yet decided.”

No sooner had he spoken than all eyes in the room fixed on Shen Yixue, who was standing on the stage.

Shen Yixue’s face turned deathly pale, her lips quivering, unable to utter a word. She wished she could just faint and end it all, but she didn’t dare feign unconsciousness, fearing that being discovered would only lead to greater embarrassment.

The situation had not yet resolved, for Zhong Niangyao spoke again.

“Chairman Xue, may I be so bold as to ask a question?” Zhong Niangyao blinked her eyes, smiling as she inquired further, “Do you have no plans today to take Shen Yixue as your disciple because you feel that someone like her couldn’t possibly have painted the grand and magnificent ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Mountains and Rivers’?”

“Zhong Niangyao, what do you mean?” Before Shen Yixue could say anything, Chen Lianlian had already jumped out, “Are you jealous of Xiao Xue’s award, or what? If you don’t have the talent yourself, do you really want to slander others here?”

“The person in question hasn’t even spoken, what’s it to you?” Zhong Niangyao’s demeanor remained unflustered as she simply stated a fact, “Chairman Xue, can you answer my question?”

“Well—” After hesitating for a moment, Xue Zhi nodded, “Indeed, I do have that impression. But one shouldn’t judge by appearances, so I plan to further understand the situation before making a decision.”

This was his true feeling, and he saw no reason to conceal it. Besides, he didn’t think there was anything inappropriate about his actions. Although he had considered taking Shen Yixue as his disciple, he hadn’t said it out loud, had he?

At these words, the color drained from Shen Yixue’s already pallid face. Her eyes brimmed with fear, and a wave of unease surged within her, as if something was spiraling out of her control.

Li Jingming seemed to realize something was amiss and stood up, stepping onto the stage and over to Shen Yixue’s side.

Seeing her distress, he was filled with pity and promptly expressed his concern.

Just then, Zhong Niangyao’s voice rang out again, and the words that followed shocked everyone in the auditorium.

“Chairman Xue, your intuition is not wrong. Shen Yixue indeed lacks the talent to have painted such a grand and magnificent ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Mountains and Rivers.’ The true author of that painting is not Shen Yixue.”

Whether it was the people sitting below the stage or the school leaders and Xue Zhi onstage, everyone immediately turned their stunned gazes upon Shen Yixue.

“Zhong Niangyao, this is slander,” Li Jingming immediately stood up to defend his girlfriend, “Do you have any evidence? Without evidence, you’re just defaming her. I’m telling you, if you can’t provide a good explanation, I won’t let you off the hook.”

Shen Yixue’s inner panic was on the verge of showing, her hands clenched into fists, the sharp nails digging into her flesh and drawing traces of blood. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down, mentally bolstering her resolve.

It’s okay; there won’t be any problems. If there were really an issue, would not the true author of the painting have come forward when she received the award?

Moreover, she had already removed the seal from the painting with special liquid; it could never be restored. The painting was hers; it was.

In contrast to Li Jingming’s defiant stance, Xue Zhi’s eyes flashed with sharpness after hearing Zhong Niangyao’s statement. He looked directly at her and said, “Young lady, what are you implying? You mean to say that this painting by Shen Yixue was actually done by someone else? Then who is the real author?”

He had felt slightly uneasy from the moment he saw Shen Yixue. Someone capable of creating such a grand work could not possibly be a delicate woman.

Zhong Niangyao leaned back in her chair, blinked, and then said with a smiling face, “Me! I am the true author of the ‘Ten Thousand Miles of Mountains and Rivers.'”

“Impossible!” Shen Yixue screamed, then realized her reaction might have been too strong and quickly lowered her voice, her face on the verge of tears, “Nianyao, I know you don’t like me, but you can’t try to claim my painting as your own!”

She felt a secret sense of relief. She had thought Zhong Niangyao actually knew who the real author of the painting was, but it turned out that she was just causing trouble. It was probably because she couldn’t stand to see her succeed, right? Or maybe it was because Zhong Niangyao still harbored inappropriate feelings for Jingming, and that’s why she targeted her.

Shen Yixue knew very well what Zhong Niangyao was capable of. A nobody who couldn’t even differentiate between the colors of traditional Chinese paint—how could she possibly create such a work?

At this moment, the school leadership also showed displeasure, addressing Zhong Niangyao with a stern voice, “Zhong Niangyao, stop causing trouble here. I will settle accounts with you later. If you dare to continue disrupting, I will have to invite your parents to have a proper discussion.”

“I’m telling the truth! Why won’t any of you believe me?” Zhong Niangyao looked helpless.

Everyone looking at Zhong Niangyao thought of her as a fool. Clearly, they didn’t believe she was capable of creating such a painting.

In contrast, Xue Zhi did not refute Zhong Niangyao’s claim. He simply asked, “Do you have any evidence that this painting is yours?”

While he did not know this young woman well, her demeanor, the light air about her, and her carefree and unrestrained appearance closely matched the image he had of the painting’s author.

“Chairman Xue?” Shen Yixue cried out in surprise, “Don’t be fooled by Zhong Niangyao. She is just jealous of me.”

“Yes!” Chen Lianlian also chimed in hurriedly from below, “Zhong Niangyao has always been jealous of Xiao Xue. She must be jealous now, which is why she’s deliberately causing trouble.”

“She’s a well-known good-for-nothing in our school. She can’t even paint, so how could she possibly create such a work?”